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कोरोना के बीच दिल्ली-एनसीआर के प्रदूषण को संभाल पाएगी सरकार?

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा में प्रदूषण का स्तर इस साल फिर बढ़ गया है. दिल्ली के 36 मॉनीटरिंग स्टेशन के डेटा के मुताबिक़ हवा की क्वालिटी 'गंभीर रूप से ख़राब' श्रेणी में पहुँच गई है. मुमकिन है कि जिस वक़्त आप ये कहानी पढ़ रहे हैं, हवा की गुणवत्ता और ख़राब हो चुकी हो. लेकिन ये हाल सिर्फ़ दिल्ली का नहीं है. पूरे उत्तर भारत में हवा की गुणवत्ता ख़राब हो रही है. सर्दियों की शुरुआत में तापमान गिरा है और हवा की गति कम हुई है. इसके साथ ही आसपास के इलाक़ों में पराली जलाये जाने से स्थिति बदतर होती जा रही है. पर्यावरणविद और एनसीआर की पर्यावरण प्रदूषण (रोकथाम और नियंत्रण) प्राधिकरण की सदस्य सुनीता नारायण बताती हैं, "आगे बहुत तेज़ ठण्ड आने वाली है. मैं इस साल बहुत डरी हुई हूँ. कोविड-19 के साथ ये दोहरी मार हो सकती है क्योंकि वायरस हमारे फेफड़ों पर उसी तरह हमला करता है, जैसे हवा में प्रदूषण. इसलिए हमें प्रभावी क़दम उठाने की ज़रूरत है."

जहरीली हुई दिल्ली-NCR की हवा, आज और बिगड़ सकती है स्थिति; 400 के पार जा सकता है एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा अब दमघोंटू होने लगी है, क्योंकि पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाए जाने के असर के चलते दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण खराब स्थिति में पहुंच गया है। जानकारों का मानना है कि अगर हवा की दिशा और रफ्तार में बदलाव नहीं हुआ तो अगले दो दिनों तक ऐसी ही स्थिति बनी रह सकती है। शनिवार को हालात और बिगड़ सकते हैं। एयर इंडेक्स 400 का आंकड़ा पार कर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच सकता है। हवा की कम रफ्तार ने बढ़ाया प्रदूषण हवा की रफ्तार कम होने और पराली का धुआं बढ़ने से इस साल अक्टूबर के तीसरे सप्ताह में ही खतरनाक हालात बन गए हैं। आलम यह है कि शुक्रवार को हवा इस सीजन की सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित रही। वहीं, सफर इंडिया का कहना है कि बृहस्पतिवार को पंजाब-हरियाणा में पराली जलाने के 1,231 केस सामने आए। दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में पराली के धुएं की हिस्सेदारी 17 फीसद तक रही। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में 300 के पार ही रहा AQI दिल्ली-एनसीआर में सभी जगह एयर इंडेक्स 300 के पार हो गया। यह हवा की बहुत खराब श्रेणी है। वहीं, दिल्ली के 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 से ऊपर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच गया। ऐसे हालात को देखते हुए केंद्रीय पृथ्वी विज्ञान मंत्रलय के अधीन आने वाली वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी संस्था सफर इंडिया और पर्यावरण संरक्षण एवं प्रदूषण नियंत्रण प्राधिकरण (ईपीसीए) ने लोगों को अनावश्यक रूप से घर से बाहर नहीं निकलने की सलाह दी है। सुबह सैर के लिए जाने वालों को सांस की परेशानी दरअसल, बृहस्पतिवार रात से फिर से उत्तर-पश्चिमी हवा बह रही थी और इसकी गति भी 10 किलोमीटर प्रति घंटे से कम रही। नतीजा, स्मॉग के साथ-साथ प्रदूषण भी बढ़ने लगा। शुक्रवार सुबह दिल्ली-एनसीआर के लोगों ने आंखें खोलीं तो बाहर खासा धुंधलका छाया था। सुबह की सैर के लिए जाने वाले लोगों को सांस लेने में परेशानी झेलनी पड़ी। वहीं, ईपीसीए की सदस्य सुनीता नारायण ने बताया कि सभी एजेंसियों को प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए सभी कोशिशें करने के लिए कहा गया है। जरूरत पड़ने पर कुछ और सख्त निर्णय लिए जाएंगे। दिल्ली के इन 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 के पार शादीपुर विवेक विहार आनंद विहार वजीरपुर जहांगीरपुरी पटपड़गंज

