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Horn, OK, Please: STOP Vehicular pollution

What causes vehicular pollution?

Type of pollutants emitted by automotive vehicles depending upon the type and quality of fuel consumed by them. Release of pollutants include fugitive emissions of the fuel due to inefficient use of the vehicle by way of poor maintenance, poor driving practices, wrong vehicle selection, traffic congestion, etc. The source & level of emissions also depends upon the vehicle type, its maintenance, wear and tear due to age, etc. 

Major pollutants released are, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, photo chemical oxidants, & toxins like benzene, aldehydes, 1-3 butadiene, lead, particulate matter, hydrocarbon, oxides of sulphur & polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Predominant pollutants in petrol vehicles are hydrocarbons & carbon monoxide. Predominant pollutants from diesel vehicles are Oxides of nitrogen, Oxides of sulphur & particulates. 

People presume CNG is cleaner since it does not leave a visual smog. However, a CSIR study shows CNG-run vehicles emit dangerous nano carbon particles which can cause cancer. The better alternative is to switch to hybrid cars & electric cars. But for that the appropriate infrastructure should be set in place in terms of renewable energy and bio-fuel production either through corporate intervention in the sector or government venture or ventures in PPP mode.

How are humans affected?

• Carbon Monoxide: 

1. Affects cardio vascular system, 
2. May affect pregnancy & fetuses, 
3. Affects the sick, anemic people & young children, 
4. Affects nervous system impairing physical coordination, vision & judgments, c
5. Causes nausea & headaches, 
6. Reduces productivity & increasing personal discomfort.  

• Nitrogen Oxides:

1. Increased susceptibility to infections, 
2. Pulmonary diseases, 
3. Impaired lung function,
4. Eyes, nose & throat irritations. 

• Sulphur Dioxide: 

         Damages & affects lung function

• Particulate Matter and Respirable Particulate Matter:

1. May be toxic in itself or may carry toxic (carcinogenic) trace substance, 
2. Can alter the immune system,
3. Penetrates deep into the respiratory system irritating lung tissue & causing long-term disorders.  

• Benzene: 

1. Both toxic and carcinogenic,
2. Excessive incidence of leukemia (blood cancer) in high exposure areas have been noted. 

• Hydrocarbons: Potentially cause cancers.

• Lead: 

1. Impairs liver and kidney, 
2. Causes brain damage in children lowering I.Q., 
3. Causes hyperactivity & reduced ability to concentrate. 

When is it at its worst in Delhi?         Winter

Why is air-pollution worse in winter in Delhi?

Air quality and pollution differs not just in different seasons, but also varies by type, time of day and day of the week. Stagnant air may explain why pollution levels vary less widely over the day in winter than in spring. Warm rising air normally moves pollution out, so the average pollution at ground level follows more closely the profile of polluting activities throughout the day.

During the afternoon when people are at work, it drops, only to rise again with the evening rush hour. Vehicular Pollution corresponds with peaking and dropping of AQI numbers through the day. It stays relatively high overnight, likely due to the practice of heavy vehicles trucking goods, not only in & out but through Delhi.

How can we pollute less?

Potential Solutions:

1. For Citizens:

• Burn less fuel:

1. Next time you purchase a vehicle, buy the most fuel efficient vehicle that meets your average daily needs. If a larger vehicle is needed for longer trips or larger capacity use on special occasions, rent or borrow one. 
2. If you have a vehicle, you do not need to stop using it entirely, you just need to use it smartly & sensibly.
3. If you have more than one vehicle, use the most fuel-efficient and practical one possible & potentially dispose off the rest.
4. If you do not have more than one vehicle, do not buy another till the current one is ready to retire.
5. Use public transport like buses & metro or car-pool as often as you can. Doing so three times a week at least can reduce your fuel consumption up to 50%.
6. Only use the vehicle on long trips, in harsh weather or when maximum people can use it or when absolutely necessary.
7. If just one person or two is to travel switch to public transport, shared taxis or cabs or carpool
8. If the distance is short switch to walking, cycling or taking local public transport preferably battery operated or fuel efficient or using cleaner fuel.
9. Ensure vehicles owned are checked at timely intervals and have their servicing done to ensure efficiency.

