2 DEGREES on
the brink of runaway climate chang e
A DW AKADEMIE WORKSHOP MAGAZINE
EXPLOITING COAL, AT WHAT COST? Besides the existing ones, India is constructing and planning more coal-fired power plants. The air and water pollution in the project areas is a huge risk for the ecosystem and public health. TEXTPROBIR K. SARKER PHOTODANIELBEREHULAK.COM
T
he regular image available from a rooftop of north Chennai’s Ennore is no way pleasant: a dozen of chimneys at several power plants around are emitting dark white smoke into the air intensely. A closer look will reveal that the adjacent lands, once marshlands, are abandoned as they’re no longer fertile for growing crops. The local people of this underdeveloped part have to inhale the contaminated air coming out of the chimneys. They had to change their profession as the water bodies turned unfavourable for fishing due to the plants’ discharging huge hot waters and sludge or liquid waste into them that kill water species. The toxic air is also harming the nature they depend on. But years back, they sacrificed their homesteads, arable land and even livelihood, mainly fishing, to make way for the government to set up these large-scale power plants.
Thousands of mangroves were also chopped off. In return, they hoped to get electricity – a driving force to improve the living standards. Blessed by massive coal reserve, India has become one of the world’s largest power producers (now ranks fifth) over the last few decades. To meet the growing demand from new industries and the population, still out of electricity coverage, the country has used mainly coal to produce electricity. Around 60% of the electricity is coming from the coal-fired plants. Even so, India has recently joined hands with Bangladesh government to set up and operate a large-scale plant near the Sundarbans mangrove forest, which is a World Heritage site declared by UNESCO. The proposed plant is situated adjacent to a river which is identified as a sanctuary for fresh water dolphins. The coal-run plants emit carbon 01
dioxide – a key factor for global warming – some other toxic gases, airborne particles, ashes and heat into the air. The sludge they produce contains hazardous arsenic, mercury, cadmium and chromium. These toxins contaminate ground water and damage vital organs and the nervous systems of the people living nearby. There is a widespread concern over global warming these days. In this regard, India is exploiting other potential energy sources too to produce electricity, especially wind and solar. These alternatives have no adverse impact on the environment and public health, and are also cheap to install and operate. But it’s unfortunate that the government continues its coal-ventures claiming that it’d be using state-ofthe-art technology to cut the loss these plants are now causing to the nature and the people.
KE O M S UP IN
Fishing communities are feeling the heat from Chennai’s coal-fired power plants. Despite growing environmental and health concerns, two new coalfired plants are planned.
TEXTBHRIKUTI RAI PHOTOJENCY SAMUEL
F
or the last four decades, Kathavarayan fished the Ennore Creek, a river in the northern part of Chennai in southern India. The 45-year-old from Shivam Padai village used to catch enough to feed his family and even sell some at the local market. Not anymore. Over the past ten years, the numbers in his nets have plummeted and he rarely makes over 500 rupees a day, sometimes much less. He blames the tall chimneys of the nearby Ennore Thermal Power Station which have been spewing grey smoke since 1970. “This is one of my better days,” Rajan says, pointing at the small bamboo basket lying on a wooden boat. But overall, life has become tough for many in the once-thriving fishing community. While once people from central Chennai used to come and buy his fish, now he cannot even catch enough to feed his family. The blame lies with the heated water that the factories pump into the river, environmentalists say. It has either killed or driven off many of the fish that once swam here. More and more fishermen like Kathavarayan have been forced to move upstream to survive.
The 450-megawatt Ennore power plant was one of the first major coal-fired facilities established by the Tamil Nadu government to feed the power-hungry metropolis of Chennai. To keep up with the rapidly expanding metro’s power needs, the state government decided to increase capacity at the existing power plants – Ennore and the 650 MW North Chennai plant. The government has also given the green light to two new coal-fired plants. NTECL Vallur (1 500 MW) and Ennore SEZ (1 600 MW) will bring Tamil Nadu’s total coal-based electricity generation to 5 440 MW when they go online. In November last year the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its annual World Energy Outlook, which found that global coal demand for power plants could rise by 21 percent by 2035. The International Energy Agency points out that most of these new coal-fired plants are in developing nations, mainly China and India. These two countries account for 76 percent of the proposed new coal power capacity. But the energy-intensive industries in southern India and the power plants they require have led to the destruction of agricultural land and 02
the fragile marshland ecosystem in Chennai. “There was dense mangrove all around before Ennore decided to set up their plant here,” says Nityananda Jayaraman, a journalist and environment activist, pointing at a few remaining pockets of mangroves. “At this rate India will surpass many developed countries in the emissions race,” he adds. “It also has health implications for the locals.”
