Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Gujarat best at water efficiency, Delhi amongst worst - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Gujarat best at water efficiency, Delhi amongst worst.

The survey was based on various parameters on efficiency targets and the study included the review of central as well as the state government water departments

Gujarat was the most water-efficient state in India, according to an HT report on rankings of the survey. The survey was based on various parameters on efficiency targets and the study included the review of central as well as the state government water departments by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the HT report stated. In the rankings, Rajasthan emerged as the third most water-efficient state. Meanwhile, the national capital stood amongst the worst states in this regard.
In the rankings, seven Centre departments were reviewed, of which the Survey of India stood first. While the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) came second, the Central Water Commission was ranked third. On the contrary, the Central Pollution Control Board stood last among them.
In the ranking of 2018, Telangana had emerged as the winner, while Gujarat had been placed 7th. Moreover, Delhi has improved its ranking this time, with its position rising six places from 41 in 2018 to 35 this time. Apart from this, Tamil Nadu was one of the biggest improvers, going from 33rd position in 2018 to 13th in 2019.
The parameters for rankings include finance, data digitisation, training, procurement, analytical work, real-time data acquisition system, and updating of MIS, and the departments have been marked out of 100. Among this, the satisfactory category includes those departments scoring between 48 and 100. Scores between 40 and 48 have been categorised as moderately satisfactory, 34 and 40 as moderately unsatisfactory, while the remaining have been termed as unsatisfactory. According to this grading system, 9 agencies have been categorised as satisfactory, 8 as moderately satisfactory, 4 as moderately unsatisfactory and 12 as unsatisfactory.
Kerala, Gujarat’s Surface Water (SW) Department, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal SW, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana have been placed in the satisfactory category. Gujarat SW Department scored 80.51 to emerge as the winner, followed by Damodar Valley Corporation at 68.24 and Rajasthan with 66.73. All of the remaining agencies in the satisfactory category scored below 50.
There are three factors that this ranking aims to achieve. It is aimed at reviewing all water departments to ensure that as per the target, piped drinking-water connection is provided to all households within the next 5 years. It is also carried out under the National Hydrology Project to improve the drought and flood management system by creating a state-specific database. Lastly, it facilitates the development of a nation-wide water resources information system.


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Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Gujarat best at water efficiency, Delhi amongst worst.

Tap water quality best in Mumbai, most unsafe in Delhi, finds Bureau of Indian Standards - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Tap water quality best in Mumbai, most unsafe in Delhi, finds Bureau of Indian Standards.

Mumbai tops the ranking for tap water quality while Delhi is at the bottom, with 11 out of 11 samples failing on 19 parameters.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday said that tap water in Delhi and several other cities did not comply with the requirements according to a study conducted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

“Mumbai tops ranking released by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for quality of tap water. Delhi is at the bottom, with 11 out of 11 samples failing on 19 parameters,” Paswan said while addressing a press conference here on Saturday. “We were getting complaints regarding water from all over the country. We asked for some samples of water from Delhi. The tap water from Delhi did not meet the Indian Standards. Later, we asked for water samples from all state headquarters,” he said.
The minister said that the government aims to provide clean drinking water to the people.
“Most children fall sick due to water-related diseases. The water quality standards is not mandatory. It should be made mandatory. We have also asked the chief ministers of states to order an investigation into it,” he said.
The study was conducted as per directions of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food & PD to check the quality of piped drinking water being supplied in the country in keeping with the objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
In the first phase, samples of drinking water were drawn from various locations across Delhi and in the second phase samples were drawn from 20 other state capitals, and sent for testing as per Indian Standards.
“In the city of Delhi, all the 11 samples drawn did not comply with the requirements of the Indian Standard. The samples failed in several of the parameters. All the 10 samples drawn from Mumbai were found to comply with the requirements of the IS,” an official release said.
In Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Raipur, Amravati, and Shimla, one or more samples did not comply with the requirements.
None of the samples drawn from Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, Bhopal, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Jammu, Jaipur, Dehradun, Chennai, Kolkata complied with the requirements.
In the third phase, samples from the capital cities of north eastern states and SmartCities identified by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have been drawn and are being tested. The results of the study are expected by January 15, 2020, read the release.
Paswan said that it is proposed to test samples drawn from all district headquarters of the country, and their testing is planned to be completed by 15th August 2020 in the fourth phase.


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Tap water quality best in Mumbai, most unsafe in Delhi, finds Bureau of Indian Standards.

