• Director General Office

India flash flood sparks questions on nation's hydropower push

Environmentalists have urged the Indian government to review its policy of building hydropower dams in fast-warming mountain regions, after an apparent glacier collapse this week led to flooding that swept away one dam and left at least 26 people dead. The flash flood in India's northern Uttarakhand state a week ago, triggered by what scientists said they believed was a large avalanche of glacier ice and rock, left up to 200 people missing in the Himalaya region. Rescuers last week were racing to try to free dozens of dam construction workers trapped in a tunnel by debris carried by the wave of floodwater. Scientists said the disaster was difficult to directly link to climate change in a region where landslides are common - though temperatures are rising faster in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya mountains than in other parts of the region. But Anil Kulkarni, a glacier expert at the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science, said global warming and "local factors such as deforestation for developmental projects and large-scale construction activities could have contributed to the disaster". Continuing construction of hydropower dams in the region needs reconsideration, not just because of warming risks but because of broader environmental impacts, said Sunita Narain, head of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. About 7,000 megawatts worth of hydroelectric projects are already operating or being constructed in the fragile mountains of Uttarakhand, she said. The projects are going ahead as India tries to move to cleaner renewable energy and provide more power for development, including in more remote regions. But such efforts need to be limited by "the carrying capacity of the fragile Himalayan region, which is even more at risk because of climate change", Narain told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. If dam building continues, more disasters like this week's are likely, she said. "There is no question that we are going to see more of this, not less, unless we change the way we do business with the environment," Narain said, urging "better-studied decisions on the projects". Best solution? Jigmet Takpa, joint secretary at India's Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said that improving provision of energy in India was crucial for the population's welfare. "Whenever such disasters strike, people start questioning the government. Though it is their right to ask questions, it needs to be understood that natural disasters are beyond the government's control," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. He said India's government and people needed to work together "to develop adaptive strategies to avoid damage", such as ensuring homes are not built near riverbeds. But Ravi Chopra, director of the Peoples Science Institute, which works on water, environment and disaster issues in India, said that with the cost of solar energy rapidly falling, building more mountain hydropower dams was unnecessary. Hydropower produced in Uttarakhand costs about three times as much as equivalent solar power, he said, arguing that "in this time and age, hydropower makes no economic sense". Big international funding institutions have largely moved away from supporting controversial big hydropower projects, though many smaller-scale dams are still being built globally. Chopra said that after heavy rains in 2013 spurred disastrous flooding and landslides that killed more than 5,000 people in Uttarakhand, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court had recommended no dams be built above an elevation of 2,000 metres. But Chopa, who was a member of the committee, said dam building had continued - including construction of the dam destroyed in Sunday's flash flood. Sharachchandra Lele, of the Centre for Environment and Development at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, said the government needed to rethink its development strategy for the Himalayas. "Climate change is aggravating environmental risks of the already environmentally fragile Indian Himalayan region," he said. "Damming of rivers, tunneling for power generation, and indiscriminate road building are magnifying these risks and their impacts."

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Number of personal use cars in Kolkata increases four times in between 2013-21

Kolkata: The result of a vehicle-use study in the city has found that the number of personal-use vehicles has increased four times in the eight years between 2013-21. The average vehicular speed in the city has fallen by 25%, according to the transport department analysis. Taken together, this shows that travelling comfort might have come at the price of congestion and of course, pollution. The report says that while car use has increased three times, two-wheeler use increased over seven times in the same period. Even as registration of two-wheelers had increased since 2000 and more cars were being bought each year till 2020, usage of cars and two-wheelers have rose in the last 10 months due to safety concerns over travelling in public transport. The analysis, done thrice at eight important road intersections, revealed that the car count had increased from around 18,000 in 2013 to 53,930 last year. During the same period, the number of scooters and motorcycles increased from 8,689 to 66,038. According to a transport expert, the result is pollution. Travellers say buses and cars were less of a hazard. 80% found motorcycles to be unsafe compared with other modes of transport. The city was designed for public transport and non-motorised modes of transport like bicycles, apart from walking, according to experts. If one creates space for private cars, more cars would keep coming to clog Kolkata forever, Geetam Tiwari of IIT Delhi told the Times of India. Official ambient air quality monitoring had shown a 61% rise in particulate matter in just four years in between 2010-13. Anumita Roychowdhury, air pollution expert said, “The rise, we presume, has been sharper. Kolkata is paying a very high price for congestion. Traffic jams lead to fuel wastage, more pollution and serious economic losses. Usual commuting time has increased during peak hours. On many arterial roads, traffic volume has exceeded the designed capacity and the service level of the road.”

