Reiterating Prime Minister’s vision that not only will green hydrogen be the basis of green growth through green jobs but it will also set an example for the world towards clean energy transition, “Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in Delhi, Hon’ble Prime Minister announced self-reliance in energy production through a mix of electric mobility, gas-based economy and taking Green Hydrogen on Mission mode,” said Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, addressing on the occasion of flagging-off 1st Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus from Kartavya Path, New Delhi. Shri Rameswar Teli, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Labour and Employment; Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, MoP&NG, Shri S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil were also present on the occasion.

Flagging-off the first Hydrogen cell bus in presence of young school children, officials and media persons, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri explained the concept of Hydrogen and the benefits of using it as the fuel for future, “The fuel cell utilizes Hydrogen and air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only by-product from the bus is water therefore making it possibly the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation as compared to conventional buses that run on diesel and petrol. With three times the energy density and the absence of harmful emissions, hydrogen shines as a cleaner, more efficient choice to meet the energy requirements.” Additionally, the buses powered with hydrogen cells takes few minutes to fully charge itself, added Shri Puri.

Speaking about the Government’s ambitious plans on clean and green energy, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri said that emerging fuels like hydrogen and bio-fuels shall account for 25% of global incremental energy demand growth over the next two decades. “With one of the largest synchronous grids in the world, we have achieved ‘One Nation-One Grid-One Frequency’, and would soon be global champion in production and exports of Hydrogen and is set to emerge as the Hub for green hydrogen”, he added.

Complimenting Industry and Government’s collaboration in taking India on a global platform and ensuring that it becomes a global hub for cleaner technologies and achieving self-reliance in energy soon, “We were privy to the launch of the world’s first BS 6 (Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle prototype that encompasses both the flex fuel engine as well as an electric powertrain that offers higher use of ethanol combined with better fuel efficiencies. Now with flagging-off the first two hydrogen cell buses, we have set the ball rolling and expect another 15 such buses to ply on Delhi NCR roads by the end of this year”, stated the Petroleum Minister.

Marking the green hydrogen powered buses as a game changer for the city transport in the Country, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri complimented IndianOil for undertaking this collaborative approach along with Tata Motors for development of indigenous solutions pertaining to Fuel Cell and hydrogen infrastructure in the country. “Success of this project can catapult India from being net importer of fossil energy to becoming net exporter of clean hydrogen energy”, added Shri Puri.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rameshwar Teli said, “The Green Hydrogen Mission which aims to establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem in India, is on a developmental and progressive path. Hydrogen will be a key player in the transition to a carbon-free economy and will help mitigate climate change. Today’s launch will certainly revolutionize India’s firm commitment of being a cleaner and greener nation.”

Addressing the gathering Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, MoP&NG said that we are at a crucial inflection point of technology and mobility. “Today's flag off of Green Hydrogen bus is a symbol of how mobility will transform and how India will move away from conventional fuels. My compliments to IndianOil for this revolutionary foray in hydrogen”. He also encouraged school children to be inquisitive about new green technologies and learn about how these technologies will move us away from internal combustion engines.

Earlier in the day, welcoming the dignitaries, Shri S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil said that Hydrogen, is poised to be game changer in India's ambitious quest to achieve Net-Zero emissions by the year 2070. “In-line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for National Green Hydrogen Mission, today’s flag-off of green hydrogen fuel cell buses is a testament to IndianOil's steadfast commitment towards devising sustainable solutions for greening the Mobility sector. With the active support from Govt. of India and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, this milestone marks a pivotal stride in nation’s journey towards zero emission mobility.   Under this program, 15 fuel cell buses will be plying on specified routes in the Delhi NCR Region to establish the performance data under Indian operating conditions. These 15 buses shall cover a cumulative 3 lakh kilometres to establish the efficacy, efficiency and sustainability of the complete value chain.”

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari called upon all stakeholders to come forward and support the Vehicle Scrapping policy. Addressing a Stakeholder Consultation in New Delhi today he said it is a win-win situation for all.The Union Minister said the Ministry has undertaken multiple initiatives to build resilient demand for vehicles such as building a world-class network of Highways, Electrification of buses, and mandatory automated fitness testing of vehicles. He said the Auto OEMs should work towards increasing their production capacity and support the nation to become the largest auto industry in the world.

Shri Gadkari emphasized that since the Auto industry is the biggest beneficiary of this policy, they must come forward and support on 3 main pillars of more investment in setting up Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) and Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs), more awareness amongst citizens about the policy benefits through their dealer network and a finalized discount % against certificate of deposit obtained by citizens on scrapping vehicles.

Secretary Shri Anurag Jain encouraged the auto industry to set up scrap centers and automated testing stations across the country. It was emphasized that Vehicle Scrapping Policy is expected to increase auto sales by about 8% and contribute about 0.5% to the country’s GDP and hence, Auto OEMs must extend unconstrained support to the policy.

This stakeholder consultation aimed to seek support from the automobile industry to expedite the implementation of vehicle scrapping policy in the form of investment in vehicle scrapping infrastructure of Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) and Automated Testing Stations (ATSs), generation of awareness among citizens and extension of discounts to vehicle owners for scrapping vehicles at RVSFs. Representatives from all major automotive OEMs (including Tata, Mahindra, Maruti, Kia, Hyundai, etc.), auto dealers and used car aggregators (including Car Dekho, Cars24) attended the event and shared their perspectives on the challenges and actions required to expedite implementation of the vehicle scrapping policy.

Additional Secretary Shri Mahmood Ahmed welcomed the dignitaries and industry participants and highlighted key benefits of V-VMP. This was followed by a presentation on status of V-VMP and support required from auto industry by Director Shri Paresh Goel.

SIAM also presented their views on the incentives for citizens through this policy and good inputs were provided by all other auto industry stakeholders.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched the Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization Program (Vehicle Scrapping Policy) in 2021. This Policy is aimed at creating an ecosystem for phasing out old, unsafe, polluting vehicles and replacing them with newer, safer, and fuel-efficient vehicles.

•  IFFCO in the Service of Farmers
•  KRIBHCO in the Service of Farmers
•  NFL in the Service of Farmers
•  RCF in the Service of Farmers
•  GSFC in the Service of Farmers
•  GNFC in the Service of Farmers
•  IPL in the Service of Farmers
•  SPIC in the Service of Farmers
•  CFL in the Service of Farmers
•  NFCL in the Service of Farmers
•  GFCL in the Service of Farmers
•  SFC in the Service of Farmers
•  TCL in the Service of Farmers
•  DFPCL in the Service of Farmers
•  ZIL in the Service of Farmers
•  CFCL in the Service of Farmers
•  Indo Gulf in the Service of Farmers

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

 The Fertilizer Policy in India plays a significant role in the Indian Economy. Since the inception of the New Economic Policy in 1991, many attempts have been made to reform the fertilizer sector in India. The issue of agricultural subsidies in India should be viewed in the context of the country’s overall economic condition, the importance of farmers and the agricultural industry to the country’s political economy, and current trends in the country’s agricultural economy.

Fertilizer Policy in India is one of the important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the UPSC Mains General Studies Paper 3 Syllabus and General Studies 2 Paper.

