QUATERLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 [SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER]
THIS ISSUE 03 NATIONAL NEWS 12 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 18 CASE ANALYSIS 22 NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL-BULLETIN 27 FUN FACTS 29 SUCCESS STORY
SWEN LANOITAN The number of cases enrolled for climate-related offenses expanded to 61,767 out of 2020 from 34,676 out of 2019 said Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change told the Lok Sabha December 6, 2021. He was referring to the Crime in India report 2020. India upheld a 'non-restricting' Zero-Emission Vehicles Transition Council (ZEVTC) revelation at the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The revelation calls for CASES OF ENVIRONMENTRELATED OFFENCES ALMOST DOUBLED IN 2020 working seriously towards sped up multiplication and reception of zero discharge vehicles. Major emanating economies that declared their Net Zero discharge targets fared ineffectively in their environmental change execution more than 2021, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 report has found. India, in any case, kept up with its tenth position like a year ago. It kept on being among the top-performing nations inside Group of 20. The report, distributed by German-watch alongside Climate Action Network (CAN) and New Climate Institute, was delivered on November 10 at the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on INDIA IN TOP 10 IN CLIMATE PERFORMANCE RANKING: CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Biological Diversity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, postponed in Parliament on 9 December by MoEFCC Bhupender Yadav, gives exclusions to projects advancing Indian medication frameworks, otherwise called Ayush. It has been shipped off a joint parliamentary board of trustees for additional scrutiny. The draft laws are the most recent in a progression of changes completed the focal government to change processes connected with natural and woodland endorsements for foundation and formative activities. The proposed adjustments would successfully address current biological and financial requirements of the country, the public authority has said, yet legitimate specialists are CHANGES IN GREEN LAWS MIGHT WEAKEN SHIELDS: EXPERTS worried that such enormous scope changes would avoid ecological worries. Activists likewise said these alterations are looked for without requesting public remarks, similar to the standard when laws are up for corrections.
80 EGAP According to a BBC research, the number of extremely hot days in a year – when the temperature exceeds 50 degrees Celsius – has doubled globally since the 1980s, highlighting the grim reality of the global climate catastrophe. Between 1980 and 2009, temperatures averaged 14 days per year when they exceeded 50°C. According to a BBC investigation, that amount increased to 26 days between 2010 and 2019. Aside from that, the temperature threshold of 45°C has seen a significant increase during the same time period, averaging an extra two weeks every year. In 50 DEGREES CELSIUS TEMPERATURE IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FREQUENT : SAYS BBC REPORT the West Asia region, temperatures as high as 50°C are normal, especially during the lengthy summers. However, when temperatures of nearly-50°C were recorded in more temperate places of the world this summer, such as Canada and Italy, climate experts sat up and took notice. The temperature in Italy reached a record high of 48.8°C, while the temperature in Canada reached 49.6°C. Climate scientists believe that unfettered fossil-fuel burning has invariably resulted in the entire world warming faster than before, making high temperatures more likely in the near future. Experts warn that severe temperatures can be detrimental for both plant and animals, as the report points out, and that human civilisation would face unavoidable hurdles, such as infrastructure and power system problems. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology's Banaras Hindu University's School of Biochemical Engineering claim to have isolated a new bacterial strain from a contaminated site that can effectively and environmentally remove a potentially cancer-causing toxic agent known as hexavalent chromium from waste water. According to experts Dr Vishal Mishra and his Ph.D student Veer Singh, hexavalent chromium is a heavy metal ion utilised in several sectors that can cause cancer, infertility, renal and liver failure in humans. Microbacterium paraoxydans strain VSVM IIT (BHU), according to Dr. Mishra, was able to survive high levels of hexavalent SCIENTISTS AT IIT-BHU HAVE DISCOVERED A BACTERIAL STRAIN THAT CAN ELIMINATE HAZARDOUS AGENTS FROM GARBAGE chromium. "When compared to other traditional procedures for removing hexavalent chromium from wastewater, it is quite successful." "This bacterial strain grew quickly in aqueous medium containing Hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) and was easily isolated from the aqueous medium following treatment," he stated. "The study found that when bacteria are cultivated in a hexavalent chromium-containing growth media, multiple heavy metal tolerance pathways are triggered," he said. Their study on cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways for removing harmful metal ions has already been published in the prestigious Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. The Uttarakhand Forest Department has begun a $39 million man-wildlife conflict mitigation initiative in the Himalayan