• Burn fuel cleaner:

1. Accelerate gradually to ensure fuel gets used up optimally.
2. Keep your vehicle well-tuned and tires inflated properly to reduce exhaust emissions.
3. Combine errands into one trip, a warmed up car pollutes less and is more efficient.
4. If you purchase a new car, look for a low emission vehicle (LEV) meeting the latest in emission standards.
5. Turn the vehicle off instead of keeping it running at traffic lights. Avoid idling — idling exhaust contains more pollutants than running exhaust as fuel does not burn as efficiently and fuel is wasted. 
6. In the case of Delhi ban of vehicles of any type over 10 years (since they pollute the most after) might be good.

• Burn cleaner fuel:

1. Low-sulfur fuel reduces pollutants by 10-15%.
2. Ethanol blend fuels can be used in flexible fuel vehicles making for efficient and judicious use of fossil fuels (from 15-85%).
3. Other alternative transportation fuels such as natural gas a bio-diesel, CNG, solar/batter powered etc. are most practical for fleets of vehicles and for short distances.

• Flexibility: 

1. Telecommute by working/holding meetings from a home office via phone or Internet if possible to reduce driving and save on travel time & exposure to external pollution.
2. Ask at work if the times for work are flexible so you can commute by public transport or shared transport during off peak hours.
3. Minimize driving by living close to work & other daily life amenities like post office, market, bank, public transport terminals etc. Best if accessible by walk or cycle.

2. For Government:

• Rewards:

1. Make metros cheaper & more connected.
2. Ensure further metros are all built underground and not above ground where they would be an eyesore and would reduce rate of corrosion from over ground exposure to elements.
3. Increase frequency of metro movement on busy routes and during peak hours making peak hour travel cheaper.
4. Make electric eco -friendly, or hybrid vehicles more accessible for public transport within the city. 
5. Make registration of electric, or hybrid vehicles easy. 
6. Make bicycles tax exempt & aid setting up of bike manufacturing, assembly & sales at government discounted rates.
7. Make bicycle tracks & parking easily accessible across the city.
8. Increase number of public buses and bus routes.
9. Increase the number of private players in the cab business in the city and set stringent rules and regulations and the minimum chargeable or standard chargeable rate for shared vehicles.
10. Digitize RTO, link RTO records, drivers license to Aadhar.
11. Track all commercial, private passenger & public transport vehicles & ensure they ply in compliance with all road safety & PUC norms.
12. Set up docking terminals outside the city limits so heavy goods vehicles do not ply through the city. This way goods can be unloaded & dispersed into the city in smaller more fuel efficient vehicles.
13. Ensure heavy freight vehicles are regularly checked for weight as per load capacity, air in tyres, safety checks, PUC checks and are tracked real time on digitized RTO system.
14. Create exclusive freight multi-corridors bypassing the city so heavy goods vehicles do not have to enter the city to go beyond it.
15. Set up out of city parking facilities for out of city vehicles so people can park & take public transport for their city commute.
16. Raise the rate for application for new license & renewal of license.
17. Make driving test mandatory on an annual basis including a written & driving test along with medical test (blood, urine, stool, ENT, general fitness) & sobriety tests.
18. Make public transport more user friendly to elderly, women, children & disabled people.
19. Ensure standards are moved as soon as possible to Bharat Stage VI or Euro 6 norms prior to 2020.

