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Sustainable Mobility

How FASTag has become the easier, faster and environmentfriendly way to collect toll fees

At present, all 631 national highways have FASTag facilities but it will take some time before it becomes the sole mode of toll collection. New Delhi: Earlier this week, the Narendra Modi government made FASTag mandatory for toll collection at national highways. In a statement Sunday, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said that any vehicle not fitted with the tag will have to pay double toll fee to access the highways. A FASTag is affixed to a vehicle and the fee is automatically deducted once the car passes through the toll plaza, eliminating the need to stop in queues. A senior official in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways told ThePrint that all 631 national highway toll plazas were operational with FASTags, along with 109 state-run toll plazas and 39 toll plazas that come under the MoRTH. However, the official added, it will still take some time before all plazas on national highways will be able to collect fees only through FASTag. At present, toll collection through FASTag makes up 85 per cent of the total collection, the official added. VDO.AI The official also noted that states like West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Kerala are yet to shift completely to FASTag. The national highways in Punjab and Haryana are also not operational currently because of the ongoing farmers’ agitation at Delhi borders. ThePrint takes a look at what FASTags are, how they are being implemented across the country and their benefits. Also read: Rs 1 lakh crore Delhi-Mumbai and Ambala-Kotputli expressways to be ready by March 2022 What are FASTags? FASTags, which aid electronic payment of fees at toll plazas, were introduced in 2016. Each tag has a unique code for a vehicle and when one drives through the toll plazas, the fee is automatically deducted after the system scans the code. They can be purchased and recharged on PayTM and Amazon, as well as websites of a few banks such as HDFC, Kotak Bank, ICICI and Axis Bank According to the senior government official, as of 17 February, there were 60 lakh transactions made through FASTags worth Rs 95 crore, which is 16 per cent higher than the transactions made last week. Once FASTags become 100 per cent operational in the country, the government expects an inflow of revenue worth more than Rs 100 crore. In the fiscal year, 2019-2020, electronic toll collection was worth Rs 11,294 crore, while in the fiscal year 2020-21 (up till 17 February) the total electronic toll collection was Rs 18,556 crores — an increase of over Rs 7,000 crores. India will also become the only country in the world to have one uniform e-toll collection facility once FASTags become the sole mode of toll collection. After these became mandatory Tuesday, more than 9.2 lakh (9,29,725) vehicles had signed up for FASTags as of Friday. Officials noted they expect the number of toll collections through FASTags to increase in the coming days. Also read: Onus on NHAI as new Modi govt rules require 90% of highway land arranged before work starts Benefits of FASTags FASTags have been a part of toll collection for years now, however, prior to this a hybrid model of collection was followed. One lane on the toll plaza was reserved for both cash payments and the tags. But this was counterproductive as it would lead to long queues, big traffic jams and more fuel emissions. According to Vivek Chattopadhyay, air pollution programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, once FASTags are installed in all vehicles and toll plazas, it will be easier to pass through them and it will result in lower fuel emissions that are harmful for the environment. “Due to the toll fee collection there were longer queues and more traffic jams, which resulted in an increase in fuel emissions,” Chattopadhyay said. He explained that when the engine of a vehicle is at the optimal speed (40 km/hour) it releases less fuel compared to a vehicle moving at an idle speed. “The same engine when idle is emitting twice as many pollutants and burns more fuel. It is a waste of fuel. FASTags are a much better alternative.” The central government is offering FASTags free of cost till 1 March to encourage their use. According to government sources, to ensure more efficient FASTag roll out on state roads, outreach programmes for states are in the pipeline.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

How FASTag has become the easier, faster and environment-friendly way to collect toll fees

