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Needed: Pollution plan without boundaries

NEW DELHI: The National Capital Region (NCR) consists of some of the most polluted cities in the world with Delhi often stealing the limelight, especially during winters when PM2.5 and PM10 levels cross 10 times the Indian safe standards. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) rolled out by Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) every winter to tackle pollution applies to the entire NCR. However, most plans have largely centered around Delhi, despite data showing that Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad and Ghaziabad are potentially more polluting. The air quality monitoring stations across the capital are also far more than other more polluting regions. Coal-based power plants at Rajghat and Badarpur have been shut, while industries have switched to cleaner fuel. Diesel vehicles, too, cannot be registered in the capital. In comparison, the neighbouring areas still have 11 coal-based power plants within a 300km radius of Delhi. Experts believe that without considering NCR as an airshed and ensuring regional cooperation, Delhi and cities like Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad cannot show improvement alone. A Teri source-apportionment study in 2018 found that Delhi only contributed 36% to its own pollution in winters, with 34% coming from NCR and the remaining 30% from outside. This holds similar for other NCR cities, which often receive transboundary pollution. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, while Delhi has cleaned up its act, the NCR needs to follow suit, however, this won’t be possible if states act individually. “Delhi has implemented the clean fuel policy and coal has been phased out. CNG and petrol are being given a push, alongside PNG for industries. However, this is not the case with NCR. A large number of polluting industries are still functioning across the neighbouring states, which means air quality cannot improve in Delhi if the surroundings are polluted,” Roy Chowdhury said. Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends, an NGO, said an airshed approach has worked abroad and was needed across the Indo-Gangetic plains. “Tackling it statewise has its limitations, especially in a region where pollution is widespread,” she added. Tanushree Ganguly, programme associate, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, said, coal-based power plants alone account for a large chunk of pollution in NCR. “Our assessment of the existing emission inventories for Delhi finds that the contribution from power plants alone ranges from 3-11% and all the 11 coal-fired plants in NCR are situated outside Delhi,” she said. The studies suggest that across the country the contribution of sources outside the city boundary could range from 15-50%. “While Delhi’s clean air action plan includes multiple measures that call for coordination between states, no interstate coordination mechanism has been established. Hence, to meet the democratic demand for clean air in Delhi- NCR, government-led regional coordination is must,” said Ganguly. Ashish Jain, founder director, Indian Pollution Control Association, an NGO, said that pollutants see no boundaries, which make it a problem for the entire region and not the state alone. “They travel under the impact of various atmospheric conditions, so each state cannot have its own strategy or policy and interstate cooperation is crucial,” he added.

India pledges to have forests in 200 urban areas, CSE calls for green stimulus package to retain blue skies