• Restrictions:

1. Make car parking more expensive especially in busy parts of the city.
2. Make PUC checks more stringent and regular, with heavy fines on non-compliance.
3. On breaking of traffic rules, for those over 21, make punishment stringent- fine up to third minor offense, suspension of license up to 6 months after up to 6th mistake, cancellation of license on serious offense with a gap of 3 years before reapplication for license for commercial freight & passenger vehicles.
4. Make the fine on illegal parking and other minor offenses more hefty & make towing and ticketing an aggressive practice.
5. Raise minimum age for driving to 21. Offenders who break the rule are to not be issued a new license for 5 years or until they attain the the age of 21, whichever happens last. 
6. Phase out the sale of commercial and passenger vehicles even two-wheelers in India that do not meet the latest Bharat VI Euro 6 norms within the next 6 months.
7. Phase out all Bharat III and Euro Standard 3 vehicles from plying in the city from 2019.
8. Phase out the use of diesel cars in Delhi after 2018-19.
9. Implement NO Car Weekends on Saturday and Sunday in prime areas of Delhi.

- Joseph T. Varghese, Author & Managing Trustee, KEYS Trust

Follow us @    KEYS Trust India FB Page 

                         Climate Connexions Delhi 

Support us @
1.

Click here to support Climate4Change

All we need is Rs 20,000  per month for a year to keep us going and working stress free on this & many other environmental and social issues with youth and communities in Delhi NCR. If 40 donors donated Rs 500 or if 20 donated Rs 1000 a month we would be grateful.

2.

PayTM to support Action4Air: +91 9818768028

This is our response as a a responsible organization working with youth & community in terms of practical action to help children... both the underprivileged children studying in government and unregistered schools (free, based on donation) & the children studying in private & semi-private schools (nominal fee for the program, the proceeds of which add to the amount for raising awareness in the underprivileged). 

If you live in Delhi, can see, smell and suffer from the pollution then help us do some social good. Remember even Rs 100 could safeguard a single child. For any queries or if you need any assistance in terms of alternate means of funding do get in touch with us.

Contact us @  Call or Whatsapp: +91 9818768028, email: keystrustindia@gmail.com

(Statutory warning: This blog post by no means is an exhaustive list of what can be done to deal with vehicular pollution in Delhi. This is a representation of views & ideas that came forth from the author that could be explored for viability. It is based on the limited research, deliberation & understanding of the author who suffers from the after-effects of air-pollution in Delhi. The images used are not owned by the author or KEYS Trust and belong to their original sources and are merely used for education & visual representation purpose.This by no way means the author is an expert & any flaws in the content in terms of correction, omission or additions may be kindly excused & communicated to the author by way of email to: keystrustindia@gmail.com)

Burning question: Seasonal Agri crop waste incineration

Stubble burning in Punjab & Haryana, and now also in some sites in UP are claimed to be the major source of pollution in Delhi NCR. From late September to early November farmers burn approximately about 35 million tons of crop waste mainly as a easy, quick practice to reduce turnaround time between harvesting and sowing of winter crops. The other reason for burning stubble, especially paddy crop stubble is the high silica content in it which means it would lack in nutrients and be of no use as animal fodder.

Earlier harvest was manual and time consuming but was more efficient resulting in little to no stubble left in the ground as more of the stem or stalk was cut closer to the ground. Use of mechanization has lead to easier , cost effective but rather wasteful harvesting as large pieces of stem/stalk are left behind protruding out of the ground. In northern India, despite a ban by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, the practice of stubble burning is still practiced in the state of Punjab. Authorities are starting to enforce this ban more proactively.

There exists methods of extraction and processing of agri-waste and multiple utilities for the same. The key problem remains how to make harvesting more efficient, extraction of waste cost effective and  extraction , collection and sale of waste a feasible alternative for the farming community resulting in behavior change. 

Firstly, is stubble burning bad?

Pros (Why farmers take to it):

1. It kills weeds that potentially could harm the next crop, even those that are resistant to herbicides .
2. It kills insects and pests like slugs and drives away vermin like rats and moles, far more effective than pesticides.
3. It reduces nitrogen tie up in the soil
4. It clears the field quickly and efficiently at a much cheaper rate than by using manual labour to extract for the next sowing period which may happen within 15-30 days.
5. Less labor and machine intensive.

