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AQI betritt rote Zone, alle Augen auf Farmbrände gerichtet

Die Satellitenbilder der Nasa zeigten eine große Gruppe von Bränden in der Nähe von Amritsar und Firozpur im Punjab und Patiala, Ambala und Kaithal in Haryana. Experten sagten, es sei keine Linderung in Sicht und die Situation werde sich in den kommenden Tagen wahrscheinlich noch verschlimmern. Die Einwohner von Delhi erwachten an einem nebligen Dienstagmorgen, als der Luftqualitätsindex (AQI) zum ersten Mal in dieser Saison auf „sehr schlecht“ abrutschte, inmitten vermehrter Farmbrände im Punjab und Haryana und lokaler Faktoren wie geringe Windgeschwindigkeit und sich anhäufende Schadstoffe, was weit verbreitete Forderungen nach präventiven Maßnahmen gegen eine Krise auslöste, die mit dem nahenden Winter zur Routine geworden ist. Nach den Aufzeichnungen des Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) hat sich der durchschnittliche 24-StundenLuftqualitätsindex (AQI) in Delhi um 16 Uhr bei 300 – in der „armen“ Zone – eingependelt. Bis 14 Uhr lag der stündliche AQI-Durchschnitt jedoch deutlich über 300. Ein AQI zwischen 0 und 50 wird als „gut“ eingestuft, 51 und 100 als „befriedigend“, 101 und 200 als „mäßig“, 201 und 300 als „schlecht“, 301 und 400 als „sehr schlecht“ und 401 und 500 als „schwer“. Nasasas Satellitenbilder zeigten eine große Gruppe von Bränden in der Nähe von Amritsar und Firozpur im Punjab und Patiala, Ambala und Kaithal in Haryana. Experten sagten, dass eine Entspannung nicht in Sicht ist und die Situation sich in den kommenden Tagen wahrscheinlich verschlechtern wird. Anumita Roychowdhury, Exekutivdirektorin (Forschung und Interessenvertretung) des Zentrums für Wissenschaft und Umwelt, sagte, dass dies das dritte Jahr von Delhi mit dem Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) sei, der klar die Rolle aller Behörden festlegt, wenn sich die Verschmutzungswerte zu verschlechtern beginnen. „Die Maßnahmen, die von den Agenturen das ganze Jahr über ergriffen werden, werden nun die Verschmutzungswerte im Winter bestimmen. Die jetzt ergriffenen Maßnahmen werden nur noch wie die Brandbekämpfung sein. Die Notfallmaßnahmen zu dieser Jahreszeit werden uns keine sehr sichtbaren Ergebnisse bringen. Delhi hat eine ganze Menge getan, aber es muss noch viel mehr getan werden“, sagte Roychowdhury.

India farm stubble burning sparks virus fears

India’s achievement of reducing its daily Covid-19 case count to the lowest in two months could be negated, especially in the north and the National Capital Region of Delhi, as thick winter fog becomes heavier due to rising air pollution from the burning of post-harvest stubble, increasing the likelihood of transmission. Delhi has been among the world’s most polluted cities over the past five years due to emissions from industry, automobiles and power plants. While some of those emissions have been reduced, stubble burning continues on the same scale, affecting air quality across the entire northern region. The northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh produce the bulk of India’s rice and wheat crops, according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, and the burning of paddy stubble in October and November can affect the air quality hundreds of kilometres away. Delhi on Tuesday recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 300, with particulate matter or PM2.5 and PM10 as the most prominent pollutants. An AQI of 301 to 400 is categorized as “very poor.” It can cause respiratory illness after prolonged exposure. Delhi residents, who are complaining of burning eyes, are concerned about how the pollution will affect them over the next four months. State leaders are squabbling with both each other and the central government about how to address the enduring problem. “Pollution plus coronavirus has become lethal for people,’’ said Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi, on Tuesday, accusing the central government of failing to play an active role in solving the problem. With cropping cycles getting shorter, mechanization increasing, and the market for crop residue shrinking, farmers find it cheaper and easier to burn the stubble post-harvest. Smoke from these burning stalks usually hangs in the winter air for a long time, often holding up rail and road traffic, especially around dawn and dusk. “A positive correlation has been observed between the spread of the virus and air pollution, one of the greatest challenges of our millennium,’’ according to the US-based National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). “Covid-19 atmospheric particulate matter (PM) could create a suitable environment for transporting the virus at greater distances,’’ said the NCBI study. “PM induces inflammation in lung cells and exposure to PM could increase the susceptibility and severity of the Covid-19 patient symptoms.” India’s health minister has also been warning about the increased flu and influenza risk during the winter. Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday appealed to the public to be extra careful during the upcoming festival season and the winter months, when there is expected to be an increase in cases of co-infection with Covid-19. The main Hindu festivals begin on October 18 with Navaratri, or nine-nights, and Durga Pooja, when people get together for prayers, and in some states there are community dances, too. The season culminates with Diwali on November 14. A typical family makes its annual purchases of clothes and household items at this time. States relaxing lockdown restrictions are in a bind, caught between the objective of saving lives and yet not being seen as obstructing religious activities. Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai have not permitted visits to places of worship, even while opening restaurants and cinemas. Delhi has relaxed its restrictions more, including opening up temples and other places of worship. Most experts and doctors in India have warned about about the possibility of an upsurge in the number of cases. Some predict India will surpass the United States to have the most number of Covid cases before the end of the year. With 7.2 million cases, India is second to the US’s eight million. In third place is Brazil with 5.1 million. The three countries account for more than half the 38 million cases globally. To the credit of India’s corona-warriors, the country has recorded 6.2 million recoveries, the highest number globally, ahead of 5.2 million in the US. The number of cases described as active or undergoing treatment has remained below 900,000 for the fifth consecutive day, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. India has the highest recovery rate – 86.78% – and among the lowest fatality rates – 1.53%, it said. The number of days it takes for the number of cases to double has increased to 74.9 days. India is witnessing a steady decline in its average daily positivity rate, Rajesh Bhushan, India’s health secretary, said. Over the last several months India has ramped up its testing program and is now conducting 1.5 million tests a day. In all, it has conducted 89 million tests, behind the US’s 119 million and China’s 160 million. India has recorded a consistent decline in the average number of daily new cases over the past five weeks, from 92,800 cases in the week ending September 15 to less than 70,000 daily cases in the week ending October 15, the ministry said. Of 109,923 deaths, 70% were men. More than 53% of fatalities were people aged 60 or over. About 35% of fatalities were in the 35-60 age group.