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of the World Environment Day on Friday, the Centre announced implementation of ‘Nagar Van’ scheme to develop urban forests in 200 municipal areas (cities/towns) across the country in next five years by involving multiple stakeholders including private companies, local communities and educational institutions. It asked states to map such areas within cities which have been marked as forest land but do not have adequate tree cover. Any other vacant land, offered by urban local bodies, will also be used for developing forests. “Urban forests will work as urban lungs,” said environment minister Prakash Javadekar while making announcement on the Nagar Van scheme and appealing people to work together and make it a people's movement. “India is probably the only country where trees are worshipped, where animals, birds and reptiles are worshipped and this is the respect Indian society places for environment. We had a very important tradition of village forest since ages, now this new scheme of urban forest will fill up the gap because urban areas have gardens but very rarely forests. With this activity of creating urban forest we will also create additional carbon sink,” said Javadekar. A success story of minister’s hometown Pune in developing Warje urban forest will act as a model for the rest of the country. The Maharashtra forest department and local body has converted 16.8 hectares of a barren hill into green forests in Pune. The project was launched there in 2015. The environment ministry held virtual celebrations of World Environment Day on this year’s theme with focus on urban forests and biodiversity. The event also saw participation of Executive Director, United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification, (UNCCD),Ibrahim Thiaw and Executive Director of United Nation Environment Programme(UNEP), Inger Andersen, through video conference. In the backdrop of the current Covid-19 situation, all the speakers on the occasion emphasised on broad aspect of biodiversity emphasising that the humans need nature more than nature needs them. The day was marked by a number of virtual events and webinars on protecting environment and how the world would need to reorient itself in the post-Covid phase. The New Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), called for a ‘green’ stimulus package to help India retain its “blue skies and clean lungs”. Underlining air pollution issue, the CSE noted that the PM 2.5 levels across six major Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru – dropped a phenomenal 45- 88% during the first three lockdown periods with Delhi-NCR reporting a drop of 66-79%. However, with the nation opening up in lockdown 4.0, pollution has started registering a comeback. In the six cities, there was a two-six times increase in PM 2.5 levels during lockdown 4.0 when Delhi-NCR reported significant rise of foureight times. “What this tells us is that the nation needed an intervention at such a massive scale – where movement across the country was completely restricted, and all industry stopped functioning – to make our skies blue and our air and lungs clean. It tells us that there should be no question, therefore, on the key sources of air pollution in our country: emissions from vehicles and industry. And it tells us that we need to set down an agenda for action which will help us retain this lockdown advantage of blue skies and clean lungs,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE. Referring to air quality during the lockdown period, Anumita Roychowdhury, the CSE’s executive director-research and advocacy, said, “During the lockdown period, overall mean speed on the roads of Delhi-NCR increased by 15 km/hour. Farm fires did not create the same kind of havoc that they do every year. Daily peak levels of nitrogen dioxide remained flat. We must move immediately to ensure that pollution and congestion levels do not go back to ‘normal’ – what they were before the lockdown.” CSE PITCHES FOR EIGHT MEASURES: 1. Do not delay in implementing the BS VI norms for vehicles. 2. Trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, which are one of the major contributors to pollution, need to be moved to BS VI – use financial stimulus to scrap BS IV-run vehicles and shift them to BS VI. 3. Introduce cleaner battery-powered para-transit and public transport – provide financial support for the shift, starting with autorickshaws and taxis in regions where CNG is not available. 4. Re-start public transport. Implement the global best practices for ensuring safety and hygiene. 5. Use financial stimulus to augment public transport in cities at scale and with speed. 6. Cycling and walking must become part of the ‘new normal’ – introduce measures to encourage and incentivise cycling and walking. 7. Bring natural gas under GST to reduce the tax burden and incentivise cleaner fuel. 8. Remove coal from OGL so that imports can be regulated and use can be monitored. Ensure power plants across the country meet the 2015 emission norms – introduce a policy which will ensure that only those plants which are clean can sell electricity.

Air pollution dropped by 88 percent during lockdown, turns severe again

According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), PM 2.5 levels across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru dropped by a phenomenal 45-88 percent during the pandemic-induced lockdown period. New Delhi: Even though the pollution levels in six major cities plummeted during the initial phase of the lockdown, it is on the rise again as the country gradually opens up, a recent study has revealed. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), PM 2.5 levels across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru dropped by a phenomenal 45-88 percent during the pandemic-induced lockdown period. The analysis, however, found that the "pollution registered a comeback" as the nation opened up pursuant to lockdown 4.0. "In the six cities, there was a two-six times increase in PM 2.5 levels during lockdown 4.0," said the report. According to the findings, the national capital saw the steepest rise of four to eight times, as compared to two to six times in other cities. The initial decrease in pollution could be attributed to no industrial activity, reduced on-road traffic and temporary halt on construction activities. Sunita Narain, Director General of Centre for Science and Environment said that the analysis showed the nation needed an intervention at such a massive scale to make skies blue and our air and lungs clean. "It tells us that there should be no question, therefore, on the key sources of air pollution in our country: emissions from vehicles and industry," she added. CSE also presented a charter of environmental demands to ensure a better, cleaner and more sustainable environment, life and air quality. It stated that reducing pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, switching to clean vehicles, using clean power and providing green economic stimulus were a few strategies which could help retain the healthy air. Centre`s executive director Anumita Roychowdhury said the nation must ensure that pollution levels do not go back to `normal` - what they were before the lockdown.