Sustainable Food Systems

Commentary: Zohnerism: The Art of selective communicationd

Dr. #SandeepGoyal explores the art of selective communication during this post truth era, the times in which it’s difficult to read what is written between the lines. Dr. Sandeep Goyal explores the art of selective communication during this post truth era, the times in which it’s difficult to read what is written between the lines. In 1997, a 14-year old schoolboy, Nathan Zohner, at Eagle Rock Junior High School in Idaho Falls Idaho, presented his science fair project to his classmates, seeking to ban a highly toxic chemical from its everyday use. The chemical in question is: Dihydrogen monoxide. Throughout his presentation, Zohner provided his audience with scientifically correct evidence as to why this chemical should be banned. He explained that dihydrogen monoxide causes severe burns while it is in gaseous form. It corrodes and rusts metal, kill’s countless numbers of people annually, it is commonly found in tumors, acid rain etc. and causes excessive urination and bloating when consumed. Zohner also noted that the chemical is able to kill people if they depend on it, and one experiences an extended withdrawal. He then asked his classmates if they would support a ban on dihydrogen monoxide. And surely, without much hesitation, 43 out of the 50 children present voted to ban this clearly toxic chemical. However, this chemical isn’t typically toxic at all; in fact, dihydrogen monoxide is simply H2O, which is nothing but water. Nathan Zohner’s experiment wasn’t a legitimate attempt to ban water but instead an experiment to get a representation of how gullible people can really be. All of the points that Zohner used to convey his argument were 100 percent factually correct - he just skewed all of the information in his favor by omitting certain facts. Zohner himself admitted that he was appalled that my peers were so easily misled. Read more: Sign of the times: Silencing Zillennials In recognition of his experiment, journalist James K Glassman coined the term “Zohnerism” to refer to “the use of a true fact to lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a false conclusion”. Today, Zohnerism is not just being ignorant about science or math, it is a term that best describes the gullibility of most of us when presented with facts and figures that simply overwhelm us by their seeming accuracy, erudition, methodical and sequential presentation; such that it sounds genuine and convincing. Truth TruthDr. Sandeep Goyal Zohnerism is today driving our daily consumption of news and shaping our understanding of most issues - our political dialogue, our economic narrative, our build-up of personalities, our assessment of events and happenings, our perspectives on religion, violence, tolerance, harmony, the books we read, the content we consume, the opinions we form. Almost everything. Everyone around us seems to revel in being economical with the truth but whatever is shared and circulated is slickly packaged in selective truth that is made out to be the entire truth. The malaise of Zohnerism has plagued advertising as a business in particular. The all-pervasive problem of brands and their agencies trying to persuade consumers with half-truth - actually “convenient” truths that much like Zohner’s school project don’t lie - but present it through motivated (sometimes even jaundiced) lenses. The recent Sebamed versus Lever battle that has now reached the Supreme Court of India is a repeat of Dove claiming superiority on its pH neutrality as a soap some years ago, annihilating all of competition and then enjoying the benefits of undisputed leadership. It worked wonderfully till, of course, German rival Sebamed decided to use the same pH claims to rubbish not just Dove, but Lux and Pears too from the Lever stable. Similarly, the recent controversy when Saurav Ganguly came down with a heart attack focused attention on Fortune cooking oil and its mumbo- jumbo claims of having “gamma oryzanol”, which made it “a heart healthy oil” - whatever that is supposed to mean? Not very far back, food researchers at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) picked samples from 13 brands of honey, including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, and Zandu and subjected them to tests that are required under national food regulatory laws. Most of the brands passed muster but when subjected to one test, called the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) that can ascertain the composition of a product at the molecular level, was done at a lab in Germany, only three brands (spanning six samples) passed: Saffola, Markfed Sohna, and Nature’s Nectar (one sample of two). Of course, a full-fledged war of claims and counter-claims followed over the next few days. The moot question is whether these brands were being economical with the truth. The point is that none of them was perhaps lying - they were just not telling the whole truth. They were all practicing shades of Zohnerism; playing on the gullibility of their consumers by saying stuff in their advertising that was true, yet not true. So where does that leave the ordinary consumer? Should he disbelieve everything brands say? Should he completely disregard all the glib talk of celebrities espousing brand benefits? The only antidote to Zohnerism is brand shaming. When the Advertising Standards Council of India, red-carded 12 liquor brands for dubious surrogates recently but did not disclose the names of errant brands publicly, what could be worse? This article has been written by the Author:-Dr. Sandeep Goyal

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

‘Strict policy implementation needed to check air pollution’

‘Strict policy implementation needed to check air pollution’ After a study claimed that as many as 54,000 people in Delhi have died due to air pollution last year, the environmental activists have said that there is a need for stringent implementation of policy such as electrification of vehicles in Delhi. According to a Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysis, air pollution caused by hazardous PM2.5 has led to the death of 54,000 people in Delhi last year. This is the period when the strict lockdown was imposed due to the spread of coronavirus in the country. Moreover, according to the Lancet report, which was published in December 2020, as many as 1.67 million deaths were attributable to air pollution in India in 2019, accounting for 17.8% of the total death in the country. Talking about the issue, Anumita Roychowdhury, an environmentalist, told The Sunday Guardian, “In the last few months, there have been several reports such as the Lancet report. Several reports have shown that air pollution is the top killer in India and the data are beginning to get a lot more granular. The reports are also showing the demographic profile, gender profile, the age profile of those deaths. According to all the reports that have been published in the recent months, it has shown that air pollution has become a public health emergency.” She further said, “It is now time to integrate our health indicators with our air quality planning approach and air quality management. My view is that we need policy response in planning and management of air quality strategies. The government should look for measurable improvements in air pollution.” Talking about the Delhi government’s Switch Delhi scheme, Roychowdhury told The Sunday Guardian, “Delhi has moved ahead with several actions in different sectors. In order to clean up the air, the government has to speed up multi-level strategies. As of now, Delhi has shut down all coal power plants. Coal and dirty fuels are not allowed in Delhi. Delhi has moved entire public transport and its fleets to natural gas. The government has banned entry of trucks into Delhi.” She further said, “Things have happened. We still have to do a lot more to meet the clean air standard. As part of the next step, the electric vehicles policy becomes very important. Delhi has already introduced Bharat Stage VI. Now the next step should go beyond the internal combustion (IC) engine. In order to achieve the target of 25% of electrification of the new fleet by 2024, the government needs to adopt a stringent implementation strategy. Delhi has to scale up to other strategies such as the expansion of public transport, managing the city’s waste better, and availability of cycling and walking lane.” Talking about the National Clean Air Programme and allocation of the funds for the programme by the Central govt, Roychowdhury told The Sunday Guardian, “Funding support is important to achieve clean air. It is a good step because earlier there was no such support from the governments. But whether the air is going to clean up by this funding or not will depend on how well the government is defining the strategy for implementation.”

