जैविक ईधन की ओर अग्रसर दुनिया

जैविक ईधन की ओर अग्रसर दुनिया
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जैविक र्इंधन कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड का अवशोषण कर हमारे परिवेश को स्वच्छ रखता है। अगर इसका इस्तेमाल होता है तो इससे र्इंधन की कीमतें घटती हैं और पर्यावरण को भी कम नुकसान होता है। यही नहीं, अगर भारत में कृषि क्षेत्र को जैविक र्इंधन के उत्पादन से जोड़ दिया जाए तो किसानों का भला होगा। लिहाजा, सरकार को इसे प्रचलन में लाने के लिए बढ़ावा देना चाहिए।
यह स्वागतयोग्य है कि ‘कोप 23’ नाम से हुए संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण परिवर्तन सम्मेलन में ग्लोबल वार्मिंग और वायु प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए जैविक र्इंधन के इस्तेमाल के लिए भारत समेत उन्नीस देशों ने अपनी सहमति की मुहर लगा दी है। सुखद यह भी है कि इसी सम्मेलन में समृद्ध और विकसित देशों ने एकजुटता दिखाते हुए भविष्य में कोयले से बिजली उत्पादन बंद करने की भी शपथ ली। इससे संबंधित घोषणा पत्र में कहा गया है कि पृथ्वी पर ग्लोबल वार्मिंग दो डिग्री सेल्शियस से कम पर ही सीमित करने के लिए विकसित देशों को हर हाल में 2030 तक कोयले से मुक्त होना होगा। बाकी दुनिया में कोयले का इस्तेमाल बंद करने को लेकर 2050 तक की समय सीमा निर्धारित की गई है।
गौरतलब है कि जैविक र्इंधन पर सहमति जताने वाले इन उन्नीस देशों में दुनिया की आधी आबादी रहती है और अर्थव्यवस्था में इन देशों की वैश्विक हिस्सेदारी सैंतीस प्रतिशत है। अगर ये सभी देश जैविक र्इंधन के इस्तेमाल को बढ़ावा देते हैं तो निस्संदेह ग्लोबल वार्मिंग और वायु प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित किया जा सकेगा। जीवाश्म र्इंधन में सबसे अधिक गंदे और प्रदूषित कोयले से अब भी विश्व की तकरीबन चालीस प्रतिशत बिजली का उत्पादन होता है। समस्या अब तक यही रही है कि जो देश पूरी तरह से कोयले पर अपनी निर्भरता खत्म भी कर सकते थे, वे भी ‘नो कोल’ कहने से बच रहे थे। लेकिन अच्छी बात यह है कि विकसित देशों का हृदय परिवर्तन हुआ है। कनाडा और ब्रिटेन समेत कई विकसित देशों ने तय किया है कि वे कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड के उत्पादन को वातावरण में कम करने के लिए कोयले की परियोजनाओं से दूर रहेंगे।

यों हर साल 10 अगस्त, 2016 को गैर जीवाश्म र्इंधन के प्रति जागरूकता पैदा करने के उद्देश्य से जैव र्इंधन दिवस मनाया जाता है। दरअसल, डीजल इंजन के आविष्कारक सर रुदाल्फ डीजल ने 10 अगस्त, 1893 को ही पहली बार मूंगफली के तेल से यांत्रिक र्इंजन को सफलतापूर्वक चलाया था। उन्होंने शोध के प्रयोग के बाद भविष्यवाणी की थी कि अगली सदी में विभिन्न यांत्रिक इंजन जैविक र्इंधन से चलेंगे और इसी में दुनिया का भला भी है। हाल ही में संयुक्त राष्ट्र विश्व मौसम संबंधी संगठन के सालाना ग्रीनहाउस गैस बुलेटिन में कार्बन उत्सर्जन के आंकड़े चौंकाने वाले हैं। बीते साल धरती के वायुमंडल में जिस रफ्तार से कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड जमा हुई, उतनी पिछले लाखों वर्षों के दौरान नहीं देखी गई।
विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि कार्बन उत्सर्जन की यह दर समुद्र तल में बीस मीटर और तापमान में तीन डिग्री इजाफा करने में सक्षम है। अगर ऐसा हुआ तो धरती का कोई कोना और कोई जीव सुरक्षित नहीं रह सकेगा। बीते कुछ दशकों में जिस गति से वातावरण में कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड की मात्रा बढ़ी है, वह पच्चीस लाख वर्ष पहले दुनिया से आखिरी हिम-युग खत्म होने के समय हुई वृद्धि से सौ गुना अधिक है। इससे पहले तीस से पचास लाख वर्ष पूर्व मध्य प्लीयोसीन युग में वातावरण में कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड चार सौ पीपीएम के स्तर पर पहुंचा था। तब सतह का वैश्विक औसत तापमान आज से 2-3 डिग्री सेल्शियस अधिक था। इसके चलते ग्रीनलैंड और पश्चिमी अंटाकर्टिक की बर्फ की चादरें पिघल गर्इं। इससे समुद्र का स्तर आज की तुलना में 10-20 मीटर ऊंचा हो गया था। 2016 की ही बात करें तो कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड की वृद्धि दर पिछले दशक की कार्बन वृद्धि दर से 50 प्रतिशत तेज रही। इसके चलते औद्योगिक काल से पहले के कार्बन स्तर से 45 प्रतिशत ज्यादा कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड इस साल उत्सर्जित हुई। 400 पीपीएम का स्तर हालिया हिम युगों और गर्म काल के 180-280 पीपीएम से कहीं अधिक है। उसका मूल कारण यह है कि 2016 में कोयला, तेल, सीमेंट का इस्तेमाल और जंगलों की कटाई अपने रिकॉर्ड स्तर पर पहुंच गई। अल-नीनो प्रभाव ने भी कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड के स्तर में इजाफा करने में बड़ी भूमिका निभाई है।
अफसोस की बात है कि समय-समय पर कार्बन उत्सर्जन की दर में कमी लाने का संकल्प जाहिर किया गया, लेकिन उसे मूर्त रूप नहीं दिया गया। गौर करें तो आज की तारीख में भारत और चीन जहरीली गैस सल्फर डाइआॅक्साइड के शीर्ष उत्सर्जक देशों में शुमार हैं। सल्फर डाइआॅक्साइड मुख्य रूप से बिजली उत्पादन के लिए कोयले को जलाने पर उत्पन्न होती है। इससे एसिड रेन और धुंध समेत स्वास्थ्य संबंधी कई समस्याएं जन्म लेती हैं। भारत में पिछले एक दशक में सल्फर डाइआॅक्साइड के उत्सर्जन में पचास प्रतिशत का इजाफा हुआ है। यहां समझना होगा कि चीन में कोयले का इस्तेमाल 50 प्रतिशत और बिजली उत्पादन 100 प्रतिशत बढ़ा है। इसके बावजूद चीन ने विभिन्न तरीकों से उत्सर्जन को 75 प्रतिशत तक घटाया है।
चीन ने वर्ष 2000 के बाद से ही उत्सर्जन कम करने का लक्ष्य तय करने और उत्सर्जन की सीमा घटाने के लिए कारगर नीतियों को अमल में लाना शुरू किया और वह इसमें काफी हद तक सफल रहा। भारत को भी इस दिशा में ठोस कदम उठाने होंगे। इसके लिए सबसे बेहतरीन उपाय जैविक र्इंधन का इस्तेमाल है। यह ऊर्जा का महत्त्वपूर्ण स्रोत है और इसका इस्तेमाल भी सरल है। इसका देश के कुल र्इंधन उपयोग में एक-तिहाई का योगदान है और ग्रामीण परिवारों में इसकी खपत तकरीबन 90 प्रतिशत है। यह प्राकृतिक तौर से नष्ट होने वाला, सल्फर और गंध से मुक्त है। जैविक र्इंधन जीवाश्म र्इंधन की तुलना में एक स्वच्छ र्इंधन है। जीवाश्म र्इंधन उसे कहते हैं जो मृत पेड़-पौधों और जानवरों के अवशेषों से तैयार होता है। जैव र्इंधन पृथ्वी पर विद्यमान वनस्पति को रासायनिक प्रक्रिया से गुजार कर तैयार किया जाता है। उदाहरण के लिए, गन्ने के रस को अल्कोहल में बदल कर उसे पेट्रोल में मिलाया जाता है। या मक्का के दानों में खमीर उठा कर उससे र्इंधन तैयार किया जाता है। इसके अलावा जैट्रोपा, सोयाबीन और चुकंदर आदि से भी र्इंधन तैयार किया जाता है।

