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Pre lockdown pollution back with a bang

Pre lockdown pollution back with a bang Hyderabad: A new analysis of winter pollution in India's five southern states until January 26 2021 carried out by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has revealed some startling details. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during lockdown pollution has bounced back across the southern region unmasking the high impact of local and regional pollution.”After assessing the changing trends in Indo-Gangetic plains Delhi-NCR Rajasthan Maharashtra and West Bengal this analysis unravels the pattern of pollution in cities of southern India – a vulnerable but poorly monitored region from the air quality perspective. Avikal Somvanshi programme manager in CSE's Urban Lab team of Sustainable Cities programme said: “Winter is not as harsh in southern cities. Therefore the impact of inversion is expected to be limited; yet a build-up of pollution has been noted. This winter overall has been 34 per cent dirtier in Visakhapatnam seven per cent in Hyderabad and nine per cent in Thiruvananthapuram.

Pre lockdown pollution back with a bang

Pre lockdown pollution back with a bang Hyderabad: A new analysis of winter pollution in India's five southern states until January 26 2021 carried out by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has revealed some startling details. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during lockdown pollution has bounced back across the southern region unmasking the high impact of local and regional pollution.”After assessing the changing trends in Indo-Gangetic plains Delhi-NCR Rajasthan Maharashtra and West Bengal this analysis unravels the pattern of pollution in cities of southern India – a vulnerable but poorly monitored region from the air quality perspective. Avikal Somvanshi programme manager in CSE's Urban Lab team of Sustainable Cities programme said: “Winter is not as harsh in southern cities. Therefore the impact of inversion is expected to be limited; yet a build-up of pollution has been noted. This winter overall has been 34 per cent dirtier in Visakhapatnam seven per cent in Hyderabad and nine per cent in Thiruvananthapuram.

Study shows impact of winter pollution on South India

Study shows impact of winter pollution on South India There is a trend of local and regional build-up in pollution An analysis of air quality in South India has found that pollution levels have risen post-lockdown. The study by the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) has found that the concentration of particulate matter has spiked with the onset of winter, owing to emissions from local sources, including vehicles and industry. Though winter atmospheric conditions in the south are unlike those of the Indo-Gangetic plains, winter pollution, especially in inland cities in the south, is high. Even though atmospheric conditions during winter in the south is not the same as that in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the northern region, trapping of winter pollution is quite high—especially in inland cities. Inland cities lack winds that can carry away pollutants and this adversely impacts air quality. The CSE study analysed air pollution in regional cities in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala to conclude that smaller towns and cities have experienced an increase in share of tinier PM2.5 in the PM10 particles. This is reflective of a trend in local and regional build-up of pollution. The study was based on real time data available from 21 cities for the whole of 2020. This list includes Kochi, in addition to Hyderabad, Amaravati, Rajamahendravaram, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Bagalkot, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Hubballi, Mysuru, Ramnagara, Vijaypura, Yadgir, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Chennai, Kannur, Kollam, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. While the average PM2.5 levels during summer and monsoon were lower because of reduced economic activity owing of the lockdown and the phased re-opening, with the onset of winter and the re-opening of economic activity, pollution levels spiked. From the cleanest weekly average, the levels in Hyderabad spiked the highest to seven times, starting in October. April, May and early June were the cleanest months for Kochi, and this spiked to more than five times the level in December. The study underscores that without long term changes to control pollution from waste, vehicles, power plants and industry, poor air quality cannot be controlled. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme, said: "Winter is not as harsh in the southern cities. Therefore, the impact of inversion is expected to be limited—yet, pollution build-up has been noted. Eventhough the average level of PM2.5 for the summer and monsoon months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year due to the summer lockdown, the PM2.5 levels this winter have risen beyond that in 2019 in most of the monitored cities, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram being the only exceptions. The region cannot rely only on the natural advantage of warmer winters and sea breeze to avoid bad air.” This detailed data analysis shows that air pollution is a South Indian problem as well. Quick reforms and action in key areas is required to control winter pollution and better air quality.

