New York City faces the challenge of an ever-increasing homeless population with almost 60,000 pe... more New York City faces the challenge of an ever-increasing homeless population with almost 60,000 people currently living in city shelters. In 2015, approximately 25% of families stayed longer than 9 months in a shelter, and 17% of families with children that exited a homeless shelter returned to the shelter system within 30 days of leaving. This suggests that "long-term" shelter residents and those that re-enter shelters contribute significantly to the rise of the homeless population living in city shelters and indicate systemic challenges to finding adequate permanent housing. Women in Need (Win) is a non-profit agency that provides shelter to almost 10,000 homeless women and children (10% of all homeless families of NYC), and is the largest homeless shelter provider in the City. This paper focuses on our preliminary work with Win to understand the factors that affect the rate of readmission of homeless families at Win shelters, and to predict the likelihood of re-entry int...
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has alerted from time to time about the growing problem ... more Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has alerted from time to time about the growing problem of ground level ozone in Indian cities. While policy and public attention is nearly fully drawn towards very high level of particulate pollution, the challenge of this emerging toxic gas has not attracted adequate policy attention for mitigation and prevention. Inadequate monitoring, limited data and inappropriate methods of trend analysis have weakened the understanding of this growing toxic risk. Yet the insidious link between ozone and premature deaths representing growing health risk is beginning to get documented in health literature. The most recent 2020 State of Global Air report states that agestandardized rates of death attributable to ozone is among the highest in India and the seasonal 8-hour daily maximum concentrations have recorded one of the highest increases in India between 2010 and 2017-about 17 per cent. This requires deeper understanding of what is going on in different cities and regions to inform mitigation. City and region specific analysis remains a challenge as ozone monitoring is still very limited in India. Therefore, some of the regions like Delhi-NCR that has relatively better network of monitoring, particularly Delhi with 40 monitoring stations, is an opportunity to understand the ozone behavior. This is an emerging concern in India and requires deeper assessment and insight.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
On this World Environment Day, Centre for Science and Environment releases the latest results of ... more On this World Environment Day, Centre for Science and Environment releases the latest results of air quality analysis that shows how air quality trend has changed through the successive seasons during the pandemic times in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). This assessment period is from September 2018 to May 2021 that captures three successive winter seasons, pre and pandemic era and also different stages of lockdown in Delhi and the National Capital Region. The key highlight this time is that the spring time-January to March, when pollution level begins to subside after winter, PM2.5 this year has recorded highest seasonal levels compared to the corresponding period in preceding years including the normal year of 2019. This indicates that despite the partial restrictions the pollution level have increased. While the reason needs investigation, it is important to underscore that there would be a rebound effect with full opening of the economy and intensification of traffic. Pandemic management during the second wave may have slowed down pollution control action but this has to speed up to prevent the rebound effect or retaliatory emissions to ensure longer term air quality gains. This is particularly important given the new science on the linkage between air quality and its effect on vulnerability to the pandemic.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
The worst of winter in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is over. For the purpose of implem... more The worst of winter in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is over. For the purpose of implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) winter in this region is officially defined as from October 15 to February 1. There is a special interest in understanding the winter pollution trend given the extraordinary situation due to the pandemic this year. Winter is the most difficult season in this region due to the atmospheric conditions of inversion, calm wind, and cold conditions. Trapped winter air traps local and regional pollution and creates deadly winter smog. Winter after winter Delhi battles serious challenge of prolonged smoggy days. However, in the time horizon of 2015-2020, several multi-sector action has been initiated as part of the comprehensive clean air action plan as well as graded response action plan. Year-on-year basis annual average of PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build up and severe peaks during winter when pollution is trapped across the region? Therefore, this analysis of winter pollution trend since 2018 helps to build the pattern of change.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