• Sustainable Food Systems

7 varieties of raw honey you need to pick over adulterated ones

01 Types of raw honey All of us are aware and cautious about what we eat and how much we eat. Health and fitness are two much debated about topics these days. The growing adulteration in food items and increasing pollution has led to a deterioration in the quality of the food we consume including vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products etc. According to research, honey is among the most adulterated food products in the world. Also, a recent investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment found that a majority of samples collected from both big and small brands that sell honey don’t pass an advanced quality control test. At such a time, it is very important to check the honey that we consume. More than that, we need to eat the right honey. Here is a look at 7 varieties of raw honey you need to pick over adulterated ones. 02 Lychee Honey Extracted from Litchi farms, this honey tastes like Litchi fruit and it is liquid, dark golden or amber in colour. It is rich in vitamins and minerals that boost the immune system and helps in wound healing and repair. It is also effective in aiding bone health, especially in women and children. 03 Eucalyptus Honey Eucalyptus honey is a variety of honey made from the flower nectar of eucalyptus blossoms. The biggest producer of eucalyptus honey is Australia. It has a distinctly herbal flavour with a slight medicinal scent to it. It has antibacterial properties, is a good source of vitamins and minerals, and is rich in anti-oxidants. 04 Jamun Honey Jamun Honey is sourced from bees that feed and forage primarily on Indian blackberry commonly known as Jamun. It is collected from the south Karnataka region and is harvested in August when the Jamun flowers blossoms. It is dark amber in colour and comparatively less sweet than other honey. 05 Rapeseed Honey Rapeseed honey or Canola honey is the result of honeybees pollinating high concentrations of the rapeseed plant. It is white or buttery-yellow in colour, has a cabbage-like aroma, and is slightly peppery in flavour. It helps in healing wounds and burns, reduces the duration of diarrhoea, relieves cold and cough symptoms and is rich in antioxidants. 06 Sunflower Honey Sunflower honey is harvested from the sunflower fields in Nagpur, Maharashtra, during the winters. It has a unique bright yellow colour, and is recommended for stomach-intestine conditions, lung and kidney diseases, and especially for diseases of the heart and blood vessels. 07 Acacia Honey Acacia honey is derived from the nectar of the black locust or false acacia tree. Compared with traditional honey, it is often much lighter in colour, appearing almost transparent. It has potent antioxidant and antibacterial properties and may aid wound healing and improve acne. 08 Multiflora Honey Multiflora honey is naturally produced by honeybees which feed on the multiple flowers usually in the springtime. It has a very pleasant aromatic aroma, creamy appearance, and unique flavour of the variety of flower nectar. It helps in the treatment of cough, cold, fever, throat infections, allergies, skin conditions, gum infections, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

• Water Programme

Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen: Leverage India’s rainwater harvesting technique to boost agriculture in Ghana

Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen: Leverage India’s rainwater harvesting technique to boost agriculture in Ghana Acute shortage of potable water at Churu in the Rajasthan State in India was one of the main challenges to an initiative to improve sanitation in the area. The state is water-deficient. It has only 1% of the country’s water resources despite representing about 5% of India’s total population. Low rainfall and water supply adversely affected agriculture and livestock production. The western part of the state was hard hit by water scarcity. The state has a difficult geo-climatic environment with annual rainfall of only 300 mm. The soil is sandy and rainwater rapidly gets absorbed into it. Below the sand is a limestone layer and the groundwater is very brackish. The state has two drinking water problems; first, the availability of water is very low and second, the quality of water is not good for consumption. Women get exposed to hot burns and other health risks walking long distances to fetch water. But the challenge of water supply is being addressed, after the Indian government and its partners built 20,000 litters underground reservoir for each household. It is cylindrical asphalt underground pit where rainwater is collected from rooftops, courtyards or artificially prepared sumps. Once fully filled, the stored water can last through the dry season and save families from daily routine of fetching water from distant locations. There are 500 households in Baniyala Village in Churu. About 200 of the harvesting techniques have been constructed through an on-going initiative. The community’s contribution to the facility is primarily through loans provided by self-help groups. The money collected to pay off the loan is used as a revolving fund to help more families build the system. The loan product for rainwater harvesting structure is unique and possibly first of its kind. Ninety percent of the cost is borne by the government. Ram Swarop Jaht, the District Collector said the government’s priority is to provide continuous water supply to households for effective use. “The government intends to make water available to everybody”, he said. One of the beneficiaries in Baniyala village, Taranagar Block, Churu District, is excited about the life-changing intervention. Lichma Devi received public funding for the construction and use a 20,000 litter capacity concrete water reservoir. She says the availability of the reservoir in that arid village has given her family access to safe drinking water. According to her, the incidence of waterborne diseases in the family has reduced significantly following the construction of the water reservoir. Under the Watershed Development Program, many poor households like hers, now get a frequent supply of water. The selection of deserving beneficiaries was a challenge, but Bhorukha Charitable Trust (BCT) had to discuss project details at village meetings. A project implementation committee was established in all project villages for execution. It is said that, regardless of technology advancements, the best solutions sometimes lie in the past. And that is exactly what the Indians explored to meet the water needs of one of the driest regions of the country. The scattered monsoon rains in Rajasthan do not make news anymore. The State also has a high density of human and cattle population density as compared to other desert areas of the country. Ensuring constant water supply in the Region was the only way of survival. Crops are taken care of by stored rainwater because the system of rainwater harvesting is designed for agriculture purposes too. The traditional method has been employed by many villagers since the 15th century. Over the past three decades, demand for irrigation has gone up. From open community lands, capturing water from swollen streams, and flooded rivers, water is collected and stored in various forms. An open well with multiple owners is the most important source of irrigation. The soil dug out to make the well pit is used to construct a huge circular foundation or an elevated platform sloping away from the well. Small earthen check dams known as Johads captures and conserves rainwater, improving percolation and groundwater recharge. It is a system that has been in existence for many years and the country revived some 3000 Johads across over 650 villages in Rajasthan. This has resulted in a general rise of the groundwater level by almost 6 metres and a 33 percent increase in the forest cover in the area. According to scientists at Indian-based Centre for Science and Environment, five rivers that used to go dry immediately following the monsoon have now become perennial, “such as the River Arvari, has come alive.” Farmers produce two to three crops, which makes a systematic and scientific approach to rainwater harvesting system even more critical. Water received from the monsoon during July and August is stored and used for crops between October and March. Intensive farming continues to grow across the world, and the issue of reliable water supply needs to be adequately addressed for sustainable agriculture. The massive progress made by India in water infrastructure provides opportunities for Ghana to draw important lessons to drive the growth of the agricultural sector. The government of Ghana promised to construct 570 dams in the run-up to the 2016 general election. Out of the number, 174 dams are currently under construction in the Northern Region, whilst 83 and 43 are being constructed in the Upper East and Upper West regions respectfully. The dams, which are at various stages of completion, are expected to provide enough water for farmers to boost agriculture, and domestic purposes. But the policy has not yielded the needed results due to the absence of standard dams that are fit for purpose. Trained hydrologist and senior lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr Anthony Osei Twumasi, says integrating the rainwater harvesting system into the one village one dam could have addressed some concerns. Dr Twumasi says areas where one village one Dam are being constructed have higher evaporation rate that cannot stand the test of time. “If put open dam and it is not to a very high capacity, during the dry spells the water will evaporate from the dams.” He says capacities of individuals or communities should be built to have the expertise to harvest rainwater for use. “If you have stored water, small communities can use it.” Though rooftop water harvesting for drinking purposes is not new in the five regions of the north, it is gradually losing its significance. Dr Twumasi wants residents to revisit the old aged system to increase the availability of water in the regions. “Policy makers should look at that area again and encourage communities to consider it as a good practice,” he said. He also believes government has a major role to play in promoting rooftop water harvesting to address water-related issues. Dr Twumasi has firm belief that India’s experience can reduce government’s burden of constructing dams, which don’t benefit targeted groups of people. “It can be used during the dry spells for agriculture purposes,” he stated. Dr Twumasi has taught for several years in areas of environmental engineering, hydro-engineering among others. He says one of his top priorities is to get his students to understand the enormous benefits of water harvesting as he leverages that in his home. “We can reduce water bills if we take it seriously,” he said.