However, D. Karthikeyan, director of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TMPCB), brushes aside the environmental and health concerns rising from the coal power plants. “The chimneys at the thermal stations are high enough to dis-
perse the smoke in the atmosphere,” he says. According to him, monitoring devices haven’t registered a major increase in air pollutants from the coal-fired plants. He puts the blame on vehicular emissions and windblown dust. On the quiet banks of the Ennore, Kathavarayan worries that despite the development all around him, he might not be able to survive on fishing, although it’s all he has ever known. “The water has a new colour now,” says Kathavarayan looking far into the river, “it looks like coffee to me. No wonder the fish have become so rare.”
INDIA’S POWER GROWTH India is the fifth largest generator of electricity in the world. At present, 66 percent of this power generation capacity is from coal. And it‘s not going to get better. SOURCE WWW.URBANEMISSIONS.INFO
2013 210 gigawatts
2017 286 gigawatts
2022 379 gigawatts
BANKING ON THE SUN
A program started several years ago uses alternative energy to enable people in off-grid remote villages access banking services. Now more then 300 ATMs are dispensing cash with help from the sun. TEXTPRAGATI SHAHI PHOTOVORTEX ENGINEERING
While the sun often turns the village of Periyakankanakuppam into a blistering oven, it also allows residents to get money out of their bank accounts, something they couldn’t do in the past. One day in March, three women in this community, about 190 kilometres from Chennai, whisked into a bluewalled building and got cash from their ATMs by inserting their cards and pressing their thumbs in the biometric slot on the “Gramateller DU” ATM there, getting the rupees they needed while sparing the environment. That’s because the Gramateller ATM (Grama means village in Hindi) is a low-cost, energy-efficient, solar-run technology introduced in 2008 in Chennai. It has not only provided access to banking services, but has led to savings for rural people. They spend less since they don’t have to get all their wages at once because of an absence of a proper savings institution.
Since its introduction in 2008 by Vortex Engineering, a Chennaibased IT company which partnered with TeNeT at IIT Madras, around 800 ATMs powered by energy sources like solar or hydropower are running in India. The solar-run Gramateller installed in Periyakankanakuppam was a part of the State Bank of India’s project to reach rural parts of the country which had no access to banking services before. Of the 800 more eco-friendly ATMs installed by Vortex, 300 are solar powered. For a daily wage earners like P Erusammal, using an ATM to withdraw money is a completely new experience. Unlike in urban centers where ATMs are common, for rural people, the technology is still seen as something alien. Conventional ATMs consume high amounts of energy, are expensive and can’t be run in rural areas, which often are not connected to the centralized grid. 03
“The ATMs were designed to provide access to the banking system and ATM services to people living in rural and semi-urban India due to power shortage problems and infrastructure issues,” said Lakshminarayan Kannan, Vortex’s founder. As conventional ATMs require substantial power and a cooling system, there was a need to design ATMs that would work without a fan and use alternative energy. The energy consumption of these ATMs is 90 percent less than conventional ones. According to K. Murugan, a manager at Vortex, the machines are used by Indian banks such as ICICI Bank, the State Bank of India and IndusInd. The technology is in demand from countries across the globe and similar ATMs are being used in over eight countries, including South Africa, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Murugan said. The company already has orders to set up 9 000 ATMs in India and beyond over the next two years.
JUSTICE LEAGUE CHENNAI Individuals and civil society organisations are fighting tooth and nail to conserve depleting biodiversity in Chennai. TEXTMOINUDDIN AHMAD
T
raveling across the bustling streets with vehicles missing each other by a whisker, one realises the reason why Chennai holds the reputation being the fourth largest metropolitan area in India. Touted as the automobile capital of the country, this south Indian city is located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. A remarkable biodiversity constituted by lakes, beaches, wetland,
Wetland Warriors Holding on to Trees
A team of ten members coming from different walks of life with a motto of treasuring the trees constitute the core of Nizhal NGO. The Tamil word for shade (Nizhal) was formed in 2005 to promote concern for trees in the city. Since then it has been doing work in various parts of the city, maintaining and developing green areas with the help of the state government and local communities. Seeking little attention, the NGO quietly carries out inspection of parks with the help of volunteers. “I would divide citizens into three groups: the ones who have a lot of awareness, but do not care to act for the environment; the ones who are unaware of what they can do to help; and a small minority who feels, cares and acts to make a difference,” says Ms Shobha Menon, founder of Nizhal.