Budget 2021: Experts Analyse Budget Allocations For Clean Air Initiatives

Budget 2021: Experts Analyse Budget Allocations For Clean Air Initiatives In the Budget 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a R s. 2,217 crore funding for Centre’s clean air programme, for controlling air pollution in 42 cities New Delhi: “To tackle the burgeoning problem of air pollution, I propose to provide an amount of ₹ 2,217 crores for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population in this budget,” Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman said on February 1, as she announced the budget for the financial year of 2021. The budget’s primary focus in the environment sector remains clean air this year, with its objectives spanning across ministries and sectors, from National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to the ministries of Power, New and Renewable Energy and Urban Affairs. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech, allocated R s. 2,869.93 crore for the Environment Ministry, out of which R s. 470 crore were allotted to control pollution. This sum is 10 crores more than the last budget. It is in addition to the R s. 2,217 crore amount that the Finance Minister has announced for combating air pollution in 42 urban centres. Also Read: Budget 2021: Experts’ View On Mission POSHAN 2.0 Announced By FM To Improve Nutritional Outcomes The R s. 470 crore for “Control of Pollution” includes financial assistance provided to pollution control Boards/Committees and funding to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in January 2019. Furthermore, Ms Sitharaman has also introduced a scrapping policy for old vehicles. Under this policy, vehicles will undergo a fitness test in automated fitness centres after 20 years for personal vehicles and 15 years for commercial vehicles. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises welcomed the scrappage scheme. Mr Gadkari who will be announcing the details of Scrappage Policy in 15 days said in a press briefing, There are more than 1 crore old vehicles that need to be scrapped. Such vehicles are causing air pollution. These vehicles use outdated technology which consumes more fuel and emit pollutants about 10-12 times more than fit vehicles. There will be a reduction in vehicular air pollution by 25-30 per cent due to the scrappage policy. When it comes to indoor pollution, the FM announced that Ujjwala scheme will be extended to 1 crore more beneficiaries and 100 more cities will get gas pipelines. The highly popular scheme has benefited over 1.46 crore Below Poverty Line families in Uttar Pradesh, 88 lakh in West Bengal, 85 lakh in Bihar, 71 lakh in Madhya Pradesh and 63 lakh in Rajasthan, as per the latest government data. Also Read: Budget 2021: Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 To Focus On Faecal Sludge Management, Said Nirmala Sitharaman Experts’ View On Budget 2021 Clean Air Provisions Vivek Adhia, India Country Director for the Institute for Sustainable Communities tells NDTV that Union Budget 2021 lays out clear directions for green, rapid and resilient recovery with a significant boost in infrastructure investments and reform measures. He said, Continued outlay on the clean air program coupled with a boost in sustainable transport measures and vehicle scrappage policy in place, will help improve urban air quality across most regions. Avinash Chanchal, Senior Campaigner (Climate and Energy), Greenpeace India points out that the budget hasn’t clearly shown how the allocated funds for clean air initiatives will be utilised. He told NDTV, The government has allocated 2,217 crores to tackle air pollution in 42 urban cities and introduced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy. But it isn’t clear how the allocated 2,217 crores funds would be utilised to resolve the pollution crisis. In the previous budget, the government had announced 4,400 crores for clean air but there is no information on the public platform on how this fund was utilised. Mr Chanchal further explains, On the other hand, the Budget document mentions that under “Control of Pollution”’ a total of 470 crores allocated for FY 2021-22. This includes providing financial assistance to Pollution Control Boards/Committees, funding to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), mentions budget document. There are 122 cities presently under NCAP and the allocation for it is merely around 470 crore, which is clearly not enough. Also Read: Budget 2021: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Announces R s. 35,000 Crore For COVID-19 Vaccines According to Greenpeace India’s annual Airpocalypse report 2020, 231 cities out of 287 cities had PM10 levels exceeding the 60 µg/m3 limits, prescribed under National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by Central Pollution Control Board, implying that all these cities/towns belong to the non-attainment list. The NCAP needs to include all these polluted cities. This would require an increased budget allocation for tackling the ‘pollution control’. This is alarming given the fact that total budgetary allocations for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) have also been reduced this year by 230.07crores, he said. The total budget allocated for the ministry this year is 2869.96 crores while last year it was 3,100 crore. The reduction in the budget for MoEF&CC implies that a number of environmental measures could be slowed down or halted, Mr Chanchal added. He also lauded the new scheme, which will be launched at a cost of R s. 18,000 crores, to support augmentation of public bus transport services. Now the concerned authority should also ensure these buses should be fuelled by clean energy. This will strengthen the public transport system in cities. But to stop the spread of the (corona)virus, it’s important to provide clear guidance for safety and implement sanitation measures like cleaning regimes; issuing PPEs to drivers and staff; mandating face coverings for passengers; and increasing trips to account for limiting the number of passengers per ride, Mr Chanchal said. Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, tells NDTV that it is encouraging to see continued focus on funding for clean air action in million-plus cities. However, she also highlighted the need to explain how the money allocated is being used. Ms Chowdhury said, Going forward, we need a performance-based budget with clear indicators on where the money is being spent to ensure verifiable air quality gains. When it comes to the additional proposals by the government like the scrappage policy, Ms Chowdhury said, The budget has additionally put a spotlight on several critical strategies including scrappage of old vehicles, augmentation of public transport, and waste management, that need to be leveraged for green recovery. But the effectiveness of these strategies will depend on the policy design and that needs urgent attention to make a difference. Mr Chanchal from Greenpeace India also highlighted that the Finance minister’s statement that the government will provide an additional capital infusion of R s. 1,000 crores to Solar Energy Corporation of India and R s. 1,500 crores to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. This is a good step but again the share of decentralised renewable energy needs to increase. The decentralised model of renewable energy will not only help us to get universal energy access but it can also help us to mitigate climate crisis by replacing fossil fuel-based energy production. The government needs to support rooftop solar and other forms of decentralised renewable energy solutions that reduce the demand for coal-based electricity, said Mr Chanchal. Also Read: Union Budget 2021 Highlights: Key Announcements Made By FM Nirmala Sitharaman For A Swachh And Swasth India Anubha Aggarwal, Associate Analyst, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), expresses her concern over the missing mention of rural areas in the clean air initiatives. She told NDTV, On first glance, the air pollution budget may look positive in terms of allocation of funds. However, granting funds explicitly only to urban centres unfortunately leaves the false impression that air pollution is an urban concern and not so much a rural one. As of today, half or more than half of the population in India resides in areas where the level air pollutants exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Given the fact that the blame for air pollution is often put on rural areas, it is surprising there is no focus on pollution emanating from rural India. Also, the bulk of industrial and mining activities take place in areas that cannot be categorised as urban. Ms Aggarwal also highlights that the amount allocated is insufficient to ‘even set up one continuous air quality monitoring (CAAQM) station for all the cities in India (which are 4,000) with each CAAQM costing R s. 1 crore.’ Thus, even all urban centres will not be covered, leave alone rural areas, she said. IIT Kanpur’s Professor S N Tripathi, who is also the Coordinator, National Knowledge Network, NCAP says that the Budget 2021, by making provisions of RS 2,200 crores in urban centres has strengthened the National Clean Air Program to achieve clean air goals in these cities. He explains, The additional impetus will come from technology and innovation under newly formed National Research Foundation, in the area of air pollution monitoring, mitigation and purification. There are comprehensive performance assessment protocols being created that will be linked to grants. Additionally a system for imparting capacities and providing continuous training to ULB personnel, State Pollution Control Board officials and Institutes of Repute so that can collectively and collaboratively work to ensure its implementation on ground. Institutes of Research, consist of IITs, NITs and national labs and universities which are formed as part of National Knowledge Network under NCAP.

