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India leading sustainable energy consumption path
BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED (BHEL) commissioned India’s largest floating solar PV plant in Andhra Pradesh on September 14. The 25 Megawatts floating SPV project covers 100 acres of the water body at NTPC Simhadri. The project will produce clean power, have higher yield as compared to conventional ground-mounted projects, and reduce water evaporation by providing shade to the covered area.
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‘Main Bhi Digital 3.0’ campaign launched for street vendors
Main Bhi Digital 3.0 – a special campaign for digital inclusion of street vendors, has been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The scheme is part of the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors’ AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme and will be implemented across 223 cities in the country. BharatPe, Mswipe, PhonePe, Paytm, and Aceware are participating in this drive to issue UPI IDs, QR code and provide digital training. Digital Payment Aggregators will handhold the street vendors to bring about enhanced adoption of digital transactions and behaviour change.
BMC clears proposal for 11 oxygen plants
On a path towards becoming self-sufficient in providing medical oxygen to patients, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced that 16 oxygen generation plants are ready, with capacity of generating 41-42 metric tonnes of oxygen. “There have been some delays in the installation of these plants. But now, we have 16 plants ready for smooth functioning in times of crisis,” said P Velarasu, Additional Commissioner, BMC. In order to be better prepared for a probable third wave of COVID-19, BMC will be installing 11 oxygen plants in jumbo COVID hospitals in the city.
WHO revises air quality guidelines after 15 years
NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) updated the air quality guidelines which were set roughly 15 years ago. The WHO cited the reason for this and said that the negative health effects due to air pollution can begin at lower levels than what was previously thought. According to WHO, an estimated seven million deaths are caused around the world every year due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and these changes are meant to reduce deaths due to these pollutants. According to the new guidelines, the recommended maximum levels for six well-known pollutants, namely particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide, will be lowered. The global health body specifically emphasized the need to decrease the levels of particulate matter equal to or smaller than 10 and 2.5 microns (PM 10 and PM 2.5, respectively). It added that these particles are primarily generated by the burning of fuels and can get deep into the lungs causing respiratory diseases. WHO said that for children, this could include reduced lung growth and function, respiratory infections, and aggravated asthma. For adults, this could translate to ischaemic heart disease and stroke as the most common causes of premature death attributed to outdoor air pollution. Recent studies have also found that this could increase the chances of diabetes and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Hans Henri Kluge, Regional Director for Europe, WHO, said that clean air is a fundamental right of all and it is a necessary condition for healthy and productive societies. The WHO added that people living in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to a higher level of air pollution as compared to those in high-income countries.
Highest single-day rainfall in 19 years in Delhi
NEW DELHI: The highest single-day rainfall in September in 19 years brought the Capital on its knees on September 1. The heavy downpour flooded major arteries, colonies, homes and shops, which resulted in the disruption of normal life and caused major traffic jams across the city as commuters were left stranded for hours. Safdarjung, the base weather station for Delhi, had recorded 112.1 mm (millimeter) of rain till the morning of September 1. Before this, the highest one-day rainfall in September was recorded on September 13, 2002, at 126.8 mm. The region received 76.5 mm of rain between 08:30 AM and 05:30 PM, which means the monthly normal of 125.1 mm was achieved in just 33 hours and is now placed in the ‘excess’ category at 45 per cent. The four-decade-old drainage system can hold only up to 50 mm of rainfall. Waterlogging was reported on many roads with videos of submerged areas in Delhi like Diplomatic Enclave at Chanakyapuri and markets like Connaught Place and Sadar Bazaar. The situation of various underpasses and under-bridges was particularly worrisome with Minto Bridge being closed for traffic amid heavy rainfall.
Despite the claims of additional pumps and sensors being deployed, several stretches in Delhi were clogged with traffic and chocked with rainwater. The monsoon report of South Delhi Municipal Corporation revealed that waterlogging had been reported from 31 areas, 21 cases of tree felling and three cases in which walls and buildings collapsed.
NITI Aayog releases report on urban planning reforms in India
NEW DELHI: NITI Aayog, the think tank of the Government of India, released a report on the steps required for urban planning reforms in India. It was released by Dr Rajiv Kumar, ViceChairman, NITI Aayog; and Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog. The report was titled ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’.