• Director General Office

Uttarakhand flash flood sparks questions on India’s hydropower push

Environmentalists have urged the Indian government to review its policy of building hydropower dams in fast-warming mountain regions, after an apparent glacier collapse this week led to flooding that swept away one dam and left at least 26 people dead. The Sunday flash flood in India’s northern Uttarakhand state, triggered by what scientists said they believed was a large avalanche of glacier ice and rock, left up to 200 people missing in the Himalaya region. Rescuers this week were racing to try to free dozens of dam construction workers trapped in a tunnel by debris carried by the wave of floodwater. Scientists said the disaster was difficult to directly link to climate change in a region where landslides are common – though temperatures are rising faster in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya mountains than in other parts of the region. But Anil Kulkarni, a glacier expert at the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science, said global warming and “local factors such as deforestation for developmental projects and large-scale construction activities could have contributed to the disaster”. Continuing construction of hydropower dams in the region needs reconsideration, not just because of warming risks but because of broader environmental impacts, said Sunita Narain, head of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

No. of personal-use vehicles in Kolkata jumps four times in 8 years

KOLKATA: The result of a vehicle-use survey in Kolkata has found that the number of personal-use vehicles has jumped four times in the eight years between 2013 and 2021. Transport department studies say the average vehicular speed in Kolkata has gone down by 25%. Taken together, this indicates that travelling comfort may have come at the cost of congestion and, of course, pollution. The report, which has been recently submitted to the state government, says that while car use has gone up threefold, two-wheeler use went up more than seven times in the same period. Even as registration of two-wheelers had exploded since 2000 and more cars were being purchased each year till 2020, when the pandemic-led lockdown saw sales plummet, usage of cars and two-wheelers have increased in the past 10 months because of safety concerns over travelling in public transport. The study, carried out three times daily at eight major road intersections, revealed that the car count had jumped up from 17,976 in 2013 to 53,930 in 2020-21. During the same period, the number of scooters and motorcycles sky-rocketed from 8,689 to 66,038. The most immediate price that Kolkatans are paying for this is, of course, congestion, which has reduced the average traffic speed from 24-25kmph in 2013 to 18-19kmph. The other is, of course, pollution, said a transport expert. The same methodology was used in the study carried out during morning peak hours (9am to 11am), afternoon off-peak hours (noon to 2pm) and pre-evening peak hours (3pm to 5pm) at Ultadanga, Rajabazar, Sealdah, Esplanade, Park Circus, Ballygunge, Dhakuria and Hazra. The study was conducted by prominent citizens’ group Switch ON, which advocates clean air and use of non-motorised transport. The only redeeming feature appeared to be a nine-fold increase in the use of bicycles. Post lockdown, use of bicycles had exploded in Kolkata, with many commuters from neighbouring districts using them, not only because they were safe but also because of lack of adequate public transport in the initial months. South Kolkata saw bicycle use go up by 15% although north Kolkata witnessed an 8% decline. Private cars, along with taxis, accounted for nearly 43% of the city’s vehicles, while motorcycles and cycles made up a further 23%. Only a third of the vehicles comprised public transport: buses, autos and trams. Switch ON also carried out a perception survey among 493 commuters at the crossings. Of them, 41% said they used buses to commute; 20.7% trains; and 12% taxis. As many as 81% commuters travel less than 10km, while for 39%, the daily commute duration is less than 30 minutes. Road users felt the biggest threat came from trucks, followed by autorickshaws. Buses and cars were less of a hazard, they said. An overwhelming 80% found motorcycles to be unsafe, while 74% said cycles were safer, compared with other modes of transport. Experts, such as Geetam Tiwari of IIT-Delhi and Sri Prakash, transport and urban governance expert from TERI, said Kolkata was designed for public transport and non-motorised modes of transport like bicycles, apart from walking. It was wrong to change that basic design of the city to create space for private cars. “If you create space for private cars, more cars will keep coming to clog the city for ever,” said Tiwari. “Official ambient air quality monitoring had shown a 61% increase in particulate matter in just four years between 2010 to 2013. Thereafter, the rise, we presume, has been sharper,” said air pollution expert Anumita Roychowdhury, who’s the executive director of Delhi-based research and advocacy agency, Centre for Science and Environment. “Kolkata is paying a very high price for congestion. Traffic jams lead to fuel wastage, more pollution and serious economic losses. Usual commuting time has increased significantly during peak hours. On many arterial roads, traffic volume has exceeded the designed capacity and the service level of the road,” she added.