Not just Delhi. India has two other cities in world's top 10 polluted city list - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Not just Delhi. India has two other cities in world's top 10 polluted city list.

• The overall air quality index (AQI) in the national capital crossed the 500 mark on Friday morning
• The real-time air quality ranking report by IQ Air Visual also called Delhi the most polluted city in the world
As the air quality in the national capital entered the 'emergency' category again on Friday, Delhi tops the chart of most polluted city in the world, according to the weather forecasting agency Skymet.

The overall air quality index (AQI) crossed the 500 mark on Friday morning. System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) recorded the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 552 for Delhi on Friday noon. The real-time air quality ranking report by IQ Air Visual also called Delhi the most polluted city in the world.
Delhi air quality broke all records on November 5, when it was in the hazardous range for nine consecutive days, making this the longest spell of hazardous air quality since public records began, according to Air Visual.
With the AQI of 527 on Friday, Delhi becomes the most polluted city in the world. With the AQI of 234, Lahore comes at second position. Third is Tashkent with an AQI reading of 185. Fifth is Kolkata at 161.
Six of top 10 highest polluted cities are in India and its neighbouring countries including Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Kathmandu, according to Skymet report.
Mumbai is in the ninth with an AQI of 153 and Kathmandu in Nepal is at the tenth spot at 152.
The air quality in Delhi is not likely to get better anytime soon. To tackle the rising pollution level Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal implemented the car-rationing system "odd-even" scheme in Delhi from November 4-15. Delhi government is closely monitoring the air quality in the capital. Considering the severe air pollution, the government is contemplating an extension. Decision will be taken on Monday. (Source: Livemint)


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Not just Delhi. India has two other cities in world's top 10 polluted city list.

Delhi AQI drops to 'emergency' category as pollution level spikes overnight - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Delhi AQI drops to 'emergency' category as pollution level spikes overnight.

The hazardous pollution levels forced a number of people to miss morning walks and other activities.

The blanket of haze over Delhi thickened on Friday morning with the national capital's pollution levels increasing overnight by around 50 points, taking the overall air quality index to 459.

A Central Pollution Control Board official said the AQI entered the "severe plus" or "emergency" category late Thursday night, the first time since January this year.
If the air quality persists in the "severe plus" category for more than 48 hours, emergency measures such as odd-even car rationing scheme, banning entry of trucks, construction activities and shutting down schools are taken under the Graded Response Action Plan, the official said.
The hazardous pollution levels forced a number of people to miss morning walks and other activities.
Shubhomoy Sikdar, a Delhi-based journalist, said the pollution levels gave him a throat infection and he had to skip his daily sports session.
The number of masked faces continued to grow as the city remained shrouded in pungent haze for the fourth consecutive day.
At 8.30 am, the capital's overall air quality index stood at 459. It was 410 at 8 pm on Thursday.
All the 37 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded the air quality in the severe category on Friday morning.
Bawana was the most-polluted area with an AQI of 497, followed by Delhi Technological University (487), Wazirpur (485), Anand Vihar (484) and Vivek Vihar (482).
Neighbouring Ghaziabad was the most-polluted city in the country, with the levels of PM2.5 -- tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 microns that can enter deep into the lungs -- reaching as high as 493.
Greater Noida (480), Noida (477), and Faridabad (432) also breathed extremely polluted air.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe. Above 500 is severe-plus or emergency category.
Delhi is impatiently hoping for favourable meteorological conditions to blow away the toxic air, as health experts said the hazardous air pollution has become a serious health concern for about 2 crore residents.
"Intake of every 22 micrograms per cubic metre of polluted air is equivalent to smoking a cigarette. So whether the PM2.5 level is 700 or 300 units, the impact is still as bad. People need to take precautions, especially those suffering from asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory illness," said Dr Arvind Kumar, lung surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here.
Weather experts said increased wind speed due to a fresh western disturbance approaching the northern region would help disperse pollutants faster from Saturday.
Parents are a worried lot as health experts say children breathe faster, taking in more pollutants.
Many took to Twitter to demand that schools be shut till the situation ameliorates.
"We, as parents, request Delhi government to keep all schools (pvt and govt) shut for the time being," Anil Atri, a Delhi resident, posted on the microblogging site.
"Whole Delhi air at hazardous levels now. Pollution at its peak. Activate all emergency measures. Close down schools @msisodia (sic)," another resident tweeted.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Wednesday said the decision to shut schools would be taken "when the need arises". In November 2017, the government had shut schools for a few days due to the deteriorating air quality.
The government, however, started distributing 50 lakh N95 masks, considered one of the good quality masks for tackling smog, among school students in Delhi on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the BCCI said it would carry on with the India-Bangladesh T20 at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds on Sunday, disregarding concerns raised by environmentalists about the health of players and thousands of spectators.
The AQI takes into account five chief pollutants -- particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 micrometres (PM10), PM2.5, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and health concerns. (Source: The Business Standard)