जैविक र्इंधन कार्बन डाइआॅक्साइड का अवशोषण कर हमारे परिवेश को स्वच्छ रखता है। अगर इसका इस्तेमाल होता है तो इससे र्इंधन की कीमतें घटती हैं और पर्यावरण को भी कम नुकसान होता है। यही नहीं, अगर भारत में कृषि क्षेत्र को जैविक र्इंधन के उत्पादन से जोड़ दिया जाए तो किसानों का भला होगा। इसलिए सरकार को इसे प्रचलन में लाने के लिए बढ़ावा देना चाहिए। गौरतलब है कि ब्राजील में जैविक र्इंधन तैयार करने के लिए पेट्रोलियम उत्पादों में बाईस प्रतिशत तक इथेनॉल मिलाया जाता है। अगर भारत भी यह रास्ता अख्तियार करे तो इससे कच्चे तेल के आयात में बाईस प्रतिशत तक की कमी आएगी और इससे विदेशी मुद्रा की बचत होगी।
यों केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल द्वारा राष्ट्रीय जैव र्इंधन नीति को 11 सितंबर, 2008 को ही मंजूरी दी जा चुकी है। इस नीति में परिकल्पना की गई है कि जैव र्इंधन यानी बायोडीजल और जैव इथेनॉल को घोषित उत्पादों के तहत रखा जाए, ताकि जैव र्इंधन के अप्रतिबंधित परिवहन को राज्य के भीतर और बाहर सुनिश्चित किया जा सके; जैव-डीजल पर कोई कर नहीं लगना चाहिए। यह भी सुनिश्चित हुआ है कि तेल विपणन कंपनियों द्वारा जैव इथेनॉल की खरीद के लिए न्यूनतम खरीद मूल्य उत्पादन की वास्तविक लागत और जैव-इथेनॉल के आयातित मूल्य पर आधारित होगा। बायो-डीजल के मामले में न्यूनतम खरीद मूल्य वर्तमान खुदरा डीजल मूल्य से संबंधित होगा। लेकिन महत्त्वपूर्ण बात है कि यह सारी कवायद कागजी है। जब तक इसे मूर्त रूप नहीं दिया जाएगा, तब तक जैविक र्इंधन के लक्ष्य को साधना कठिन होगा और ग्लोबल वार्मिंग या फिर वायु प्रदूषण से निपटने की चुनौती बरकरार रहेगी।

Pollution-choked India importing dirty fuel ‘petcoke’ from US

Pollution-choked India importing dirty fuel ‘petcoke’ from US
In 2016, the US sent more than 8 million metric tons of petcoke to India — about 20 times more than in 2010, and enough to fill the Empire State Building eight times
US oil refineries that are unable to sell a dirty fuel waste product at home are exporting vast quantities of it to India instead.

Petroleum coke, the leftover from refining Canadian tar sands and other heavy crude, is cheaper and burns hotter than coal. But it also contains more planet-warming carbon and far more heart- and lung-damaging sulfur — a key reason few American companies use it.

Refineries are sending it around the world instead, especially to energy-hungry India, which last year got almost a fourth of the fuel grade “petcoke” the US ships, an AP investigation found. In 2016, the US sent more than 8 million metric tons of petcoke to India — about 20 times more than in 2010, and enough to fill the Empire State Building eight times.

The petcoke burned in countless factories and plants is contributing to dangerously filthy air in India.

Resident Satye Bir doesn’t know why Delhi’s air is so dirty, but feels fury and resignation.

“My life is finished....My lungs are finished,” said Bir, 63, wheezing and reaching for an inhaler. “This is how I survive. Otherwise, I can’t breathe.”

Tests on imported petcoke used near the capital found 17 times more sulfur than the limit for coal, according to India’s Environmental Pollution Control Authority. India’s own petcoke, produced domestically, adds to the pollution.

Industry officials say petcoke has been an important fuel for decades, and its use recycles a waste product.

Health and environmental advocates say the US is exporting an environmental problem. The US is the biggest producer and exporter of petcoke in the world.

“We should not become the dust bin of the rest of the world,” said Sunita Narain, a pollution authority member who heads the Center for Science and the Environment. “We’re choking to death already.”

Oil refining is a lifeline in America’s industrial heartland. In northwest Indiana, a refinery and steel mills dominate the Lake Michigan shoreline, and smokestacks still symbolize opportunity.

Workers cheered when the BP Whiting refinery invested $4.2 billion to process crude extracted from Canada’s tar sands.

Dozens of US refineries built units called cokers to process heavy crude into petroleum products, but huge amounts of petcoke remained.

The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers told the AP that cokers “allow the United States to export petroleum coke to more than 30 countries to meet growing market demand.”

But experts say it’s not market forces that are driving US refiners to sell this waste product. They say refineries just need to get rid of it, and are willing to discount it steeply.