Green stimulus package needed: CSE

Bathinda: Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), on Friday released a report on ‘An Environmental Agenda for the Future’ at a webinar on the occasion of the World Environment Day. The report highlighed how particulate matter (PM) 2.5 across six major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, had dropped by 45-88% during lockdown 1 to 3 and started registering 2 to 6 times increase following relaxations in lockdown 4. “This clearly shows that the country needs an intervention at massive scale to keep the environment clean and green. And it tells us that we need to set down an agenda item for action, which will help retain this lockdown advantage of blue skies and clean lungs,” she said.

Air pollution dropped by 88% during coronavirus lockdown, turns severe again

The analysis, however, found that the "pollution registered a comeback" as the nation opened up pursuant to lockdown 4.0. NEW DELHI: Even though the pollution levels in six major cities plummeted during the initial phase of the lockdown, it is on the rise again as the country gradually opens up, a recent study has revealed. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), PM 2.5 levels across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru dropped by a phenomenal 45-88 per cent during the pandemic-induced lockdown period. The analysis, however, found that the "pollution registered a comeback" as the nation opened up pursuant to lockdown 4.0. "In the six cities, there was a two-six times increase in PM 2.5 levels during lockdown 4.0," said the report. According to the findings, the national capital saw the steepest rise of four to eight times, as compared to two to six times in other cities. The initial decrease in pollution could be attributed to no industrial activity, reduced on-road traffic and temporary halt on construction activities. Sunita Narain, Director General of Centre for Science and Environment said that the analysis showed the nation needed an intervention at such a massive scale to make skies blue and our air and lungs clean. "It tells us that there should be no question, therefore, on the key sources of air pollution in our country: emissions from vehicles and industry," she added. CSE also presented a charter of environmental demands to ensure a better, cleaner and more sustainable environment, life and air quality. It stated that reducing pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, switching to clean vehicles, using clean power and providing green economic stimulus were a few strategies which could help retain the healthy air. Centre's executive director Anumita Roychowdhury said the nation must ensure that pollution levels do not go back to 'normal' - what they were before the lockdown.

DATA DRIVE: Huge pendency in green cases

The worst showing is for The Environmental (Protection) Act and The Air & The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, where it will take over 32 and 33 years, respectively, to clear the huge backlog of pending cases. Over 90% court cases remain unresolved under five of the seven Acts related to forests, wildlife, environment protection and pollution. WHILE THE NUMBER of environmentrelated offences in the country declined 17% to 35,196 in 2018 from 42,143 in 2017, the number of cases pending in counts went up by7% to 48,238. So, at the current rate, according to the Centre for Science and Environment’s State of India’s Environment 2020 report, courts will take nine to 33 years to clear the backlog of cases for violations under forest, wildlife, environment protection and air pollution laws.

State of India’s Environment 2020 report

In News- Recently, the State of the Environment report was released. It mentions that one in five of all internal displacements in India was caused by disasters, mostly by floods, cyclones and drought in 2019. Key Highlights of the Report: There were more than 50 lakh internal displacements in India last year, the highest in the world and this refers to the number of movements, not people, as individuals can be displaced several times. Flooding caused by the south-west monsoon led to 26 lakh displacements, while Cyclone Fani alone led to 18 lakh displacements, followed by Cyclone Vayu and Bulbul and the report also broke down 2011 census data on migrant populations. There were over 45 crore migrants in the country at the time of disasters, with the vast majority migrating within their own State. In 2011, over 1.7 crore new migrants had moved for employment purposes, mostly from rural to urban areas. The report also offers a snapshot of data on forests, water, waste, air, land, wildlife and other natural resources. What is Cyclone? A “Cyclone” is an intense vortex/low pressure centre or a whirl/circulation in the atmosphere with very strong winds circulating around the low-pressure vortex. This circulation of the cyclone is in an anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere due to the effect of Coriolis Force. Cyclones gain their energy from the heat and moisture generated from warm ocean surfaces. The strength of the cyclones is measured by the wind speeds they generate. About South-west monsoon: The term monsoon refers to the phenomena of reversal of winds during the timespan of one year. The south-west monsoon owes its origin to the great difference of temperature which exists during the summer months between the heated land surface of India and the surrounding oceans. The shift of the position of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5°N of the equator is also responsible for southwest monsoon along with other factors. The period from June to September is referred to as the ‘Southwest Monsoon’ period. Southwest Monsoon period is the principal rainy season for the Indian subcontinent responsible for nearly 75% of its rainfall during this period. Southwest monsoon sets in over the extreme southwestern tip of the peninsula by the end of May. The onset of Monsoon is characterized by a sudden spurt of rainfall activity. It progresses inland in stages and covers the entire country by the middle of July. It starts retrieving from the extreme northwest by the beginning of September, progressively receding southwards. Tamil Nadu is considered as a rain shadow region as it lies on the eastern (leeward side) side of western ghats. The total annual rainfall is maximum over the southernmost part of the state.