जहरीली हुई दिल्ली-NCR की हवा, आज और बिगड़ सकती है स्थिति; 400 के पार जा सकता है एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स

दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा अब दमघोंटू होने लगी है, क्योंकि पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाए जाने के असर के चलते दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण खराब स्थिति में पहुंच गया है। जानकारों का मानना है कि अगर हवा की दिशा और रफ्तार में बदलाव नहीं हुआ तो अगले दो दिनों तक ऐसी ही स्थिति बनी रह सकती है। शनिवार को हालात और बिगड़ सकते हैं। एयर इंडेक्स 400 का आंकड़ा पार कर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच सकता है। हवा की कम रफ्तार ने बढ़ाया प्रदूषण हवा की रफ्तार कम होने और पराली का धुआं बढ़ने से इस साल अक्टूबर के तीसरे सप्ताह में ही खतरनाक हालात बन गए हैं। आलम यह है कि शुक्रवार को हवा इस सीजन की सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित रही। वहीं, सफर इंडिया का कहना है कि बृहस्पतिवार को पंजाब-हरियाणा में पराली जलाने के 1,231 केस सामने आए। दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में पराली के धुएं की हिस्सेदारी 17 फीसद तक रही। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में 300 के पार ही रहा AQI दिल्ली-एनसीआर में सभी जगह एयर इंडेक्स 300 के पार हो गया। यह हवा की बहुत खराब श्रेणी है। वहीं, दिल्ली के 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 से ऊपर गंभीर श्रेणी में पहुंच गया। ऐसे हालात को देखते हुए केंद्रीय पृथ्वी विज्ञान मंत्रलय के अधीन आने वाली वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी संस्था सफर इंडिया और पर्यावरण संरक्षण एवं प्रदूषण नियंत्रण प्राधिकरण (ईपीसीए) ने लोगों को अनावश्यक रूप से घर से बाहर नहीं निकलने की सलाह दी है। सुबह सैर के लिए जाने वालों को सांस की परेशानी दरअसल, बृहस्पतिवार रात से फिर से उत्तर-पश्चिमी हवा बह रही थी और इसकी गति भी 10 किलोमीटर प्रति घंटे से कम रही। नतीजा, स्मॉग के साथ-साथ प्रदूषण भी बढ़ने लगा। शुक्रवार सुबह दिल्ली-एनसीआर के लोगों ने आंखें खोलीं तो बाहर खासा धुंधलका छाया था। सुबह की सैर के लिए जाने वाले लोगों को सांस लेने में परेशानी झेलनी पड़ी। वहीं, ईपीसीए की सदस्य सुनीता नारायण ने बताया कि सभी एजेंसियों को प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए सभी कोशिशें करने के लिए कहा गया है। जरूरत पड़ने पर कुछ और सख्त निर्णय लिए जाएंगे। दिल्ली के इन 10 इलाकों में एयर इंडेक्स 400 के पार शादीपुर विवेक विहार आनंद विहार वजीरपुर जहांगीरपुरी पटपड़गंज

Delhi suffocates, hours after Trump described India's air quality as 'filthy'