“It’s like the Wild West,” said oil analyst Stuart Ehrenreich, who once managed Koch Industries petcoke export terminals.

Petcoke is sold around the world. Among the largest traders are Oxbow Energy Solutions and Koch Carbon, led by members of the politically conservative Koch family.

Neither they nor a dozen US oil companies and traders contacted by the AP would talk about petcoke. They cited past controversies over waste storage at Midwest refineries or wanted to avoid angering business partners.

In India, no factory managers would allow AP access, and the country’s federal officials did not respond to interview requests.

Petcoke, critics say, is making a bad situation worse across India.

About 1.1 million Indians die prematurely as a result of outdoor air pollution every year, according to the nonprofit Health Effects Institute.

“Fifty percent of children in Delhi have abnormalities in their lung function — asthma, bronchitis, a recurring spasmodic cough. That’s 2.2 million children,” said Dr. Sai Kiran Chaudhuri, the Delhi Heart & Lung Institute’s pulmonary chief.

It’s impossible to gauge how much pollution is from petcoke versus other sources. But experts say it is contributing to the problem. Last year, 65 percent of India’s petcoke came from the U.S., according to trade data provider Export Genius.

In Moradabad, dozens of factories buy petcoke from middlemen, according to Sarvesh Bansal, who leads the local environmental group WatAir.

“We want the factories moved very far away from here,” said rice farmer Mohammad Sarfaraz, 25, who lives in nearby Farid Nagar. He and others don’t know what pollutants are being spewed, but they protested at factories a few years ago. “Many illnesses occur because of the factories.”

India’s petcoke appetite prompted it to begin producing its own. Still, U.S. petcoke remains popular.

J.P. Gupta, whose Moradabad factory makes acrylic fibres for clothing, said he burns Indian petcoke. The factory spent about $300,000 to control sulfur, he said, but would have spent 50 percent more on pollution controls for U.S. petcoke, which he says is dirtier.

“There are some who are not bothering about the pollution,” he said.

At an open-air brick kiln down the road, workers shoveled petcoke and coal into a furnace. Such small factories account for at least a quarter of India’s energy generation.

But few adhere to pollution standards, said Ajay Mathur, head of The Energy Research Institute.

The Indian environment ministry has denied petcoke threatens New Delhi’s public health. However, National Green Tribunal judges demanded in May that the government investigate petcoke’s health impacts. And the Supreme Court later banned petcoke use by some industries in states surrounding the capital and demanded pollution standards that could further limit use nationwide.

The ministry refused interview requests.

If pollution limits affect India petcoke use, U.S. refiners will find new customers, perhaps in Asia and Africa, experts and environmentalists said.

“It’s a classic case of environmental dumping,” said Lorne Stockman, director of the environmental group Oil Change International. “They need to get rid of it, so it’s dumped into a poor, developing country
अमेरिकी कंपनियां आवोहवा के लिए बेहद खतरनाक पेट्रोकोक या पेट्रोलियम कोक का निर्यात करती हैं। इसमें कार्बन और सल्फर की मात्रा खतरनाक स्तर तक ज्यादा होती है। इससे फेफड़ों को काफी नुकसान पहुंचता है। कनाडाई कोलतार या टार सैंड्स क्रूड को रिफाइन करने के बाद बचे पेट्रोकोक का भारत में निर्यात कर दिया जाता है। अक्टूबर-नवंबर में दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण की स्थिति बहुत खराब हो गई थी। यहां तक कि कई विदेशी राजनयिकों को दिल्ली से बाहर जाना पड़ा था। वायु प्रदूषण के कारण होने वाली बीमारियों के चलते भारत में सालाना 11 लाख लोगों की असमय मौत हो जाती है।
पेट्रोकोक में कार्बन और सल्फर की ज्यादा मात्रा होने के चलते अमेरिका में इसका इस्तेमाल बेहद कम होता है। सख्त प्रावधानों के कारण भी कंपनियां इसका प्रयोग करने से बचती हैं। इसके चलते इसका निर्यात किया जाता है। एनर्जी की कमी से जूझ रहा भारत इसके प्रमुख बाजारों में से एक है। अमेरिका में उत्पादित कुल पेट्रोकोक में से एक चौथाई का भारत आयात करता है। वर्ष 2016 में अमेरिका ने भारत को 80 मिलियन मीट्रिक टन पेट्रोकोक निर्यात किया था। साल 2010 की तुलना में यह 20 गुना अधिक है। यह मात्रा इतनी है कि ऐतिहासिक एंपायर स्टेट बिल्डिंग को आठ बार भरा जा सकता है।
फैक्टरियों द्वारा पेट्रोकोक के अंधाधुंध इस्तेमाल से पहले से ही वायु प्रदूषण की समस्या से जूझ रहे भारत की स्थिति और गंभीर हो गई है। हालांकि, अभी यह तय नहीं है कि पिछले महीने दिल्ली में पैदा संकट में पेट्रोकोक की कितनी हिस्सेदारी थी, लेकिन विशेषज्ञ इसे भी जिम्मेदार ठहरा रहे हैं। नई दिल्ली में इस्तेमाल किए जा रहे पेट्रोकोक की जांच में खतरनाक परिणाम सामने आए हैं। इसमें कोयले की तुलना में सात गुना और डीजल की तुलना में 1380 गुना ज्यादा सल्फर पाया गया है। कोर्ट द्वारा नियुक्त एनवायरमेंटल पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल अथॉरिटी की पड़ताल में यह बात सामने आई है।
कोयले की तुलना में ज्यादा सस्ता और ज्यादा ऊर्जा देने के कारण भारतीय औद्योगिक इकाइयों में इसके इस्तेमाल का चलन बढ़ा है। इसके अलावा आयात शुल्क कम होने की वजह से भी इसे बढ़ावा मिल रहा है। स्वास्थ्य और पर्यावरण पर प्रतिकूल प्रभावों के चलते अमेरिकी कंपनियां इसका ज्यादा इस्तेमाल नहीं करती हैं। अमेरिका पेट्रोकोक का सबसे बड़ा उत्पादक और निर्यातक देश है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि भारत इसे ज्यादा नहीं झेल सकता है, यहां के लोग पहले से ही वायु प्रदूषण से परेशान हैं।

India Awarded Certificate of Commendation for Its Effort to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade

India Awarded Certificate of Commendation for Its Effort to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade”: Dr Harsh Vardhan

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that India has been awarded with the Certificate of Commendation for its exemplary enforcement action in its regional and global effort to combat illegal wildlife trade. “The award was given to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau yesterday by the Secretary General of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) at Geneva, Switzerland”, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said in New Delhi today.