DTE - Web

Mumbai’s air quality is worsening

Factories across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) burn two million tonnes coal every year, a new study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based non-profit, found. The study identified the Trans-Thane Creek (TTC), Taloja, Ambernath and Dombivali, which covers about 70 per cent of the industries operating in MMR, as the highest polluting region. “Mumbai is a coastal region and so, is not expected to have very high levels of pollution. But with rapid industrial and infrastructural development, air quality of the region has started deteriorating. The city needs to wake up and take corrective actions, to avoid turning into a pollution pressure-cooker like Delhi,” CSE programme director told Down to Earth. Another study shows that Mumbai recorded 25,000 deaths in 2020 which can be attributed to air pollution. Source: Down to Earth

Director General Office

Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies: India as a Case Study

D Jayaram - 2021 - books.google.com This book analyses the role of the BASIC countries–Brazil, South Africa, India and China–in the international climate order. Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies explores the collective and individual positions of these countries towards climate diplomacy, focusing in …

Down To Earth

India’s 88 industrial clusters present a bleak picture of air, water and land contamination, says CSE report

NEW DELHI: An evaluation of 88 clusters, identified by central and state pollution control boards (CPCB and SPCBs) as polluted industrial areas, has thrown up a "bleak picture of air, water and land contamination" in the country, said the Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) State of India’s Environment report 2021, released on Thursday. Referring to the CPCB’s evaluation of these clusters on different green parameters, the report said Tarapur in Maharashtra had emerged as the most polluted industrial cluster in the country followed by Mathura (UP), Bulandshahr-Khurja (UP), Moradabad (UP), Vadodara (Gujarat), Najafgarh drain basin (Delhi), Kanpur (UP) and Varanasi-Mirzapur (UP) between 2009 and 2018. Referring to the CPCB’s Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) that factored in air, water and soil contamination to arrive at an index at scale of 100, the report – annual publication of the CSE’s Down to Earth – noted that 35 of 88 industrial clusters showed overall environmental degradation, 33 pointed to worsening air quality, 45 had water that was more polluted while 17 had land pollution that has become worse in 2018 compared to 2009. image0. “The overall assessment is that our air and water quality is under stress. All trends show that pollution is increasing and this has massive impacts on our health. Even during the lockdown, data shows that river pollution did not reduce. Clearly, we need to do much more to improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said Sunita Narain, director general of the CSE. On air quality parameters, the report found that the CEPI air quality score went up from 52 in 2009 to over 85 out of 100 in 2018 in Delhi’s Najafgarh drain basin whereas it went up from 48 in 2009 to 86 in 2018 in Mathura (UP). Similarly, Bulandshahr-Khurja area in UP nearly doubled its score and figured above 70 along with other clusters such as Gajraula (UP) and Siltara (Chhattisgarh). On the water quality front, Sanganer in Rajasthan and Gurugram in Haryana had the worst score in 2018 whereas Manali turned out to be the worst on land contamination parameters. “It is a telling verdict. The CEPI data clearly indicates that there has been no action over the years to control and reduce pollution even in areas which were already identified as ‘critically’ or ‘severely’ polluted,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director of the CSE’s industrial pollution unit. The report, which used publicly available data, also flagged India’s dismal performance in terms of sustainable development, noting how the country is currently figured at 117th position among 192 nations in terms of sustainable development where it is now behind all South Asian nations except Pakistan. “With respect to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the five best performing states in India are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Going by the same parameter, the five worst performing states have been Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh,” it said. Underlining impact of Covid-19, the report said the country was all set to usher in a ‘pandemic generation’ where 375 million children (from new-born to 14-year-olds) may suffer long-lasting impacts, ranging from being underweight, stunting and increased child mortality, to losses in education and work productivity. It noted that the pandemic also has its hidden victims -- over 500 million children forced out of school globally where India accounts for more than 50% of them. Looking at lessons which India has learnt over the years and more specifically during the pandemic, Narain said, “The good news is that we are learning to do things differently. We are adopting technologies that will be affordable to large numbers and so sustainable. This is where the answer will be – in differently done sewage treatment, to mobility systems that will move people and not cars."

Industrial Pollution

Struggle to breathe: Air quality in Mumbai is deteriorating. Coal use in Mumbai Metropolitan Region to be blamed: CSE

A new study by CSE warned that inaction may lead to Mumbai’s air turning as toxic as Delhi’s. Banning coal use, bringing in a clean fuel policy, strengthening air quality monitoring and modifying criteria to push ‘unclean’ industries out of the city limits are the need of the hour to improve air quality, it says.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Noida struggles for clean air as wind speed drops