It all started in 1978, with a group of sixteen people, deciding to take care and conserve the nature around their nabourhood. The 35-year-old determination has a name – Madras Naturalists‘ Society (MNS). The Society has conducted nature walks, training camps and workshops, performed surveys and attempted to popularise appreciation for nature. Going back in time MNS member, Mr Vijay recalls: “Initially we were a group of sixteen people. We formed the society because of our common interest in nature and its very basic observable aspects. Changing time required us to be more conscious about the environment and we got into activism and advocacy.” The society grew over time and currently has 370 active members. “Most of us are engaged in the conservation of the Pallikaranai marshland, situated in the southern part of the city. Over a period of time huge buildings have come up in the vicinity, endangering the marshland and habitat for migratory birds“, he says. “With our efforts, we are trying to save this important ecosystem.” The
04
parks and beautiful migratory birds enchant the nature-lovers at first sight. However, this rhythm and beauty has been battling for survival against the rampant development, ignoring balance of nature. Suffocated by the surrounding high-rise buildings choking the ecosystem, the mother earth has found its saviours, committed to rescue it from the threshold of a possible collapse. A number of individuals, NGOs and civil society organisations (CSO) have been involved in environment conservation.
MNS publishes a monthly newsletter about the issues covered by the members, who meet every second Sunday to share and discuss the experiences of recent trips to nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. A quarterly publication, ‘Blackbuck’ containing the articles contributed from across the country is also distributed by the society. Besides, the society is quite active on the social networking sites with regular updates on it‘s Facebook page and a robust Google group.
IMPRINT A DW Akademie Workshop Magazine With financial support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Editors: Kyle James, Alex Kirby Design: Manuel Solde Reporters: Moinuddin Ahmad, Sharada Balasubramanian, Probir K. Sarker, Kamala Kelkar, Pramila Krishnan, Sujit Mainali, Athar Parvaiz, Bhrikuti Rai, Jency Samuel, Pragati Shahi Date: June 2013
Research Rangers
Turtle Treasurers
From some of its members childhood memories of playing with turtle eggs in the 1980s to becoming the Good Samaritans, the Students’ Sea Conservation Network (SSTCN), has come a long way. Chennai‘s beaches are the nesting ground for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles that return to Besant Nagar and Marina Beaches every year. The SSTCN runs a hatchery project where they recover eggs from the wild, and release hatchlings into sea. This season, which ended in May, they collected nearly 30 000 eggs and collected as many as 22 000 hatchlings. According to SSTCN member, Mr Arun, there has been an increase in interest shown by the local community in conserving turtle eggs. “Over a period of 25 years, I have seen people actively participating in our walks to save turtle eggs. Our initiative depends only on the people’s participation, while the government helps us by giving permission to visit certain area.”
Taking science outside research labs is their idea. The Care Earth Trust has been conducting researches, trainings and restoration works since 2000. Largely supported through government funding, the organisation has 25 scientists and 6 associates working on several biodiversity issues near Western Ghats, East Coast and inside university campuses.
Nature’s Advocates
Founded in 1988 by activist Dr M. B. Nirmal, the ExNoRa International calls itself a large civil society organisation with participation of people from across the city working for two main issues – solid waste management and water bodies. “We are not a typical NGO. You can say that we are a large civil society organisation providing a platform to individuals, groups and NGOs. We have a bottom-up approach towards any work. If individuals and resident welfare associations (RWA) approach us, we help them with our expertise,” explains Mr T. K. Ramkumar, principal advisor at ExNoRa International. Mr Ramkumar believes that specialised approaches are needed for dealing with different issues related to environment. “Solid waste management needs direct action and for this we engage with local people. For cleaning smaller water bodies we take the help of civic authorities, but for bigger
CARTOON WINTER IS DRAWN BYSHARADA BALASUBRAMANIAN
COMING
05
“The researches and publication of our scientists have proved to be vital in policy making for the government. In collaboration with the Freiburg University in Germany and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) we conduct our research on precipitation (rainfall). Our main aim is to conserve all forms of lives present in our part of the world”, confirms Dr Jayshree Vencatesan, the Managing Trustee.
issues we also resort to advocacy.” For zero waste management Mr Ramkumar suggests that one should start from home by not mixing the waste. According to him, if this is done a lot of problems faced at the landfill sites can be brought to manageable limits. “Currently, with the help of some NGOs and civic body, we are running a pilot project for waste management at ward 173 in south Chennai. If we get success in this we will think of extending it to other wards also, hence in the long run can manage the solid waste problem,” says Ramkumar. ExNoRa International is working with a sense of urgency, understanding the impact of climate change on the city. “It’s a matter of survival for us. We can’t hope to fail; we know that the impact of climate change will be bigger on Chennai than any other part of India. So, we have no option but to continue working with determination.”