The Environment Minister said that the award has been presented to WCCB under the Ministry for its efforts in conducting and coordinating a species specific wildlife enforcement Operation, codenamed “Operation Save Kurma”. Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that India is the only recipient of the Certificate of Commendation at the 69th Standing Committee meeting of CITES at Geneva. He added that “Operation Save Kurma” was conducted in the country by the WCCB to combat the proliferating illegal trade in live turtles and its parts from the country to destinations abroad. The Minister pointed out that the operation was also aimed to invite attention of the enforcement agencies towards such illegal trade.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated that during the ‘Operation Save Kurma’ conducted from December 15, 2016 to January 30, 2017, approximately 16, 000 live turtles/tortoises were seized and released back into the wild. He said that 55 suspects involved in the illegal trade were also arrested.

WCCB worked in close collaboration with regional law enforcement agencies, including West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department, State Police and Forest Department, the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police, Karnataka Forest and Police departments and Maharashtra and Rajasthan Forest Departments.

A message from Dr. Harsh Vardhan was conveyed to all the participants of the 69th Standing Committee of CITES at Geneva.

Presently, 183 countries across the world are signatory to the Convention.

Western Ghats’s biodiversity faces threat of encroachment: UN body

Western Ghats’s biodiversity faces threat of encroachment: UN body
Biodiversity in the Western Ghats is facing a threat from deforestation, encroachment and conversion, says International Union for Conservation of Nature at the UN climate change conference in Bonn
Biodiversity in India’s iconic Western Ghats is facing a threat from forest loss, encroachment and conversion, said a global environment agency in its report.

It also put the hills in the “significant concern” category in its new outlook in the conservation prospects of natural World Heritage sites. The report, released recently by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, says pressure from the human population in the Western Ghats region is greater than that faced by many protected areas around the world.

The new report, “IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2”, which assesses for the first time changes in conservation prospects of all 241 natural World Heritage sites, warns that climate change will probably exacerbate a system already under pressure and has the potential to impact the large-scale monsoonal processes which the Western Ghats influence. Moderating the region’s tropical climate,the site presents one of the best examples of the monsoon system on the planet.

A network of 39 separately managed sites in the Western Ghats was inscribed as a World Heritage site by Unesco in 2012. It says ongoing pressure for development would continue to place the Western Ghats under high threat. Traditionally conserved by small populations of indigenous people leading sustainable lifestyles, the area is under increasing population and developmental pressure, requiring intensive and targeted management efforts to ensure that not only are existing values conserved, but that some past damage may be remediated, it says.

The report said pressure from human populations in this region should not be underestimated. 50 million people are estimated to live in the Western Ghats, “resulting in pressures which are orders of magnitude greater than many protected areas around the world”. Evidence suggests that forest loss, encroachment and conversion continue to affect the property, it said. It, however, acknowledges the initiatives taken by the government to protect the biodiversity of Ghats.

“The challenges are many, but the will by both government and non-governmental groups to ensure the conservation of the Western Ghats is high,” it says. However, until more data is accumulated (on conservation trends and protection and management aspects), and given the number and level of threats that this property faces, its conservation outlook is still assessed as of significant concern, says the report.

Older than the Himalayan mountains, the Western Ghats, spread over Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, represents geomorphic features of immense importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes. The report says each of the 39 component parts of the property has its own management system and protective measures that vary throughout this complex serial site that stretches over a distance of some 1,600km from north to south.

“There is a priority need to articulate a clear overarching management framework that harmonizes policy and management practise across the various clusters and states. Functional corridors that assure wildlife movement and ecological connectivity between the clusters of component protected areas are also required,” it says.

The global World Heritage Outlook in 2017 remains similar to 2014, with a positive conservation outlook (“good” or “good with some concerns”) for 64% of sites, “significant concern” for 29% and “critical” status for 7%.

These results are for the 241 natural World Heritage sites listed as of November 2017,including new sites which have been inscribed on the World Heritage List since the previous report.

Delhi’s air pollution is both a challenge and an opportunity

Delhi’s air pollution is both a challenge and an opportunity
Success in tackling Delhi’s air pollution could provide a template for making other cities liveable—an essential requirement for attracting investment and generating quality jobs
Air pollution in Delhi has dominated the headlines over the past few weeks and rightly so. The problem is especially urgent because Delhi is not the only polluted city in the country. Eleven of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India. Given the massive expansion we expect in the urban population over the next 20 years, and the need to attract investment to create quality jobs, we need to make our cities liveable and attractive to tourists. Success in Delhi could provide a much needed template for the other cities.

Awareness of the problem

Recognizing the problem is the first step towards corrective action and there is progress in this area. A few years ago, an American journalist stationed in Delhi wrote a farewell piece saying that he was leaving Delhi because the air pollution monitors in the US embassy showed that staying in the Capital would put his children’s health at risk. There was an outburst of nationalistic outrage that the embassy was probably exaggerating the problem. Since then, a number of government monitoring stations have been established in Delhi and they confirm that the problem is indeed serious.

Click here for enlarge
The figure above reports the level of air pollution by PM 2.5 particles at the Siri Fort station in New Delhi for the 12 months from mid-November 2016 to mid-November 2017. The sharp spikes when readings go off the chart are frightening and attract headlines but the real problem is not these emergency situations. It is that the average for the year, at 142, is far too high. It is more than three times the national standard of 40, and 14 times the stricter WHO (World Health Organization) standard of 10. If the monsoon months are excluded, most of the readings are consistently in the unhealthy range.

Medical experts in India have warned that children exposed to this level of pollution will develop asthmatic problems much earlier than normal. Pregnant women exposed to high levels of air pollution are more likely to deliver low birth weight babies, with all the permanent health problems that it causes. Senior citizens are also at risk.

Many activists have been working hard at raising consciousness and even pushing the judiciary to act. But judicial pushing can only go so far. It is useful in cases where prohibition of activities is all that is needed. It cannot devise a carefully crafted strategy operating on many fronts. This is for the government to do and then implement.

Can pollution be controlled?

Until a few years ago, Beijing was more polluted than Delhi. There were many stories in the international press about the very high levels of pollution in the run up to the prestigious 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The Chinese government took firm action to control local industrial pollution, reduce the use of coal in power plants, and also restrain the sale of cars in Beijing. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa) satellite data show a 17% decline in the concentration of fine particulate matter over China between 2010 and 2015. The same data show an increase of 13% over India in the same period. Pollution in China is still bad, but it is seen to be slowly coming under control whereas it is rising in India.

An action plan for Delhi

If we want to bring pollution down from the average of 142 to the national standard of 40, we need to (a) reduce pollution by as much as 72% and (b) ensure that it stays at that level notwithstanding growth of population and economic activity. This will require action on a massive scale by many central ministries and Delhi state government bodies acting on different areas.

