On thin ice
Down to Earth
1st December, 2012
Global warming is making glaciers recede. But a study suggests that some glaciers in the monsoonal Himalayas in Bhutan will continue to shrink even if temperatures remain steady. This would happen due to other climatic factors like wind, humidity, precipitation and evaporation. The study says almost 10 per cent of these glaciers would vanish within next few decades making the melt water drop by 30 per cent. Snowfall rates would need to double to avoid this retreat but that is not likely as warmer temperatures lead to rainfall instead of snow.
Tehran residents urged to escape 'dangerous' pollution
Times of India
5th December, 2012
Tehran: Residents of Tehran were on Wednesday urged to leave the city, if possible, to escape a stagnant stew of choking air pollution that officials warned had reached "dangerous" levels. Health minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi made the appeal as her services recorded a 15 per cent increase in hospital admissions in recent days by people suffering headaches, respiratory difficulties and nausea.
"If Tehran's inhabitants are able to leave the city, it would be good for them to do so," Vahid Dastjerdi was quoted as saying by the Arman newspaper. The pollution, blamed mainly on the city's bumper-to-bumper traffic, is a constant woe for Tehran's eight million residents. It often peaks around this time of year, when autumnal weather traps the hazy fumes in the city, which is bordered by mountains acting as a bowl. This year, though, appeared worse than ever, according to some inhabitants. Authorities effectively called holidays this week, ordering Tehran schools, universities and government agencies closed on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the pollution. A regular government cabinet meeting in the capital was also cancelled, the Fars news agency reported. The shutdowns to try to contain the pollution are proving costly, economically. Efforts by Tehran officials to boost public transport, including extending the subway lines and establishing lanes for buses only, have barely dented the problem because of the ever-growing number of cars, many of which are inefficient and old. Iran's meteorological services said they expected the worst of the pollution in Tehran to dissipate from Thursday because of forecast rain.
81 tanneries shut to prevent effluent flow in Ganga during Kumbh
Times of India
6th December, 2012
Allahabad: With the objective of preventing discharge of untreated industrial effluent and wastewater into the Ganga during Kumbh, officials of UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) have shut down as many as 81 tanneries in industrial city Kanpur. In fact, UPPCB officials made it clear that industrial units including tanneries which don't have the facility of ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) would be shut down and cases would be lodged against them under appropriate sections on charges of violating norms. Keeping a strict eye on industrial units and checking discharge of industrial waste into the river, the UPPCB officials are also conducting regular check at over 400 units in Kanpur and Allahabad. During the check, UPPCB officials found that all 10 industrial units located at Naini area of Allahabad have installed ETPs and are working properly. Most of the industrial units in Kanpur have either already installed or are in the process of installing ETPs. There are over 430 units, including 402 tanneries, operational and the UPPCB authorities have shut down 81 tanneries till date for violating norms. Similarly, cases have been filed against 32 other units on charges of violating norms. Radhay Shyam regional officer UPPCB Kanpur told TOI, "Apart from closing down 81 erring tanneries, we have continued to check small units". He added that over 20 units were closed for decades and we have been checking the status of each and every unit on regular basis. Officials have also been apprising the advantages of effluent treatment system and encouraging them to install it at the earliest. Officials are also taking feedback from units which have already installed it. An effluent treatment plant takes sewage runoff from toilets, factories, storm-water drains and other sources and first screens it to remove any solids (cans, plastic, tampons etc) and removed sand and other solid substances before the mixture starts going through pumps.
Stop operationalisation, say petitioners as hearing ends
The Hindu
7th December, 2012
The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved verdict on the petitions for a direction to the Centre not to operationalise the Kudunkulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu without putting in place all 17 safety measures. Earlier, even as arguments concluded after a three-month period, Counsel Prashant Bhushan drew the court’s attention to announcements being made from time to time by the Prime Minister and other Ministers that the plant would become operational by December-end. The court should either injunct the government against operationalising the plant or get an undertaking from Additional Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran, who represented it on Thursday, that the project would not go on stream. A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra, however, said: “Unless they give an undertaking, we cannot record; they are not giving, what we can do?” Mr. Bhushan argued that the plant got a vague environmental clearance in 1989 when the site was not decided. No Environment Impact Assessment was done and no public hearing, mandatory under law, was conducted. Three critical changes were made in the plant. “Earlier, water was proposed to be taken from the local dam, but now it will be taken from the sea; earlier the Ministry of Environment and Forests said the change in the temperature of water discharged into the sea must not be more than 5 degrees but now it will be 7 degrees without any MoEF clearance.” Issuing the consent order to establish and operate the plant was unlawful in the absence of the EIA report and the Environmental Management Plan.