MOUNTAINS OF RUBBISH
Chennai dumps over 6000 tonnes of waste daily at two sites, polluting air and water and releasing toxins which damage human health and wildlife. The sites also emit large quantities of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane. TEXTPROBIR K. SARKER PHOTOS KYLE JAMES, JENCY SAMUEL, MANUEL SOLDE
W
aste processing plants in the offing, likely to replace the age-old trend of waste dumping in open places; studies by environmental groups that found cancerous elements in the air ‘alarming’ as locals highly exposed; government did no research. Within the next three years, the people of Chennai are not likely to get any respite from the toxic air and water generated at the city’s dump sites due to the ongoing piling up of mixed garbage every day, says an official of the pollution regulator. The scenario may change only after the installation of waste treatment plants outside the city under a project initiated last year by the Chennai Corporation, responsible for the management of the city’s waste. According to officials, at least 1 800 tonnes of waste are dumped every day in Perungudi, a small section of ecologically-critical Pallikaranai marshland in the city’s south, with over 4 500 tons in Kodungaiyur in the northern part.
se the proposals because of division of opinion among officials over the transformation of waste into energy. Two places – Minzur and Kuthambakkam – have been planned for the plants that will process the daily wastes into energy and ash. It may take around 2-3 years to complete the plants and start operation. “When these plants are ready things will change. Until then, we’ll have to face the pollution,” said Dr. K. Karthikeyan, joint chief environmental engineer of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. Once installed, the garbage trucks would carry the waste straight to the plants for processing. Then all the existing dump sites in the city would be closed and levelled so that the land could be used for other purposes, the official said.
The Minzur plant alone is supposed to have the capacity to process around 4 500 tons of waste a day. The energy to be produced there in form of gas, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, to fuel boilers while the ashes would be dumped under the ground, he said. Dr. Karthikeyan also contradicted the claims that all sorts of waste have been dumped at the two yards. “There’s no medical waste, e-waste or industrial waste being dumped in those places. Only household and construction debris are transported.” He said that there were 11 bio-medical treatment plants operating in the city, “so there’s no chance the medical waste is also dumped.”
PALLIKARANAI IS SAFE NOW! In the wake of outcry of the environmentalists and locals, and intervention of the Madras High Court, the authorities stopped dumping of garbage in the marshland, which is one of the three significant wetlands in the state. However, disposal is still happening at Perungudi – situated on the other side of the ecologically-critical water body – though at a smaller rate than before. The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) filled up a major part of the marshland for hundreds of IT firms. Many
The government project began last year and tender was floated seeking firms to submit proposals to set up the plants and ways of processing the residues, mainly bio-medical, industrial, construction debris and household garbage. Even though over 30 firms have already responded, the corporation is yet to finali06
higher education institutions and households are also set up there, and the process is on. The marshland has been affected severely due to the unplanned dumping of waste and discharge of the city’s sewage since 1970s. It has led to deteriorate the water quality severely and put lives of the water species in peril. Now, civic committees have been formed with representation from the corporation, the TNPCB and the environment and forest ministry to monitor and conserve the marshland, said Dr. Karthikeyan. Environmentalists allege that the dump yard is apparently being expanded towards the water to accommodate the waste transported to the place. Concerns are also there over the ever-degrading air quality in the area. The pile of waste has become so massive that odour spreads several square kilometres due to the prevailing strong wind.
A study by SIPCOT Area Community Environment Monitors conducted a couple of years ago found the presence of 27 hazardous chemicals in the air of Pallikaranai. Fifteen of those exceed health standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and three are known to cause cancer. In addition, quantity of some chemicals was even several thousand times above the safety levels. The government has no such information in hand as it never conducted a research on the air or water quality of the dumping areas. Nityanand Jayaraman, an advisor to the monitoring group, said the yard was nothing good as it con-
tained mixed waste which cannot be reused. Moreover, rotting of the elements is producing methane and other greenhouse gases and these are going into the air while persistent leachate of garbage is contaminating the ground water, he added. Regular fires in the yard, deliberately created by some people to separate metals out of the waste, are also posing serious health complications among the locals.
