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What caused the disaster in Visakhapatnam

Poor maintenance of the storage facility during the lockdown may have led to the gas leakage at the Visakhapatnam chemical factory, said the CSE in its analysis of the gas tragedy Poor maintenance of the storage facility during the lockdown may have led to the gas leakage at the Visakhapatnam chemical factory, said the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its analysis of the gas tragedy, here on Thursday. The New Delhi-based think tank looked into the details of the incident and published an independent assessment of the accident that has killed at least 11 people and left hundreds of people hospitalized. While there has been no official statement from the National Disaster Response Force on the cause of the leakage, experts said, there is a high probability that optimum temperature was not maintained in the storage facility during the lockdown. “Our investigation reveals that it is not the lockdown but restart of the plant without taking precautions to ensure safety that may have led to gas leak," environmentalist Sunita Narain, director general of CSE, New Delhi, tweeted. “Industries should have secured their premises and ensured that chemicals were safely stored. We cannot blame lockdown for their lack of action." Styrene is a common chemical compound, but classified as a ‘hazardous and toxic chemical’ under Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989. It is stable, if it is strictly stored in cold conditions, at a temperature below 17 degrees C. “But, it looks like, that the temperature was not properly maintained at the unit. This caused pressure to build up in the storage chamber and led the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage," said Soundaram Ramanathan, deputy programme manager, industrial pollution, CSE. The plant was temporarily shut due to Covid-19, except for maintenance activities, which were being carried out as per a pre-determined schedule. According to the CSE team, roughly three tonnes of the gas was stored in the silos and the feeding line. “Styrene can stay in the air for weeks. It’s highly reactive; it can combine with oxygen to form styrene dioxide, which is more lethal. Operating one reactor in full load can also lead to such disasters," said professor Thava Palanisami, Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, University of Newcastle, Australia. Another issue was the defunct volatile organic compound detector at the plant, spread over 600 acres, which could have enabled early detection of any leakage. Over 36 years after the deadly gas leak in Bhopal, strict guidelines on storage of hazardous chemicals are still being flouted, experts said. “This shows us that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations," stated the assessment. Mint | Delhi | May 8, 2020

Govt asks factories to exercise caution after gas leak at Visakhapatnam plant

The announcements from the government came on a day when three separate accidents killed 11 and left several injured in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. Union chemicals and fertilisers minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday urged all public and private chemical makers to exercise caution and care while reopening their plants that suspended operations due to the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19. Union environment ministry and state pollution control boards issued separate directives to all companies to take precautions while restarting. The announcements came on a day when three separate accidents killed 11 and left several injured in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. All the fatalities were in Visakhapatnam, where a styrene gas leak at a polymer plant forced the evacuation of thousands of people in the 3-kilometre radius. In Tamil Nadu, a boiler at an NLC India thermal power plant in Cuddalore exploded, causing brief blaze. The incident left two workers injured, an NLC official said. “Due to pressure, there was an explosion in the boiler and it led to a flash fire injuring six workers and two technicians.” In the third incident, seven workers fell ill — three of them seriously — after inhaling poisonous gas at Shakti Paper Mill in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh, police said. The incident occurred when the victims were cleaning a recycling chamber late on Wednesday, said SP Santosh Singh. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recommended better operational guidelines be given to the plants. “The (Visakhapatnam) leakage has happened due to irregular maintenance of storage tanks during the lockdown.Styrene must be kept at a temperature below 17C however since the plant was under partial shutdown the maintenance activities were irregular. Another industry disaster was reported at a Paper mill in Chhattisgarh -- when gas leaks affected the workers who were housekeeping at the units. The third incident was at Neyveli thermal power station. Two boilers of 210 MW capacity blasted... While these boiler units were in running condition, poor maintenance practices due to less manpower in the plant is suspected a reason for the blast. It is clear industries are in haste to restart operation post lockdown...” said Nivit K Yadav, industries researcher, CSE.