कोरोना महामारी के कारण 26.5 करोड़ लोगों के समक्ष भुखमरी का संकट: अध्ययन

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, कोविड-19 महामारी के कारण वैश्विक ग़रीबी दर में 22 वर्षों में पहली बार वृद्धि होगी. भारत की ग़रीब आबादी में एक करोड़ 20 लाख लोग और जुड़ जाएंगे, जो विश्व में सर्वाधिक हैं. नई दिल्ली: कोराना वायरस महामारी के कारण विश्व में 26.5 करोड़ लोगों के सामने भुखमरी का खतरा पैदा हो गया है. इसके अलावा भारत में भी लगभग एक करोड़ 20 लाख लोगों के समक्ष यही स्थिति पैदा हो गई है. एक अध्ययन में यह दावा किया गया है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा प्रकाशित ‘स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट इन फिगर्स 2020’ रिपोर्ट में महामारी के बड़े पैमाने पर होने वाले आर्थिक प्रभाव के बारे में बताया गया है. इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, वैश्विक गरीबी दर में 22 वर्षों में पहली बार वृद्धि होगी. रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है, ‘वैश्विक आबादी का 50 फीसदी लॉकडाउन में हैं, जिनकी आय या तो बहुत कम है अथवा उनके पास आय का कोई साधन नहीं है. आय का स्रोत समाप्त हो जाने से चार से छह करोड़ लोग आने वाले महीनों में गरीबी में जीवन व्यतीत करेंगे. रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है, ‘भारत की गरीब आबादी में एक करोड़ बीस लाख लोग और जुड़ जाएंगे जो विश्व में सर्वाधिक है.’ सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण के अनुसार, पिछले चार सालों में हुई मौसम की घटनाएं दुनिया भर के आर्थिक जोखिमों में सबसे आगे हैं. उन्होंने कहा, ‘हमारी एकतरफा और खराब विकास रणनीतियों के साथ इसका असर भारत के गरीबों पर बहुत अधिक हुआ है और कोरोना वायरस महामारी का प्रभाव भी अब इस दुर्भाग्य के साथ जुड़ गया है .’ नारायण ने कहा कि सीएसई के नए प्रकाशन में इन्हीं बातों को स्पष्ट रूप से कहा गया है. इसे गुरुवार को ऑनलाइन सेमिनार में जारी किया गया. इसमें 300 लोगों ने हिस्सा लिया. बता दें कि बीते अप्रैल महीने में संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ ने भी कहा था कि कोरोना वायरस के चलते दुनिया भर में भुखमरी के शिकार लोगों की संख्या तेजी से बढ़ सकती है. विश्व खाद्य कार्यक्रम के कार्यकारी निदेशक डेविड बीस्ले ने कहा था कि पूरी दुनिया में हर रात 82 करोड़ 10 लाख लोग भूखे पेट सोते हैं. इसके अलावा 13 करोड़ 50 लाख लोग भुखमरी या उससे भी बुरी स्थिति का सामना कर रहे हैं. उन्होंने कहा था, ‘विश्व खाद्य कार्यक्रम के विश्लेषण में पता चला है कि 2020 के अंत तक 13 करोड़ और लोग भुखमरी की कगार पर पहुंच सकते हैं. इस तरह भुखमरी का सामना कर लोगों की कुल संख्या बढ़कर 26 करोड़ 50 लाख तक पहुंच सकती है.’ इसके अलावा संयुक्त राष्ट्र के श्रम निकाय ने चेतावनी दी थी कि कोरोना वायरस संकट के कारण भारत में अनौपचारिक क्षेत्र में काम करने वाले लगभग 40 करोड़ लोग गरीबी में फंस सकते हैं और अनुमान है कि इस साल दुनिया भर में 19.5 करोड़ लोगों की पूर्णकालिक नौकरी छूट सकती है. अंतरराष्ट्रीय श्रम संगठन (आईएलओ) ने अपनी रिपोर्ट ‘आईएलओ निगरानी- दूसरा संस्करण: कोविड-19 और वैश्विक कामकाज’ में कोरोना वायरस संकट को दूसरे विश्व युद्ध के बाद सबसे भयानक संकट बताया था.