• Director General Office

चुकांचा महापूर!

• Down To Earth

Temperatures in northern Africa Likely to rise between February and

Temperatures in northern Africa Likely to rise between February and https://www.ippmedia.com/en/features/temperatures-northern-africa-likely-rise%C2%A0between-february-and

• Director General Office

हिमालय को बचाना सबसे बड़ी प्राथमिकता

हिमालय को बचाना सबसे बड़ी प्राथमिकता उम्मीद की जानी चाहिए कि विजय बहुगुणा वाली गलतियां आने वाले समय में कोई भी सरकार न करने पाए उम्मीद की जानी चाहिए कि विजय बहुगुणा वाली गलतियां आने वाले समय में कोई भी सरकार न करने पाए। केंद्र सरकार को विकास के लिए अन्य जगहों से अलग तरह की नीतियों को हिमालय में लागू करना चाहिए। हिमालय के क्षेत्र में आने वाले सभी राज्यों की सरकारों को शामिल करके केंद्र सरकार एक ज़रूरी नीति की घोषणा कर सकती है। उत्तर दिशा में स्थित देवात्मा हिमालय नाम के नगाधिराज पर प्रकृति का एक और आक्रोश फूटा है। इंसान की गलत नीतियों का खामियाजा हिमालय को भोगना पड़ता है। उत्तराखंड के चमोली जिले में एक ग्लेशियर फटने से ऋषि गंगा क्षेत्र में तबाही आई है। वहां के एक बिजली उत्पादन केंद्र पर मुख्य रूप से असर पड़ा है। अपने देश में बिजली के उत्पादन को विकास से जोड़ा जाता है। पूंजी के बल पर राज करने वाले लोगों के एक वर्ग ने विकास की अजीब परिभाषा प्रचलित कर दी है। ग्रामीण इलाकों को शहर जैसा बना देना विकास माना जाता है। पूंजीपति वर्ग आर्थिक तरक्की के लिए कुछ भी तबाह कर देने पर आमादा हैं। इसी चक्कर में अब उत्तराखंड के पहाड़ तबाही की जद में हैं। इस बार की चमोली की घटना में लगातार गर्म होते जा रहे पर्यावरण का भी योगदान है। विश्व के नेता क्लाइमेट चेंज को गंभीरता से नहीं ले रहे हैं। पूर्व अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रंप जैसे गैरजिम्मेदार नेता तो पेरिस समझौते से अमेरिका को बाहर ले गए थे। यह तो गनीमत है कि नए राष्ट्रपति जो बाइडेन ने फिर से अमेरिका को पेरिस वार्ता से जोड़ दिया है। क्लाइमेट चेंज का खामियाजा दुनिया भर को झेलना पड़ेगा। भारत ने चमोली में झेल लिया। सफलता के लिए इस दिशा में दुनिया भर के देशों के साथ मिलकर चलना पड़ेगा। भारत अकेले कुछ नहीं कर सकता। लेकिन अकेले यह तो किया ही जा सकता है कि अपने हिमालय को बचाने के लिए जो जरूरी उपाय हों। हिमालय को पूंजीपति वर्ग के स्वार्थों और मैदानी तर्ज के विकास की सोच के कारण इतना कमजोर कर दिया गया है कि वह बारिश को भी संभाल नहीं पाता, ग्लेशियर फटने की बात तो अलग है। आज उत्तराखंड, खासकर गढ़वाल क्षेत्र में हिमालय नकली तरीके के विकास की साजीश का शिकार हो चुका है और वह प्रकृति के मामूली गुस्से को भी नहीं झेल पा रहा है। हिमालय के प्रति अपमान का आलम यह है कि गंगा नदी को उसके उद्गम के पास ही बांध दिया गया है। बड़े बांध बन गए हैं और भारत की संस्कृति से जुड़ी यह नदी कई जगह पर अपने रास्ते से हटाकर सुरंगों के जरिये बहने को मजबूर कर दी गई है। पहाड़ों को खोखला करने का सिलसिला टिहरी बांध की परिकल्पना के साथ शुरू हुआ था। 1974 में उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री रहे, हेमवती नंदन बहुगुणा ने सपना देखा था कि प्रकृति पर विजय पाने की लड़ाई के बाद जो जीत मिलेगी वह पहाड़ों को भी उतना ही संपन्न बना देगी जितना मैदानी इलाकों के शहर हैं। उनका कहना था कि पहाड़ों पर बांध बनाकर देश की आर्थिक तरक्की के लिए बिजली पैदा की जायेगी। इसी सोच के चलते गंगा को घेरने की योजना बनाई गई थी। ऐसा लगता है कि हिमालय के पुत्र हेमवती नंदन बहुगुणा को यह बिल्कुल अंदाजा नहीं रहा होगा कि वे किस तरह की तबाही को अपने हिमालय में न्योता दे रहे हैं। पहाड़ों से बिजली पैदा करके संपन्न होने की दीवानगी के चलते ही उत्तरकाशी और गंगोत्री के 125 किलोमीटर इलाके में पांच बड़ी बिजली परियोजनाएं हैं। जिसके कारण गंगा को अपना रास्ता छोड़ना पड़ा। इस इलाके में बिजली की परियोजनाएं एक दूसरे से लगी हुई हैं। एक परियोजना जहां खत्म होती है वहीं से दूसरी शुरू हो जाती है। यानी नदी एक सुरंग से निकलती है और फिर दूसरी सुरंग में घुस जाती है। इसका मतलब ये है कि जब ये सारी परियोजनाएं पूरी हों जाएंगी तो इस पूरे क्षेत्र में अधिकांश जगहों पर गंगा अपना स्वाभाविक रास्ता छोड़कर सिर्फ सुरंगों में बह रही होगी। वर्ल्ड वाइल्डलाइफ फंड ने गंगा को दुनिया की उन 10 बड़ी नदियों में रखा है जिनके अस्तित्व पर खतरा मंडरा रहा है। गंगा मछलियों की 140 प्रजातियों को आश्रय देती है। इसमें