Recent Update

A new DAP Subsidy has been approved by the government of India for the year 2022 (Kharif season). The price of DAP has increased from Rs 1,200 a bag to almost Rs 1,350 per 50 kg bag, which denotes an increase of 12.5 per cent.

Fertilizer Policy in India

India is the second biggest consumer of fertilizer in the world, next only to China. The fertilizer industry is essential to the Indian Economy because agriculture is a crucial sector. India’s fertilizer business is extremely important since it produces some of the most important raw ingredients for agricultural production.

• The main goal of fertilizer sector is to guarantee the entry of primary and secondary elements in the quantities required for agricultural production.
• In India, the fertilizer business is largely responsible for the agricultural sector’s success. India’s food business has become a global leader in this sector largely due to the number of technically skilled fertilizer manufacturers there.
• During the projected period, the Indian fertilizers market is anticipated to increase at a compound yearly growth rate of 11.9 percent (2021-2026).
• In 2020, the Indian fertilizer market had a worth of INR 887 billion. The rise has significantly aided the country’s sustainable production of food grains in fertilizer consumption.
• Numerous world-class government and private fertilizer firms are based in India. The numerous fertilizer firms in India, which produce everything from seeds to fungicides, are the main factor in the sector’s development in India.

City Compost Policy

City Compost Policy involves the process and uses city waste as compost. This policy was approved in 2016. Under the policy, the assistance of Rs 1,500 per tonne of city compost was to be provided to fertilizer companies for marketing and promotion of city compost. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers introduced it. In 2021 the policy on the promotion of city compost was discontinued.

Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Policy

A nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme was announced in 2009 for Phosphatic & Potassic fertilizers to ensure the Nation’s food security, improve agricultural productivity, and ensure the balanced application of fertilizers. According to the NBS Policy, the government annually announces a fixed rate of subsidy (in Rs per Kg) for the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), potassium (K), and Asulphur (S). basis. The per Kg subsidy rates on the nutrients N, P, K, and S are converted into per Tonne subsidy on the various P&K fertilizers covered under NBS Policy.

Urea Policy (Pricing and Administration)

Under urea policy, there are 32 urea units in the country, of which 31 urea units use Natural Gas (domestic gas/LNG/CBM), and the remaining urea unit uses Gas & Naphtha as feedstock. 

Fertilizer Subsidy in India

The subsidy offered to farmers for using fertilizers is known as a fertilizer subsidy. Farmers purchase fertilizers at MRPs (Maximum Retail Prices), less expensive than the market rates determined by supply and demand or the cost of production or importation. The farmer, who pays MRPs less than the market-determined rates, is the true subsidy recipient, even though fertilizer businesses receive it. Until recently, businesses earned payment only after their bagged goods were sent and retrieved at a district’s railhead point or authorized godown.

Direct Benefit Transfer

• A new Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, which went into effect in March 2018, requires that corporations only receive subsidies after making actual sales to farmers.
• Over 2.3 lakh retailers operate in India, each with a Point of Sale (PoS) system connected to the Department of Fertilizers’ e-Urvarak DBT portal.
• Anyone purchasing fertilizers on a subsidized basis must provide their Kisan Credit Card number or unique Aadhaar identity.
• The PoS device must record the quantities of the fertilizers purchased, the buyer’s identity, and biometric authentication.
• A company can only apply for a subsidy after registering the sale on the e-Urvarak platform; payments are processed weekly and sent electronically to the company’s bank account.

• Recent Fertilizer Policy in India

  The fertilizer Policy in India is significant for Indian culture, and since India’s independence, the government has regulated fertilizer sales, prices, and quality. The Indian government has introduced several Fertilizer Policies to regulate the sector.

  New Pricing Scheme

  The Concession Scheme for urea units in India is based on the feedstock prices and the plants' age. This scheme has been implemented in various phases, such as NPS-I (2003-2004), NPS-II (2004-2006), and NPS-III (2006 onwards). Under this scheme, the difference between the cost of production and the selling price or Maximum Retail Price (MRP) is provided as a subsidy or concession to the manufacturers. Urea is the only fertilizer subject to price control, and it is sold at a specified uniform sale price determined by the government. On the other hand, Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers are not subject to price control and are sold at indicative maximum retail prices (MRPs).

  Objective

  The objective is to assist urea units in attaining internationally competitive efficiency levels. This entails promoting transparency and simplifying the administration of subsidies.

  Effects

  The policy of fixed urea prices in India resulted in market distortions. Fertilizer companies faced financial difficulties due to the fixed prices, while the costs of inputs like natural gas and naptha continued to rise. Since a significant portion (80%) of urea production in India relies on gas-based methods, this further exacerbated the issue. Another consequence of this policy was an imbalance in the utilization of fertilizers. Some sectors may have misused the availability of subsidized urea, leading to illegal exports and the improper use of urea in activities like the preparation of adulterated milk.

  Also, check out the article on Important Government Schemes in detail here!

  Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Policy, 2010

  • Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Programme for Fertilizers was initiated by the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers’ Department of Fertilizers in April 2010.
  • With the exception of urea, each grade of subsidized phosphoric and potassium (P&K) fertilizers receives a fixed level of subsidy under NBS based on the number of nutrients they contain.
  • It is primarily done for secondary nutrients like N, P, K, and S, which are crucial for crop growth and development.
  • Since the retail pricing of these non-urea fertilizers is deregulated and set by manufacturers, it attempts to ensure they are accessible to farmers at a reasonable cost.

  Neem Coated Urea Policy, 2015

  Domestic fertilizer companies are legally required to “Neem coat” at least 75% of their urea production, which can even go up to 100 percent. There used to be a 35 percent cap on this. Additionally, the government has permitted businesses to increase the price of urea coated with neem by just 5%.

  Objective

  The objective is to ensure sustainable agriculture, preserve soil health, and optimize crop yields while reducing reliance on imported urea and minimizing environmental impact.

  Advantages

  Reduction in the subsidy. As a result, rationalizing the subsidy burden on the Government of India. Prevention of diversion of urea for industrial use

  Limitations

  The amount of subsidy savings resulting from these efforts is relatively small compared to the significant financial and political magnitude of the fertilizer subsidy paid on the three major fertilizers - nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).

  Gas Pooling Policy, 2015

  The ‘Gas price pooling’ mechanism was introduced on 1 July 2015 in place in India. This policy creates a standard rate for fertilizer plants by averaging or pooling the costs of domestic and imported LNG. Natural gas is the same price for all fertilizer factories across the nation as the raw material used to create urea. By setting gas prices at the same level for all participants, the Gas Price Pooling aims to alter the dynamics of the urea industry. In the past, every plant had to develop its agreements or contracts on unique costs with various suppliers.

  New Urea Policy, 2015

  The New Urea Policy was introduced in May 2015. The Policy aims to boost domestic urea output, encourage urea production that uses less energy, and lighten the central government’s subsidy load. The purpose of this policy is to encourage domestic producers and provide free shipping of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

• Role of Fertilizer Association of India (FAI)

  The Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) is a non-profit and non-trading company that represents majorly the fertilizer manufacturers, distributors, importers, and equipment. Fertilizer Association of India was established in 1955 to bring together everyone involved in fertilizer manufacturing, marketing, and consumption with the goal of :

• Assisting the industry in improving its operative efficiency
•  Finding solutions to the problems facing the fertilizer industry and agriculture
• Encourage the wise and effective use of fertiliser.
• Promote the consumption of more nutritious plant foods.
• Encourage research and conversation about all issues that affect good agriculture practices.
• Ensuring Food Security through the balanced and efficient use of plant nutrients is the prime objective of the Association.