Swarms of locusts threaten Indian livelihoods and food production

Worst outbreak in years heaps pressure on authorities struggling to manage coronavirus Swarms of locusts are tearing through India in the worst invasion in decades, threatening farmers’ livelihoods and food production as overstretched authorities combat coronavirus. The invasions have been linked to climate change, with a high number of cyclones and erratic rainfall around the Indian Ocean fuelling outbreaks of the voracious insects from east Africa to south Asia. Locusts have already wreaked havoc elsewhere, jeopardising food security in countries like Somalia and Ethiopia and prompting Pakistan to declare a national emergency in February. The pests struck India earlier this year, but the unusual weather has now contributed to the early arrival of another wave, which was not expected to cross the Pakistani border until later in the year in June or July. The swarms are now crisscrossing hundreds of miles of land through northern India, filling the sky as they fly overhead. They are devouring vegetation along the way and even overrunning large cities like Jaipur. “It’s the most challenging [outbreak] that they have had to face since 1993,” said Keith Cressman, a senior locust forecaster at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, referring to India and Pakistan. “The central and northern states of India will have locust swarms moving back and forth” for the next month, he added. The invasions come as India battles health and environmental crises on multiple fronts. The number of coronavirus infections in the country is rising fast, crossing 200,000 this week despite more than two months of lockdown. Some say the quarantine measures have partly complicated the ability to mobilise resources in response to the locust threat. At the same time, winds from a super cyclone that hit eastern India last month are expected to help propel the swarms through the middle of the country. Another cyclone pounded Mumbai on the west coast on Wednesday. You’ve had one cyclone hitting India, you have Covid, now you have another cyclone. These crises will make the poor even poorer Sunita Narain, Centre for Science and the Environment Ganesh Nanote, a farmer who lives near the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in central India, is cultivating papayas and is soon to plant cotton too. After locusts arrived near the area, he is now preparing to employ tactics to try to keep the pests off his land, from spraying pesticides to having neighbours bang pots and make loud noises to ward off the insects. “I am thinking of different ways to protect my farm,” he said. “I am afraid it will destroy my papayas.” Locusts are formidably destructive. Swarms can number in the hundreds of millions of insects and can travel over 100km a day, with each locust eating its own body weight in food per day. The outbreaks are categorised by the FAO as an upsurge, one level below a plague. Mr Cressman said they pose a greater threat to food security in east Africa, where countries are less prepared to respond than India, which faces regular — if usually less severe — onslaughts. But the infestation in India, which is bracing for more locust arrivals from the Horn of Africa in the coming weeks, risks taking a toll on vulnerable rural communities already struggling with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. “You’ve had one cyclone hitting India, you have Covid, now you have another cyclone,” said Sunita Narain, directorgeneral of the Centre for Science and Environment, an environmental research group. “These crises . . . will make the poor even poorer. They’re hit because they’re most vulnerable to infection. They’re hit because their livelihoods go.”