Delhi’s pollution response plan key to flattening its winter COVID curve

“Delhi air quality has never met WHO criteria,” says Dr T.K. Joshi, Director, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH), Maulana Azad Medical College and part of the 16-member Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) set up by the government. “It is even more stressed now and is expected to worsen”. The worsening mostly happens during November-December, and lingers on, largely due to paddy stubble burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana to get their fields ready for the winter wheat sowing. Now, with satellite remote sensing data from the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) showing a five-fold increase in the number of farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh during the first six days of October, compared to the corresponding dates in 2019, the Delhi government has announced emergency measures from October 15th and set up a war room to monitor stubble burning and the resultant air quality in Delhi-NCR. “The steps needed to improve air quality are not being carried out at the right scale,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, an air pollution expert and executive director at the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. “The causes of the capital’s poor air quality are well known, as are the actions needed to combat it. It isn’t rocket science.” COVID complication The fear is that this recurring air pollution over Delhi will make the city’s battle against COVID-19 much more difficult. “The worst contribution to pollution is combustion which releases 2.5-micron particles and these can move into the deepest part of our lungs where bronchial gas exchange takes place and carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is taken,” says Dr Joshi. “These particles damage these areas and COVID-19 attacks these very same part of the lungs.” “Last year, nearly 50,000 cases of stubble burning were reported in Punjab,” added Sanjeev Nagpal, MD of Sampurn Agri Ventures Pvt Ltd (SAVPL) and advisor to the Union and the Punjab governments on crop resident management. “If alternative arrangements to stubble burning are not made, pollutants like particulate matters and toxic gases like carbon monoxide and methane could give rise to severe respiratory problems, which could further worsen the COVID-19 situation, as the Coronavirus also impacts the respiratory tract.” In view of the grave situation that could result from a combination of worsening air pollution and the virus pandemic, Dr Joshi said his Committee was “trying their best to prevent stubble burning and this has been emphasised by union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.” Several solutions have been proposed over the years to tackle the issue. The most recent one, billed as a game-changer if found successful, is the ‘Pusa Decomposer,’ capsule developed by IARI. This is essentially a fungi-based liquid solution that can soften hard stubble to the extent that it can be easily mixed with soil in the field to act as compost. This would then rule out the need to burn the stubble, and also help in retaining the essential microbes and nutrients in soil that are otherwise damaged when the residue is burned. Trials of this of Decomposer Capsule are underway in Delhi NCR (over 800 hectares) and Uttar Pradesh (10,000 hectares). A response plan Facing severe criticism from environmentalists, the Delhi government has now come up with a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to check the already worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR. A GRAP Task Force, led by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said that the NCR has currently slipped into ‘poor’ air category as weather conditions were turning adverse. Measures under this GRAP include: Ban on Diesel Generator (DG) sets in NCR, Mandatory compliance with dust control measures in large construction projects Use of authorised fuel alone in industries Night patrolling to check waste burning, industrial and dust emissions Mechanised sweeping of roads day and night Water sprinkling to control dust. Meanwhile, directions have been sent to chief secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on implementing pollution control measures under GRAP by the Supreme Court mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). The EPCA is a 20-member committee set up by the Central Government after the Supreme Court order of January 7, 1998 and is chaired by former Secretary Bhure Lal. The objective is to monitor and control environmental pollution in the National Capital Region. It is also assisting the Supreme Court in other environment related matters in the NCR. The war room set up to ensure that these measures are implemented comprises a 10-member expert team supervised by two senior scientists of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). The war room is equipped with high-end technology and has three large screens on which concentrations of different pollutants, the status of 13 air pollution hot spots in Delhi, and satellite images from NASA and ISRO of stubble burning will be monitored, said Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai. “We will monitor and act on complaints filed by the people through the Green Delhi application, which the Chief Minister will launch in the coming days,” said Rai. “We will also monitor road sweeping and water sprinkling work done by the MCD through GPS. Daily reports will be sent to the CM, myself and the Environment Secretary”. A meeting on October 1st of the Environment and Forest Ministers of five states chaired by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Prakash Javadekar reviewed the air pollution conditions, which have, in recent years, been a recurrent concern in winter in Northern India, especially in Delhi-NCR. After the nearly two-hour meeting, Javadekar said the centre and states will work together to implement steps to combat air pollution, but more needs to be done. Javadekar added that the centre has allotted Rs 1700 crore to the states for stubble management. Preventing a health emergency Hotspots of stubble burning have been identified in UP, Haryana and Rajasthan too and the state governments have been directed to pay more attention to these. State action plans have been made and discussed which will be implemented. Javadekar added that the Delhi government has been directed to take necessary action on the 13 hotspots in Delhi so as to reduce the air pollution in the capital. Fifty teams of CPCB will be deployed in Delhi NCR region in the next few weeks for this. It will be interesting to recall here that on November 2nd last year, Delhi had declared a health emergency due to severe air pollution which had led to closure of educational institutions, especially schools, since children were more susceptible to the health effects of breathing polluted air. On November 3 2019, levels of PM 2.5 in Delhi’s atmosphere, polluting particles 30 times finer than one human hair and capable of entering the bloodstream and sickening/killing people, were recorded at a 24-hour average of 625 microgram per cubic metre (µg/m3), the season’s worst. This was 24 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO)-prescribed safe levels of 25 µg/m3 (24-hour average) and nine times higher than the laxer Indian standard of 60 µg/m3 (24-hour average)!