New Delhi was blanketed in a noxious haze Friday as air pollution levels in parts of the city soared to "severe" levels, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump described the air in the vast nation as "filthy." Smoke from agricultural burning, vehicle fumes and industrial emissions – combined with cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds that trap pollutants over the city – turns air in the Indian capital into a toxic soup every winter. Air pollution in New Delhi and surrounding cities on Friday was at its worst in eight months, with the air quality index surging above 300 on a scale of 500, indicating "emergency conditions." The air quality index at Delhi's 36 pollution monitoring sites – which monitors tiny PM2.5 and PM10 particles that get into the bloodstream and vital organs – was between 282 and 446, pushing levels into the "severe" category, the Central Pollution Control Board said. The "good" category is between 0-50, the government's environmental watchdog added. A "significant increase in stubble fire count" to 1,213 in the Haryana and Punjab states was the highest of the season and made up 17% of Delhi's PM2.5 levels, the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research added Friday. "Further deterioration of (air quality) is expected for the two days," SAFAR said. The worsening conditions came as Trump complained that climate change policies were unfair to the U.S. Defending the clean air in the United States, Trump made the comment during his final debate on Thursday with Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election, saying, "Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia, look at India – it's filthy. The air is filthy." Trump turned to India to defend his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, said an environmental expert. The U.S. president claimed that Biden's climate plan was an "economic disaster" for oil states such as Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Biden said that climate change is "an existential threat to humanity. We have a moral obligation to deal with it." Trump's remarks come days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper visit New Delhi for talks on building the growing U.S.-India partnership. At the first presidential debate, Trump also spoke critically of India, questioning its COVID-19 data amid criticism of his handling of the pandemic. Scientists warned this year's pollution season would make Delhi's 20 million residents more vulnerable to COVID-19. "Air pollution increases the risk of noncommunicable diseases – the same underlying conditions that make people more likely to experience severe illness or death from COVID-19," epidemiologist Sumi Mehta from the global nonprofit Vital Strategies told Agence France Presse (AFP). Health care systems, stretched by the pandemic, could be further stressed by more hospitalizations from pollution-related illnesses, researchers added. "There are serious worries that during winter when higher air pollution levels, in any case, worsens respiratory illness and increases hospitalization, the vulnerability to COVID-19 may be further enhanced," Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said. The chief medical officer of Gurugram city near New Delhi, Virender Yadav, told The Times of India Thursday some recovering COVID-19 patients were experiencing a reoccurrence of respiratory conditions triggered by the heightened air pollution. The planet has already warmed by around 1 degree Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit) from preindustrial levels, enough to boost the intensity of deadly heatwaves, droughts and tropical storms.

Air pollution contributed to 6.7 million annual deaths globally in 2019, India faced 1.67 million deaths due to dirty air, says State of Global Air report

Long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution contributed to over 6.7 million annual deaths globally, including 1.67 million in India, from stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, and neonatal diseases in 2019, says the annual 'State of Global Air 2020' report, released on Wednesday. “Overall, air pollution is now the fourth highest cause of death among all health risks, ranking just below smoking and poor diet,” said the report, released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), an independent, non-profit research institute funded jointly by the US Environmental Protection Agency, industry, foundations, and development banks. As far as India is concerned, air pollution, overall, is now the largest risk factor for death among all health risks in the country. The HEI, which for the first time did a comprehensive analysis of air pollution’s global impact on new-borns, found that “outdoor and household particulate matter (PM) pollution” contributed to the deaths of nearly 5,00,000 infants globally, including 1,16,000 Infants in India, in their first month of life. The report noted that nearly two-thirds of those deaths were linked to use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung for cooking, saying the most deaths for the youngest infants were related to complications from low birth weight and preterm birth. This report's findings, based on the most recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in the international medical journal The Lancet, comes as Covid-19 has claimed more than 1 million lives. Although the full links between air pollution and Covid-19 are not yet known, the report claimed that there was clear evidence linking air pollution and increased heart and lung disease creating a growing concern that exposures to high levels of air pollution, especially those commonly experienced in countries of South and East Asia, could exacerbate the effects of Covid-19. “The interaction of Covid-19 with the continued global rise in chronic illness and related risk factors, including obesity, high blood sugar, and outdoor air pollution, over the past 30 years has created a perfect storm, fuelling Covid-19 deaths,” said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, who led the GBD research. In India, the study found progress in reducing “household air pollution exposures” but it said the levels were stagnant for outdoor PM2.5. It said more than half of these deaths in India were associated with outdoor PM2.5 and others were linked to use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood, and animal dung for cooking. “This evidence is a stark reminder of unrelenting and continuous worsening of health risk from air pollution in India. Not only the absolute death burden from PM2.5 is high, but it has also increased the maximum - by as much as 61% between 2010 and 2019. This gets more complex with ozone related deaths also recording the highest jump of 84%,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, air pollution expert and executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Reacting to the findings, she said, “Only ‘chulha’ pollution related health risk has declined due to improved access to clean energy. But the biggest shocker this time is the global evidence that air pollution accounts for 20% of new-born deaths worldwide, due to complications of low birth weight and preterm birth and mother’s toxic exposure. Imagine its implication for India with one of the highest deaths and disease burdens from air pollution. This only reaffirms why the national clean air programme has to be more exacting, legally binding and be the central focus of the green economic recovery agenda.”

सर्दियों में कोरोना और प्रदूषण की दोहरी मार

कई जानकार ये कह रहे हैं कि सर्दियां बढ़ने के बाद भारत में कोरोना वायरस का ख़तरा और बढ़ सकता है. तो क्या इस डबल ख़तरे से बचाने की कोई तैयारी हो रही है? यही जानने के लिए बीबीसी संवाददाता जुगल पुरोहित ने बात की पर्यावरणविद् सुनीता नारायण से.