Cons (Why farmers should move away from it): 

1. Burning results in loss of nutrients that could ideally go back into the soil reducing the dependence of the soil on chemical fertilizers
2. Toxins released in atmosphere may result in loss of crops from other plantations and fruiting trees.
3. Pollution from the smoke detrimental to human health and well being, results in damage to equipment and other forms of life and in the winter stays in the air resulting in continued detriment to all.
4. Increases risk of fires spreading out of control and causing widespread losses.
5. Wastes fuel required elsewhere to ignite and maintain the fires.
6. Changes and dries the soil resulting in change of pH balance, nutrient balance, oxygen and disturbance of beneficial biota.
7. The pollution affects the farmers health and quality of life, affects their near and dear ones and those living in near by areas depending upon the direction of the winds.

However, in the case of Delhi no one can deny it is causing a trans-boundary issue that compromises visibility, health and well being of the residents of the city. 

Different approaches considering and engaging multiple stakeholders and potential solutions (in no way an exhaustive or adequate list),

1. As a forward thinking farmer,

• Seek out alternate modes of dealing with the waste in terms of extraction, processing or sale for further processing.
• Improve mechanized harvest to either cut lower resulting in a 'closer shave' and use mechanized means to rake and dig up the stubble- stalk, roots, etc. similar to industrial large scale potato harvest using combine harvesters. 
• Use harvesters like the Indian-manufactured "Happy Seeder" that shred the crop residues into small pieces and uniformly spread them across the field.
• If the remaining stem/stalk can be cut down further by the harvester, the remaining waste from the root ball could be easily ploughed back into the soil.
• Alternatively if the farmer has large tracts of land where agriculture is not as aggressive and crop rotation is practiced along with leaving land fallow for a period , the raked up agri waste could be ploughed into that fallow tract leaving it to enrich with a mixture of gobar, jaggery and nitrogen fixing plant seeds.
• If the farmer cannot buy or afford mechanized unit to rake up the waste or to plough it back in, seek out alternatives to either rent or borrow from more affluent neighbors.
• If borrowing is not possible, then consider community sourcing machines for the same through a farmers cooperative by pooling money from all the local farmers resulting in better and continued utility of the machine as well as its maintenance through yearly membership fees.
• If using cattle for ploughing, tilling and raking up the waste stubble is a practice or possibility revive it as it is less energy intensive, more soil friendly resulting in minimal soil compacting and results in better soil aeration. The cattle used for tilling could also graze in the fallow land tracts resulting in seed dispersal of wild native plants, enrichment of the soil from the natural manure and increased weeding. Soils where cattle graze are found to have slower weed growth as it neutralizes the competition weeds give to other useful native plants.
• Reduced humus content in the soil, regular use of intense chemical fertilizers, stubble burning and compaction of soil may result in desertification and/or destruction of soil texture and fertility resulting in it turning to dust which too would cause health issues especially if the existing soil is silty or dry to begin with.

2. As a concerned citizen, 

• Ask questions, do research (policy, scientific, legal, local farming practices) and seek solutions that can be passed on to governments, corporates and farming community. No idea is useless or wasted and the best of ideas come from the strangest of places. Success or failure of a potential solution is dependent on the implementation- execution and feasibility of the idea. The more localized the solution the better. 
• Use an adequate mask and propagate awareness about the air pollution in local communities both rural and urban. 
• A local is more perceptive to the problem, its causes and potential solutions. They are also more capable of mobilizing communities. 
• From a pollution, community good and business perspective consider supporting setting up businesses that work on making 