Following the honey adulteration controversy, Dabur launches 'Organic Honey' which is 'untouched by chemicals'

Following the honey adulteration controversy, Dabur launches 'Organic Honey' which is 'untouched by chemicals' Dabur India Limited has partnered with Amazon India to launch Dabur Organic Honey Dabur has launched its first organic product. As per the company statement, Dabur Organic Honey comes with the ‘promise of being completely unprocessed and unpasteurized.’ A recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) put the honey market and the intense competition in the limelight. It found rampant adulteration in honey sold by major Indian brands, with 77% of samples failing purity tests for sugar syrup adulteration. Following the controversy, Dabur India Limited has now partnered with Amazon India to launch Dabur Organic Honey, which is the first organic product from the house of Dabur. Know all about the latest goings-on from the advertising, media and marketing industry with our newsletter Subscribe to our Newsletter Agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy Dabur Organic Honey claims to come with the ‘promise of being completely unprocessed and unpasteurized.’ Commenting on the launch, Prashant Agarwal, Marketing Head- Health Supplements, Dabur India Ltd said, “Organic is not just a choice of products. It is gradually becoming a mainstream lifestyle. In terms of consumption, the focus on natural and other products is on the rise. We are confident that people who conform to this lifestyle would definitely find the Dabur Organic Honey a much-needed addition to their daily routine. Dabur Organic Honey is completely unprocessed and unpasteurized with only filtration done to remove any impurities. We are happy to have partnered with Amazon to take this product to our consumers, who have made Dabur Honey as World’s No. 1 honey brand.” Saurabh Srivastava, Director – Category Management, Amazon India said “We are happy to bring the new ‘Dabur Organic Honey’ for customers on Amazon.in. With the new Dabur Organic Honey, we aim to strengthen our portfolio and provide our customers a vast selection of organic products from a trusted brand like Dabur. We continue to give our customers an unmatched value, fast and reliable delivery and a great shopping experience." “Today Indian consumers’ demand for Organic food has increased and with fitness and healthy lifestyle at the forefront, we as a brand have developed an Organic version of our Star product Dabur Organic Honey which is 100% pure and natural. The process of procuring the Organic Honey from remote rainforests has been the most rewarding experience for us as a brand and we make sure we pass on the unadulterated and unpasteurized product to our consumers, as it is. So yes, I am proud to say that we select apiaries within close proximities of only organic farmlands managed without chemicals or pesticides to get our hero product. The product is exclusively available on Amazon at INR 235 for a 300g pack,” said Smerth Khanna, Business Head – Ecommerce, Dabur India

The sweetest Thaen: This start-up is empowering tribals in the Western Ghats by selling their raw, wild honey

The sweetest Thaen: This start-up is empowering tribals in the Western Ghats by selling their raw, wild honey Thäen, a part of former IIT Madras-incubated start-up ecoLogin, is making unadulterated honey from the Nilgiris accessible to the mainstream market A recent Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study revealed widespread adulteration in Indian honey brands that have been around in the market for ages. According to the study, 13 of the biggest honey brands add sugar syrup and the honey found in the market isn't pure. But what if we tell you that you can find raw, unadulterated honey in the market. All you have to do it look. Among the few brands that do sell pure honey is a brand right here in Chennai. Formerly incubated at IIT Madras, this start-up — ecoLogin — began as a community travel company and it is through their various travels that its founder Sridhar Lakshmanan launched the honey brand Thäen. It was while on tour through the tribal areas in the Nilgiris that Sridhar first got the idea. "We conducted tours to remote areas in Tamil Nadu and other places and came to know a lot of the tribals, who also helped us with the travel plans. They asked if they could do something else and that is when we decided to sell the honey they produce," says Sridhar, an MBA graduate from IIM Ahmedabad. The honey was well-received in the market, says Sridhar and that is when he decided to make it a brand. Today, Thäen sells honey, which includes honey from Kashmir, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Kerala as well, on its website. Thäen Thäen also sources honey from other parts of India, like Kashmir | Pic: Thäen Sridhar says the honey is not only raw and unadulterated, but it has also not been exposed to heat. "We developed a unique process that could remove moisture from the honey without heating it. When the bees make honey, they hover around the hive and that dries up the honey. We developed a technique that's quite similar to it," says Sridhar. This process retains the medicinal property of honey, says Sridhar. "It can also be done in remote areas," adds Sridhar. Thaen's parent company ecoLogin had been incubated at IIT Madras almost eight years ago as a social enterprise. "Our company helps the tribals improve their livelihood through economic development. We wanted to take the products and services they already had and develop it for the mainstream market," says Sridhar.

बजट 2021 में अहम है कबाड़ नीति, पर्ाावरण के लिए िीन चीजों पर फोकस: सीएसई

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की पयाावरणववद अनुममता राय चौधरी का कहना है कक अगर पयाावरण के मिहाज से देखें तो यह वेस्ट (व्यर्ा), वायु प्रदूषण और जि प्रदूषण पर फोकस करता हुआ बजट है. नई ददल्िी. आम बजट 2021 (Budget 2021) में पयाावरण को िेकर फोकस ककया गया है. ववत्त मंत्री ननमािा सीतारमण की ओर से पेश ककए गए बजट में स्रै वपगं पॉमिसी (Scrapping Policy) िाने की बात कही गई है. भारत में पुराने वाहनों से िगातार बढ़ते प्रदूषण को देखते हुए पयाावरणववद िंबे समय से प्रदूषण (Pollution) फैिाने वािे पुराने वाहनों के स्रैपेज (कबाड़) को िेकर मांग कर रहे र्े. सीएसई ने खुद स्रैपेज पॉमिसी पर एक ररपोटा ननकािी र्ी जजसपर वपछिे पांच साि से चचाा भी हो रही र्ी. अब अगर बजट 2021-22 में व्हीकि स्रैपेज पॉमिसी (Vehicle Scrappage Policy) िाने की बात कही गई है तो यह अच्छी बात है. यह कहना है सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की एक्जीक्यूदटव डायरेक्टर अनुममता राय चौधरी का. न्यूज 18 दहंदी से बातचीत में अनुममता राय चौधरी ने कहा कक बजट काफी ठीक है िेककन असिी मसिा उसके उपयोग को िेकर है. यह पैसा ककन जगहों पर खचा ककया जाना है. वपछिे साि बजट 2020 में सरकार ने हवा को शुद्द करने के मिए 4400 करोड़ रुपये ददए र्े. 42 प्रमुख प्रदूवषत शहरों पर यह पैसा खचा होना र्ा. हािांकक वह पैसा कैसे-कहां खचा हुआ और उसका क्या पररणाम रहा यह तो स्टेटस ररपोटा आने के बाद ही कहा जाएगा िेककन इस मद में इस साि भी इसमें 2267 करोड़ रुपये बढ़ाया गया है तो यह राहत की बात है. वे कहती हैं कक कोरोना महामारी और इस दौरान प्रदूषण एक बड़ी समस्या रहा है. इस दौरान बस ट्ांसपोटा सेवा पर भी बड़ा खराब प्रभाव पड़ा र्ा और हम िोगों की मांग भी र्ी जजस पर इस बजट में ध्यान ददया गया है बसों के मिए करीब 1800 करोड़ रुपये के पैकेज की बात कही गई है तो इससे पजलिक ट्ांसपोटा में भी सुधार होगा. वहीं 15 साि पुराने सावाजननक और 20 साि पुराने ननजी वाहनों की कफटनेस की जांच और स्रैपेज से पयाावरण को फायदा होगा. अगर पयाावरण के मिहाज से देखें तो यह बजट वेस्ट (व्यर्ा), वायु प्रदूषण और जि प्रदूषण पर फोकस करता हुआ है. इसमें ग्रीन कवर को बढ़ाने और ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के प्रभाव को िेकर बहुत खास नहीं है हािांकक इस समय की सबसे बड़ी परेशानी बन चुके वेस्ट मेटेररयि के ननदान और वायु व जि प्रदूषण को रोकने की ददशा में यह बजट अच्छा है.

