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'Chinese-designed syrup can bypass Indian standards,' says Sunita Narain on adulterated honey

'Chinese-designed syrup can bypass Indian standards,' says Sunita Narain on adulterated honey Ten out of 13 brands of raw and processed honey had failed a purity test conducted using a German technology called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance test in December 2020. Early in December, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released a report claiming that 10 out of 13 brands of raw and processed honey failed a purity test conducted using a German technology called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test. The report claimed that these 10 brands were adulterated with a Chinese sugar syrup that is purportedly designed to by-pass parameters set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). To discuss this report, Times Now’s Kasturi Sharma spoke to the Director-General of CSE, Ms Sunita Narain. Kasturi Sharma: Thank you for speaking to Times Now. First of all, could you please explain the recent findings of the Centre for Science and Environment on the issue of adulterated honey in India and how concerned should consumers be if your findings are believed to be true? Sunita Narain: So, the CSE has done this investigation on the popular honey that we are eating, and we have been shocked to find that the honey is actually adulterated with sugar syrup. Now the worst part of the study is that this adulteration is so sophisticated that it cannot be caught with by Indian laboratories using Indian standards. And the reason it is so sophisticated is that the Chinese have designed the syrup in a way that it can bypass the Indian standards. Okay. So this is why it is so dangerous and it is something that needs to be dealt with because it is obviously having a very bad impact on our health. Just imagine. You have increased your intake of honey because of COVID-19. Today, every house is taking honey because it helps to build immunity. But instead of the honey, you are taking, you are actually taking sugar syrup. Now, just think about the impact on your health. You are taking sugar, not honey. And this will make you fat. And in fact, now it is also understood that if you are fat or overweight, you are more at risk to COVID-19. So you have actually increased your risks both – one you are taking more honey because to build immunity against COVID-19 – and two that honey not being honey but sugar – you are actually getting more at risk to COVID-19. So, it is a really bad impact on our health. Now, what did CSE find? We were tracking this issue of syrup because we heard from beekeepers that they were losing revenue and …that they were not selling honey at all. So we were concerned that if the beekeepers are not selling honey, there must be something happening. Because after all, our honey consumption is increasing, then why are beekeepers not being able to sell honey? And that’s when we investigated that there is this syrup that is there. We contacted the Chinese companies, we managed to procure the syrup. We also got the syrup from a company in Uttarakhand, in Jaspur, and using that we adulterated the honey, raw honey, put the sugar syrup in it and we sent it to a laboratory and in the laboratory that honey passed the Indian test. So, you can imagine. Taking the sugar syrup from an industrial complex mixed it with honey and it has passed the laboratory test. Now, this is why we took 13 Indian brands, top brands and some smaller brands and we had first sent the samples to an Indian laboratory for testing where they also passed the test. Then we sent the same samples to a German laboratory, to do an NMR test over there, and most of the samples failed the advanced test. So whereas they had passed the Indian test, they failed the test in Germany which proves our point that the syrup that is being used in the honey is designed to bypass the Indian test. And it can be only caught by using a more sophisticated testing methodology, which we did when we sent it to Germany. Kasturi Sharma: What has been the government’s stand in all of this? How has the government responded to your investigation? Sunita Narain: We have had a meeting with FSSAI, we have informed them. Now, FSSAI was the original whistleblower. Because if you look at it, the government clearly knew that something was happening. In December last year, FSSAI wrote to state food commissioners saying please step up your actions, we know that some adulteration is happening because of sugar syrup. Okay. Then we know that FSSAI followed this up in February and then in this June it actually wrote to the importers of sugar syrup saying we know some syrup is coming in from abroad which is being used to adulterate honey, please inform us about the end product of your use of the syrup. So FSSAI knew something was happening.

हवा सुधारने को बने आयोग का दावा हवाहवाई

ददल्ली-एनसीआर की प्रदषूषत हवा सुधारनेके ललए गदठत 18 सदस्यीय आयोग हवाहवाई ही साबित हो रहा है। कहनेको तो इसके गठन को दो माह होनेको हैं, लेककन इसके अजस्तत्व का एहसास कहीीं पर नहीीं होता। सिसेिड़ी िात यह हैकक इस आयोग का अभी तक कोई स्थायी कायािलय तक नहीीं खुला , जिकक जमेजमाए प्रदषूण ननयींिण एवीं पयािवरण सींरक्षण प्रार्धकरण (ईपीसीए) को खत्म कर ददया गया। आलम यह हैकक हवा को काला करनेवालेभयमुक्त नजर आनेलगेहैं। इस साल सददियों के प्रदषूण की रोकथाम के ललए ककसी तरह की गनतषवर्धयों पर भी खास प्रनतिींध नहीीं लगा। िस जि-ति सीपीसीिी ही छोर्ेमोर्ेददशा ननदेश जारी करके इनतश्री कर लेता है। अि तो आम लोग भी चुर्की लेनेलगेहैंकक शायद ईपीसीए अध्यक्ष भूरेलाल व सदस्य सुनीता नारायण की ‘सख्ती’ खत्म करनेके ललए ही इस आयोग का गठन ककया गया है।