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Delhi AQI drops to 'emergency' category as pollution level spikes overnight.

Delhi Slips 6 Places In World's Most Liveable Cities Ranking: Survey - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Delhi Slips 6 Places In World's Most Liveable Cities Ranking: Survey.

While New Delhi registered the biggest decline in Asia, Mumbai also fell two places since last year to rank 119th on the list topped by Vienna (Austria) for the second consecutive year.

New Delhi has dropped by six places to rank 118th on a list of the world's most liveable cities due to increase in cases of petty crime and poor air quality, an annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit said today.

While New Delhi registered the biggest decline in Asia, Mumbai also fell two places since last year to rank 119th on the list topped by Vienna (Austria) for the second consecutive year.
The EIU also flagged "an escalation in abuses against journalists in recent years" in India, citing a decline in the country's ranking in Reporters Without Borders' Press Freedom Index where India now sits in the bottom quartile of countries.
The study said that Asian cities overall have scored slightly below the global average while three Asian cities -- Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea (135th), Pakistan's Karachi (136th) and Bangladesh's Dhaka (138th) -- are among the ten least liveable globally.
The EIU said decline in Mumbai's rank was mainly due to a downgrade in its culture score, while New Delhi has fallen in the index because of downgrades to its culture and environment score as well as fall in the stability score owing to rising crime rates.
"This year we also note the demonstrable impact of the effects of climate change on liveability. Several cities, such as New Delhi in India and Cairo in Egypt received substantial downgrades on their scores owing to problems linked to climate change, such as poor air quality, undesirable average temperatures and inadequate water provision," the report said.
The EIU said its ranking of 140 cities is based on their scores in five broad categories -- stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Each factor in a city is rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable.
"We expect problems relating to climate change to put increasing pressure on liveability scores in the coming years and for the number of cities affected to grow.
"In recent years liveability has generally been rising, thanks to improvements in stability and better education and healthcare provision in cities within emerging markets. But these improvements are under serious threat from an increasingly adverse climate," EIU's global forecasting director Agathe Demarais said.
While New Delhi has been given an overall score of 56.3, Mumbai has got 56.2, while top-ranked Vienna has scored 99.1 and least-ranked Damascus (Syria) has got 30.7 points.
A score between 50-60 points, which is the case for India, indicates constrained liveability conditions.
The 2018 update to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Ambient Air Quality Database shows that New Delhi has the sixth highest annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter among cities around the world.
Companies pay a premium (usually a percentage of a salary) to employees who move to cities where living conditions are particularly difficult and there is excessive physical hardship or a notably unhealthy environment. The suggested allowance for Indian cities is 15 per cent.
Among the BRIC countries, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) was positioned at the 89th place, Moscow (Russia) at 68th, St Petersburg (Russia) 71st. The Chinese cities in the list include Suzhou at 75th rank, Beijing 76th, Tianjin 79th, Shanghai 80th, Shenzhen 84th, Dalian 90th, Guangzhou 96th and Qingdao 97th.
Several major global cities received mixed scores. London and New York ranked 48th and 58th out of the 140 cities in the survey.
"Both are rated very highly for their cultural amenities, but they struggle in the stability category, owing to perceptions of the risk of crime and terrorism. Infrastructure is also perceived as a weakness, as both cities are struggling to cope with growing pains," the report noted. (Source: ndtv)


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Delhi Slips 6 Places In World's Most Liveable Cities Ranking: Survey.

Delhi, Gurgaon air show presence of alarming levels of heavy metals: Report - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Delhi, Gurgaon air show presence of alarming levels of heavy metals: Report.

The PM2.5 levels - fine particulate matters in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers - in all the seven tests were above statutory limits.