पांच ऐसे इलाके हैं जिनमें मिलने वाले पक्षियों की किस्में दुनिया के किसी अन्य हिस्से में नहीं मिलतीं। जानकार कहते हैं कि गंगा के पानी में अनूठे बैक्टीरिया प्रतिरोधी गुण हैं। यही वजह है कि दुनिया की किसी भी नदी के मुकाबले इसके पानी में आक्सीजन का स्तर 25 फीसदी ज्यादा होता है। ये अनूठा गुण तब नष्ट हो जाता है जब गंगा को सुरंगों में धकेल दिया जाता है जहां न ऑक्सीजन होती है और न सूरज की रोशनी। इसके बावजूद सरकारें बड़ी परियोजनाओं को मंजूरी देने पर आमादा रहती हैं। भागीरथी को सुरंगों और बांधों के जरिए कैद करने का विरोध तो स्थानीय लोग तभी से कर रहे हैं जब इन परियोजनाओं को मंजूरी दी गई थी। लेकिन वहीं पर रहने वाले बहुत से नामी साहित्यकार और बुद्धिजीवी इस अनुचित विकास की बात भी करने लगे हैं। उसमें कुछ ऐसे लोग भी शामिल थे जिन्होंने पहले बड़े बांधों के नुकसान से लोगों को आगाह भी किया था लेकिन बाद में पता नहीं किस लालच में वे सत्ता के पक्षधर बन गए। ऐसा भी नहीं है कि हिमालय और गंगा के साथ हो रहे अन्याय से लोगों ने आगाह नहीं किया था। बीस साल पहले सुनीता नारायण, मेधा पाटकर, आईआईटी कानपुर के पूर्व प्रोफेसर जी डी अग्रवाल और बहुत सारे हिमालय प्रेमियों ने इसका विरोध किया। बहुत सारी पत्रिकाओं ने बाकायदा अभियान चलाया लेकिन सरकारी तंत्र ने कुछ नहीं सुना। सरकार ने जो सबसे बड़ी कृपा की थी वह यह कि प्रोफेसर अग्रवाल का अनशन तुड़वाने के लिए उत्तराखंड के तत्कालीन मुख्यमंत्री भुवन चंद्र खंडूड़ी ने दो परियोजनाओं को अस्थायी रूप से रोकने पर सहमत जता दी थी लेकिन बाद में फिर उन परियोजनाओं पर उसी अंधी गति से काम शुरू हो गया। सबसे तकलीफ की बात यह है कि भारत में बड़े बांधों की योजनाओं को आगे बढ़ाया जा रहा है जब दुनिया भर में बड़े बांधों को हटाया जा रहा है। अकेले अमेरिका में ही करीब 700 बांधों को हटाया जा चुका है। सेंटर फार साइंस एंड इन्वायरमेंट ने एक रिपोर्ट जारी करके कहा था कि 25 मेगावाट से कम की जिन छोटी पनबिजली परियोजनाओं को सरकार बढ़ावा दे रही है उनसे भी पर्यावरण को बहुत नुकसान हो रहा है। आज जो चमोली में हुआ है वही 2013 में केदारनाथ में हुआ था। उत्तराखंड के तत्कालीन मुख्यमंत्री विजय बहुगुणा को हिमालय की इकोलाजी से खिलवाड़ करने वाली नीतियों को रोकने की सलाह दी गई थी। वे उन दिनों कांग्रेस में थे। जून 2013 की बाढ़ को ठीक से संभाल नहीं पाए थे। उनकी चौतरफा आलोचना हुई थी। उसी सिलसिले में उनको मुख्यमंत्री पद भी गंवाना पड़ा था। वर्तमान प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी उन दिनों गुजरात के मुख्यमंत्री हुआ करते थे और केदारनाथ में फंसे हुए गुजरातियों को बचाने के लिए उन्होंने गुजरात सरकार को सक्रिय कर दिया था। नरेंद्र मोदी ने विजय बहुगुणा और मनमोहन सिंह सरकार की केदारनाथ की बाढ़ के कुप्रबंध को लेकर सख्त आलोचना की थी। आज उनकी सरकार केंद्र में भी है और राज्य में भी। उम्मीद की जानी चाहिए कि विजय बहुगुणा वाली गलतियां आने वाले समय में कोई भी सरकार न करने पाए। केंद्र सरकार को विकास के लिए अन्य जगहों से अलग तरह की नीतियों को हिमालय में लागू करना चाहिए। हिमालय के क्षेत्र में आने वाले सभी राज्यों की सरकारों को शामिल करके केंद्र सरकार एक ज़रूरी नीति की घोषणा कर सकती है।

• Sustainable Food Systems

In parliament today : CSE revealed adulteration in honey, government gave information

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government/ Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is aware of the recent reports of adulteration of honey produced by the reputed brands across the country, if so, the details thereof and the number of such cases reported, company and location-wise; (b) whether the Government has detected the presence of sugar syrup beyond the permissible level in these honey brands, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether cases of foreign honey brands selling adulterated honey have gone undetected by the Government if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; (d) whether FSSAI has any regulatory framework in place to check the adulteration of honey, if so, the details thereof and the action taken against these brands; (e) the other measures taken to curb such practices; and (f) whether the Government has introduced online food safety compliance system and if so, the details thereof?