Covid-19 pandemic has put 265 million people at risk of starvation: Study

According to CSE Director General Sunita Narain, extreme weather events in the past four years have remained the topmost global economic risks. The Covid-19 pandemic has put 265 million people globally at risk of starvation and India is expected to add 12 million more poor to its population, a new annual study has claimed. The report, titled ‘State of India’s Environment in Figures 2020’, published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) talks about the massive scale of the economic impact of the pandemic. According to the report, the global poverty level will rise for the first time in 22 years. “Fifty per cent of the global population is under lockdown or containment with little or no new income -- 40-60 million people would be living in extreme poverty in the coming months due to loss of income. “India will add 12 million more poor, the highest in the world, to its shattered population,” the report said. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage According to CSE Director General Sunita Narain, extreme weather events in the past four years have remained the topmost global economic risks. “The impact of this, coupled with our lopsided and bad development strategies, has been very severe on India’s poor. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has now been added to these misfortunes, and we find that our poor are now fighting with their backs to the wall. “This is what CSE’s latest publication, the State of India’s Environment in Figures 2020, brings out clearly,” Narain said. The publication was released on Thursday at an online webinar attended by over 300 participants. On COVID-19, the report points out that while new cases remain static or are diminishing in North America, Europe and Australia, countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia are emerging as the new hotspots. “India and Brazil are the only two of the nine worst-hit countries in the world that have decided to ease their lockdowns and scale down their stringent measures – even as new cases continue to mount. India ranks fourth globally in terms of active cases,” it claimed. It, however, said that India’s national commitments on climate are far more ambitious than most countries – including the US and nations in Europe. “The book makes it quite clear that we will need new futures, new directions for growth. But this can’t happen if our natural resources are threatened and our governance systems and practices are failing. ‘Green’ growth requires protection and sustainable use of our natural resources. ‘Green’ growth cannot happen if our health is compromised,” Narain said.

Safe future: How India lags in meeting sustainable development goals

Unplanned exploitation of environment in recent decades has not only altered its balance but is also leading to catastrophic events like super cyclones Sustainable development is crucial for a secure and safe future From providing livelihood to captivating us with its beauty and secrets, environment species on earth. But unplanned exploitation of environment in recent decades has not only altered its balance but is also leading to catastrophic events like super cyclones, tsunamis and landslides – resulting in loss of life and property. A report by Centre for Science and Environment shows how a large part of the country lags in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals – crucial for a secure and safe future.