Urban planning is the key to integrated development of cities in the country, but it has not received due attention till now, according to the report. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exposed the situation in urban regions and shows an urgent need for better planning and management of cities in India. Annexure I consists of the questions put up in Rajya Sabha related to urban planning and their answers provided by Babul Supriyo, the then Minister of State for Urban Development, Government of India. The report also mentions the formation of an advisory committee for reforms in urban planning education system under the chairmanship of Dr Rajiv Kumar and 13 other members. The report also realizes the need for cities to compact and ensure better livability through transport oriented development.
The report gives a detailed account of all the events and meetings held by the advisory committee and the key benchmarks achieved by the central and state governments with regard to urban planning and development. Annexure VI of the report elaborately mentions the list of states in India with cities having master plans or plan under preparation. It also tells that almost 65 per cent (5090) of the total 7933 urban settlements in India (census towns + statutory towns) do not have any master plan (approved or under preparation).
The planning report also added that as per the guidelines of the Urban Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (UDPFI) 1996, there is a need for 11,768 urban planners in the country for a total of 7933 urban settlements, which will equate to one planner per 32,000 urban population. However, this model is a ‘conservative’ estimate and is calculated based on the urban features and population structures in 1990, the report mentioned. Therefore, another model was put together by the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO), in consultation with NITI Aayog, which could be realistic and practical. As per this model, there is a requirement of 12,213 urban planners in the country, meaning 8,268 posts in all the states and union territories (UTs). Further, the report proposed several recommendations that would unblock the bottlenecks in the value chain of urban planning capacity in India.
The report has made several recommendations to decongest the value chain of urban planning in India. It also suggested the formulation of a central sector scheme named “500 Healthy Cities Programme” for a period of five years where priority cities will be selected by the state governments and local bodies. At the end of the report, there is a complete list of courses offered by educational institutions in planning and also the list of colleges in India which offer postgraduate and undergraduate degree programmes in planning. All cities and towns proposed under the programme should try to maximise the efficiency of urban land and to combat the shortage of urban planners in the public sectors, they should increase filling up of vacant positions of town planners. Moreover, the report also suggested that professionals who are qualified should undertake projects related to urban planning. Besides this, the major concern in many states still remains that town planning is not given that much importance, thus professions related to town planning are not given much heed and the focus remains confined towards other jobs.
5 roads, flyover approved by PMC
Pune Municipal Corporation’s standing committee gave the nod to appoint a consultant for the development work of five roads and flyovers in the city. In the initial phase of this project, the work for five roads worth `391.7 crore has been finalized. These five roads are a part of the development plan road near Baner hill, Sus-BanerMhalunge fringe road, Baner road near national highway, Ringroad near Ahmednagar road to Lohegaon to Pimpri Chinchwad, and Gangadham Chowk to Shantrunjay Mandir to Kondhwa.
43 Maharashtra cities to join Race to Zero campaign
Aaditya Thackeray, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra, announced that 43 cities of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and urban clusters from the state will join the campaign of global Race to Zero. This will help them in joining the race to become carbon neutral by 2040s or sooner. The state environment department will take an inventory exercise for greenhouse gas emissions for all the cities and clusters. In this exercise, the cities will explain what actions need to be taken towards achieving both interim and long-term pledges.
DUBAI: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) inaugurated the world’s first green mosque in the city of Dubai. The mosque has received platinum rating by the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) with 83 points for its design. The green mosque is an initiative by the Government of Dubai to lead towards a more sustainable future that meets the requirements of social, economic, and environmental development.
The mosque, situated in Hatta, is spread across an area of 1050 square metres with a capacity to accommodate over 600 worshippers. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, CEO, DEWA, said at the inauguration event that the green mosque has been designed keeping in mind the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, announced the plan on March 13, 2021. It mainly focused on enhancing the quality of life and happiness of people living in Dubai by curating a plan for sustainable urban development.