AQI enters red zone, all eyes on farm fires

Delhi residents woke up to a hazy Tuesday morning as the air quality index (AQI) slipped to “very poor” for the first time this season amid increased farm fires in Punjab and Haryana, and local factors such as low wind speed and accumulating pollutants, sparking widespread calls for pre-emptive measures against a crisis that has become routine as winter approaches. According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) recordings, Delhi’s average 24-hour air quality index (AQI) at 4pm settled at 300 — in the “poor” zone. However, until 2pm, the hourly AQI average was well above 300. An AQI between 0 and 50 is classified “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. Nasa’s satellite imagery showed a large cluster of fires near Amritsar and Firozpur in Punjab and Patiala, Ambala and Kaithal in Haryana. Experts said relief is not on the horizon and the situation will likely become worse in the coming days. “In Delhi, the development of strong surface level inversion and sudden local calm surface wind conditions led to a low ventilation coefficient and accumulation of pollutants near the surface… AQI is likely in the very poor to poor category for the next two days. An increase in stubble burning fires observed yesterday around Punjab, Haryana, and neighbouring border regions with SAFAR synergized fire count estimated as 675 on 12th October but, the transport wind direction is not favourable and hence only marginal stubble contribution in PM2.5 is expected,” the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said. This means that the wind speeds were not strong enough to facilitate the dispersion of pollution particles accumulated near the surface, leading to a spike in levels. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy) at the Centre for Science and Environment, said that this is the third year of Delhi with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which states clearly the role of all agencies when the pollution levels start deteriorating. “The action taken by the agencies round the year will now determine the winter pollution levels. The action taken now is only going to be like firefighting. The emergency action at this time of the year will not give us very visible results. Delhi has done quite a lot but a lot more needs to be done,” Roychowdhury said

India Air Purifier Market Size, Share, Growth Survey 2019 to 2027 and Industry Analysis Report