Give sops to cleaner power plants: CSE

NEW DELHI: With 65% of India’s coalfired thermal power plants yet to make significant progress to meet environmental norms by the deadline of 2022, it has become imperative to review and restrategise to push the sector towards implementation. A new analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has said that a new system of preferential treatment for cleaner plants and deterrence mechanisms for the laggards have to be brought into effect urgently to meet the deadline. During the webinar titled “Meeting emission norms: Working paper on penalty and incentive mechanisms for coal-based power plants”, four CSE reports were released on Wednesday. CSE reports state that this sector accounts for 80% of mercury, 45% of sulphur dioxide and 30% of nitrogen oxide emissions from all industries. “Its water use equals half of India’s total domestic water needs. The fly ash generation has jumped up 70% between 2009-10 and 2018-19. The sector also accounts for one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions.” Sunita Narain, director general, CSE said, “The best strategy in the current scenario will be preferential scheduling of electricity from cleaner power stations. We propose that along with renewable energy or ‘must-run’ plants, a new category of clean coal power plants should be included as ‘First-run’/’Priority-run’ plants.” The CSE report proposed that this new category could include all coal-based thermal power plants, which were headed towards meeting the new environmental norms by 2022. Nivit K Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE, said, “These first-run power stations should be ranked and power procured from them on priority. Fixed charges should also be reimbursed to them. This can serve as an incentive to motivate other power stations.”

Hard actions needed to push coal-fired power plants to meet environmental norms by 2022: CSE

Cleaner power is essential in today’s climate-stressed world and power stations that are making sincere efforts to meet the norms need to be encouraged, according to a new analysis done by the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE). “With 65% of India’s coal-fired thermal power plants not moving to meet environmental norms by the deadline of 2022, it has become imperative to review and re-strategise to push the sector towards implementation. And to do this, a new system of preferential treatment for cleaner plants and deterrence mechanisms for the laggards has to be brought into effect urgently,” finds the analysis released at a high-powered webinar, “Power to the norms: Strategies to encourage coal-based thermal power plants to meet environmental norms.” held on Wednesday. “India needs affordable energy for all its citizens. Hence, it cannot wish away coalbased thermal power plants – these plants are a reality for us. But we must strive to reduce our dependence on coal, and we need to ensure that coal-based thermal power plants are as clean as possible. Only then can we meet the twin challenges of clean air and climate change,” said CSE director general Sunita Narain. The webinar had a panel consisting of Bibek Debroy, chairman, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister, Sanjiv N Sahai, secretary, Union ministry of power, Gurdeep Singh, chairperson and managing director, NTPC Ltd, and Anil Sardana, managing director and chief executive officer, Adani Transmission Ltd. The CSE reports paint a grim picture of the pollution that coal-based power plants are responsible for. “The sector accounts for 80% of mercury, 45%t of sulphur dioxide, and 30% of nitrogen oxide emissions from all industries. Its water use equals half of India’s total domestic water needs. The fly ash generated by these plants is a major challenge – generation has jumped up 70% between 2009-10 and 2018-19. The sector also accounts for one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions,” it said. The CSE report has found that the current deterrence mechanism in place for enforcing implementation has loopholes and will not serve as an effective check against non-compliance. “Our research tells us that the best strategy in the current scenario would be preferential scheduling of electricity from cleaner power stations. We propose that along with renewable energy or ‘must-run’ plants, a new category of clean coal power plants should be included as ‘Firstrun’/’Priority-run’ plants,” said Narain. “The report proposes that this new category could include all coal-based thermal power plants which are headed towards meeting the new environmental norms by 2022 – those power stations which meet the norms should be run at full load, and all non-complying plants should be kept at the bottom of the merit order dispatch,” said the report. CSE estimates that the ‘first-run’ concept, if implemented, can have significant impacts. To begin with, it would mean one-third of the electricity consumed in India can be sourced from cleaner power stations. Among Indian states, Maharashtra has been found to have the highest number of contracts with cleaner coal-fired power plants (6,000MW of clean power capacity). In terms of percentage of total contracts with cleaner coal-based power stations, Himachal Pradesh tops the chart with 65%; West Bengal ranks the lowest with 1% “Any delay in implementation of the norms would mean a mockery of the government and the Supreme Court’s efforts to reduce pollution from this sector. Hard actions, therefore, are needed at this juncture to push power stations towards compliance,” she added.