Air quality tests done in Delhi and Gurgaon in the last two months showed presence of alarming levels of toxic heavy metals, according to a new report released Thursday.
The report, titled ‘Death in Every Breath’, released by NGO Lung Care Foundation, analysed results of seven air quality tests taken in New Delhi and Gurgaon.
The PM2.5 levels - fine particulate matters in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers - in all the seven tests were above statutory limits, the report said.
“The PM2.5 levels ranged from 90.3 μg/m3 to 563.5 μg/m3 and were between 1.5 and 9.4 times higher than standards prescribed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC),” it said.
The levels of manganese in five of the seven tests exceed the US EPA Reference Concentration for exposure to manganese (0.05 μg/m3) and the World Health Organisation annual health-based guidelines value of 0.15 μg/m3.
There are no standards in India for manganese in ambient air, the report said.
“Levels of lead in six of the seven tests exceed the US EPA 3-month average for exposure to lead (0.15 μg/m3) and in two tests exceeds the Indian NAAQS Annual and the WHO annual health-based guidelines value of 0.05 μg/m3,” it said.
Nickel levels in all the tests exceed the WHO annual health-based guidelines value of 0.0025 μg/m3, which is based on the risk of cancer associated with long-term exposure to nickel.
“Manganese, lead and nickel are neurotoxins that damage the brain. Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead. Exposures to even low levels of lead early in life have been linked to effects on IQ, learning, memory and behaviour. It is a matter of very serious concern that such high levels of these toxic metals are found in the air that our children breathe,” said Arvind Kumar of Lung Care Foundation.
“There is an urgent need for the policy makers to bring the focus back on the people and the health problems they are reporting to understand the impact of air pollution and its severity. People are the best monitors and they have been reporting severe health impacts already,” Kumar added.
The report also found high levels of barium from Diwali fireworks.
“The barium level in the air quality test a day before Diwali is 21.5 μg/m3, on the day of Diwali the test has barium level of 5.8 μg/m3, and a day after Diwali, the barium level in the test is 2.4 μg/m3,” the report said. (Source:Livemint)


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Delhi, Gurgaon air show presence of alarming levels of heavy metals: Report.

Clean Air Week from 1st November to control pollution in Delhi On firecrackers, directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court shall be followed strictly - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Clean Air Week from 1st November to control pollution in Delhi On firecrackers, directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court shall be followed strictly.

A Clean Air Week would be organised from 01 to05 November, 2018 in collaboration with the Government of Delhi and the four major NCR cities to control the air pollution. For this, 52 teams have been formedto ensure compliance and safety and take quick action. The teams will be jointly flagged off byUnion Minister forEnvironment, Forest &Climate Change and the Minister from Government of Delhi.

This decision was taken in a meeting held here today under the Chairmanship of Shri C.K. Mishra, Secretary, EF&CC to discuss the urgent steps for air pollution mitigation and regulating fire crackers in the light of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order. In the meeting, it was emphasized that all necessary steps should be taken to ensure that air quality levels are not allowed to go into the severe category in the next one week.

Teams for Clean Air Week compriseof the local SDM as the team leader, senior official from MoEFCC and representatives from CPCB, MCD and DPCC. Delhi will have 44 teams and the cities in NCR region namely Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad shall have two teams each. Field Teams will be supported by the local police to ensure compliance and safety. All the DMs and MCD commissioners shall be involved in the campaign and ensure that quick action is taken on the cases of violations reported by the field teams. In case of repeat violations, criminal proceedings against defaulters will be initiated.

On the issue of firecrackers, it was decided thatthe directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the Order dated 23.10.2018 shall be followed strictly in Delhi and NCR.Timings and locations as envisaged in the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order for bursting of firecrackers would be strictly adhered to. Further only eco friendly fire crackers would be sold after proper authorization has been obtained from PESO. Any other kind of firecrackers would not be permitted to be sold in the NCR region as per the order of the Supreme Court. Delhi Police and the DMs of Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad were requested to ensure that these measures were strictly implemented by them in their respective areas.

Secretary conveyed his serious concern over the fact that there is no significant improvement in the air quality in spite of the concerted efforts being made by the Ministry and all the stakeholders. He emphasized the need for taking action which can lead to local containment of pollution and which is visible to the people.