The Environmental (Prevention and Control of) Pollution Authority (EPCA), established by the Supreme Court, has prepared a comprehensive multi-dimensional action plan for control of pollution in Delhi. It includes proposals for shifting to cleaner vehicles and fuels, restraining the growth in cars and expanding public transport as an alternative, stopping pollution from coal-based power plants, controlling pollution from industry, putting a stop to burning garbage, preventing pollution from construction activities and controlling burning of crop residues in neighbouring states. Some of the actions have to be taken by the central government and others by the Delhi state government and local bodies. Actions that have to be taken by the central government are also spread across different ministries.

Road dust contributes about 38% of the pollution. This component is particularly difficult to control since it reflects both poor road conditions with unpaved footpaths, and the use of traditional technology—hand-held brooms—for sweeping the streets. Such sweeping can shift litter to one side, to be collected separately. It does little to control road dust. It only throws it up in clouds and shifts it to the side, from where it is disturbed again by traffic through the day. Vacuum cleaning devices attached to mechanical sweepers will help, but that would require massive investment in equipment, which may be beyond the funding budget of the municipality. Similarly, proposals for sprinkling water over all the roads in the city would run into water-availability constraints.

Vehicle emissions account for 20% of the pollution and this component is likely to increase as the number of cars multiplies. There is much that could be done in this area. The decision to advance BS VI fuel to 2018 for Delhi, and 2020 for the whole country, is a welcome move. It needs to be accompanied by action to ensure that new cars are all equipped with engines designed for BS VI fuel. The two together will reduce particulate pollution by 70% to 80%. However, since the large stock of older cars will remain for many years, and the total number of cars is also expected to expand, the total pollution load from automobiles may not come down sufficiently over the near future. There is no alternative to actively discouraging car ownership and plan a massive shift to public transport in the capital.

Discouraging car ownership calls for many tough decisions. We need to increase the taxation of cars by introducing an annual or biannual licence fee, as we have for buses. We also need to introduce higher parking charges in the areas of the city that are congested and the charges should be high enough to discourage car usage. We need to eliminate the current favourable tax treatment of diesel compared with petrol to discourage the trend to use diesel vehicles, especially SUVs. The WHO has classified diesel as a No.1 carcinogenic, along with tobacco. Diesel need not be banned since its use in sparsely populated areas will not create excessive pollution, but it should definitely be discouraged in urban locations. A higher licence fee could be prescribed for diesel vehicles.

In the longer run, electrification of cars and scooters will solve the problem, but even if all cars sold from 2030 onwards are electric, it will be a long time before a substantial portion of the stock of cars becomes electric. To accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) we should announce that all taxis and three wheelers must compulsorily be made electric in Delhi, as soon as such vehicles become available.

Discouragement of cars needs to be accompanied by a parallel effort to expand bus and Metro services. This is widely supported, but it runs into financial constraints. The EPCA has recommended the creation of an urban transport fund to upgrade public transport. All receipts from parking charges, and also the licence fee on cars and buses should be paid into this fund. Those who support public transport often baulk at measures to raise funds to finance it. The Central government could offer to provide matching funds equal to what is raised by the cities.

We should definitely consider ending the use of coal in power plants located close to Delhi. There are gas-based power plants which are under-utilized partly because the utility prefers to buy lower priced coal-based electricity, and partly because gas is not available. Gas could be imported, but this will make gas-based power even more expensive. A regulatory intervention forcing coal-based plants to shut down, ensuring adequate supply of gas, and most importantly, allowing the price of electricity to rise, is needed. Higher energy prices will be resented but they are essential if we want to shift to more energy- efficient outcomes. The present cess on coal needs to be increased steadily over time.

Tough action is also needed to control of industrial pollution. Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment has been conducting a one-woman battle to ban the import of Pet coke, an exceptionally dirty fuel which is banned in the US, but which is freely imported by us (from the US) and used by many smaller industries. The use of Pet coke is banned in Delhi, and we can monitor domestic refineries to ensure that they don’t sell the Pet coke they produce in Delhi. However, if large quantities are allowed to be imported, the ban on its use can only be enforced in Delhi by policing the consumers, which is near impossible. An outright ban on the import of this dirty fuel is a low-hanging fruit

Burning mixed municipal waste in Delhi is highly polluting. We need to shift within the next three years to an effective system of separating municipal waste into biodegradable waste which can be converted into compost and energy, recyclable waste including plastic which can be recycled, inert waste which can be converted into refuse-derived fuel for power generation, and residual non-combustible waste which has to go to scientific landfills. This is a challenge for the Delhi government which it should take on.

Since many ministries are involved, the ministry of environment should be tasked with (a) identifying the actions planned by different ministries, (b) estimating the effect of these actions on the trajectory of pollution, (c) determining whether the resulting trajectory is acceptable as a national commitment towards reaching the national target, and if not pushing for stronger action, and finally (d) monitoring progress on an agreed trajectory to see if pollution is indeed being reduced as projected. If progress is unsatisfactory, then the ministries have to go back to the drawing board.

Something along these lines would put us on a credible path to reducing pollution over time. It will take time, but at least we will know when we can start breathing easy. Anyone who doubts whether the costs are worth it should consider that researchers have concluded that if Delhi’s air pollution could be lowered to the national standard, it would increase the life expectancy of Delhi’s citizens by six years.

Inter-Linking of Rivers

Inter-Linking of Rivers

The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation, now Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports. The pre-feasibility report of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA. After survey and investigations, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and Feasibility Reports of 2 links and draft Feasibility Reports of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed.
Four priority links under Peninsular Rivers Component have been identified for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) viz; Ken-Betwa Link, Phase –I & II, Damanganga-Pinjal Link, Par-Tapi-Narmada link and Mahanadi-Godavari link. The preparation of DPR of a project is taken up only after consent of concerned State Governments. Based on the concurrence of the concerned States, DPRs of Ken-Betwa link project Phase-I & Phase-II, Damanganga-Pinjal link and Par-Tapi-Narmada link have been completed. The techno-economic clearance and various statutory clearances of the Ken-Betwa link project Phase-I have been accorded. The techno-economic clearance of the Damanganga-Pinjal link project has also been accorded subject to statutory clearances. The DPR of Par-Tapi-Narmada link is under technical appraisal in the Central Water Commission.
The implementation of Inter linking of Rivers (ILR) projects involves various steps such as preparation of Pre-feasibility Reports(PFRs) /Feasibility Reports (FRs) of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, agreement with neighboring countries if link involves area lying in those countries, preparation of DPRs of the projects, clearance from appraisal agencies which includes clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), techno-economic clearance by Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control & Multipurpose Projects of MoWR, RD & GR, investment clearance and the construction time required for the completion of the project as per the DPR.
The stage of implementation of a project would be reached after its DPR is prepared with the consensus of concerned States and the requisite statutory clearances are obtained. Thus the implementation of the projects will take varying periods of time.
No State except Kerala is opposing the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) Programme. Further Kerala Government is opposing only Pamba-Achankovil-Vaippar link which concerns the State.
Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is pursuing the ILR program in a consultative manner.
As directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 27.02.2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 512 of 2002 on ‘Networking of Rivers’ alongwith Writ Petition No. 668 of 2002 a committee called “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” vide Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, 2014 has been constituted.
The Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers chaired by Hon’ble Union Minister (WR, RD & GR) as per the direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court is expediting the progress and effective implementation in the ILR projects. Thirteen meetings of the Special Committee for ILR have been held so far and the last meeting was held on July 27, 2017 at New Delhi. Views and observations on the ILR programme have been received from various State Govts, experts and other stakeholders in the meetings of the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR). The Special Committee would consider all such observations appropriately while planning and formulating the ILR projects.
The Committee, after considering the views of all the stakeholders, is proceeding ahead to expedite the objectives of the interlinking of rivers as per terms of reference. Vigorous efforts have been taken up for generating consensus with development of alternative plans and also setting out road maps for implementation of mature projects.