Market Research Consulting & Industry reports Research Nester has released a report titled “India Air Purifier Market – Regional Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2027” which also includes some of the prominent market analyzing parameters such as industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth comparisons, market share comparisons, BPS analysis, SWOT analysis and Porter’s five force model. The World Air Quality Index project (AQI) displayed the air quality level to 999 AQI on the 3rd of November’19, at around 2 pm. Moreover, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) stated in one of their reports that every third child in Delhi (India) alone have impaired lungs due to the high level of pollutants that are present in the air of the city. The report also added that life expectancy grew down by 2.6 years in India owing to outdoor and household air pollution together. Additionally, The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) of the Energy Policy Institute at the University Of Chicago (EPIC), stated in one of their statistics that, weighted pollution in Delhi alone reached 113.9 units in the year 2016 from 72.88 units in the year 2012. The statistics portray the severely growing concerns for the rising air pollution levels and the associated health threats that it possesses. Owing to various sources of pollution, for instance, agricultural practices, such as jhum cultivation, industrial pollutants, and road transport dusts amongst others, all of these factors are contributing towards greater air pollution in India. Owing to such a factor, there is a rising demand amongst individuals for devices that can provide filtered and fresh air, emitting all the hazardous particles present in the air. Additionally, with the rising gross national income of the nation, and anticipations for greater purchasing power of the individuals, coupled with rising awareness for health amongst people, all of these factors are anticipated to contribute significantly towards the growth of the India air purifier market. The India air purifier market is anticipated to record robust CAGR over the forecast period, i.e. 2019-2027. The market is segmented by end user into residential, commercial and others. Among all these segments, residential segment is anticipated to hold largest market share on the back of rising concerns for air borne diseases that can affect the children, who may generally have a weak immune system and are likely to remain susceptible to such diseases. However, the concern for restrictions in the purchase of the product by low-income populations owing to high end-product cost and greater maintenance cost is estimated to act as a barrier to the growth of the India air purifier market during the forecast period. This report also studies existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the India air purifier market, which includes profiling of Eureka Forbes, Koninklijke Philips N.V. (AMS: PHIA), Honeywell (NYSE: HON), Kent RO Systems Ltd., Blueair, Panasonic India, Crusaders, Sharp Business System India Pvt. Ltd., Daikin Airconditioning India Pvt. Ltd., and Dyson Technology India Pvt. Ltd. The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which comprises of business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. Conclusively, the report titled “India Air Purifier Market – Regional Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2027”, analyses the overall India air purifier industry to help new entrants to understand the details of the market. In addition to that, this report also guides existing players looking for expansion and major investors looking for investment in the India air purifier market in the near future.

Open and shut case: Dumping of waste biggest threat to air

NEW DELHI: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has written to Delhi government to pay special attention to construction & demolition (C&D) waste and garbage being dumped in the open, which have emerged as major concerns during recent inspections in most areas of the city. CPCB also said that while certain tasks to curb air pollution had been carried out, there were a number of shortcomings. 2 "For reviewing the scenario on the ground, teams were deployed on the field from September 15 to 21. It was observed that open dumping of C&D waste and garbage were major concerns in most areas and special efforts were needed to curb them," CPCB's letter dated October 6 mentioned. Last year, CPCB and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had both identified 13 pollution hotspots based on the average PM2.5 and PM10 levels recorded through the year. These included Rohini, Dwarka, Okhla Phase-II, Punjabi Bagh, Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, Bawana, Mundka, Narela and Mayapuri. Among the pollution hotspots, C&D waste was found dumped in the open at RK Puram, Vivek Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Jahangirpur, Punjabi Bagh, Mundka, Anand Vihar, Narela, Dwarka, Mayapuri and Rohini. CPCB also flagged areas like Katwaria Sarai, Mayur Vihar Phase-III, Janakpuri, Geeta Colony, Jhilmil and Gandhi Nagar for the same offence Unpaved roads were identified at RK Puram, Vivek Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Jahangirpuri, Punjabi Bagh, Mundka, Anand Vihar and Narela among the pollution hotspots, while GT Karnal Road, Bijwasan Road, Najafgarh Road, Rohtak Road, Mangolpuri, Shahdara flyover and Anand Parbat Industrial Area were stretches where dust was being raised through vehicle movement. Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA), which carried out separate checks at all 13 pollution hotspots, found problems specific to each location. For instance, pollution at Punjabi Bagh was found coming from the crematorium and traffic congestion, while the problem was noticed at Narela and Bawana because of plastic and rubber dumped in the open, along with general waste. EPCA member Sunita Narain said garbage dumped in the open could be set on fire, which would create pollution. C&D waste, which contributes to dust and PM10 pollution, also existed at each hotspot. At some locations, waste was dumped again at the same site after being cleared by DPCC and other agencies. "We have asked DPCC to deal with garbage and C&D waste specifically. A plan also needs to be drawn to protect vacant land, which often ends up becoming an ideal spot for dumping of garbage, rubber, plastic or C&D waste. This should help control the problem considerably," said Narain. Recently, EPCA observed improvements at Narela and Bawana, but it also identified five "high-polluting" locations in the vicinity of the existing pollution hotspots. These included Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Peeragarhi, Rohtak Road, Azadpur and Sarai Rohilla.