• Constitutional Provisions on Fertilizer Policy

  The fertilizer industry in India falls under the purview of the Union Government as it is listed in the First Schedule of the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, specifically under Entry 52 of List I and 33 of List III. Within the sector, urea holds a dominant position, being the most produced (86%), consumed (74%), and imported (52%) type of fertilizer. India can domestically produce approximately 80% of its urea fertilizer requirement. Additionally, the indigenous capacity of the fertilizer industry enables the production of 50% of the country's phosphatic fertilizers. However, India heavily relies on imports to fulfill its phosphatic and potassium fertilizer needs for the raw materials involved.

  Trends in Growth of Fertilizer Industry in India

  • According to the Indian Economic Survey 2021–2022, the country's agriculture industry's gross value added (GVA) increased over the preceding two years. In 2021–2022 and 2020–2021, it expanded by 3.6 and 3.9 percent, respectively.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that countrywide production climbed despite a decline in the area under cultivation. Between 2019 and 2020, rice output climbed from 177.6 million tonnes to 178.3 million tonnes, while wheat production increased from 103.5 million tonnes to 107.5 million tonnes.
  • The Indian fertilizer market expanded by 22.6 percent over the course of the last five years, from 2016 to 2021. Still, domestic fertilizer production in India only grew by a negligible 3.78 percent, increasing the country’s dependence on imports, which increased by 48.22 percent in the fiscal year 2020–21 from 2016–17.

  Source: FertilizerIndia

  Challenges in the Indian Fertilizer Industry

  • Outdated Technology: Most of the fertilizer sector is run by PSUs that employ technology that is more than ten years old, resulting in significant losses in both profits and competitive advantage.
  • Government Schemes & Policies: In the past, the government provided subsidies to farmers to make fertilizers available to them at a low cost and to prevent the cost of producing food crops from rising. However, today, governments are increasingly governed by international institutions, such as the India and WTO agreement, which requires reduced subsidies. This is detrimental to the expansion of this sector.
  • Inadequate Irrigation: The industry's growth is constrained by the lessening expansion of irrigation systems and the resulting low fertilizer use.
  • Low demand is another factor impeding the development of the industrial sector, along with less construction of irrigation facilities.
  • The availability and varying costs of the raw materials needed to create fertilizers provide the Indian fertilizers sector with some significant hurdles.
  • The supply and demand variables are primarily to blame for changes in fertilizer prices.
  • India is also at a disadvantage since it needs more natural resources to make fertilizers.
  • There isn’t enough natural gas in the nation to produce enough urea. Sometimes, a rise in oil prices on the world market has a negative effect on the fertilizer business.

  Reforming the Fertilizer Sector

  • The fertilizer Policy in India places an important role in the agricultural sector. Certain measures are required to keep the rising fertilizer subsidy bill under control.
  • Encourage the effective application of fertilizers, achieve balanced usage of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, and Reduce the contamination of water and air that urea and other fertilizers produce.
  • We must simultaneously focus on important policy areas to address the numerous objectives of fertilizer policy.
  • We must be independent and not rely on the importation of fertilizers. We can avoid the demands of high price fluctuations globally in this way. Five urea factories in the public sector are being resurrected in this way at Gorakhpur, Sindri, Barauni, Talcher, and Ramagundam.
  • Rationalization of Fertilizer Subsidies as price subsidies constitute an important part of policies and programs initiated by the government of India.
  • The Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) model needs to be expanded to include urea to rationalize its price compared to non-nitrogenous fertilizers and crop costs.
  • Creation of substitute fertilizers for plants, such as organic and biofertilizers. Additionally, this gives room to increase the value of livestock byproducts and employ enormous amounts of crop biomass that would otherwise go to waste.
  • India should focus on increasing fertilizer efficiency through need-based use.

  Also, check out the article on Farming in India here!

  List of Important Terms for UPSC

  SNo.	Terms	Features
  1	Neem Coated Urea	Urea is coated with neem tree seed oil and used in the fertilizer industry.
  2	Maximum Retail Price	Manufacturer calculated price that is the highest price that can be charged for a product that is sold.
  3	Minimum Support Price	Minimum price that is set by the central government for any crop it deems remunerative for farmers.
  4	New Urea Policy	To increase the production of urea
  5	Primary Nutrients	are Required in high amounts. For example Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and potassium
  6	Secondary Nutrients	Nutrients that slightly limit crop growth and are moderately required by plants. For example, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur
  7	Fertilizer Control Order	To provide adequate availability of the right quality of fertilizers at right time and at the right price to farmers
  8	Nutrient Based Subsidy	Fixed rate of subsidy announced on nutrients namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S) by the government of India

  Concluding Remarks

  The growing population and demand for food security improve the possibilities for the fertilizer industry’s increased growth. The consumption pattern of food and the desire for food grain types with better qualities have increased the contribution of fertilizers to their production. The fertilizer Policy in India has become more popular among farmers as a result of rising levels of education, literacy, and access to digital communication tools. This has increased demand for fertilizer in regions where it has not previously been a widespread practice.

• 
  

 Ministry of Science & Technology

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has said India is committed  to achieve the Net Zero emission target by 2070, as announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

“We are fully committed to contribute in attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -  by way of Research and Innovation through international collaboration and partnerships,” he said, participating in the ‘Green Ribbon Champions’ programme in New Delhi today.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is set to achieve its short term and long term targets under the Panchamrit action plan, like- reaching a non-fossil fuel energy capacity of 500 GW by 2030; fulfilling at least half of its energy requirements via renewable energy by 2030; reducing CO2 emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030; reducing carbon intensity below 45 percent by 2030; and finally pave the way for achieving a Net-Zero emission target by 2070.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, PM Modi had at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November, 2021, expressed to intensify India’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) by presenting to the world five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate action plan. He said, apart from a five-pronged target for India and its commitment to Net-Zero emissions by 2070, PM Modi also asserted the need to follow a sustainable lifestyle and emphasised on the idea of making ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ (LiFE) a global mission through bolder steps by the global clean energy fraternity.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Mission Innovation (MI) and International Solar Alliance, spearheaded by PM Modi, were announced at COP21 in 2015, when the United Nations conferred on him the ‘Champions of Earth Award 2018.’

The term ‘Mission Innovation’ was coined by PM Modi. Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 23 countries and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union) to accelerate the Clean Energy revolution and progress towards the Paris Agreement goals and pathways to net zero. India is a founding member of Mission Innovation.