Mighty river, breathe easy
The Hindu
9th December, 2012
Once worshipped as the ‘saviour Ganga’, harbinger of hope and purifier of souls, the mighty river is now struggling to survive and breathe freely, from the garbage and filth littered all over it. But amidst this pall of sadness, there is a ray of hope as a silent sanitation revolution is being undertaken on the banks of Ganga to make her free from trash. In an ambitious programme, around 5,000 zero-wastes, ‘bio-digester’ toilets would be installed in villages along the 2,500-km stretch of the Ganga basin. The project has been undertaken jointly by the Ganga Action Parivaar (GAP), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the patronage of Swami Chidanand Saraswati, founder and president of Rishikesh-based Parmarth Ashram Niketan. In a unique coming together of saints, politicians, industrialists and Bollywood stars, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between GAP, FICCI and DRDO at a recently-held conference on environment conservation and world peace, signalling the launch of the programme in Rishikesh. The river looks like a huge open cesspool in some places. A major chunk of sewage, untreated industrial effluent, run-off from chemical fertilisers and pesticides used in agriculture and huge quantities of solid waste are dumped in the river. Besides, thousands of animal carcasses and hundreds of human corpses are thrown into the river everyday, contributing to the pollution load that flows incessantly into it. But more than anything, it is the faecal matter or human waste that has become a major pollutant of the Ganga. Initially, mobile bio-digester toilets, or Green Toilets, would be set up at various locations of the Kumbh Mela, where around 130 million people are expected to visit. The project will be later expanded from Har ki Paudi in Hardwar to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath and at schools, bus stands, railway stations and taxi stands across the 2,500-km stretch of the Ganga basin.
Government power plants flout norms, pollute Sonbhadra
Times of India
10th December, 2012
LUCKNOW: The government-owned coal-based thermal power plants are the biggest defaulters in controlling environment pollution in Sonbhadra. While the other polluting industries in Sonbhadra have put the checks in place, the four units of state-owned thermal power plants are yet to act. This is a serious lapse since Sonbhadra is among 24 critically polluted regions in the country. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Sonbahdra has been critically polluted since 1991. While the CPCB and the Ministry of Ennvironment and Forest (MoEF) have over the years expressed concern over alarming pollution levels in the district and designed strategies to contain and combat it, the state government has failed to check pollution in its power plants. The state government admitted the lapse in UP assembly too. Out of 21 polluting industries in Sonbhadra, 19 have installed effluent treatment plants (ETPs). The two defaulters are state utilities - Obra thermal power station - Unit A, and Obra thermal power station - Unit B. These units have not installed any ETP. Out of these industries in Sonbhadra region, 17 have complied with environment protection norms, to contain air pollution. The biggest defaulters are units of Obra and Anpara thermal power plants. Though the units have installed equipment to check air pollution caused by them, these equipment do not conform to the norms. The installed capacity of nine thermal power plants in Sonbhadra is some 9,500 MW. The four defaulter units, with an installed capacity 3,430 MW, are owned by UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL). The alarming levels of environment pollution in Sonbhadra and its ill-effects on human health were revealed in a recent study of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The study concluded that presence of coal mines, coal-based thermal power plants and other polluting industries have led heavy metals like mercury pollute water, air and soil of the region. In the groundwater samples collected from Anpara, mercury was found to be alarmingly high, about eight times more than the permissible limits.The Central Pollution Control Board in 1991 had identified Sonbhadra (along with Singrauli of MP) as a critically polluted area. In 1996, Singrauli Action Plan was implemented to contain pollution and conserve environment in the region. The Action Plan recommended using clean technology, monitoring of ambient air quality, better management of ash generated from thermal power plants and use of fly ash in cement.
City residents sore over garbage dumping
The Hindu
10th December, 2012
The recent move by Tiruchi Corporation to dump a portion of the garbage collected from the city near its sewage treatment farm at Panchapur off Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway has triggered unease among residents in the backward locality. Although sources in the corporation say that only solid waste such as empty tyres and discarded containers collected during the recent mosquito source reduction drive conducted as part of the dengue awareness campaign is being dumped into a landfill at Panchapur, local residents are apprehensive that the civic body could make it a regular practice.Their fear does not seem to be entirely unfounded. Apart from a huge pit, mounds of garbage could be seen dumped adjacent to the sewage treatment plant. Sources in the civic body maintain that some quantum of garbage was dumped at the site some months ago only as a temporary measure. Garbage is not being dumped there now, they say. However, there are clear indications that the corporation is facing a problem as its Ariyamangalam garbage dump on the Thanjavur road is close to reaching its full capacity. With over 12 lakh tonnes of garbage accumulated down the years and about 450 tonnes added to it every day, the garbage dump at Ariyamangalam, spread over about 45 acres, has been literally bursting at its seams. Over the past few years, residents of the locality have been demanding shifting of the garbage dump and removal of accumulated garbage as ‘living conditions are turning increasingly intolerable’ owing to pollution caused by it. A proposal to go in for ‘scientific closure’ of the accumulated garbage by converting them into green hillocks on the lines of a project executed in Coimbatore is yet to be executed. Shifting the garbage is virtually ruled out, given the practical difficulties in transporting the colossal accumulation. The corporation has been implementing a project to convert the accumulated garbage into bio manure. The civic body is now planning to “compact” the accumulated garbage to create some space at the dump. Given the increasing resistance from locals, the civic body will have to take a decision sooner than later. According to the sources, the corporation is toying with the idea of dumping solid waste generated from two of the four zones in the city at Panchapur. But the move seems to have been put on hold.
