74 Chinese cities start releasing real-time pollution data
The Times of India
1st January, 2013
Beijing: China, the world's top polluter, today started releasing real-time air quality monitoring data in 74 major cities, in response to strong public demand. The move is considered a big improvement in air quality monitoring and it will be available on an official website. Information on particulate matter in China used to be limited to PM10, or particulate matter 10 microns or less in diameter. There has been public demand in recent years for data on PM2.5, a gauge that monitors fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less. It is considered to be more hazardous to people's health. A total of 496 monitoring sites have been set up in the 74 cities, state-run Xinhua new agency. According to experts, China has replaced the US as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases with a CO2 emission of 9.7 billion tonnes.
Green issues to be discussed during Maha Kumbh
The Hindu
1st January, 2013
In a unique initiative, an environmental Kumbh would be held during the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad to discuss green issues related to the river Ganga. “During Kumbh Mela, a special two day meeting will be held from January 18, in which detailed discussions will be held on purity of river Ganga and environmental imbalance,” head of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, Swami Chidanand Saraswati said. After the deliberations, an environmental declaration would be issued which would give a message to the world to check environmental imbalance.“The meeting will be attended by Chief Ministers of five States from where Ganga passes, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal,” Swami Chidanand said. Besides chairman of local bodies concerned, local administrative officers and environmentalist R.K. Pachauri would attend the meet. U.P. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav would lead the meeting, he said. “Media from all over the world will gather during MahaKumbh and Akhilesh Yadav will not get a better opportunity than this,” he said. Swami Chidanand appealed to the State government and Kumbh Mela administration to make the event polythene-free. “An effort should be made to give a message of green Kumbh during the largest gathering of people in the world,” he said. He also said that a problem was being faced by saints and Sankaracharyas in getting space at the mela site this time due to change in the course of Ganga. “This has reduced the land available on riverside. Therefore, satisfying everyone will not be easy for the government,” he said. He, however, demanded that the government make lodging facilities at the mela site for the saints at the earliest so that problems are not faced by anyone. Regarding Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh’s statement regarding fake Shankaracharyas, Swami Chidanand said leaders have no right to tag them as fake. “The saints don’t need a certificate from such people,” he said.
Tata Power plans to replace gas with coal in Trombay unit
The Hindu
2nd January, 2013
Tata Power Company claims to be one of the largest renewable energy players in India, but its plan to switch from gas to coal to fuel one of its 500 MW units in the Trombay Thermal Power Station here belies its stated concern for the environment. For Mumbai residents, the New Year rings in a public hearing scheduled for January 15 on the change which the company calls modernisation, but is in reality a change of fuel — to low sulphur imported coal. Currently, Unit 6 is using low sulphur heavy stock and low sulphur fuel oil. The company, which supplies power to bulk consumers like the Railways, refineries and ports, is gaining popularity among households too, thanks to its “most economic power tariff.” It has an installed capacity of 1,580 MW in Trombay, with five units (one on standby) — two running on coal, one each using oil and gas, and one a combined cycle power plant. Its proposal to change the fuel of Unit 6, which has been operational since 1990, requiring two million tonnes of coal a year could put pressure on an already polluted city, with air quality parameters worsening over the years owing to traffic and construction. Tata Power is responsible for the ‘Islanding System,’ because of which Mumbai enjoys uninterrupted power supply. On its website, the company proclaims: “While we have ambitious growth plans, we are committed to ‘responsible growth.’ From focusing on producing clean and green power to investing in and implementing eco-friendly technologies; reducing our carbon footprint to joining global initiatives to combat climate change; scouting for clean power sources internationally to driving energy conservation and efficiency; creating sustainable livelihood for communities to green buildings and villages, we are doing all that we can to carry forward our green legacy.” However, that legacy takes a back seat in Mumbai. The draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the proposed change, which will be discussed at the public hearing, says: “There will not be any additional adverse environmental impact...” The draft EIA, which is mandatory before environmental clearance, says the cost of power generation will be cut, thanks to the lesser price of coal than fuel oils or natural gas. Variable cost will be nearly one-third of the current costs and may even go down further.
However, only an executive summary of the draft EIA is online in English and not the complete one. Explaining the “dire need for modernisation,” the company says, in response to questions, that it has risen owing to the unavailability of natural gas, which has resulted in the use of expensive fuel like oil to run its Unit 6. However, a shortage of low sulphur oil from local refineries and the spiralling prices of imported oil and gas have led to a significant escalation in the absolute cost of power generation. Consequently, the unit, which previously operated at a best operating Plant Load factor (PLF) of 80 per cent, has been working at 50 per cent PLF for the past two years. This has necessitated modernisation, at a cost of Rs.1,174 crore, ensuring an additional option of coal firing, the company says. Currently, Unit 6 can operate only on oil and gas. The modernisation plan includes addition of the state-of-the-art coal firing equipment and installation of the pollution control equipment to make it work on coal, oil and gas, with the option of combining all the three fuels in any percentage. The modernisation will provide multi-fold benefits to customers: lower tariffs and improved utilisation of the full capacity at the best operating efficiency, says the company.