The first phase of Mission Innovation (MI) (2015-2020) was announced at COP21 on November 30, 2015. In the first phase of Mission Innovation, India led three MI Innovation Challenges, such as Smart Grids, Off Grid Access to Electricity and Sustainable Biofuels, and hosted many workshops. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Government of India through Public-Private Partnerships is ensuring the funding for clean energy innovations as envisioned under Mission Innovation 2.0. He said that the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) setup has been able to provide a unique opportunity for India to showcase its contribution to clean energy development nationally & internationally and quoted some major CEM initiatives which includes CEM’s Global Lighting Challenge (GLC) campaign, Street Lighting National Programme, Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) programme and the ‘One Sun-One World-One Grid’ Initiative which was first floated by the Prime Minister to harness tremendous potential of solar energy.

Referring to the G20 Summit earlier this month, Dr Jitendra Singh said the New Delhi Declaration committed itself to implement India’s initiative of 'Lifestyle for Environment Mission’ (LiFE) and promote Artificial Intelligence towards achieving the UN SDGs. By adopting the 'Green Development Pact,' G-20 has also reaffirmed its commitments to sustainable and green growth.

The Union Minister said that the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) to be led by India, Brazil and the United States, as leading biofuel producers and consumers, will greatly help achieve the MDG Goals of India turning Net Zero by 2070.

“GBA is a landmark achievement agreed to by the leaders of Singapore, Bangladesh, Italy, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mauritius and UAE, at the initiative of PM Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. GBA aims to serve as a catalytic platform, fostering global collaboration for the advancement and widespread adoption of biofuels,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India stands at the forefront of addressing the global challenge of Climate Change and has committed to an ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of reducing emission intensity by 33-35% in 2030 against the levels of year 2005.

“India has remained steadfast in its transition towards clean energy, achieving the fastest pace of renewable capacity addition amongst all major economies and ambitious transition goals articulated by Prime Minister Modi, in India’s Panchamrit declaration at COP26,” he said.

The Union Minister said that the last nine years have witnessed the Indian crusade against climate change. “We have already achieved our commitment of 40% energy production from renewable sources, way ahead of the 2030 Paris Agreement target,” he said.

The Minister reiterated India is implementing the largest Renewable Energy (RE) expansion program in the world, envisaging a 5-fold increase in the overall RE capacity.

He added that apart from the thrust on renewable energy from solar and hydel, the Prime Minister announced major strides in Hydrogen energy in his Independence Day Address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15th August 2021. India also launched the National Hydrogen Energy Mission to enable cost competitive green hydrogen production.

“India’s energy-mix strategies include a larger shift toward clean energy alternatives, increased manufacturing capacities, energy use efficiency and a policy push for Hydrogen including production-linked incentives. In addition, the emerging technologies like 2G Ethanol Pilot, Comfort climate box for tropical regions, Hydrogen Valleys, Heating and cooling virtual repository, are all on the table,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India has developed a roadmap and a strategy for a Bio-based economy which is inching towards 150 billion USD by the year 2025. Department of Biotechnology has been supporting R&D innovations in Advanced Biofuels and ‘Waste to Energy’ technologies. India has established 5 Bioenergy Centers with an interdisciplinary team working on advanced sustainable biofuels using modern biotechnology tools.

“This will facilitate infrastructure for Bio-manufacturing of low-carbon bio-based products. Sustainable biofuels play a key role in reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, India is among the few countries in the world to design a Cooling Action Plan (CAP) with a long-term vision (spanning a 20-year period from 2017-18 to 2037-38) that addresses cooling requirements across sectors.

“CAP identifies possible actions to reduce cooling demand arising from residential and commercial buildings, cold chains, etc., covering aspects of building design and technological innovations that do not compromise on energy efficiency,” he said.

Recalling that he launched India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune on 21 Aug 2022, Dr Jitendra Singh said the painstaking efforts undertaken over the last two years since the Prime Minister had announced India’s intention to create a dedicated mission for Green Hydrogen, culminated in the announcement of the National Green Hydrogen Mission with a budgetary outlay of about 2.4 billion dollars in January this year.

He said that a draft R&D Roadmap for Green Hydrogen Ecosystem in India has been released. A PPP framework for R&D called the Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership or SHIP will be facilitated under the Mission. 

“India is uniquely poised to emerge as a prominent global leader in production of Green Hydrogen not just on the basis of its abundant renewable energy resources and the benefits of one of the world’s lowest costs of regeneration, but also because of its R&D ecosystem and the framework designed for R&D in cross-cutting sectors of hydrogen production, transport, electrolyze manufacturing, support infrastructure, fuel cell EVs, storage and utilization,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh further said that nearly 9% share of electricity is likely to be contributed from India’s nuclear sources by the year 2047. The Department of Atomic Energy aims to achieve 20 GW capacity of nuclear power generation by the year 2030 which will be a major milestone placing India as the third largest producer of atomic energy in the world after the USA and France.

“Credit for this rapid stride goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who for the first time after Independence took the decision of approving 10 reactors in fleet mode in a single order and allowed nuclear installations to be developed under joint ventures with PSUs. As a result, today India is sixth largest in the world in the number of reactors that are functional and second largest in the total number of reactors including those under construction,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned sustainable practices in fisheries, marine research, coastal tourism and renewable energy generation. He said, by harnessing the potential of the Blue Economy, we can ensure the well-being of our oceans while driving economic development in a sustainable and responsible manner. We are also concerned about increased plastics and microplastics in our oceans, another important area to focus as it enters into our food chain as several marine organisms consume them.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023, passed by the Parliament in the last monsoon session, will promote the culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories at a total estimated cost of Rs. 50,000 crores during five years and this will give further impetus to Clean energy research in India and Mission Innovation. As much as 70% of its funding will come from non-governmental sources, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, despite efforts by countries to check and reduce emission of greenhouse gases, the global average temperature in 2100 is expected to rise to around 2.1°C above pre-industrial levels. The Minister pointed out that this falls short of the goals stipulated in the Paris Agreement, which calls for limiting the global temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial-era levels by the end of the century.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, Precision irrigation, Innovative clean water technologies, such as water purification systems, desalination techniques, and wastewater treatment technologies are to be further augmented and implemented. 

Environ Eng Sci. 2012 Apr; 29(4): 262–269.

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Experimental

Site description

Foshan is the third largest city in central Guangdong province of PRD (the PRD region has a total population of 120 million people) in southern China, which experiences a humid subtropical climate. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction covers about 3840 km2 and a population of 5.9 million, of which 3.6 million reside in the city proper. The city has become relatively affluent compared with other cities in China and is home to many large private enterprises. Foshan has been recently the production base of leathers, ceramics, and plastic products of China, for example, its production of microwave cooker ranks first in the country. The sampling site (longitude 113°06′E and latitude 23°02′N) is located on the roof of a 10-storey building (30 m above the ground) in the urban central of Foshan, which is surrounded by residential buildings, business offices, and roads (Fig. 1).

FIG. 1.

Location of sampling site during sampling periods in Foshan, China.