RAMPANT DUMPING AT KODUNGAIYUR A recent visit to the dump yard in the city’s north, where over 100,000 underprivileged scheduled caste people live in a sorry state, reveals that air quality of the area is highly toxic as all types of waste are dumped there. Moreover, unscrupulous traders of different precious metal elements often set fire to the garbage piles. A 2012 study says there were 19 harmful chemicals present in the air of this area that are responsible for critical diseases, including cancer, while children and elderly persons are highly exposed. Respiratory complications, skin diseases and infertility strike the locals very often. Presence of dust particles and lead, manganese and nickel was also higher than safe level. The ground water has been contaminated and is unusable for drinking, cooking or bathing. The residents depend on the water supplied by the city authorities, though it is irregular. Jiva Ratminam, 65, a life insurance policy sales person, said the locals had been evacuated from different places of the main city during construction of railway stations, TV station and expansion of the streets over the last two decades and brought to this place – then fallow land. 07
The authorities first said waste was dumped there for landfill only, but later on, it is continuing, and now around 4 500 tons of waste are thrown every day, he said. Several other senior locals said they had nothing to do but tolerate the menace since protests and agitations in the previous years did not bring any result. The corporation has recently promised them that they would close the dumping site but did not specify when it will be possible. Dr. Karthikeyan suggested that air quality in the dump areas might improve if the dumping of organic waste was stopped. “We’re discouraging the city dwellers so that they don’t throw away food waste into dustbins and asking them to adopt waste compost policy.”
Air samples taken from outside the Kodungaiyur dumpyard: A total of 19 chemicals was detected
16 chemicals target the
Central Nervous System
15 the respiratory system 13 the eyes 12 the skin 6 the liver 5 the kidneys and
reproductive system
2 the Cardio Vascular System and Peripheral Nervous System
1 targets blood, heart and bone marrow
ABUSED MARSH THRIVES Scientists find more than 330 species at a marsh in South Chennai after decades of pollution and continuous exploitation from rapid urbanization. From butterflies to birds, the Pallikaranai Marsh is flourishing with life. TEXTKAMALA KELKAR PHOTO MOINUDDIN AHMAD
B
right orange butterflies with imprints resembling peacock feathers on their wings flicker across deep green shards of tall grass. In the distance, brown pelicans and flamingos gobble tiny floundering fish where fresh and salt water meet in south Chennai. No one seems to be able to answer how the abused Pallikaranai Marsh has survived decades of trampling from rampant urbanization, but there is no question that it’s put up one remarkable fight. Development since the 1970s has reduced the marsh to one-tenth its original size; from about 5 500 hectares to a mere 600. What used to be a sprawling wetland oasis is now the foundation of a traffic-prone highway, monotonous industrial buildings and even one of the city’s dumpsites. But activists who have for years fought to protect and manage Pallikaranai’s remains say that the ecosystem is actually thriving. “Somehow the system seems to be resilient despite so much mis-
treatment,” said Managing Trustee Jayshree Vencatesan of Care Earth Trust, an association of scientists based in Chennai.
More than 330 species of wildlife visit or inhabit the area throughout the year. And some of Asia’s rarest birds such as the Grey-Headed Lapwing continue to make routine stops at their shrunken haven. Care Earth Trust has found seven species of butterflies such as the Lime, Peacock Pansy and Plain Tiger, fluttering about the unique brackish environment. They’ve also found 10 mammals – from spotted deer to bandicoots -- 125 birds, 21 reptiles and 49 fishes, many of which are animals that can only survive with wetland conditions. “In my 13 years of work in this marsh there has never been the case of something disappearing,” Vencatesan said. T. Murugavel, the 08
founder of the NGO Trust for Environment Monitoring and Action Initiating, said this year his surprised eyes witnessed an unusual swell of more than 200 flamingos. “Usually a few of them come as migrants and stay for two or three days. These ones were here for almost a month,” said Murugavel, who has been observing the marsh for 10 years. In 2007 the government responded to pressure and reserved the marsh as forestland, fending off any further development and working toward its rejuvenation. But due to a lack of historical data for comparison, Vencatesan said there is no way to analyze whether the marsh is recovering to its natural state. And scientists say that nature can heal quickly, but that it will take time to figure what the abundance of new species at Pallikaranai Marsh implies for its future.