Covid pandemic offers a chance to construct better buildings for future. But will we?

In a short period of eight-ten months, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the world and impacted our lives in ways that were largely unimaginable. Be it the collapsing world economy, the uncertain job market, the fragility of healthcare system, the migrant workers' crisis, or the tens of other challenges that pandemic-induced lockdown brought in its wake. The Covid-19 pandemic disruption has impacted the world in more than one ways. Now as countries slowly start planning to rebuild their economies, create jobs and strengthen public infrastructure, they have a unique opportunity to make intelligent course corrections in their development approach. There lies an opportunity before them to walk away from being a fossil-fuel dependent economy to one that embraces energy efficiency, and ensure that their development journey hereafter is sustainable, affordable and environment friendly. Being a developing and aspiring country that is rapidly urbanising, India has one of highest rates of construction activities and the real-estate sector has seen massive growth in recent decades. In 2017, the Niti Aayog estimated that India was building close to 3 lakh square feet of commercial floor space every day. The next two-three decades will be crucial for India as it is set to embark upon a construction spree to meet the infrastructural requirements of its gigantic population. It is estimated that by 2030, 40 per cent of Indian population would be living in cities and contributing 75 per cent to the GDP. In the words of Niti Aayog, India will see "one of the largest commercial and residential building construction boom" over the next two decades. India is currently at an "inflection point" where 40 per cent of the commercial building stock that will emerge in the next 20 years, is yet to be built, it says. The global urban swell On the global scale too, a similar picture is likely to unfold, with India being an important centre. The United Nations (UN) estimates that the share of global population living in urban centres would increase from 55 per cent (in 2018) to 68 per cent by 2050. In other words, every two out of three people would be living in a city or town in next 30 years. Much of this urbanisation (90 per cent) will happen in Asia and Africa. The UN estimates that the increase in urban population over the next 30 years will be "highly concentrated" in a just a handful of countries -- India, Nigeria and China. "By 2050, it is projected that India will have added 416 million urban dwellers, China 255 million and Nigeria 189 million." This projection for India can also be understood from the fact that it currently has the largest rural population (893 million), followed by China (578 million). As rural-urban migration continues in India (and increases in the post-pandemic phase due to limited economic avenues in villages), this large rural population is seen as the potential end user of buildings that will be constructed over the next 20-30 years. However, though urbanisation is set to increase, it is unlikely to be concentrated in just a handful of megacities. Even at present, much of the urban population lives in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities hosting population of less than 1 million. According to a 2018 report prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, some of the fastest-growing urban agglomerations in the world are cities that have fewer than 1 million inhabitants, and many of them are located in Asia and Africa. The report says nearly 50 per cent of the global urban population resides in smaller agglomerations with population of less than 5 lakh. As the global urbanisation spree continues, this mushrooming of smaller urban centres and they becoming home to urban populations is likely to increase further, especially in a country like India. The central government is giving a push to urbanisation with projects like developing 100 'smart cities' and urban renewal mission. This policy push is likely to see India's urban population get further dispersed even though giant urban clusters such as Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and others may continue to swell. What further pushes the expansion of buildings and construction sector in India, are government-funded affordable housing schemes including the PM Awas Yojana and the Rajiv Awas Yojana. Why is this then a critical stage? The fact that 40 per cent of buildings that will be in place in the next 20 years, are yet to be constructed, makes it important that the development policies India adopts now are sound and far-sighted. These yet-to-be-constructed buildings will end up determining India's future energy requirements in the residential sector, and the amount of burden it puts on individuals and governments. There is no doubt that the sudden halt in business and construction activity, triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the economy in general and the building sector in particular. But at the same time, this halt now provides the government and private sector to revisit their approach towards buildings and make them sustainable and affordable, especially in the utilisation stage i.e. when people start living in them. Lessons from lockdown The long lockdown period (March to May) has shown us that buildings can no longer be treated just as an assimilation of four walls with a roof under which people sleep and dine. Along with providing lodging, it is important that our buildings are designed in a manner that makes them comfortable and energy efficient. During the lockdown, people, especially in cities, were strictly confined to their homes as outdoor movement got restricted to emergency needs. As a result, the overall electricity consumption in the residential sector rose sharply in comparison to the same period in 2019. Since the lockdown coincided with summer months (April-May), much of this electricity demand was for thermal comfort. In its analysis of the electricity demand in Delhi during the lockdown, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based environmental think tank, found that even though the lockdown brought economic activities to a standstill, Delhi's electricity