In addition to the above it was also directed that Government of Delhi shall immediately deploy 400 water sprinklers/ tankers as already committed. Construction sites will be closed temporarily for a few days to improve air quality. No distinction be made between Governmental or private agencies for this purpose. Further all agencies should ensure no local biomass and industrial waste burning. The industry should be closed if found violating the instructions.No truck should be allowed to move uncovered while carrying C&D waste. In case of violation, the truck should be confiscated. Delhi Traffic Police should launch a special drive for Lane driving.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Delhi, Special Commissioner, Delhi Police, Commissioners of MCDs, DMs of the various districts of Delhi and DMs of Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. (Source: pib)

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Clean Air Week from 1st November to control pollution in Delhi On firecrackers, directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court shall be followed strictly.

Govt to launch air pollution prediction system for Delhi on Oct 15 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Govt to launch air pollution prediction system for Delhi on Oct 15.

The Centre will on October 15 launch an air pollution prediction system for Delhi, making it easier for government’s pollution watchdogs to alert stakeholders and general public about air quality 48 hours in advance. The move will give them adequate time to take precautionary measures.

The system - called Air Quality Early Warning System - will have an in-built web-based dissemination tools to inform public and enforcement agencies about episodic high pollution events in advance. Such information may be helpful for general public in planning their outdoor activities.

The system is jointly developed by the scientists of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, Noida and India Meteorological Department (IMD).
“The system, developed under overall coordination of ministry of earth sciences (MoES), will be handed over to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for dissemination of air quality information to all stakeholders and general public through the web-based dissemination tools,” said the IMD chief, K J Ramesh.
He told TOI that the CPCB would alert the authorities about emergency situation (episodic high pollution events), if any, in advance for taking precautionary measures on the ground.
The system will be launched by the Union minister of earth sciences, Harsh Vardhan. The facility will be expanded to the entire NCR and other cities in due course.
The system is devised by mapping of emissions (pollutants) from various sources and analysing quality of meteorological fields in urban areas - be it local air circulation, topographic effect, low winds or breeze conditions in certain months.
It’ll draw data round-the-clock from the state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System – SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) and different monitoring stations of the CPCB and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
The alerts will help the authorities initiate actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which envisages specific steps for different levels of air quality.
“Great to hear this. At least now after a year of GRAP being in force, we will be able to take strict actions on polluting sources to avoid air pollution episodes in Delhi and NCR. The GRAP will be transformed from reactionary to precautionary now,” said Sunil Dahiya, clean air campaigner of the Greenpeace India. (Source: The Economic Times)


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Govt to launch air pollution prediction system for Delhi on Oct 15.

21 IORA Countries adopt the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy; To Collaborate with ISA Member Countries - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

21 IORA Countries adopt the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy; To Collaborate with ISA Member Countries.

As many as 21 countries in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) today adopted the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy in the Indian Ocean Region, post the 2 nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting held at the 2 nd Global Re-Invest India-ISA Partnership Renewable Energy Investor’s Meet & Expo in Greater Noida.

The Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy in the Indian Ocean Region calls for collaboration among IORA member states in meeting the growing demand for renewable energy in the Indian Ocean littorals, development of a common renewable energy agenda for the Indian Ocean region and promote regional capacity building.
The declaration also calls for promotion of technology development and transfer, strengthening of public private partnerships in renewable energy and collaboration among IORA member states and the member nations of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). IORA member countries also resolved to collaborate with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India Shri R.K. Singh, Secretary General, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Dr. Nomvuyo N Nokwe, Deputy Minister of Energy, Ministry of Energy, South Africa Ms.Thembisile Majola, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Md. Shahriar Alam M.P. participated in the ministerial meeting. Ministerial representatives from Iran, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Yemen also spoke at the meeting.
As per the declaration adopted, IORA member nations will collaborate with the ISA member nations to exchange knowledge and share views and potential interests in the renewable energy sector; paved by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between IORA and ISA on 3 October 2018, with a focus on joint capacity-building programs, research & development activities in solar energy and exchange of best practices.
Additionally, IORA member nations and IRENA will undertake the expansion of the Global Renewable Energy Atlas, the world’s largest-ever joint renewable resource data project, coordinated by IRENA, thereby creating the Indian Ocean region's first and most comprehensive map and database which can then be used to tap the sizable renewable energy potential of the region; and to collaborate on opportunities available under the International Renewable Energy Learning Platform (IRELP).
The Indian Ocean Rim Association was set up with the objective of strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Region with 21 Member States and 7 Dialogue Partners. The last Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting was held on 21 st January, 2014 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Subsequently, during the meeting of IORA Council of Ministers, held in October, 2016 in Bali, Indonesia, it was decided that the next conference will be held in India. In line with the commitment made, India hostedthe 2 nd IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial meet today.
India, Australia, Iran IR, Indonesia Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE, Yemen, Seychelles, Somalia, Comoros and Oman are members of IORA. (Source: PIB)


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21 IORA Countries adopt the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy; To Collaborate with ISA Member Countries.