City college holds int’l webinar

The departments of Chemistry and Zoology of Sankardev College, in collaboration with its Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), organised an international webinar ‘Effect of the Pandemic on the Environment and its impact on Climate Change’. The programme was inaugurated by the principal of the College, Dr Eureka FP Lyngdoh, while resource persons included Sumarlin Shangdiar from Taiwan, Dr S Sengupta from G.C. College, Assam, Anumita Roy Choudhury, Executive Director, CSE, Dr Kassian Tshidhigona from Pretoria, South Africa and Prof D Walia, Department of Environmental Studies, NEHU, Shillong. Scholars, academicians and students from India and abroad participated and deliberated on the theme and presentations.

Kolkata, Howrah among cities to get air pollution package

Kolkata, Howrah among cities to get air pollution package Kolkata: Howrah and Kolkata are among the 42 cities across the country with a million-plus population that can claim a share of the Rs 2,217-crore kitty to fight air pollution. There are seven towns in Bengal where pollution levels are very poor but will be unable to tap into the fund to improve the air quality. That’s a concern that West Bengal Pollution Control Board chairman Kalyan Rudra reflected upon: “There is no doubt that local level anti-pollution action is important and sacrosanct. But the most effective battle against air pollution cannot be restricted to one or two cities. There has to be concerted efforts to clean up the airshed of the entire Indo-Gangetic plain as the air pollution is increasingly becoming a trans-border issue.” In a series of exchanges with IITs, WBPCB has found that the emission inventory of the city does not match with the level of different pollutants in its ambient air. “Any creation of funds for fighting air pollution is well intended. But its purpose will be fulfilled, if it is not seen as a problem of one or two cities,” said another PCB official. Under the targeted funding for cities, Kolkata and Howrah had received funding for clean air action last year as well. Under the new budget, another top up is expected and perhaps more cities may get added. While this is a step in the right direction, the spending requires performance-based indicators to make verifiable improvement in air quality, said air pollution expert Anumita Roychowdhury. “Mitigation action needs to move beyond the city limit to have a regional or airshed focus,” the executive director of Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) remarked. Green crusader Subhas Datta, who has fought a series of legal battles against the steady degradation of ambient air quality in the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, said he hoped the fund would help greater compliance of numerous orders passed by the National Green Tribunal. “City authorities have been very slow in their course of action. By the time they act under duress, the damage is done. We need a perfect marriage of money and mind (intent) in this context,” said Datta. The budget on Monday reiterated the scrapping age for automobiles: 15 years for commercial vehicles and 20 years for private vehicles. However, it will be voluntary for the latter. Private cars that cross 20 years will be required to undergo fitness tests in automated fitness centres. If it passes the test, it can ply on the roads. But if it fails, the vehicle will have to be scrapped.

