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Air pollution up in smaller cities last year despite lockdown: CSE

Air pollution up in smaller cities last year despite lockdown: CSE Agra: Though several big cities witnessed reduction in air pollution last year, many smaller towns and cities experienced more “toxic” air quality compared to 2019 despite lockdown and closure of industrial and other commercial activities due to Covid-19. This has been revealed in a new analysis of winter pollution by Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in the Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP). The 2020 average PM2.5 level in many cities has climbed up and breached average concentration recorded in 2019. Out of 25 IGP cities' data analyzed by CSE, seven recorded an increase of pollutants from 2019 level. The worst performer was Fatehabad with 34.7% increase from 2019 level, followed by Bhatinda at 17.7%, Agra 9.2%, Khanna 7.1%, Mandi Gobindgarh 5.9%, Moradabad 5.5% and Kurukshetra recorded a 0.6 % increase. Best performer was Sirsa that recorded a 43.5% decrease in PM 2.5 levels, Varanasi 31.2%, Gaya 27.4%, Muzaffarpur 14.6%, Delhi 12.8% and Hisar recorded a 12.3% reduction. Clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and adverse meteorology in winter, leading to an increase in their annual average PM2.5 level, the study says. November was recorded as the “dirtiest” across most cities. As compared to the PM2.5 average in November 2019, last year, it was 310% higher in Fatehabad, 104% in Agra and 57% in Kaithal. Talking with TOI, CSE executive director, Research and Advocacy, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, said the increase in the annual average of PM2.5 level is due to a combination of meteorological conditions when air gets trapped due to low wind movement, stubble burning and local pollutants. This demands regional reforms and action to curb the pollution by adopting strategies like introducing new emission standards for vehicles, industries, scaling up public transport system, and managing waste disposal by burning, she added.

Environmentalists concerned over air quality in Indo-Gangetic Plains

Delhi's Air Quality In 'Severe' Category, Visibility Low Due to Fog New analysis of winter air pollution (till January 11, 2021) in the cities of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), carried out by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon periods have been lost with the reopening of the economy and the hostile winter weather. Interestingly, says the analysis, the rise in pollution levels has also been synchronized across the region with varying patterns. While this was expected, the analysis of real-time data from monitoring stations outside the National Capital Region (NCR) in the larger Indo-Gangetic Plains shows newer patterns in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the IGP is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that in the NCR – at the same time, it was alarmingly high and synchronized despite the large distances involved. This is the challenge of this landlocked region. This analysis is part of CSE’s air quality tracker initiative to get a deeper view of the changing patterns of air quality trends in the country. Says Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director in charge of research and advocacy: “This brings out the impact of the extraordinary disruption that 2020has caused. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during the lockdown, pollution has bounced back across the region post-lockdown unmasking the high impacts of local and regional pollution with some variation in the pattern. This demands quicker regional reforms and action to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to further bend the air pollution curve on a regional scale.” Higher PM2.5 levels is a typical and predictable winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and episodic pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme, says: “This year, this trend has set in almost two weeks earlier in the season. There is a clear difference in the winter pollution pattern between IGP regions north and south of the NCR. Even though the average level of PM2.5 for the summer and monsoon months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year’s due to the summer lockdown, the PM2.5 levels this winter have risen beyond the 2019 levels in almost all monitored cities in Punjab and Haryana (regions north of the NCR).” Somvanshi adds: “Cities in central and eastern UP and Bihar (regions south of the NCR) also show high winter pollution, but the levels are similar or lower compared to 2019.Combination of the reopening of the economy and changing meteorology is responsible for high winter pollution, but this regional variation calls for a more nuanced and robust pollution control strategy. The region cannot rely only on action being taken in Delhi-NCR. This demands speed and scale of action. The analysis is based on publicly available granular real-time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal, the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Twenty-six cities –Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Khanna, Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Rupnagar, Chandigarh, Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Sirsa, Yamuna Nagar, Agra, Kanpur, Moradabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur have been selected for this analysis because real-time data is available for these cities. Analysis has been done of the data recorded by six air quality monitoring stations in Patna, five in Lucknow, two in Gaya and Muzaffarpur each, and one station each in the rest of the cities under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of the CPCB. Weather data for Amritsar, Ambala, Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Patna has been sourced from the weather stations of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) located at the airports in each city. | January 20, 2021