Delhi Ranks 112 on Liveability Index, Mumbai 117 Among 140 World Cities - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Delhi Ranks 112 on Liveability Index, Mumbai 117 Among 140 World Cities.

The top 10 cities are Vienna, Melbourne, Osaka, Calgary, Sydney, Vancouver, Tokyo, Toronto, Copenhagen and Adelaide respectively, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report.

South Asian countries including India have fared poorly in a ranking of the world's most liveable cities topped by Austrian capital Vienna, with New Delhi figuring at 112th and Mumbai 117th position in a list of 140 cities.
Pakistan's financial capital Karachi and Bangladesh's capital Dhaka are among the world's least liveable cities in the annual Global Liveability Index released by The Economist.
War-ravaged Syria's capital Damascus is on the bottom of the list which comprises 140 cities globally.
The top 10 cities are Vienna, Melbourne, Osaka, Calgary, Sydney, Vancouver, Tokyo, Toronto, Copenhagen and Adelaide respectively, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report. It is the first time that a European city has topped the rankings of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) annual survey.
Survey editor Roxana Slavcheva said that security has improved in "several western European cities" and Vienna's top place reflects "a relative return to stability across much of Europe".
"South Asian cities rank low in @TheEIU #Liveability index. Of the 6 we cover New Delhi top (112th) then Mumbai next at 117th," Chief Economist and Asia Managing Director at EUI Simon Baptist said.
The list ranks 140 cities on a range of factors, including political and social stability, crime, education and access to healthcare.
The 10 least liveable cities are Senegal's Dakar on 131, Algeria's Algiers 132, Cameroon's Douala 133, Libya's Tripoli 134, Zimbabwe's Harare 135, Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby 136, Karachi, 137, Nigeria's Lagos 138, Dhaka 139 and Damascus is on 140, the report said.
The EIU said that crime, civil unrest, terrorism or war played a "strong role" in the ten-lowest scoring cities.
The liveability index quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual's lifestyle in 140 cities worldwide, and assesses which locations provide the best living conditions, the EIU said.
The survey rates cities worldwide based on 30 qualitative and quantitative criteria, which fall into five general categories: stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
The EIU, the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, describes itself as the world leader in global business intelligence.


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Delhi Ranks 112 on Liveability Index, Mumbai 117 Among 140 World Cities.

Delhi is now most investor friendly: NCAER survey - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Delhi is now most investor friendly: NCAER survey.

In the perception survey,Gujarat retains the top spot; Haryana, West Bengal follow.

Delhi moved one spot up to replace Gujarat as the most investor-friendly state in the latest National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) State Investment Potential Index (N-SIPI).
Andhra Pradesh topped the list in the business reforms action plan ranking released by the department of industrial policy and promotion last month.
N-SIPI 2018, which was released by Delhi-based think tank NCAER on Friday, has been constructed on the basis of six pillars that are classified under the following four broad categories—factor-driven (land and labour), efficiency-driven (infrastructure), growth-driven (economic climate, and political stability and governance), and perceptions driven (responses to the surveys). Each of the pillars is, in turn, based on a number of sub-pillars, ranging from four in the case of land to 11 for infrastructure.
N-SIPI 2018 also incorporates the results of an extensive survey conducted in May and June 2018, covering 1,049 industrial units across 20 major states and the Union territory of Delhi.
The perceptions-based survey helps assess the ground level impact of various reforms. The findings of the survey show that Gujarat has retained the top spot, with Haryana and West Bengal occupying the second and third places, respectively. West Bengal particularly has shown tremendous improvement by moving up 18 places from the 21st to the third spot.
Uttarakhand, too, has made significant improvement by moving up 10 places in the perception-based rankings, while Telangana and Andhra Pradesh slipped 17 and 15 places, respectively. The states at the bottom with regard to the perceptions survey are Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra.
In overall ranking, Tamil Nadu has moved up significantly and is placed at number two, even as the erstwhile number three, Andhra Pradesh, has slipped to the number seven position. At the other end, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh continue to be at the bottom of the league tables—positions they occupied in N-SIPI 2016 and 2017 as well.
The survey gives interesting insights. Bihar and Karnataka face serious challenges in the procurement of land, while Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are ranked as the top states for getting land. In terms of labour, Gujarat and Haryana are perceived to be the best states, whereas Jharkhand, Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra are lagging behind. Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka are doing well in terms of the availability of power supply.
As regards the pillar on “economic climate”, both Delhi and Gujarat have retained their positions among the top three states, whereas Telangana has moved up four places to the second spot.
On the infrastructure pillar, Delhi tops the ranking followed by Punjab and Maharashtra, while Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have been identified as the states with least infrastructure.
When it comes to governance or political stability, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Punjab occupy the top three spots, while Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are ranked at the bottom. (Source: Livemint)