Immediately evacuate everyone from impact zone of styrene gas leak: environmentalists

Vizag gas leak: More than 1,000 people in five surrounding villages in a three-km radius have been reported sick. Catch LIVE updates BS Web Team | New Delhi May 07, 2020 Last Updated at 12:03 IST Vizag gas leakAndhra Pradesh CM meets Vizag gas leak injured. (Source: CMO AP) Vizag Gas Leak update: At least 11 people, including a minor, are reported to have died following a leakage of styrene gas at LG Polymers' Vizag plant in the early hours of Thursday. According to reports another 1,000 people reported sick after the gas spread in five villages within a three-km radius of the plant. Close to 200 people were rushed to hospitals for treatment after complaining of breathing difficulties and burning sensation in their eyes, according to early reports . Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "closely monitoring"

LG Polymers violated green norms: Centre

New Delhi: The LG Polymers’ plant in Visakhapatnam violated green rules as far as its functioning under expanded capacity is concerned, the environment ministry said on Friday after preliminary investigation. “The company applied for post-facto approval of its operation under expanded capacity to the ministry on March 17 (days before beginning of the lockdown). Since the clearance is pending, the operation of the plant is certainly a violation,” said a senior ministry official. The application details, submitted to the ministry, show that LG Polymers India Pvt. Ltd. had applied for permission to expand its capacity from 415 tonnes per day (TPD) to 655 TPD on its existing site of 213 acres. “Extent of violation on the ground will be investigated. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has already constituted a committee to probe the gas leak incident as well as sequence of events,” said the official, adding that the ministry would share all details through membersecretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The district magistrate, Vishakhapatnam, and regional office of Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board were directed by the NGT on Friday to provide logistic support to the Committee in its fact-finding mission. In the meanwhile, the ministry is finalising guidelines for all industrial units in the country to ensure safety while resuming operations during and after lockdown. Since many companies resumed their operations after May 3, such guidelines would help them in smooth transition. New Delhi-based think-tank and advocacy group, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), had on Thursday pitched for such guidelines, saying the Vizag incident “could be just tip of the iceberg”. Referring to the gas leak, it said, “This shows that there are ticking bombs out there as the lockdown ends and industries start resuming activities. Therefore, an immediate directive must go to all units to ensure safety while resuming operations.” Times of India | Visakhapatnam | May 10, 2020

Vizag is a wake-up call to ensure industrial safety

The gas leak from a chemical factory in Vizag, which killed 12 people, is the most serious of three industrial accidents that have taken place since the national lockdown was eased on May 3. The other two were in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. That the Vizag leak happened within a kilometre from a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) red zone means that people have breached restrictions to escape the effects of the gas that has spread over a five km area. Though the numbers are far smaller, the tragedy brings back memories of the Bhopal gas leak, the worst industrial disaster in the world, which killed at least 3,800 people. The Vizag plant leak was styrene, a benzene derivative used to manufacture plastics and resin. Exposure to it causes headache, loss of hearing and irritation to the mucous membrane, among other things. It can stay in the air for weeks and combine with oxygen to form the lethal styrene dioxide. The Centre for Science and Environment said that the leak seems to have happened because of the haste to restart the plant without carrying out proper maintenance work. While the government must focus on rescue and relief for now, what is also required is a time-bound investigation to ascertain how safety was compromised and fix accountability. Reports suggest the plant has functioned without proper environmental clearances for a substantial period since it was set up. It must also be asked how the South Korean petrochemical giant, which owns LG polymers, the site of the accident, did not ensure that qualified people were in place to check systems and open the plant. What happened in Vizag should be considered a warning for other industries which are resuming operations after a lengthy lockdown. India’s industrial safety record has been patchy at the best of times. Now in the aftermath of the lockdown, it is likely to get further eroded. While it is necessary to kick-start the economic engine, it cannot be at the risk of compromising the safety of workers and those who live in the vicinity of industrial plants. If anything, with serious labour shortages and monetary challenges brought on by Covid-19, it becomes even more necessary to strengthen both public and occupational safety systems. Industries must comply with regulations, and the government must ensure that they are strictly enforced. Lives are at stake.