30 years of liberalisation, but no clean water to drink

30 years of liberalisation, but no clean water to drink Billions of rupees have been invested to remove waste from rivers and provide constant access to safe drinking water. But on the ground, it's still all dirty When the world was wrapping up 2020, looking forward to the delivery of covid-19 vaccine, a news development from a coastal city shook India. An 11-year-old boy in Kerala’s Kozhikode district had died within days after suffering from diarrhoea and fever. Soon, more people were admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. North Kerala was put on high alert. After an urgent investigation, the state health minister announced the cause: shigellosis, an infectious disease caused due to contaminated water. Waterbodies in the region were immediately sanitised. It’s been close to 30 years since July 1991, when licence-permit raj came to an end, India opened to the global economy and economic liberalisation began life here. A necessity as basic as clean water, whether in our drinking taps or rivers, however, remains a distant dream. Over the years, states, as well as the Central government, has invested billions of rupees to provide water to citizens. Between 2014 and 2019, the investments in water-related infrastructure increased at a 15% compounded rate, reaching $21 billion in the year ended March 2019. Yet, only a little over 21% of Indian households, a majority of them in rural parts, have access to piped water, shows the latest data by the National Sample Survey Office. To put things in perspective, India is home to about 17% of world’s population but has only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources and pumps out 25% of the world’s groundwater. Our country’s main source of drinking water is groundwater, which is being overexploited. Data by the Central Groundwater Board shows the contribution of groundwater is nearly 62% in irrigation, 85% in rural water supply and 45% in urban water supply. Most people in rural areas depend on community wells and hand pumps. Globally, five of the 20 world’s largest cities under water stress are in India, with Delhi being second on the list, according to a study published in the Global Environmental Change journal. What’s more, about 200,000 people die every year due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene. “The irony about liberalisation is that you would want to give people a choice but in water, there’s no choice,” points out V.K. Madhavan, chief executive of WaterAid, a non-governmental organisation that works in rural and urban areas for Clean Drinking Water Sanitation and Hygiene. “The packaged water industry is one of the fastest-growing (reports show it is expected to reach over ?400 billion by the end of 2023, from 2019’s value of ?160 billion). What does it suggest? The failure of the state to provide clean water (water is a state issue).” He points out that the government’s emphasis has consistently been on developing water infrastructure like borewells, but not enough attention is paid to maintenance. “If you look at the number of installations for access to water resources, you will realise it has increased. But nobody checks whether they are working after a year,” adds Madhavan. Hoping for change Last year, when the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in Parliament, she allocated ?115 billion for the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Central government’s ambitious programme to provide piped water to all households in the country by 2024. The allocation was 15% more than in the previous budget. Besides focusing on increasing local water sources, the scheme looks at recharging existing sources and promoting water harvesting and desalination. “Water stress-related issues are now a serious concern across the country,” Sitharaman stressed in her 2020 speech. If India manages to provide piped water to every single house in the country, it will be able to shift United Nations General Assembly’s Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is about “clean water and sanitation for all”. “That’s because we have the world's second-highest population. It will be a huge development in India's water story,” believes Sushmita Sengupta, manager of the water programme at the Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment. Madhavan is also hopeful the Jal Jeevan Mission will be a "massive game-changer but it remains to be seen how they will ensure sustainable source of water and maintenance of the infra.” The river story The Indian government’s work on river management can be perhaps best explained through the Namami Gange programme. More than six years ago, the National Democratic Alliance government launched the ?200 billion project to clean the severely polluted river Ganga, held sacred by millions of Hindus across the world. But the development work has constantly been under the scanner, with the National Green Tribunal questioning authorities for the slow pace of cleaning-related work. In fact, a 2020 report by the Central Pollution Control Board stated the quality of the Ganga water deteriorated owing to the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage despite curbs on human activities during the covid-19-induced lockdown. “We are not thinking holistically,” Sengupta insists. “We can’t clean rivers till we treat the sewage. The push for more industries will result in even more waste. We need to actively involve communities, whether it is laying down pipes, managing infrastructure. We need to plan with them... work at the grassroots level with them. Water pollution is a very serious problem and it's going to hurt more while we are staring at one of history's biggest water shortage crises.”

Bengal Finally Opens Up Net Metering For Homes, With 5 KW Limit

Bengal Finally Opens Up Net Metering For Homes, With 5 KW Limit West Bengal, a perennial laggard on the renewable energy front, and a huge defender of coal fired energy to boot, has finally started taking its first tentative steps towards more renewable energy. The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) has finally allowed net metering for individual households from 1 KW, upto a limit of 5 kw. Earlier, residential category was kept out of net metering purview altogether, with only institutional, commercial, industrial and cooperative housing allowed the benefit of net metering, again with a 5 KW limit. Among large states in India, West Bengal has the worst record on meeting its renewable purchase obligations (RPO), at less than 5 percent of targets. Worst, the state if among the higher users of ‘dirty coal’ in power plants located inside the state, as per a study by the Centre For Science and Environment The WBERC in its recent amendments to the Cogeneration and Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources Regulations 2013 had allowed net metering for individual households from 1 KW but had restricted it to 5 KW. All sanctions over 5 KW came with gross metering, something that served to stifle any possible uptake at a large scale effectively. The few solar plants that have been made for over 5 KW have usually been for captive consumption so far in the state. Allowing net metering for residential category is a good move, although it remains to be seen if it has any significant impact, considering the other conditions. For instance, the state has retained the condition of sanctions equal to or less than original load sanction for a house. Under the net metering rules, the state has allowed set-off of up to 90 per cent of solar power generation for any month. Plus, all such energy will count towards the RPO of a distribution licensee of course. The state has a target of 3 percent from solar energy for 2020-21. The state’s move follows the move by the Ministry of Power last month to limit net metering to 10 KW for all cases, something that has been met with wide resistance from industry and solar bodies. As feared, state regulators have been happy to pick the most ‘convenient’ aspects of the proposed rules, while ignoring more stringent requirements. Another new clause in the new WB rules says that purchase of renewable power through open access will occur at a mutually agreed price or through power exchange at a market price determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), instead of the capping price laid down by the regulator.