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Delhi is now most investor friendly: NCAER survey.

India to have its 1st police museum in Delhi - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India to have its 1st police museum in Delhi.

India will soon have its first national police museum as the central government has decided to establish the unique facility in Lutyens' Delhi, a senior official said on Sunday.

The museum - depicting the history, artefacts, uniforms and gear of central and state policeforces - will come up as an underground facility in the premises of the national police memorial in Chanakyapuri area of the national capital.
The museum is expected to be inaugurated on October 21 (Police Commemoration Day) at the hands of either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The project is being steered by the Intelligence Bureau and according to the records accessed by PTI, IB Director Rajiv Jain had convened a meeting on the matter last month to expedite the process.
"While some state police forces and paramilitary forces have their small museums, this is the first time that the country will have a national-level permanent exhibition on policing subjects. It will also act as a repository of knowledge for researchers on policing subjects," the senior official said.
Official sources said the central armed police forces (CAPFs), the central police organisations and the state police forces have been asked to collect their historical documents, items, police related gazette notifications and unique weapons and uniforms so that it can be displayed at the museum.
As per the records, the items sought to be put in the first-ever national police museum will include brass insignia, ceremonial and operational head gears and uniforms, batons, belts, distinctive photographs of dog squads, mounted columns and old copies of the Indian Police Act.
Some other items include women in policing, creation of maiden 'mahila' battalions, news clippings of historical significance, the very old and basic police communication and wireless equipment, flying squads and police medals and decorations.
A special gallery on policemen killed in the line of duty and decorated with gallantry medals will also be created, they said.
A dedicated police staff will be deployed at the museum to take the visitors around and undertake audio-visual tours, they said.
A memorial service is conducted every year on October, 21 at this site to pay tributes to the men and women in khaki who laid down their lives at the altar of duty. (Source: The Times of India)


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India to have its 1st police museum in Delhi.

Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru in top 10 cities for GDP risk from terrorism - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru in top 10 cities for GDP risk from terrorism.

Civil conflict and interstate conflict were the top two threats for each city, except Kolkata which has tropical windstorm as its largest threat according to Lloyd's India's City Risk Index.

Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore stood at fifth, sixth and seventh in this aspect, in the latest edition of Lloyd's India's City Risk Index (CRI).
The study further noted that threats from conflict and terrorism account for more than half (58 per cent) of the risk to India's economic output annually amounting to $9 billion.
Delhi (fifth) and Mumbai (seventh) were also in the global top 10 for GDP risk attributed to civil conflict.
"While India is fast becoming one of the most diverse and largest growing economies in the world, there is some concern that this may be undermined by a rising spate of conflict in the region," Lloyd's India country manager Shankar Garigiparthy said quoting the latest edition of reinsurer's 'City Risk Index (CRI)'.
India, he said, faces complicated and costly threats from subversive groups as well as from the complex relationship with its neighbours.
Lloyd's City Risk Index (CRI) has measured GDP risk from 22 separate threats in 279 cities across the world.
These cities were chosen as they are the key engines of global economic growth, with an estimated combined economic output of $35.4 trillion (equivalent to 41 per cent of global GDP).
The findings for India reflect the geopolitical tension in the region, it added.
Lloyd's CRI included 10 major cities in India, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Surat.
It said, Delhi has the largest GDP risk of all Indian cities at $ 3.5 billion and is also the highest-ranked city in South Asia. It is closely followed by Mumbai at $3.1 billion, it added.
Civil conflict and interstate conflict were the top two threats for each city, except Kolkata which has tropical windstorm as its largest threat, it said.
Other threats, which featured prominently for Indian cities include human pandemics and floods, posting an estimated $1.7 billion and $1.3 billion GDP risk for the country respectively.
For Delhi, the CRI revealed that an extreme interstate conflict scenario could cost the city $225.2 billion and that an extreme flood or civil conflict could cost $122 billion or $72.3 billion respectively.
With Delhi's overall GDP at $108.5 billion, an extreme interstate conflict or flood could cost more than the city's overall annual economic output, it added.
Extreme interstate conflict is also the costliest threat scenario for Ahmedabad and Mumbai, while an extreme civil conflict scenario would be costlier for Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kanpur.
For Kolkata, the costliest extreme scenario is a severe earthquake, which could cost $74.4 billion, more than double the city's annual GDP of $32.6 billion. (Source: The Business Standard)