First CBG plant in Punjab to go on steam in March

Bathinda: As part of its efforts to mitigate the crisis-like situation arising out of crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana, the Union government is setting up the first compressed biogas (CBG) plant in north India in Lehragaga of Sangrur and it is expected to be commissioned in March next year. The CBG plant, being set up under the ‘Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (Satat), will convert straw into CNG. Although the plant was initially scheduled to be commissioned in 2020-end, it got delayed following late arrival of machinery due to Covid. According to sources, the plant authorities have started collecting paddy straw to store it at the plant, as 300 tonne stubble will be used per day in the plant to produce 31 tonne CBG per day. The plant is being set up by Verbio India Pvt Ltd. Five more such plants are coming up in Punjab but those may not be commissioned before early 2022. These six plants will have a combined capacity to produce 70 tonne CBG per day by consuming 2.5 LMT paddy straw per annum. Similarly, 64 such plants are coming up in Haryana. “RBI has included CBG in its list of priority sector lending and the SBI has started loan schemes and oil companies have agreed on a buy-back rate of Rs 46/kg for five years... The CBG projects once commissioned will create a market for straw and provide farmers an incentive not to burn the resource,” said former executive director at Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and currently bio fuels adviser to the company. The first CBG plant in India was set up in September 2019 and many such plants are already operational in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Environmentalist and executive director of Centre for Science and Environment Sunita Narain said, “Degradation of environment through various means including burning of stubble is worrisome. To overcome it, there is a need to provide income to farmers for the residue and improve environmental sustainability. We need to provide machinery to farmers for in-situ management, provide value to biomass as farmers may not burn if they are paid for the straw.”

Need to make pollution a political agenda: AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party’s Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday said in order to tackle air pollution, greater awareness was needed to make it a political issue. “While upper middle class people do look at pollution as an agenda to cast their vote, the lower strata still focuses on the most basic aspects. Until pollution becomes a political agenda, fighting against larger lobbies, which are behind the vehicle sector or the coal industry, will be tough,” Bharadwaj asserted. Speaking at a virtual inter-disciplinary environment agenda roundtable on “Fixing Delhi’s pollution,” the AAP MLA said action was required across various sectors, and issues like “dust pollution” were easy targets, as there was no lobby behind these. Thermal power plants continue to breach the deadlines set for them to switch to cleaner technologies. The automobile industry was not getting enough attention, he added. “We need action in each sector for a change to come, which is gradually taking place, and awareness is also gradually increasing among people,” said Bharadwaj. Experts in the session said public participation was crucial to control local sources of pollution. Mohan George, scientist at Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), said while problem areas are well-known, considerable manpower and time are wasted catering to complaints at the ground level, which generally revolve around garbage that has been set alight, or illegally dumped C&D waste. “We cannot fight this problem alone and support of the people is extremely important. If dumping garbage in the open can be stopped, many problems will get solved locally,” added George. Experts also say practical solutions need to be looked at in managing Delhi’s local sources, with focus required on reducing waste generation. “It is easy to say waste needs to be lifted up, but where will it go? We need to reduce the garbage being generated, which also reduces the chances of it being burnt,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment. Others suggested action plans at the ward-level. “Focusing at the micro-level and at the ward or constituency level can help us narrow down problems considerably,” said Atul Goyal, president of the apex RWA body, United Residents Joint Action. Sanjay Upadhyay, an environmental lawyer, says clarity on the role of institutions in India still remains a problem, particularly around agencies, such as CPCB, EPCA and state pollution control boards. “Is CPCB a regulatory body, or a body that collects data? We still need to know which institution is responsible for taking action and the simpler it is, the easier it will be to execute rules and laws,” added Upadhyay.