Vehicle Scrappage Policy for India gets the green signal

One of the first announcements of the Union Budget 2021 has been the confirmation that the much-awaited Vehicle Scrappage Policy has been cleared by the Central government. The voluntary scheme, which is for personal and commercial vehicles, will be applicable to 15-yearold private vehicles and 20-year-old commercial vehicles. Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman said that details of the scrappage scheme will shared by the Ministry soon. She added that both private vehicles and commercial vehicles over 20 and 15 years will have to undergo a fitness test at government-appointed automated vehicle fitness centres. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, speaking to the media, said that “"Over 51 lakh LMVs older than 20 years & 34 lakh older than 15 years to be scrapped. Also, 17 lakh M&HCVs older than 15 years are plying without a valid fitness certificate. These 1 crore vehicles will be a huge enabler for new vehicle sales.” The goals of the Voluntary Scrappage Policy are: 1) Reduce population of old & defective vehicles on road 2) 25-30% reduction in vehicular air pollution 3) Improve road safety with new vehicles conforming to latest norms 4) Recycling metals such as aluminum & copper and reduce import dependence The confirmation of the Vehicle Scrappage POlicy had an immediate effect on the stock prices of some vehicle manufacturers like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra. Finally a green signal to the Scrappage Policy In May 2016, the government had floated a draft Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Programme (V-VMP) that proposed to take 28 million decade-old vehicles off the road. A committee of secretaries (CoS) recommended to the ministry redesigning of the scheme for greater participation of states with partial support from the Centre. The CoS had suggested that the scheme may dovetail a calibrated and phased regulatory approach for capping the life of vehicles together with stricter implementation of emission norms and accordingly a revised consultation paper got in-principle nod of the PMO. Scrappage as a growth accelerator Vehicle scrappage essentially gets rid of old, polluting vehicles on road. Adopted by a number of developed markets, a vehicle scrappage policy is usually mandated by a government to accelerate the replacement of old, polluting vehicles by new vehicles. Such a policy also enables dual gains — stimulating the domestic automobile and automotive industry and importantly, removing inefficient, polluting vehicles from the road, paving the way for greener motoring and cleaner air. The Indian automobile industry, which has been witnessing a sales slowdown since the past two years and is down 24% as per the latest April-December 2020 numbers, has been urging the government to introduce a vehicle scrappage policy since long. The M&HCV segment, is down 54% year on year, and will hugely benefit from such a policy. High pollution potential of older vehicles According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), by 2025, India will have a monumental load of over 2 crore old vehicles nearing the end of their lives. These, along with other unfit vehicles, will cause huge pollution and environmental damage. Even though the older legacy vehicles are smaller in numbers, their contribution to the pollution load from vehicles can be disproportionately high. In its consultation note of 2018, MoRTH had mentioned that although CVs (such as trucks and buses, taxies and three-wheelers) constitute only about 5 percent of the total fleet, they contribute nearly 65-70 percent of the vehicular pollution. Of these, the older commercial vehicles, typically manufactured before the year 2000, account for 15 percent of the total vehicular pollution as these pollute 10-25 times more than a modern vehicle. Another 2013 study from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) estimates that in 2011, pre-2003 vehicles were about 23 percent of the fleet but were responsible for about half of the particulate emissions from vehicles. IIT Bombay’s multi-city study in 2014 estimated that pre-2005 vehicles were responsible for 70 percent of total pollution load from vehicles. In fact, old heavy-duty vehicles have higher impact in smaller cities and towns and contribution of old diesel cars and two-wheelers can vary between 8-23 percent across cities. Fleet renewal of heavy-duty vehicles based on BS VI emissions standards can give significant benefits. For example, an old BS-I heavy-duty diesel vehicle is designed to emit 35 times higher particulate matter compared to a BS VI vehicle. As cities begin to take stronger action on old and junk vehicles, these will begin to crowd in other areas and transfer pollution. From an industry perspective and to drive growth in the critical CV segment, which is still badly impacted, it is important to prioritise the scrappage of old heavy-duty vehicles and replace them with BS VI vehicles. According to CSE, if a stimulus package is extended to personal vehicles (two-wheelers and cars), then the public incentive programme along with voluntary incentives from the industry should be linked with electric vehicles. This is needed as an accelerator to stay on course to meet the target of 30-40 percent electrification of the fleet by 2030. The Delhi government, in its Electric Vehicle Policy, has already linked scrappage incentives with electric vehicles for 25 percent electrification by 2024. A similar linkage is needed at the national level. Also, for national-level implementation, additional criteria for identifying grossly polluting and unfit vehicles based on fitness and roadworthiness, damaged vehicles, emissions performance, are needed to guide the nation-wide programme. Age caps can work in pollution hotspots. What about vintage and classic cars? Whilst a scrappage policy may bring down pollution, there must be an exception of Vintage and Classic cars as well as a provision made for Modern Classics, which are an important part of not just automotive history but also history of humanity. Also, most of these cars are used extremely sparingly and are extremely well maintained and they aren't used daily, so there is no question of them causing any pollution. The total number of cars that are collectible are only a few thousand so a blanket scrappage rule would be unfair Some relatively mainstream cars besides old Ferraris, Mercedes and Porsches that are over 15-year-old cars like the BMW 330i and the Mazda MX-5 are actually increasing in value internationally. Therefore, to scrap them would be a loss of national wealth. All in all, a vehicle scrappage policy is good news for India Auto Inc and the country. While industry awaits clarity on the policy, it will be important that there is speedy action on developing scrappage facilities across the country.

Focus on clean air, govt earmarks Rs 2,217 cr for 42 urban centres

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government has earmarked Rs 2,217 crore for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population to focus on clean air. The budget has focused primarily on clean air in the environment sector – with its objectives spanning across ministries and sectors, from National Clean Air Programme under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to the ministries of Power, New and Renewable Energy and Urban Affairs. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government has earmarked Rs 2,217 crore for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population to focus on clean air. The minister had made a similar announcement, with an allocation of Rs 4,400 crore for cities above one million population. But hit by Covid-19, disbursement only started in the later part of this year, say experts. “It is important to focus on urban centres so this announcement is welcome, but as we know from our recent experience, budgets need to be in line with regional air sheds – such as the NCR air shed. The policy also needs to be performance-linked so that the disbursal of funds is effective,” says Anumita Roy Choudhury, air pollution expert at the Centre for Science and Environment. “These funds come mainly as a recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission and are directly disbursed to urban local bodies for a five-year period with the intention of reducing 5 per cent air pollution annually, which is in keeping with the goals of the National Clean Air Programme, to reduce air pollution between 20-22 per cent by 2024.’’ Roy Choudhury says one of the most welcome announcements for clean air is that of the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy. Sitharaman announced the policy to “help phase out old and unfit vehicles’’ and to encourage “fuel-efficient, environment friendly vehicles”. Under this policy, vehicles will undergo fitness tests in automated fitness centres after 20 years in case of personal vehicles, and after 15 years in case of commercial vehicles. “The one area that we wish the government had shown more ambition in is that of electric vehicles because this is the decade of transitioning to electric transport,’’ says Roy Choudhury. A slew of other measures such as a focus on segregated waste management, handling of construction and demolition debris, stress on public transportation and emphasis on renewable energy are also being seen as a push to tackle air pollution. The Finance Minister further announced a Hydrogen Energy Mission for generating hydrogen out of green powered sources. She also announced Rs 1,000 crore to the Solar Energy Corporation of India and Rs 1,500 crore to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. “We have already acknowledged that solar energy has a huge promise for India. To build up domestic capacity, we will notify a phased manufacturing plan for solar cells and solar panels. At present, to encourage domestic production, we are raising duty on solar inverters from 5 per cent to 20 per cent , and on solar lanterns from 5 per cent to 15 per cent,’’ said Sitharaman “Budget 2021 should have been leveraged to accelerate India’s energy transition and provide an ambitious action plan to meet 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. Having a long- term vision could have helped the government lay the ground for innovative interventions that can scale up renewable energy projects,” says Rishabh Jain of Centre for Energy Finance. “In the current budget, the government has increased customs duties on solar inverters and solar lanterns which will help domestic manufacturers in the short run. However, India needs a clear and robust policy on domestic solar manufacturing,’’ he says.