NGT declares 100m from edge of Ganga river as ‘no-development zone’

NGT declares 100m from edge of Ganga river as ‘no-development zone’
National Green Tribunal (NGT) also prohibits dumping of waste within 500 metres of Ganga river, declares Rs50,000 fine on anyone found doing so
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday passed a slew of directions to rejuvenate the Ganga river, declaring a “No-Development Zone” 100 metres from the edge of the river between Haridwar and Unnao and prohibiting dumping of waste within 500 metres from the river.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar also declared that an environment compensation of Rs50,000 will be imposed on anyone who dumps waste in the Ganga river.

The apex environment regulator directed all authorities concerned to complete various projects including setting up of a sewage treatment plant and cleaning drains within two years. It also said the Uttar Pradesh government should be “duty-bound” to shift tanneries within six weeks, from Jajmau in Kanpur to leather parks in Unnao or any other place it considers appropriate.

The NGT also directed the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to formulate guidelines for religious activities on the ghats of Ganga or its tributaries. The tribunal also appointed a supervisory committee, headed by the secretary of the water resources ministry and comprising IIT professors and officials from UP government to oversee implementation of the directions passed in its 543- page verdict. It also asked the committee to submit reports at regular intervals.

The NGT said the concept of zero liquid discharge and online monitoring of affluents should not be applied to industrial units. It said that all industrial units falling in the catchment area of the Ganga river should be stopped from indiscriminate extraction of groundwater.

The tribunal had heard the arguments of the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government, pollution control boards and various other stakeholders for almost 18 months before reserving the judgement on 31 May.

The green panel has divided the work of cleaning the river in different segments—Gomukh to Haridwar (Phase-I), Haridwar to Unnao (termed as segment B of Phase-I), Unnao to border of Uttar Pradesh, border of Uttar Pradesh to border of Jharkhand and border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal. It has already delivered the verdict in December 2015 with regard to first phase between Gomukh to Haridwar. The verdict came on a 1985 PIL of noted environment activist M.C. Mehta which was transferred to the NGT from the Supreme Court in 2014.

67 tiger deaths reported in first half of 2017

67 tiger deaths reported in first half of 2017

An average of 11 tigers died every month in the first half of 2017 in India, indicating that at this rate tiger deaths this year could cross the 2016 figure

An average of 11 tigers died every month in the first half of 2017 in India, a number that indicates the country could lose more of its national animals this year than it did in 2016, which saw 122 tiger deaths, the most in a decade.

Growth of illegal international trade in tiger parts is resulting in a growth in poaching in India, home to around 60% of the world’s tigers that live in the wild.

This year, a total of 67 tiger deaths have been recorded thus far. Of this, nine are presumed deaths on the basis of body parts seized (although it is possible the animals were killed earlier). In many of the remaining cases, the cause of death is yet to be established.

India has 50 tiger reserves that cover 2.12% of the country’s total geographical area

Of the 122 tiger deaths registered in 2016 , 22 were presumed deaths on the basis of body parts seized. In the other 100 cases, the cause of death ranged from natural death in old age to drowning, electrocution, fighting, road/rail accidents, and poisoning for revenge (by humans). Two tigers, both presumed man-eaters were shot by officials.

India is home to 2,226 tigers which is about 60% of the world’s wild tiger population of about 3,890. The number marks the success of India’s efforts to protect its national animal. A decade back, pressure on their habitat and poaching had seen their population reach a low of 1,411 (in 2006).

But the increase in their number also seems to be driving an increase in attacks on them.

Experts say the high demand for body parts of tigers is resulting in more deaths.

“There is tremendous pressure on wild tigers for poaching due to surge in demands of their body parts and skin in countries such as China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Cambodia. This phenomenon is driving poaching of tigers in the South Asian countries,” said S.P. Yadav, assistant secretary general at the Global Tiger Forum, an inter-governmental organization dedicated to tiger conservation.

Other experts point to the continuous battle between development and conservation, and vanishing tiger corridors for the high number of tiger deaths.

A senior official of the Union environment ministry said the number looks high because of the increase in the number of tigers in India.

Still, “the government does not take anything lightly; all protocols are followed and every tiger death is investigated to see if it’s a case of poaching or revenge killing,” this person added, asking not to be identified.

To check dwindling population of tigers, the Indian government launched Project Tiger in 1973.

India now has 50 tiger reserves that cover 2.12% of the country’s total geographical area

Centre mulls different time zones across the country

Centre mulls different time zones across the country
One can actually save energy because the sunrise and sunset timings are different (in the country), but the office timings are one across the nation”

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is conducting a study to assess the feasibility of having different time zones in the country.

The study is being conducted to give “scientific inputs” on the matter, DST secretary Ashutosh Sharma said. Recently, Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, had demanded a separate time zone for the northeast.

“The DST has been conducting studies on this, looking at what is the potential of energy saving if you have two different time zones,” Mr. Sharma said. “One can actually save energy because the sunrise and sunset timings are different (in the country), but the office timings are one across the nation,” he added.

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One India, two time zones
The study is also expected to cover the overall impact, especially on the transportation system.

Leaders from the northeast region argue that a separate time zone, a long-pending demand, would increase daylight savings and efficiency. One of the arguments is that early sunrise means that by the time they start their day, almost half the day has passed. This means an early sunset which requires extra use of lights in both homes, offices and public places, hampering the productivity.