Noida struggles for clean air as wind speed drops Noida and neighbouring Ghaziabad and Greater Noida suffered “very poor” air for 11th straight day on Thursday, according to the central pollution control board’s (CPCB’s) air quality index (AQI) Noida and neighbouring Ghaziabad and Greater Noida suffered “very poor” air for 11th straight day on Thursday, according to the central pollution control board’s (CPCB’s) air quality index (AQI). According to the data, Noida had suffered 14 days of very poor air, one day of severe air till date this February, as against only six days of very poor and no severe day in the same period last year. There has been only one day of satisfactory air this month. Analysts at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) say that the air is likely to remain very poor for the next few days due to slow wind. “The city’s air quality is likely to see only a slight improvement during the afternoons when the wind speed is at its peak. Overall, though, wind speed is very low. On Thursday, the maximum wind speed was 10 kmph, that too for only a few hours. The rest of the time it was almost calm. Due to this the particle pollutants don’t disperse leading to pollution,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, IMD. Experts say that consistent wind of at least 8kmph is required to ventilate the region. They, however, added that there was more to the air pollution this year than just the meteorological factors. “Other cities too have suffered more highly polluted days this year. People talk of meteorology as the sole reason, but last year the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (Epca) was active and monitored the ground situation and the graded response action plan (Grap) was effectively implemented. In the absence of a larger powerful monitoring agency, measures like ensuring curbs on construction activities seem not to be that effective,” said Shambhavi Shukla, program officer, air pollution, centre for science and environment (CSE). The Supreme Court-appointed Epca was replaced last year with the central government-appointed Commission for Air Quality Management. According to the AQI, on a scale of 0 to 500, Noida recorded was 315 against 322 a day earlier, Greater Noida was 336 against 337 and Ghaziabad was 325 against 328. The AQI between 101 to 200 is considered ‘moderate’, between 201 and 300 is ‘poor’, between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’ and above 400 is considered ‘severe’. According to the System of air quality and weather forecasting and research (SAFAR), the air quality is likely to improve from February 20. “Surface winds are low and forecasted to improve and change in direction to easterly. Better ventilation is likely to influence AQI positively. AQI is likely to stay in the lower end of Very Poor for the next two days. AQI is likely to further improve on 20th Feb,” said the SAFAR statement on Thursday.

Down To Earth

5 Areas Where Sustainable Practices Can Help Transform Indian Manufacturing

Listed here are 5 key areas, to begin with, where manufacturers can inculcate sustainable practices to drive profitable operations while not only limiting pollution but actually help reduce the existing load. The Indian Manufacturing sector has been a major contributor to the country’s GDP and also a major employment generator. From MNC’s and large scale companies to even MSME’s in manufacturing, have considerable contribution in the growth of the sector. Additionally, with the focus on ‘Vocal for Local’ and the ‘Made in India’ initiative, the government aims at increasing the current GDP contribution of the manufacturing from 17% to 25% by 2022, while also aiming at becoming a global hub for manufacturing, in the post COVID era. While the above is promising, rising concerns towards environmental hazards and the role of industries in Air, Water, soil and noise pollution, is increasing by the day, with the growth of the sector. In spite of strict pollution control guideline and processes, put in place by the government, the continuous rise in pollution is alarming. As per a recent report by The State of India’s Environment (SoE), 2019, the number of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPI) has risen by 136%, across the country, from 2011 – 2018, making this a grave matter for concern. As international best practices and the government focus on adopting greener and sustainable practices, there is an overall push towards a green economy, in turn encouraging entrepreneurs to adopt sustainable business practices. From digital/ paperless documentation, cloud computing, automation and use of emerging tech like AI, ML and AR for smarter and energy efficient operations, manufacturing and other industries, are working hard to inculcate greener solutions while maintaining production and profits. However, the misconception that introducing greener solutions and sustainable practices is a costly affair, is still driving a lot of businesses to shy away from going 100% green. Listed here are 5 key areas, to begin with, where manufacturers can inculcate sustainable practices to drive profitable operations while not only limiting pollution but actually help reduce the existing load. Energy: Switching to solar is one of the most efficient and obvious move for industries, when one thinks of greener practices. While this is true, sustainable practices go much beyond this. To start with, conducting an energy audit to identify wastage and consumption patterns, can help create a better understanding of the energy requirement, on a daily and monthly basis. Optimising this consumption by ensuring zero wastage, and maximising output, could be step one. Bifurcation of heavy energy consumption Vs. routine consumption can be made and the latter can be sourced with smaller set ups of solar power, to further reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Functions like lighting, cooling and heating, for example, can be switched to solar while heavy duty machinery functions can be still carried on with regular electricity source. Not only will this help reduce costs, but also the carbon footprint and the operational efficiency. Resources: Optimising resources is one of the core processes for profitable manufacturing. These include raw materials, machinery, natural resources like water, fuel etc., that need to be sourced at a reasonable cost and quality, to ensure a consistent output. However, apart from just cost and quality, manufacturers can start looking at the ‘green’ quotient of the purchases, so as to make informed choices. In many cases, these turn out to be more cost effective than the original/ traditional options. Questions like can a natural source of raw material be procured for my product, vs the current one or can one use recycled products or plastic/ wood, as raw material, instead of what is currently been used, can be valuable questions. Further, apart from re-looking at the raw materials sourced, one can also look at optimising use of water/ steam or other natural resources used in the plant, either by recycling them in-house for re-use or optimising the production process that can help cut down massive use of resources, can help create an impactful change. Technology: In the era of Business 4.0, leveraging smart technology for optimising processes is soon becoming the new standard. While a lot of companies, especially MSME’s, are still shying away from complete tech adoption, a range of start-ups and tech innovators are helping bridge this gap with customised and cost effective solutions. Leveraging these for adopting greener manufacturing processes, can not only be profitable but also help reduce the harmful effects of pollution generating process on employees. Currently a number of industry workers and labourers are being subjected to harmful and toxic chemicals, as part of their daily jobs at factories. By leveraging AI/ robotics, and Machine Learning, these harmful hazards can be controlled and their exposure can be managed. Further, smart tech can help re-design or improvise manufacturing processes that can use minimum resources while generating quality output, with reduced waste/ pollution. Tech adoption is one of the key innovations to drive sustainable practices, be it automation, fin tech, cloud computing and AI enabled solutions or Data analytics, preventing crisis or breakdown or leveraging smart robotics. Packaging: This is one of the major contributors to waste generated through industrial and manufacturing processes. Use of plastic/ synthetic material for packaging has seen an alarming rise in the pollution caused by non-degradable waste. From plastic bottles, containers, packaging material and bags to smaller pieces of plastic, like lids, caps, single use straws, external packaging and bulk packaging for transport, are all major pollutants, with long lasting and dangerous impact on the environment. Replacing these with natural or recycled materials, like cardboard, paper, hemp or bamboo etc., can drastically help reduce environmental impact and stop adding to the already rising pile of non-degradable waste in our oceans and rivers. Waste Treatment and Recycling: Last but not the least, taking responsibility of the waste generated by the industrial processes, is as vital as focusing on the final output. Most industries falling under the GPI category or seen flouting pollution norms, do so by releasing toxic waste into the surrounding water bodies, soil, or atmosphere. While it is a mandate to treat any industrial waste to remove/ reduce its toxicity before releasing it in the environment, there are a lot of instances where this is not followed at all, or not followed accurately. Waste treatment and recycling can be one of the prominent aspects of green manufacturing and thus, hold a huge potential to create a sustainable impact on the entire industrial operations and supply chain. Even as India gears up to becoming an international manufacturing hub, its focus on adopting green practices will remain a decisive factor in the overall success of the economy, ensuring cleaner environment, better public health, conservation of its natural resources, and smarter and efficient business processes. Industrial growth without a focus on the holistic development of the country, would only be stunted and even temporary. Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.