For environmentalists, this is a case of history repeating itself. Debi Goenka, executive trustee of the Conservation Action Trust, had filed a case against the company in the Bombay High Court, along with others, when it proposed this coal-based thermal power plant. Mr. Goenka told The Hindu: “We had objected to this power plant in the 1980s on the issue of burning coal in what was then the most polluted area in the country. Our apprehensions were accepted, and the company agreed to use gas and oil instead. The Ministry of Petroleum also agreed to guarantee the supply of gas.” Twenty years later, his worst fears have come true. “We had predicted that this situation would arise, wherein gas supplies would dwindle,” he said. Questioning the transparency of the company, he asked how this change of fuel could be called modernisation. There was also the issue of transport of coal and storage, and the disposal of fly ash. A while ago, coal imported through the Mumbai Port Trust was found on the Mahul-Sewri mudflats which are proposed as a Ramsar Site (for conservation and good use under the 1971 Ramsar Convention), along with the whole of the Thane Creek. The High Court had taken suo motu notice after media reports of mangroves being destroyed and ordered the removal of coal. This coal was being used by the thermal power plants, Mr. Goenka alleged. It is learnt that a Bangladesh company rejected a proposal to export the fly ash from the proposed coal plant, citing less quantity, and now the Middle East market is being explored. Mr. Goenka pointed to the marginal difference between the cost per kilowatt/hour of coal and that of gas or oil according to the company’s data tables. The company claims there will be no additional pollution due to coal with the installation of pollution control equipment like the Electro Static Precipitators and Flue Gas Desulfurization systems to maintain emissions at current controlled level. Moreover, no additional water or any other resource is being sought to operate the modernised plant, the company says.
Ten years on, incomplete sewerage project leaves residents fuming
The Hindu
5th January, 2013
For over 10 years now, Ambattur residents have been waiting for sewerage connections, as the underground drainage project in their locality is yet to be completed. Residents say they continue to grapple with sanitation woes, owing to a lack of infrastructure, and the undue delays in completing Rs. 221 crore project. Started a decade ago when Ambattur was still a municipality, the Chennai Metrowater project is still unfinished in many areas. Residents also complained that they have been left in the dark about the deadline for the provision of house service connections. In other areas such as Hasthinapuram, residents have been provided with house service connections within four years of the commencement of a project. For people in areas such as Korattur, enduring backbreaking rides have become the norm, as several roads have been either dug up or left unpaved, citing the ongoing work. Merlin Satish, a resident of Korattur said the roads had not been blacktopped for over a year now, owing to the drainage project. Travelling on the bumpy roads has aggravated back problems of many residents, she said. “I often have to argue with autorickshaw drivers as they mostly refuse to ply on interior streets or charge about Rs. 150 to ply a distance of five km,” she added.
Residents said though several deadlines have been set in the past, they have not been adhered to. T. Gunaseelan, a resident of Varadarajapuram, said elected representatives had assured them that the work would be completed soon. The project has faced hiccups owing to problems with the erstwhile Ambattur municipality and contractors there. It was then handed over to Metrowater four years ago. K. Ganapathy, general secretary of Krishnapuram Residents’ Welfare Association, said, “Several residents paid Rs.7,500 as a deposit to the erstwhile municipality for the project a decade ago. But, only 60 per cent of the project seems to have been completed. In a reply to an RTI petition, the water agency had assured us that the scheme would be completed by June 2011. But there is no progress to be seen.” As there is no sewerage network, several people release sewage into open storm water drains, which poses a health hazard. “We don’t have a choice other than to pay exorbitant rates of Rs. 1,000-Rs. 1,200 charged by sewage lorries to clean septic tanks,” Mr. Ganapathy added. Manpower shortage, delays in permission for cutting roads and problems faced during land acquisition for constructing sewage pumping stations are cited to be some reasons for the delay in the project. Also, the construction of deep manholes can only begin in summer, when there is a dip in the groundwater table, a Metrowater official said. However, residents may have some respite soon as the other major project to provide a drinking water supply network worth Rs. 268 crore is likely to be completed in a few months. The work includes a pipeline covering a distance of 489 km and the provision of nearly 75,000 water connections to areas such as Oragadam and Padi.