Dr Hamad Al Sheikh Ahmed Al Shaibani, Director-General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD), said while commenting on the green mosque that the organisation supports UAE’s efforts in combating climate change. The first of its kind green mosque is a pioneering example of adopting sustainable practices for preserving natural resources for conserving the limited resources for the future generation. Dr Al Shaibani said that the mosque receiving the LEED Platinum certification confirmed that it has met all international sustainability standards and achieved high levels of efficiency. Thermocol waste recycling project launched by PMC
PUNE: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), SWaCH cooperative, and KK Nag Pvt Ltd, have launched a sustainable thermocol (Polystyrene) recycling initiative in the city. The project was launched by Murlidhar Mohol, Mayor of Pune, on September 9. KK Nag Pvt Ltd, India’s largest thermocol manufacturer, in assistance with waste picker cooperative SWaCH, is implementing the project in the city.
The pilot project is named ‘Recycole’. A total of 2100 tons of waste is generated in PMC daily, including an estimated 0.4 to 0.5 tons of thermocol waste. Garbage collection vehicles of PMC, with individual capacities of 1500 kg, can carry only 50 kg of thermocol at a time due to their high volume. To tackle this, SWaCH and KK Nag will ensure safe collection, transportation, and recycling of thermocol.
This initiative will be implemented across Pune and bulk waste generators such as housing societies, commercial complexes, and showrooms have been instructed to store the waste. Citizens can contact SWaCH once enough waste is collected and the organisation will then coordinate to fast-track collection and recycling. Independent households and shops have to hand the thermocol waste generated daily to rag pickers. Harshad Barde, Director, SWaCH Pune Cooperative, said that at present, waste pickers recycle over 200 tons of waste in the city every day. He requested the citizens to segregate and hand over thermocol separately before handing over the waste to SWaCH’s workers.
First Solar CEO appreciates India’s climate change response
During the high profile meet with top business leaders in the United States of America (USA), Prime Minster Narendra Modi interacted with Mark Widmar, Chief Executive Officer, First Solar. Widmar expressed his happiness with the policies of India with respect to climate change and related industries. PM Modi talked about the ‘One World, One Sun, One Grid’ initiative and referred to India’s target of 450 Gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy. PM Modi and Widmar agreed on the enhancement of solar manufacturing in India, which will also benefit other nations in the region.
NGT issues show-cause notice to UD secretary
On grounds of failure to comply with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Secretary of Urban Development Department, Rajasthan, has been issued with a show-cause notice. The show cause was issued as the Urban Development Department failed to appear before the NGT on a dispute over the alleged discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents in agricultural lands in Nokha Village of Bikaner, Rajasthan. A petition had been filed in this regard in 2019 as the petitioner had taken grievance of the discharge of untreated water in agricultural lands of Nokha village.
India, Denmark commit further engagement in renewable energy
NEW DELHI: RK Singh, Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, with his Danish counterpart Dan Jorgensen, Climate, Energy and Utilities Minister, Government of Denmark, agreed on further engagement of the two countries in the field of renewable energy.
In the meeting, Singh highlighted that transition towards green energy is a significant part of India’s policy. He also pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned a set target of 450 Gigawatts of renewable energy capacity to be achieved by 2030 in his speech on Independence Day. Moreover, the two ministers together launched the ‘Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind’ as a constituent of the Green Strategic Partnership. Singh added that the whole renewable energy portfolio is at 146 GW. He also said that India is the only G20 country whose actions are in consonance with the Paris Climate Agreement with regard to the global rise in temperature. While discussing the potential of green energy, Singh said that India is looking at making Ladakh and islands such as Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep green in energy, including transport. The Centre of Excellence will be surrounded by four working groups namely spatial planning, financial framework conditions, supply chain infrastructure and standards and testing, and in its initial phases of operation, the focus would be given to the offshore wind sector. In the initial phases, the Center of Excellence will focus on the offshore wind sector. In the long run, the Centre will tend to broaden to include wider groups of international governments, accumulate expertise in the offshore wind sector, become an international centre for offshore wind, and have broader links in new and renewable energy.