Director General Office

सरकारी परियोजनाओं के लिए पेड़ काटे जाने पर दिशानिर्देश बनाएगा सुप्रीम कोर्ट

तीन फरवरी को सुप्रीम कोर्ट की तरफ से गठित एक कमिटी ने बताया था कि एक पेड़ साल भर में 75 हज़ार रुपए का ऑक्सीजन और खाद पैदा करता है. मामला पश्चिम बंगाल में सेतु भारतमाला परियोजना के तहत 5 रेलवे ओवरब्रिज के निर्माण का है. परियोजना के लिए 356 पेड़ काटे जाने हैं. नई दिल्ली: सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कहा है कि वह सरकारी परियोजनाओं के लिए पेड़ काटे जाने को लेकर दिशा-निर्देश बनाएगा. कोर्ट ने कहा, "यह तय किया जाना जरूरी है कि कितनी उम्र के पेड़ों को बिल्कुल नहीं काटा जा सकता है. यह भी तय करना होगा कि किस तरह की नस्ल के पेड़ हैं जिनकी पर्यावरण के लिए उपयोगिता को देखते हुए उन्हें नहीं काटा जाना चाहिए. बाकी पेड़ों को भी बहुत जरूरी स्थिति में ही कांटा जाना चाहिए." कोर्ट ने कहा कि काटे गए पेड़ों का मूल्यांकन कर उनकी लागत परियोजना की लागत में जोड़ी जानी चाहिए. एक पेड़ की कीमत 75 लाख! तीन फरवरी को सुप्रीम कोर्ट की तरफ से गठित एक कमिटी ने बताया था कि एक पेड़ साल भर में 75 हज़ार रुपए का ऑक्सीजन और खाद पैदा करता है. इस लिहाज से पुराने और मजबूत पेड़ों की कीमत 75 लाख या उससे ज़्यादा हो सकती है. कोर्ट ने तब कहा था कि वह कमिटी की रिपोर्ट और दूसरे तथ्यों को ध्यान में रखते हुए सरकारी परियोजनाओं के लिए पेड़ों को काटने पर प्रोटोकॉल तैयार करेगा. बंगाल की सड़क परियोजना को चुनौती मामला पश्चिम बंगाल में सेतु भारतमाला परियोजना के तहत 5 रेलवे ओवरब्रिज के निर्माण का है. परियोजना के लिए 356 पेड़ काटे जाने हैं. एसोसिएशन फ़ॉर प्रोटेक्शन ऑफ डेमोक्रेटिक राइट्स नाम की संस्था ने वकील प्रशांत भूषण के ज़रिए इसका विरोध करते हुए याचिका दाखिल की है. नेशनल हाईवे 112 को रेलवे क्रॉसिंग मुक्त करने के लिए बन रहे इन ओवरब्रिजों के निर्माण का विरोध करते हुए एनजीओ ने कहा है कि जो पेड़ परियोजना के लिए काटे जाएंगे, वह काफी पुराने और मजबूत पेड़ हैं. उन्हें नहीं काटा जाना चाहिए. सरकार को आर्थिक विकास के नाम पर पर्यावरण का नुकसान करने की अनुमति नहीं दी जा सकती. कोर्ट ने बनाई 5 सदस्यीय कमिटी सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने पुराने पेड़ों की कीमत का आकलन करने के लिए 5 पर्यावरणविदों की एक कमिटी बनाई थी. सोहम पांड्या, निशिकांत मुखर्जी, सुनीता नारायण, बिकाश कुमार माजी और निरंजिता मित्रा की इस कमिटी ने कोर्ट को बताया है कि एक पेड़ साल भर में जितना ऑक्सीजन देता है, उसकी कीमत 45 हज़ार रुपए होती है. पेड़ के चलते ज़मीन को जो पोषण मिलता है, जो कंपोस्ट खाद तैयार होती है तो उसकी सालाना उत्पादकता 75 हज़ार रुपए है. इस हिसाब से एक पुराने और मजबूत पेड़, जिसकी आयु 100 साल बाकी है, की कीमत कम से कम 75 लाख रुपए होती है. बन सकती है नई कमिटी चीफ जस्टिस एस ए बोबडे की अध्यक्षता वाली बेंच ने आज के कहा कि मामले में यह देखने की भी जरूरत है कि किस तरह के पेड़ों को नहीं काटा जाना चाहिए. कितनी उम्र के पेड़ इतने उपयोगी हो जाते हैं कि उन्हें बिल्कुल नहीं काटना चाहिए. कोर्ट ने कहा कि इस मसले पर भी एक विशेषज्ञ समिति से रिपोर्ट ली जानी चाहिए. इससे भविष्य के लिए दिशानिर्देश बनाने में आसानी होगी. सरकार की अधिसूचना पर रोक कोर्ट ने आज केंद्र सरकार के उस नोटिफिकेशन पर भी रोक लगा दी,जिसमें यह कहा गया था कि 100 किलोमीटर से कम लंबाई की सड़क परियोजनाओं के निर्माण के लिए पेड़ों को काटने से पहले पर्यावरण मंजूरी लेना जरूरी नहीं होगा. कोर्ट ने कहा, "बात सड़क की लंबाई की नहीं है. अगर इस नीति को जारी रहने दिया गया तो इसका दूरगामी बुरा सर हो सकता है." आज पश्चिम बंगाल की तरफ से पेश वरिष्ठ वकील अभिषेक मनु सिंघवी ने 5 ओवरब्रिज परियोजना का काम बाधित होने पर आपत्ति जताई. लेकिन कोर्ट ने फिलहाल इस मसले पर कुछ नहीं कहा.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Has India found an auto policy that’s good for the economy and for its air?