Ensure safety audits and prevent chemical leakages before resuming ops: CPCB advisory to states

The Central Pollution Control Board CPCB issued an advisory to all state pollution control boards by saying that states must direct all units that manufacture, store or import of hazardous chemicals to resume their operations after Covid-19-induced lockdown restrictions are lifted. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed all the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) to ensure all their units undertake safety and hazard audits before resuming operations after lockdown restrictions, which have been imposed to contain the spread of the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, are lifted across the country. In an advisory issued to all SPCBs and committees on Friday, a day after three industrial disasters occurred, the CPCB said they must direct all the units that manufacture, store or import of hazardous chemicals to resume their operations after Covid-19-induced lockdown restrictions are lifted and take adequate steps to prevent chemical leakage or accidents. “Some serious cases of chemical leakages and industrial mishaps have been reported recently. In view of this all, the SPCBs should ensure immediate compliance of the advisory,” the note said. The SPCBs will have to ensure that pollution control equipment, connectivity of online emissions monitoring systems with the CPCB and state board servers, effluent treatment plants, including safety equipment, are kept in operational conditions before resuming operations after the lockdown restrictions are lifted. “The boards shall ensure that all units take utmost care in handling hazardous chemicals by using trained manpower,” the advisory said. “The SPCBs will closely monitor any violation of environmental norms, ensure the safety of workers and residents in the vicinity and that units comply with all conditions stipulated in the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical (Amendment) Rules, 1989, and the Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Response) Rules, 1996 without fail,” it added. “Three industrial accidents occurred on Thursday, coincidentally, when factories are reopening after relaxations from Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. One commonality among these incidents has been poor operational and maintenance practices during the lockdown and the other is a shortage of skilled staff for maintenance work. Maintaining power stations or any industries with less staff is always a risk. Such incidents in this scenario are not surprising,” industry experts said. “The toll of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has not only pulled the economy down, but has also put lives at risk for industrial workers and townships,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav of Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) industrial pollution unit. “Styrene gas must be kept at a temperature below 17 degrees Celsius. However, since the Vishakhapatnam plant was under a partial shutdown mode, its maintenance activities were irregular. Another industrial disaster was reported at a paper mill in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, when gas leaks affected the unit’s housekeeping staff. The third incident occurred at Neyveli thermal power station, when two boilers of a 210-megawatt (MW) capacity plant blasted, and 10 people sustained injuries. While these boiler units were in a running condition, poor maintenance practices due to less manpower in the plant are being suspected as the reason for the blast. Industries are in haste to restart their operations after the lockdown restrictions are lifted, which could be detrimental to workers’ safety and that of the neighbourhood. We recommend better operational guidelines for industrial plants as they get set to resume their operations,” he added.

