No fireworks: On NGT ban on sale and use of firecrackers
In the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it should surprise no one that the National Green Tribunal has prohibited the sale and use of firecrackers during Deepavali in the National Capital Region of Delhi and in urban centres that recorded poor or worse air quality in November last year. The directions expand on Supreme Court orders issued in the past, and provide some concessions to cities and towns that have moderate or better air quality, by allowing “green crackers” and specified hours for bursting. These stipulations are to extend to Christmas and New Year if the ban continues beyond November. The NGT took note that Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Chandigarh, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Calcutta High Court had already responded to deteriorating environmental conditions by banning firecrackers this year. The tribunal’s reasoning giving primacy to the precautionary principle in sustainable development over employment and revenue losses is understandable. As the impact of COVID-19 became clear in March, and there were fears of a case surge during the winter, it was incumbent on the Centre to work with States and resolutely prevent the burning of farm stubble ahead of Deepavali. This annual phenomenon unfailingly fouls the air across northern and eastern India, and imposes heavy health and productivity costs. In the absence of pollution from agricultural residue, there might have been some room for a limited quantity of firecrackers, although climatic conditions at this time of year, of low temperature and atmospheric circulation, would still leave many in distress. Only damage control is possible now, including steps to address the concerns of the fireworks industry.
Even without the risk of a COVID-19 surge, it should be evident to policymakers that their measures under the National Clean Air Programme, which seeks to reduce particulate matter pollution by 20% to 30% by 2024, must be demonstrably effective. By the government’s own admission, there were 148 days of poor to severe air quality during 2019 in the NCR, down from 206 days the previous year. Many other cities have a similar profile, but get less attention. With 40% of all pollution-linked deaths attributed to bad air quality in leading emerging economies and some evidence from the U.S. on higher COVID-19 mortality in highly polluted areas, it is time governments showed a sense of accountability on the right to breathe clean air. Tamil Nadu, where 90% of firecrackers are produced, has legitimate concerns on the fate of the industry this year, which, producers claim, represents about ₹2,300 crore worth of output. A transparent compensation scheme for workers, and suitable relief for producers may be necessary, although the longer-term solution might lie in broad basing economic activity in the Sivakasi region, reducing reliance on firecrackers
- National Green Tribunal (noun) – The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
- spur (verb) – motivate, stimulate, encourage, urge, galvanize.प्रेरणा
- अधिक करना--intensify
- और भी बुरा--worse
- रियायतें--concessions
- फोड़--bursting
- measure (noun) – course of action, action, step, procedure.
- pandemic (noun) – the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.
- expand on (phrasal verb) – add detail to, elaborate on, go into detail, supplement.
- green (adjective) – environmentally friendly.
- stipulation (noun) – condition, requirement, provision.शर्त, व्यवस्था, नियम
- take note (phrase) – pay attention, take into consideration, bear in mind, observe.
- deteriorate (verb) – decline, degenerate, degrade, worsen.बिगड़ती
- deteriorating (adjective) – declining, degenerating, degrading, worsening.
- reasoning (noun) – explanation, reason, rationale.
- primacy (noun) – importance, priority, preference.
- precautionary (adjective) – preventive, safety, protective.सावधानतापूर्ण
- sustainable (adjective) – acceptable, reasonable, trustworthy, dependable (at a particular level/rate).
- surge (noun) – sudden increase, rise.
- incumbent on (adjective) – binding, obligatory, mandatory, necessary, compulsory, essential, imperative.निर्भर
- resolutely (adverb) – firmly, purposefully.सख्ती
- stubble (noun) – dried stalks, straw (of a grain like wheat, rice & etc).
- phenomenon (noun) – occurrence, event, happening.घटना
- unfailingly (adverb) – always, constantly, reliably/steadily.
- foul (verb) – pollute, contaminate, make filthy, adulterate.
- cost (noun) – undesirable consequences, adverse effects, disadvantage, suffering.
- in the absence of (phrase) – without.
- residue (noun) – remaining parts, part leftovers, remnants.अवशेष
- room (noun) – opportunity, chance, scope, leeway.