The other population explosion
The Hindu
11th December, 2012
There are about 44 lakh vehicles in Bangalore, of which more than 30 lakh are two-wheelers, 8 lakh four-wheelers while the rest are buses, goods vehicles and other private service vehicles. On an average, some 1,200 vehicles are registered in the nine Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across the city daily. There are about 44 lakh vehicles in Bangalore, of which more than 30 lakh are two-wheelers, 8 lakh four-wheelers while the rest are buses, goods vehicles and other private service vehicles, Bangalore Urban and Rural Transport Department figures say. H.G. Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Traffic (Enforcement), Bangalore Urban and Rural Transport Department, attributes it to increased purchase power, people owning more than one vehicle.
PCB, councillors lock horns over HIL pollution allegation
The Hindu
12th December, 2012
Councillors of Eloor municipality on Tuesday laid siege to the environment surveillance centre of the State Pollution Control Board at Eloor. The protest was to press for their demands including action against the public-sector Hindustan Insecticides Ltd. (HIL) for allegedly dumping chemical effluents in to the Kuzhikandam creek. Municipal authorities had issued a notice to the HIL management on Monday directing them to remove the outlet carrying effluents into the creek. The notice was issued after residents complained that the dumping had triggered a foul smell in the region. The health wing of the local body asked the company authorities to discharge only those effluents permissible as per the guidelines issued by the State Pollution Control Board. The officials had also directed the management to store the effluents at a facility inside the company premises. HIL officials, who met municipal authorities on Tuesday afternoon, rejected reports that the company was responsible for the foul smell in the area. The outlet carrying effluents was set up according to the norms prescribed by the pollution control board. The company had consent to operate it, they said.
Allow use of endosulfan for two more years: expert committee
Down to Earth
6th December, 2012
The expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court to examine the issue of disposing of the remaining stock of banned pesticide endosulfan has suggested that its use may be permitted for another two years. The committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court on November 20. The apex court had banned the use, manufacture and export of endosulfan on May 13 last year, citing its toxic effects on humans and the environment. The bench had delivered this order while hearing the petition filed by Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). However, the apex court had allowed the export of endosulfan in December, 2011. The persistent problem now is how to dispose of the remaining stock of endosulfan and its raw material, hexa chloro cyclo pentadine (HCCP). The court had appointed a joint expert committee of the agriculture ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to examine the methods of disposal of the balance stock of endosulfan. The committee reviewed the reports of National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) and Calicut Medical College; these reports document the disastrous impact of endosulfan in Kerala and Karnataka. According to the committee, all countries that have banned endosulfan have a phase-out plan that allows its use in agriculture for a period of two to six years. By allowing the use of endosulfan for two years, India would be doing the same. The committee also considered the option of destroying the remaining stocks of endosulfan by incineration but then rejected it as the costs of such a procedure would be prohibitive. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the cost of destroying the existing stock of endosulfan and HCCP would be Rs 1,189 crore and would require several years. The report has many loopholes. “On one hand it (the committee) accepts that endosulfan is harmful to human health, on the other hand it recommends lifting ban for two years. The report contradicts itself,” says C Jayakumar, director of Kerala-based NGO Thanal. The committee agreed with the fact that endosulfan has important health hazards related to endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity, congenital anomalies, and reproductive and congenital abnormalities. The committee further noted that most of the other registered pesticides in the country had as much of a negative impact on human health and environment as endosulfan, and that the pesticide could not be singled out as a rogue pesticide.