‘Two time zones will create chaos’

05Time zone.eps
 Similar is the case with the archipelagos of the Andaman and Nicobar and the Lakshadweep where sunrise and sunset timings are different from the mainland.
Turn the clock forward by 30 minutes countrywide to save 2.7 billion units of electricity, say scientists

A dual time zone in India, which will be set in place if Assam turns its clock forward by an hour, will not only create “unimaginable chaos” in a country of India’s demographic size, but also barely meet its intended goal of saving energy, say authors of a new research paper that examines the merits of resetting the Indian Standard Time (IST).

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi recently announced his decision to reset the clock in the State an hour ahead of IST to save energy and increase productivity. But “all States in the country stand to save electricity were IST to be advanced” — by 30 minutes — writes D.P. Sen Gupta, visiting professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), and his colleagues, in the forthcoming edition of Current Science, the popular fortnightly science journal published by the Indian Academy of Science.

India would save 2.7 billion units of electricity every year by shifting the IST meridian eastward (from 82.5E longitude in Uttar Pradesh to 90E near the Assam-Bengal border), calculate the authors.

Prof. Sen Gupta tells The Hindu that by setting two time zones or introducing “daylight saving” schedules, India stands to gain little, and could in fact suffer from negative energy saving. Prof. Sen Gupta and his colleagues calculated the energy saving potentials of several scenarios.

The paper calculates the savings State-wise: 0.49 per cent of total energy consumption in Karnataka, 0.21 in Tamil Nadu, 0.28 in Andhra Pradesh, 0.64 in West Bengal and 0.68 in Madhya Pradesh.

“This would amount to a critical saving in energy for a country where 350 million people out of the total 1,200 million population still have no access to electricity and use kerosene lamps at night.” Prof Sen Gupta told The Hindu. “By making a one-time change to time, not only are people saved the trouble of changing clocks every time they cross a zonal boundary, it would also prevent chaos that could arise ... for instance, in manually operated railway lines,” he added.

For the study, the authors analysed thousands of daily power load curves that usually have two peaks — one in the morning and another in the evening.

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National Mission for Clean Ganga: The challenges ahead

National Mission for Clean Ganga: The challenges ahead
Before the advent of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ganga, the most revered and national river of India, was facing the challenge to its existence due to discharge of increasing quantities of sewage, trade effluents and other pollutants on account of rapid urbanization and industrialization. The stretch of Ganga covers a length of 2525 kilometers across five states namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. It has a catchment area of 8,61,404 square km covering over a quarter of country’s land area and sustaining 46% of the total population of the country. It touches 118 towns and 1657 Gram Panchayats across 66 districts of 5 states of India.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), created in June, 2014, is being supported by State level Programme Management Groups (SPMGs) of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and west Bengal. The main activities undertaken under Namami Gange include sewage and effluent management including creation of new and rehabilitation of existing STPs, complete sanitation coverage of Gram Panchayats, development of model cremation/dhobi ghats, development of decision support system in GIS platform for efficient planning and monitoring and creation of an IT based monitoring centre with capabilities of real time alerts and prediction. For long term protection and rejuvenation, a provision has been made for 100% funding for the entire life time cost of the treatment of assets created including O&M cost for 10 years. Due importance has also been accorded to bio diversity, conservation, maintenance of flow in the river and afforestation along river side with medicinal and native plant species along with conservation of aquatic species.

The expenditure incurred on Namami Gange in the first three years, (ie; 2014-2015 to 2016-17) is Rs 3673.00 crore. For the current year (2017-18), an amount of Rs 2300 crore has been allocated in the budget. It is however, observed that the pace of utilization of fund under this programme has not been satisfactory. The slow implementation of project is attributed to delay in tendering, retendering, non- availability of land, legal issues, natural calamities, delay in permission for road cutting, crossing, local festivals, higher fund requirement and pending approvals of state Cabinet etc. Regular monitoring meeting of NMCG with concerned state is expected to help in expediting the pace of the projects implementation and eliminating bottlenecks in making land available and clear the projects through tendering.

The Order issued through the Gazette of India on 7thOctober, 2016 constituting River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and management) Authorities under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 lays down a new institutional structure for policy and implementation in fast track manner and empowers NMCG to discharge its functions in independent and accountable manner. The said Authority has its jurisdiction spread over 5 states along the main stem of Ganga and 5 states and Union territory of Delhi along the major tributaries of the river Ganga.

The key principles identified for the Authority are:

1) Maintaining the continuity of the flow without altering the natural season variations.
2) Restoring and maintaining the integral relationship between the surface flow and sub-surface water (ground water),
3) Restoration and maintenance of the property and quality of water in time bound manner.
4) Regenerating and maintaining the lost natural vegetation in catchment area,
5) Regeneration and conservation of the aquatic and riparian biodiversity in river Ganga basin,
6) To keep the bank of river Ganga and its floodplains as construction free zone to reduce pollution sources and maintain its natural ground water recharge functions
7) Making public participation as integral part of process of rejuvenation, protection and management of the river.

River surface cleaning work has been undertaken in major cities on the bank of River Ganga in collaboration with Corporate bodies and Public Sector undertakings. Under Rural Sanitation programme, NMCG has provided Rs 263 Crore to Ministry of Drinking Water &Sanitation for construction of toilets. About 11 lakh toilets have been constructed so far. For renovation/modernization and construction of crematoria based on standard design, initially, 20-25 urban local bodies (ULBs) are being taken up with the target of developing 100 crematoria in a year’s time.

River front/ ghat development work has been taken up in 7 towns of Kedarnath, Haridwar, Delhi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi & Patna in addition to repair and modernization of existing ghats. Under medium term plan Effluents Management activity, real Time Effluent Monitoring stations have been installed in 508 out of 764 grossly polluting industries of distillery, pulp and paper; tanneries; textile and sugar. Regarding Zero Liquid Discharge, action plan has been under implementation for distilleries since the last quarter of 2016. Vigilance squad of Central Pollution Control Board is closely monitoring for improved compliance.

Biodiversity Conservation is being implemented in association with Wildlife Institute of India to cover Golden Mahaseer, Dolphins, Crocodiles, Turtles and Otters etc under conservation programme. 30,000 Hectares of land is targeted to be covered under afforestation programme. For water quality monitoring, in addition to 57 Manual monitoring stations, 113 Real-time monitoring stations are being set up with display boards at selected locations. Steps are being taken for public outreach. Resource materials such as posters, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, hoardings etc. have been circulated/displayed among stake holders.

Awareness activities are taken up through Pad Yatras, cleanliness drives, painting competitions for children, shramdaan, talk-shows and dialogues etc. Namami Gange song has been released and played on digital media and during public events. In addition to that featured articles and advertorials through audio-visual media have also been introduced. Regular updates are shared on Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and You tube etc. Mass awareness campaigns, photo exhibitions , setting up Pavilions/Stalls at national/ International events have also been organized. For involvement of public in monitoring of pollution entering into the river Ganga, Bhuvan-Ganga Web App and mobile app have been launched.