As part of its air quality tracker initiative the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has ca... more As part of its air quality tracker initiative the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has carried out a series of air quality analysis for different regions of the country to get a deeper view of the changing patterns of air quality trends. This seeks to understand the impact of the extraordinary year 2020 that has witnessed one of the biggest disruptions in the recent times. This is an inflexion point but also an indicator of what may change and yet not change despite the disruption. This helps to address some of the basic curiosities related to how low the pollution can get with stopping of activities, regional influence on local air quality, and deeper seasonal patterns that unmask the high local pollution despite the forced change during the lockdown phases. After analyzing the changing trends in Delhi and National Capital region, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, this analysis unravels the pattern in the Indo-Gangetic Plain –the most vulnerable and difficult region from air quality perspective. New analysis of winter pollution until 11 January of this year, carried out shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather like all other regions. While this was expected, the analysis of the real-time data from monitoring stations outside NCR in the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain show newer pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the larger Indo Gangetic Plain is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that of the NCR but it was alarmingly high and synchronized despite large distances. This is the challenge of this landlocked region.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
As the winter season is nearing end and summer trends are setting in across most regions of the c... more As the winter season is nearing end and summer trends are setting in across most regions of the country, understanding the changes in winter pollution trends across regions becomes necessary to know the challenge and depth of action needed to meet the clean air benchmark. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has carried out extensive analysis of real time data from cities of different region to throw light on the difference between 2020-21 winter with the previous winters. This has been a special winter that coincides with the unlocking of the economy post pandemic linked hard lockdown phases. Winter is a special challenge when inversion, and cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution. While the northern Indo Gangetic Plain is most affected, other regions also experience rise but with lesser intensity. But this year even though the average level of PM2.5 during summer and monsoon months was considerably lower than the previous year due to the summer lockdown, the winter PM2.5 concentration has risen compared to 2019 winter in many cities across regions. This bouncing back of pollution post-lockdown unmasks the high impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to curb the winter pollution and also sustain annual improvement at a regional scale with speed.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science ... more New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Greater Mumbai Region as well as other major cities in Maharashtra show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in Greater Mumbai region is not as high as that of the Indo Gangetic Plain due to its proximity to sea and improved ventilation, the levels increase despite the geographical advantages and favourable meteorology.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
This analysis is part of the next in the series of air quality tracker initiative the Centre for ... more This analysis is part of the next in the series of air quality tracker initiative the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to follow changing patterns of air quality trends in different regions of the country. This seeks to understand the impact of the extraordinary year 2020 that has witnessed one of the biggest disruptions in the recent times. This is also an inflexion point at the onset of the new decade. This addresses basic curiosities around the impact of the lockdown, lowering of the regional influence on local air quality, and deeper seasonal patterns that unmask the underlying high trends despite the lockdown phases. After analyzing the changing trends in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Delhi and National Capital region, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, this analysis unravels the pattern in cities of Southern Indiavulnerable but poorly monitored region from air quality perspective.