In an attempt to save India’s shrinking economy, the Narendra Modi government has taken a leaf out of the playbook that several countries used to battle the 2008 global financial crisis. But for the trick to really work, the move must be localised to India instead of a blind copy-paste of the West. In the union budget for 2021-22 (April-March), Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy. Under this, cars older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years will be phased out from the roads. These vehicles will need to undergo a test at automated centres to determine whether they are fit for driving or need to be scrapped, Sitharaman said in her budget speech (pdf) on Feb. 1, without further details. “This will help in encouraging fuel-efficient, environment-friendly vehicles, thereby reducing vehicular pollution and oil import bill,” she added. The move will impact over 20 million cars in India and is aimed at improving India’s “filthy air,” while boosting automobile demand, which has been under pressure for nearly a year now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If global trends are anything to go by, the step will be pretty effective, industry experts said, adding that there are some things the Indian government must do differently. “Countries like the US, Germany, UK, and Japan had introduced incentive-based scrappage policy, which boosted their demand massively in the subsequent quarters,” explained Shruti Saboo, associate director at New Delhi-based India Ratings and Research. “However, given the price-sensitive nature of Indian consumers and the fact that they are still recovering from the financial impact of Covid-19, the incentives for scrapping older vehicles have to be really attractive.” A brief history of scrapping cars After the 2008 crisis, several countries, including Japan, the US, and some European countries implemented the scrappage policy. The motive was to push the auto sector out of a slump. While India did not come up with such a policy then, countries like Russia announced schemes such as subsidised loans for customers to buy locally produced cars. On the other hand, South Korea accelerated the auto demand by providing incentives in the form of tax cuts to consumers (pdf). Some of the biggest car scrapping schemes that have been announced so far are by the US, the UK, France, Spain, and Germany. Just like India, the objective of the policy across these nations was two-fold: support the automobile industry and ensure environmental benefits. These policies have shown results when it comes to the environment. “Under the US’ Car Allowance Rebate System, the fuel efficiency of the new cars purchased was 58% greater than that of the old cars traded-in,” economist Arne Schweinfurth said in a research paper about the efficiency of such policy (pdf) 2009. ”The schemes seem to have steered buyers toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.” But in a developing country like India, environmental benefits are unlikely to be big selling points. What India’s vehicle scrapping policy needs Automobiles that are 15-20 years old have a very low resale value, which would not cover the cost of buying a new vehicle. So, if the Modi government wants Indians to mandatorily give up their vehicles, it would need to include a lucrative monetary compensation in return. “If the consumer does not find significant financial incentives in scrapping the vehicle, they may decide against it,” said Vahishta M. Unwalla, research analyst at CARE Ratings. “Some of the customer-based incentives could include discounts on buying a new vehicle in lieu of scrapping their old automobile. There should be some tax-based benefits for the original equipment manufacturers as well.” An HDFC Bank study in 2018 (pdf) estimated the industry for the scrapping of older vehicles and recycling of automotive parts in India is worth $6 billion. If the government can manage to make the deal viable for Indians, the move could end up giving some additional benefits. For instance, when replacing their outdated vehicles, users could be encouraged to purchase more environment-friendly electric vehicles (EVs). “It will push the mindset of people to adapt to cleaner commute and open the market for brand new vehicle infusions which can be EV and help the manufacturing industry to grow,” said Suhas Rajkumar, founder of a Bengaluru-based EV startup, Simple Energy. Other benefits of the policy could include re-using scrap materials like steel and aluminium for manufacturing new vehicles. But there are several pitfalls to this ambitious plan. For instance, disposing of automobile parts that cannot be reused in an ecological way could pose a big challenge. While most of the parts of a car, including belts, wheels, and seats, can be easily recycled, components such as batteries, headlamps, video display screens, switches, and sensors cannot be reused. Old car batteries mostly contain sulphuric acid, a toxic and corrosive chemical, which can cause soil and groundwater contamination if not stored with caution. Besides, creating efficient infrastructure to deal with such a massive overhaul will be a task in itself. “The government will require infrastructure especially in terms of setting up of organised scrapping centres, which is currently largely confined to small unorganised players,” said Saboo of India Ratings and Research. Given that the fine print of the policy has not yet been shared by the government, experts are now waiting to understand who will bear the cost of the project. They also believe that the move could have benefits beyond just boosting auto demand and helping the environment. Vehicle scrapping and informal jobs The scrappage policy will generate employment in the informal sector at a time when unemployment rates in India are at a record high, analysts said. “The informal sector plays an important role in the collection, dismantling, and recycling of end of life vehicles. The spare part recovery business generates livelihood and also serves the market for in-use vehicles,” said Anumita Roychowdhury and Vivek Chattopadhyaya, analysts at Centre for Science and Environment, a New-Delhi based think tank. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in December 2020, the unemployment rate in India rose to 9%, with as many as 9 million people losing jobs between September and December.