In view of multi stakeholder nature of the Ganga rejuvenation challenge, 7 Ministries of Govt of India are working together on an action plan since June,2014. Besides, MoU has also been signed between NMCG and 11 Ministries of the Govt of India to ensure convergence of their activities in protection and rejuvenation of river Ganga. MoU has also been signed with National Remote Sensing Centre, a department under Indian Space Research Organization ISRO.

For Pollution abatement and cleaning exercise in river Ganga, the policy making authorities at higher level have emphasized the need of close monitoring, focus on minimizing waste generation and disposal of waste in eco- friendly manner and publicizing the use of electric crematoria for enhancing its acceptability among the masses. Uploading the monitoring reports in public domain has been recommended.

A number of decisions taken recently indicate that the pace of project implementation has picked up momentum for pollution abatement and making the flow of river incessant. State Ganga Committees and District Ganga Committees have been formed to ensure effective implementation and Participation of people in protection &rejuvenation of Ganga.

Environment ministry panel defers clearance to 600 MW Tawang power project

Environment ministry’s forest panel defers clearance to the 600 MW Tawang hydroelectric project, noting that it could severely hit the biodiversity in the region

Representational image. The Arunachal Pradesh government had sought a diversion of 187.20 hectare of forest land for construction of the Tawang hydroelectric project stage-I (600 MW) on Tawang Chu River in Tawang district by the NHP

The expert forest panel of the environment ministry has deferred clearance to the 600 megawatt (MW) Tawang hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh until a study is conducted on it, noting that the location is a vital wintering ground of the black necked crane, an endangered species, and other birds.

The decision came at a 16 May meeting of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC). 

The Arunachal Pradesh government had sought a diversion of 187.20 hectare of forest land for construction of the Tawang hydroelectric project stage-I (600 MW) on Tawang Chu River in Tawang district by the NHPC Ltd.

The project, whose estimated cost is about Rs4,824 crore, would also result in about 200,000 trees being felled. The trees include threatened plant species.

“FAC after thorough deliberation observed that BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) had represented to the members of FAC that Tawang valley in Arunachal Pradesh is very high in biodiversity having several critically endangered species as well as several endemics. The particular location of the project is also vital wintering ground of Black Necked Crane,” noted the minutes of FAC’s meeting, which were reviewed by Mint.

Black Necked Crane, an endangered bird, is a protected bird under India’s the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. It is also counted as a ‘vulnerable’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international NGO working on environment and conservation issues. 

“These birds require quality wetlands. The proposed project (even if it is river run off project) has an ability to significantly alter the wetland characteristics thereby significantly affecting habitat of Black Necked Crane and in worst case scenario losing one of the finest wintering habitat of the species,” FAC held.

The expert committee also noted that the proposed area has been identified as an important birding area by BNHS.

“The view point of BNHS was taken into consideration and same was discussed with user agency. After detailed deliberation and discussion with user agency it is recommended that a study in this regards shall be conducted through Wildlife Institute Dehradun at the cost of user agency. The case shall be deferred till the study is conducted,” said FAC.

Not just birds, the area is also home to important animals like barking deer, sambar, wild yak, serow, goral, wild boar, red panda, clouded leopard, snow leopard and musk deer.

The project is among the 11 proposed hydropower projects totalling 2802.20 MW capacity in the ecologically sensitive Tawang River Basin (TRB) in Arunachal Pradesh. This particular project had first come to FAC in 2011 but has been pending since then for varied reasons.

Harnessing of hydro power potential has been on top of the central government’s agenda for nearly a decade now. The government wants to establish prior user rights on rivers that originate in China and fast-track overall development of north-east India.

As per official estimates, north-east India has a hydropower potential of about 65,000 MW and of that nearly 50,000 MW is in Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China in almost its entirety.

But environmentalists have repeatedly opposed such large-scale projects, saying that they could severely hit the biodiversity-rich north-eastern region, resulting in irreversible environmental damage.

“Arunachal Pradesh is the richest biodiversity area in whole of India. But the destruction has already started and is getting faster now. Whatever little dissent people have expressed has been squashed,” said ornithologist Bikram Grewal. “They (government) are pushing everything in name of national security, defence and progress...Sadly it is anything but progress. If conservationists can stand their ground it will be a major achievement. But this seems difficult at the moment.

Great Barrier Reef bleaching worse than first thought

Great Barrier Reef suffered its most severe bleaching on record last year due to warming sea temperatures during March and April

Coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is worse than first thought and the impact will accelerate unless global greenhouse gas emissions are cut, scientists said Monday.

The 2,300-km (1,400-mile) World Heritage-listed reef suffered its most severe bleaching on record last year due to warming sea temperatures during March and April.

Initial aerial and in-water surveys showed 22% of shallow water corals were destroyed in 2016, but it has now been bumped up to 29% and with the reef currently experiencing an unprecedented second straight year of bleaching, the outlook is grim.

“We’re very concerned about what this means for the Great Barrier Reef itself and what it means for the communities and industries that depend on it,” Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) chairman Russell Reichelt said.

“The amount of coral that died from bleaching in 2016 is up from our original estimates and, at this stage, although reports are still being finalised, it’s expected we’ll also see an overall further coral cover decline by the end of 2017.”

Bleaching, which occurs when abnormal conditions such as warmer sea temperatures cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour, also extended to deeper corals beyond depths divers can typically survey.

But mortality of those reefs could not be systematically assessed.

The most severely impacted region was an area north of the popular tourist town Port Douglas, where an estimated 70% of shallow water corals have died.

Cairns and Townsville, also hugely popular tourist destinations, are among the regions hardest-hit from the 2017 bleaching event, although southern parts of the natural wonder escaped the worst.

Corals can recover if the water temperature drops and the algae are able to recolonise them, but it can take a decade. The reef is already under pressure from farming run-off, development and the crown-of-thorns starfish, with the problems compounded this year by powerful cyclone pummelling the area.

Reichelt said the storm impacted a quarter of the reef but a complete picture for 2017 would not be available until next year. The GBRMPA hosted a summit last week of more than 70 of the world’s leading marine experts to work on a blueprint on how best to respond to the threats.

Among options explored was developing coral nurseries, strategies to boost culling of crown-of-thorns starfish, expanding monitoring systems and identifying priority sites for coral restoration.

Key to the talks was the need to slash greenhouse gas emissions to prevent warming sea temperatures.

“The Great Barrier Reef is a large and resilient system that’s previously shown its capacity to bounce back, however the current changes are undermining the resilience of the reef,” said Reichelt. “Summit participants voiced their strong concern about the need for global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the driver of climate change.”

The world’s nations agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit average warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels, by curbing fossil fuel burning.