New analysis of winter pollution until 20 December of this year, done by Centre for Science and E... more New analysis of winter pollution until 20 December of this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Jaipur division as well as other major cities in Rajasthan show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in Rajasthan is not as high as that of the Indo Gangetic Plain but it seems to be catching up, the levels increase this year in identical fashion despite the geographical and meteorological advantage. Even though the overall average level of PM 2.5 for the 2020 (uptill 20 Dec) is lower than the previous year due to the pandemic related to summer lockdown, the PM 2.5 levels in winter rose beyond the standard in Jaipur and rest of Rajasthan. This is a typical and predictable winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and episodic pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. But this year, this trend has set in almost a week earlier in the season and the average PM 2.5 levels in November have been 26-33 per cent higher in Jaipur division compared to previous November. Combination of the reopening of the economy and changing meteorology is responsible. But the region cannot rely only on its advantage of being close to the sea. This demands speed and scale of action. This detailed data analysis points to the fact that the air pollution is a more pervasive problem in the Jaipur region and beyond and this requires quicker reforms and action in key sectors of pollutionvehicles, industry, power plants and waste management to control winter pollution and further bend the annual air pollution curve.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science ... more New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Kolkata-Howrah as well as Asansol and Siliguri show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though the overall average level of PM 2.5 for the 11 months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year, the PM 2.5 levels in winter spiked to "very poor" levels in the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. This is a typical and predictable winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and episodic pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. But this year, there is higher pollution peak and substantial jump due to reopening of the economy. Reforms and action in key sectors of pollutionvehicles, industry, power plants and waste management will have to be scaled up at speed across the region to further bend the annual air pollution curve. Data used in the analysis: The analysis is based on publicly available granular real time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) official online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Four cities-Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol and Siliguri have been selected for this analysis because real time data is available for these cities. This has analysed data recorded by 7 air quality monitoring stations at Kolkata, 3 stations in Howrah, one station each Asansol and Siliguri under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of CPCB. Weather data has been sourced from the Dum Dum weather station of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The reason Centre for Science and Environment Analysis Key highlights Average level of PM 2.5 has been lower during this year due to the lockdown but could not prevent the winter spike: The overall PM 2.5 average this year (until first week of December) has been predictably lower compared to the previous year largely because of the unprecedented economic disruption during the summer lockdown and monsoon. But reopening of the economy coinciding with the onset of the winter trapping pollution made PM 2.5 levels spiral upward starting November hitting record high in early December. From the respective cleanest week weekly average of PM 2.5 in Kolkata rose 13 times, in Howrah 11 times, Asanasol 7 times and in Siliguri 11 times (See Graph 1a: Pollution build-up in 2020 winter (monthly averages); and Graph 1b: Change in weekly PM 2.5 levels). The transient change of the lockdown phases could not be sustained without the systemic changes needed to control pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants, and waste. Graph 1a: Pollution build-up in 2020 winter (monthly averages) Note: Average PM2.5 concentration for a month is based on mean of all CAAQM stations in the city. Worst 24hr average at the citywide level recorded between 1 March-6 December, 2020. Source: CSE analysis of CPCB's real time air quality data Graph 1b: Change in weekly PM 2.5 levels 2020 Note: Average PM2.5 concentration for a week is based on mean of all CAAQM stations in the city. Dirtiest week for Kolkata, Howrah, and Asansol was the week ending on
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
New analysis of the winter pollution until November this year by the Centre for Science and Envir... more New analysis of the winter pollution until November this year by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the deep dive analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Delhi NCR and Delhi expose the changing pattern of winter pollution.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
After years of battling air pollution, the time has come to assess what has worked, what has not,... more After years of battling air pollution, the time has come to assess what has worked, what has not, and what more is needed to clean the air of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The real challenge at this juncture is to build ambition, speed and scale of action to push even more difficult and inconvenient solutions. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that gains made so far are not lost. This review by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) aims to further the conversation and propel action.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
The summer of 2020 has been quite different.
The ongoing public health crisis, besides having cau... more The summer of 2020 has been quite different. The ongoing public health crisis, besides having caused unprecedented disruption to business-as usual, has also given us a new prism through which we can view the air pollution crisis. The economic slowdown and implementation of lockdown measures have bent the pollution curve dramatically – blue skies have reappeared over cities where smog used to rule the roost. This report from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) delves deep into an examination of how clean the air actually became. CSE has put the available air quality data under scanner to understand the different dimensions of the change in air quality during the lockdown period. This granular view of pollutant-wise local trends across cities gives an insight into the challenges and how the new normal needs to be shaped.