Director General Office

Delhi Air Pollution: योजनाओं की मैराथन, फिर भी प्रदूषण से हांफ रहे शहर

संजीव गुप्ता, नई दिल्ली। आप सरकार के तीसरे कार्यकाल का पहला वर्ष पर्यावरण के लिहाज से खासा उल्लेखनीय कहा जा सकता है। वृक्ष प्रत्यारोपण नीति अधिसूचित हुई तो युद्ध-प्रदूषण के विरुद्ध नाम से एक अभियान भी चला। हालांकि वर्ष भर चले जिस अध्ययन की रिपोर्ट आनी थी वह नहीं आ पाई। इसी रिपोर्ट के आधार पर भविष्य की नीतियां बननी थीं। कोरोना काल में अनलाक (पाबंदियों में छूट देने का दौर) में सरकार ने सर्दियों में भी अनुकूल हवा बनाए रखने के लिए युद्ध-प्रदूषण के विरुद्ध चलाने की घोषणा की। इसके तहत एंटी डस्ट कैंपेन चलाया गया। निर्माण स्थलों के लिए एंटी स्माग गन अनिवार्य कर दी गई। एक ग्रीन एप लांच किया गया, जिस पर 24 घंटे प्रदूषण से जुड़ी कोई भी शिकायत दर्ज की जा सकती है। फिर रेड लाइट आन, गाड़ी आफ अभियान चलाया गया। वर्ष के अंत में वृक्ष प्रत्यारोपण नीति भी अधिसूचित कर दी गई। अब एक पेड़ काटने पर 100 लगाने होंगे। इतना सब होने पर भी दिल्ली को सर्दियों के प्रदूषण से नहीं बचाया जा सका। ठीकरा इस बार भी पराली के धुएं के सिर फूटा। पहला वर्ष पूरा होते-होते सामने आया कि एक साल पहले अमेरिका की यूनिवर्सिटी के साथ दिल्ली में वर्ष भर के वायु प्रदूषण पर अध्ययन कराने को जो समझौता हुआ था उसकी रिपोर्ट ही नहीं आई है। इसमें देखा जाना था कि किस मौसम में प्रदूषण क्यों बढ़ता है? रिपोर्ट बन भी गई, लेकिन शायद ठीक नहीं थी। आखिर में वह समझौता भी रद कर दिया गया। अब आइआइटी कानपुर, दिल्ली और टेरी के साथ मिलकर किसी स्थान पर वास्तविक समय में प्रदूषण का मूल स्नोत पता लगाने के लिए रियल टाइम सोर्स अपोर्शनमेंट आफ एयर पाल्युशन तकनीक का सहारा लेने की घोषणा की गई है। एक्सपर्ट की राय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण में जन जागरूकता अभियान सर्वाधिक कारगर साबित हो सकते हैं। अगर ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) को पूरी सख्ती से लागू किया जाए तो भी निश्चित तौर पर सकारात्मक परिणाम सामने आएंगे। लापरवाही बरतने वाले अधिकारियों पर सख्त एक्शन हो। कारण, वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग या सीपीसीबी प्लान तो बना सकते हैं, दिशा-निर्देश जारी कर सकते हैं, लेकिन उन पर अमल कराना राज्य सरकारों का ही काम है। दिल्ली सरकार के इस दिशा में उठाए गए कदम स्वागत योग्य हैं। ऐसे ही धीरे-धीरे हालात में सुधार आता जाएगा। (सुनीता नारायण, महानिदेशक, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई), दिल्ली) बायोडिकंपोजर दवा की पहल पर्यावरण की बेहतरी के लिए 31 लाख पौधे रोपने की मुहिम चलाई गई। पराली की समस्या से निपटने के लिए पूसा इंस्टीट्यूट की मदद से दिल्ली के 800 हेक्टेयर में फैले खेतों में बायोडिकंपोजर दवा का छिड़काव किया गया। निजी वाहनों पर निर्भरता अब भी समस्या दिल्ली में प्रदूषण के लिए पराली का धुआं और बायोमास जलना ही नहीं, वाहनों का धुआं भी बहुत हद तक जिम्मेदार हैं। साल दर साल 5.81 फीसद की दर से राजधानी में निजी वाहनों की संख्या बढ़ रही है। यह संख्या एक करोड़ 10 लाख के आंकड़े को छू रही है। दिल्ली में सबसे अधिक करीब 71 लाख दोपहिया वाहन और उसके बाद करीब 33 लाख कारें पंजीकृत हैं। इसमें भी डीजल के वाहनों की तादाद बहुत ज्यादा है, जो प्रदूषण में इजाफे के लिए प्रमुख रूप से जिम्मेदार है। शोध रिपोर्ट बताती है कि दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में पीएम 10 के स्तर पर वाहनों से 14 फीसद और पीएम 2.5 के स्तर पर 25 से 36 फीसद योगदान है।