Limit public transport capacity, maximise social distance: CRRI

Experts recommend a social distance of at least six feet between people, as well as reducing physical contact, to minimise the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid- 19). The Central Road Research Institute’s (CSIR-CRRI) recommendations for the safe use of public transport, once the nationwide lockdown is lifted, include limiting the number of passengers in buses and separate gates for boarding and alighting Metro coaches. The guidelines, to be shared with all state governments and ministries in the central government, also propose creating a partition between the driver’s seat and the back seat in taxis using a plastic sheet, a dynamic display showing the number of available seats in Metro trains and buses, and earmarking the waiting area in stations, among others. The guidelines also propose painting additional zebra crossings at each intersection to ensure pedestrians crossing on to opposite sides do not come in contact with each other. Transport experts at CSIR-CRRI say these moves will help manage crowds, ensure the presence adequate transport infrastructure to discourage people from using private vehicles, encourage pedestrians and cyclists to ensure social distancing. Experts recommend a social distance of at least six feet between people, as well as reducing physical contact, to minimise the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid- 19). Hindustantimes Satish Chandra, director CSIR-CRRI, said, “The biggest challenge is crowd management in public transport so that social distancing is effectively implemented. As only 50% occupancy is allowed in public transport currently, there is a need to immediately enhance the capacity and also manage the demand by ensuring staggered office timings.” If this is not done, Chandra said, a lot of public transport users might switch to private vehicles to protect themselves from contracting Covid-19. Public transport services have been shut in the national capital since March 23, two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. Officials said the Delhi government is working a plan to ensure social distancing in public transport once the lockdown is lifted and public transport resumes. “We are working on a plan to decide how we will reopen public transport. We will also have to work out a plan to sanitise public transport,” a senior Delhi transport official said. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said public transport may resume soon, and that the Central government was formulating guidelines for the same. Officials of the Delhi Metro, the Capital’s transport lifeline, said the organisation would follow guidelines framed by the Union and state governments. Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communication, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, “We will follow all guidelines set by the government while framing advisories for passengers. Additionally, models adopted by metro systems across the world are also being studied to ensure that the resumption of services is smooth, convenient and safe for Delhi Metro’s commuters.” With schools shut and inter-state movement banned, experts said a lot of private buses, including chartered buses, are currently unused. “These buses can be made part of the public transport system to help meet the increase in demand, ensure quality by observing social distancing measures, and discourage people from shifting to private vehicles. Staggered office timings and better workfrom- home norms will also be helpful,” said E Madhu, head, transport planning division, CSIR-CRRI. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director transport at the Centre for Science and Environment, said Delhi could easily induct the unused buses into its public transport fleet. “The Delhi government has used private buses during the odd-even scheme. They just have to build on it. Though these are testing times, it is an opportunity to address the issue of overcrowding in public transport,” Roychowdhury said. “Pre-booking travel time slots in buses and Metros will help manage crowds,” Madhu said. The guidelines recommend that the existing seating arrangements be changed in e-rickshaws, which are an essential part of the city’s last-mile connectivity mechanism. The CRRI recommends that e-rickshaw passengers not face each other and that the number of people who travel together in one vehicle be limited. To reduce the load on public transport systems, the guidelines suggest short trips be encouraged and infrastructure provided for cycle-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, bicycles and pedestrians. Rowchowdhury asked that plans be prepared to improve local infrastructure for travel over short distances. “With bollards and paint, we can create more space for pedestrians on the road and ensure their safety. People can make these trips either by walking or cycling. This will bring down the load on public transport.” Experts also pointed to innovative public transport systems other countries had adopted. Amit Bhatt, director transport, WRI India, said, “Bogota, the capital of Colombia, has converted 100km of streets into cycle lanes to reduce the load on its bus systems. Mexico City is planning to quadruple its cycle network to reduce the pressure on its metro. Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is creating cycle lanes as a safe alternative for the commute as the city has seen a 90% drop in public transport use,” Bhatt said.

Challenges remain, but signs of hope emerge in India

More than 1.3 billion people in India remain confined at home since the imposition of a national lockdown on March 25 to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. While this is tough for anyone, it is especially so for those living in Asia's largest slum－Dharavi－in Mumbai, the country's financial capital. The city's slums are home to an estimated 65 percent of the population of about 12 million in Mumbai's inner-city area. Spread over 2.1 square kilometers, Dharavi is home to more than 700,000 people. Shahid Jameel, a virologist and CEO of the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, an independent charity organization based in New Delhi that funds health and biomedical sciences research, said: "We have advised people to keep 6 feet, or 1.8 meters, apart, but how is that possible in urban slums? These are places to watch. I am really worried." As in many other parts of the world, schools and colleges are closed, exams have been suspended, courts and most offices and factories are shut, and nearly all forms of transportation have been halted. Only doctors, nurses, healthcare support employees and those working to keep essential services running are allowed out of their homes－but under strict safety protocols. Sunita Narain, director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, said there is no rulebook to tell governments what to do, how to shut down economies, and when to reopen them. "COVID-19 is the most tumultuous, most catastrophic and the most defining epoch of our lifetime. One cannot think of anything else that has happened with such speed－from the end of December, when the first cases were reported in China, to now," she said.

This woman entrepreneur started up in the natural skin and haircare space and hopes to cross Rs 10 Cr in revenue this year