The severe lockdown and slow reopening of the economy during the COVID19 pandemic has presented a... more The severe lockdown and slow reopening of the economy during the COVID19 pandemic has presented a unique opportunity to understand the trends in electricity consumption in our cities. While diverse uses of electricity —residential, commercial, retail, industry, agriculture among others — add up to contribute to the overall electricity demand in normal times, the lockdown phases have uniquely isolated the influence of residential demand. With economic activities coming to a near halt, only the households remained active users. But this is not a simple and an obvious story of substantial drop in power consumption during hard lockdown. There is in fact, a more complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer lockdown. Not many have noticed this story though; public attention was drawn more towards the visible blue sky during the pandemic. This report unlocks a not-so-obvious, unnoticed story of electricity consumption in Delhi during the pandemic-induced lockdown, and offers a complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer’s lockdown.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2018
On June 8, Delhi’s peak electricity demand broke all previous records, hitting a new high of 6,93... more On June 8, Delhi’s peak electricity demand broke all previous records, hitting a new high of 6,934 megawatt (MW) at 3:28 PM. A new analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released here today, shows how the insidious link between subsidised electricity, rising ambient temperature, growing use of air conditioners (AC) and inadequate central regulations for energy performance of ACs, is triggering the huge demand for electricity in Delhi. CSE has carried out an analysis of electricity consumption this summer to understand the trends and nature of demand in the city, and the likely impact of growing dependence on air conditioning to escape the heat. Electricity consumption data has been sourced from daily and monthly reports of the State Load Dispatch Center, Delhi, the apex body which ensures integrated operation of Delhi’s power system. Historical data has been sourced from the annual and Load Generation Balance Reports of the Central Electricity Authority. Consumer and demographic data is sourced from the Delhi Statistical Handbook, while the weather data source is the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather station at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2016
Centre for Science and Environment has carried out this study to know how energy efficiency of ro... more Centre for Science and Environment has carried out this study to know how energy efficiency of room air conditioners (RAC) perform when outside ambient temperature is variable and high. Room air conditioner is a cooling device that cools closed environments. The amount of electricity that room air conditioners use to do cooling is one of the critical parameters that decide the energy budget of households as well as that of the country. This appliance is inherently an energy guzzler and therefore a climate rogue. Regulations are shaping up across the world as also in India to set tighter energy efficiency targets for RACs, while passive architectural design is being promoted to improve thermal comforts of buildings to reduce its use. As India has also started to set energy efficiency targets for this appliance it is important to understand the real world energy performance under different operative conditions and if the current benchmark and test parameters are adequately designed to deliver on the intended efficiency targets. It is known that climatic stress affects overall efficiency of these systems. But this is also an important reason to review and address testing parameters and standards of these appliances to minimise deviation and margin of deterioration in the real world to ensure targeted savings.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2014
Why is CII Godrej Green Business Centre, umbrella body for Indian Green Building Council, which w... more Why is CII Godrej Green Business Centre, umbrella body for Indian Green Building Council, which was until recently responsible for LEED rating of buildings denying that several LEED rated IT buildings and office buildings are failing to meet the official benchmark for energy performance and misleading all by casting doubt on CSE analysis?
Government must step in immediately to assess the actual energy performance of all rated buildings in operation. Green rating is expected to enjoy enormous official incentives. Without performance monitoring this will be reduced to state sponsored resource guzzling.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste poses a serious threat to our environment. Heaps of concr... more Construction and demolition (C&D) waste poses a serious threat to our environment. Heaps of concrete, bricks and metal waste from building construction and infrastructure choke our waterbodies, green areas and public spaces in cities and outside. Huge amounts of toxic dust particles from the debris pollute the air. Rules to manage this waste were notified in 2016, but their implementation on the ground has remained a challenge. Recent critical policy developments are now expected to have a strong bearing on acceleration of C&D waste management in cities. The National Clean Air Programme aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20–30 per cent by 2024 in about 122 cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Clean-air action plans in these cities have included C&D management as part of their clean-air strategies. The other big development is the 15th Finance Commission’s direct allocation of Rs 4,400 crore to urban local bodies (ULBs) for air pollution control. C&D management is the direct responsibility of ULBs, and this funding can catalyse transformation in cities and strongly support Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This report assesses the current preparedness of cities with regard to C&D waste management and presents an action plan with detailed indicators for strategy development and implementation.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
India’s National Clean Air Programme has set a goal of 20–30 per cent reduction in particulate ma... more India’s National Clean Air Programme has set a goal of 20–30 per cent reduction in particulate matter pollution by 2024 (using 2017 as the baseline) in cities that do not comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. As these cities and the larger regions they are housed in begin implementation of Clean Air Action Plans, there is no explicit official method to help them analyse and report changes in ambient air quality trends, to establish compliance with clean air targets. Without such a method, data gaps and issues of data availability cannot be addressed properly. In the absence of a method, how will cities leverage the ever-expanding monitoring network (manual as well as real-time) to report better? How do we ensure that reporting compliance with air quality targets becomes a robust process, with effective consequences for non-compliance? How will Delhi and other cities battling pollution know if action is making any difference to air quality? The breadth of the answers to these questions is our breathing space.