state, which will implement a variety of strategies. According to forest officials, around 280 kilometres of fencing would be installed at a cost of over 18 crore in various regions of the state. At a cost of 4.4 crore, 1,393 km of elephant-proof trenches will be created in locations frequented by the pachyderms. Fencing and ditches will also serve as barriers, preventing wildlife from entering residential areas. Rajiv Bhartari, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), said the ministry of environment, forests and climate change has provided the state forest department with Rs 39.7 crore under the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) UTTARAKHAND WILL BEGIN A $39 MILLION INITIATIVE TO LESSEN MANWILDLIFE CONFLICT fund for man-wildlife conflict mitigation. "This is for the time being while the state's mitigating measures are being scaled up," he explained. The programme will focus mainly on three types of conflicts – Man – Leopard conflict, Man – Elephant conflict and Man - Monkey conflict. Last year, the state government decided to build four open forest enclosures in Haridwar, Nainital, Almora, and Pithoragarh districts, each having a capacity to contain over 25,000 monkeys, to combat the state's expanding simian scourge.
80 EGAP In recent news, union minister – Ashwin Kumar Choubey, disclosed that Centre is working on a project of developing 400 city forests across the country. This project is aimed at increasing the green cover in urban areas. Choubey further stated that a "nagar van" (city forest) would be constructed in the Ramban area of Jammu & Kashmir. Choubey made the remarks while speaking with members of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and the general public. He went on to say that the government is also attempting to instill an environmentally conscious INDIA TO PLAN ABOUT 400 CITY FORESTS, SAYS UNION MINISTER CHOUBEY mindset in youngsters and that nurseries will be established in educational institutions to help with this. A more liberalized policy on the Forest Rights Act is also being developed in order to assure forest development and protection. According to global research released this week, India lost approximately 2 million hectares (Mha) of tree cover between 2001 and 2020, a drop of nearly 5% since 2000. It went on to say that the Northeastern states accounted for threequarters of the total loss. The research was conducted by the University of Maryland in the United States. To reach their findings, the experts analysed over a million satellite pictures. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday during the high-level ministerial section of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference that India will guarantee that the benefits of biodiversity conservation pass to underprivileged people that rely on natural resources. He stated that measures to conserve nature and reverse biodiversity loss will be at the heart of India's post-Covid resurgence. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, a "one health" strategy is one in which human and animal health are interrelated and linked to INDIA HAS PLEDGED TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WORLDWIDE CONSERVATION PLAN ecosystem health. "For thousands of years, we in India have adored and appreciated nature. With only 2.4 percent of the world's land area, we are home to 8% of all documented species and are considered one of the world's most biodiverse regions. "India is committed to working together to shape global conservation policy while also contributing to the enhancement of its own conservation estate," Yadav said. "I am glad to report that India has already set aside over 17.41% of its geographical area for conservation purposes, with further sites being identified to expand this coverage." "The present Covid-19 outbreak has demonstrated to the entire human race that care for nature is not only a moral or ethical factor, but also a necessity for our own safety, our health, and our economies," Yadav stated. Producers, importers, and brand owners will be required to follow strict guidelines to manage trash under extended producer responsibility (EPR) to limit the environmental impact of plastic packaging, according to a draught notification released for public comment by the environment ministry. Producers, importers, and brand owners must manage a certain amount of plastic trash, according to the proposal. It will be open for 60 days for public discussion. "People can send in their views to us," an official from the environment ministry stated on condition of PRODUCERS ARE NOW BEING URGED TO MANAGE PLASTIC PACKAGING WASTE IN A DRAUGHT EPR NOTIFICATION anonymity. "On the EPR regulation, we also had consultations with industry organizations." Producers and brand owners are required to bear a substantial amount of responsibility for the treatment and disposal of plastic waste under the EPR. It includes rigid plastic packaging, flexible plastic packaging with single or multiple layers consisting of different types of plastic, and plastic sheets, carry bags (including compostable plastic bags), and plastic sachets or pouches. Through an online platform, all producers, importers, brands, recyclers, and others will be required to register with the Central Pollution Control Board. The federal pollution watchdog will provide rules for imposing and collecting environmental compensation, as well as fines on manufacturers, recyclers, and end-of-life processors who violate the regulations' requirements, as well as circumstances such as giving misleading information.