- atmospheric circulation (noun) – The Earth is surrounded by a thin layer of air called the atmosphere. The air in the atmosphere moves in response to differences in temperature at the equator (warm) and the poles (cold). This movement of air is called global atmospheric circulation.
- distress (noun) – difficulty, hardship, trouble; suffering/pain.
- damage control (noun) – damage limitation; attempts to limit negative/damaging effects of something.
- address (verb) – deal with, handle, tackle, grapple with.
- National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) (noun) – The National Clean Air Programme is a pollution control initiative that was launched by the Ministry of Environment with the intention to cut the concentration of coarse (particulate matter of diameter 10 micrometer or less, or PM10) and fine particles (particulate matter of diameter 2.5 micrometer or less, or PM2.5) by at least 20% in the next five years, with 2017 as the base year for comparison. The NCAP is envisaged as a scheme to provide the States and the Centre with a framework to combat air pollution.
- particulate matter (PM) (noun) – a mixture of extremely small (hazardous) solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.
- seek (verb) – try, attempt, strive, work, aim.
- demonstrably (adverb) – provably, obviously, clearly.
- admission (noun) – acknowledgement, acceptance, realization.
- profile (noun) – description, outline; summary of details.
- attention (noun) – notice, observation, scrutiny.
- attribute (verb) – ascribe, assign, connect/associate with.जिम्मेदार ठहराया
- mortality (noun) – (in a particular time/for a cause) the rate/number of death.
- accountability (noun) – responsibility, liability, answerability.जवाबदेही
- legitimate (adjective) – valid, reasonable, reliable.
- transparent (adjective) – unambiguous, unequivocal, clear; recognizable/discernible.
- lie in (phrasal verb) – be present, be contained, exist.
- broad-based (adjective) – wide-ranging, general.
- reliance on (noun) – confidence in, dependence, belief in.
The war within: On Ethiopia political situation
When Abiy Ahmed became Ethiopia’s Prime Minister in April 2018, hopes were high that the former Army intelligence officer would bring a new dawn to the country known for its ethnic fault-lines. Early on, he reached out to the political opposition, lifted curbs on the media and made peace with Eritrea — moves that won him the Peace Nobel in 2019. But things fell apart rather quickly. Last week, Mr. Abiy declared war on the country’s Tigray region, which is ruled by the powerful Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in response to its attack on a federal military base in Tigray. The militia-turned-party, which was part of the coalition that brought an end to the military dictatorship in 1991, had played a dominant role in the country’s ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front. After Mr. Abiy came to power, he purged the TPLF from senior government positions. His push to concentrate more power in the hands of the government alienated the TPLF further. When the federal government postponed the general elections in August to 2021 citing the coronavirus pandemic, Tigray politicians accused him of a power grab and held elections, in September, in the region, in defiance of Addis Ababa. Rising tensions led to an outburst last week, with the attack on the base.
The Tigrayans, who make up roughly 6% of Ethiopia’s 110 million people, have traditionally enjoyed outsized influence in the government whereas the Oromos, the largest ethnic group, have complained of marginalisation. Mr. Abiy, an Oromo, has said his mandate is to place Ethiopia’s interests over the regions and correct the uneven distribution of power. But his actions often produced unintended consequences. In the Oromo region, his critics complain that he is trying to grab more powers for the federal government, while the Tigrayans accuse him of taking away their rights. Earlier this year, deadly protests broke out after the singer Hachalu Hundessa, an Oromo, was shot dead in Addis Ababa. Now, with his decision to bomb Tigray, Mr. Abiy has declared war on his people at a time when ethnic tensions are running high. He may be trying to send a strong message to the rebel politicians of the Tigray region that patience is wearing thin. But if he thinks a military campaign would solve the conflicts between ethnicities and regions, he could well be mistaken. The regions, largely divided on ethnic lines, have militias that cut their teeth in the struggle against the junta. Instead of bombing his own country, Mr. Abiy should reach out to regional political leaderships, especially the TPLF, find common ground, and run the country peacefully by restoring the balance between ethnicities and regions and decentralising the federal government.
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