Pritika Singh says she was always inquisitive as a child. Having little access to Google and the internet she would read anything she came across, even ingredients on packaging to understand what the product was made of. In 2013, as a postgraduate student of biotechnology at the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in Punjab, Pritika learnt that most skincare products contain toxic chemicals that are harmful in the long-term. In fact, a study conducted by public interest research and advocacy organisation Centre for Science and Environment, based in Delhi, revealed that fairness creams and lipsticks, contain metallic elements like mercury which is ‘universally recognised as toxic’. Pritika was then working on her Master’s thesis related to causes of breast cancer that was published on Taylor and Francis. “People were feeding something so toxic to their skins just to look beautiful. As a conscious user, I could not find any natural product that catered to my requirements,” she says. Pritika later joined cosmetic research and development teams at corporate organisations like Vestige and was not satisfied with their practices. Additionally, Pritika says one has to follow orders at work and cannot question why certain contents were being added. “I decided to put my foot down by starting my own skincare line where I could use my knowledge and research to provide natural products suited to different skin types. I believe one should not have to choose between health and beauty. Beauty should be without any compromises,” she says. Tvakh Also Read Why this woman entrepreneur decided to start up in the luxury bath and beauty business Founded in 2016, Tvakh is a natural hair and skin care products startup that is tapping into the natural cosmetics market that is valued at $833.4 million in India. The market is further expected to grow annually at 6.6 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) till 2023. A natural solution Pritika is happiest when she is formulating products under her brand Tvakh, inspired by the Sanskrit word tvacha, meaning skin. She started with aloe vera gel from kitchen. She shared the product with a distributor of L'Oréal, who referred her to Cleopatra, one of the biggest beauty parlours in Chandigarh who made a bulk order of 50 kg of aloe vera gel. Pritika used her mother’s biggest vessel and made five batches of 10 kg each and used the money to expand her business. Soon, she got a manufacturing licence, bought a machine that cost Rs 1 lakh and shifted to a bigger space, and gradually started designing her label and product line. "I made five products, a very basic website, and posted them online, and my first order came from Mumbai. Sending my first shampoo was the happiest moment as an entrepreneur," she recalls. Operating on the dual model of B2B and B2C, the startup counts on Biopharmecia, Aurel Biolife, Mascon Healthcare, and Dr Sajja’s among its clients. The skin and hair care products, priced between Rs 350 and Rs 1200, are also available on ecommerce platforms like Amazon and on its own website. She hopes to expand the brand’s online B2C presence soon. Started with an initial investment of Rs 6 lakh, the startup clocked one crore in revenue in the financial year 2017 to 2018. Pritika expects revenues to reach Rs 10 crore this year. Apart from spending on basic necessities, the entrepreneur never took a salary from the startup for two years till 2018 when she got married. With increasing positive cases of COVID-19 in India, Pritika says sales for hand sanitisers has skyrocketed. Since March 2020, the startup has gone from supplying only to some parts of Punjab to other states like Assam, Kerala, and Delhi. Sign up for Newsletters Check out our popular newsletters and subscribe Dropdown Also Read This IIT-Kharagpur alum gave up investment banking to launch a night skincare brand Through word-of-mouth Being previously associated with cosmetic companies, Prtitika says she had the access to the right network of suppliers. Although Pritika hails from a family of entrepreneurs, she lacked experience but hugely benefitted from her father’s support and expertise. Her initial challenges included sourcing skilled labour and training them on the processes, right from packaging, research as well as production. However, at the core of the business, Pritika believes, lies delivery on promise of product quality. “Although I have the right technique and knowledge and I can explain what my products are, how are they going to trust my company? The only way to gain this trust to deliver on any amount of order promised and slowly build the loyalty,” she says. “The rest is taken care of through word-ofmouth. Also, there is no element of marketing better and organic than a client’s words of praise for a product,” she adds.