consumption remained largely unaltered. Delhi's hunger for electricity remained high despite an exodus of 7-8 lakh migrants from the city. It means the city's voracious appetite for electricity is almost entirely fueled by its rich. - Centre for Science and Environment CSE added that the experience of lockdown exposes "how badly designed, heat-trapping buildings" kept Delhi's residential electricity demand to near normal levels even during the harsh lockdown. It said much of this demand was driven by the heat stress and cooling demand in houses. "Higher heat stress this summer combined with thermal discomfort in poorly designed buildings and increased dependence on air conditioning upset the energy budget. Every degree rise in heat index resulted in 187 MW increase in electricity demand during lockdown - this was 6 per cent higher than in 2019," the CSE report said. The lockdown was an experience that exemplified how most urban dwellings lack infrastructural design that would ensure optimum daytime natural lighting, ventilation and thermal comfort. In absence of an intelligent design approach that is aimed at energy efficiency, the cost of living in such buildings escalates in the long run. When buildings aren't designed to provide quality living experience, people become completely dependent on appliances to attain thermal comfort (air-conditioning/heating) and even basic daytime lighting and ventilation. Much of this can otherwise be achieved naturally if the building is designed properly. Over dependence on appliances makes living in these buildings expensive as it increases energy consumption, which in turn means paying higher power bills. Meanwhile, as the world fights against, several scientific studies have now suggested that ventilated and properly lit rooms are better equipped to fight Covid-19 and minimise the chance of contracting coronavirus infection. Experts have advised that air-conditioners should be run on 'fresh air' mode in both homes and cars. Several hospitals had to switch off their air-conditioners in rooms that had no natural ventilation, thus underlying the significance of proper building design. Further, it is well evidenced now that the buildings and construction sector is a major energy guzzler besides being a dominant source of CO2 emissions. In India, central government's data suggests that buildings account for 30 per cent of the country's total electricity consumption. In the global scenario, this sector accounts for about 40 per cent of all CO2 emissions and consumes about 36 per cent electricity. What can be done? In May, the central government announced a stimulus package worth Rs 20 lakh crore aimed at boosting the economy, creating jobs and ushering demand. As part of this package, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government would incentivise the private and public sector to construct Affordable Rental Housing Complexes for migrant workers and urban poor in cities. The government also announced that it would facilitate investment worth Rs 70,000 crore to boost housing sector for the middle-income category to create demand and jobs. For the agriculture sector, the stimulus package announced Rs 1 lakh crore to develope cold chains and post-harvest management infrastructure across the country. Since all of these large-scale constructions are yet to begin, it is important that they are designed to maximise energy efficiency and are powered by renewable energy as far as possible. In absence of such interventions, these cold storage units and urban accommodations are bound to end up becoming energy guzzlers and a liability on the country. Besides, buildings of nearly 58 per cent houses, sanctioned under the PM Awas Yojana (Urban), are at various stages of construction. In a written reply to Parliament on July 18, 2019, the Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs said states and UTs have placed a demand of around 1.12 crore houses under this scheme. Of this, 88,68,861 units have been sanctioned. Among the sanctioned lot, 26.13 lakh houses have been completed, 48.37 lakh are in construction stage, and work on the remaining 9.17 lakh houses is yet to begin. If we add to this 23.31 lakh houses for which states/UTs have placed demands but are yet to be sanctioned, the number of houses where work is yet to start rises to 32.48 lakh houses. What will happen if we don't design smart? With millions of housing units set to be built over the next 20-30 years in India, if we fail to design them in a manner that ensures thermal comfort, natural lighting and ventilation, the country's electricity demand would rise exponentially. Its cascading effect will be felt at three levels: Individuals: If your house is not well-designed and if you are using old energy inefficient appliances, be ready to pay hefty power bills. Government: With millions of energy inefficient buildings constructed, the overall power demand is set to increase and nullify the gains made elsewhere (solar,wind and other renewable sources of energy). The government will be forced to pump in more resources to generate electricity to meet the hiked demand, something that could be avoided. Climate change: With a bulk of power in India still being generated by burning coal, the scenario is unlikely to change overnight. An increased power demand over the next decades would mean more coal will have to be extracted and burnt to generate power. The end result would be a further increase in CO2 emissions, first from the coal-powered thermal plants, and then from the inefficiently built buildings and the appliances used in them. All of this will increase our carbon footprints and make achievement of Sustainable Development Goals impossible. According to the Niti Aayog's 2017 estimates, if India carries on with the current 'business as usual' approach, the energy inefficient building stock in the next 20-30 years would increase the power demand of the residential sector by nearly eight times. However, if we aggressively adopt an energy efficient approach, this demand would rise by three to five times. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency too estimates that energy demand in buildings can be cut down by up to 40 per cent if we design them better and use energy efficient appliances.

