B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
The OneVorld video explains a scheme started by the Delhi state government to curb rising air pollution levels in Delhi.
Odd-Even Scheme: Drivers of the private vehicles may be allowed to drive, park or purchase gasoline on alternating days, according to whether the last digit on their license plate is even or odd.
AIM: The scheme aimed to reduce pollution and smog in Delhi
Phases of Odd-Even: The scheme was implemented from January 1, 2016. Re-implemented for the third time on November 11, 2019.
Results–
Less traffic pollution
Less road congestion
Increase average car speed
Less fuel usage
Increase public awareness
LEARNING: Start using public transport and car-pooling.
This OneVorld video discusses a plan for the implementation of the conservation and management of water resources in India.
Proposed By: GN Kathpalia and Rakesh Kapoor
B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
Timeline :
The first national policy was created in September 1987
Updated in April 1, 2002, by National Water Resources Council
This was followed by an update in 2012
What is the Water Action Policy 2020 ? Is there a need for this alternative ? How do we conserve, manage, save, maintain and utilise these resources ? How will this plan help in decision making by the authorities ?
So, what is the Water Action Policy ?
Water Resources in India, for now, is being managed by central and state government mostly. The plan suggests that there should be a shift in the work division at the level of local communities also. This requires the setting up of different community organizations like Watershed Management Associations(WMAs), Water Users Association (WUAs), JFM, RWAs.
Key concepts in the plan for water conservation and management are drinking and domestic use of water, water pollution, watershed management, flood and drainage management, underground water conservation, irrigation, cultivation, hydropower, industrial and thermal power management, sectoral allocation, navigation, demand management, and resources assessment.
Implementation –
Partnership with communities in Water Resource Management
Changes in the institutional structure
Implementation of water-shed projects
Legal changes
Project implementation
Financing projects and water service charges
Maintenance and modernisation
Action program and important implementation aspects
IIITD Student B.Tech Project. BTP Supervisor: Prof. Manohar Khushalani
Air Pollution has always been a major concern in the Delhi NCR region. The air quality in Delhi is the worst of all the cities in the world. In general, vehicle pollution and overpopulation are one of the main reasons for the pollution problem in Delhi. Political corruption and lack of will of the political parties is also one of the main causes of pollution.
The reason for the sudden rise in pollution is due to various factors like crop burning, cold weather, and firecrackers. The poor air quality of Delhi has adverse effects on the people of Delhi. According to Wikipedia, 2.2 million children have irreversible lung damage. Also, air pollution can lower children’s immune systems making them prone to disease.
This OneVorld video gives us more insight on the same.
This informative OneVorld video gives us some insights into the Ganga Pollution. Ganga is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. It flows through over 100 cities with a population in lakhs and takes heavy toxic metals like lead and copper. The average BOD level of the river around the year is 38 mg/L which is a lot more than the bar of the severely polluted rivers. However, many cleanup efforts have been made to clean the river Ganga. One of the main was Ganga Action Plan which was launched by Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 on which 862.59 crore rupees were spent. Its main objective was to treat the domestic sewage and prevent the toxic industrial chemical waste from being dumped into the river.
Ganga River is a trans-boundary river that flows through India and Bangladesh with a length of 2525 km. It originates in the western Himalayas and the Uttarakhand and ends up in the Bay of Bengal. It is the most sacred river and worshipped as Goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It is a lifeline to millions and is however itself dying. In recent years the Ganga has suffered a lot from pollution and the pollution level is now above the acceptable range.
The B.O.D. level for a prestige river is around 1 mg/l and ranges from 2-8 mg/l for moderately polluted rivers. Rivers with B.O.D. level above 8 mg/l are considered to be severely polluted. The average B.O.D. level around the year has been 38 mg/l. It had to suffer as it takes so much waste including toxic metals like lead and copper. The river flows through 100 cities with a population in lakhs.
This OneVorld video explains the Yamuna Action Plan which was introduced in 1993 as one of the largest restoration projects in India. It is a bilateral project between India and Japan. It was launched in 1993. The 1st phase was carried out by National River Conservation Directorate. It focused on building new and expanding the capacity of old sewage treatment plants.
In 1993 when the Yamuna was declared as the dirtiest river in the country, YAMUNA ACTION PLAN came into existence.
There was a threat to aquatic life as well as water shortage problems due to years of sewage dumping. It was decided to divide and complete it in three phases. The project spans from Hatnikund (Haryana) till the point where Yamuna meets the River Ganga along with Sindh River and Chambal River.
According to initial surveys, it was found that 22kms of Yamuna’s stretch which is through Delhi was the major contributor to pollution.
First phase covered Delhi, eight towns in Uttar Pradesh and six towns in Haryana. Second phase emphasised on the 22 kms stretch in Delhi. Third phase of the plan was initiated in 2013 despite the debates around the success of the first two phases.
