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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Green rating challenge

Green rating challenge

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published Published on Mar 16, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 16, 2012
-The Telegraph

The economic survey has challenged an international assessment that has ranked India 125, or near-bottom, among 132 countries on environmental performance, but has acknowledged that air pollution has increased to alarming levels.

The survey, released by the Union government today, has questioned the methodology of the Environmental Performance Index 2012 that has assigned air quality in India a rank of 132, the worst in the world, and similarly low ranks to water [126] and agriculture [121].

The EPI 2012, released by environmental policy researchers at Yale University and Columbia University in the US, has ranked India 132 on the effects of air quality on human health, behind China whose air-health impact rank is 128.

But the economic survey has said the rating exercise has significant data and methodological problems. In agriculture, India’s performance on banned pesticides and protection to agriculture has been “wrongly evaluated”, the survey said.

India has banned or restricted a dozen organic pesticides and its protection to agriculture is negative, the survey said, adding that India’s environmental health indicator with the largest weight uses child mortality rates between 1 and 5, which exaggerates differences.

The survey has said that appropriate modifications in the methodology, taking into account other factors such as biodiversity, energy, and water, “might improve India's overall ranking closer to the middle of all countries.”

However, the survey has acknowledged poor air quality, conceding an alarming increase in airborne respirable particulate matter — dust and soot particles. Delhi has levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size, higher than those in Beijing.

“The EPI 2012 health impact seems to take into account only dust and soot particles. India’s ranking could have been different if it also considered pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen or ozone,” said Anumita Roychoudhury, associate director of the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. “However, particles less than 2.5 microns penetrate deep into the lungs and cause short term and long term health impacts,” she said.

The survey said the Union environment ministry has identified a “menu of options” — price disincentives on private or diesel transport, a ban on burning residues or power plants, or higher levels of investment in public transport — to address poor air quality, but none are easy.

The Telegraph, 16 March, 2012, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120316/jsp/nation/story_15257313.jsp


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