Budget 2021: Hydrogen mission; solar energy, clean air among focus areas

Centre’s clean air programme got a shot in the arm with Sitharaman announcing a fund of ₹2,217 crore for air pollution control in 42 cities The Centre will launch a Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22 for generating hydrogen from green power sources. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement of a hydrogen mission could go a long way in reducing India’s carbon footprint, experts said. According to a report titled “The Potential Role of Hydrogen in India – Harnessing the Hype” by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) released in December last year, demand for hydrogen could increase by at least 5-fold by 2050, continuing to grow in the second half of the century in India. Demand for hydrogen is at around 6 metric tonne (MT) per annum, mainly from industry sectors, such as fertilizers and refineries. This can increase to around 28 MT by 2050 mainly due to cost reductions in key technologies and a push to reduce carbon footprint. Demand will mainly grow in steel and road transport, shipping and aviation sectors. The report also projected that India would require 40 MT of green hydrogen to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060. “I am glad this is happening now,” said TERI director general Ajay Mathur. Hydrogen from renewables can be produced through various methods, one of them is to use renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolyser, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Hydrogen from renewable sources can play a critical role in heavy-duty, long-distance transport. While battery operated electric vehicles (BEV) will become competitive for heavy-duty transport, hydrogen production will be needed. It will also play a critical role in production of ammonia which is currently being produced from fossil-fuel based hydrogen. “The Hydrogen Energy Mission will be critical because hydrogen may be the only way to have zero carbon emissions from heavy industries like cement and steel -- provided that hydrogen is produced by electrolysis from renewable electricity,” said Ulka Kelkar, director, Climate Program, World Resources Institute, India. The Budget also gave a boost to solar energy by proposing to provide a capital infusion of ₹1,000 crore to the Solar Energy Corporation of India and ₹1,500 crore to the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. “To build up domestic capacity, we will notify a phased manufacturing plan for solar cells and solar panels. At present, to encourage domestic production, we are raising duty on solar inverters from 5% to 20%, and on solar lanterns from 5% to 15%,” Sitharaman said in her Budget speech. Centre’s clean air programme also got a shot in the arm with Sitharaman announcing a fund of ₹2,217 crore for air pollution control in 42 cities with a million plus population. The Centre had approved the release of ₹2,200 crore last year based on recommendation of the 15th Finance Commission. The grant is meant to be utilised for air quality improvement measures under the National Clean Air Programme including capacity building of the local urban bodies as well as state pollution control boards to improve monitoring of air pollution levels in these cities. Delhi, however, is not among cities to receive funds under this grant. Further, under the Swachch Bharat Mission, Sitharaman has announced a focus on complete faecal sludge management and waste water treatment, segregation at source of garbage, reduction in single-use plastic, reduction in air pollution by effectively managing waste from construction-and-demolition activities and bioremediation of all legacy dump sites. This will be implemented with a total financial allocation of ₹141,678 crore over a period of five years from 2021-2026. Sitharaman also announced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles. “This will help in encouraging fuel-efficient, environment friendly vehicles, thereby reducing vehicular pollution and oil import bill. Vehicles would undergo fitness tests in automated fitness centres after 20 years in case of personal vehicles, and after 15 years in case of commercial vehicles. Details of the scheme will be separately shared by the ministry,” she said. “We still haven’t seen the scrappage policy so we don’t know what the fine print is. The scrappage policy is meant to be a stimulus to the economy and will also result in transition to cleaner vehicles but it’s a voluntary policy so we will have to study the incentives and disincentives that come with it. There is continued focus on clean air in million plus cities and the government has now detailed out its waste management policy with waste management at source, management of landfills etc. A co-benefit of these will also be improved air quality, But we need to see how money for clean air was spent since last year. We actually need a performance budget to understand how the money is being utilised and what results its yielding,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment. The Budget announced an outlay of more than ₹4,000 crore over five years for a Deep Ocean Mission which will cover deep ocean survey exploration and projects for the conservation of deep sea biodiversity. “Drawing from the government’s Blue Economy policy, the budget makes allocations for expansion of shipping and inland waterways infrastructure along with ₹2,000 crore for PPP model in all major ports. In another section it discusses the need for the conservation of deep ocean biodiversity. Neither policy documents nor budget allocations recognize that these priorities could be in conflict. This is already visible in several new proposals including those proposed in the Little Andaman Islands or in the west coast in places like Karwar and Dahanu,” said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher, Centre for Policy Research. Environment ministry was allocated ₹3,100 crore for various programmes, including control of air pollution in Budget 2020-21. The revised estimates for 2020-21 was ₹2,015 crore and the new budget estimates for 2021-22 is ₹2,869 crore. The newly formed Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and adjoining areas got a budget provision of ₹20 crore for its activities.