Delhi pollution adds to Indian capital's Covid-19 concerns

NEW DELHI - As Delhi's air quality starts to deteriorate in what has become an annual occurrence in the run-up to winter, concerns are growing over how the coming pollution could potentially complicate the Covid-19 situation. India's capital has been among the cities in the country worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 300,000 people infected and a death toll of 5,653. On Wednesday (Oct 7), the city recorded 2,726 fresh cases as it battled a second wave. Health experts fear air pollution could increase the risk for patients who have ailments like chronic bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. "We might see a spike. Right now the trend is slightly going down but we don't know how air pollution will contribute to an increase," said Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, an expert on public health, policies and strategies, adding that air pollution exacerbates the condition of people who have respiratory or pulmonary disease. He warned: "There are studies in which air pollution is linked to increased mortality but such evidence is limited." Studies have also pointed to increased Covid-19 infection rates in areas that suffer from high pollution. A study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the US in May found that someone who lived in an area of high-particulate pollution for decades was 8 per cent more likely to die from Covid than someone in a place with less pollution. A study by environmental scientists at Denmark's Aarhus University and health researchers at Italy's University of Siena found that the mortality rate from Covid-19 came up to 12 per cent in the northern part of Italy, while it was around 4.5 per cent in the rest of the country. The researchers concluded that there was a probable correlation between pollution and mortality. Delhi could hit 15,000 new coronavirus cases per day because of respiratory problems related to winter and festive gatherings as the festive season kicks off this month, a report by the National Centre for Disease Control has warned. During the winter months, cold air traps pollutants in the atmosphere, and it is also the time when farmers burn the stubble in their fields to prepare them for the next set of crops. All this adds to existing pollution from vehicles, construction activity, burning of waste and use of unclean fuels. A report by the US' Health Effects Institute said around 1.2 million people died in India in 2017 because of air pollution. According to weather forecasters, pollution levels have already started climbing and will get worse from the middle of October. Air quality had improved following a stringent lockdown, now eased, that shut down economic activity, and Delhi's air quality turned "poor" this week for the first time since June. According to Safar (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) under the Ministry of Earth Science, air quality is set to deteriorate further over the next three days as winds will push pollutants into the capital city, where conditions are right for them to accumulate. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a campaign against pollution, with plans to control dust by filling up potholes and closely monitoring construction sites, among other measures. "Polluted air can be life-threatening in view of the Covid-19 pandemic," said Mr Kejriwal, while announcing the measures. "Both affect the lungs." Environmentalists say the problem with solutions, as in previous years, has been with implementation. "Delhi has done some things successfully like shutting down (polluting) power plants. But there are still gaps in sectors like waste burning. Our infrastructure for waste management is weak," said Ms Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment. Waste burning is illegal but still happens. "The time has come to ensure a system audit to see whether you have been able to roll solutions out on the scale needed across all sectors. It's an enforcement challenge."

प्रदूषण पर लागू करना होगा नीतिगत फैसलों को

नई दिल्ली (New Delhi) . दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण की समस्या खत्म करने के लिए विशेषज्ञों ने नीतिगत फैसलों को लागू करने एवं स्रोत पर ही प्रदूषण को खत्म करने के उपायों पर जोर दिया. क्लाइमेट ट्रेंड्स और इंडिकस फाउंडेशन ने शनिवार (Saturday) को राउंडटेबल ‘फिक्सिंग डेल्हीज पाल्यूशन’ का आयोजन किया गया. साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा कि हम हवा को साफ करने के लिए आर्थिक गतिविधियों से समझौता नहीं कर सकते, लेकिन प्रदूषण को रोकने के लिए जो नीतिगत फैसले लिए गए हैं, उनका क्रियान्वयन किया जाना चाहिए. जैसे अभी भी कोयले का इस्तेमाल हो रहा है. कई नियम-कायदे बनाए गए हैं, लेकिन उनका पालन नहीं हो रहा है. आईआईटी दिल्ली की सिविल इंजीनियरिंग विभाग में प्रोफेसर गजाला हबीब ने कहा कि एयरोसोल प्रदूषण सबसे गंभीर समस्या है. सड़क की धूल और वाहनों का धुआं बड़ा योगदानकर्ता है, लेकिन अगर आप घर के अंदर हैं तो आप द्वितीयक प्रदूषण के ज्यादा खतरे से घिरे हुए हैं. हमें प्राथमिक प्रदूषण को स्रोत पर ही नियंत्रित करना होगा. हमारे पास इसकी तकनीक है, लेकिन उसे लागू करने के मामले में समस्या है. हमारे पास डीजल पार्टिकुलेट फिल्टर है और सार्वजनिक परिवहन वाहनों के उत्सर्जन को नियंत्रित करने की तकनीक उपलब्ध है, लेकिन सारा दारोमदार क्रियान्वयन पर होता है.