Covid-19 fallout: NCR remains a concept on paper, as states act in silos

Over the past month, three of the principal state administrations that make up NCR -- Delhi, UP and Haryana -- have sealed and unsealed borders at will, failed to share or pool health care infrastructure, and not tried to evolve a common strategy in the face of rising Covid-19 cases. The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has exposed the deficiencies in the concept of the National Capital Region (NCR) envisaged in 1985 for coordinated urban development in and around Delhi so that there could be seamless mobility, quality housing, and shared infrastructure, say multiple experts in planning and administration. Over the past month, three of the principal state administrations that make up NCR -- Delhi, UP and Haryana -- have sealed and unsealed borders at will, failed to share or pool health care infrastructure, and not tried to evolve a common strategy in the face of rising Covid-19 cases. Delhi, which has reported 25,004cases till Thursday, sealed its borders to restrict the number of patients coming in for treatment on Tuesday, just as Noida and Gurugram, which had sealed their borders for weeks despite Delhi letting commuters in, were ready to ease curbs on intercity movement. Noida had 543cases, while Gurugram reported 1,410infections by Thursday. This lack of coordination forced the Supreme Court on Thursday to order the Centre to convene a meeting of member states – Delhi, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan – in order to evolve a “common programme and common portal” for easing interstate movement in the National Capital Region. The way the concept was developed, however, such a situation was never meant to happen. Capital expansion NCR was constituted due to a spurt in population growth in the region since 1951, largely due to migration resulting in congestion and shortage of civic amenities, as per the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). The aim was primarily to decongest Delhi, and the region came into being in 1985 under the NCRPB. In the 1990s, with the emergence of Noida (New Okhla Industrial Development Authority) and Gurugram, the urban growth accelerated at breakneck speed. What used to be agricultural fields on the Capital’s outskirts became the hubs of industry, offices, and housing. With almost invisible borders, Noida carried the promise of affordable housing and easy commute to and from Delhi. “Noida offered all than an upper-middle class person aspires for. The authority planned at least 150 residential plotted areas and at least 600 group housing colonies in view of high demand,” said Rajpal Kaushik former chief architect and urban town planner of Noida Authority. While Noida was redefining urban growth on the eastern border of the Capital, business was booming in Gurugram (then Gurgaon) located on its southern border with home-grown carmaker Maruti setting up its plant in the 1980s. Gurugram, a village till then, had vast swathes of barren land and minimal local government. Sensing the potential for industrial and urban growth, private builders such as DLF and Ansal consolidated large tracts of land and soon world class residential condominiums and office spaces sprung up across Gurugram, earning it the tag of “Millennium City”. Proximity to the Capital and the IGI airport, a large inventory of office space, and the economic liberalisation in the 1990s enabled Gurugram to attract corporate houses, both domestic and multinational, IT companies, BPOs, and Fortune 500 companies to set up base in the city, spurring growth and opportunities. Several industrialists from other Haryana cities such as Hisar, Bhiwani and Jhajjar also came to Gurugram to set up their base, making Udyog Vihar and Manesar industrial hubs. “The National Capital Region is seen as a single economic and social unit where people move seamlessly while working in one corner or city and living in another part. It is also one of the largest integrated economic and social corridors in the world. It attracts the best talent, top corporates who want to work and live here. Real-estate growth has happened to a great extent because of economic growth and opportunities offered by a seamless NCR, which has common ethos and culture. It important to ensure people move with ease in this region,” said Akash Ohri, senior executive director, DLF. While Noida and Gurugram owe their growth mostly to the economic liberalisation, Ghaziabad in UP and Faridabad in Haryana has been traditional industrial powerhouses of the two states. Today, NCR comprises Delhi and 23 districts from UP, Haryana and Rajasthan and is spread over 55,083 square km. However, the administrative integration has remained largely on paper, with member states working in silos and often sparring over issues such as water sharing, mobility and pollution. A case in point is the fact that the region is yet to evolve a common mobility solution with no reliable public transport, except Metro, to commute across the cities of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram. Mobility issues Despite existing as a massive urban conglomerate, there was no common, reliable public transport in the region before the Delhi Metro came up. Delhi operates nearly 100 buses for Gurugram, Noida and Bahadurgarh, but Haryana and UP roadways buses can’t enter Delhi since they run on diesel, which is banned for public transport in the city since 1998, when the switch to CNG was made. Public transport between NCR cities involving para transit vehicles is even more restricted. As against the 95,000 registered auto-rickshaws in Delhi, only 10,000 have permits to ply from Delhi to NCR cities and vice versa. Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot said the Capital has put in place some of the “most relaxed norms” for transport vehicles coming from other states. “But we do not get the same treatment from them. For example, we charge no passenger taxes on any bus coming from Haryana or any other adjoining state. But DTC buses have to pay extra passenger tax on routes such as Gurugram or Bahadurgarh. We run the buses despite the high passenger tax which in turn, makes the ticket quite expensive. Since long, we have been demanding abolition of passenger tax so that public transport becomes cheap and affordable and more and more public uses public transport,” he said. The recent sealing of borders because of Covid-19 has only added to the chaos. The Regional Plan-2021, the second plan prepared by NCRPB, mentions the formation of a unified metropolitan or regional transport authority for NCR. “But the plan has remained on paper. It was to ensure better coordination between various government authorities in the NCR for seamless connectivity and movement of commuters. If this authority was in place, the problems we are facing today would have been easily addressed,” said PK Sarkar, member of the technical committee of NCRPB. According to a senior NCRPB official, there is a committee of transport secretaries chaired by NCRPB’s member secretary which takes up issues related to better coordination between member states. “But the committee has not met during the Covid-19 crisis. There has been no request either from the member states in this regard. All state governments are taking decisions as per their local situation,” said the official, requesting anonymity. Urban transport experts say that some of the provisions mentioned in the Regional Plan-2021, such as Regional rail Transport (RRTS), development of peripheral expressways (Eastern and Western peripheral expressways), expressway between Ghaziabad and Meerut, expansion of Metro network etc. have been implemented. Sarika Panda Bhatt, a transportation expert based in Gurugram, pointed out that there is a common transport agreement which allows unrestricted movement of vehicles between these states. “But as it would appear, such reciprocal gestures do not apply during a pandemic,” she said, pointing out the lack of a coordinated approach during a crisis. A second senior official in the NCRPB, who asked not to be named, said: “NCRPB is merely a facilitator, and we cannot enforce any regulations. It is up to the states to accommodate each other’s challenges. But now we are facing a storm, so everyone has shut their doors and windows to keep themselves safe.” Satish Mahana, UP’s industry minister said, “As far as the Supreme Court direction on borders is concerned, the state government will take appropriate decision on it…To ensure that office goers or factory workers don’t face any problem in commuting our government has directed Gautam Budh Nagar or Ghaziabad to issue passes.” Haryana transport minister Mool Chand Sharma said the government is aware of problems being faced by the people. “An industrialist in Faridabad has a factory in Gurugram and transports his goods to Delhi. We can see that people are being inconvenienced. I will speak with the chief minister before taking discussions forward. We have to find a solution that balances protection of both life and livelihood.” Pollution politics Every year when the air pollution goes up in the winter months, so does the blame game between NCR states. While Delhi maintains that crop residue burning by farmers in Haryana and Punjab accounts for a bulk of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) pollutants in Delhi’s air, the governments of the two states fault Delhi for not doing enough to curb other sources of pollution in the capital. Despite pollution posing a major health emergency for millions, the states are yet to reach a consensus on a common approach and collaborate to tackle the problem. Now, the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) regulates and enforces measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across NCR. While referring to the challenges posed by the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease, Sunita Narain, member of EPCA, said the administrations which constitute NCR should go back and remember how they have together tackled air pollution in the past few years, “NCR is completely interlinked in terms of movement and the air-shed is one. At EPCA, we found that the only way to deal with it was cooperation. There were a lot of times NCR cities such as Gurugram and Bhiwadi came to us questioning why we were locking them down as well under the graded response action plan, despite their pollution levels being fairly lower than Delhi. But, we didn’t allow any compromise and it worked only because the entire plan was executed as NCR as a whole,” Narain said. What is currently happening is not the way to go, she added. “It is like drawing borders between states right now and it feels like we are drawing international borders. We have been pushing for augmentation of public transport among NCR cities because there is massive to and for Delhi from the neighbouring cities,” Narain said. Water woes Politics, protest and posturing have dominated on the issue of sharing water of the Yamuna between Delhi and Haryana. Delhi depends on the Yamuna for most of its water needs and blames the Haryana government for not allowing its share of water to flow in the Munak canal – the main water supply tributary to Delhi. Haryana, on the other hand, alleges that Delhi wants Haryana to part with its share of water. The two states are locked in a legal battle over the issue and the courts have time and again directed the two states to reach a negotiated settlement.