Pollution: House panel visits industries
Indian Express
6th January, 2013
The Assembly Committee on Environment on Saturday pulled up Action Ispat and Ultratech companies for environment pollution. Before winding up its two-day visit to Jharsuguda, the members went round various industrial units and enquired about their compliance to pollution norms. The committee consists of Debasish Nayak, chairman, S Nayak, Jitu Patnaik, Nabin Nanda and D K Nayak along with Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das. On Friday, the panel had visited the 400x 600 MW capacity power plant of Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) and SMC Power Generation Ltd. During their visit to the Concast Steel and Power Ltd, they spoke with the plant authorities about allegations of coal dust pollution at the coal stock yard and release of effluents into the river Ib. The panel would visit the units again in a month to recheck their adherence to pollution norms. After winding up its visit in Jharsuguda, the members arrived at Sundargarh on Saturday. It visited five industrial units including the OSIL and Scan Steel, both sponge iron plants, in Rajgangpur Assembly segment before reaching Rourkela in the evening to discuss environment measures with Rourkela Steel Plant officials.
UN finds rising mercury emissions, need for treaty
The Times of India
10th January, 2013
GENEVA: Mercury pollution in the top layer of the world's oceans has doubled in the past century, part of a man-made problem that will require international cooperation to fix, the UN's environment agency said today. The report by the UN Environment Programshowed for the first time that hundreds of tons of mercury have leaked from the soil into rivers and lakes around the world. As a result of rising emissions, communities in developing countries face increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, the UN agency says.
Mercury, a toxic metal, is widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining, particularly gold. It is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil, and it cannot be created or destroyed. ercury emissions come from sources such as coal burning and the use of mercury to separate metal from ore in small-scale gold mining, and mercury pollution also comes from discarded electronic and other consumer products. Mercury in the air settles into soil from where it can then seep into water. The report, an update on its previous global tallies of mercury in 2002 and 2007, comes in advance of talks in Geneva next week between nations negotiating a new legally binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.
Such a treaty would represent a major reversal from previous years when major powers including the United States, China and India sought voluntary reductions. Mercury concentrations accumulate in fish and go up the food chain, posing the greatest risk of nerve damage to pregnant women, women of childbearing age and young children. The report says parts of Africa, Asia and South America could see increasing emissions of mercury into the environment mainly due to small-scale gold mining, and through coal burning for electricity. It found that mercury emissions from artisanal gold mining had doubled since 2005 due to factors such as rising gold prices and better reporting on the emissions. Asia accounts for just under half of all global releases of mercury, the report said. Over the past 100 years, mercury found in the top 100 meters of the world's oceans has doubled and concentrations in waters deeper than that have gone up by 25 percent, the UN agency said, while rivers and lakes contain an estimated 260 metric tons of mercury that was previously held in soils. UNEP's executive director, Achim Steiner, said mercury pollution remains "a major global, regional and national challenge in terms of threats to human health and the environment" but new technologies can reduce the risks.
Bhogi pollution to be monitored
The Hindu
13th January, 2013
“After the expansion of the Chennai Corporation, we have included newly-added areas such as Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Kathivakkam, Manali and Meenambakkam,” said minister for environment, M.C. Sampath at an event held in the city recently. Monitoring stations will record levels of respirable suspended particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide at the 15 locations for a period of 24 hours. “Pollution control board employees have been staging skits and distributing pamphlets to create awareness on the dangers of burning plastic, rubber, synthetics and clothes,” Mr. Sampath said. He was speaking at a function to launch an awareness campaign at CIT Nagar Chennai Higher Secondary School. He advocated a smoke-free Bhogi and also administered a pledge to students. He asked them to take home the message of Bhogi — only fog and not smog. Mayor Saidai S. Duraisamy, secretary of environment and forests, Mohan Verghese Chunkath, T. Nagar constituency MLA, V.P. Kalairajan, director of environment, Mallesappa, TNPCB chairman, D. Karthikeyan, and member secretary, S. Balaji, participated in the programme.
As traditions are marked, air pollution levels soar
The Hindu
14th January, 2013
Residents across the city on Sunday felt the effects of pollution, with Bhogi fires burning across the city. At all 15 locations monitored by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, pollution levels were found above the permissible limit. Virugambakkam residents experienced the highest level of dust pollution on Bhogi day with the locality recording 389 microgram/cubic metre of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM). The permissible limit for RSPM is 100 microgram/cubic metre. H. Shankar, a resident of Virugambakkam, who lives on the third floor, said that even before he woke up, he could feel the thick smell of smoke in the air. “I am used to sleeping with the windows open and the smoke reached my nose even before I woke up,” he said. Eleven locations recorded RSPM levels above 200 microgram/cubic metre. Manali was second with 269 microgram/cubic metre and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar was third with 267 microgram/cubic metre. Perungudi recorded the lowest of 157 microgram/cubic metre. Sources in the Board attributed the high levels of pollution to very high humidity hovering around 94 per cent in some places, low wind velocity at 2-4 km/hour until 8 a.m. and low temperatures. The Nungambakkam observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 19.4 degree Celsius. “Though residents listen to us and don’t burn plastic and rubber, they continue to burn other kinds of waste. The low levels of SO2 and NOx are proof of this. Teams of officials and police that fanned the city put out several fires lit by residents stating tradition,” an official said. K. Nethra, a resident of Mettukuppam, said that she could not see much when she went out in the morning to bring in the milk packets. “I drew the kolam only after 8.30 a.m. as I waited for the sun to come out. I had left clothes out on the open terrace overnight and when I removed them at 10 a.m. they smelt of smoke,” she said. C. Sekar, a resident of Perambur, said, at 7 a.m., visibility in his area was so poor that he couldn’t see two buildings away.