2020 Air Pollution Report: Smaller Towns At Higher Risk Compared To Big Cities

2020 Air Pollution Report: Smaller Towns At Higher Risk Compared To Big Cities As per the report, bigger cities like Delhi and Varanasi saw a reduction in annual PM 2.5 levels. On the contrary, smaller towns like Fatehabad and Moradabad saw an increase in the levels of air pollution. The 2020 Annual Air Pollution report brought about different revelations about the air pollution levels in the country. While bigger cities like Delhi and Varanasi saw a reduction in annual PM 2.5 levels, smaller towns like Fatehabad and Moradabad saw an increase in the levels of air pollution. An analysis brought about by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) about the winter air pollution in the cities of Indo-Gangetic Plains shows how clear air gains of the lockdown and monsoon periods have been lost with the reopening of the economy and the harsh winter weather. The 2020 average PM2.5 level in many cities in the upper Gangetic plains has spiked to a level that crossed the average concentration recorded in 2019. In northern Haryana, Fatehabad is the worst, with a 35 percent increase from the 2019 level. The continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and pollution from biomass have led to higher PM2.5 levels. "Even though the average level of PM2.5 for the summer and monsoon months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year's due to the lockdown, the PM2.5 levels this winter have risen beyond the 2019 levels in almost all monitored cities in Punjab and Haryana," said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE's Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme, as reported by The New Indian Express. There were 33 days of standard air days this winter compared to the 41 days recorded last year in Amritsar. Also, standard days have been lesser by 11 days in Ambala and 4 days in both Lucknow and Patna. Not a single day met the standard air day in the state of Lucknow. Also, there were 19 days of 'severe' or 'worse' air quality last year.

120km cycle track planned across Kolkata

120km cycle track planned across Kolkata Kolkata: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has drafted a cycle mobility masterplan that has charted out the possibility of a dedicated corridor criss-crossing the city. Covering 14 major roads and aggregating 120km in length, the 2m-wide tracks will connect 114 wards. Based on surveys carried out during the lockdown, and unlock thereafter, by a Delhi-based agency engaged by KMDA, the blueprint has the potential to alter the dynamics of mobility in the city. But it also faces pragmatic issues on safety that Kolkata Police have raised and has made the argument to ban cycling on 64 roads. Cyclists, though, have questioned the ban on a non-motorized and eco-friendly mode of transport. The ban notwithstanding, one out of 10 vehicles on the road is a cycle. According to the KMDA study, dedicated tracks will lead to a huge population embracing it and creating a cycle culture. During lockdown, the cyclist count grew by 400% and nearly 85% cycle trips were less than km. The survey took into account the road width, median, pavement, tram line, bus stop, street light, major attractions, transit nodes and land-use pattern to chart out five north-south corridors totalling 76.3km and nine east-west corridors totalling 44.4km. Significantly, at least a 7.5m motor-vehicle carriageway, 2m pavement and 2m cycle track will be maintained. However, roadside car parking will need to be done away with on these stretches. “The idea is to cover all major transit nodes without conflict with motorized transport,” said a KMDA official at a sustainable urban mobility consultation organized by SwitchON Foundation. Urban mobility expert and Centre for Science and Environment executive director Anumita Roychowdhury has called the cycle an essential component of the resilient transport system and said this mode is important to prevent Kolkata’s roads from getting choked by motorized vehicles.

Union Minister launches Khadi’s cow dung paint in India; check details

Khadi Prakritik Paint has been launched only after it received the certification from Bureau of Indian Standards. Cow dung paint in India: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently launched ‘Khadi Prakritik Paint’, a paint made out of cow dung. Developed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the paint is being claimed to be non-toxic, having anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, as well as eco-friendly. Moreover, since cow dung is the main element in this paint, the paint is cost-effective. The paint has been made odourless, as well. Khadi Prakritik Paint has been launched only after it received the certification from Bureau of Indian Standards. Minister Gadkari said that the move would aid in increasing the income of the farmers and improving the rural economy. The paint has been launched in two variants – distemper, priced at Rs 120 a litre, and emulsion, at Rs 225 a litre. The price is significantly less than that of other paints. Moreover, the paint, according to a statement by the Union Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, does not contain elements like mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium as well as arsenic. Khadi Prakritik Paint: Why eco-friendly paint matters A study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment in 2008 and 2009, had found that as many as 72% of the samples tested by them contained lead samples that vastly exceeded the permissible limit set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. The limits set by regulatory authorities in India require companies to self-certify their compliance with these measures, making it more of a voluntary requirement than a mandatory one. Numerous studies have shown that paints contain toxic chemicals, especially lead, which can have serious impacts on the healths of people exposed to the fumes. This is especially true for children, in whom, fumes from lead-containing paints can lead to lower IQ levels. While the study by CSE was conducted over 10 years ago, in 2017, Delhi-based NGO Toxic Link, which has had numerous published researches on the issue, again studied the levels of lead in most paints. Even after nearly a decade, the study found a whopping 73% of paint samples having lead levels higher than the required 90 ppm, indicating barely any change at the ground level in terms of compliance to these standards. The only sliver of hope was a few big companies offering lead-free alternatives, while most still continued to sell paints containing harmful levels of lead. Keeping this in consideration, the paint developed by KVIC would play a very important role in reducing chemical-based paints and the threats to health that they pose.