Mass RTI plea against polluting unit
Indian Express
11th December, 2012
Chennai: Protesting against an alleged polluting industrial unit in their town, around 200 residents of Kayalpatnam in Tuticorin district filed RTI petitions with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) here on Monday. They also met TNPCB officials and made representations with them. Residents and members of the Kayalpatnam Environmental Protection Association (KEPA) alleged that the factory owned and operated by DCW Ltd at Sahupuram, had been flagrantly flouting environmental norms by releasing effluents into the sea.The factory manufactured caustic soda, liquid chlorine, beneficiated ilmenite and trichloroethylene, and PVC. The factory allegedly released effluents into the sea during rains which resulted in mercury poisoning along the coast, rendering the fish catch unfit for consumption. Agricultural activity had also come to a standstill, they said. The members said respiratory diseases had spiralled in the last few years in addition to cases of cancer.
If sink begins to sink
Down to Earth
13th December, 2012
Plants and soils act as carbon sinks, absorbing the ever-increasing amounts of carbon dioxide across the globe. But scientists warn that these natural carbon sinks will weaken over the next century. Using a new computer model of Earth’s surface they examined how carbon storage might react to a warmer planet with higher atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Results indicated that the potential range of outcomes is vast and includes the possibility that plants and soils may release huge amounts of carbon dioxide as the climate heats up, worsening global warming. If this happens, stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at a specific level would require more drastic efforts than have been proposed currently.
River pollution slur on TTPS
Indian Express
13th December, 2012
Odisha: Release of ash water and other wastes from the 460-mw Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) here into the Brahmani has ended up severely polluting the river. The Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the State Government have allegedly remained a mute spectator to this violation of pollution control norms. There are three or more ways through which waste water from the plant and its colony is being released into the rivulet Nandira which merges in the Brahmani. A thick layer of oil or other polluting chemicals on the surface of the river water has become a common sight. This is the situation when the authorities of the TTPS plant, owned by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited, claim to have achieved record success in power generation. For people of nearby 10 villages, including Jagannathpur, the Brahmani is their lifeline as they depend upon the river for day-to-day needs. “Release of waste water and effluents into the river has been unabated. Our pleas to the government authorities have only fallen on deaf ears,” said a villager of Jagannathpur, Prakash Dhar. “Our lives have become hell as we were already suffering from heavy coal dust pollution from the nearby conveyer belt of the plant that carries coal from the colliery to the plant,” he added. Incidentally, the Regional Officer of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board who inspected the plant some days back has detected water release from three points including the sewage plant of TTPS into the Brahmani through a rivulet Nandira.
Pollution chokes Maradu backwaters
Indian Express
15th December, 2012
High-level of pollution has been noticed at Chilavannoor and Cheppanam backwaters caused by the oily water discharged from the automobile servicing centres functioning in the Palarivattom-Kumbalam toll plaza stretch. “Though it is mandatory for the servicing centres to obtain licences from the Pollution Control Board (PCB), the majority of the units do not have them. This shows that the waste management of these centres is not being monitored by the PCB,” said Sathyan, an environmentalist. The untreated water generated at the service centres is being directed to the backwaters. “Now, the water bodies have become oily and unhealthy for the survival of fish,” he said. The cement treatment plants are also posing a threat to the backwaters in the area. The plants are functioning without adhering to the norms of the PCB. Waste from the cement treatment plants is dumped in the backwaters. Besides, there are complaints that waste from private hospitals is being dumped at the backwaters. “We had earlier registered a complaint against a private hospital in the area. Though the PCB officials have initially been strict in monitoring the waste treatment of the hospital, they are now showing little seriousness in the issue. Now there are no thorough check-ups of the waste management of hospitals in the area. So, the hospitals are dumping waste in the backwaters,” he said. Meanwhile, PCB’s chief environmental engineer Mythili M S said the board would take action against the commercial establishments if it received complaints. “We have already got a complaint against a hospital in the area. We have issued notice to them. Now, the hospital is following waste management norms. It has not come to our notice that backwaters are being polluted due to the oil from the automobile service centres and cement treatment plants in the area,” she said.
Climate studies, the Indian way
Down to Earth
15th December, 2012
India often finds itself in the midst of debates on climate change. But there is very little country-specific research available to guide climate-related policy. In 2010, researchers and policy advocates on climate change came together to form a network to promote quality climate research in the country. Three institutes, IIT-Delhi, IIT-Madras and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), established the Indian Climate Research Network (ICRN). The network boasts over 150 members. The aim of the network is to ensure that climate change debate reaches a wider audience in the country, bridge the communication gap between the scientific community and those outside it and provide the fledgeling research community a platform to come together for discussions and debates on climate change. ICRN held its third national research conference from November 3 to 4 at its most recent addition, the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. The conference showcased the best climate change research being carried out in the country. Over 70 presentations and posters on the science of climate change, its mitigation, adaptation and impacts were discussed. “The quality of presentations at the conference has definitely improved but we still have a long way to go before reaching international standards,” says Krishna Achutarao, professor at IIT Delhi, who is one of the networks’ founding members.
