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#FoodSafety, #WHO, #CSE, #cancer, #thyroid

The bread available in India could be laced with toxic chemicals that can lead to thyroid disorders and cancer, the non-profit Centre for Science and Environment, or CSE, said after conducting a series of tests. The Union health ministry has ordered an investigation into the matter.

Products of five popular multinational fast-food outlets — KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Subway, McDonald’s and Slice of Italy — were also found to contain high levels of the chemicals, CSE said.

“Just two slices of bread every day is enough to put us at a higher risk of thyroid and cancer,” Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director, CSE.

The organisation said it had picked 38 samples from outlets in Delhi and tested them for Potassium Bromate and Potassium Iodate. “More than 84% samples came out positive,” said Mr Bhushan. High levels of chemicals were found in white bread and less in multi-grain breads.
Potassium Bromate and Potassium Iodate were used to treat flour meant for baking. But after warnings from the World Health Organisation, more than 40 countries — including China and Sri Lanka — have banned their use. These chemicals, however, are not banned in India.

Reacting to the CSE report, Health Minister JP Nadda said, “I have told my officials to report to me on an urgent basis. There is no need to panic. Very soon we will come out with the (probe) report.”

On behalf of the bread industry, the All India Bread Manufacturers Association gave a statement, saying it was yet to see the CSE report. But it added that “Food safety and Standards Authority of India’s regulations permit the use of Potassium Bromate and/or Potassium Iodate at 50 ppm Max for bread and at 20 ppm Max for Bakery purpose”.

The same additive, the statement read, “is considered safe and is widely used in advanced countries like the US “.

A statement by Jubilant FoodWorks, which operates the Domino’s brand, read, “The flour used by us is not treated with Potassium Bromate/Potassium Iodate.” Britannia and Slice Of Italy too, denied the use of the chemicals.

The CSE study showed that higher levels of the two chemicals were found in sandwich bread, pav, bun and white bread.

According to the study, the products of Harvest Gold, Britannia and Perfect Bread had higher levels of the chemicals.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/toxic-chemicals-in-bread-burgers-pizza-health-ministry-orders-probe-1409288

#DelhiPollution, #EmissionNorms, #AirPollution

The govt. notified norms for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions in December 2015, but these have not been implemented, says expert
Clusters of thermal power plants in Northern India were the sources of growth in emissions of highly toxic and reactive gases in the past few years, a report released here on Monday found.

The report titled Out of Sight: How coal burning advances Indias air pollution crisis by Greenpeace India used satellite imagery from 2009 to 2015 to find that areas that had thermal power plants in Madhya Pradeshs Singrauli, Chhattisgarhs Korba and Raigarh, Odishas Angul, Maharashtras Chandrapur, Gujarats Mundra and the National Capital Region were behind the growth in emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Rise in emissions

As per the report, emissions of the toxic sulphur dioxide gas increased by 31 per cent from 2009 to 2015.

The emissions of nitrogen dioxide, which is highly reactive, increased by 20 per cent during the same period.

Both these gases react in the air to form secondary particles, which account for a major chunk of Delhis pollution.

The Greenpeace report showed that the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) rose by 13 per cent in the past five years.

Sunil Dahiya, one of the authors of the report and a campaigner with Greenpeace, said that many studies had earlier found that 30 to 34 per cent of the total PM2.5 concentration in the country was due to secondary particles.

Most of these secondary particles are formed from burning of fossil fuels, like in thermal power plant. It is no coincidence that the hot spots of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide overlap with the areas with highest coal consumption, said Mr. Dahiya.

In Delhi, Mr. Dahiya said that though the power generation was limited, emission from thermal plants in the National Capital Region was affecting air quality in the city.

Clear link

In fact, a recent report by IIT-Kanpur had said that a plan to reduce pollution in Delhi must include a radius of 300 kilometres around the Capital.

We have established a clear link between thermal power plants and rise in pollution in the region. There is an urgent need to get emissions from these plants under control, said Mr. Dahiya.

Emission norms

The government had notified norms for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions in December 2015, but these have not been implemented till now, said Mr. Dahiya.

He added that these norms should be in place within two years from the notification to have an impact on air quality.

As per the report, emi 31 per cent from 2009 to 2015

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/thermal-power-plants-leading-to-spike-in-so2-no2-study/article8638600.ece

#environment, #greenrules, #anti-pollution, #GEA

Theenvironment ministryhas its work cut out for the next three years. The Prakash Javadekar-led ministry will now devote all its efforts to ensure compliance of the environmental laws. For this, the ministry is planning to introduce hefty penalty for violation, using technology for monitoring violations round the clock and creating capacities at local level for strict implementation of environmental laws.

“Next three years would be (devoted to) compliance, compliance and compliance (of all environmental\anti-pollution laws\rules),” Javadekar said on Monday.

He said his ministry will come out with a civil penalty bill to scale up the monetary fine so that it can work as a real deterrent. The bill will help in compliance of all the existing environmental laws as well as various rules that had been tightened up in the past two years.

Though the minister did not give any time frame, nor did he share details of the proposed legislation, the bill is expected to be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament. The Times of India had in March reported about this upcoming law where the ministry is looking to increase the fine to a minimum of Rs 5 crore up from existing Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment up to seven years for causing ‘substantial’ environmental damage.

Noting how the compliance is a real problem at this juncture when the country has many laws and hundreds of rules, Javadekar highlighted that the existing penalties are too meagre to be taken up seriously by violators.