Approval for vehicle scrappage policy likely soon: Nitin Gadkari

Approval for vehicle scrappage policy likely soon: Nitin Gadkari There could be some good news coming India Auto Inc’s way soon. The much-delayed Vehicle Scrappage Policy is likely to get the green signal from the government. This is according to Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari, who was speaking at the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Innovation Challenge 2020-21’ event yesterday. In an effort to spur adoption of electric vehicles and also reduce pollution levels, on July 26, 2019, the government proposed amendments to existing motor vehicle norms to allow scrapping of vehicles older than 15 years. As per a PTI report, Gadkari said: "We have submitted the proposal and I am expecting that we will get approval as early as possible for the scrapping policy," A final call in this regard, however, will be taken by the Prime Minister's Office, which had earlier sent the proposed policy for a fresh round of consultation with stakeholders. 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. As per government estimates, over 28 million end-of-life vehicles or ELVs (older than March 31, 2005) across categories were ready to be discarded by April 2020. This would translate into a massive opportunity for players in the organised scrappage and recycling industry. 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

छोटे शहरों की हवा बड़ों से ज्यादा खराब

नई दिल्ली। सिंधु-गंगा दोआब के छोटे शहरों की हवा की गुणवत्ता बड़े शहरों से ज्यादा खराब है। बीते एक वर्ष में दिल्ली और वाराणसी सरीखे बड़े शहरों में पीएम 2.5 की मात्रा में कमी आई है, जबकि फतेहाबाद, मुरादाबाद जैसे शहरों में इसमें तेजी से इजाफा हुआ है। वहीं, बीते नवंबर महीने में हिसार और जींद जैसे शहरों की हवा पराली के धुएं की वजह से खराब दर्ज की गई है। इसका खुलासा सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड इनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की एक रिपोर्ट में हुआ है। सीएसई ने अपनी रिपोर्ट दोआब के 26 शहरों की वायु गुणवत्ता का अध्ययन करके तैयार की है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार लॉकडाउन मेें बेशक दोआब की हवा बेहतर हुई थी, लेकिन धूल के महीन कणों पीएम 2.5 का वार्षिक औसत सामान्य से ज्यादा रहा है। इसमें भी छोटे शहरों में हालात ज्यादा बदतर हुए हैं। उत्तरी हरियाणा के छोटे से शहर फतेहाबाद में 2019 की तुलना में 2020 में पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 35 फीसदी ज्यादा रहा है। दोआब में सबसे ज्यादा बढ़ोतरी हुई है। इसके बाद बठिंडा में 14 फीसदी, आगरा में 9 फीसदी व खन्ना में सात फीसदी व मंडी गोविंदगढ़ में छह फीसदी की बढ़ोतरी हुई है। <div id="taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-1" class="for_premium_user_remove mt-10"></div> <div class="ad-dt"></div> <br> दूसरी तरफ हरियाणा के सिरसा शहर में 2019 की तुलना में 2020 में पीएम 2.5 में सबसे ज्यादा 44 फीसदी की कमी आई है। इसके बाद वाराणसी में 31 फीसदी, गया में 27 फीसदी, मुजफ्फरपुर में 15 फीसदी, दिल्ली में 13 फीसदी की कमी रिकार्ड की गई। इसके अलावा दूसरे शहरों में 4-12 फीसदी के बीच पीएम 2.5 का स्तर कम हुआ है। <br> दिलचस्प यह है कि रिपोर्ट में सबसे खराब और सबसे बेहतर प्रदर्शन करने वाले फतेहाबाद और सिरसा पड़ोसी शहर हैं। इनके बीच महज 40 किमी की दूरी है। इस बारे में सीएसई के अविकल सोमवंशी का कहना है कि इसके लिए सिर्फ मौसमी दशाओं और स्थानीय कारकों को जिम्मेदार नहीं ठहराया जा सकता है। इसके पीछे की बड़ी वजह पराली का धुआं है। हिसार, जींद व दिल्ली जैसे शहरों में भी इसका असर दिखा है। <br> ------ <br> ठंड में पीएम 2.5 का स्तर तेजी से बढ़ा <br> रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, गर्मी व बारिश में पीएम 2.5 का औसत नीचे था, जबकि ठंड में तेजी से बढ़ा है। अक्तूबर से बढ़ोतरी देखी गई। अध्ययन में शामिल शहरों में साफ सुथरी वाले सप्ताह की संख्या में बड़ा फर्क देखा गया है। दोआब के उत्तरी व पूर्वी हिस्से शहरों में प्रदूषण का स्तर अलग-अलग है। पीएम 2.5 का औसत नवंबर महीने से सबसे ज्यादा रहा। नवंबर 2019 की तुलना में नवंबर 2020 में फतेहाबाद में इसका स्तर 310 फीसदी, आगरा में 104 व कैथल में 57 फीसदी ज्यादा था। सिरसा को छोड़कर पूरे हरियाणा और पंजाब की हवा सबसे खराब रही। इस बीच सिरसा की हवा 16 फीसदी साफ थी। दूसरी तरफ दो सालों के नवंबर में यूपी व बिहार के शहरों की हवा 4-48 फीसदी बीच बेहतर रही। जबकि बठिंडा, मंडी गोविंदगढ़, पटियाला और फतेहाबाद को छोड़कर अगस्त में पूरा दोआब 2019 की तुलना में 2020 में साफ रहा। सीपीसीबी के आंकड़े का सीएसई ने किया इस्तेमाल <br> सीएसई ने सीपीसीबी के मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशन से जारी होने वाले रीयल टाइम आंकड़ों के आधार पर अपनी रिपोर्ट तैयार की है। इसमें सिंधु-गंगा मैदान के 26 शहरों को शामिल किया गया था। आगरा, कानपुर, मुरादाबाद, वाराणसी, लखनऊ, पटना, गया, हिसार, कैथल, कुरुक्षेत्र, पंचकूला जैसे शहर शामिल थे। <br> रिपोर्ट पर सीएसई की अनुमिता राय चौधरी का कहना है कि हवा की गुणवत्ता बेहतर करने के लिए सिंधु- गंगा दोआब के सभी शहरों में तेजी से काम करना होगा। इसके लिए नियमों का सख्ती से पालन सुनिश्चित करना होगा। वहीं, पावर प्लांट के मानकों को लागू करने के साथ कोयले व डर्टी फ्यूल से चलन वाली फैक्ट्रियों का उत्सर्जन नियंत्रित करने की जरूरी है। इसके साथ ही सार्वजनिक परिवहन की सुविधा मजूबत करनी होगी। वहीं, जीरो वेस्ट व जीरो लैंडफिल रणनीति पर भी काम करना पड़ेेगा।