New York City faces the challenge of an ever-increasing homeless population with almost 60,000 pe... more New York City faces the challenge of an ever-increasing homeless population with almost 60,000 people currently living in city shelters. In 2015, approximately 25% of families stayed longer than 9 months in a shelter, and 17% of families with children that exited a homeless shelter returned to the shelter system within 30 days of leaving. This suggests that "long-term" shelter residents and those that re-enter shelters contribute significantly to the rise of the homeless population living in city shelters and indicate systemic challenges to finding adequate permanent housing. Women in Need (Win) is a non-profit agency that provides shelter to almost 10,000 homeless women and children (10% of all homeless families of NYC), and is the largest homeless shelter provider in the City. This paper focuses on our preliminary work with Win to understand the factors that affect the rate of readmission of homeless families at Win shelters, and to predict the likelihood of re-entry int...
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has alerted from time to time about the growing problem ... more Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has alerted from time to time about the growing problem of ground level ozone in Indian cities. While policy and public attention is nearly fully drawn towards very high level of particulate pollution, the challenge of this emerging toxic gas has not attracted adequate policy attention for mitigation and prevention. Inadequate monitoring, limited data and inappropriate methods of trend analysis have weakened the understanding of this growing toxic risk. Yet the insidious link between ozone and premature deaths representing growing health risk is beginning to get documented in health literature. The most recent 2020 State of Global Air report states that agestandardized rates of death attributable to ozone is among the highest in India and the seasonal 8-hour daily maximum concentrations have recorded one of the highest increases in India between 2010 and 2017-about 17 per cent. This requires deeper understanding of what is going on in different cities and regions to inform mitigation. City and region specific analysis remains a challenge as ozone monitoring is still very limited in India. Therefore, some of the regions like Delhi-NCR that has relatively better network of monitoring, particularly Delhi with 40 monitoring stations, is an opportunity to understand the ozone behavior. This is an emerging concern in India and requires deeper assessment and insight.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
On this World Environment Day, Centre for Science and Environment releases the latest results of ... more On this World Environment Day, Centre for Science and Environment releases the latest results of air quality analysis that shows how air quality trend has changed through the successive seasons during the pandemic times in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). This assessment period is from September 2018 to May 2021 that captures three successive winter seasons, pre and pandemic era and also different stages of lockdown in Delhi and the National Capital Region. The key highlight this time is that the spring time-January to March, when pollution level begins to subside after winter, PM2.5 this year has recorded highest seasonal levels compared to the corresponding period in preceding years including the normal year of 2019. This indicates that despite the partial restrictions the pollution level have increased. While the reason needs investigation, it is important to underscore that there would be a rebound effect with full opening of the economy and intensification of traffic. Pandemic management during the second wave may have slowed down pollution control action but this has to speed up to prevent the rebound effect or retaliatory emissions to ensure longer term air quality gains. This is particularly important given the new science on the linkage between air quality and its effect on vulnerability to the pandemic.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
The worst of winter in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is over. For the purpose of implem... more The worst of winter in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is over. For the purpose of implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) winter in this region is officially defined as from October 15 to February 1. There is a special interest in understanding the winter pollution trend given the extraordinary situation due to the pandemic this year. Winter is the most difficult season in this region due to the atmospheric conditions of inversion, calm wind, and cold conditions. Trapped winter air traps local and regional pollution and creates deadly winter smog. Winter after winter Delhi battles serious challenge of prolonged smoggy days. However, in the time horizon of 2015-2020, several multi-sector action has been initiated as part of the comprehensive clean air action plan as well as graded response action plan. Year-on-year basis annual average of PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build up and severe peaks during winter when pollution is trapped across the region? Therefore, this analysis of winter pollution trend since 2018 helps to build the pattern of change.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