1. particle boards, insulation boards, wall panels, printing paper and corrugating medium, recycled paper, roofing sheets, fuel, binder, fibrous building panels, bricks, acid proof cement, coir fibre, reinforced composite, polymer composites, cement board using the stubble waste.
2. Waste to energy plant (Dual or Multifuel Micro CHPs- Combined Heat & Power Units)- Incineration in efficient units that directly burn dried composite agri stubble crushed with charcoal in the season that it becomes available. Heat and power are commodities that can be sold to the local farmers or back to the grid especially in the winter, if the layout of the region is such that the village is an aggregation of homes and the farms extend out. Alternately some farmers with large tracts of land could take to monoculture or mixed plantation of fast growth soft wood trees that could be harvested every 5 years for woodchip or to generate charcoal pelts (mix of charred woodchip, agriwaste, gobar and or other natural additives).
3. As the waste generated has a large amount of cellulose, bio-ethanol could be produced which could efficiently be mixed and sold with petrol locally at 15-85% bioethanol additive burning cleaner and more efficiently in dual fuel or suitable vehicles.
4. The agri waste could be crushed and ground and then used in large scale composting (multiple techniques) wherein the generated compost could be sold back to the farmers through Kisan Vikas Kendras possibly at a modest price or at subsidised rates if government scheme exists. So the farmer would benefit in terms of a modest price for the stubble extraction, the individual setting up the unit would have one source of raw material to generate power and heat locally for multiple uses, and the farmer again benefits from good quality compost generated and purchased in his/her backyard.

• As an external party, try to bring in expertise from outside to marry with traditional local practices and create more efficient and cost effective workable solutions and models that require minimal government intervention. Engaging government is a tedious bureaucratic nightmare that results in delays, hurdles, and/or corruption due to a lack of commitment/empathy to the problem

3. As a responsible corporate,

• Walk the walk before you talk the talk- Responsibility should be in actions not in PR/Brand promotions and token events. Engage the problem, engage the people, evaluate the situation and engage in responsible action towards positive outcomes.

• Working in the periphery of agricultural lands by running factories, plants, assembly units, or ancillary or subsidiary units-

1. Working with local community to identify local solutions and integrate CSR with it is a good way to dispense social responsibility. 
2. As local company workers may largely be local individuals enlisting their support via employee engagement is a good way to connect with local community and engage them actively for formulation of better initiatives.
3. Explore national, regional, international best practices, there is no need to reinvent the wheel if a practical solution that can be localized already exists.

• Working in the agri-business sector-

1. Identify potential solutions in line with company business and see which can be implemented and may yield a niche market where your organization and society can benefit as a for profit new micro business venture 
2. Identify points to invest in via CSR, Employee Giving and Employee Engagement since most workers would be local and engaging employees in local problems and solutions results in a more efficient workforce that understands the company cares. 
3. Explore national, regional, international best practices, there is no need to reinvent the wheel if a practical solution that can be localized already exists.

4. As sensible government (local/state/national),

• Carrot & Stick Approach:

1. Incetivise collection and purchase of agri waste and stubble as a recycling and composting program preferably in PPP grant mode to kick start an alternate business line/entrepreneural opportunity, generate rules and regulations to collect, purchase, transport and process waste, set prices initially to encourage minimum benefit to farmers for the extra effort and change of behavior, set up training for rural farmers for the same. This could be done similar to what is done informally with milk packets, paper, glass and metals and scrap.
2. Create stringent air quality norms enforcable in rural areas as well especially near urban centres and put in monitoring facilities. Where the the AQI breaches norms let the locals within a specific range of the monitored area pay a modest fine to compensate for the harm caused. Put a price on it based on health effects.
3. Direct funds generated from fines into local medical and health care facilities to improve conditions and maintain services.

• Producer Pays Approach: Have trained staff deployed randomly monitoring areas where AQI is high, let the producer of the pollution pay for the harm caused. This may result in better movement of individuals to a more efficient practical and less harmful approach to dealing with stubble.

• Train the Trainer Approach: 

1. Identify alternate ways of dealing with stubble. 
2. Field test and trial different ways to identify the most suited to the climatic zone and topographic and hydro geological conditions prevailing in the area.
3. Train a bunch of local farmers in the same and get them to train further farmers in the right methods with incentives for the trainers. This would reduce cost of large scale training and result in more fluid uptake of new techniques since it is the local farmers conveying the learning to their fraternity.