Air pollution in Delhi-NCR: Lockdown gains made and lost

From May 18 to June 5, the AQI remained in the “moderate” category. From July to September, monsoon rains kept pollution levels in check. A near-halt in normal life and economic activity, aimed at slowing down COVID-19 spread, yielded clear blue skies in Delhi, among one of the most-polluted cities across the world. However, the gains from the COVID-19 lockdown did not last long as economic activity sputtered back to life, and air pollution returned to the city''s usual high levels, making the pandemic worse. During the lockdown period without any major relaxations — between March 25 and May 18 — pollution levels in Delhi reduced drastically and the air quality index (AQI) remained in the “satisfactory” category for most of the time. “In Delhi-NCR, one of the major factors that led to the drop in pollution was a 97% reduction in overall traffic and 91% reduction in trucks and commercial vehicles entering the capital during April, as compared to the pre-lockdown months of December-January,” the Centre for Science and Environment said in a report. From May 18 to June 5, the AQI remained in the “moderate” category. From July to September, monsoon rains kept pollution levels in check. At an average AQI of 63.8, August was the cleanest month of the year in terms of air quality. There were four “good” air days in August, the highest in any month since 2015, when the CPCB began monitoring AQI. By October end, the air turned "severe" again, raising concerns among health experts about its impact on the coronavirus patients. It prompted the Delhi government to launch a massive anti-air pollution campaign - "Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh" - under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Gopal Rai. In an effort to curb air pollution levels in the city, Mr. Kejriwal banned firecrackers in the national capital ahead of Diwali, and promised to ramp-up critical health infrastructure in State-run hospitals, citing links between rising air pollution and a surge in coronavirus cases in Delhi. The Indian Medical Association said in November that “13% of the recent COVID-19 cases may be linked to air pollution”. As pollutions levels breached the emergency threshold twice in the month, a grey apocalyptic smog enveloped Delhi for days, blotting out the sun from the sky and smudging landmarks from view. According to the CPCB, the city recorded 10 “severe” air days this November, the maximum number in the month in four years, largely due to lesser precipitation and large-scale stubble burning. Pollution levels on Diwali this year and the day after were the maximum in the last four years despite a ban on firecrackers

‘City not ready for changes to cut traffic’

NEW DELHI: There is a rebound of congestion in the national capital in the post-lockdown phase but Delhi is not yet prepared for transformational changes to curtail the traffic volume, said an analysis by Centre for Science and Environment. The CSE has assessed travel pattern in pre-lockdown, lockdown and postlockdown phases. It analysed Google mobility data and daily real-time information of Google Maps for 12 major roads — MG Road, NH44, Sardar Patel Marg, Outer Ring Road, Dr KB Hegdewar Marg, Sri Aurobindo Marg, NH 9, MehrauliBadarpur Road, GT Karnal Rd, Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg, Dwarka Marg and Najafgarh Marg. There was a massive drop in visits to transit stations for different purposes during the lockdown — around 87 per cent lower than the baseline levels or the prelockdown phase. Trips to grocery stores and pharmacies were reduced by more than 70 per cent, but were still higher than all the other visits, the survey said. Workplace trips reduced by 65 per cent, it said.In the post-lockdown phase, the travel pattern was close to normal with grocery trips and workplace trips recovering the most by the end of November and was around 15 per cent lower than the pre-lockdown phase. Transit station trips improved but were still about 40 per cent lower than the baseline, it said. Trips to retail stores, which plummeted to about 90 per cent by the end of April, have now recovered by more than 50 per cent. The increase in these trips indicated the need to access the activities with traffic congestion being back on the roads, it said. Delhi cannot meet its clean air targets if overall traffic and vehicle numbers are not controlled, the analysis pointed out. There was a loss of public transport ridership amid the pandemic, it reiterated. The analysis’s hourly trends show that for both during lockdown and post lockdown, the most significant change was noticed after 4 pm. The average increase in travel speeds after 4 pm during lockdown was 116 per cent compared to pre-lockdown levels. Post lockdown, the speeds reduced by an average 42 per cent compared to during lockdown. The reprieve from traffic congestion and exposure was possible due to the forced shut-down during the lockdown phases, the rapid assessment said. “But this could not be sustained...This is of serious concern as scientific studies in Delhi have shown that vehicles contribute about 40 per cent of the total pollution load in the city,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE executive director-research and advocacy