AAP blames CPCB, BJP-ruled States

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused CPCB of being in cahoots with BJP-ruled States and ignoring pollution being caused by these states. AAP's chief spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said the CPCB is not a Central Pollution Control Board but a "Central Political Controlled Board" as it is silent over the rampant violation of pollution norms by the thermal power plants of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Bhardwaj said that despite the Supreme Court order and Central government's direction, the 13 coal-based thermal power plants have not yet adopted anti-pollution technology and over 2.15 thousand brick kilns are running and they have not followed the SC order with the help of corrupt nexus between the state pollution control boards and reagarding officials. The AAP leader said that the Delhi government is the only government which has closed down all the thermal power plants in the state. "This is the month of October and news reports are showing that massive stubble burning has started in the states of Punjab and Haryana. It is expected that in some days the toxic air will enter the national capital and Delhi‘s air quality will deteriorate drastically. The NASA satellite images are showing that the stubble burning has already started," he said. Bhardwaj further said, "CPCB is the Central Pollution Control Board but it acts like a central politics control board. In the NCR there are nearly 13 coal-based thermal power plants." "The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has noted that every day these plants emit 57 tonnes of particulate matter, 686 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 304 tonnes of Nitrogen Oxide," he said, adding that for many years, it is being demanded that these thermal power plants should be shut down or converted into the FGD system (fuel gas desulfurization). Bhardwaj said, "The AAP want to know why the CPCB is so silent over the inaction of these states. "Moreover the National Green Tribunal had ordered that the coal which is being used in these thermal power plants should be taken in covered transport but these states do not even follow this order. The Central Government agency NTPC has challenged this order in the Supreme Court," he said. The AAP leader said that one of the biggest source of pollution is the brick kilns and only in the NCR, there are around 2300 brick kilns. "These were supposed to get converted into newer technology but none of these brick kilns has adopted any such new technology. And due to the corruption of the state pollution control boards and officials, these brick kilns are running as usual and causing massive pollution," he said.

Farm fires may spike Covid cases, mortality, warn experts

It’s that time of the year again. Farm fires are back and increasing. Delhi could soon be a gas chamber. And the rise in air pollution may spike Covid-19 cases and the mortality rate, experts have warned. Despite promises by Delhi and neighbouring states like Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, nothing much has been done to address the annual crisis of stubble burning that can be disastrous this winter. On his show News Today at 9, India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai discussed this issue, which deserves national attention, with key stakeholders. Dr Vivek Nangia, Principal Director & Head Pulmonologist, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, said this winter could be catastrophic and asked people to stay indoors unless it’s essential to step out. “Research has shown that rising air pollution makes the lungs susceptible to Covid-19 infections. We may see a rise in both Covid-19 cases and the mortality rate because of the severity of infections,” he said. Sunita Narain, DG, Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi, said there has been talking of providing machines to farmers, free of cost, to clear their fields but nothing much has happened. “There has also been talking of composting technologies. But the thing is, we need to ensure crop stubble has a value.” Sanjeev Nagpal, farmer and entrepreneur, agreed with her and said biogas and manure could be the options. “We have to take farmers into confidence. We have to address their issues,” he said. Raghav Chadha, MLA and spokesperson, AAP, said Arvind Kejriwal is the only chief minister who has made efforts to address the issue. “The Centre has held several meetings but the environment ministers of Punjab, Haryana and UP never attended them.” So, what’s the solution? “The AAP government is using bio-decomposer in Delhi’s fields. Other states should follow suit. Delhi is a land-locked city. It cannot solve this problem on its own,” he said. “The Delhi government is aware that this year’s air pollution can make matters worse. It’s in talks with doctors and institutions like Niti Aayog to address the issue,” Raghav Chadha said. During the lockdown imposed to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus disease or Covid-19, Delhi reclaimed its clear blue skyline for obvious reasons. But with almost all activities having resumed, the haze is slowly coming back. Air pollution increase can damage lungs, reduce immune response and turn a mild Covid-19 infection into a serious one, global research has warned. Remember, high air pollution leads to increased episodes of coughing or sneezing that can spread Covid-19 faster. Researchers also say that air pollution increases susceptibility to tuberculosis and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused by, again, a coronavirus. Air pollution also triggers co-morbidities like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and may increase Covid-19 fatalities, experts have cautioned. The Indian government has put out a warning that smokers are more susceptible to Covid-19. It's no secret that inhaling the air in Delhi during winters is like smoking several cigarettes a day!