Gas causes destruction of ozone levels
The Times of India
14th January, 2013
LONDON: British researchers have identified a gas from a previously unknown marine source that causes the destruction of ozone over oceans. Universities of York and Leeds scientists have found that source of the gas - iodine oxide - can be explained by emissions of hypoiodous acid (HOI), along with a contribution from molecular iodine. Scientists quantified gaseous emissions of inorganic iodine following the reaction of iodide (compound of iodine with another element or group) with ozone in a series of lab experiments and formation of both molecular iodine and HOI, the journal Nature Geoscience reports. Using lab models, they show that this reaction could account for around 75 percent of observed iodine oxide levels over the tropical Atlantic Ocean, according to a York and Leeds statement. Lucy Carpenter, professor of chemistry at York said: "Our laboratory and modelling studies show that these gases are produced from the reaction of atmospheric ozone with iodide on the sea surface interfacial layer, at a rate which is highly significant for the chemistry of the marine atmosphere.
John Plane, Carpenter's counterpart at Leeds, said: "This mechanism of iodine release into the atmosphere appears to be particularly important over tropical oceans, where measurements show that there is more iodide in seawater available to react with ozone. The rate of the process also appears to be faster in warmer water."
Bio-degradable plastic be used in food packaging: Himachal Pradesh HC
The Times of India
15th January, 2013
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh high court has observed that only bio-degradable plastics should be allowed in packaging of food stuff from April 1 in the state. Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), the bench of Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjay Karol issued the directions after referring to a committee report on junk food. Based on the committee report, the court observed "it is obvious that junk food items are those which are low in fiber but tasty, contain high calorific value, large amount of refined flour and high amount of fat and preservatives". The judges said that banning them was not in the court's purview but to comply with the state law (HP Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act 1995), "these harmful items which are classified as junk foods if sold in HP in packed condition should be sold only in biodegradable packing". This may make these items slightly more expensive and even if the consumption of these stuffs is reduced that will be better for the health of children and may finally end up saving crores of rupees which the state spends on health care, the judges pointed out. It was on the court's direction that a committee was constituted on June 19, 2010 to consider whether a decision could be taken to totally ban use of non-biodegradable packaging in Himachal.
The HP Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act 1995 prohibit traders, vendors and retailers from using polythene carry bags which was later (on July 7, 2009) extended to use of disposable plastic cups, plates and bottles. While much of the plastic ban stands enforced in the state, the PIL was filed regarding the packaged food which was managing to slip through the law of the land. The expert committee pointed out that 'junk food' had not been legally defined thus far. However, it recommended an illustrative list of food items that could fall in that category and are not good for human health.
As pollution concerns rise, China pledges emission curbs
The Hindu
15th January, 2013
Rising public concerns over hazardous pollution triggered by intense smog that blanketed Chinese cities for much of the past week has prompted the government to pledge fresh emission curbs and to suspend work in 58 factories. The national environmental watchdog announced on Tuesday it would also put in place measures to limit vehicle emissions, after heavy smog over the weekend across many Chinese cities prompted a public outcry and unusual criticism of China’s growth policies even by State media outlets. The Chinese capital has been shrouded under a cloud of smog since Saturday, when pollution readings went off the charts. The readings for PM 2.5 particles – airborne particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less which can cause health problems when inhaled – soared to a record 993 micrograms per cubic meter on Saturday night. According to the World Health Organisation, a reading above 100 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, while the air quality scale index itself has a maximum reading of 500. By Tuesday morning, the smog in the capital had lifted a little, with air readings falling to less than 200. The weekend’s readings have, however, triggered renewed public concerns here about health hazards on account of rising pollution. The government on Monday said it had ordered 58 factories with high emissions and some construction sites to suspend work. Li Hong, deputy director of Beijing’s Economy and Information Technology Commission, said at a press conference arranged hastily to assuage public fears that the move would reduce 30 per cent of the emissions that had polluted the skies above the capital. And, in nearby Shijiazhuang in Hebei province, more than 700 construction sites were made to stop work, he said. The Beijing government on Monday also put out advisories to primary schools and kindergartens to stop physical education classes, and ordered 30 per cent of government vehicles to stay off the roads. The moves underscore the government’s fears about the rising public anger over the deteriorating quality, in recent years, of the air above China’s cities on account of rapid economic development. “I do believe that the recent event will make the government take very serious actions to control this problem,” John Cai, the Director of the Centre for Healthcare Management and Policy at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and a leading export on China's health policy, told