The Covid paradox: As life gains momentum, travel speed slows

NEW DELHI: An analysis done by Centre for Science and Environment on the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on mobility patterns in Delhi has revealed that road congestion returned to close to pre lockdown levels after the lockdown was gradually relaxed and the economy reopened. Since traffic congestion has a direct impact on air pollution, the study said Delhi needed a massive mobility transition to cut vehicular pollution. CSE analysed Google mobility data and daily real-time information on Google Maps for 12 major roads: Mehrauli Gurgaon Road, NH44, Sardar Patel Marg, Outer Ring Road, Dr KB Hegdewar Marg, Sri Aurobindo Marg, NH 9, Mehrauli Badarpur Road, GT Karnal Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Dwarka Marg and Najafgarh Marg. The travel times from origin to the destination was noted for every hour from 8am to 8pm for the pre lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown periods, which were later converted to speed. The analysis showed that mean travel speed on the stretches increased from 24 kmph during pre-lockdown period to 46 kmph during the lockdown, a 90% improvement. However, average speed slowed to 29 kmph after the lockdown was relaxed. In the peak hours during the lockdown, travel speed on the selected stretches rose from 23 kmph to 44 kmph, only to reduce to 27 kmph in the post lockdown period. The off-peak traffic pace similarly quickened 92% during the lockdown but slackened by 34% thereafter. CSE also analysed the change in travel speeds on the same stretches and during the same time intervals during the operation of the odd-even road rationing exercise in November 2019. Comparisons with the normal or pre-lockdown speeds showed an average increase of 21% during the odd-even period on all stretches. The change from pre-lockdown to post-lockdown was also an identical 21% rise. The temporary reprieve from traffic congestion and exposure to pollution could not be sustained, rued Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director (Research and Advocacy), CSE. “The scale and scope of action needed to transform public transportation, walking and cycling options and vehicle restraint measures like city-wide implementation of the parking management area plan and the notified parking rules have remained limited and inadequate,” Chowdhury said. “This is of serious concern as scientific studies in Delhi have shown that vehicles account for around 40% of the total pollution load in the city.”

'Honeygate' spooks India, as calls mount to restrict import of Chinese sugar syrup

KOLKATA - Many in India have resorted to a higher consumption of honey to boost their immunity amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but an adulteration scandal, dubbed widely as Honeygate, has left a bitter aftertaste. This comes after the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organisation, revealed earlier this month that many of the country's top honey brands were adulterated with modified sugar syrup designed to beat tests prescribed by Indian food safety authorities to detect impure honey.

Beekeeping creates a buzz in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: For generations, tribal communities have braved the challenges and dangers of the wild and collected honey from hives deep in the forests. Traditionally, in Telangana, the Kolam community is largely known for collecting honey from forests during summer and winter. The erstwhile Adilabad district, in fact, is known across the State for its organic honey. However, over the last few years, the beekeeping business and honey hunting in areas around Hyderabad is seeing a surge. The number of beekeepers, beekeeping companies and honey societies in the city has increased. The organisations that conduct workshops, help people understand the importance of bees, train them on beekeeping and provide them with bee boxes are also increasing in number. Ravindra Kumar Pydi, Director of Api Culture Technology Centre, said bee farming or apiculture has increased in the last few years and the surge can be attributed to the more urban population including techies showing an inclination towards the agriculture sector. Traditional honey hunters say there was a lot of buzz about bees going extinct and this could be the reason behind the surge in beekeeping activities. Lakshmi Katabathina, a beekeeper by profession from the city said though there’s a significant increase in beekeeping, we need more people to take up this line of work considering the surge in demand for raw honey. “There is a vast potential for beekeeping in our country. However, due to lack of knowledge, scientific beekeeping is not being practised largely by the beekeepers,” she added. Lakshmi is certified in beekeeping from the Ministry of Rural Development. She visits her bee farm ‘The Beekeepers Farm’ in Suraram of Qutbullapur suburb regularly to check the health of the bees. She found her passion for bees from her early years. “I want to create more awareness over beekeeping by teaching bee harvesting techniques to youngsters. There are many subsidies allowed by the government in beekeeping which makes it easier for anyone to start beekeeping on their own,” Lakshmi said, whose father implemented the traditional way of honey bee pollination to increase crop yield every year. She has European bees on her farm which require 4-7 migrations in a year. Indira Reddy is a school teacher and an NGO coordinator. But her passion led her to take up beekeeping. Now she has 60 beehive boxes in Vikarabad and Nalgonda and 5 boxes in LB Nagar. “The beekeeping business has definitely increased in the city. It is partly due to awareness of the importance of pollination to increase the yield and other aspects. Even educated individuals are taking up beekeeping as self-employment,” she said. Beekeeping has a lot of financial potential since it helps produce a wide range of bee products including honey, wax, jelly, and pollen that are in huge demand in the market. Srinivas, a honey hunter, from Mall village of Yacharam Mandal believes the bee population has increased during the Covid-19 lockdown because there was less human activity. Pointing out the need for government intervention, he said farmers have to be educated more on organic cultivation. “This will help the apiculture field immensely and increase the bee population as well,” he said. In Telangana, districts such as Vikarabad, Adilabad and Nalgonda have major bee populations. There is a good enough bee population in the city as well. In recent times, the demand for raw honey surged since the environment watchdog Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said honey sold by some major brands in India was adulterated with sugar syrup.

ALL ABOUT MONEY, HONEY

Honey is not hamburger. It’s hallowed by tradition, doesn’t contain foul fish or fowl, and is not made by evil MNCs. If fact it’s as pure as pure can bee! Best of all, it’s got Baba Ramdev’s stamp of approval. But last month environmentalist Sunita Narain stung him and leading manufacturers. She demonstrated that leading brands of honey were spiked with rice syrup. Like most entertaining movies therefore, the bottles too merited an ‘A’ Certificate (for Adulterated). Honey makers retaliated casting aspersions on Ms Narain’s testing processes. So, the Baba’s New Year resolution is to clear the air. Deep breathing and a session of kapaalbhatti should help.