• Director General Office

Uttarakhand flash flood sparks questions on India's hydropower push

Environmentalists have urged the Indian government to review its policy of building dams in fast-warming mountain regions, after an apparent glacier collapse this week led to flooding that swept away one dam and left at least 26 people dead. The Sunday flash flood in northern Uttarakhand state, triggered by what scientists said they believed was a large avalanche of glacier ice and rock, left up to 200 people missing in the Himalaya region. Rescuers this week were racing to try to free dozens of dam construction workers trapped in a tunnel by debris carried by the wave of floodwater. Scientists said the disaster was difficult to directly link to climate change in a region where landslides are common - though temperatures are rising faster in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya mountains than in other parts of the region. But Anil Kulkarni, a glacier expert at the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science, said global warming and "local factors such as deforestation for developmental projects and large-scale construction activities could have contributed to the disaster". Continuing construction of hydropower dams in the region needs reconsideration, not just because of warming risks but because of broader environmental impacts, said Sunita Narain, head of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. About 7,000 megawatts worth of hydroelectric projects are already operating or being constructed in the fragile mountains of Uttarakhand, she said. The projects are going ahead as India tries to move to cleaner renewable energy and provide more power for development, including in more remote regions. But such efforts need to be limited by "the carrying capacity of the fragile Himalayan region, which is even more at risk because of climate change", Narain told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. If dam building continues, more disasters like this week's are likely, she said. "There is no question that we are going to see more of this, not less, unless we change the way we do business with the environment," Narain said, urging "better-studied decisions on the projects". Jigmet Takpa, joint secretary at India's Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said that improving provision of energy in India was crucial for the population's welfare. "Whenever such disasters strike, people start questioning the government. Though it is their right to ask questions, it needs to be understood that natural disasters are beyond the government's control," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. He said India's government and people needed to work together "to develop adaptive strategies to avoid damage", such as ensuring homes are not built near riverbeds. But Ravi Chopra, director of the Peoples Science Institute, which works on water, environment and disaster issues in India, said that with the cost of solar energy rapidly falling, building more mountain hydropower dams was unnecessary. Hydropower produced in Uttarakhand costs about three times as much as equivalent solar power, he said, arguing that "in this time and age, hydropower makes no economic sense". Big international funding institutions have largely moved away from supporting controversial big hydropower projects, though many smaller-scale dams are still being built globally. Chopra said that after heavy rains in 2013 spurred disastrous flooding and landslides that killed more than 5,000 people in Uttarakhand, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court had recommended no dams be built above an elevation of 2,000 metres (6,500 feet). But Chopa, who was a member of the committee, said dam building had continued - including construction of the dam destroyed in Sunday's flash flood. Centre for Environment and Developmentat the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, said the government needed to rethink its development strategy for the Himalayas. "Climate change is aggravating environmental risks of the already environmentally fragile Indian Himalayan region," he said. "Damming of rivers, tunneling for power generation, and indiscriminate road building are magnifying these risks and their impacts."

• Director General Office

Warning system, environment study may have prevented Uttarakhand tragedy

Samrat Sengupta, an authority on climate change impact and renewables, says that conservation of natural resources should be seen as a part of any development project Highlights of the conversation: 1. The flash floods in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, can be attributed to two main anthropogenic or man-made aspects: Advertisement a. Unjust and very dense interference in the fragile Himalayan eco-system with so much of infrastructure being built like hydel power plants, roads etc. b. Rising temperature due to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change caused by human activities, resulting in glacial melting faster than what it should be resulting. In all, it causes imbalance in glacial mass which results in avalanche, temporary lake formation etc. 2. A report published by Dr Anil Agarwal, the founder of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in 1973 warned of calamities in the Himalayas that we are seeing today. 3. An early warning system should have been made available from the government side, especially when we have the technology to do so. Such a warning system could have given us 2-3 days to evacuate people and minimise loss of life and even property to some extent. 4. The approval documents of such big projects have provisions for setting up an early warning system. The question is why it has not been implemented as was committed? 5. Important questions: Is the Environmental Impact Assessment of a project, say a hydel power plant, done before implementing it? Even if the assessment is done, is it implemented? There is a certain breach at the implementation level, which hints at corruption in the system. 6. There was a time when environment protection was seen as anti-development. Time has changed and that perspective does not hold true anymore. 7. Today, conservation of natural resources should be seen as a part of any development project. 8. If a developmental project, like a hydel power plant, has short-term benefits but long-term loss, then what is the point of having such a project? 9. Unless we find the middle path between development and nature conservation, there won’t be a solution which is sustainable in the long run. 10. Since pre-industrialisation days, the world has believed in a development model which looks at a few economic indicators, mostly faulty ones, to conclude that more consumption means more development. 11. Earth’s resources are limited, and the idea of unlimited growth is a mirage. If we do not contain our consumption today, the human race will soon pay a heavy price for it. 12. When we talk about increasing consumption, we conveniently forget that millions of people, especially in India, are deprived of access to assured commercial energy. They do not even have the luxury of having a minimum standard of living. 13. Our per capita energy consumption is half of world average. Our development model is very city-centric or centralised. For example, a person living in Delhi has a much larger ecological footprint than someone living in a village on the outskirts of Delhi. There is no equity.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Indian flood is nature's payback: experts

