As an alternative dumping site to the oversaturated Ghazipur landfill, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has allocated a 42.5 acre plot, located in the Yamuna floodplains, to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to dump its mixed waste. The decision has come as a blow to activists who alleged that the allotted area is an active floodplain which has been filled with water as recently as last year's monsoon. While EDMC has claimed to set up an Integrated Waste Management Facility at the site and that no trash would be visible, the activists have informed that the waste-management technology in question is not even tested.
As part of the Water-to-Cloud project developed by researchers at the Tata Centre for Development (TCD), University of Chicago in collaboration with International Innovation corps, a team of scientists will provide a holistic water quality monitoring platform and pinpoint the hotspots of pollution in major Indian water bodies, including the Ganga and the Yamuna and important lakes. The researchers use sensors that send real-time data to a hand-held device in the form of easily readable maps to monitor water quality. The team, which has been working on the Yamuna in Delhi for about 18 months, has revealed that the level of dissolved oxygen in the river is alarmingly low.
Taking note of the lack of corrective action taken to check groundwater depletion in Punjab, the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) has reminded the deputy commissioners of various districts to initiate action against those violating the ban on tubewell boring in the notified areas. Nearly 18 blocks in the state have been marked as notified areas and tubewells can be dug up for drinking water purposes only after being granted permission while installation for agricultural use has been banned completely. As per CGWB, the situation of groundwater in the state is alarming as the annual groundwater withdrawal is higher than the annual replenishable groundwater resources and the net annual groundwater availability.
Walmart Foundation will provide a grant of US$750,000 to the International Development Enterprises - India (IDEI) for its project that is set to benefit 10000 smallholder farmers in Andhra Pradesh. The programme aims to introduce sustainable irrigation products and practices and create a complementary support ecosystem that will boost farm yields, reduce negative environmental impacts, and increase market access and smallholder farmer income. It has been estimated that the programme could generate an additional $7.4 million in annual farming income in the state at the end of the project period, with individual gains of $400 per smallholder farmer household per year.
Taking note of choked stormwater drains in Noida, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board and authorities concerned to take immediate steps to control pollution of these drains. A petition filed in the tribunal has alleged that multiple stormwater drains which join the Hindon and Yamuna rivers remain choked due to the dumping of garbage, untreated sewage and discharge of effluent. In order to ensure clean drains, the NGT has directed authorities to make the polluters accountable as per the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and the rules under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
This is a roundup of important policy matters from March 27 - April 3, 2019. Also, read news this week.