The matter cognate to the immersion of Ganesh idol for the purposes of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad, Telangana. The Solicitor General has verbally expressed that immersion of POP idols would be vetoed from 2022 in the light of the guidelines issued by the State Pollution Control Board. However, he has asked that for 2021, the More preponderant Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) may be granted an exemption, as there is a paucity of time for preparing incipient plans, arrangements for the festival having been elongated back. THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA HAS ISSUED AN ORDER ALLOWING IDOLS TO BE IMMERSED IN HUSSAIN SAGAR LAKE IN HYDERABAD, TELANGANA. The Solicitor General has given assurance that all steps to minimize pollution to the Hussain Sagar lake would be taken and cranes utilized at the immersion sites and idols after being immersed would be hoisted anon after and conveyed to the solid waste dumping sites for recycling purposes. The Supreme Court granted sanction for immersion of idols in Hussain Sagar lake for the year 2021. In the case Consumer Protection and Analytic Committee v. Union of India, the Gujarat High Court asked the Centre and the Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to consider creating a Circuit Bench in Ahmedabad in the public interest. "We may only comment that it will be in the fitness of things if a circuit court is created in Ahmedabad, State of Gujarat," Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice V D Nanavati wrote for the panel. The HC's decision came in response to a PIL filed six years ago by the Consumer Protection and Analytic Committee, which sought an injunction to overturn a 2011 notification allowing the Pune tribunal to accept cases from Gujarat. The PIL requested that THE GUJARAT HIGH COURT HAS URGED THE CENTRE TO EXPLORE CREATING A CIRCUIT BENCH OF THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL IN AHMEDABAD. the Centre mandate the establishment of an NGT bench at the Gujarat High Court in Ahmedabad to deal with the state's environmental challenges. Advocate Shah referenced a Supreme Court decision in the Swiss Riibbons versus Union of India case to argue that permanent benches should be formed at every jurisdictional high court session and, if that is not practicable, at least a circuit bench within Gujarat, ideally in Ahmedabad. The High Court has asked the appropriate authorities to look into the possibility of establishing an NGT in Ahmedabad. Indonesia is launching a program to make the country's ports more environmental friendly to reduce its carbon emissions and protect its marine ecosystem. The shipping activity in Indonesian waters contributes 19% of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing shipping would help in achieving its targets. This initiative forms a part of Indonesia's plan to reduce 29% emissions by 2030. The initial efforts would include having port terminals for domestic and international vessels that use low-sulfur marine fuel oil and setting up solar panels at ports. Marine observers are happy with this government initiative saying that it is a crucial step towards achieving Indonesia's emissions reduction target while others say that it is a cover-up to the environmental INDONESIA'S GREEN PORT INITIATIVE degradation happening due to the indiscriminate construction of ports by the government. the only way for the Green port initiative to be truly environmentally friendly is to support the interests of traditional and small-time fishermen and tat of coastal communities, especially the indigenous coastal communities.