- Joseph T. Varghese, Author & Managing Trustee, KEYS Trust

Follow us @    KEYS Trust India FB Page 

                         Climate Connexions Delhi 

Support us @
1.

Click here to support Climate4Change

All we need is Rs 20,000  per month for a year to keep us going and working stress free on this & many other environmental and social issues with youth and communities in Delhi NCR. If 40 donors donated Rs 500 or if 20 donated Rs 1000 a month we would be grateful.

2.

PayTM to support Action4Air: +91 9818768028

This is our response as a a responsible organization working with youth & community in terms of practical action to help children... both the underprivileged children studying in government and unregistered schools (free, based on donation) & the children studying in private & semi-private schools (nominal fee for the program, the proceeds of which add to the amount for raising awareness in the underprivileged). 

If you live in Delhi, can see, smell and suffer from the pollution then help us do some social good. Remember even Rs 100 could safeguard a single child. For any queries or if you need any assistance in terms of alternate means of funding do get in touch with us.

  

Contact us @  Call or Whatsapp: +91 9818768028, email: keystrustindia@gmail.com

(Statutory warning: This blog post by no means is an exhaustive list of what can be done to deal with crop waste burning. This is a representation of views & ideas that came forth from the author that could be explored for viability. It is based on the limited desk based research, deliberation & understanding of the author who suffers from the after-effects of air-pollution in Delhi. The images used are not owned by the author or KEYS Trust & belong to their original sources & are merely used for education & visual representation.This by no way means the author is an expert & any flaws in the content, in terms of correction, omission or additions may be kindly excused & communicated to the author by way of email to: keystrustindia@gmail.com)

SDG 1

Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.

World View:

• The World Bank defines poverty in absolute terms. Extreme poverty as living on less than US$1.90 per day (Purchasing Power Parity), & moderate poverty as living on less than $3.10 a day (PPP).

• Internationally now, an income of less than $1.90 per day per head of purchasing power parity is considered as extreme poverty, rounded off in conversation to $2.00 per day per head.

• In 2013,  a decrease in the global poverty rate from 28 per cent in 1999 to 11 per cent was noted. The most significant progress was seen in Eastern & South Eastern Asia, where the rate declined from 35 per cent in 1999 to 3 per cent in 2013. In contrast, 42 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa continued to subsist in conditions of extreme poverty.

• In 2016, just under 10 per cent of the world’s workers were living with their families on less than $1.90 per person per day, down from 28 per cent in 2000. In the least developed countries, nearly 38 per cent of workers in 2016 were living below the poverty line.

• Social protection systems are fundamental to preventing & reducing poverty & inequality at every stage of people’s lives, through benefits for children, mothers with newborns, persons with disabilities, older persons and those people who are poor & without jobs.

• Building the resilience of the poor & strengthening disaster risk reduction is a core development strategy for ending extreme poverty in the most afflicted countries. Economic losses from disasters are now reaching an average of $250 billion to $300 billion a year. Disaster risk globally is highly concentrated in low- & lower-middle-income countries.

India View:

• India is home to greater than 30% of global ‘extremely’ poor, which is guesstimated at 1 billion globally. Uttar Pradesh alone is claimed to account for 8% of the worlds’ poor.

• Inside India, both income-based poverty definition & consumption-based poverty statistics are in use. The definition of poverty & what constitutes the poverty line in India is unrealistic & unclear. Since 2007, India set its official threshold at ₹ 26 a day ($0.43) in rural areas & about ₹ 32 per day ($0.53) in urban areas. This is far less than the internationally set threshold of $2 (1.90) per day per head of PPP.

• The indecisiveness of the government in setting the criteria clearly for ‘below the poverty line’ & realistic baselines indicates its reluctance to admit to systemic failure. At the same time shows a hesitance to let go of primary vote bank manipulation tools - poverty & development promises that every government has exploited since time immemorial.