बजट 2021 में अहम है कबाड़ नीति, पर्यावरण के लिए तीन चीजों पर फोकस: सीएसई

बजट 2021 में अहम है कबाड़ नीति, पर्यावरण के लिए तीन चीजों पर फोकस: सीएसई सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की पर्यावरणविद अनुमिता राय चौधरी का कहना है कि अगर पर्यावरण के लिहाज से देखें तो यह वेस्ट (व्यर्थ), वायु प्रदूषण और जल प्रदूषण पर फोकस करता हुआ बजट है. नई दिल्ली. आम बजट 2021 (Budget 2021) में पर्यावरण को लेकर फोकस किया गया है. वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण की ओर से पेश किए गए बजट में स्क्रैपिंग पॉलिसी (Scrapping Policy) लाने की बात कही गई है. भारत में पुराने वाहनों से लगातार बढ़ते प्रदूषण को देखते हुए पर्यावरणविद लंबे समय से प्रदूषण (Pollution) फैलाने वाले पुराने वाहनों के स्क्रैपेज (कबाड़) को लेकर मांग कर रहे थे. सीएसई ने खुद स्क्रैपेज पॉलिसी पर एक रिपोर्ट निकाली थी जिसपर पिछले पांच साल से चर्चा भी हो रही थी. अब अगर बजट 2021-22 में व्हीकल स्क्रैपेज पॉलिसी (Vehicle Scrappage Policy) लाने की बात कही गई है तो यह अच्छी बात है. यह कहना है सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की एक्जीक्यूटिव डायरेक्टर अनुमिता राय चौधरी का. न्यूज 18 हिंदी से बातचीत में अनुमिता राय चौधरी ने कहा कि बजट काफी ठीक है लेकिन असली मसला उसके उपयोग को लेकर है. यह पैसा किन जगहों पर खर्च किया जाना है. पिछले साल बजट 2020 में सरकार ने हवा को शुद्ध करने के लिए 4400 करोड़ रुपये दिए थे. 42 प्रमुख प्रदूषित शहरों पर यह पैसा खर्च होना था. हालांकि वह पैसा कैसे-कहां खर्च हुआ और उसका क्या परिणाम रहा यह तो स्टेटस रिपोर्ट आने के बाद ही कहा जाएगा लेकिन इस मद में इस साल भी इसमें 2267 करोड़ रुपये बढ़ाया गया है तो यह राहत की बात है. वे कहती हैं कि कोरोना महामारी और इस दौरान प्रदूषण एक बड़ी समस्या रहा है. इस दौरान बस ट्रांसपोर्ट सेवा पर भी बड़ा खराब प्रभाव पड़ा था और हम लोगों की मांग भी थी जिस पर इस बजट में ध्यान दिया गया है बसों के लिए करीब 1800 करोड़ रुपये के पैकेज की बात कही गई है तो इससे पब्लिक ट्रांसपोर्ट में भी सुधार होगा. वहीं 15 साल पुराने सार्वजनिक और 20 साल पुराने निजी वाहनों की फिटनेस की जांच और स्क्रैपेज से पर्यावरण को फायदा होगा. अगर पर्यावरण के लिहाज से देखें तो यह बजट वेस्ट (व्यर्थ), वायु प्रदूषण और जल प्रदूषण पर फोकस करता हुआ है. इसमें ग्रीन कवर को बढ़ाने और ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के प्रभाव को लेकर बहुत खास नहीं है हालांकि इस समय की सबसे बड़ी परेशानी बन चुके वेस्ट मेटेरियल के निदान और वायु व जल प्रदूषण को रोकने की दिशा में यह बजट अच्छा है.

Water Recycling Management Needs Serious Attention in India

As per the World Bank India is the biggest consumer of fresh water in the world, using annually 750 billion cubic meters approximately. Our country has nearly 17-18 percent of world’s population, although we do not have more than 4-5 per cent of the world’s water resources. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has estimated few years back, that by 2030, demand for water may rise to 1.5 trillion cubic meters. India lacks adequate infrastructure and awareness with regard to wastewater recycling. This resulted in over- exploitation of India’s water resources, and till now the existent mechanisms on wastewater recycling are not that efficient. Therefore the water crisis is a looming danger that one should be cautious of. The per capita availability of water in India is estimated to fall towards 1,100 cubic meters by 2050. It was 1,800 cubic meters per year in 2001. Water used for sanitation purposes is rarely recycled in India’s urban areas, and as per survey reports merely 30 per cent of India’s wastewater is recycled. Our country lacks proper financing and designs for the wastewater recycling infrastructure, especially urban areas. The sewage systems have not been designed as per global standards, and most of the urban India’s sewage systems lead directly to rivers or lakes, without treatment. Related Links National Water Policy Needs Wider Consultation with Various Stakeholders The cost of setting up of wastewater treatment plants and restructuring of sewerage systems is one of the biggest challenges, and as estimated by the Centre for Science and Environment, India requires around Rs. 1 crore per million liters for setting up a wastewater plant. Therefore adequate support from the government and private sector is needed; otherwise it will be really difficult for urban and rural India to afford the construction of such plants, and would rather prefer discharging wastewater directly into the water bodies. In urban India, setting up of wastewater plants is tough also because of unavailability of suitable land. Land is highly expensive in the urban areas. Lack of continuous power supply and skilled labor force, are other major challenges faced while setting up of wastewater treatment plants in the country. The role of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in addressing the issue of wastewater treatment has been significant since last 6 years. The mission has roped in experts from Gujarat Technological University and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to conduct research in context to developing low cost technologies for treating wastewater. Under this mission there has been an increase rural as well as urban sanitation coverage, and a number of private corporations have started taking interest in the sanitation and wastewater recycling process. According to an?article in? the Tower Magazine, nearly 90 percent of the?wastewater?generated in Israel is reused thus making it the global leader in?water recycling. Spain is the second largest nation for water reuse, which recycles 20 percent of its waste water. The water treated for reuse in Israel is predominantly used for agricultural irrigation. Roughly one tenth of waste water is used for environmental purposes, such as increasing volume of river flow or suppression of fire. Only 5 percent is discharged into the sea in the country. Israel has been able to survive drought and periods of?water scarcity, through water conservation and reuse. It is high time that India should make steps to reduce the water recycling problems in near future. Nearly 70 per cent of India’s wastewater goes directly into rivers and lakes. Experts feel that rather than setting up of wastewater plants, we should focus on the alternative methods of wastewater recycling which doesn’t burden the economy. Private corporations can make investments in this sector which can result in growth of small organizations associating themselves with wastewater collection, redirecting of wastewater to treatment plants and transportation of wastewater from remote locations to treatment plants. This will not only strengthen the entrepreneurial network in rural and urban India, but also address the issue of wastewater management to a large extent.