65 % of the air pollution deaths occur in Asia and close to quarter of this in India
Times of India
17th December, 2012
Indore: According to Global Burden of Disease (GBD) count, a global initiative involving the World Health Organisation, in South Asia, air pollution is ranked as the sixth most dangerous killer. Around 65 per cent of the air pollution deaths occur in Asia and close to quarter of this in India. Reacting to the findings Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says air pollution has become one of the top 10 killers in the world. Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE's executive director-research and advocacy and head of its air pollution unit said, "This GBD count on air pollution and its health risks must trigger urgent, aggressive and most stringent action in India to curb air pollution to protect public health. India cannot afford to enhance health risk at a time when much of its economic growth and motorization are yet to happen." The latest GBD results have been produced by a rigorous scientific process involving over 450 global experts and partner institutions including the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, the World Health Organization, the University of Queensland, Australia, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and the Health Effects Institute. Elaborating about the findings she said death due to outdoor air pollution has increased significantly. According to the latest tally, air pollution causes 3.2 million deaths worldwide. This has increased from 800,000, last estimated by GBD in the year 2000 - a whopping 300 per cent increase. In the year 2000, GBD assessments had reported a much smaller air pollution-related burden of disease. The new estimates of particulate air pollution are based on ground-level measurements, satellite remote sensing and global chemical transport models to capture population exposure. In South Asia, air pollution has been ranked just below blood pressure, tobacco smoking, indoor air pollution, poor intake of fruits and diabetes. This is scary as outdoor air pollution is a leveler that makes everyone - rich and the poor -- vulnerable. Two-thirds of the death burden from outdoor air pollution occurs in developing Asia including India.
Awareness drive to check pollution levels in twin cities
Times of India
18th December, 2012
Hubli: The Karnataka Pollution Control Board, Dharwad, has finally woken up to the growing menace of sound and air pollution in Dharwad district. It has launched a special awareness drive to check pollution levels in the twin cities. The campaign is aimed at creating awareness among people on the ill-effects of air and noise pollution due to bursting of crackers and honking. As a first step, the board has started conducting programmes in schools and colleges to highlight the adverse effects of pollution on the eco-system. It recently conducted a campaign titled SDM-Utsav at the SDM Dental College on the need to reduce air and noise pollution. Under this, students will be sensitized on the harmful impact of air and noise pollution, keeping school and premises clean, making vermi-compost from waste food and water and other eco-friendly measures. Vijayakumar Kadakbhavi, district environment officer told TOI that as per Pollution Control Board norms, noise should not exceed 55 decibels in residential areas and 65 decibels in commercial areas in the city. "But it is very unfortunate that norms are being violated in the twin cities every day. This should be brought under check," he said.
Pollution control body for ban on diesel vehicles in Delhi
The Times of India
18th December, 2012
New Delhi: Government today informed the Lok Sabha that Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has recommended that there is need to ban diesel vehicles in Delhi to prevent emission of high smoke particles. "The EPCA in a report in 2012 has stated that benefits of CNG transition are not visible due to growth in diesel vehicles, because diesel vehicles are known to emit higher smoke particles and Nitrogen Oxides than petrol cars," Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said during Question Hour. Earlier in 2007, the EPCA had expressed this concern in a detailed report filed by it in the Supreme Court titled "Controlling Pollution from the growing number of diesel cars in Delhi". "In the report, EPCA had recommended to the Court that there is a need to ban the use of diesel in cars in Delhi," the minister said. The Central Pollution Control Board had carried out a study in 2007 in six cities - Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai and Pune. Government is taking several steps to control pollution caused by vehicles. These include implementation of Bharat Stage-IV emission standards for all category vehicles, reducing sulphur content in petrol and diesel, implementing pollution under control norms, promoting use of alternative fuels like CNG, electric vehicles, bio-diesel; building more by-passes to avoid unnecessary entry into the city, and strengthening mass transport system.