• Multiple large scale projects were set up by the Government of India in the past 15 years e.g. MGNREGA (Rural employment Guarantee Scheme) in 2005. However, so far the effectiveness of these as contributors to poverty alleviation is debatable & inconclusive. If sheer numbers of schemes are reviewed the vote might favor the government. However, a closer look at the projects might make the picture less rosy.

• The “Santas’ bag” of ambitious anti-poverty programmes include: PMGSY (rural connectivity scheme), SSA (universal primary education initiative), NRHM (rural health mission), RGGVY (rural electrification scheme), food subsidy plan under the Food Security Act, & a new digital infrastructure for transferring benefits directly to the poor (UID), etc.

• These schemes play an increasingly vital role in Indian elections; however their success rate & true objectives are now increasingly questionable. For example: Aadhar cards under UID, initiated by the erstwhile government was rejected by the current dispensation while it sat in opposition. Currently they claims it will have n number of benefits while hastily imposing it on the banking sector, telecom, health services, PDS, on education, the poor, etc. Overlooking concerns of data protection, right to privacy, government coercion, commercial data mining, concerns of identity and financial fraud, etc., and all the while also ignoring honorable Supreme Courts' directives & pending hearings on the matter the march to unmeasured progress continues.

Reasons for doubting the government schemes and figures when it comes to anti-poverty schemes over the years:

• Ineffective identification of the poor & irrelevant baselines to distort actual figures.

• Insufficient planning (insufficient research on ground realities, lack of technology up gradation, etc.).

• Flawed & corrupt implementation (local and national politics, insufficient engagement of stakeholders & beneficiaries,  insufficient & misdirected awareness programs & promotions to benefit political class but not inform the needy of access, etc.

• Lack of integration (overlapping, schemes, repeat beneficiaries, false beneficiaries, lack of last mile connectivity with credit & marketing systems, lack of realistic pricing & valuation, lack of sustainability & project viability or visibility due to widespread illiteracy, ignorance, access to market, excessive bureaucratic & political red-tape etc.).

• Lack of dynamism in projects in terms of real time monitoring, evaluation & error/course correction.

Essentially the loopholes & shortfalls tied in with inefficiency, corruption, bureaucracy & political pressure outweigh the benefits of umpteen revamped government schemes to alleviate poverty on paper. Claims are that efforts are underway to universalize access to basic services like healthcare, water & sanitation, housing, gas & electricity connections, etc. Whether these will be through paid PR campaigns or actual quality ground work remains to be seen. If not corrected in time the concern of growing unrest due to unemployment & abject poverty is amplified.

India is one of the countries to be worst hit by Climate anomalies in the years to come. Towards building capacity & resilience, the earlier government had set aside funds in the National Clean Energy & Environment Fund in keeping with its international commitments. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has now been compromised further in a country where disasters have been increasing in intensity annually over the past decade. Latest example being the Chennai rains & floods.

Unused monies to the tune of Rs 56,700 crores has been diverted from this fund into GST by the current dispensation as GST compensation fund to compensate states for 5 years from potential losses on account of GST implementation. Meanwhile states suffering from losses due to natural calamities & climatic anomalies may bear heavy losses due to lack of government initiative to safeguard the people or their interests.

K.E.Y.S. Trust View:

Change is necessary. We cannot wait for the international diaspora or national initiatives to get serious, take root and bear fruit. Regardless of the state of affairs both internationally & nationally, we believe change can be instituted at the local level through community action. Ending poverty should not be about ending the poor but rather enabling them. Innovative, science based, community & youth led initiatives for entrepreneurship & social good will lead to sustainability & Climate resilience.

K.E.Y.S. Trust supports the SDGs locally. Solutions to Climate change & its adverse effects, solutions to sustainability be it with respect to human development  related or environmental; have to be aligned with the local needs & circumstances. Our work with youth & communities will be local & stand as a testimony of our commitment to the SDGs and desire to Be the Change. If you wish to support us:

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