CSE to Introduce "First Run" to Encourage Cleaner Power Stations

As part of its initiatives to build an ecosystem of incentives and deterrence measures, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has developed a new concept called ‘First Run.’ Experts believe that the initiative would encourage cleaner power stations to work on a priority basis. “This could act as a catalyst to drive the coalfired power sector to meet the 2022 emission standard deadlines as a matter of urgency,” said a release issued by the CSE. A webinar to discuss and debate this issue will be held on October 21, between 4pm to 5pm. The panel of experts include Bibek Debroy, chairperson of the Prime Minister's Economic Council, Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, secretary, Union ministry of power, Gurdeep Singh, chairperson and MD, NTPC Ltd, Anil Sardana, MD and CEO, Adani Transmission Ltd, and Nivit K Yadav, programme director, Industrial Pollution, CSE. The session will be anchored and moderated by CSE director general Sunita Narain. Key stakeholders representing regulatory agencies, civil society organisations, power plants and academia are also being invited to participate. “Coal-based power is one of the most resource-intensive and polluting industries. In 2015, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change introduced stricter environmental standards for this sector under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The deadline for meeting these norms is 2022 — but with just two years to go, most plants do not seem to have taken adequate action nor made significant progress towards meeting them,” said a release from the CSE.

CSE to introduce ‘First Run’ to encourage cleaner power stations

As part of its initiatives to build an ecosystem of incentives and deterrence measures, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has developed a new concept called ‘First Run.’ Experts believe that the initiative would encourage cleaner power stations to work on a priority basis. “This could act as a catalyst to drive the coalfired power sector to meet the 2022 emission standard deadlines as a matter of urgency,” said a release issued by the CSE. A webinar to discuss and debate this issue will be held on October 21, between 4pm to 5pm. The panel of experts include Bibek Debroy, chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Economic Council, Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, secretary, Union ministry of power, Gurdeep Singh, chairperson and MD, NTPC Ltd, Anil Sardana, MD and CEO, Adani Transmission Ltd, and Nivit K Yadav, programme director, Industrial Pollution, CSE. The session will be anchored and moderated by CSE director general Sunita Narain. Key stakeholders representing regulatory agencies, civil society organisations, power plants and academia are also being invited to participate.

Day 4 of Navratri: Celebrating Five Women Activists Championing the Cause of Environment Conservation #WomenCan

The fourth day of Navratri is dedicated to the worship of Maa Kushmanda. Maa Kushmanda is believed to be the creative power of the universe. She is associated with the endowment of vegetation on earth. On this day, let us celebrate the contribution of five women who have played a significant role in environment and biodiversity conservation. Tulsi Gowda Tulsi Gowda is more popularly known as “Encyclopedia of Forest” for her vast knowledge about various trees and plants. She has singlehandedly planted one lakh trees in Karnataka. Gowda, born in a poor tribal family, started her journey in the 60s by planting one sapling after another. She is 72 years old today but when people way younger than her fail to do anything to arrest the effects of climate change, she is still as busy as she was six decades ago. Every year she plants and nurtures thousands of trees. Her aim in life is to inspire the young generation to care for our forests. Recognising her contribution to the planet, on 26th January 2020, the Government of India conferred Tulasi Gowda with the prestigious Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India on India’s 71st Republic Day. Sunita Narain Sunita Narain is an environmentalist and a political activist. She is also a major proponent of the Green concept of sustainable development. Narain is director-general of the research institute the Centre for Science and Environment and Society for Environmental Communications. She also serves as an editor of the fortnightly magazine, Down To Earth. Narain began her work in the 1980s along with another prominent environmentalist – Anil Agarwal, and co-edited State of India’s environment report. After the loss of tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Sunita chaired the Tiger Task Force for conservation in 2005. She is a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Climate Change and National Ganga River Basin Authority. Sunita has also been awarded the Padma Shri for her contribution towards the environment research and conservation. Vandana Shiva Vandana Shiva is founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, an independent research organisation that researches ecological and social issues. She is an eco-rights activist whose campaign against genetically modified seeds and protection of native seeds led to the formation of ‘Navdanya’. Navdanya is a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seeds. Shiva has helped set up 122 community seed banks and trained farmers in seed sovereignty, food sovereignty, and sustainable agriculture. She is a fierce opposer of globalisation and is the face for the anti-GMO movement across the world. She was also recognised by TIME as environmental heroin in 2003. Also, she has received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993 and the 2010 Sydney Peace Prize. Maneka Gandhi Maneka Sanjay Gandhi is a politician, animal rights activist, and environmentalist. Her defence of the environment has earned her numerous international awards. In 1995 she was appointed chairwoman of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals. Under her direction, CPCSEA members carried unannounced inspections of laboratories where animals are used for scientific research were conducted. Three years earlier, in 1992, she founded the organization People For Animals, the largest association for animal rights in India. Gandhi has filed Public Interest Litigations that have achieved the replacement of the municipal killing of homeless dogs with a sterilisation programme, the unregulated sale of airguns and a ban on mobile or travelling zoos. She currently chairs the Jury of International Energy Globe Foundation which meets annually in Austria to award the best environmental innovations of the year. She is also a member of the Euro solar Board and the Wuppertal Institute, Germany. Dia Mirza Dia Mirza is a renowned model, filmmaker, actress and an activist. As an activist, Mirza has contributed her efforts in the field of social change, conservation and environment. She has been the face of many pivotal environmental campaigns across India including the use of biodegradable sanitary pads, eco-friendly detergents among others. She has also worked towards the conservation of wildlife. Mirza is currently serving as a Goodwill Ambassador with the United Nations Environment to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change.