Dirty industries are at the heart of capitalism
The Pioneer
18th December, 2012
In a confidential memorandum in December 1991, Lawrence Summers, World Bank Chief Economist, urged his colleagues: “‘Dirty’ Industries: Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs (Less Developed Countries)? I can think of three reasons.” Those who believe that the transfer of manufacturing from the US to Africa, Asia and China is a one-way ticket to economic salvation, and that more FDI equals India’s financial redemption, should pay heed. Mr Summers elaborates: “The measurement of the costs of health-impairing pollution depends on the foregone earnings from increased morbidity and mortality. From this point of view a given amount of health-impairing pollution should be done in the country with the lowest cost, which will be the country with the lowest wages. I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that”. Second, he says, “The costs of pollution are likely to be non-linear as the initial increments of pollution probably have very low cost. I’ve always thought that under-populated countries in Africa are vastly UNDER-polluted, their air quality is probably vastly inefficiently low compared to Los Angeles or Mexico City. Only the lamentable facts that so much pollution is generated by non-tradable industries (transport, electrical generation) and that the unit transport costs of solid waste are so high prevent world welfare enhancing trade in air pollution and waste”. Put simply, he regrets it is not economically possible to transfer waste and pollution wholesale to the developing world. Another recent expose shows the scanty concern for ecology by foreign investors. The Centre for Science and Environment investigated local complaints of serious pollution by a mill at Kharsia, Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh. It found non-compliance with air emissions norms by the sponge iron manufacturing facility and unsystematic dumping of fly-ash, which was getting mixed with waste water discharge and contaminating the Rakshapali village water body, making it unfit for domestic use. Students of nearby schools repeatedly complained of itchy eyes and skin irritation owing to the heavy dust emissions of fine particulate matter. Fly-ash from the captive power plant was being dumped close to a school boundary, though the plant had come up long after the school was established. Shockingly, there is no ash-dyke facility at the unit. The eye-opener in this story is that the major public shareholders of the company are feted global banks, a famous global private equity player, and a Norwegian sovereign wealth fund. The parent fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, claims to have a policy for responsible investment. All foreign investors are formally committed to protecting the local community and ecology, and all willfully turned a blind eye to overt pollution and basic environmental concerns.
Tiny air pollutants kill thousands, cost billions in China
The Times of India
19th December, 2012
Bejing: Microscopic pollutant particles in the air have killed some 8,600 people prematurely this year and cost $1 billion in economic losses in four Chinese cities, according to a study by Beijing University and Greenpeace. The study of pollutant levels of PM2.5, or particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi'an called for PM2.5 levels to be cut to World Health Organisation guidelines, which would reduce deaths by over 80%, the China Daily newspaper said on Wednesday. PM2.5 particles are known to damage the lungs and cardiovascular systems, cause lung cancer and other diseases, being small enough to settle directly in the respiratory system. China's rapid growth has brought with it serious environmental problems, from polluted rivers to smog that often shrouds cities. The government has recently asked major cities to release readings on PM2.5 levels to the public.
GHMC to generate 40 MW power from garbage
The Hindu
20th December, 2012
The GHMC has obtained clearances for generating 40 MW of power from the 3,100 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste it generates everyday, said Special Commissioner Navin Mittal on Thursday. The power generation plant will be set up by the municipal corporation’s Public, Private Partner (PPP) Ramky Enviro Engineers at the Jawaharnagar dump yard in Kapra. The Special Commissioner expects the plant to become operational in about a year’s time. He was addressing a conference on ‘Environmental Resource Conservation – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Of the 2,000 million gallons of water utilized daily in the urban areas of the State, only half of it was being treated, he said. It was also time for introduction of multiple bins system for collection of organic and inorganic waste. The Central and State governments too should think of providing necessary funds to the municipal bodies to tackle solid waste and water pollution. “Expecting the urban local bodies to generate their own funds through property tax and other methods without providing any portion of taxes collected does not happen anywhere in the world,” Mr. Mittal said.
Can Karanji lake be pollution free?
The Hindu
20th December, 2012
Being a major source of water for the zoo, the lake, which draws various species of birds for nesting every year, is yet to become “pollution free” though sewage flow has been checked to some extent in recent years. It can become the city’s first “contaminant-free lake” if sewage discharge from neighbouring localities such as Siddharthanagar is stopped completely. “The underground drainage (UGD) pipes need to be replaced with bigger diameter ones to handle the sewage flow. The pipes were laid long ago, in accordance with the population then, and they need to be replaced immediately to check sewage overflow into the lake,” said zoo executive director B.P. Ravi. He told The Hindu that the Mysore City Corporation’s Rs. 3.5-crore project to replace the UGD pipes was before the government for approval. “If the work gets cleared, sewage flow can be checked fully,” he said. Mr. Ravi said a team of officers from Zoo Authority of Karnataka, led by its chairman M. Nanjundaswamy, will soon meet Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar in Bangalore to apprise him of the need to expedite the project. The lake had also rejuvenated groundwater in the area where several institutes, mounted police unit and residential localities were located. More than 2.5 lakh litres of water is drawn from the lake daily to meet Mysore zoo’s requirements. “Our need is 3.5 lakh litres daily, but the MCC supplies 1 lakh litres. Where will the zoo get so much water daily if there is no lake in the surroundings,” he asked, stressing the need to restore urban water bodies. As for removing silt from the lake, he said the management had proposed to collect silt entering the lake from the storm-water drains.