Air quality remains ‘satisfactory’ as Delhi

Pollution levels in Delhi remained in the ‘satisfactory’ zone on Monday even as many government and private offices opened with a third of their staff on the first day of the two-week exit from the lockdown, because of which there was increased activity and traffic presence in the city. Experts said it will take some time to analyse the impact of resumption of activity on the pollution levels. High wind speed and frequent spells of rain will, however, help keep pollution in check for the rest of the week. According to Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) bulletin released at 9pm, the average air quality index (AQI) on Monday was 90 ( in the ‘satisfactory’ zone). At 93, the AQI on Sunday was also in the ‘satisfactory’ zone. The last time Delhi experienced ‘satisfactory’ air quality was on April 27 when the index was recorded at 89. “Pollution levels in the city during the lockdown period have mostly fluctuated between ‘moderate’ and ‘satisfactory levels, mainly because of no traffic movement or activity, apart from the good weather and frequent rainfall. Since it was just the first day of relaxations coming into effect, any impact on overall pollution levels will only be reflected late night or tomorrow (Tuesday) morning,” a senior CPCB official, who did not wish to be named, said. The official said an increase in the number of vehicles on roads may degrade air quality. But good wind speed expected over the next two days is likely to mitigate the detrimental effects. According to scientists at India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Sunday evening the wind speed went up to 58 kmph, the highest for Delhi this summer. The high wind speed and rainfall helped push the air quality from ‘moderate’ to ‘satisfactory’. “The air quality is likely to improve further on Tuesday, with the wind speed expected to go up to 40-50 kmph between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Delhi has had six western disturbances in April, as against the usual three to four, resulting in frequent thunderstorms and rainfall. We are expecting another western disturbance to hit northwestern India between May 10 and May 12 and it will result in rain and gusty winds,” Kuldeep Srivastava, head, IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said. According to experts, since Monday was just the first day of more private vehicles plying on roads and economic activity slowly starting to pick up, the impact of the emissions will take a while to reflect in the pollution levels. “So far we don’t know the quantum of the vehicles plying on the roads. Any significant increase in the traffic will impact NOx levels and there will be some impact on PM 2.5 levels as well. But we will need to analyse data for at least a week to establish a trend,” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said. Roychowdhury said that so far, the prominent pollutant in the air was PM 10 (mainly generated from dust) because intrusion of dust is higher during summers. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the union government’s air quality monitoring and forecasting wing, air quality may improve to ‘good’ level by Tuesday. “Rainfall has resulted in washing out of pollutants and air quality is expected to improve over the next two days,” its bulletin said.

Prima Klima mit Corona?