In case of corporate 'abuse' would Govt of India bail out Covid-19 vaccine makers?

Should a government come up with laws to protect a corporation against liability lawsuits, or should it come up with laws to regulate corporations and empower citizens so that corporations can be held to account for any kind of abuses or exploitation? A statement made by one of India’s vaccine makers reminds us that the Constitutional duty of our democratically-elected government is to protect its citizens, not corporations. Governments must keep people before profits and regulate corporations so that these companies conduct businesses with respect to human rights and the planet. Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of Serum Institute of India, recently said that manufacturers of vaccines against Covid-19 must be protected against liability in case there are any claims, including against serious adverse reactions, made against their shots during a pandemic. “We need to have the government indemnify manufacturers, especially vaccine manufacturers, against all lawsuits. In fact, COVAX and other countries have already started talking about that,” he said. “This is especially important only during a pandemic to indemnify vaccine manufacturers against lawsuits for severe adverse effects or any other frivolous claims which may come about because that adds to the fear (about vaccines).” Poonawalla needs to be reminded that India, along with other governments, is negotiating a UN legally binding global treaty on human rights and business. It is the governments that need to hold abusive corporations legally and financially liable. It is the responsibility of institutions, like Medical Research Councils, Drug Controller Generals, and other regulatory bodies like US FDA and other national FDAs or their equivalents, to ensure that scientific studies are being conducted with utmost scientific integrity and ethics. Elaborate protocols have been laid out (with due diligence and scientific integrity) to conduct any scientific research study (also referred to as a clinical trial) to find if a vaccine or a drug is safe and effective for human beings, if there are any side effects (on different populations/ age-groups etc), and also to find answers to a range of other safety, efficacy and effectiveness related issues. It is also important to note that clinical trials have had a badly tainted history of ethical and human rights violations, with human beings treated as ‘guinea pigs’ (such as studies done forcibly on prisoners of war, decades back). While it is important for science to proceed ahead, there is no doubt that ethics cannot be compromised at any stage. For instance, communities that participate in a clinical study ‘for larger good’ should be fully protected, compensated, provided best standards of care, and be the first ones to be offered access to the product-under study (if and when found safe and effective). Every adverse side effect they report must be attended to with dignity and respect, and not brushed off. But as a report said, “Serum Institute of India is threatening to file for damages against a trial volunteer who went public about a severe adverse event he suffered while he was part of the Covid vaccine trial.” It added, the Indian Council of Medical Research, Drug Controller General of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have been “conspicuously silent” on this. Last month some Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers released some information on initial early-stage results of ongoing studies in the form of press releases, forcing scientists to demand more transparency in the sharing of scientific information for scrutiny and review before creating a (undue) hype. Is it not alarming to learn that some corporate executives of these agencies had sold millions of dollars’ worth of their shares when share prices had gone up soon after the press release went out? What Poonawala is suggesting is ominous as it reminds us of several instances in this country when the governments have clearly tried to protect the interests of the corporate at the cost of the people. The Chief of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, was let go off by the Madhya Pradesh government in December 1984 under pressure from the United States after the fatal accident in the company’s plant in India and put on a flight from Bhopal to Delhi to eventually escape from the country never to return to face trial in Indian courts. The compensation eventually paid was inadequate and punishment given to Indian officials of Union Carbide too little. Then again, the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 puts all the burden of compensation (in case of an accident in a nuclear facility) on the operator which would be the public sector unit, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, clearly shielding the suppliers who would be foreign multinational giants, unless it is a very obvious case of an act of omission by an employee of the supplier done with the intent to cause damage, which would not be easy to establish. In 2003, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed high levels of pesticides and insecticides in Pepsi and Coca Cola sold in India. The government formed a parliamentary committee headed by Sharad Pawar, then Agriculture Minister, which verified the CSE findings, but didn’t recommend any action against the soft drink manufacturers. Interestingly, since then these soft drinks are banned in Parliament’s canteen. The Health Ministry has now notified standards for pesticides in carbonated water and soft drinks. The Rajasthan High Court had directed the two soft drink giants to mention on each bottle that the drink did not contain pesticide residue or that it is safe. The companies chose not to comply with the order. When the matter was taken to Supreme Court by petitioner Sunil Mittal, the court while supporting the idea, in principle, left the matter of mandating a declaration that the level of pesticides was within permissible limits to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which is yet to enforce the decision. Public policy has increasingly been dominated by private corporations as India adopted neo-liberal economic policies in the early 1990s. Moreover, people need to think why do we have to deal with almost eight crore Covid-19 cases worldwide (over one crore in India)? Why did the government dither in taking appropriate infection control measures (including ban on international travels) when the World Health Organization had declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020? Infection control and disease control is government responsibility. Who is responsible for preventable diseases to become the leading causes of deaths of our population?