Pollution indoors
The Hindu
22nd December, 2012
This public health issue goes back to Stone Age cave dwellings. Indoor pollution caused by cooking and heating with solid fuels, including biomass such as wood, dung, farm residue and coal, continues across the globe. Inefficient burning on an open fire or traditional stove creates a mix of pollutants, primarily carbon monoxide and total suspended particulates. While the World Health Organisation in 2009 estimated the number of deaths caused by this peril annually at two million, the just published Global Burden of Disease Study puts it at four million. The worst-hit are the poor — especially stay-at-home women and children. Women are three times more likely to suffer from serious ailments including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared to those who use other fuels. South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have been identified as the worst affected regions. In India, 74 per cent of the people use such fuels and these account for more than 80 per cent of household energy consumption. The consequences of some two million tonnes of biomass going up in smoke every day have implications for the environment. Owing to the inherent inefficiency of the process, the products of incomplete combustion include the potent greenhouse gas methane. Until populations move up the ‘fuel ladder,’ effective solutions should be looked at. These include the use of cleaner fuels, stoves that are more thermal efficient, and provision of better ventilation for cooking areas. The problem cannot be addressed without looking at issues of women’s empowerment. The economic argument is as strong as the humanitarian one. The cleaner options include LPG, kerosene, and biogas. In the case of biogas, the experience so far has been a mixed one, but properly implemented, the technology has much potential. LPG is still way beyond the reach of many, and the rise in its price over the years is actually driving people back to traditional fuels. In India, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy launched the National Biomass Cookstove Initiative in December 2009, seeking to enhance the availability of clean and efficient energy. An R&D project was taken up to prepare an action plan for deployment of cookstoves. Earlier, under the National Programme of Improved Chulhas, some 15 million stoves were installed by 1994. But at the end of the day, much more remains to be done. Inefficient energy practices, which are but manifestations of energy poverty, are obstacles to development and progress. There is a need for innovative policy approaches. More resources need to be earmarked to develop appropriate technology options on this front. Such investment will save millions of lives and produce additional economic gains.
UP Govt to clean up river Ganga ahead of Maha Kumbh Mela
The Times of India
24thDecember, 2012
Lucknow: In a bid to make available clean and continuous flow of water in river Ganga during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad next month, the UP government has issued directions for shutting down industrial units that discharge pollutants in the river, officials said today. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Javed Usmani yesterday asked the concerned district magistrates to constitute a committee for inspection of polluting industries and ensure that they are closed within three days, an official spokesperson said here. He also asked for ensuring that eight industrial units banned by the UP pollution control board, including distilleries and leather units in different districts remain closed. Uttarakhand government has also assured full co-operation in controlling pollution, the spokesperson added. The chief secretary has also directed for release of additional 2,500 cusecs of water in the Ganga between January 1, 2013 to February 28 and 1,500 cusecs of water between March 1 to March 7 for the good flow in the river.
No north Indian river fit for bathing: Environmental activists
The Times of India
25th December, 2012
New Delhi: The famed rivers of India's Gangetic plains are turning into "sewage", threatening the life and health of millions of people dependent on them, warned a team of 11 environmental activists who cycled through the region covering around 1,800km in 27 days. In the capital earlier this week on way to their final stop, Dehra Dun, team members they crossed 24 rivers while cycling through north Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. "Not one river was fit to bathe in. The water at many places resembled sewage water. Among the most polluted rivers we came across was the Yamuna in western UP, Varuna and Gandak," said team leader Anil P Joshi, a Padma Shri-awardee who heads a Dehra Dun-based environmental NGO, HESCO. "The growing pollution of rivers is a stark sign of wider ecological imbalance in the region," he added. The yatra aims to raise awareness about the need for keeping an account of India's natural resources. The group is demanding that the government introduce an annual green measure called the 'gross environmental product'. "Like the GDP for the economy, the GEP would monitor the health of India's natural assets, showing whether these were being overexploited or not," said Joshi. It wasn't just the rivers that the activists were worried about. They said none of the states they travelled through had achieved even half of India's target of 33% area under forests. Bengal had 14.64%, Bihar 7.23%, UP 3.61% and Delhi 11.94%. "Forests are vanishing in these states. And even the ones that survive are grade C forests, consisting of bushes rather than broad-leaved trees," Joshi said.
"We will compile a report of our observations, which will be sent to the Prime Minister's Office and to all chief ministers," Joshi said.