31 EGAP Rising hotness and moistness because of dangerous atmospheric devastation have provoked significant misfortune in labor hours across the globe. India is one of the most awful impacted nations, as indicated by another review drove by Duke University analysts. As hotness and moistness levels rise as a result of environmental change, choices for moving outside work to cooler hours will drastically recoil, prompting huge overall work misfortunes, the review found. The review, distributed in Nature Communications December 14, 2021, projected that monetary misfortunes related to this lost efficiency could reach up to $1.6 trillion (Rs 1.6 lakh crores) yearly assuming warming surpasses 2 extra degrees Celsius compared with INDIA AMONG THE MOST AFFECTED LABOUR LOSSES DUE TO RISING HEAT the present. Assuming that occurs, work misfortunes in the coolest portion of the day will surpass current misfortunes in the most smoking half. Basic positions, for example, farming work and development work, will turn out to be exceedingly difficult to perform securely during evening hours in the mid-year in many spots, the review cautioned. Its high time to look into the aspect of climate change time to improve the situation and worsening conditions. Community-led Forest landscape restoration has been a vital piece of conventional practices on normal assets the board by different woods-based networks in India stated. Forest landscape restoration expands biodiversity, sequesters carbon, advances country occupations, and invigorates the rustic economy when applied on the scale. A few 96.4 million hectares or 29.32 percent of the all-out topographical area of India is debased. North of 250 million individuals relies upon timberlands for their food. Networks living inside and close to forested scenes play a significant part in accomplishing the environmental responsibilities made by India under 2015 Paris Agreement and the Bonn Challenge. It is clear from the many cases of community-led HIGH TIME CLIMATE JUSTICE REFLECTS IN INDIA’S FOREST POLICY forest restoration practices in India that recognition of tenure rights not only supports the building of climate resilience among forested communities but also co-benefits the forest landscape restoration and carbon sequestration goals set by India. In 2021, outrageous climate occasions created one more troubling year for Indian ranchers. Cyclone Tauktae and Cyclone Yaas unleashed devastation in a few states in the initial not many months, particularly in Odisha, West Bengal, and Karnataka where lives and occupations were impacted past reclamation. In July, floods in Maharashtra harmed standing harvests. This was trailed by a 24 percent cross-country downpour shortfall in August and a 35 percent abundance downpour in September. In October, heavy downpours devastated yields in many locales of Kerala. The obliteration proceeded even towards the year's end. In November, exceptional precipitation caused an enormous death toll and property in the south Indian provinces of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. CLIMATE CRISIS HAS COST INDIA 5 MILLION HECTARES OF CROP IN 2021 Generally speaking, India lost 5.04 million hectares (MHA) crop region to the cyclonic tempest, streak floods, floods, avalanches, and downpours till November 25, 2021, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union pastor of horticulture and ranchers' government assistance, told the Lok Sabha November 30. Even in India, tomato costs hit the rooftop towards November end, directly following wrecking downpours in southern India. Among different purposes behind such value climbs, the inconsistent climate has become one of the excellent causes lately. The need of great importance is zeroing in on creating and reinforcing versatile limits of particularly smallholder ranchers.
Delhi-based non-benefit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on November 13, 2021, that the Supreme Court (SC) of India's perception that Delhi should go into a lockdown for several days because of the continuous exhausting air pollution. A seat drove by Justice Chandrachud, the Chief Justice of India, was hearing an appeal on November 13 with regards to the demolishing air quality circumstance in the public capital. It was he who told the Centre that a two-day lockdown could be viewed as given the earnestness of the situation. "CSE said this was a wellbeing crisis and that the organization should act in like manner," CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT : SC OBSERVATIONS ON AIR EMERGENCY UNDERSCORE THE TRAVESTY HAPPENING IN DELHI Somvanshi said. He added the crisis activity plan for the public capital was at that point set down in the Graded Response Action Plan. It had to be put in place once the situation got worse, which was not done. “They will come with a new plan to the SC November 15. But we are losing time which is really sad because people have to live through this bad air for another two days for the government to actually come up with the plan,” Somvanshi said. An extended dissent by a gathering of non-government organizations (NGOs) with the trademark - '37 years of Bhopal Gas Disaster: 37 questions' - reached a conclusion on Wednesday, which related the disappointments of the