Air sampling

Hydrocarbon samples on December 6–8, 10–13, and 27–31, 2008, were collected each day at 08:30 (morning), 14:30 (afternoon), and 19:00 (evening). Hazy days (Fig. 2) demonstrated lower visibility (≤10 km), lower wind speed (WS), and higher temperature than that on normal days (Tan et al., 2009). The samples were collected by 2-L commercial stainless steel canisters (Polar Ware Company), inside of which were electrically polished (Lü et al., 2006). All canisters were precleaned five times using ultrapure N2 (>99.999%) and then preevacuated by a canister cleaner (Entech Instruments, Inc.; Model 3100) before sampling. Sampling was performed according to the USEPA Compendium Method To-14A (Wang et al., 2002). A flow-controlling valve was used to collect 10 min integrated sample by slightly opening the valve, and the sampling inlet was placed at ∼1.5 m above the roof of the building, through which air was drawn by opening the valve. During sampling periods, data of traffic volume in Foshan were collected from Foshan Environmental Protection Bureau by our sampling staff to evaluate possible effects of vehicles on hydrocarbons.

FIG. 2.

Averages of visibility, wind speed, and temperature during sampling periods.

Analysis

The analytical method has been reported in our previous studies in detail (Wang et al., 2002; Lü et al., 2006). Briefly, samples were concentrated in the Model 7100 preconcentrator (Entech Instruments, Inc.) and then injected into an HP6890 gas chromatography coupled to an HP5973 mass-selective detector. A RESTEK RTX-1 capillary column (60 m×0.32 mm×1.0 μm) was used in the system. The column temperature was initially held at 40°C for 2 min, then programmed at a rate of 6°C/min−1 to 230°C, and isothermal held for 5 min. Compounds were identified by their retention times and mass spectra. Standard gas mixtures (1.0 ppm; Supeclo To-14 Calibration Mix) were first dynamically diluted with zero air, then sampled, and analyzed using identical conditions to those for the field samples, and seven-point calibration (0.0, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, 40.0, 50.0 ppbv) was performed. During analysis, the sample volume for each injection was 250 mL, and the detection limits of the method for all compounds were <0.2 ppb. The relative deviations in the duplicate samples were ≤5%, for example, it was 2% for alkanes and 5% for alkenes.

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Results and Discussion

Concentrations

To evaluate pollution levels of hydrocarbons between hazy days and normal days in Foshan, a total of 24 hydrocarbons were measured for data comparison (hazy days vs. normal days) during sampling periods (Table 1). Total NMHCs ranged from 96 to 342 ppbv with a mean of 175.16±66.97 ppbv on hazy days, whereas it ranged from 39 to 128 ppbv (with a mean of 76.96±21.24 ppbv) on normal days. On both hazy and normal days, ethane, propane, i-pentane, ethene, propene, ethyne, benzene, and toluene are the eight most abundant hydrocarbons, accounting for 71%–85% of total NMHCs (Table 1).

Table 1.

Concentrations (ppbv) of Hydrocarbons, O3, and NO2 During Sampling Periods in Foshan, China

	Hazy days (December 10–13 and 27–28, 2008)						Normal days (December 6–8 and 29–31, 2008)
Hydrocarbons	Morninga	Afternoona	Eveninga	Meanb	Min.c	Max.c	Morninga	Afternoona	Eveninga	Meanb	Min.c	Max.c
Ethane	22.71±9.47	11.95±6.17	16.57±8.31	17.08±8.86	7.61	38.47	11.95±3.14	8.69±1.78	11.67±3.28	10.77±3.05	5.53	17.12
Propane	17.50±7.49	13.14±4.11	16.22±3.69	15.62±5.39	7.57	29.01	10.34±1.21	8.86±1.24	11.33±2.41	10.18±1.92	6.56	14.32
n-Butane	5.68±1.87	3.49±1.17	4.42±1.37	4.53±1.68	2.24	9.00	2.27±0.60	1.83±0.62	2.40±0.98	2.17±0.75	0.74	3.73
i-Butane	5.32±2.24	3.14±1.23	4.39±1.15	4.28±1.78	1.85	8.48	1.97±0.58	1.35±0.65	2.00±1.00	1.77±0.78	0.23	3.81
n-Pentane	1.65±1.24	0.79±0.51	1.61±1.08	1.35±1.02	0.14	4.05	0.71±0.33	0.66±0.50	1.17±0.71	0.85±0.55	0.11	2.48
i-Pentane	14.91±8.37	30.99±10.67	18.49±12.72	21.46±12.33	5.28	43.37	6.11±6.69	6.84±2.99	6.27±3.64	6.41±4.45	1.61	19.20
Cyclopentane	0.35±0.17	0.26±0.10	0.36±0.14	0.32±0.14	0.05	0.56	0.15±0.12	0.15±0.09	0.26±0.11	0.19±0.12	0.05	0.43
n-Hexane	2.09±1.63	3.99±6.09	2.41±1.57	2.83±3.62	0.60	16.26	0.94±0.83	0.79±0.52	2.66±4.46	1.47±2.63	0.23	11.75
Cyclohexane	0.50±0.37	0.27±0.18	0.57±0.50	0.45±0.38	0.08	1.52	0.16±0.09	0.16±0.14	0.77±1.24	0.36±0.74	0.06	3.28
n-Heptane	2.15±2.08	0.55±0.41	2.44±2.40	1.71±1.94	0.18	6.02	0.31±0.16	0.32±0.37	0.66±0.62	0.43±0.43	0.09	1.83
n-Octane	2.34±1.81	1.18±1.00	3.34±2.32	2.29±1.91	0.37	7.01	0.29±0.10	0.31±0.13	0.64±0.44	0.41±0.31	0.20	1.24
Total alkanesd	75.18±27.71	69.74±22.63	70.82±23.16	71.91±23.24	38.37	117.81	35.20±3.13	29.95±5.40	39.83±12.55	35.00±8.66	24.22	62.36
Ethene	30.65±18.40	16.59±3.64	32.74±7.56	26.66±13.22	11.21	64.98	13.83±6.61	10.03±4.69	16.66±6.25	13.51±6.21	1.49	26.24
Propene	10.04±5.76	5.20±2.79	10.90±3.10	8.71±4.64	2.02	18.20	5.12±1.65	3.59±1.64	6.24±3.17	4.99±2.41	1.44	10.38
i-Butene	2.65±1.70	1.56±0.66	3.28±1.84	2.50±1.59	0.84	6.10	1.42±0.46	1.10±0.84	1.59±0.93	1.37±0.75	0.46	2.91
trans-2-Butene	0.99±0.73	0.37±0.22	1.29±0.46	0.88±0.62	0.12	2.08	0.32±0.08	0.27±0.09	0.45±0.20	0.35±0.15	0.14	0.70
cis-2-Butene	0.70±0.50	0.28±0.11	0.87±0.45	0.62±0.45	0.12	1.50	0.27±0.09	0.23±0.10	0.44±0.25	0.31±0.18	0.13	0.78
Isoprene	0.37±0.26	0.37±0.11	0.60±0.13	0.45±0.20	0.15	0.81	0.22±0.07	0.26±0.17	0.30±0.16	0.26±0.13	0.06	0.57
trans-2-Pentene	0.55±0.31	0.16±0.08	0.47±0.31	0.39±0.30	0.08	0.90	0.15±0.06	0.14±0.09	0.24±0.18	0.18±0.12	0.03	0.52
Total alkenesd	45.95±26.34	24.52±7.02	50.15±11.77	40.21±19.82	15.48	93.75	21.35±7.54	15.62±6.38	25.92±9.71	20.97±8.67	4.94	38.67
Ethyne	36.12±15.74	25.68±8.64	35.30±13.05	32.36±12.99	18.31	64.10	13.51±2.80	11.91±2.91	14.62±3.73	13.35±3.19	7.03	19.76
Benzene	5.61±4.58	3.66±3.38	8.08±2.98	5.78±3.95	1.24	14.29	1.89±0.64	2.18±1.23	2.92±1.06	2.33±1.04	0.44	4.16
Toluene	20.28±10.11	10.29±5.51	19.77±8.90	16.78±9.20	5.13	34.78	3.98±2.43	3.21±1.43	4.02±2.32	3.74±2.02	1.40	7.95
Ethylbenzene	5.60±5.72	1.88±1.75	5.55±4.02	4.34±4.30	0.43	13.06	0.92±1.01	0.45±0.18	0.87±0.69	0.75±0.70	0.21	2.81
m-/p-Xylene	2.71±2.47	1.09±1.43	3.57±1.99	2.46±2.17	0.14	5.97	0.67±0.63	0.29±0.13	0.62±0.45	0.53±0.46	0.13	1.63
o-Xylene	1.69±1.71	0.57±0.63	1.68±1.16	1.31±1.29	0.10	4.31	0.35±0.35	0.22±0.15	0.35±0.28	0.30±0.26	0.06	1.00
Total aromaticsd	35.89±23.52	17.48±11.97	38.65±16.99	30.67±19.58	7.04	67.29	7.82±4.85	6.35±3.02	8.78±4.57	7.65±4.10	2.90	16.41
Total NMHCsd	193.14±90.75	137.42±39.20	194.92±53.96	175.16±66.97	95.97	342.95	77.88±11.34	63.83±15.47	89.16±27.92	76.96±21.24	39.09	128.07
NO2e	13.31±4.00	13.39±6.15	20.05±9.85	15.58±7.41	7.30	32.14	30.92±17.43	27.43±18.15	18.34±18.29	25.57±16.37	6.33	63.30
O3e	4.71±3.70	33.29±14.25	3.27±0.90	13.75±16.32	0.47	46.67	5.68±4.74	25.36±3.93	3.12±0.89	11.38±10.77	1.40	31.27