But somehow, despite all this planning, studies warned that Delhi’s waterway was toxic even after treatment and should not be used for drinking or irrigation. The condition is still not improved even after years of planning and investment. It’s not just sewage dumping but many of our practices that have led to these disastrous scenarios. People can now literally see foam from Google Earth. It is high time to rethink our actions and its effects.
This OneVorld Video explains some steps we can take to minimize plastic on our planet which is an ever-increasing problem nowadays. All of us can contribute a little towards our fight against plastic and opt for plastic alternatives to not just minimize plastic but to reuse it so that more addition of plastic in our environment can be stopped.
Plastic, a horrible yet extremely useful invention for mankind has now become a significant part of our lives. We are all aware of it’s ill-effects and can do our part to protect the environment from it.
So what should we do ?
Well, there are some small things we can do or should I say small things everyone SHOULD do?
One of the first things we do after waking up is brushing our teeth, which we usually do with our plastic toothbrushes. After some time they become useless and we have to throw them away. It creates a lot of non-biodegradable waste. In this case, we can use bamboo toothbrushes which are usually made up of natural materials like bamboo and charcoal. So they are far more accessible to dispose of than regular toothbrushes.
EXTRA TIP: We can also learn how to make toothpaste at home so that toothpaste tube waste can also be decreased.
Coming up next are the food containers. It’s harmful to store food in plastic containers because a lot of them release harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates. But a lot of people still use them because they are cheap and easy to use. But life is more valuable than anything else. That’s why we should use better alternatives than plastic containers. Stainless steel glass and silicon containers are very reliable in this case and they are easy to dispose of too.
EXTRA TIP: For dry food like bread and chapatis, cloth food containers are very useful
Moving on, the one form in which plastic is used the most is carry bags and waste produced by them is enormous. But the good thing is they have a lot of alternatives too. Paper, cotton and canvas bags are good alternatives of such bags. They are extremely reusable too.
EXTRA TIP: We should try to reuse the polybags we already have.
Our earth is a beautiful planet and it’s really sad that we are the ones destroying it. It is our responsibility to protect it. Everyone should do their part even if it’s too small!
Stubble Burning Fact and Fiction
Now that the harvesting season is around the corner it’s important to examine the issue of stubble burning. There’s a tremendous amount of misconception and misinformation floating around on Stubble Burning. Common people and Media squarely blame the farmers. But gleaning through Wikipedia as a proof of what one has been saying, is that it’s a world wide phenomenon. The pollution due to Stubble Burning is not as acute as is made out to be. Also, hold your breath, there are some beneficial effects. This is not to recommend Stubble Burning at all, but to introspect as well, think. Can one month of this activity cause pollution all the year round? Who are the other culprits hiding behind the farmers backs. What are the solutions?
According to Wikipedia:
Stubble burning is intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains, like paddy, wheat, etc., have been harvested. The practice was widespread until the 1990s, when governments increasingly restricted its use.
The burning of stubble, contrasted with alternatives such as ploughing the stubble back into the ground or collecting it for industrial uses, has a number of consequences and effects on the environment.
Generally helpful effects
Kills slugs and other pests.
Can reduce nitrogen tie-up.
Generally harmful effects
Loss of nutrients
Pollution from smoke
Damage to electrical and electronic equipment from floating threads of conducting waste
Risk of fires spreading out of control
There is a perception that stubble burning contributes to atmospheric CO2. However carbon dioxide releases are only slightly greater than those from natural decomposition.
Attitudes to stubble burning
Stubble burning has been effectively prohibited since 1993 in England and Wales. A perceived increase in blackgrass, and particularly herbicide resistant blackgrass, has led to a campaign by some arable farmers for its return.
In Australia stubble burning is “not the preferred option for the majority of farmers” but is permitted and recommended in some circumstances. Farmers are advised to rake and burn windrows, and leave a fire break of 3 metres around any burn off.
In the The burning of stubble, contrasted with alternatives such as ploughing the stubble back into the ground or collecting it for industrial uses, has a number of consequences and effects on the environment.[1]
Generally helpful effects Edit
Kills slugs and other pests.
Can reduce nitrogen tie-up.
Generally harmful effects Edit
Loss of nutrients
Pollution from smoke
Damage to electrical and electronic equipment from floating threads of conducting waste
Risk of fires spreading out of control
There is a perception that stubble burning contributes to atmospheric CO2. However carbon dioxide releases are only slightly greater than those from natural decomposition.
Attitudes to stubble burning Edit
Stubble burning has been effectively prohibited since 1993 in England and Wales. A perceived increase in blackgrass, and particularly herbicide resistant blackgrass, has led to a campaign by some arable farmers for its return.