Weather disasters caused 50 lakh internal displacements in 2019

Weather disasters caused 50 lakh internal displacements in 2019 19 extreme events claimed 1,357 lives last year, says a report India had one in five of all internal displacements caused by disasters across the world in 2019, mostly caused by floods, cyclones and drought, according to the State of the Environment report released on Thursday. In fact, 19 major extreme weather events also claimed 1,357 lives last year. Also read: ‘Climate change caused 15 disasters this year’ There were more than 50 lakh internal displacements in India last year, the highest in the world. This refers to the number of movements, not people, as individuals can be displaced several times, said the Centre for Science and Environment, which published the report. Flooding caused by the south-west monsoon led to 26 lakh displacements, while Cyclone Fani alone led to 18 lakh displacements, followed by Cyclone Vayu and Bulbul. On the other hand, drought conditions in 19 States led to another 63,000 displacements. Apart from such forced migrations, many migrants move for work. With migrant workers in the news due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, the report also broke down 2011 census data on migrant populations. There were over 45 crore migrants in the country at the time, with the vast majority migrating within their own State. In 2011, over 1.7 crore new migrants had moved for employment purposes, mostly from rural to urban areas. The report also offers a snapshot of data on forests, water, waste, air, land, wildlife and other natural resources. It notes that there were 747 more tigers in 2018 than in 2014. However, the net area meant for tiger conservation shrunk by 179 square kilometres. Forest cover has shrunk in 38% of districts, while five out of 21 river basins are now in a state of absolute water scarcity. “Each data is a story. It will raise your curiosity towards a development and will help you understand its impacts better,” said Down to Earth managing editor Richard Mahapatra in the foreword to the report. “We are sure that the data and the story it tells will help in better decision making.”