Centre in giving equity to the people in question, individuals of Bhopal. Considered among the world's most exceedingly awful modern fiascos, the Bhopal gas misfortune was a gas release occurrence the evening of December 2-3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), pesticide plant in Bhopal. "Equity for the casualties of Bhopal gas fiasco is anticipated even following 37 years, and 37 YEARS OF BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY: JUSTICE NOT DELIVERED numerous survivors are yet to get satisfactory remuneration. Yet, none of the fundamental guilty parties have been shipped off the prison, not in any event, for a minute. Meanwhile, the state government on Wednesday declared that a recognition and supplication meeting will be coordinated for the Bhopal gas misfortune casualties on the 37th commemoration of the catastrophe at the Barkatullah Bhawan here on December 3. Hope in future, proper justice will be rewarded to the victims. The significant wellsprings of air contamination in Delhi and the National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR), which disturb throughout the colder time of year because of troublesome meteorological conditions, incorporate modern and vehicular contamination; dust from development and destruction exercises; street dust; biomass, stubble and metropolitan strong waste consuming; fires in clean landfills, and so on, Ashwini Kr Choubey, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest And Climate Change (MoEF&CC) told the Lok Sabha November 29, 2021. Businesses contributed 27% and 30 percent to particulate INDUSTRIES BEING THE MAIN CONTRIBUTOR TO WIDENING DELHI POLLUTION matter (PM)10 and PM2.5 separately throughout the cold weather for a long time in Delhi. Dust (soil, street, and development) contributed 25% and 17 percent to PM10 and PM2.5 separately.
Despite being a pandemic year, India added at least 800 new species of plants and animals in 2020, including some that were previously unknown to man. However, because to the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of discoveries made by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in the last five years has decreased. "Due to the epidemic, the surveys and exploration operations were put on hold. The scientists did the majority of their work from home. Despite the epidemic, India has seen the IN THE YEAR 2020, INDIA HAS ADDED AT LEAST 800 NEW PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES discovery of 267 new plant species. "Some of these were reported for the first time from the country," BSI director AA Mao said. In the last five years, the BSI has identified roughly 350 plant species on average. The BSI published its list of new plant species discoveries on Monday, while the ZSI published its list month ago. Both of them have their headquarters in Kolkata. Scientists from the ZSI discovered 557 new species, 407 of which were new to the country, while the remainder were recorded for the first time. There are 28 reptiles, six amphibians, and 28 fish species among the new finds. 27 of the 28 reptiles were discovered for the first time. "All six amphibians have been discovered for the first time, and at least 23 fish species have been discovered for the first time," a ZSI scientist added. There are currently 102,718 animal species and 54,000 plant species in India, including flowering and non-flowering plants, ferns, mosses, liverworts, fungus, algae, lichens, and microorganisms. The Union environment ministry has established a State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority to assess projects in the city, a step that Delhi authorities say will make it easier to deal with applications. Until the September 6 gazette order, the authority had been defunct for almost three years. Former Delhi Public Works Department engineer-inchief Sarvagya Srivastava, who also served as the agency's senior secretary for a short time, will lead the authority. The panel will be chaired by Reena Gupta, a Delhi government advisor, and member secretary will be the state's special secretary for the environment. Srivastava IN DELHI, THE CENTRE SETS UP A PANEL TO ANALYSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF PROJECTS. worked for the Delhi Public Works Department for 11 years, during which time he was involved in the development of major road infrastructure projects in the city. Each member of the authority will serve for three years. All category 'A' projects (mega projects) must be approved by an Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, according to the Environment Protection Rules. The SEIAA approves all projects in category 'B' (big projects). The authority, which will meet monthly, will have the right to require regular inspections of project sites that have received environmental clearance to ensure that all regulations are followed. Citizens can also contact the government to report infractions or raise concerns. "We are really glad that the Central Government has reconstituted Delhi SEIAA," stated Reena Gupta, Member, SEIAA. Decisions on approval and monitoring can now be made at the state level. We are excited about the prospect of making the EIA process more robust and transparent, as planned by the law.
Fleepit Digital © 2021