The Hindu in an interview on Tuesday. Dr. Cai said studies have found that cancer mortality rates were on the rise in China. “And within this, lung cancer is the number one major cancer, which has caused one-third of cancer deaths in the city and one-quarter of deaths in rural areas,” he said. “Lung problems are related to air pollution. The fourth highest mortality rate is respiratory disease, so to a big extent this is related to air quality. And people now are concerned about the impact on their health”. Following the recent problems, he added, “a lot of hospitals were congested with lung-related respiratory problems”. According to the Environmental Performance Index at Yale University, China ranks 116th overall, and 128th when it comes to air pollution. India, however, fares even worse, ranking 125th overall and 132nd on air quality. For the growing Chinese middle class, awareness of public health is on the rise, experts say, with decreasing tolerance for the air and water pollution that has been an offshoot of China’s rapid economic growth. Protests against pollution are on the rise, evident in recent mass gatherings against polluting factories in Dalian and Guangdong that drew educated middle-class Chinese and students. The Chinese government has been careful to underscore that it was mindful of the public’s concerns and serious about tackling the issue, which was given prominent coverage in State media outlets - a marked contrast from a few years ago when pollution problems were rarely reported on. The official Xinhua news agency went as far as saying “in jeopardy are the efforts of the Communist Party of China and government authorities to advance ecological progress and their new promise to build a ‘beautiful China’. “A country with a brown sky and hazardous air is obviously not beautiful,” the commentary said. Even the Communist Party-run Global Times, which rarely criticises the government, called for more transparency. “It is the most difficult challenge in China, because both development and clean environment are strong demands of the Chinese people,” the newspaper said in an editorial. “However, under China's current technical conditions, these two needs are pitted against each other.” “In future, the government should publish truthful environmental data to the public. Let society participate in the process of solving the problem,” the newspaper said. “The choice between development and environment protection," the newspaper added, "should be made by genuinely democratic methods.”
National Green Tribunal forms committee to find causes of pollution
The Times of India
16th January, 2013
NOIDA: The National Green Tribunal constituted an expert body on Tuesday to determine the 'causes' and 'extent' of environmental pollution in Noida, which 'is certainly affecting the life of residents'. The tribunal passed the order on a petition filed by a Noida resident alleging high levels of environmental pollution in the city. The committee, to be headed by a joint secretary-level official of the Union environment ministry, will comprise, among others, the member secretaries of the CPCB and the UPPCB and a technical expert to be appointed by the Noida Authority. The committee is to submit its report within four weeks listing information on factors causing industrial or other kinds of pollution. tnn It was constituted after appeals by UPPCB and Noida Entrepreneurs' Association that environmental pollution in Noida is equally attributable to construction activities, natural content of soil in the region and vehicular pollution.
The committee has been asked to conduct surprise inspections on around 35 industries, particularly those that are emanating smoke and gases into the air or discharging effluents into drains, rivers or underground water reservoirs, among others.
Black carbon a powerful climate pollutant: Study
The Times of India
16th January, 2013
WASHINGTON: Black carbon, the soot produced by burning fossil fuels and biomass, is a more potent atmospheric pollutant than previously thought, according to a four-year international study released on Tuesday.Emitted by diesel engines, brick kilns and wood-fired cookstoves, black carbon is second only to carbon dioxide as the most powerful climate pollutant, according to the study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres. But because black carbon only lasts in the atmosphere a matter of days, compared to carbon dioxide's atmospheric endurance of centuries, addressing it could be prime target for curbing global warming, the report said. "This new research provides further compelling evidence to act on short-lived climate pollutants, including black carbon," Achim Steiner, chief of the United Nations Environment Programme, said in a statement. Steiner pointed to efforts under way to cut black carbon emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles, brick production and municipal waste disposal as part of the international Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The United States was one of the coalition's founders last year. The US Environmental Protection Agency in mid-December also tightened limits on soot pollution from power plants, diesel engines and burning wood from levels set in 1997. The report found black carbon's effect on climate is nearly twice what the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated in its landmark 2007 assessment.
India seeks flexibility in reducing mercury emissions
The Times of India
17th January, 2013
NEW DELHI: With delegates from 130 countries working this week in Geneva to create the first legally binding international treaty to reduce mercury emissions, India has decided to push for a flexible global regime to reduce the levels of the dangerous persistent chemical.
Persistent mercury concentrations and accumulation in the food chain leads to nerve damage in pregnant women and young children and the global community has been worried that human-induced emissions of mercury - from thermal power plants, cement and steel industry and disposal of municipal and hospital waste -- have been going up through the years.