Seit Ende März leben in Indien 1,3 Milliarden Menschen im verordneten Lockdown. In Neu-Delhi, einer der schmutzigsten Städte der Welt, ist der Smog zurückgegangen, der Himmel ist blau, die Flüsse klar, die Vögel laut. Ein Aufatmen mit Ablaufdatum. Die Vögel in Neu-Delhi erwachen früh am Morgen: Papageien, Hornvögel und Wiedehopfe sitzen auf Ästen mit knallgrünen Blättern. Schwarzmilane kreisen in der warmen Brise. In de Hauptstadt von Indien klingt es seit Wochen wie in einem Vogelkäfig. Nur mit dem Unterschied, dass jetzt die Menschen gefangen sind. In Indien gilt eine absolute Ausgangssperre, die Vögel allerdings können einfach über die Barrikaden und Absperrungen hinwegfliegen. Ein blauer Himmel mit vereinzelten Schäfchenwolken über einem sehr grünen Park mit vielen Laubbäumen. (Silke Diettrich / ARD-Studio Neu-Delhi)Blauer Himmel und Schäfchenwolken über Neu- Delhi: Normalerweise liegt eine dicke Smogschicht über der Stadt. (Silke Diettrich / ARD-Studio Neu-Delhi) Der Verkehr ist hier sonst so laut, dass die Vögel kaum zu hören sind. Kinder und Jugendliche hier haben fast noch nie Schäfchenwolken gesehen, selten einen Sternenhimmel. Denn seit vielen Jahren liegt eine so dicke Glocke über ihren Köpfen, dass sie fast ohne mit den Augen zwinkern zu müssen, in die Sonne schauen können. Die Großstädte versinken in einem milchigen Gelb, die Blätter der Pflanzen leuchten meist nicht mehr. Umgeben von einer dicken Staubschicht werden sie fahl und grau. Von den weltweit 30 Städten mit der dreckigsten Luft, liegen 22 in Indien. Autos, Fabriken, Baustellen stehen still Und nun, seit fast sechs Wochen, steht fast alles still, was mit den Menschen hier zu tun hat: Autos, Fabriken, Baustellen. Die Ausgangssperre habe uns nun direkt vor Augen geführt, wie schnell die Werte der Luftverschmutzung nach unten sinken könnten, sagt die Forschungsdirektorin vom Zentrum für Wissenschaft und Umwelt, Anumita Roy Chowdhury. „Natürlich willst du nicht von so einem Katastrophenfall abhängig sein, um die Umweltverschmutzung zu verringern“, sagt sie. „Aber durch diesen Notstand sind wir gezwungen, wichtige Veränderung vorzunehmen. Und nun ist die Frage, ob wir auch nach der Pandemie diese systematischen Veränderungen auf unser Leben ableiten können. Ein Beispiel wäre, dass wir nicht mehr so viel mit dem Auto fahren, weil wir ein neues Verhältnis dazu bekommen, wie wir unseren Arbeitsplatz definieren.“ Denn auch in Neu-Delhi arbeiten nun unzählige Leute von zu Hause aus, vor allem die aus der Mittel- und Oberschicht. Fast jeden Tag schauen sie bei ihrem Smartphone auf die Luft-Qualitäts-App. In der Regel ist dort ein Emoji zu sehen, in dunkel-braun-rot, das je nach Luftwerten eine Atemschutzmaske oder sogar eine Gasmaske trägt. Die Adjektive zur Luft darunter lauten: ungesund, oder stark gesundheitsgefährdend. Nicht so in den letzten sechs Wochen, zum ersten Mal lacht das Emoji mehrere Tage am Stück, ist grün oder gelb. Die Luft: gut bis mittelmäßig. Das hat es noch nie gegeben in den letzten Jahren. Aber nicht nur die Qualität der Luft hat sich hier in Neu-Delhi verbessert. Eine helle männliche Steinfigur mit langen Haaren und Rauschebart sitzt im Schneidersitz in einem Gewässer. (Silke Diettrich / ARD-Studio Neu-Delhi)Die Wasserqualität im Fluss Yamuna ist schon nach zwei Wochen Ausgangssperre besser geworden. (Silke Diettrich / ARD-Studio Neu-Delhi) In den sozialen Netzwerken haben Userinnen und User aus Neu-Delhi Videos und Fotos gepostet von der Yamuna. Das ist der Fluss, der durch die Hauptstadt fließt. Blau und an einigen Stellen sogar so klar, dass der Sand auf dem Boden zu sehen ist. Normalerweise ist der Fluss schlammig braun, in der Trockenzeit gleicht eher einer Kloake, Metanblasen wippen dann auf einer tiefschwarzen Brühe. Also haben wir den Test gemacht und sind einfach mal ans Flussufer gefahren. Die ersten Stichproben sind ernüchternd: Es riecht wie immer leicht faulig, der Fluss ist schwarz, und dicke Schaumwolken wackeln auf der Wasseroberfläche. „Wir Menschen sind schuld daran, dass alles verseucht ist“ Durch Zufall treffen wir hier auf den Gesundheitsminister von Neu-Delhi, Satyender Jain. Auch er will sich ein reales Bild von der Situation verschaffen: „Die Wasserqualität hat sich im Vergleich zu vorher schon verbessert“, sagt Jain, „weil kaum jemand derzeit in der gewerblichen Wirtschaft arbeitet und die, ja leider, meistens ihr Dreckwasser einfach ohne es zu reinigen in den Fluss abgeleitet hatte. Die Ausgangssperre führt uns eines ganz deutlich vor Augen: Wir Menschen tragen die Schuld daran, dass alles verseucht ist. Die Natur fordert gerade ihr Leben zurück.“ Viele Menschen in Neu-Delhi, wie auf der ganzen Welt, fürchten gerade direkt um ihr Leben, durch den Ausbruch des Coronavirus. In Indien sind bislang weniger als 40.000 Menschen positiv darauf getestet worden. Aber es werden im Vergleich zu anderen Ländern auch deutlich weniger Tests durchgeführt. Die Ärzte in den Krankenhäusern allerdings sagen, dass derzeit sehr viel weniger Menschen mit Atemwegsproblemen als sonst in die Kliniken kommen. Das dürfte natürlich auch damit zu tun haben, dass es eine komplette Ausgangssperre gibt und viele Menschen die Krankenhäuser vermeiden wollen. Enorm verbesserte Luftqualität Aber die Luftwerte haben sich im ganzen Land enorm verbessert. Um 50, an einigen Stellen sogar um 70 Prozent, hat sich die Luftverschmutzung verringert, das zeigen auch Aufnahmen von der NASA. Die Menschen in Indien können also an vielen Orten derzeit besser atmen und dennoch halten viele die Luft an: Weil die Zahlen der Coronainfizierten noch steigen. Und auch die Todesfälle, die derzeit offiziell noch bei weit unter 2000 liegen. Durch die Folgen der Luftverschmutzung, so sagen es Umweltwissenschaftler, würden in Indien im Jahr mehr als eine Million Menschen sterben. | May 5, 2020