“FUKUSHIMA CHANGED PUBLIC OPINION” Stefan Weckbach, German Consul General in Chennai talks about India’s nuclear ambitions and Germany’s phase out. He also shares some of his thoughts about journalism and the difficulties of environmental reporting. TEXTATHAR PARVAIZ PHOTOSGERMAN CONSULATE GENERAL CHENNAI
S
tefan Weckbach is the German Consul General in India’s southern city of Chennai. Weckbach has a doctorate in economics and has served in various diplomatic missions for Germany. In an interview with Athar Parvaiz, Dr. Weckbach shared his thoughts on energy production in an era of climate change and cooperation between Germany and India for augmenting India’s renewable energy production. How are India and Germany cooperating in terms of green energy production?
1970‘s the German Green Party was established, which not only opposed nuclear energy, but also German armaments. This was first time that a party made the end of nuclear energy one of their major policy goals. They had success with a new vision for people and in 1998 the party came into power for the first time. They started negotiations in 2001 with the nuclear energy industry and major players to phase out nuclear energy in a very industry friendly way. In 2005 we had a change
We have declared that by 2022 we will phase out nuclear energy. We have already closed down eight nuclear plants and another ten will be phased out by 2022. Though it was heavily influenced by the Fukushima incident in Japan, there is a long historical context to it. In the
How do you think India’s response to climate change adaptation is shaping up? I think India is not in an ideal position to take fast decisions on climate change protection because of its development ambitions. India‘s booming population has to be provied with energy and employment. Yet the German government appreciates efforts being made by the Indian government to focus on renewable energy.
We organize constant consultations with India. In April, Germany and India put renewable energy on the agenda. For example they signed a memorandum of understanding wherein Germany said it would support an Indian initiative to establish a green energy transmission grid. Germany also provided a soft loan of one billion euros to India. In addition, there are projects on their way, in fact, twelve of them. We have a close scientific cooperation, not on the governmental level, but between universities and research institutions. We also cooperate on applied technologies. Tell us about the decision on phasing out nuclear energy in Germany. It is a bold decision which no other country has taken. How has Germany managed it?
if we were to missionise on phasing out of nuclear energy, we should begin with our neighbors. Two nuclear plants in France are right next to the German border and one of them has developed leaks. It would be irrational to tell India that we won’t help just because it is keen on nuclear energy. We should rather help them build their renewables.
What is your view on journalism in India when it comes to environmental reporting?
of government which delayed the implementation of this agreement. But the Fukushima event in Japan totally changed public opinion. What are your thoughts on India’s ambitions around nuclear energy? We are well aware that India needs a lot of energy and has to enlarge its power production. We would advise India not to use nuclear energy, but 09
My observation is that the newspapers in India are not very active in following the issue of environmental topics. It may be their lack of interest in environmental issues or a lack of knowledge. Recently, resistance to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu was picked up by the media only when there were protests. Only when an event occurs does the media report it. Journalists don’t follow up such stories. There was a news story that in North India a mining company was given permission to mine in an environmentally sensitive area. The media outlets reported it and then forgot all about it.