Govt clears bulk water supply scheme in Shimla
SHIMLA: Suresh Bharadwaj, Minister of Urban Development, Housing, and Town Planning, Government of Himachal Pradesh, announced that the proposed bulk water supply scheme for Shimla has received official clearance from the forest department. He added that the clearance came in a short time, thereby paving the road for the launch of a scheme designed to address the water shortages in Shimla. Suresh said that the Government of Himachal Pradesh has made a commitment to provide 24×7 water supply in Shimla, and in these endeavours, five wards of Shimla would be provided with round-the-clock supply by the end of the year. A financial outlay of $250 million has been approved for the scheme. Out of this approved amount, the World Bank will provide financial assistance by giving $150 million, and the remaining $90 million will be provided by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The project is a flagship project of the state for it aims to provide best-in-class water supply and sewerage system in Shimla. It has been designed to cater to the requirements of the city till 2050. It will involve lifting from the Sutlej river near Shakrodi village to a height of 1.6 km and pipe laying of 22 km to augment 67 million liters per day water at Sanjauli. It will also replace the distribution pipe network across Shimla Municipal Corporation to upgrade it to a 24×7 water supply system. Moreover, a sewerage network in Mehli, Panthaghati, Totu, and Mashobra would be provided.
Experts discuss ways to sustainable Experts discuss ways to sustainable development in inclusive cities development in inclusive cities
NEW DELHI: Intercultural Cities, a part of the Council of Europe, organised a webinar on “Sustainable Cities: How to make them more inclusive?” on September 16, to discuss inclusion of migrants and diversity in circular, green and inclusive economic models. The event’s keynote address was delivered by Ivana d’Alessandro, Head of Unit, Intercultural Cities, Council of Europe, where she talked about the importance of building inclusive cities and focussing on sustainable development. She quoted Agenda 30 and said that in its preamble, it is defined as a “plan of action for people, planet and prosperity” which bridges the economic, social and environmental agenda of leaving no one behind. She went on to say that there is a gap in dealing with sustainability in an inclusive way. However, there is elaborate guidance, scientific knowledge, and big funding dedicated for speeding up the programmes and actions which are aimed at conservation of biodiversity, climate change and fostering ecological transition.
The next session of the event was named ‘Round Table of Mayors’, and included Florian Janik, Mayor, Erlangen; Jean-Luc Romero-Michel, Deputy Mayor, Paris; Katrine Berg Nodtvedt, Deputy Mayor, Culture, Diversity and Equality, Bergen; Floriane Varieras, Deputy Mayor, Strasbourg; and Veronique Lamontagne, Planning Manager, Ville de Montreal. The mayors talked and discussed about the implication of circular economy for migrant inclusion. Janik said that diversity has a proven positive impact on society and business. Yet, the pace of making cities inclusive is extremely slow. Nodtvedt talked about street vendors and migrants and said that we continue to focus on their negative aspects. Moreover, people and administrations avoid the opportunities which migration brings to the host cities. They indulge in informal economic activity which affects the economy of cities in various ways. She added that migrants are more exposed to exploitation, discrimination and have lesser resilience to unforeseen activities in the economy due to natural disasters or pandemics like COVID-19.
Varieras, while talking about circular economy, said that the circular economy is a sustainable economic model which has been developed as an alternative to linear economy. This model generates value from continuous circulation of resources with high level of usage and value retention. He also added that having a green and circular economy does not ensure inclusivity in development design. In order to have inclusion, there has to be green transition but it should be incorporated with the value of interculturalism.
Lamontagne, during her address, cited some statistics and showed that cities in the present times are centres of the largest social and environmental challenges, which include 75 per cent of natural resource consumption, 50 per cent of global waste production, and 60-80 per cent of global GHG emissions, etc. She added that capacity building is the key to facilitate business-led initiatives and come up with innovative projects in the community. Establishing inclusive cities is an important precursor to having sustainable development in cities around the globe, she added.
Maja Johannessen, Manager, Nordic Sustainability, concluded the event by stating triple approach to ensure sustainable development, namely interdisciplinary, collaborative and participatory, and evidence-based. She added that all areas of development in a city are inter-related, like solutions to urban health issues require working with urban planning, transport and education. This means that one entity cannot cover all the expertise needed, hence a collaborative approach is required in order to work together. She also added that data-management, research and knowledge sharing are important to drive effective sustainable development in cities.