Air Pollution: क्यों बडे शहरों की तुलना में छोटे शहरों की वायु गुणवत्ता है ज्यादा खराब?

नई दिल्ली [ िंजीव गुप्ता]। ेंटर फॉर ाइिं एिंड एनवायरनमेंट ( ीए ई) की तरफ े गिंगा के मैिानी इलाके के शहरों में शीतकालीन वायु प्रिूर्ण (11 जनवरी 2021 तक) पर ककया गया र्वचलेर्ण बताता है कक बडे शहरों की तुलना में छोटे शहरों की वायु गुणवत्ता ज्यािा खराब है। भारत में गिंगा के मैिानी इलाकों में राष्ट्िीय राजधानी क्षेत्र के बाहर ननगरानी स्टेशनों े वास्तर्वक मय के आिंकडों का र्वचलेर्ण इ ाल शीतकालीन प्रिूर्ण में नए पैटनष दिखाता है। इ बार दिषयों में अन्य क्षेत्रों की तुलना में एन ीआर में प्रिूर्ण उतना अधधक नहीिं था। ीए ई की कायषकारी ननिेशक अनुसमता रॉय चौधरी के मुताबबक, लाकडाउन के िौरान वायु प्रिूर्ण में नाटकीय कमी के बावजूि, स्थानीय और क्षेत्रीय प्रिूर्ण के चलते लाकडाउन हटते ही प्रिूर्ण बढने लगा है। प्रिूर्ण के स्तर में स्थायी कमी लाने के सलए वाहनों, उद्योग, बबजली िंयिंत्रों े होने वाले प्रिूर्ण पर अिंकुश लगाने के सलए त्वररत क्षेत्रीय ुधारों और ो कारषवाई की जरूरत है। र्वचलेर्ण के मुताबबक पीएम 2.5 का उच्च स्तर एक दिषयों की ामान्य जस्थनत है, क्योंकक दिषयों में वाहन, उद्योग, ननमाषण आदि े होने वाले ननरिंतर उत् जषन और मौ म िंबिंधी पररवतषनों के कारण वातावरण में प्रिूर्क तत्वों का जमाव होने लगता है। वहीिं, ीए ई के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर अर्वकल ोमविंशी कहते हैं, इ ाल गिंगा के उत्तर और िक्षक्षण के मैिानी क्षेत्रों के बीच शीतकालीन प्रिूर्ण पैटनष में स्पष्ट्ट अिंतर है। भले ही 2020 में गसमषयों और मान ून की वजह े पीएम 2.5 का औ त स्तर र्पछले ाल की तुलना में कम रहा है, लेककन पिंजाब और लगभग भी ननगरानी केंद्रों वाले शहरों में पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 2019 के स्तर े ज्यािा रहा है। यह र्वचलेर्ण केंद्रीय प्रिूर्ण ननयिंत्रण बोडष ( ीपी ीबी) के आधधकाररक आनलाइन पोटषल ेंिल किंिोल रूमफोर एयर क्वासलटी मैनेजमेंट पर ावषजननक रूप े उपलब्ध ररयल-टाइम डेटा पर आधाररत है।