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aThe arithmetic mean and standard deviation for data collected from the same sampling duration.

bThe total arithmetic mean and standard deviation for all data on hazy or normal days.

cThe minimum (Min.) (or the maximum [Max.]) value of data on hazy or normal days.

dTotal alkanes, total alkenes, total aromatics, and total NMHCs were the sum of the listed alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, and all hydrocarbon concentrations, respectively.

eData of O3 and NO2 concentrations were collected from Foshan Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB), Foshan.

NMHC, nonmethane hydrocarbon.

As shown in Table 1, the concentrations of most hydrocarbons on hazy days were higher than that on normal days, for example, ethyne increased by ∼142% from normal days to hazy days. The variation trends of hydrocarbons have also been observed for other air pollutants such as carbonyls and particles between hazy days and normal days in Guangzhou (Lü et al., 2006; Tan et al., 2009), indicating that hazy days represent more serious pollution of hydrocarbons than normal days. Data of evaluated O3 levels on hazy days (13.75 ppbv) and normal days (11.38 ppbv) (Table 1) suggested that hazy days are more oxidative, which will likely lead to much more losses of hydrocarbons on hazy days. The observed higher levels of NMHCs on hazy days might be due to accumulation of hydrocarbons under steady weather conditions, for example, lower visibility and WS on hazy days (Fig. 2).

Diurnal patterns

Most hydrocarbons showed higher levels in the morning and evening, especially on hazy days (Table 1), for example, ethyne on hazy days decreased by ∼30% from morning to afternoon and then increased by ∼37% from afternoon to evening. This diurnal variation pattern (Fig. 3) implied the dominant emission from vehicles, as traffic volume reaches its highest level at rush hours in the morning and evening. The lowest levels in the afternoon are also likely the results of reaction with OH and increased mixing height of the planetary boundary layer (Tang et al., 2007). In addition, the average WS in the afternoon was higher than that in the morning (or evening) (Fig. 2), resulting in stronger ventilation and then diluting the air pollutants. However, i-pentane, a marker for gasoline evaporation (Barletta et al., 2005), exhibited the highest levels (30.99±10.67 ppbv) in the afternoon, especially on hazy days. The higher temperature in the afternoon than in the morning (or evening) (Fig. 2) is conducive to evaporation of solvent containing i-pentane, which was supported by the highest level of i-pentane occurring in the afternoon (Fig. 3).

FIG. 3.

Mean diurnal variations of abundant hydrocarbons during sampling periods.

Averagely, alkanes, alkenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons accounted for 36%–51%, 18%–26%, and 12%–19% of total NMHCs on hazy days (they were 45%–48%, 23%–29%, and 9%–10% on normal days), respectively (Table 1). On hazy days, ethyne contributed first (19%), followed by ethene (15%), i-pentane (14%), ethane (10%), toluene (9%), propane (9%), propene (5%), and benzene (3%). On normal days, ethyne contributed first (18%), followed by ethene (17%), ethane (14%), propane (14%), i-pentane (9%), propene (6%), toluene (5%), and benzene (3%). Considering that ethyne is a tracer for vehicular exhaust (Barletta et al., 2005), i-pentane is a marker for gasoline evaporation, and toluene is emitted from vehicles, painting, and industrial processes (solvent usage) (Barletta et al., 2002), the contribution ranking of these abundant compounds to total NMHCs was closely associated with vehicular emission, gasoline evaporation, and solvent application. Especially, the concentration of toluene in total NMHCs showed the largest distinction between hazy days and normal days compared with other seven abundant compounds. This might be due to different meteorological conditions (Fig. 2) and different photochemical activities of toluene (Atkinson, 2000) in the two day types.

Levels in relation to meteorology

Meteorological conditions can affect air pollutants and have been long recognized as being associated with the worst air pollution episodes (Lü et al., 2006; Tan et al., 2009). Figure 4 plots the relationships of total NMHCs with visibility and WS. On hazy days, total NMHCs did not show clear variation trends under lower visibility conditions (0–5 km), but it decreased with the increasing of visibility when visibility was 5–10 km. Total NMHCs also showed no statistical variation trend together with WS being ≤2 m/s for most samples on hazy days (Fig. 4), indicating that the dilution effect of WS on hydrocarbons is negligible on hazy days. In addition, no clear boundaries were observed for both relative humidity (RH) and temperature between hazy days and normal days, and RH ranged from 40% to 90% for most samples during sampling periods (Fig. 4). On the whole, hazy days demonstrated lower visibility, lower WS (≤2 m/s), and higher levels of hydrocarbons compared with normal days in this study.

FIG. 4.

Meteorological conditions in relation to total NMHCs during sampling periods. NMHC, nonmethane hydrocarbon.