In Australia stubble burning is “not the preferred option for the majority of farmers” but is permitted and recommended in some circumstances. Farmers are advised to rake and burn windrows, and leave a fire break of 3 metres around any burn off.
In the United States, fires are fairly common in mid-western states, but some states regulate the practice, e.g.
In the European Union, the Common Agricultural Policy strongly discourages stubble burning.
In China, there is a government ban on stubble burning; however the practice remains fairly common.
In northern India, despite a ban by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, stubble burning is still practiced. Authorities are starting to enforce this ban more proactively.
Stubble burning is allowed by permit in some Canadian provinces, including Manitoba where 5% of farmers were estimated to do it in 2007.
Stubble burning in India
Burning of rice residues after harvest, to quickly prepare the land for wheat planting, around Sangrur, Punjab, India
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana in northwest India has been cited as a major cause of air pollution in Delhi. In late September and October each year, farmers mainly in those two states burn an estimated 35 million tons of crop waste from their paddy fields after harvesting, as a low-cost straw-disposal practice to reduce the turnaround time between harvesting and sowing for the second (winter) crop. Smoke from this burning produces a cloud of particulates visible from space, and has produced a “toxic cloud” in New Delhi, resulting in declarations of an air-pollution emergency.[16] For this, the NGT (National Green Tribunal) slapped a fine of Rs. 2,00,000 on the Delhi Government for not filing an action plan providing incentives and infrastructural assistance to farmers to stop them from burning crop residue to prevent air pollution.
Although harvesters are available such as the Indian-manufactured “Happy Seeder” that shred the crop residues into small pieces and uniformly spread them across the field, as an alternative to burning the crops, farmers complain that the cost of these machines is prohibitive compared to burning the fields, fires are fairly common in mid-western states, but some states regulate the practice, e.g..
In the European Union, the Common Agricultural Policy strongly discourages stubble burning.
In China, there is a government ban on stubble burning; however the practice remains fairly common.
In northern India, despite a ban by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, stubble burning is still practiced. Authorities are starting to enforce this ban more proactively.
Stubble burning is allowed by permit in some Canadian provinces, including Manitoba where 5% of farmers were estimated to do it in 2007.
Stubble burning in India
Burning of rice residues after harvest, to quickly prepare the land for wheat planting, around Sangrur, Punjab, India
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana in northwest India has been cited as a major cause of air pollution in Delhi. In late September and October each year, farmers mainly in those two states burn an estimated 35 million tons of crop waste from their paddy fields after harvesting, as a low-cost straw-disposal practice to reduce the turnaround time between harvesting and sowing for the second (winter) crop. Smoke from this burning produces a cloud of particulates visible from space, and has produced a “toxic cloud” in New Delhi, resulting in declarations of an air-pollution emergency. For this, the NGT (National Green Tribunal) slapped a fine of Rs. 2,00,000on the Delhi Government for not filing an action plan providing incentives and infrastructural assistance to farmers to stop them from burning crop residue to prevent air pollution.
Although harvesters are available such as the Indian-manufactured “Happy Seeder” that shred the crop residues into small pieces and uniformly spread them across the field, as an alternative to burning the crops, farmers complain that the cost of these machines is prohibitive compared to burning the fields
How Many More Sons will be lost to Save the Ganga asks Manohar Khushalani
Guru Das Agrawal also known as Sant Swami Sanand, Sant Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (20 July 1932 – 11 October 2018) was an Indian environmental engineer, religious leader, monk, environmental activist, professor, and he was the Patron of Ganga Mahasabha founded by Madan Mohan Malviya in 1905.
Agrawal died on 11 October 2018, after fasting since 22 June 2018, demanding the government act on its promises to clean and save the Ganga.
Prof. Manohar Khushalani from IIIT-Delhi appeared live on 12th October 2018, on News 24 at 4.55 pm on a program on Ganga – Panch ki Panchayat. IIT Professor, Dr G. D. Agarwal’s departure from this planet after a fast unto death has refocused on the significant issue of Pollution of our Rivers. The program was shot in an Interesting format of a Panel Discussion in the open studio in Connaught Place. The format brought back Khushalani’s Street Theatre memories, spiced with pangs of Nostalgia, as he is one of the pioneers of street theatre movement in Delhi
A look under Indus Basin in Pakistan
India has been providing unhindered access to Pakistan of 79% of Indus Basin waters as per the Indus water treaty
Over 400 million acre feet of fresh water exists in Pakistan’s riverine aquifers and may help manage its water scarcity if ever India pulls the plug.
According to Dawn, the groundwater system underneath Pakistan’s flowing rivers in the Indus plains has at least 400 million acre feet (MAF) of pristine water. This storage is so large that it is equivalent to more than three years of the mean annual flow of the Indus (or 1,000 days of storage, after excluding polluted areas) So even if India blocks Indus water to Pakistan, it can still survive, for three years.
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