Air pollution shot up in some northern towns last year despite lockdown

Air pollution shot up in some northern towns last year despite lockdown The analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment suggests air pollution levels spiked in certain parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains mainly because of a combination of reopening of the economy after the nationwide lockdown and adverse meteorology in winter. A new analysis has found that air pollution increased in small towns and cities outside Delhi and NCR in the Indo-Gangetic Plain region last year. Even though the average PM 2.5 levels for summer and monsoon months last year is considerably lower than in 2019, winter pollution levels increased in Punjab and Haryana (north of NCR) leading to an increase in their annual average PM 2.5 levels. Bigger cities and towns including Delhi recorded a significant reduction in annual PM 2.5 concentrations during the pandemic year. Delhi for example recorded an almost 13% improvement in 2020 compared to 2019. The analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment suggests air pollution levels spiked in certain parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains mainly because of a combination of reopening of the economy after the national lockdown (March 25 to May 31 and phased reopening till December) and adverse meteorology in winter. Several bigger cities have witnessed a reduction in annual PM 2.5 levels, smaller towns and cities have recorded an increase: Fatehabad in northern Haryana is the worst performer with 35% increase from 2019 level. It is followed by Bhatinda at 14%; Agra 9%; Khanna 7%; Mandi Gobindgarh 6%; Moradabad 5.5% and Kurukshetra recorded a 1% increase. Sirsa recorded a 44% decrease in PM 2.5 levels; Varanasi 31%; Gaya 27%; Muzaffarpur 13%; Delhi 13% and Hisar recorded a 12% reduction among others. CSE used real-time data (15-minute averages) for 26 cities in the IGP region from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Central Control Room for Air Quality Management for the analysis. The analysis highlights that Fatehabad which recorded the highest increase in PM 2.5 concentrations last year and Sirsa which recorded the highest improvement are only 40 km apart. “Therefore, this massive variation cannot be attributed to meteorology and has to do with local factors. The annual average of these towns along with other smaller towns like Hisar and Jind in the north-west is heavily influenced by episodic pollution caused by burning of crop stubbles. The influence is so strong that it can elevate their monthly PM2.5 levels for November to that of Delhi’s, but unlike Delhi, these towns are directly exposed to the smoke. The elevated November levels do not linger on for the rest of the winter in these towns (as is the case in Delhi),” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. “This brings out the impact of the extraordinary disruption that 2020 has caused. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during the lockdown, pollution has bounced back across the region post-lockdown unmasking the high impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms and action to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to further bend the air pollution curve on a regional scale,” explained Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment.

Air pollution spiked in small towns during lockdown: CSE

Air pollution spiked in small towns during lockdown: CSE Bigger cities and towns including Delhi recorded a significant reduction in annual PM 2.5 concentrations during the year. Delhi, for example recorded an almost 13% improvement in 2020 compared to 2019. Air pollution increased in small towns and cities outside Delhi and NCR in the Indo-Gangetic Plain region last year, an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) shows, highlighting the poor state of air in India’s urban areas in a year when normal activity was disrupted for at least some time on account of the coronavirus disease pandemic and the 68-day-long lockdown imposed to slow its spread. Even though average PM 2.5 levels for summer and monsoon months last year were considerably lower than in 2019, winter pollution levels increased in Punjab and Haryana , leading to an increase in the annual average PM 2.5 levels. PM 2.5 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller still. Bigger cities and towns including Delhi recorded a significant reduction in annual PM 2.5 concentrations during the year. Delhi, for example recorded an almost 13% improvement in 2020 compared to 2019. The analysis by CSE shows that air pollution levels spiked in certain parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains Fatehabad in northern Haryana is the worst performer with 35% increase from 2019 levels. It is followed by Bhatinda at 14%; Agra 9%; Khanna 7%; Mandi Gobindgarh 6%; Moradabad 5.5% and Kurukshetra 1% . But in other parts, the levels decreased. Sirsa recorded a 44% decrease in PM 2.5 levels; Varanasi 31%; Gaya 27%; Muzaffarpur 13%; Delhi 13% and Hisar 12% . The findings suggest that the variation may have been on account of adverse local weather conditions, but that some of the spike can only be explained by the burst of activity after the economy opened up after the lockdown. CSE used real-time data (15-minute averages) for 26 cities in the Gangetic plains from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Central Control Room for Air Quality Management for the analysis. The analysis highlights that Fatehabad which recorded the highest increase in PM 2.5 concentrations last year and Sirsa which recorded the highest improvement are only 40 kms apart. “Therefore, this massive variation cannot be attributed to meteorology and has to do with local factors. The annual average of these towns along with other smaller towns such as Hisar and Jind in the north-west are heavily influenced by episodic pollution caused by burning of crop stubble. The influence is so strong that it can elevate their monthly PM2.5 levels for November to that of Delhi’s, but unlike Delhi, these towns are directly exposed to the smoke. The elevated November levels do not linger on for the rest of the winter in these towns (as is the case in Delhi),” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. “This brings out the impact of the extraordinary disruption that 2020 has caused. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during the lockdown, pollution has bounced back across the region post-lockdown unmasking the high impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms and action to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to further bend the air pollution curve on a regional scale,” explained Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, CSE. “We haven’t studied CSE’s analysis yet. There may be local factors which determine these trends. We will correlate the data with ours. But we have no doubt that Delhi’s air quality had improved in 2020 compared to 2019,” a CPCB official said on condition of anonymity. Air quality index was in “severe” category for many towns and cities in northwest India on Thursday including Delhi with air quality index (AQI) of 429; Faridabad 447; Ghaziabad 429; Greater Noida 410; and Noida 412 -- all in “severe” category which is associated with health impacts even among the healthy.