Though the heavy metal is also available through natural processes in the earth systems, the leaching and emissions from human use has led to increasing threats of mercury poisoning the food chain. The Indian government has decided to ask for flexibility for developing countries to phase out the use and emissions of mercury based on country-based and sector-specific approaches rather than imposing an arbitrary global deadline. The Indian negotiators have been empowered by the Cabinet to agree to a final treaty that would then be signed in 2013 as long as its key issues are addressed in the ongoing Geneva talks.
India will negotiate to get developing countries a longer phase-out time which will allow them to transit to alternative technologies. It will also seek more leeway for developing countries to discontinue export, import, sale or distribution of mercury and mercury compounds. Exemptions will also be sought for developing countries linked to availability of affordable, environmentally sound and suitable alternative technologies. The main contributors to mercury emissions in India are coal-fed thermal power plants, and cement and steel industry with the country importing about 137 tonnes of mercury annually. The use of mercury in the chlor-alkali industry has gone down substantially over the years. In Geneva, India will point out yet again that in some sectors, commercially proven alternative technologies for separation of mercury are yet not available and therefore the global community should clearly list out the best available alternative technologies instead of setting the same legally binding reduction targets for all countries.
The government has expressed concern over the treaty draft pushing for a uniform regime applicable to all industries and there is no differentiated timelines for developing and developed countries. India will seek to change this before it agrees to a final treaty text.
CETP inaugurated again, Mayor lays foundation stone
The Indian Express
18th January, 2013
Ludhiana : The foundation stone for the common effluent treatment plant (CETP) with zero liquid discharge technology of Bahadur ke road textile and knitwear association (BKTK) was laid Thursday by Mayor H S Gohalwaria. Though the BKTK had got formal inauguration done in December 2011 from the then Health Minister Satpal Gosian, today it was yet another inauguration from the Mayor. The CETP will come up on four acres of area which BKTK has taken on lease. The cost of the project is Rs 148 crore out of which 25 per cent has been contributed by association and the rest has to be raised through bank loans. JBR technologies is the private company which will be running this CETP and 10 MW power will also be generated out of this project which will make the industrialists self sufficient, told Mayor Gohalwaria. Out of the total project cost, Rs 7.5 crores will be spent on making reinforced concrete cement roads in the area. Tarun Jain Bawa Chairman of BKTK said, “It will be a zero liquid discharge project with biomass thermal plant and steam distribution and the treated water will be re-used by the units, which at the moment is being thrown in Buddha nallah.” The company will also be giving steam to dyeing units at Rs 1 per kg and 10MW electricity will be produced which will also be supplied to the units, told the private company representatives. Bawa further told that the work will be completed in three stages: Installation of CETP, then Bio-mass Thermal Plant and finally the steam distribution system. The chairman of BKTK added that effluent from member industries will be collected through underground pipe lines.
Japan co to improve water quality of River Sal
Times of India
18th January, 2013
Panji: There is some hope for River Sal as a project to improve the water quality and groundwater contamination as remedial measures of Salcete's lifeline is being drawn up by a Japanese company. The project will be funded by the Japan government. Speaking to TOI, chief minister Manohar Parrikar said "I have requested the Japanese delegation to examine the pollution in River Sal and give a proposal to the state government." Parrikar also said that as a temporary measure, the government has moved a proposal to clean River Sal and as a long term measure, the Japanese delegation has been asked to recommend measures after conducting an exclusive study. The five member team from Japan under the leadership of Kanji Tamamushi, international business advisor for Panasonic excel international company limited, which deals in preservation of the environment, visited River Sal on Wednesday. River Sal originates from the hill at Verna and passes through Nuvem, Margao, Benaulim, Varca, Orlim and Chinchinim before it enters the Arabian Sea at Betul. The Japan delegation on Thursday met chief minister Manohar Parrikar and held a discussion on improving the water quality of the river. The delegation was assisted by a seven member GSPCB team. The stretch of river from Mungul to Kharebhand is highly polluted due to influx of sewage and other waste. This stretch is also narrow and the flow of water is restricted.