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Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru in top 10 cities for GDP risk from terrorism.

Delhi Becomes First Indian City to Roll-Out Euro-VI Ultra Clean Petrol, Diesel - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

Delhi Becomes First Indian City to Roll-Out Euro-VI Ultra Clean Petrol, Diesel.

Delhi is among the first city in the country to leapfrog from Euro-IV grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI.

Ultra-clean Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel, at no additional price, supply has been started in the national capital from yesterday in a bid to combat alarming levels of air pollution.
Delhi is among the first city in the country to leapfrog from Euro-IV grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI. Cities in the national capital region like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad as well as 13 major cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune will switch over to cleaner Euro-VI grade fuel from January 1 next year. Rest of the country will follow suit from April 2020.
State-owned oil firms have begun supplying the BS-VI petrol and diesel (equivalent to fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norm) at all their 391 petrol pumps in the national capital territory (NCT) from yesterday.
While the oil companies have invested heavily to produce cleaner fuel, the consumers are not being passed on any of the cost for the time being, said Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Director (Refineries) B V Rama Gopal.
"Rest assured we don't have plans of passing on the cost to consumers. There are no plans to recover (the cost) from customers immediately," he told reporters.
Costing wise, the cleaner fuel should cost around 50 paise a liter more.
He said a mechanism for recovering the cost when the whole country shifts to Euro-VI grade fuel would be worked out.
To meet Delhi's annual consumption of 9.6 lakh tonnes of petrol and 12.65 lakh tonnes of diesel, Mathura refinery in Uttar Pradesh, Panipat refinery in Haryana, Bina in Madhya Pradesh and Bhatinda in Punjab have started producing Euro-VI grade fuel. About Rs 183 crore has been spent on Panipat refinery alone for producing cleaner fuel.
Other refineries are in the process of being upgraded, he said.
India had in 2015 decided to leapfrog to Euro-VI emission norm compliant petrol and diesel from April 2020, from the Euro-IV grade at present.
While the deadline for the rest of the country stands, the same for Delhi, which is choking on thick toxic smog, was brought forward. Euro-VI grade fuel contains 10 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur as against 50 ppm in Euro-IV fuels.
Gopal said the cleaner Euro-VI fuel and lesser grade cars and two-wheelers, which are presently available in the country, would result in 10-20 percent reduction in particulate emission but for full benefits, the vehicles too need to have Euro-VI engines.
IOC, the nation's biggest oil firm controlling roughly half of retail fuel market, will source the BS-VI fuel to meet Delhi's requirement from its Mathura and Panipat refineries, while Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will do so from its joint venture refinery at Bhatinda. Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) will supply the fuel from its Bina refinery.
According to IOC, for petrol engines, one of the most critical specifications is Research Octane No. (RON), which has improved from 88 in BS-II to 91. It is at par with regular 91 octane gasoline (petrol) required for Euro VI emission norms.
Sulphur specification for petrol and diesel will be reduced 50 times from a level of 500 ppm for BS-II fuel to 10 ppm in BS-VI.
Previously, the fuels meeting Euro-IV or Bharat Stage (BS)-IV specifications were to be supplied throughout the country by April 2017 and BS-V or Euro-V grade fuel by April 1, 2020. But now the government plans to switch over directly from BS-IV to BS-VI auto fuels.
Oil refineries had previously upgraded technology and invested over Rs 55,000 crore for production and supply of BS-III/IV fuels. Oil refineries will need to invest Rs 28,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet cleaner fuel specifications by 2020. (Source:news18.com)


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Delhi Becomes First Indian City to Roll-Out Euro-VI Ultra Clean Petrol, Diesel.