In 1979, when I was in Class 12, I learnt about the Chipko movement: Environmentalist Sunita Narain

We are activists but not in the traditional sense or with any political motivation. Our weapons of activism are pen and paper,” says Sunita Narain, director-general of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), while talking about her four-decade-long journey as one of the country’s most credible and influential voices in matters related to the environment. From a battle against soft drink giants over reported use of pesticides, and the campaign for CNG in Delhi, to, more recently, an exposé on honey adulteration by big brands, the CSE has been at the forefront of creating awareness about a citizen’s right to good environment and produce. “Ever since Anil Agarwal, the founder of CSE, passed away in 2002, our biggest challenge has been to maintain the essence and objective of the centre, to blend the rigour of a policy research group and think tank with the right kind of activism,” she says. For Narain, this is not just a profession, but the natural progression of a passion inculcated since she was in school in Delhi. Growing up, there was hardly any public discourse around what she wanted to do, raise public consciousness about the environment. In 1979, when she was in class 12, she attended an environmental workshop organised by the Gandhi Peace Foundation in Delhi. There, she met a group of young people, equally enthusiastic about environment, and learnt about the Chipko movement, a forest conservation agitation led by Gandhian activist Sunderlal Bahuguna. The movement, which started in 1973 in Uttarakhand, became a rallying point for many future environmental movements across the world. That workshop was a significant moment in Narain’s life. Right out of school, she became part of the movement, choosing to do her graduation via correspondence. Meanwhile, she found out about the Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction in Ahmedabad, set up by Kartikeya Sarabhai, one of the world’s leading environmental educators and went on to work with them. In 1981, she met Anil Agarwal at the house of a friend. Agarwal had already been working on a “state of India’s environment” report, an idea he had picked up while attending a seminar in Penang, where he read a report on the state of the Malaysian environment. “He wanted it to be a report card prepared by citizens for the government. So, we all joined the project with a passion,” she says. A year later, the report came out, laying the foundation for the incredible journey Narain has been on ever since.

बडेमन और बडेकदम से साफ होगी हमारी हवा और पानी

सरकारेंतो लगातार एक गनतरोध के िाद दसू रेगनतरोध सेजूझ रही हैं। उनके पास इन कामों के ललए समय ही नहीीं। (पयाावरणववद् सुनीता नारायण सेमुकेश के जरीवाल की बातचीत पर आधाररत) भूलेतो नहीीं हैंआप! मोर्र गाडियों की रेलम-पेल वाले इलाकों मेंभी र्चडियों की चूीं-चूीं सुनाई देरही थी। नददयों का पानी बिल्कुल साफ था, आसमान बिल्कुल नीला... पहाड़ दरू सेही ददखनेलगेथे... ककतनी अच्छी हो गई थी आिो-हवा। लेककन इसकी कीमत क्या देनी पड़ी? लॉकिाउन नेकरोड़ों लोगों की रोजी छीन ली, उन्हेंिेघर कर ददया। हम लोग गोल आसमान ननहार रहेथे, िहुत सेलोग गोल रोदर्यों को याद कर रहेथे। हमेंर्चडियों की चहचहाहर् सुनाई देरही थी, उन्हेंिच्चों का रोना। यानी, हमेंहवा-पानी साफ तो करनी है, लेककन यह साफ हैकक उपाय यह नहीीं हो सकता। यह भी साफ है कक ऐसा होगा भी ककसी िहुत िड़ेकदम सेही। वनाि छोर्े-मोर्ेकदमों सेहम अपनेआप को िहलातेरहेंगे। कभी कुछ साफ िसेंउतार दीीं, चींद सिक़ों पर साइककल लेन िना दी, एक-दो प्रदषूण वालेउद्योगों को िींद कर ददया.. इतनेसेकुछ नहीीं होगा। गाींवों मेंननवेश करना होगा लॉकिाउन की वजह सेदेश नेपहली िार आर्थिक मींदी देखी है, हमेंकफर सेतरक्की करनी है। ऐसा पहली िार हुआ था कक लोग शहरों सेगाींवों की लौर्े। दरूदृजष्र् हो तो यह हमारेललए एक अनोखा अवसर हो सकता था। गाींवों मेंही उन्हेंरोजगार और रोजी देसकतेहैं। लेककन इसके ललए हमेंबिल्कुल साहस भरा और िड़ा कदम उठाना होगा। ननवेश गाींवों मेंही करना होगा। आत्मननभिर गाींव और कस्िेिना सकतेहैं। लेककन सरकारेंतो लगातार एक गनतरोध के िाद दसू रेगनतरोध सेजूझ रही हैं। उनके पास इन कामों के ललए समय ही नहीीं। पैदावार को पौजष्र्क िनानी होगी खेती मेंहमारी प्राथलमकता अि पैदावार िढ़ाना नहीीं िजल्क यह हो कक उसेककतना पौजष्र्क और सेहतमींद िना सकतेहैं। इसी सेककसान की कमाई िढ़ेगी और पूरे देश के लोग जहरीलेरसायन सेभरा खाना खानेको मजिूर नहीीं रह जाएींगे। पहलेहमारेदेश मेंहर मेल का अनाज होता था। आज जहाीं जमीन मेंपानी नहीीं भी है वहाीं भी हमारी वजह सेककसान गेहूीं और चावल ही उगानेपर तुला हुआ है। पयािवरण का सवाल षवकास का सवाल है। ककसान आज सिक़ों पर क्यों हैं? जलवायु पररवतिन के कारण कभी सूखेमेंतो कभी िाढ़ मेंउनकी फसल ििािद हो जाती है। उस पर सेहमारा मध्य वगि मशीन की िनी चीज के ललए जेि खाली कर देगा, लेककन ककसानों की उगाई चीजों की कीमत थोड़ी भी िढ़ी तो आसमान सर पर उठा लेता है। जैसेही ककसी उपज की कीमत िढ़ती हैिरी सरकारेंआयात कर लेती हैंऔर ककसान िेचारा कफर वहीीं के वहीीं। क्या ककसानों को जेल मेंिालेंगे? शहरों मेंहमारेललए पानी सरकार हमारेघर तक पहुींचाती है, लेककन ककसान को अपना पानी खुद ननकालना होता है। पराली जलानेके ललए आप क्या पींजाि और हररयाणा के हजारों ककसानों को जेल में िालेंगे? उन्हेंसींसाधन देनेहोंगे, सशक्त करना होगा। कारखानेइतना प्रदषूण फै लातेहैं, कारों सेइतना प्रदषूण होता है, इन्हेंक्यों नहीीं िींद कर ददया जाता? नए साल मेंऐसा हो ग्रीन एजेंि नए साल मेंहमेंकोयलेजैसेअपनेईंधन को िदलना होगा। प्राइवेर् गाडियों की सींख्या कािूकरें। साविजननक यातायात को िढ़ावा देना होगा। सारेसींसाधन महानगरों मेंकें दद्रत नहीीं करें। षवकास और खेती को सस्र्ेनेिल या सींवहनीय िनाएीं। राष्रीय हररत प्रार्धकरण (एनजीर्ी) और राज्यों के प्रदषूण ननयींिण िोििजैसेसभी सींस्थानों को मजिूत करना होगा। पयािवरण का नुकसान तो हर ककसी को भुगतना होगा आप घर मेंपानी और हवा के प्यूरीफायर लगा कर ननजश्चींत नहीीं हो सकते। पयािवरण ििािद होगा तो भुगतना सभी को पड़ेगा। चाहेवह अमीर हो या गरीि।