Treaty aimed at reducing mercury emissions signed
The Hindu
19th January, 2013
More than 140 nations adopted the first legally-binding international treaty on Saturday aimed at reducing mercury emissions, capping four years of negotiations on how to set limits on the use of a highly toxic metal. The treaty was adopted after all-night negotiations that capped a week of talks in Geneva, U.N. environmental officials and diplomats said. A signing ceremony will be held later this year in Japan, and then 50 nations must ratify it before it comes into force, which officials said they would expect to happen within about three to four years. “To agree on global targets is not easy to do,” UNEP executive director Achim Steiner told a news conference. “There was no delegation here that wished to leave Geneva without drafting a treaty.” The treaty will for the first time set enforceable limits on emissions of mercury, which is widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining, and to exclude, phase out or restrict some products that contain mercury. “We have closed a chapter on a journey that has taken four years of often intense, but ultimately successful negotiations and opened a new chapter towards a sustainable future,” said Fernando Lugris, the Uruguayan diplomat who chaired the negotiations. But some supporters of a new mercury treaty said they were not satisfied with the agreement. Joe DiGangi, a science adviser with advocacy group IPEN, said that while the treaty is “a first step,” it is not tough enough to achieve its aim of reducing overall emissions. For example, he said, there is no requirement that each country create a national plan for how it will reduce mercury emissions. But proponents of the treaty say it will set meaningful controls and reductions on a range of products, processes and industries where mercury is used, released or emitted. These would include medical equipment like thermometers, energy-saving light bulbs, mining and cement and coal-fired power industries. Swiss environmental ambassador Franz Perrez said the treaty “will help us to protect human health and the environment all over the world.”
UN clinches global deal on cutting mercury emissions
The Times of India
19th January, 2013
GENEVA: More than 140 countries have reached a deal to cut mercury emissions after all-night talks in Geneva, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Saturday. The agreement aimed to phase out many common household products that use the liquid metal, like thermometers and some flourescent lamps, and reduce emissions from power plants and cement factories, UNEP spokesman Nick Nuttall told Reuters. "A treaty to start to begin to rid the world of a notorious health-hazardous metal was agreed in the morning of January 19," Nuttall said.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury - named after the Japanese city where people were poisoned in the mid-20th century from industrial discharges of mercury - could take three to five years to come into force, UNEP said. Small-scale gold miners, who use mercury as a catalyst to separate gold from its ore, would also be protected in the deal that took three years to negotiate, it added.
140 countries agree on treaty to limit mercury use
The Hindu
20th January, 2013
Delegations from some 140 countries agreed on Saturday to adopt a ground-breaking treaty limiting the use and emission of health-hazardous mercury, the U.N. said, though environmental activists lamented it did not go far enough. The world’s first legally binding treaty on mercury, reached after a week of thorny talks, will aim to reduce global emission levels of the toxic heavy metal, also known as quicksilver, which poses risks to human health and the nvironment. The treaty has been named the Minamata Convention on Mercury, in honour of the Japanese town where inhabitants for decades have suffered the consequences of serious mercury contamination. The text will be signed in Minamata in October and will take effect once it has been ratified by 50 countries — something organisers expect will take three to four years. Mercury is found in products ranging from electrical switches, thermometers and light-bulbs, to amalgam dental fillings and even facial creams. Large amounts of the heavy metal are released from small-scale gold mining, coal-burning power plants, metal smelters and cement production. “It is quite remarkable how much mercury in a sense has entered into use in our lives.... We’ve been creating a terrible legacy,” Mr. Steiner said. “Mercury accumulates in the food chain through fish... It is released through coal fired power stations and it travels sometimes thousands of kilometres. It affects the Inuit in Canada just as it affects the small-scale artisanal gold miner somewhere in southern Africa,” he said. Serious mercury poisoning affects the body’s immune system and development of the brain and nervous system, posing the greatest risk to foetuses and infants.
Greens take out rally against plywood units
The Hindu
20th January, 2013
Hundreds of activists of the Action Council for Environmental Protection, an organisation which has launched an agitation against polluting plywood units in the district, took out a march to the District Medical Officer’s office here on Saturday. They were protesting against the alleged apathy of the authorities towards their demands. Inaugurating the dharna, social activist P.C. Cyriac said an expert committee had to study the health problems generated by the plywood industry in thickly populated areas. The 24-hour functioning of plywood units worsened the situation, he said. Action Council Chairman Varghese Pulluvazhy, environmental activists S. Seetharaman, John Peruvanthanam, Francis Kalathingal and Eloor Gopinathan and others spoke. The Council also started a ‘fast unto death’ stir in front of the Collectorate. The Action Council started the agitation on October 31 last year after carcinogenic chemicals from the plywood industry began to seep into the ground, polluting drinking water sources. The fumes that emanated from the polluting units caused discomfort to residents. When representations made by residential colonies met with no success, aggrieved residents joined hands to form the Paristhithi Samrakshana Karma Samithi. Mr. Pulluvazhy, a retired school teacher, heads the organisation. A few environmental activists have lent their support to the cause. Alarmed by the response to the issue and the commitment shown to the cause, political parties are in a pensive mood. Both the Congress and the CPI(M) enjoy considerable clout in towns such as Perumbavoor and Kothamangalam, where the plywood industry thrives. BJP too has a strong base in Perumbavoor. N.C. Mohanan, a prominent leader of the CPI(M) and former municipal chairman of Perumbavoor, termed the demand of the samithi to shift the polluting units as impractical. “Many of the plywood units have been functioning in locations which have now become residential areas. The severe pollution issue pertains to only 10 to 15 units and the problems there need to be solved in a scientific and practical manner. The entire plywood industry should not be crucified for the lapses in certain units,” he said. T.P. Hassan, INTUC leader, closely associated with trade union activities in Perumbavoor, said the authorities had given permission to operate the units. “Waste water treatment system and dust collectors would have to be set up in polluting units. Some companies were stubborn and failed to respond to the demands of the locals, creating bad blood.” He also alleged that a north Indian lobby interested in annihilating the plywood industry in Kerala was working behind the scenes. S. Sitaraman, an educationist and environmental activist, who had studied the issue and prepared a report on the condition of plywood units, said pollution was rampant in the villages where the units are situated. Several units are operating without proper licences, according to him.