Winter Air Pollution Higher in Smaller Towns in Indo-Gangetic Plains: CSE Report

Winter Air Pollution Higher in Smaller Towns in Indo-Gangetic Plains: CSE Report A part of the Centre for Science Development’s quality air quality tracker initiative, the report stated that the bouncing back of pollution despite the “extraordinary disruption” caused by the pandemic in 2020 reveals the high impact of local and regional pollution. According to a recently released report by the Centre for Science and Environment, the air quality has worsened in smaller towns in the Indo-Gangetic Plains compared to the bigger cities this winter. The report by the Delhi-based environment agency is based on an analysis of winter air pollution till January 11, 2021. A part of the CSE’s air quality tracker initiative, the report showed that while the annual average level of PM 2.5 did not go down in several cities despite the COVID-19 induced lockdown, in many smaller towns and cities there was infact an increase in the pollution levels. “The analysis of real-time data from monitoring stations outside the National Capital Region (NCR) in the larger Indo-Gangetic Plains shows newer patterns in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the IGP is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that in the NCR – at the same time, it was alarmingly high and synchronised despite the large distances involved. This is the challenge of this landlocked region,” the report says, highlighting the worsening condition in the IGP. Further, there has been a “dramatic increase” in pollution levels in the post lockdown period, according to Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director in charge of research and advocacy. She added that the bouncing back of pollution despite “the extraordinary disruption caused by the pandemic in 2020” reveals the high impact of local and regional pollution. “This demands quicker regional reforms and action to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to further bend the air pollution curve on a regional scale,” the report quoted Roychoudhury as saying. Also read: Centre Brings New Law Through Ordinance to Tackle Air Pollution in Delhi-NCR In winter, higher PM 2.5 levels is a typical trend with emissions from various sources such as industry, construction, vehicles and episodic pollution from biomass burning being trapped due to meteorological changes. However, this year, the trend set in almost two weeks earlier in the season, according to Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. He also highlighted the difference in the pattern of pollution in the IGP regions north and south of the national capital region. While, the average PM 2.5 levels was lower in summer and monsoon 2020, it has “risen above the 2019 levels in almost all monitored cities in Punjab and Haryana (regions north of the NCR)” during the winter. On the other hand, to the south of the NCR, in cities falling in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar the pollution levels are either similar or lower compared to 2019 levels, Somvanshi added. He said that even though the reopening of the economy accompanied by the changing meteorology may be behind the higher levels of winter pollution, the variation in regions brings back the focus to the need for more robust pollution control strategy. Stressing further on that, he stated that the region cannot rely only on action being taken in Delhi-NCR. As per CSE press release, the analysis is based on publicly available granular real-time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal, the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. About 26 cities including Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Khanna, Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Rupnagar, Chandigarh, Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Sirsa, Yamuna Nagar, Agra, Kanpur, Moradabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur were selected for this analysis because real-time data is available for these cities. The data was recorded by six air quality monitoring stations in Patna, five in Lucknow, two in Gaya and Muzaffarpur each, and one station each in the rest of the cities under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of the CPCB.

Air pollution 2020 report: Big cities fare better, small towns toxic

Air pollution 2020 report: Big cities fare better, small towns toxic The analysis on the cities of Indo-Gangetic Plains shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon periods have been lost with the reopening of the economy and the hostile winter weather. NEW DELHI: While several bigger cities like Delhi and Varanasi saw reduction in annual PM 2.5 levels, smaller towns and cities like Fatehabad or Moradabad have seen an increase, shows a new analysis. An analysis of winter air pollution (till January 11) by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in the cities of Indo-Gangetic Plains shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon periods have been lost with the reopening of the economy and the hostile winter weather. Annual average level of PM2.5 is not lower in many cities despite the lockdown. The 2020 average PM2.5 level in many cities in the upper Gangetic plains has climbed up to breach the average concentration recorded in 2019. Fatehabad in northern Haryana is the worst with a 35 per cent increase from 2019 level. Higher PM2.5 levels is a winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. “Even though the average level of PM2.5 for the summer and monsoon months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year’s due to the lockdown, the PM2.5 levels this winter have risen beyond the 2019 levels in almost all monitored cities in Punjab and Haryana,” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. The number of days with PM2.5 concentration meeting the standard was considerably lower this winter — more ‘poor’ or ‘worse’ days. There have been 33 days of standard air days this winter compared to 41 recorded last year in Amritsar. Similarly, standard days have been lesser by 11 days in Ambala and four in Lucknow and Patna each. In Lucknow, not a single day met the standard since the beginning of October this winter; there were 19 days of ‘severe’ or ‘worse’ air quality — up from five last winter.