Rampant construction, rock blasting, climate change. Sunday's (February 7) flash flood in Uttarakhand state was nature's payback, Indian environmental experts believe, for dam-building and other practices that have disturbed the fragile make-up of the Himalayas. Dozens of people were killed when an avalanche tore through this river valley. And as of Thursday (February 11) some 170 remain unaccounted for, most of them workers at a hydroelectric plant and a smaller dam that was swept away by the torrent. This is Samrat Sengupta of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi. "This has happened due to unjust interference of the mankind with nature. This has happened in two ways: One, climate change that is also man-made climate change, and another is high density of infrastructure development without done (doing) any pure scientific modeling and study. So, nature is giving back." Kundan Singh is a resident of Raini village, part of which was washed away in the deluge. In 2019, Singh filed a public interest case arguing the hydropower project posed a risk to locals. He saw this coming. "The village was under threat. Landslides were occurring. The company was blasting and their laborers were cutting down trees. The company did not provide employment to the villagers, either." Environmentalists have long warned that climate change is triggering massive flooding in the region. In June 2013, record monsoon rains in Uttarakhand unleashed devastating floods dubbed the "Himalayan tsunami." Nearly 6,000 people lost their lives. Video Transcript - Rampant construction, rock blasting, climate change. Sunday's flash flood in Uttarakhand state was nature's payback, Indian environmentalists believe, for dam-building and other practices that have disturbed the fragile make-up of the Himalayas. Dozens of people were killed when an avalanche tore through this river valley. And as of Thursday, some 170 remain unaccounted for, most of them workers at a hydroelectric plant and a smaller dam that was swept away by the torrent. This is Samrat Sengupta of the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. SAMRAT SENGUPTA: This has happened due to unjust interference of mankind with nature. This has happened in two ways. One, climate change that is also made climate change. And another, this high density of infrastructure development without done any pure scientific modeling and study. So nature is giving back. - Kundan Singh is a resident of Raini village, part of which was washed away in the deluge. In 2019, Singh filed a public interest case arguing the hydropower project posed a risk to locals. He saw this coming. KUNDAN SINGH: [SPEAKING HINDI] INTERPRETER: The village was under threat. Landslides were occurring. The company was blasting, and their laborers were cutting down trees. The company didn't provide employment to the villagers either. KUNDAN SINGH: [SPEAKING HINDI] - Environmentalists have long warned that climate change is triggering massive flooding in the region. In June 2013, record monsoon rains in Uttarakhand unleashed devastating floods, dubbed the "Himalayan tsunami." Nearly 6,000 people lost their lives.

• Director General Office

John F. Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate to Address CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2021

John F. Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate to Address CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2021 The world’s preeminent energy conference will convene virtually March 1-5, 2021. Learn more at www.ceraweek.com HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John F. Kerry will address delegates at CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2021, to be held virtually March 1-5. “We are pleased to welcome Secretary Kerry among the distinguished speakers at CERAWeek 2021” Tweet this The first-ever Principal to sit on the U.S. National Security Council entirely dedicated to climate change, Mr. Kerry previously served as the 68th U.S. Secretary of State and as a U.S. Senator representing Massachusetts. Sec. Kerry will join the world’s energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities addressing this year’s conference. CERAWeek 2021: The New Map: Energy, Climate and Charting the Future will examine a new global map being shaped by dramatic shifts in energy and geopolitics—a map defined by changing policies, technology, alliances, geopolitics, and possibly collisions in global commerce and politics. Inspired by the new book, The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations by IHS Markit Vice Chairman and CERAWeek Chairman Daniel Yergin, the conference program will focus on key themes related to Energy Transition; Geopolitics, Economics and Markets; Investment and Financing; Technology and Innovation; Mobility and the Future Workforce. 2021 marks the 39th edition of the conference and is the first time that it will be an all-virtual event. The conference is produced by IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions. “We are pleased to welcome Secretary Kerry among the distinguished speakers at CERAWeek 2021,” said Daniel Yergin, conference chair and vice chairman of IHS Markit. “Through his distinguished career in public service in the U.S. Senate, as U.S. Secretary of State and now as the Biden Administration’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, his unique knowledge and experience at the intersection of public policy, international diplomacy and energy is a very significant and most timely addition to the important dialogues taking place at this year’s conference.” CERAWeek 2021 and the related Innovation Agora will feature more than 245 speakers from 29 countries. Speakers will include (partial list): Bill Gates – co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and founder, Breakthrough Energy Amin Nasser – president and CEO, Saudi Aramco Bernard Looney – group chief executive, BP Ben van Beurden – CEO, Royal Dutch Shell Patrick Pouyanné – chairman and CEO, TOTAL SE Ryan Lance – chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips Vicki Hollub – president and CEO, Occidental Petroleum Mike Wirth – chairman of the board and CEO, Chevron H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo – secretary general, OPEC Gina McCarthy – national climate advisor, The White House Hon. Joe Manchin – chairman, U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Senator, State of West Virginia Hon. Daniel Sullivan – U.S. Senator, State of Alaska Lynn J. Good – chairman, president and CEO, Duke Energy Noubar Afeyan – co-founder and chairman, Moderna Pratima Rangarajan – CEO, OGCI Climate Investments Hon. Tina Bru, minister of petroleum and energy, Norway Hon. Sylvester Turner – mayor, City of Houston Susan Hockfield – president emerita and professor of neuroscience, MIT Walter Isaacson – author and professor of history, Tulane University Allison Herren Lee – acting chair, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Sunita Narain – director general, Centre for Science and Environment Ben Fowke – chairman of the board, president and CEO, Xcel Energy Nick Akins – chairman, president and CEO, AEP Ignacio S. Galán – chairman and CEO, Iberdrola S.A.