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Winter pollution shows rise in most Indian cities, says CSE

Smaller and upcoming cities emerging as pollution hotspots, says report. The levels of PM 2.5, the most threatening of particulate matter, worsened in 43 out of 99 cities whose winter air in two years, 2020 and 2019, was compared by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Only 19 registered “substantial improvement” — and one of these was Chennai. The restof the cities did not experience significant change. In the aftermath of the lockdown, several cities reported improved pollution levels but by winter, when lockdowns were significantly eased, pollution levels had clawed back to pre-COVID-19 levels, the CSE notes, underlining the significant contribution of local and regional factors to a city’s pollution levels. The cities with the worst pollution spikes in 2020 over 2019 include Gurugram, Lucknow, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Navi Mumbai, and Jodhpur. Kolkata is the only mega city in this group. In 37 cities that are otherwise showing stable or declining seasonal averages, their peak pollution levels have risen significantly during winter. These include Aurangabad, Indore, Nashik, Jabalpur, Rupnagar, Bhopal, Dewas, Kochi, and Kozhikode. On the other hand, in north India, other cities, including Delhi, have experienced the reverse, that is, an increase in the seasonal average but decline in the seasonal peak. During winter, cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution, particularly in north Indian cities located in the Indo Gangetic Plain. This year, the average level of PM2.5 during the summer and monsoon months was considerably lower than the previous year due to the summer lockdown. However, the winter PM2.5 concentration has risen compared to the 2019 winter in many cities across regions. “This bouncing back of pollution post-lockdown unmasks the high impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to curb the winter pollution and also sustain annual improvement at a regional scale with speed,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director in charge of research and advocacy, said in a statement. The analysis is part of the air pollution tracker initiative of CSE. It’s based on publicly available granular real time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The data is captured from 248 official stations under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) spread across 115 cities in 22 States and Union Territories. The CSE analysts only considered cities that had readings for both years in at least 75% of the winter days (from October 1 to January 31). When ranked from the most to the least polluted cities, 23 of the most polluted cities are from north India. While Mysuru is the least polluted, followed by Satna in Madhya Pradesh and Kochi in Kerala, Ghaziabad is the most polluted city in the northern belt. There are only four cities (Satna, Mysuru, Vijaypura and Chikkamagaluru) that have met the national 24-hour standard (60 μg/m3) during the winter season. Satna and Maihar in Madhya Pradesh, and Mysuru in Karnataka, are the cleanest cities in the country, according to the report. The authors of the study also emphasise that rather than mega cities, it was the smaller and upcoming cities that were emerging as pollution hotspots. “ This report makes it amply clear that this winter pollution challenge is not limited to mega cities or one specific region; it is an omnipresent problem and requires urgent and deliberate action everywhere. This requires quicker reforms and action in key sectors of pollution — vehicles, industry, power plants and waste management to control winter pollution and bend the annual air pollution curve.”

Director General Office

Toolkit case: Activists, environmentalists demand release of Disha Ravi

The Delhi Police claimed that Ravi was an editor of the "toolkit Google doc" and "key conspirator" in the document's formulation and dissemination

Director General Office

Toolkit case: Activists, environmentalists demand release of Disha Ravi

Social activists and environmentalists called for immediate release of climate activist Disha Ravi who was arrested in the 'toolkit' document case, asking the government to stop targeting India's youth. Kavita Krishnan, the secretary of All India Progressive Women's Association, said people like Ravi are India's best hope because they are concerned about not just themselves, but the future generations. "We are not behaving like a democracy right now. If we are going to equate protest with conspiracy and organising protests as conspiracy, then you are not a democracy anymore," she said. "They should immediately drop this case based upon absolutely flimsy, ridiculous and evil pretext. A toolkit is not sedition, it is not conspiracy, toolkit is for protest," she added. Rights activist Shabnam Hashmi also questioned the basis of Ravi's arrest, saying anybody even doing a local campaign prepares a toolkit. "We should look at the prime minister's campaign toolkit. We are crossing the limits of absurdity. We will become a laughing stock internationally," she said. Sunita Narain, head of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, also extended her support to the arrested activist. "We know #climatechange is an existential threat. World desperately needs the passion and commitment of the youth and their loud and strong voice to shake it to more action #FreeDishaRavi," she tweeted.