Dire warning
The Hindu
21st January, 2013
According to scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2012 was the ninth warmest year since 1880 with an average temperature of 14.6° Celsius. The nine warmest years have occurred since 2000, the exception being 1998. The other years are 2010 and 2005. NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures, released an updated analysis recently. It compares temperatures around the globe in 2012 to the average global temperature from the mid 20th century. The comparison shows how Earth continues to experience warmer temperatures than several decades ago. The average temperature in 2012 was about 14.6° Celsius, which is 0.6° C warmer than the mid 20th century baseline. The average global temperature has risen about 0.8° C since 1880, according to the new analysis. Scientists emphasise that weather patterns always will cause fluctuations in average temperature from year to year, but the continued increase in greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere assures a long term rise in global temperatures. “One more year of numbers isn’t in itself significant,” GISS climatologist Gavin Schmidt said. “What matters is this decade is warmer than the last decade, and that decade was warmer than the decade before. The planet is warming. The reason it is warming is because we are pumping increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” Schmidt said in a statement.
Made-in-city mascots for WWF campaign
Times of India
25th January, 2012
Ludhiana: The largest human gathering in the world, the Mahakumbh at Allahabad has always been a motley gathering of the novel and exotic. This time, the Mahakumbh has yet another surprise in store. A fresh water crocodile or "ghariyal" and the legendary, if elusive Gangetic dolphin will spread the message of ecological conservation during the sacred rituals at the religious event. The dolphin and an affable ghariyal will talk to people about the threat to their habitat in the form of pollution and inadequate water flow in the Ganga. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature or WWF, India, has ordered the two mascots from Ludhiana. "We have ordered the mascots from Ludhiana and will be using 3d models of Gangetic river dolphins to spread awareness. We will also stage 'nukkad nataks' as part of the campaign to protect wildlife in general and Gangetic dolphins in particular," said Suresh Babu, director, River Basins and Water Policy, WWF-India. Considering the fact that the rare dolphins are endangered, the concern of the agency is justified. They chose to address the issue at the Mahakumbh, where millions gather for the holy dip. Ceremonies at the Mahakumbh will start from next week to conclude on Shivratri on March 10. "The Gangetic dolphin looks very different from other dolphins. This species is also an indicator of the health of the river. Dolphin mascots will walk up to people and tell them how pollution in the river is endangering their survival. They will also tell people what can be done to save them," said Babu. Apart from the Gangetic dolphins, mascots of the "ghariyal" or (fresh water crocodiles) and turtles will also interact with the people. Besides, there will be other audio-visual programmes aimed at apprising visitors about community participation to improve the ecological health of the river, Ganga. Babu said around 100 million people are expected to visit the Ganga in Allahabad by March 10, 2013.
Air pollution in Mumbai doubles
The Times of India
25th January, 2013
Mumbai: The heavy fog enveloping the city during early mornings is an ominous indicator of Mumbai's deteriorating air quality. Official readings since mid-January evidence that owing to cooler weather and bustle of vehicles and construction, the pollution levels have surpassed the standard limits by two-fold. According to Mumbai Pollution Control Board logs, pollution levels—particularly nitrogen oxide (NOx) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) —have been exceptionally pernicious the past few days. On January 16, for instance, SPM shot up to as high as 286 micrograms per cubic metre. On January 6, NOx was recorded at 211 micrograms per cubic metre. "Anything above 100 micrograms of SPM and 80 micrograms of NOx in a cubic metre of air is bad for human health," said an MPCB official. Sounding a disquieting note, he added that in certain parts of the city pollution levels are perennially higher than the standard limits. "When the weather gets cooler, SPM levels do tend to rise because of inversion," said Dr Rakesh Kumar of the National Environment Engineering Research Institute. Normally, the air near earth's surface is warmer than that in the upper atmosphere. During inversion, however, there is cold air near the surface, which gets trapped under warmer air. "At such a time, hot and cold air do not mix easily in the upper atmosphere. Because of this, pollutants get trapped in the lower atmosphere," explained Dr Kumar. "Strong winds break inversion and blow away pollutants."