GLOBAL PLAYERS GIVE THUMBS DOWN TO INDIA’S COAL AUCTIONS, PREFER RENEWABLES

India has thrown open its vast coal deposits for commercial mining. Private players can now freely sell or use coal, which will eventually dismantle the monopoly of state-owned Coal India Ltd. (CIL). Global players, however, have given thumbs down to this move. The decision to end government monopoly in coal comes at a time when much of the world is moving toward renewable energy, raising questions about India’s power sector policies. “The decision to have more players is absolutely right, but it is happening with a big delay,” said Partha Bhattacharya, former chairman and managing director, of CIL, which controls more than 80 percent of coal assets in India. “This is happening at a time when in the power sector, renewable energy is coming in a big way. This is going to taper coal demand going forward.,” he said. “We are witnessing a situation where renewable power tariffs will make fresh capacity addition in thermal power unviable. All incremental capacity should be on renewable.” The government’s announcement in June about the auction of 41 new coal blocks for commercial mining was met with opposition from environmentalists since many of the mines are in forested areas. The government said it would spend INR 50000 crore ($6.8 billion) on creating infrastructure for coal extraction and transportation, according to the Press Information Bureau. Recently the government revealed the bidders for 38 coal mines put on auction. While no foreign firms participated, 15 out of the 38 mines received no bids. A total of 76 bids were received for 23 coal mines. In contrast, In July, the Solar Energy Corp of India Ltd. auctioned 2 gigawatts (GW) of the interstate transmission system. It received an overwhelming response with over-subscription by about 2.35 GW, according to a report from JMK Research & Analytics. Spanish, Italian, French, German and British companies bought sizable shares while quoting aggressively low tariffs. India’s government has set a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022. Private players see this as an opportunity for growth. India’s share of total global primary energy demand is set to roughly double to around 11 percent by 2040, according to a report by the World Economic Forum, The country will need to double its electricity output by 2030 to meet the demand. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, India will need to reduce its carbon footprint by 35 percent from 2005 levels. This would require that about half the additional output come from renewable energy, which translates to adding 25 GW of renewable capacity annually until 2030, according to estimates by the World Economic Forum. It would also need funding of around $76 billion to 2022, growing to $250 billion during 2023-30, as per India’s Economic Survey 2018-19. “Therefore, on an annualized basis, investment opportunities of over $30 billion are expected to emerge in the next a decade and beyond, about three times current levels — clearly indicating a huge and untapped investment potential,” the World Economic Forum report states. However, analysts believe that despite very low solar power tariffs, India is far from moving to a renewable-based energy economy. “The Indian situation is different as we need to generate affordable power,” said Bhattacharya. “We have 250 thousand MW of thermal coal power, and if we want to replace that with renewables, we have to create the capacity of 750,000 MW. The Plant Load Factor (PLF) in renewable is one-third of thermal. One cannot do that with coal-based power plants in one go, but this has to be done in a calibrated way. The incremental capacity should be created in renewables, but existing power plants must perform better. “It is not before 2050 or 2055 that India will bid adieu to coal dependency,” said Bhattacharya. PLF is the ratio of average power generated by the plant to the maximum power that could have been generated. India has the world’s fourth-largest coal reserve and is the second-largest producer of coal. More than 60 percent of the country’s installed power capacity is from thermal power plants. The share of renewable energy is close to 23 percent, according to government data. Between the first half of 2018-19 and the same period in 2019-20 alone, India’s installed thermal power capacity increased from 159,623 MW to 195,926 MW, according to a report from the Central Electricity Authority. India imported about 249 million tonnes of coal in 2019-20, according to provisional data available from CIL. “Commercial coal mine opening is very positive for the sector as there was a lot of black marketing in the sector. Also, there is no point in India being abundant in coal and still importing coal,” said Bhavesh Chauhan, an analyst at IDBI Capital Markets & Securities. Coal-based power plants continue to be a major source of an environmental hazard. The increasing dependence on coal also comes with the challenge of disposing of fly ash, a toxic by-product of coal in thermal power plants. In 2018-19, India generated 217 million tons of fly ash. Of this, 78 percent was used, but nearly 48 million MT had to be dumped last year, the Central Electricity Authority report states. In December 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change set up stringent emission norms for coal-based power plants, to be met by 2022. A new report by the Centre for Science and Environment predicts that nearly 70 percent of the plants will not meet the emission standards. “Missed deadline for the implementation of the emission standards of coal power plants every year causes irreparable damage to the health of the children,” said Shweta Narayan, coordinator of the Healthy Energy Initiative, a global collaboration of health professionals, organizations and researchers for clean energy. At the same time, India’s self-reliance on solar energy is challenged by factors such as dependence upon China and the financial condition of state distribution utilities. Chinese firms supply about 80 percent of solar cells and modules to India, with the country importing $1,179.89 million worth between April and December 2019, R.K. Singh, the minister for renewable energy, said in parliament recently. In July 2018, the government imposed a 25 percent safeguard duty on the import of solar cells from China, Malaysia and developed countries, but India’s dependence on solar power equipment did not decline. As of April 30, 2020, India’s installed renewable energy capacity stood at 87.26 GW, of which solar and wind comprised 34.81 GW and 37.74 GW, respectively, according to data from IBEF, India Brand Equity Foundation.