India-2050 bags Best-Director Award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, Singapore

The Grand Final Winner for Best Direction (non-fiction) at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, Singapore, is ‘India-2050’. This gripping documentary about the impact of climate-change on India’s future has been produced by Delhi-based Wide Angle Films for Discovery Channel and is co-directed by Sujata Kulshreshtha and Abhimanyu Tewari. In October this year, INDIA-2050 was declared the National Winner in three coveted categories. Best documentary, Best Direction and Best Cinematography. This implied that it was the best in class from amongst all the entries from India and would go on to represent the nation at the Grand Awards that were closely contested between 16- countries from the Asia-Pac region. The AAA’s honour excellence in craft and technical disciplines across multiple platforms. The glittering red carpet ceremony for 2020 was hosted in their 3D Virtual Theatre. It celebrated works from Australia & New Zealand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The documentary takes a hard-hitting look at the existential threat of climate change in India. In a first-of-its-kind approach, it uses dramatic visual effects to build on projected outcomes that reveal a very dystopian 2050. Woven into these sequences are compelling human stories that cry out that the future is already here! Says Sadhguru in the film, “The survival stage is over. Now a different level - survival of a generation is coming into a question.” The co-directors, Sujata and Abhimanyu told us that, “One of the key objectives that we set out with was to be able to create a film that can trigger a discussion, a debate or a conversation that brings climate change to the forefront. We deliberately chose to take an alarmist approach and focus the 2050 segments on urban centres - to say that being richer is not going to insulate us from climate change.” The documentary features eminent thought-leaders like Sunita Narain, Arunabha Ghosh, Chandra Bhushan and author Amitav Ghosh who calls it “…the best account of India’s climate risks”. David Spratt from the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration, Melbourne also provides an alarming perspective. Discovery Channel’s Director, Original Content, Factual & Lifestyle Entertainment, Sai Abhishek said, “It is our constant effort to offer world-class documentaries to discerning Indian fans which not only entertains them but also encourages and inspires. I am proud to learn that India-2050 has been recognised globally with this win.” You can catch India 2050 on the Discovery Plus App.

वायु प्रदूषण ने भारत में ली 16 लाख लोगों की जान, ख़ुद को कैसे बचा सकते हैं आप?