New social network seeks to reduce pollution in Beijing
The Times of India
26th December, 2012
Beijing: Three young Americans have launched in China's capital a "green" initiative to combat pollution and excessive traffic with an online and iPhone service whereby people can share their vehicles at no cost with others, a daily reported. The service only provides the information, and it's up to users to select which vehicle they want to ride in or whether they are willing to transport more passengers, and the driver retains the right to choose whether to accept a certain passenger or not. The platform also offers the possibility to rate the "quality" of drivers and passengers and to downgrade those who are late. The trio behind the initiative consists of three young Americans of Chinese ancestry - Eric Wang, James Hu and Jeff Hsu - and they said that their main aim is to help reduce traffic problems and pollution, although they hope that over time, as the service gains users, they will be able to glean a profit from it.
GSPCB moots proposal to clear waste on NHs
The Times of India
27th December, 2012
Panji: Waste dumped along the national highways may be a thing of the past in 2013, if the government gives its nod to a proposal before it. Sent by the Goa state pollution control board ( Manohar Parrikar, exploitation against women, gender sensitization programme) in "a pro-active role", the proposal states, "Till the finalization of contractors by the directorate of panchayats for collection of dry solid waste from various village panchayats, we may allow Goodearth Waste Management Enterprises Pvt Ltd to collect all such dry waste along the highways with a condition that the agency will collect at its own cost."
The cost will include manpower, machinery, and "use of recyclable waste for themselves, and at the same time ensure that non-recyclable and non-biodegradable waste is properly segregated and baled and thereafter transported for co-incineration at the place identified by the monitoring committee on solid waste management". The company currently collects plastic waste from various places, including hotels, panchayats, municipalities, even the corporation of the city of Panaji ( CCP), said sources. The collected waste is then sent to factories for recycling. The company sent GSPCB its proposal to collect dry waste from the entire state. GSPCB's proposal to the government, signed by member secretary Levinson Martins, states that as far as biodegradable solid waste is concerned, a study is being conducted at the CCP's sorting centre at the animal shelter at St Inez. "This (study) is to get details of the type of packaging material vis-a-vis the manufacturer's so that the annual sales turnover in the state can be worked out".
Frozen at gateway
Down to Earth
31st December, 2012
The Doha outcome is all talk no action. In 2007, the Bali Action Plan had called for an urgent reduction in carbon emissions by developed countries to keep the average global temperature rise below 2°C. The threat of extreme weather events has since increased. The next round of climate talks will be under the Durban Platform but before that it is important to assess progress since Bali. Two weeks of intense negotiations at the UN climate talks in Doha concluded within minutes on December 8. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, president of the 18th Conference of Parties (COP), gavelled through the draft decisions of three negotiating tracks and adopted them. In what seemed a premeditated attempt, every strike of the gavel was accompanied by a deafening applause which ensured dissenting voices did not reach the podium. Any objection to a draft decision must be raised before the president adopts it, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Al-Attiyah, through several hours of huddles with groups of countries, ensured the dissenting voices were few. Except for the Russian Federation, Al-Attiyah had convinced all countries not to let the talks collapse. It did not matter, of course, whether the outcome was in favour of arresting catastrophic global climate change or not. Early December 8 morning, Al-Attiyah introduced new draft texts, claiming everyone’s interests had been accommodated. He gave Parties 90 minutes to read the texts, but the break stretched to well over 10 hours. It remains a mystery how he convinced countries not to object before he adopted the decisions. Unconfirmed reports note the COP president and the UNFCCC secretariat met several key parties behind closed doors, convincing them that to open the “package of texts” at the late juncture to make further adjustments would cause utter chaos. Drama unravelled soon after. The Russian Federation found it “unbelievable that the decisions were passed so unforgivingly”. Not happy with the decision to disallow transfer of surplus carbon credits to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the Russian negotiator said: “It is difficult to believe that you did not hear the nameplate that I banged (to bring to the president’s attention the country’s wish to intervene before he adopted the decision), which is against the nature of Russian diplomacy.” To this the president replied, “I value the warm relations between my country and the Russian Federation. It was my sense that the decision reflects the will of the party as a whole to resolve Doha.” Then, the US sprung its card. It made clear that it would not be part of any new global deal that was guided by the principles of UNFCCC. India also made it clear that it was not happy with most parts of the text. “These are serious issues that affect the interests of all developing countries. There is no framework for sectoral measures in the decision. The unilateral measures have been dealt with almost as an afterthought. And, there is a weak reference to technology-related intellectual property rights issues. Most important, there is no concrete commitment on financing,” Mehrishi said. Reiterating the focus on equity and CBDR in the context of shared vision, India reserved its right to be party to the Doha decisions only if others accepted all the elements and provisions enshrined in the decisions. “The entire package must be treated as a composite one and not violated either in spirit or letter,” Mehrishi warned, setting the tone for the next three years of talks.