Air quality worse in smaller towns in Indo-Gangetic plains compared to bigger cities: CSE

cities: CSE New Delhi (NVI): Clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon periods have been lost with the reopening of the economy and the hostile winter weather, according to a new analysis of winter air pollution in the cities of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), carried out by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The rise in pollution levels has also been synchronised across the region with varying patterns, as per the analysis. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the IGP is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that in the NCR – at the same time, it was alarmingly high and synchronised despite the large distances involved. This is the challenge of this landlocked region, as per the analysis. The analysis is part of CSE’s air quality tracker initiative to get a deeper view of the changing patterns of air quality trends in the country. As per the findings, while several bigger cities, like Delhi or Varanasi, have witnessed reduction in annual PM 2.5 levels, smaller towns and cities like Fatehabador Moradabad have seen an increase. Dramatic build-up in smaller towns like Hisar and Jind happened only during November, indicating the influence of stubble burning. Air quality got more toxic with the onset of winter. Share of tinier PM2.5 in PM10 increased. Number of days in which PM2.5 levels met the standard was considerably lower this winter. More poor days were observed this winter in the region, as per the findings. According to CSE experts, this reaffirms why air quality management requires regional approach to implement clean air action plans with speed, scale and urgency. “This brings out the impact of the extraordinary disruption that 2020 has caused. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during the lockdown, pollution has bounced back across the region post-lockdown unmasking the high impacts of local and regional pollution with some variation in the pattern. This demands quicker regional reforms and action to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to further bend the air pollution curve on a regional scale,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director in charge of research and advocacy. Higher PM 2.5 levels is a typical and predictable winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and episodic pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. “This year, this trend has set in almost two weeks earlier in the season. There is a clear difference in the winter pollution pattern between IGP regions north and south of the NCR. Even though the average level of PM2.5 for the summer and monsoon months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year’s due to the summer lockdown, the PM2.5 levels this winter have risen beyond the 2019 levels in almost all monitored cities in Punjab and Haryana (regions north of the NCR),” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. “Cities in central and eastern UP and Bihar (regions south of the NCR) also show high winter pollution, but the levels are similar or lower compared to 2019.The combination of the reopening of the economy and changing meteorology is responsible for high winter pollution, but this regional variation calls for a more nuanced and robust pollution control strategy. The region cannot rely only on action being taken in Delhi-NCR. This demands speed and scale of action,” says Somvanshi. The analysis is based on publicly available granular real-time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal, the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Twenty-six cities –Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Khanna, Ludhiana, MandiGobindgarh, Patiala, Rupnagar, Chandigarh, Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Sirsa, Yamuna Nagar, Agra, Kanpur, Moradabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur have been selected for this analysis because real-time data is available for these cities. The analysis has been done of the data recorded by six air quality monitoring stations in Patna, five in Lucknow, two in Gaya and Muzaffarpur each, and one station each in the rest of the cities under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of the CPCB. Weather data for Amritsar, Ambala, Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Patna has been sourced from the weather stations of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) located at the airports in each city.

‘Air quality worse in small towns of Indo-Gangetic plains’

‘Air quality worse in small towns of Indo-Gangetic plains’ BATHINDA: New analysis of winter air pollution in the cities of Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), carried out by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon periods have been lost with the reopening of the economy and the hostile winter weather. Track the pollution level in your city According to the analysis, the rise in pollution levels has also been synchronised across the region with varying patterns. The analysis of real-time data from monitoring stations outside the National Capital Region (NCR) in the larger IGP shows newer patterns in winter pollution this year. This analysis is part of CSE’s air quality tracker initiative to get a deeper view of the changing patterns of air quality trends in the country. Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director in charge of research and advocacy, said: “This brings out the impact of the extraordinary disruption that 2020 has caused. Despite the dramatic reduction in air pollution during the lockdown, pollution has bounced back across the region post-lockdown unmasking the high impacts of local and regional pollution with some variation in the pattern. This demands quicker regional reforms and action to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to further bend the air pollution curve on a regional scale.” Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s urban lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme, says: “This year trend has set in almost two weeks earlier in the season. There is a clear difference in the winter pollution pattern between IGP regions north and south of the NCR. PM2.5 levels this winter have risen beyond the 2019 levels in almost all monitored cities in Punjab and Haryana.” He adds combination of the reopening of the economy and changing meteorology is responsible for high winter pollution, but this regional variation calls for a more nuanced and robust pollution control strategy. The analysis is based on publicly available granular real-time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal, the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Khanna, Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Rupnagar, Chandigarh, Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Sirsa, Yamuna Nagar, Agra, Kanpur, Moradabad, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur have been selected for this analysis because real-time data is available for these cities. Weather data for Amritsar, Ambala, Chandigarh has been sourced from the weather stations of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) located at the airports in each city.