साल 2019 मेंवायुप्रदषूण की वजह सेभारत में16.7 लाख लोगों की मौत हुई है. इतना ही नहीीं, वायुप्रदषूण के कारण देश को 260,000 करोड़ रुपयेसेज़्यादा का आर्थिक नुकसान हुआ ह यह जानकारी कें द्र सरकार की सींस्था आईसीएमआर की एक ररपोर्ि मेंसामनेआई है. लेककन क्या येआँकड़े आपके ललए कुछ मायनेरखतेहैं? ददल्ली सेलेकर उत्तर प्रदेश और बिहार समेत भारत का एक िड़ा दहस्सा एक लींिेसमय सेलगातार वायुप्रदषूण की चपेर् मेंहै. िाररश के महीनों को छोड़ ददया जाए तो हररयाणा, उत्तर प्रदेश, ददल्ली और बिहार जैसेराज्यों मेंरहनेवाले लोग लगभग पूरेसाल प्रदषूण की मार झेलतेहैं. येख़िर ललखेजातेसमय ददल्ली मेंिेहद िारीक प्रदषूक पीएम 2.5 का सूचकाींक 462 था जो कक 50 सेभी कम होना चादहए. बिर्ेन की राजधानी लींदन मेंइसी पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 17 है, न्यूयॉकि में38 है, िललिन में20 है, और िीजजींग में59 है. सरल शब्दों मेंकहेंतो ददल्ली सेलेकर लखनऊ (पीएम 2.5 - 440) मेंरहनेवालेलोग इस समय जजस हवा में साँस लेरहेहैंवो स्वस्थ लोगों को भी िीमार िना सकती हैऔर पहलेसेिीमार लोगों के ललए गींभीर ख़तरेपैदा कर सकती है. प्रदषूण सेहुई मौत...मतलि क्या है? इींडियन काउीं लसल फॉर मेडिकल ररसचिनेअपनी हाललया ररपोर्ि मेंिताया हैकक भारत मेंसाल 2019 में16.7 लाख लोगों की मौत के ललए वायुप्रदषूण को ज़िम्मेदार ठहराया जा सकता है. इस ररपोर्ि मेंयह भी िताया गया हैकक घरेलूवायु प्रदषूण की वजह सेहोनेवाली मौतों में1990 से2019 तक 64 फीसदी की कमी आई हैलेककन इसी िीच हवा मेंमौजूद प्रदषूण की वजह सेहोनेवाली मौतों में115 फीसदी का इ़िाफा हुआ है. शोधकतािओीं नेइस ररपोर्ि मेंलोगों की मत्ृयु, उनकी िीमाररयों और उनके प्रदषूषत वातावरण मेंरहनेकी अवर्ध का अध्ययन ककया है. अींग्रेजी अख़िार द दहदीं ूमेंप्रकालशत ख़िरके मुताबिक़, आईसीएमआर के महाननदेशक िलराम भागिव नेिताया हैकक इस अध्ययन के नतीजेितातेहैंकक वायुप्रदषूण फें फड़ों सेजुड़ी िीमाररयों के चालीस फीसदी मामलों के ललए ज़िम्मेदार है. वहीीं, इस्के लमक हार्ि डि़िीज, स्रोक, िायबिर्ी़ि और समय सेपहलेपैदा होनेवालेनवजात िच्चों की मौत के ललए वायुप्रदषूण 60 फीसदी तक ज़िम्मेदार है. यह पहला मौका नहीीं हैजि ककसी ररपोर्ि मेंयेिताया गया हो कक वायुप्रदषूण हाननकारक और जानलेवा है. लेककन यह पहली िार हैजि सरकार नेवायुप्रदषूण से होनेवाली मौतों और आर्थिक नुकसान के सर्ीक आँकड़े जनता के सामनेरखेहैं. ररपोर्ि यह भी िताती हैकक अगर कुछ न ककया गया तो वायुप्रदषूण सेहोनेवाली मौतें, िीमाररयाीं और आर्थिक नुकसान की वजह सेभारत का साल 2024 तक पाँच दरललयन िॉलर की अथिव्यवस्था िननेका सपना र्ूर् सकता है. ऐसेमेंसवाल उठता हैकक क्या येररपोर्ि एक जनआींदोलन को जन्म देगी या दसू री अन्य ररपोर्टिस की तरह भुला दी जाएगी? ककतनी असरदार साबित होगी येररपोर्ि? ददल्ली के सर गींगाराम अस्पताल मेंलींग कैं सर षवशेषज्ञ िॉक्र्र अरषव ींद कुमार मानतेहैंकक अि वो वक़्त आ गया हैजि लोगों को वायुप्रदषूण के ख़तरों के प्रनत अवश्य ही सचेत हो जाना चादहए. सेंर्र फॉर साइींस एींि एन्वायरनमेंर् सेजुड़ीीं पयािवरण षवशेषज्ञ अनुलमता रॉय चौधरी मानती हैंकक लोगों को जजतना जागरूक इस ख़तरेके प्रनत होना चादहए, उतना ही जागरुक इसके समाधान के ललए होना चादहए. वो कहती हैं, “लोगों मेंजागरुकता ख़तरेके साथ-साथ इसके समाधान को लेकर भी होनी चादहए. क्योंकक आगे चलकर हमेंजो कदम उठानेहैं, वो काफी सख़्त होंगे. अगर राजनीनतक और सामाजजक स्तर पर हम इन कड़े कदमों के प्रनत समथिन नहीीं जुर्ा पाएींगेतो इस समस्या का हल जानतेहुए भी उसेअमल मेंलाना िेहद मुजश्कल होगा.'' ''क्योंकक हम ददल्ली मेंप्रदषूण के िारेमेंिात करतेहैं और जि सरकार की ओर सेकहा गया कक वो ननजी गाडड़यों पर रोक लगाना चाहती हैऔर पजब्लक राींसपोर्ि को िढ़ाना चाहती हैतो मध्यम वगिसरकार के खख़लाफ चला गया.''