• Director General Office

India flash flood sparks questions on nation's hydropower push

SRINAGAR, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Environmentalists have urged the Indian government to review its policy of building hydropower dams in fast-warming mountain regions, after an apparent glacier collapse this week led to flooding that swept away one dam and left at least 26 people dead. ADVERTISEMENT: Your content will begin in 29 seconds The Sunday flash flood in India’s northern Uttarakhand state, triggered by what scientists said they believed was a large avalanche of glacier ice and rock, left up to 200 people missing in the Himalaya region. Rescuers this week were racing to try to free dozens of dam construction workers trapped in a tunnel by debris carried by the wave of floodwater. Scientists said the disaster was difficult to directly link to climate change in a region where landslides are common - though temperatures are rising faster in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya mountains than in other parts of the region. But Anil Kulkarni, a glacier expert at the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science, said global warming and “local factors such as deforestation for developmental projects and large-scale construction activities could have contributed to the disaster”. Continuing construction of hydropower dams in the region needs reconsideration, not just because of warming risks but because of broader environmental impacts, said Sunita Narain, head of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. About 7,000 megawatts worth of hydroelectric projects are already operating or being constructed in the fragile mountains of Uttarakhand, she said. The projects are going ahead as India tries to move to cleaner renewable energy and provide more power for development, including in more remote regions. But such efforts need to be limited by “the carrying capacity of the fragile Himalayan region, which is even more at risk because of climate change”, Narain told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. If dam building continues, more disasters like this week’s are likely, she said. “There is no question that we are going to see more of this, not less, unless we change the way we do business with the environment,” Narain said, urging “better-studied decisions on the projects”. BEST SOLUTION? Jigmet Takpa, joint secretary at India’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said that improving provision of energy in India was crucial for the population’s welfare. “Whenever such disasters strike, people start questioning the government. Though it is their right to ask questions, it needs to be understood that natural disasters are beyond the government’s control,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. He said India’s government and people needed to work together “to develop adaptive strategies to avoid damage”, such as ensuring homes are not built near riverbeds. Advertisement But Ravi Chopra, director of the Peoples Science Institute, which works on water, environment and disaster issues in India, said that with the cost of solar energy rapidly falling, building more mountain hydropower dams was unnecessary. Hydropower produced in Uttarakhand costs about three times as much as equivalent solar power, he said, arguing that “in this time and age, hydropower makes no economic sense”. Big international funding institutions have largely moved away from supporting controversial big hydropower projects, though many smaller-scale dams are still being built globally. Chopra said that after heavy rains in 2013 spurred disastrous flooding and landslides that killed more than 5,000 people in Uttarakhand, a committee appointed by the Supreme Court had recommended no dams be built above an elevation of 2,000 metres (6,500 feet). But Chopa, who was a member of the committee, said dam building had continued - including construction of the dam destroyed in Sunday’s flash flood. Sharachchandra Lele, of the Centre for Environment and Development at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, said the government needed to rethink its development strategy for the Himalayas. “Climate change is aggravating environmental risks of the already environmentally fragile Indian Himalayan region,” he said. “Damming of rivers, tunneling for power generation, and indiscriminate road building are magnifying these risks and their impacts.”

• Down To Earth

Lockdown Reduced Heavy Metal Levels in Ganga by 50%: IIT Kanpur Study

Untreated sewage from a residential area flows into the Ganges river in Mirzapur, India. Photo: Reuters/Danish Siddiqui In India, a substantial increase in the number of grossly polluting industries (GPI) between 2011 and 2018 exceptionally stressed both surface and groundwater resources. A 2019 report titled ‘State of India’s Environment (SoE) In Figures‘, states that between GPIs, which discharge more than 1,00,000 litres of wastewater and hazardous chemicals into India’s rivers, have increased by 136% between 2011 and 2018. The 992 industries across the main stem of the river Ganga, specifically in the industrial pockets in the catchments of its tributaries – Ramaganga and Kali – contribute to undue duress on the river waters. However, a respite for the Ganga river came in the form of a mandated nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. This was opportune for a team of researchers from IIT Kanpur, who quantified the resilience of the river water of Ganga as an effect of such sudden human actions. On studying the geochemical records of Ganga between March – May 2020 , they found that lower industrial discharge over 51 days of the lockdown decreased the concentration of dissolved heavy metals in the river by atleast 50%. The study site chosen was Prayragraj, which is downstream of the most polluted stretch of the river owing to industrial hotspots. In contrast, the team found that nitrate and phosphate inputs, which come mostly from agricultural runoff and domestic sewage, remained unaffected as these sources were not impacted by the lockdown. Dissolved trace elements chemically evolve in the Ganga river, and also vary with seasons. The researchers observed that the concentration of major ions and trace elements were similar to the pre-monsoon levels (March – May) that persisted prior to the onset of COVID-19. While concentrations of elements like nickel and copper did not show any systematic changes in the study period, concentrations of elements like lithium and arsenic increased in the river water samples analysed. The researchers argued that high concentrations of dissolved heavy metals in rivers are mostly an effect of different human activities. Contaminants like lithium and arsenic are mostly leached from Li-ion batteries into the river water. However, human sources of lithium are absent in the catchment area studied by them. This confirmed their hypothesis that levels of elements like lithium and arsenic were more likely to be high in the tested water samples only due to weathering processes. The study highlights the high resilience of Ganga water, as the river returned to its pristine levels of dissolved heavy metals in a short span of time after reduction of industrial waste discharge. The research paper was published on January 22, 2021.