“Anyone is happily ready with a fine of Rs 800 for cutting a tree at present. Similarly, a fine of Rs one lakh for violating anti-pollution norms by industries is nothing. Violators have always been ready to pay such paltry sum. This has to change. We have to bring a regime of hefty penalty that can work as a deterrent,” Javadekar said while addressing a press conference.

“We are in the process of finalizing the details of the proposed civil penalty bill. We will make compliance easy and violation very costly,” he said.

The proposed bill will set the the upper limit of fine as high as Rs 20 crore and imprisonment that may be extended to a life term if ‘substantial’ environmental damage has been caused in a large area. If the damage continues unabated over a period of time, violators may have to pay additional Rs 1 crore a day.

The penal provisions and monetary fines in the bill are quite stiff as compared to provisions in the existing Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

At present, the violator can pay a fine of merely Rs 1 lakh and face imprisonment up to five years (which can be extended to seven years in certain cases) on conviction. In case the violation continues, the offender under the present law has to pay additional fine up to Rs 5000 a day during which the contravention continues.

Speaking about the ministry’s efforts in the past two years to digitize decision making and forest\environmental clearance processes to bring transparency and cut delays, Javadekar said, “Ab office-office khel band ho gaya hai (It’s an end to the office-centric approach)… everything is being tracked\monitored online in the ministry.”

Asked about his ministry’s view on genetically modified (GM) crops, the minister took a progressive and pro-science approach saying the government was not in favour of blocking science as it wanted to increase production and productivity of food-grains in India.

“Our job is to increase production and productivity and it can be achieved through science and technology. How can we do that by blocking science? We can’t be a hindrance,” Javadekar said.

He also noted that his ministry’s regulator – Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) – had allowed field trials of 18 transgenic varieties of seeds with adequate safety measures in past two years. But, he said, it would entirely depend on states to allow such trials or not after the GEAC clearance.

 
On Ganga river pollution, the minister claimed that the has managed to reduce the industrial pollution in the Ganga by 35% through strict implementation of norms for critically polluting industries located near the river.

 
Javadekar enlisted increase of forest cover, better monitoring and controlling of industrial pollution, approval of 2000 projects worth investment of Rs 10 lakh crore and potential of creating 10 lakh jobs, reducing the project approval time from 600 days to 190 days and protecting interests of India at the Paris climate negotiation as five major achievements of his ministry during the past two years.

 
Asked when India would ratify the Paris agreement on climate change, the minister said, “We have decided to ratify it. After all, we have not signed it just like that. Our ratification (process) is on track. There is a due process. Once the process is completed, we will ratify it. There is a process and therefore I cannot tell you about the final date or time-line.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Environment-ministry-mulls-hefty-fine-to-ensure-compliance-of-green-rules/articleshow/52405154.cms

#GDP, #WaterManagement, #PMKSY, #Agriculture

Although agriculture is thelargest source of livelihood for people in India, its share in thegross domestic product (GDP) has been decliningover time withdeficit rainfall over the last two years having affected crop production and farmer’s incomes.

This article ‘Water management and resilience in agriculture’ published in theEconomic and Political Weekly examines water management strategies needed for drought mitigation and increasing climate resilience, including soil moisture management in India. It also sheds light on issues and policies for improving effectiveness in canal irrigation, water use efficiency, and strategies for climate resilient agriculture.

Reforms needed in irrigation

The article informs that India has invested significantly in irrigation infrastructure, particularly canal irrigation since independence. ThePradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), introduced by the present government, is in the right direction. However, the strategy in irrigation development has focused more on increasing water quantity and has neglected efficiency of use and sustainability.

The government heavily subsidises both canal water rates and the power tariff for drawing groundwater and much of this water is either used inefficiently or overused. Thus a number of reforms are needed in irrigation such as increasing and prioritising public investment, raising profitability of groundwater exploitation and augmenting groundwater resources, rational pricing of irrigation water and electricity, involvement of user farmers in the management of irrigation systems, and making groundwater markets equitable.

Efficient management of water resources

India has had successive droughts in the past two years. This year too, nine states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have declared a drought. The article argues that there is a need for strategies in the short and long term to mitigate the adverse effects of droughts that include:

• Better and more efficient management of water resources to achieve more crops per drop
• A different approach for rain-fed areas and a paradigm shift in knowledge, policy and practice for rain-fed agriculture
• A shift from conventional production per hectare thinking to an approach that can integrate livelihoods (agriculture and rural non-farm), availability and access to food, ecosystems, and human health
• Investments in three components namely ponds, rural electrification, and drip irrigation to enhance water efficiency
• Promoting rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation for drought proofing

Encouraging climate resilient agriculture

Following changes can be introduced for effective climate resilient agriculture (CRA) in India for which:

• Diversified cropping systems in view of climate related risks need to be introduced
• Crop insurance can be used as one of the strategies for CRA. In this context, the recent introduction of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)by the central government is a great step forward
• There is a need for research that can lead to the development of climate resilient technologies and extension systems to promote these among farmers

The article ends by arguing that water management requires multiple levels of policy action. The problem is not a shortage of water, but the absence of proper mechanisms for its augmentation, conservation, distribution, and efficient use. Water management thus should be given number one priority in agricultural policy to prevent drought, minimise the risks due to drought and build a climate resilient agriculture.

http://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/water-management-climate-resilient-agriculture