The Lead: A note on sanitation Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/the-lead-a-note-on-sanitation-930125.html

In this episode of The Lead from DH Radio, Programme Director-Water Programme Centre for Science and Environment Dr Suresh Kumar Rohilla shares insights about the sewage treatment of water. Ahmed Shariff: Hi and welcome to the Lead by DH Radio. Ever wondered what happens to the waste that you generate and how it affects the environment? It's a question to ponder over. Dr Suresh Kumar Rohilla: Hello. Ahmed: It's our great pleasure to have you on our show. My first question to you is: For a layman, can you explain how human waste contaminates and what are the harmful constituents?

Money Honey

Last week, we got some bitter news about something sweet. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reported that when they subjected 13 prominent brands selling honey to a sophisticated test in Germany for adulteration, except three, all other brands failed. The only three brands that passed were Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar. As fear of refined sugar has increased, so also adulteration of other sources of sweetness. Best example is jaggery. As jaggery gained popularity as an alternate to sugar, its adulteration started. Mandya jaggery was very popular until jaggery makers from Uttar Pradesh came calling and started adding chemicals to rapidly increase production capacity and visual appeal. In a report submitted to the Government by the Co-operation Department, it found chemicals like “calcium hydroxide, sodium hydrosulphite (hydrose), sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (safolite), ortho-phosphoric acid, seashells, baking soda, oil (castor/coconut) and orange-red powder (artificial food colouring) in jaggery blocks”! We educated urbanites find it hard to even pronounce the names of these chemicals which makes us wonder if farmers are making jaggery or chemical engineers? This is a serious issue because India accounts for over 70% of world’s jaggery production and such practices will ruin our reputation and income. Already Mandya jaggery brand has taken a hit as the use of chemicals has significantly reduced its shelf-life which has forced many wholesalers to sell their product in distress. We in India don’t seem to take food adulteration seriously. Be it the Government, the producer or the consumer. It is common knowledge that fruit-sellers use calcium carbide because it reacts with the moisture emanated by the respiration of the fruit. And when it does, a gas called acetylene emanates which helps in ripening the fruit. This gas is carcinogenic! Yet, rarely do you see the Government personnel raiding these “ripening sheds.” Vegetables are not spared either. Bittergourd and lady’s finger are dipped in copper sulphate water to make them look greener. Brinjals are coated with old oil to give them a shine; carrots are dipped in red dye-water and watermelons injected with gulal to make them red from inside. Rarely do you see officials confronting, let alone arresting these colouring artists. Most of us turn a blind eye to this saying that we cook hot meals and all “these things die”… not really. But the fallout of this food adulteration should be the rebirth of kitchen gardens and organic farms. It’s time to move on from show gardens to kitchen gardens. Every year during Dasara the Government has a competition for the “Most beautiful home garden.” May be the same publicity must be given to “Best kitchen garden.” P.S.: Speaking of organic food, once a husband went to a store to shop for his wife who was very health-conscious and wanted organic, pesticide-free vegetables. The husband walked upto the section where he saw vegetables stacked and asked the sales man if the vegetables were organic. The sales boy didn’t understand. The irritated husband picked up some vegetables and said, “Listen, my wife is health-crazy. So I need to know have these vegetables been sprayed with any harmful pesticides?” The petrified sales man replied, “No, Sir. You’ll have to do that yourself!” Ramakrishna Ashram Swamijiand Coorg Honey Speaking of bees and honey, once upon a time Coorg was the top producer of honey. In the early 1940s, there used to be a Government-appointed “Bee Man” whose job was to go from house to house, from estate to estate, teaching planters about the importance of bees to the environment and also teach them how to maintain a Bee Box and extract honey. In fact, Scientific Bee farming in Kodagu was initiated by Sri Shambhavananda Swamiji, the man who founded the Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Mysuru. In 1928, when Swami Shambhavananda became the first President of Sri Ramakrishna Saradashrama in Ponnampet, Kodagu, he initiated a project for Bee-keeping. Since he was born in Kodagu as Chengappa into the Thelapanda family, he knew that Kodagu was very suitable for bee-keeping and could contribute to the local economy. Soon he prepared the first apiary and in 1936 set up the ‘Coorg Honey and Wax Producers Co-operative Society Ltd.’ This became the first honey producers co-operative in India. Shambhavananda Swamiji even developed a new method of bee-keeping now known as ‘Coorg Standard Hive.’ No wonder Coorg came to produce almost 50% of all honey produced in Karnataka. Now, if any one has space around their homes or in their farms there are many workshops that teach bee-keeping. In fact, there is an Apiculture Training Centre at Bhagamandala, Kodagu, where one can take a few weeks training in bee-keeping. It may be recalled that the Government in 2014, to increase production and marketing of Coorg Honey, ordered the setting up of a “Honey Park” at Bhagamandala, Kodagu. The park was to be managed by the Food Processing Division of the Agriculture Department. Later, Rs. 60 lakh was also released for the project. An old building was refurbished and not much else has been heard. Now, six years on neither is there a Park nor is there any Honey. Guess, like most Government projects it was all about the “Money Honey”?