AN
L A I T TEN S I EX
TH
RE
AT
Nepal has reminded the industrialized world of its obligation towards the deteriorating Himalayan ecosystem due to climate change. The tendency of turning a deaf ear eventually could threaten the livelihoods of people all over the globe. TEXTSUJIT MAINALI PHOTO LUCA GALUZZI
I
n May 2012 about 30 people died in the Kaski district of western Nepal in a flash flood on the Seti River following an avalanche on the slopes of Mount Machhapuchre. Thirty years ago, in 1985, the Dig Tsho glacial lake of eastern Nepal burst from its banks, destroying a hydropower plant, bridges, agricultural land and livestock in the downstream areas. Scientists suspect that excessive snow melt followed by a rise in average temperatures was responsible for both events. They fear that an even more dangerous possibility, the overflowing of the Tsho Rolpa glacial lake in eastern Nepal, could threaten the lives and livelihoods of over 6 000. These are just a few examples of the grave threats facing Nepal due to climate change. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) estimates temperatures in the Himalayan region are rising by 0.06 degrees C per year, leading to excessive snow melt. The disappearance of the snowcap is turning once panoramic mountains into ugly black stones. The ICIMOD study shows that Nepal’s glaciers have already shrunk by 21 percent over the past three decades. If this continues, the disappearance of the snow and retreat of the glaciers will affect the ecosystem and livelihoods of 210 million people in the region and could impact over a billion people in China and South Asia. Although the entire region is vulnerable to climate change and
the resulting effects on the mountains and glaciers, Nepal is going to be hit by their full wrath. Out of the world’s 31 peaks over 7 600 meters, 22 lie in Nepal, including Mount Everest. The country also has more than 3 000 glacial rivers and about 2 300 glacial lakes. Of those, twenty are considered vulnerable and on the verge of bursting their banks due to snowmelt. Between 1977 and 1988, five lakes overflowed, affecting a downstream area of about 100 km. In December 2009, the Nepalese government held a historic cabinet meeting at the Kalapathher base camp of Mt. Everest. The goal was to draw the international community’s attention to the looming disasters. While the Himalayas are often highlighted, the effects of climate change in Nepal are not limited to that region. Frequent floods and landslides claim lives and property every year. In the past three decades, droughts affecting hundreds of thousands of hectares have become common. The number of people dying from lightening strikes, extreme weather, famine, wildfires and diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and malaria is increasing. Nepal certainly does not deserve this hammering by nature. Industrialized countries reap the benefits from greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) while countries like Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives bear the harsh consequences. According to a study by the US-based World 10
Resources Institute, Nepal’s contribution to GHGs was almost negligible (0.09%) in 2005. Against this backdrop, leaving Nepal alone to face the music of climate change does not make sense on either moral and ethical grounds. On the eve of the Copenhagen climate change conference Dec. 2009, Nepal organized a regional meeting called „From Kathmandu to Copenhagen“ which concluded that South Asian countries need to address climate change through collaborative action, which would be financed by industrialized countries. Later, Nepal again endorsed a proposal from the Kalapathher meeting calling on developed countries to contribute the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of their GDP to a Climate Change Adaptation Fund. The fund would be a way for the West as well as immediate neighbors India and China to help Nepal with state-ofart technologies and investments in clean energy. The fund would also fund research on mountain ecosystems and the accelerated melting of snow and glaciers. Time and time again, Nepal has reminded the industrialized world of its obligation towards the deteriorating Himalayan ecosystem due to climate change. But the tendency of those countries to turn a deaf ear towards this urgent situation illustrates a reckless mindset which eventually could threaten the livelihoods of people all over the globe.
SALT-WATER SAGA Chennai’s first desalination plant provides 100 million litres of fresh water to the thirsty city every day. But for villagers living nearby, the facility has been an environmental disaster that is ruining their livelihoods. And it could get worse. TEXTPRAMILA KRISHNAN PHOTOKYLE JAMES
C
hennai’s Metro Water Board wants to more than double production at India’s first desalination plant although environmentalists and nearby villagers say it has ruined their livelihoods. The water board plans to increase production from 100 million liters per day (mld) to 250 and is already spending seven crore rupees per month on the water treatment plant at Nemmeli, 35 kms from Chennai. R. Shanmugam is among many fisherfolk here who have seen their quality of life decline after the plant started operations this February. “We have not had fish to eat for the last three weeks. The catch is very low.” He added that several structures that had been built near the shore, such as an ice plant, community hall and a few houses, have crumbled due to beach erosion. We are witnessing a disaster in our village now,” he said. Last month, he and 18 other fishermen were remanded in prison for a month when they protested against the plant for releasing water with a high saline content into the ocean, which hurt marine life on the sea floor.
city, the government has commissioned the desalination plant which is affecting the marine habitat,” he said. “Desalination plants are operated in countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel where fresh water resources are scarce.” Saravanan said that irony was that Nemmeli residents do not benefit from the plant or its water. They have to buy drinking water elsewhere. C.R.Yogeshwaran, the head engineer at the plant, disputes the environmentalists’ claims. “The residual water is released through a pipe one kilometer from the sea shore and six feet deep. It will turn to normal sea water before it reaches the sea’s top layer and not affect marine life.” He said the boulders placed on the beach by the water board were preventing erosion. “We are taking initiatives to control environmental damage,” he said. “Due to the weak monsoon over recent years and inadequate water supply from Karnataka, the desalination plant is a must for Chennai.”