Sources of hydrocarbons

Generally, alkenes and alkynes are characteristic products of combustion engines (Barletta et al., 2005). In urban environments, vehicular emission is by far the most important source (Tang et al., 2007), which has been supported by the highest level of ethyne (a tracer for vehicular emission) in this study (Table 1). To assess the impact of vehicles on hydrocarbon levels, mean hydrocarbon/ethyne ratios were calculated for individual hydrocarbons between hazy days and normal days (Fig. 5). It was expected that the lower hydrocarbon/ethyne ratios mean that air hydrocarbons are more dominated by vehicular emission. For most hydrocarbons, the hydrocarbon/ethyne ratios on hazy days were approximately less than those in normal days, although traffic volume showed no significant differences in the two day types (Fig. 5), indicating vehicular emission is more dominant on hazy days. However, toluene exhibited significant higher ratios on hazy days, likely suggesting additional source differing from vehicles, because toluene is also emitted from solvent usage including painting, printing, and dry cleaning (Na et al., 2003; Yan et al., 2010).

FIG. 5.

Variations of traffic volume and mean hydrocarbon/ethyne ratio during sampling periods.

To clearly identify the influence of vehicular emission on ambient hydrocarbons, correlation coefficients (R2) of abundant hydrocarbons with ethyne are calculated in Table 2. Ethane, propane, ethane, propene, and benzene showed good correlations (R2=0.62–0.83) with ethyne, indicating that their sources are mainly vehicular emission; the R2 of total NMHCs with ethyne was 0.76–0.79, indicating that ambient hydrocarbons are mainly related to vehicles. Especially, R2 of propane with ethyne (R2=0.62) on hazy days were significantly lower than that (R2=0.83) on normal days (Table 2), suggesting the more intensive photochemical activity of propane (Atkinson, 2000) on hazy days compared with normal days.

Table 2.

Correlation Coefficients (R2) of Hydrocarbons with Ethyne and Toluene

	R2 with ethyne			R2 with toluene
Hydrocarbons	Hazy days	Normal days	Hydrocarbons	Hazy days	Normal days
Ethane	0.62	0.65	Benzene	0.53	0.48
Propane	0.62	0.83	Ethylbezene	0.78	0.84
Ethene	0.66	0.63	m/p-Xylene	0.79	0.85
Propene	0.66	0.76	o-Xylene	0.70	0.81
Benzene	0.67	0.73	Total aromatics	0.93	0.98
Toluene	0.49	0.55
Total NMHCs	0.76	0.79

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Toluene is emitted from both vehicular emission and solvent usage (painting, printing, dry cleaning, etc.) (Klimont et al., 2002; Na et al., 2003; Yan et al., 2010), and most of the solvents did not contain benzene (Na et al., 2003). In this study, abundant toluene showed weak correlation (R2=0.48–0.55) with benzene and ethyne, leading us to believe that ambient toluene could be used as a reliable marker for solvent usage during sampling periods. As can be seen in Table 2, ethylbezene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene showed good correlations (R2=0.70–0.85) with toluene, indicating they mainly come from a similar source as that of toluene, for example, solvent usage. Especially, R2 of ethylbezene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene with toluene on normal days were higher than that on hazy days. This may be explained by more intensive photochemical activity of toluene on hazy days. Generally, radiation can be weaker because of scattering by haze and oxidants may be titrated by the high concentration of hydrocarbons as well as active nitrogen oxides such as nitric oxide (Atkinson, 2000) on hazy days. In this study, O3 levels during sampling periods in Foshan were used to evaluate the oxidative activities of toluene between hazy days and normal days, because O3 is the crucial intermediate species in photochemical reactions of ambient hydrocarbons and represents the major photochemical oxidant in the atmosphere. As can be seen in Table 1, the mean O3 levels in the morning (or evening) on hazy days were approximately equal to those on normal days. However, in the afternoon, hazy days showed much higher levels of O3 (33.29 ppbv) than normal days (25.36 ppbv). Therefore, hazy days in this study are considered to be more intensive oxidation than normal days, resulting in weaker correlations of toluene with these aromatic hydrocarbons. Moreover, total aromatics showed rather good correlation with toluene (R2=0.93–0.98), indicating ambient aromatic hydrocarbons are mainly related to the same source as that of toluene.

To further differentiate vehicular emission and other combustion sources, the benzene-to-toluene ratio (B/T) was considered. A B/T ratio of ∼0.5 (wt/wt) was reported to be characteristic of vehicular emission (Barletta et al., 2005), and higher B/T ratios represented the sources from burning of biofuel, charcoal, and coal (Duan et al., 2008). During whole sampling periods, the mean B/T ratio was 0.44±0.23, indicating the dominant emission from vehicles. On hazy days, the B/T ratios (a mean of 0.30±0.14) were 0.23±0.12 in the morning, 0.29±0.17 in the afternoon, and 0.37±0.10 in the evening; on normal days, they were 0.47±0.13 in the morning, 0.57±0.24 in the afternoon, and 0.70±0.22 in the evening (with a mean of 0.58±0.21 on normal days). In this study, ambient hydrocarbons on hazy days are mainly dominated by vehicular emission, which may raise the B/T ratio on hazy days compared with normal days, because benzene was mainly emitted from vehicles as discussed earlier. The rate constants (kOH) for gas-phase reactions of OH radical with benzene and toluene are 1.23×1012 and 5.95×1012 cm−3·molecule−1·s−1, respectively (Yassaa et al., 2006). Then, the faster removal rate of toluene under conditions of more intensive oxidation may also raise the B/T ratios on hazy days. However, the measured mean B/T value (0.30) on hazy days was much lower than that (0.58) on normal days. The observed significant difference of measured mean B/T ratios between hazy days and normal days suggests the following fact. The lower WS, weaker air convection, and weaker atmospheric diffusion on hazy days (Fig. 2) might be more prone to accumulations of toluene with high levels compared with low levels of benzene. The difference was more likely to benefit from solvent usage emitting toluene based on the R2 analysis above, resulting in the reduction of B/T values on hazy days, because a large amount of trades involving painting, printing, and dry cleaning are very well developed in Foshan.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has urged citizens to join the Shramdaan, a cleanliness initiative as part of Swachh Bharat on 1st October 2023 at 10 AM. 

Sharing a post on X by Swachh Bharat Urban, the Prime Minister said;

“1st October at 10 AM, we come together for a pivotal cleanliness initiative. 

A Swachh Bharat is a shared responsibility, and every effort counts. Join this noble endeavour to usher in a cleaner future.”

Earlier an online facility was made available by EPFO for submitting Applications for Validation of Option /Joint Options for pension on higher wages. The facility was for eligible pensioners / members in compliance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court order dated 04.11.2022. The facility was launched on 26.02.2023 and was to remain available only till 03.05.2023. However, considering the representations of the employees, the time limit was extended to 26.06.2023 in order to provide complete four months’ time to eligible pensioners / members for filing applications.

A last opportunity of 15 days was further given to remove any difficulty faced by the eligible pensioners/ members. Accordingly, the last date for submission of Applications for Validation of Option / Joint Options by employees was extended to 11.07.2023.  17.49 lakh Applications for Validation of Option / Joint Options have been received from pensioners / members till 11.07.2023.

In view of representations received from Employers & Employers’ Associations wherein requests were made to extend time period for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners / members, the employers were also given further period of three months to submit wage details etc. online latest by 30.09.2023.

Now, again many representations have been received from Employers & Employers’ Associations wherein requests have been made to extend further time period for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners / members. 5.52 lakh Applications for Validation of Option / Joint Options are still pending with employers, as on 29.09.2023.