What India's Key Environmental Programmes Get, And How They Spend It: Budget

What India's Key Environmental Programmes Get, And How They Spend It: Budget Central funds allocated for environmental programmes are usually insufficient or poorly managed. Funding must match needs by correctly assessing the nature and extent of challenges such as air pollution and water management. Bengaluru: In her budget speech in February 2020, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke of a big push for the environment--more solar energy, a blue economy where fisheries would thrive and clean air plans enabled by the progressive closure of old and polluting thermal power plants. At the central level, such policies are mainly the domain of three ministries--the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF), the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), and the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MJS). In 2020-21, the MoEF was allotted a total of Rs 3,100 crore ($424.66 million), a 5% increase over the Rs 2,955 crore ($404.79 million) in the previous year. The MNRE was given Rs 5,753 crore ($788.08 million), a 9% rise over the Rs 5,254 crore ($719.73 million) allocated in 2019-20. The MJS that handles the Namami Gange project to clean the river, conserve other water bodies and support irrigation programmes was allocated Rs 8,960 crore ($1227.4 million)--an 8.6% rise from the Rs 8,245 crore ($1129.45 million) allotted the year before. In this pre-budget explainer for the environment sector, we outline how funds are allocated for government-run programmes, how the money is spent, and what more needs to be done for effective financing of the sector. Overall, budget allocations for environment programmes are often not sufficient, and when they are, the funds are badly managed, as we detail later. Most environment schemes are funded by both the Centre and to a lesser extent, the states, but they are largely delegated to and organised by state governments. The Centre funds certain state environment programmes relating to public health and sanitation, agriculture, preservation, protection and improvement of stock and prevention of animal diseases, water, land and so on. How programmes were funded The MoEF focused its 2020-21 budget on the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP, 14.8% of the MoEF budget), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB, 3.2% of the MoEF budget), the Green India Mission - National Afforestation Programme (8% of the MoEF budget), and Project Tiger (9.6% of the MoEF budget). While a small percentage (3.7%) of the MoEF budget was given to environmental education and awareness (Rs 114.36 crore), research and development for conservation and development got Rs 7.50 crore (0.25% of the MoEF budget). The National Afforestation Programme was allocated Rs 246 crore, an increase of 37% from the Rs 179 crore the previous year. Launched in 2014, the scheme's aim is to protect, restore and develop forest resources with rural participation. In 2017-18, the Rs 47.8 crore allocated for the scheme was "grossly insufficient", a December 2018 Lok Sabha report had concluded. The afforestation carried out under the mission did not take into account soil and weather conditions when the trees were being planted, it had pointed out. The CPCB, which deals with pollution monitoring, was allocated Rs 100 crore like the year before. The overall budget for pollution control under NCAP was Rs 460 crore, the same as the previous year. In many Indian cities, air pollution levels regularly exceed "very poor" and "severe" on the Air Quality Index (AQI). In 2019, air pollution caused 1.67 million deaths in India, a 2019 Lancet report, 'Health and Economic Impact of Air Pollution in the States of India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019', found. The NCAP looks to target 122 'non-attainment' cities identified by the CPCB as not meeting pollution limits. Only 5% of cities and towns (339 out of 6,166) were being monitored for air quality, and less than 1% (only 60 out of 6,166) of cities had Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), a January 2020 report by the Natural Resources Defence Council had stated. The Centre also slashed the funds allocated for adaptation and climate action under the National Adaptation Fund established in 2015 to meet the cost of adapting to climate change for states vulnerable to its effects. Its budget was Rs 350 crore for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17, which was then reduced to Rs 100 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 80 crore in 2020-21. Renewable energy push At the MNRE, the focus was on renewable wind and solar grid energy, with Rs 1,299 crore ($177.95 million) and Rs 2,149 crore ($294.38 million) allocated, respectively, in 2020-21. Solar power also features in the off-grid set-ups, especially in the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan (KUSUM) programme. The scheme established in 2019 was expanded in 2020 to enable up to two million farmers to install standalone solar pumps. It was allocated Rs 300 crore for centralised grid projects, and about Rs 700 crore for off-grid projects. Despite the government assertion that India's solar power targets--100 GW by 2022--were achievable, an earlier IndiaSpend analysis had shown that weak infrastructure and the lack of cheap financing were a challenge. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, a government-owned renewables financing institution, received Rs 13,351 crore ($1.83 billion) in 2020-21, an increase of 10.8% from Rs 12,053 crore ($1.66 billion) the previous fiscal year. "Overall, the key concern this year should be about a Green Recovery post-pandemic," Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, at the Centre for Science and Environment, said. "We should be looking at certain sectors that can push this recovery. There is also the need to have clean fuel priced better than coal, since there are now more liberal policies in the mining sector due to lowered environmental safeguards." River conservation The MJS finances the Namami Gange plan to rejuvenate and clean the Ganga, to which Rs 800 crore was allocated in 2020-21--7% more than the Rs 750 allocated the previous year. The Namami Gange project was started in June 2014 with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore ($2.74 billion). During 2014-15 to 2016-17, only 8% to 63% of the revised estimate--the money estimated to have been spent at the end of the year--were utilised, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) had found in 2017. By March 2020, only 37% projects (116 of 310) had been completed. MJS has also allocated funds for river basin management (Rs 200 crore), the National Hydrology Project (Rs 200 crore), Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (Rs 750 crore), and the Har Khet Ko Pani irrigation programme (Rs 1,050 crore). Vaibhav Chaturvedi, a fellow at the Council on Environment, Energy, and Water (CEEW), emphasised on the need to promote water-saving in agriculture through methods such as drip irrigation, and to move to better farming practices altogether. "There is a need to look at things from a less technocratic way. Larger reforms are needed in the agriculture sector," he said. The Flood Management and Border Areas Programme is a centrally funded programme managed by 25 states to ensure protection against floods. Of the 206 flood management programme projects evaluated during a C&AG performance audit of 2017, funds amounting to Rs 171.28 crore in six projects among five states were found to have not been utilised. Additionally, the revised budget estimates for Namami Gange in 2019-20 show 53% less expenditure than anticipated on the project, while other rivers got little attention, showed this IndiaSpend analysis. Way forward Budget allocations must be aligned with the nature of the problems that need addressing, said Amit Bhatt, executive director, integrated transport, World Resources Institute. "There is a difference between the budget allocation and the problems that really need to be addressed. For example, the Clean Air Plan has been allocated Rs 460 crore but when given to 100 cities, that's only Rs 4 crore per city. This isn't enough to tackle the whole problem, but can be used as seed capital to further the fight against air pollution," he said. Despite the lockdown and limited functioning of the transport and manufacturing industry, 2020 tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record in the world. This shows the extent of the environmental problem that needs tackling and funding, said Chaturvedi of CEEW. "The Supreme Court, for example, recently brought back the idea of installing smog towers in Delhi. While they are effective to a certain level, they are largely wasteful expenditure. Instead, this money could be used for better ways to reduce air pollution," he said.