This winter, like others, the air quality range in the Delhi–NCR region has oscillated between being poor and severe. Given the criticality, this time, the Central Government formed a Commission for Air Quality Management to check the menace of air pollution (MoEFCC 2020). As in previous years, in 2020 too, one of the major causes of peak pollution during winter in the Delhi–NCR region was stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
Stubble burning, however, is seasonal. The other major causes, such as vehicular pollution, construction dust, and pollution from industries, contribute to poor air quality throughout the year. Another major contributor to air pollution levels across North India, which is not talked about as much, is biomass burning for cooking in rural households (Chowdhury, Chafe, Pillarisetti, et al. 2019). Traditional cookstoves (chulhas) that use solid biomass as fuels increase direct exposure to household air pollution (HAP). According to World Health
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Air Pollution In India: Major Issues And Challenges
As per a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health Journal, in 2019, air pollution ‘caused more than 16.7 lakh deaths in India — over ten times more than the country’s COVID-19 death toll so far’. In this thought-provoking article, Dr Bhola Ram Gurjar foregrounds the challenges India is currently facing to bring the level of air quality to a certain standard and discusses solutions that could be adopted to combat the national crisis.
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Molten Salt Tower echnology for India
Power generation is the backbone of India’s solar sector. Sheela K Ramasesha highlights the merits of considering the solar molten salt tower technology in the country’s power mix to achieve a quicker and more efficient way of power production.
LPG ADOPTION BY RURAL HOUSEHOLDS: Financial Instrument to Push Refills
One of the major health hazards in India stems from household air pollution. The use of the traditional cooking stove, called chulha, involves burning of biomass, thereby releasing smoke that is a leading cause of illness and death. In this article, Debajit Palit, Martand Shardul, and Deborshi Brahmachari discuss the advantages of replacing biomass stoves with LPG and recommend an innovative financial instrument for increasing the uptake of LPG refills by rural households
JAPAN ENERGY FIRM INPEX SETS 2050 NET-ZERO EMISSION GOAL
Inpex Corp, Japan’s biggest oil and gas producer, said it is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through the expansion of renewable and hydrogen energy as well as the use of carbon capture technology.
INDIA TO WITNESS FASTEST RISE IN ENERGY DEMAND BY 2040: IEA
In a report titled, ‘The India Energy Outlook 2021’, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said, the rapid expansion of solar power combined with favourable policies is transforming India’s electricity sector, allowing the country to offer clean, affordable, and reliable power to a growing number of households and businesses.
EMISSIONS CONTROL IN THERMAL POWER STATIONS: A Long Road to Cross
In this article, Raghav Pachouri brings out the current situation and the challenges confronting us regarding emissions control in thermal power stations (TPSs) in India. While analysing the impact of the power sector on air pollution levels, he highlights the current status of compliance in India (especially Delhi-NCR and critically polluted areas) till June 2020 after revised emission norms for TPSs came into effect on December 7, 2015. He also dwells on the major roadblocks in the timely compliance of emission norms and also offers a few solutions.
Managing Air pollution From Crop Burning
The perils of crop-residue burning contribute to major environmental degradation. In this article, TCA Avni and Sunil Dhingra discuss how the practice of stubble burning is responsible for poor air quality and loss of agricultural biodiversity. They highlight the importance of managing paddy residue and offer sustainable solutions, incentives, and alternatives to crop burning.
GOVERNMENT EXTENDS TENURE OF CENTRAL ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION CHIEF, MEMBERS TILL NEXT YEAR
The government has issued order for extension of the tenure of former Gujarat cadre bureaucrat Pradeep Kumar Pujari as chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) till mid-next year.
CHINA SET TO ADD 140 GW RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY IN 2021
China is expected to add 140 GW of renewable energy power generation this year as its electricity consumption continues to grow, according to forecasts from the China Electricity Council (CEC).
