CSE’slatest State of India’s Environment (SoE) Report in Figures, 2018is out. Data sourced from government and other credible national and international sources
New Delhi, June 5, 2018:Unableto improve its air quality, protect its biodiversity, and cut its greenhouse gas emissions, India -- as per Environment Performance Index 2018 of the Yale University—standstoday at the bottom of the Global Environment Performance Index (EPI) rankings. In 2016, the country had ranked 141 out of 180 countries. In 2018, according to the just released State of India’s Environment (SoE) 2018 in Figures, it has slipped to the 177th position.
The SoE in Figures is an annual compendium of environmental statistics put together by Down To Earth magazine, which Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) helps publish. Said SunitaNarain, director general, CSE:“The State of India's Environment 2018 in Figures is a quantified statement on issues and concerns of environment and development – issues and concerns which affect us deeply. While our other annual State of India's Environment in print is a descriptive report, this one is a completely data-driven version for easy access and use."
What does the SoE in Figures say about key environmental parameters
Delhi is always in the news for its poor air quality. However, an analysis of the winter (November and December 2017) and summer (April-May 27, 2018) air quality levels of 10 state capital cities shows that they too are in the dangerous grip of a multi-pollutant crisis, and are currently facing a severe health challenge.
While in the summer months Delhi had 65 per cent days when poor and very poor air quality was recorded, in winters this percentage increased to 85. On only about 1 per cent of the monitored days in summer months was the air quality observed to be satisfactory in the city.
Lucknow fared much worse in the winter months, where very poor air quality was recorded on over 70 per cent of the monitored days and severe levels of air pollution witnessed on around 24 per cent of the days. Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Chennai, on the other hand, experienced comparatively better air quality.
Said AnumitaRoychowdhury, who has headed CSE’s air pollution control team for many years: “The SoE in Figures finds a lack of data on air quality in several Indian cities. Even in places where pollution levels are being monitored, gaps in data pose a serious challenge to successful implementation of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).”
Said Suresh Rohilla, the head of CSE’s water management team: “To add to this, the dependency on groundwater has increased between 2004 and 2013.”SoE in Figuressays that 70,736 rural habitats with a combined population of 47.4 million live on contaminated groundwater. Traces of new contaminants are now being reported in the country, suggesting a steady decline in the quality of groundwater.
The situation in urban areas is much worse, according to CSE’s water and sanitation experts -- with close to a million households waiting for over six months for toilets to be constructed.
On the other hand, even as the Centre’s UjjwalaYojana has covered all states, LPG distribution has taken place significantly in only 15 states. And even here, a substantial portion of rural population relies on unhealthy firewood for cooking.
When it comes to forest clearances, in 2017, the Central government, on an average, gave clearances to close to six developmental projects a day in forest areas. Overall, there has been a 146 per cent increase in forestland diversion for non-forest activities in the past one year with maximum diversions recorded in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha, which together accounted for 54 per cent of the total diverted area.
Adding to the woe is the increasing number of forest fires in the country – which have gone up by 125 per cent within just two years (2015-2017). The government, in this regard, has not only failed to utilise funds earmarked to contain forest fires but has also missed two NGT deadlines for coming up with a national policy to fight the fires.
In 2016, the number of registered environment-related crimes stood at 4,732, while 1,413 cases were pending police investigation. Cases pending in the courts were at a staggering 21,145. This made up for 86 per cent of the total environment-related offences in the country. With the NGT forced to close its regional benches in 2018 due to staff crunch, the situation is likely to worsen.
The number of cases being disposed per day stands at 9.3 on an average, according to 2016 data. At this pace, it will take six years for the court to finish the existing backlog. To make matters worse, 15 states registered an increase in environmental crimes between 2015-16 -- Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Assam were among the states that witnessed the highest number of registered environmental crimes.
Environment Performance Index 2018 of the Yale University (Link: https://epi.envirocenter.yale.edu/downloads/epi2018policymakerssummaryv01.pdf )
SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2017
The Inclusive Development Index 2018
CPCB Daily Ambient Air Quality Index
Ashok Dalwai Committee Report on Doubling Farmer’s Income
National Rural Drinking Water Programme of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
Thirty Ninth Report on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of New andRenewable Energy for the year 2018-19
State of Forests Report 2017
National Crime Records Bureau
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