Therefore, the request has been considered sympathetically and the Chairman, Central Board of Trustees has extended the time, for the employers to submit wage details etc till 31.12.2023.

 The air given to HD & HDR (High pressure de composer & HD Re boiler) by GB 401 (Blower) for Passivation of the stainless steel and different equipment for passivation

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Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Labour and Employment  Shri Bhupender Yadav lead the cleanliness drive under the Swachchta Hi Seva campaign of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at

National Zoological Park (NZP), New Delhi .

Smt.Leena Nandan,Secretary MoEF&CC , Sh. C.P. Goyal, DGF&SS, MoEF&CC, Sh. Bivash Ranjan, ADG (WL), MoEF&CC,Shri Sanjay Shukla Member Secretary Central zoo authority and Joint Secretary Shri Satyajit Mishra were present on the occasion . Over 200 participants, including enthusiastic students,visitors gathered to contribute to this significant endeavor.

The highlight of the day was participation of youth in the Swachhata campaign and cleaning initiatives of zoo for water body cleaning. The activity was followed by the inauguration of a PET bottle collection point, a pivotal step towards making zoo a Single-Use Plastic (SUP) free zone. This initiative underscores NZP's unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and minimizing its ecological footprint.

In a heartwarming gesture, Shri Bhupender Yadav distributed eco-friendly reusable bags to students, emphasizing the importance of sustainable living and environmental consciousness.

Following the distribution of bags, an animal journal was unveiled to promote Lifestyle for Environment and cleanliness in zoo fostering an educational connection with the diverse wildlife at NZP.

The Shramdaan activity at NZP, under the Swachchta Hi Seva campaign, demonstrates that when communities come together with a shared vision, meaningful change can be achieved. NZP remains steadfast in its commitment to wildlife conservation and environmental protection.

******

1. Alluvial Soil

To take ahead the 'LiFE' - 'Lifestyle for Environment' movement announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced two pioneering initiatives that indicate the country's pro-active approach to climate change, sustainability and promotion eco-conscious practices. These initiatives, the Green Credit Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme, seek to encourage environmentally friendly practices rooted in tradition and conservation; reflecting the ideas of LiFE  concept.
Green Credit Program (GCP): Incentivizing Environmental Actions
Green Credit Program (GCP )notified on 13th October, 2023 is an innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders like individuals, communities, private sector industries, and companies. The GCP's governance framework is supported by an inter-ministerial Steering Committee and The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) serves as the GCP Administrator, responsible for program implementation, management, monitoring, and operation.
In its initial phase, the GCP focuses on two key activities: water conservation and afforestation. Draft methodologies for awarding Green Credits have been developed and will be notified for stakeholder consultation. These methodologies set benchmarks for each activity/process, to ensure environmental impact and fungibility across sectors. A user-friendly digital platform will streamline the processes for registration of projects, its verification, and issuance of Green Credits. The Green Credit Registry and trading platform, being developed by ICFRE along with experts, would facilitate the registration and thereafter, the buying and selling of Green Credits.
To obtain Green Credits, individuals and entities must register their activities through the central government's dedicated app/website www.moefcc-gcp.in. The Administrator will verify the activity through a designated agency, with self-verification for small projects. Once verification is complete, the Administrator will grant a Green Credit certificate which will be tradable on the green credit platform.
Ecomark Scheme: Promoting Eco-Friendly Products
The philosophy behind LiFE, (Lifestyle for Environment)is nudging individual choices and behavior towards sustainability.  In line with this approach, the MoEF&CC has recast its Ecomark notification so that consumers are able to make choices among products and thereby opt for those products that are eco-friendly in their design, process etc.
The Ecomark Scheme, notified on 13th October 2023, replaces the previous Notification. It provides accreditation and labelling for household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria while maintaining quality standards as per Indian norms. Products accredited under the Ecomark Scheme will adhere to specific environmental criteria, ensuring minimal environmental impact. It will build consumer awareness of environmental issues and encourage eco-conscious choices. It will also motivate manufacturers to shift towards environmentally friendly production. The scheme seeks to ensure accurate labelling and prevent misleading information about products.
The Central Pollution Control Board administers the Ecomark Scheme in partnership with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the national body for standards and certification.
Both initiatives mark significant steps in promoting sustainable living, environmental conservation, and, through individual and collective choice, embody eco-friendly practices in India. They align with global sustainability goals and reflect the government's commitment to conservation and protection of the environment.
Click here to see gazette notification 

Click here to see gazette notification 

WWF-India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, (MoEF&CC) organises various awareness activities on the occasion of Wildlife Week 2nd-8th October under Mission LiFE.  The aim was to emphasise the importance of wildlife conservation and climate change in maintaining nature’s equilibrium among students of multiple schools of Delhi. The theme for this year wildlife week celebrations is "Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation".

The mandate of Programme Centre at WWF-India, MoEF&CC is “Wildlife Conservation (including species and habitat) using geospatial techniques”. Programme Centre (PC) EIACP (Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme), Resource Partner (RP) at WWF-India was set up for collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information in order to support and promote research, development and innovation among decision-makers, researchers, academicians, policy planners, research scientists & and other stakeholders.

During the week, students of various schools of Delhi were briefed about the Wildlife Week, its importance and about the theme i.e., "Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation". WWF-India team also conveyed the message of Mission LiFE through a 12-minute documentary video, students and teachers also took the Pledge. The event was very impactful as after that the school children showed much interest to know more about wildlife conservation, and about combating climate change by adopting lifestyle changes in an eco-friendly manner. The target audience of approximately 864 participated in these awareness activities.

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Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

• National LeadIT Workshop on Steel held to facilitate deliberations on Low Carbon Transition of the Steel sector in IndiaPosted On: 18 Oct 2023
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change conducts Wetlands Cleaning around different Ramsar SitesPosted On: 17 Oct 2023
• Notification issued for Green Credit Program (GCP) and Ecomark scheme Under LiFE Initiative to Promote Sustainable Lifestyle and Environmental ConservationPosted On: 13 Oct 2023
• WWF-India organises awareness activities during Wildlife Week 2nd-8th October under Mission LiFEPosted On: 13 Oct 2023
• Conduction of Cleanliness drive and mass awareness campaign related to the mandates and concepts of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)Posted On: 10 Oct 2023
• As per GRAP, Stage-I is to be imposed in the entire NCR when the daily average AQI of Delhi touches/ crosses 201 index valuePosted On: 06 Oct 2023
• National Zoological Park begins celebration of 69th Wildlife Week with theme "Partnerships for wildlife conservation"Posted On: 02 Oct 2023
• Shri Bhupender Yadav leads the cleanliness drive under the Swachchta Hi Seva campaignPosted On: 01 Oct 2023

 Soil Testing and Nutrient Analysis 

Introduction to Compressed Breathing Air

Clean air is odorless. Many air compressors have filters to remove odors. Both CGA G-7.1 Grades D and E require that "no pronounced odor" be present in compressed air. Since the sensory response of the human nose is highly variable and extremely sensitive to certain odors, evaluation of "odor" is highly subjective. If there is a slight odor, this may be abnormal.