Green activist K. Saravanan, who works with local fishermen, says the plant is not economically and environmentally viable. “Instead of fixing the leaky pipes and conserving the local water bodies in the
11
Statement from P. Nammalwar, former Principal Scientist for the Ministry of Agriculture: “When natural marine system is disturbed by constructing artificial structures in front of the sea and waves are prevented from hitting the beach, sand erosion will eat up the beach area. In Nemmeli further erosion will happen since protective measures are yet to be taken fully.The prevented waves would move to next available space. Result: houses on the beach would cave in.” “When the hot brine, residue from the plant, is ejected into the sea, the marine ecosystem will undergo a change. Since the normal life is disturbed, fish varieties which could tolerate salinity would continue to live there. Others would migrate or die. This is why fish would be caught less after the installation of the plant. Though Chennai needs the desalination plant, Nemmeli should be protected immediately.” “Salt tolerant trees should be grown to prevent further erosion. Brine should be released in the sea and even the overflow pipe should be extended beyond the low water mark area.”
INCHING AND VROOMING MY WAY EVERY DAY Jency Samuel reflects on her experience of using various methods of transportation in Chennai city and how the scenario has changed over the years TEXT&PHOTO JENCY SAMUEL
to thumb a lift. When I stopped for two small boys taking off my sun glasses, one said, “Ponnuda” (Oh, it’s a girl!) and they turned away. A jolt from the auto brought me out of my reverie. The ride had been too unnerving to opt for it again.
“Righ, Righ, polaam, polaam…” That was the conductor of the bus that I tried to get into saying, “Right, right, let’s go, let’s go…” I had decided earlier that I would use the public transport as much as possible, to reduce my carbon footprint. More conscious now, as I was going for a workshop on climate change reporting. And the not-so-noble reason was that I was yet to overcome the fear of a very bad fall that I’d had; given the heavy pedestrian traffic in a byelane, I had been crawling at 15km speed when the bag of a school girl gave me a whack and brought me down! The crowded bus tilting dangerously to its left, with men hanging out of the doorway had no room for me. When the next bus arrived after ages, men and women going for work or taking their children to school on motorbikes had filled the road. My bus inched forward; and instead of reaching the venue at 8.30 IST, the Indian Standard Time, I reached at 8.30 IStT, the Indian Stretchable Time. I did not want to take a chance the next day and took an auto, though it was not a green option. As expected, the meter was not working
and hence had to haggle over the price. The driver seemed to believe in millimeters of clearance irrespective of whether he was behind a bus or a motorbike. What appeared to be giving way to an ambulance was only his ploy to follow it to beat the rush hour traffic. And how does he overtake a bus? Drraag the auto to the left, take a peak; no gap? drraagg the auto to the right, zig zag, zig zag, vroom. I hung on to the side bar, lest I was thrown off when the vehicle went bummpp, bummpp over potholes and speed breakers (back breakers rather). The auto driver seemed to enjoy my discomfort. Rather than pandering to his fancy, I decided to watch the world around me. From whatever was left of the tree cover, it was a delight to see gulmohars (Delonix regia) in full bloom. Butterflies crossed my path here and there in spite of the traffic. I chuckled when I neared the Marmalong Bridge, reminiscing about an incident that happened fifteen years ago. I used to push my long plait under a cricketer’s hat to protect my hair from the harsh sun. The bus service to certain areas was less and it was common for young school children 12
I would not be able to walk or cycle twenty kilometers up and down every day, given that the roads are not really pedestrian or cycle-friendly. Casting apprehensions aside, I decided to use my trusted scooterette. It would be far less polluting than an auto. But I was likely to be covered more in dust and breathing in more of the exhaust fumes. On my way, I was stuck behind a garbage dumpster in a narrow road. The smell was overpowering. I had to be happy it, as earlier garbage was transported in open trucks that spewed black smoke. And you were showered with bits and pieces of garbage blown about by the wind. Vehicles still spewed smoke, but not as sooty and thick as before. As I passed the Metrorail construction site, migrant workers were busy. Trees have given way to wider roads. The number of vehicles has increased. The net result remains almost the same – a scorched, dusty you when you arrive for the workshop. So, following the footsteps of college girls, I have taken to covering my face fully. It is a very creative work of using an old duppattah that goes around one’s neck, over the head, the ponytail, the arms and all of the face except the eyes. I guess that would make the fundamentalists who believe that women should be covered from head to toe happy. But I am optimistic that the fundamentalists would change and technology would improve that in the years to come, I would enjoy my ride than shying away from it.