Odd-even last weapon against pollution: Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Monday said the government will implement the odd-even road rationing scheme to curb vehicular emissions as the “last weapon” in the fight against air pollution in the national Capital. “We have implemented the odd-even scheme several times in Delhi and it will be our last weapon. Odd-even is also a way to reduce vehicular pollution but right now we are completely focussing on this (‘red light on, gaadi off’) campaign. If all other programmes don’t work, then the government will think about implementing the odd-even scheme,” Rai said at an event to launch a campaign to urge motorists to turn off engines of their vehicles while waiting at traffic lights. Delhi’s air quality has consistently remained in the ‘poor’ category since October 7, with the AQI remaining over 200. On Monday, Delhi’s AQI was measured at 244. Experts also pointed out that since public transport is running with only limited capacity in view of restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the government should step up other measures to ensure that it doesn’t have to resort to enforce odd-even. Bhure Lal, chairperson, Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) said that on-ground enforcement for controlling pollution sources will have to be augmented this time so that emergency measures such as bringing about the odd-even plan can be avoided. “This is surely a different kind of situation that we will be facing this time. The aim should be that the enforcement is so strict this year that the air quality does not slip into the emergency levels,” Lal said. Delhi has so far implemented the oddeven scheme thrice in sweeping measures to reduce the city’s record-high air pollution by limiting the number of cars on streets. After being implemented twice in 2016, the scheme was added to the Supreme Court approved Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) as a measure to be implemented when Delhi’s air quality reached the ‘emergency’ category—PM 2.5 (ultrafine particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) are above 300ug/m3 or PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 micrometres) levels remain 500ug/m3 continuously for 48 hours. Last year, the scheme was enforced between November 4 and November 15. However, researchers and environment experts have been divided on the oddeven scheme’s impact on the pollution levels in the national capital. When the policy was first implemented between January 1 and 15, 2016, a study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, The Energy Research Institute and National Physical Laboratory in Delhi, and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, found that the PM 2.5 levels fell by 4%-6%. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also carried out a study of the two phases in 2016 and concluded that a single factor could not result in substantial reductions in pollution and that an “integrated approach” was needed. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, said with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic the government will have to look at newer strategies to fight pollution. “You cannot remove half of a city’s vehicles without giving them an alternative public transport option. The Delhi government had plans for bringing in new buses, but a lot of things have been delayed because of the pandemic. The government will have to look for newer ways to keep the pollution levels down in these circumstances,” she said. All private petrol, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG) and hybrid cars, including those entering the city from other states, are required to be a part of the road rationing drive. Only CNG-fuelled commercial vehicles such as autorickshaws, taxis, trucks, buses, tempos and gramin sewas are allowed to ply during the arrangement. Two-wheelers, commercial vehicles, cars driven by women or carrying only women passengers, specially-abled people or school children are exempted from the drive.