As part of its air quality tracker initiative the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has ca... more As part of its air quality tracker initiative the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has carried out a series of air quality analysis for different regions of the country to get a deeper view of the changing patterns of air quality trends. This seeks to understand the impact of the extraordinary year 2020 that has witnessed one of the biggest disruptions in the recent times. This is an inflexion point but also an indicator of what may change and yet not change despite the disruption. This helps to address some of the basic curiosities related to how low the pollution can get with stopping of activities, regional influence on local air quality, and deeper seasonal patterns that unmask the high local pollution despite the forced change during the lockdown phases. After analyzing the changing trends in Delhi and National Capital region, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, this analysis unravels the pattern in the Indo-Gangetic Plain –the most vulnerable and difficult region from air quality perspective. New analysis of winter pollution until 11 January of this year, carried out shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather like all other regions. While this was expected, the analysis of the real-time data from monitoring stations outside NCR in the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain show newer pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the larger Indo Gangetic Plain is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that of the NCR but it was alarmingly high and synchronized despite large distances. This is the challenge of this landlocked region.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
As the winter season is nearing end and summer trends are setting in across most regions of the c... more As the winter season is nearing end and summer trends are setting in across most regions of the country, understanding the changes in winter pollution trends across regions becomes necessary to know the challenge and depth of action needed to meet the clean air benchmark. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has carried out extensive analysis of real time data from cities of different region to throw light on the difference between 2020-21 winter with the previous winters. This has been a special winter that coincides with the unlocking of the economy post pandemic linked hard lockdown phases. Winter is a special challenge when inversion, and cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution. While the northern Indo Gangetic Plain is most affected, other regions also experience rise but with lesser intensity. But this year even though the average level of PM2.5 during summer and monsoon months was considerably lower than the previous year due to the summer lockdown, the winter PM2.5 concentration has risen compared to 2019 winter in many cities across regions. This bouncing back of pollution post-lockdown unmasks the high impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to curb the winter pollution and also sustain annual improvement at a regional scale with speed.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science ... more New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Greater Mumbai Region as well as other major cities in Maharashtra show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in Greater Mumbai region is not as high as that of the Indo Gangetic Plain due to its proximity to sea and improved ventilation, the levels increase despite the geographical advantages and favourable meteorology.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
This analysis is part of the next in the series of air quality tracker initiative the Centre for ... more This analysis is part of the next in the series of air quality tracker initiative the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to follow changing patterns of air quality trends in different regions of the country. This seeks to understand the impact of the extraordinary year 2020 that has witnessed one of the biggest disruptions in the recent times. This is also an inflexion point at the onset of the new decade. This addresses basic curiosities around the impact of the lockdown, lowering of the regional influence on local air quality, and deeper seasonal patterns that unmask the underlying high trends despite the lockdown phases. After analyzing the changing trends in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Delhi and National Capital region, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, this analysis unravels the pattern in cities of Southern Indiavulnerable but poorly monitored region from air quality perspective.
New analysis of winter pollution until 20 December of this year, done by Centre for Science and E... more New analysis of winter pollution until 20 December of this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Jaipur division as well as other major cities in Rajasthan show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in Rajasthan is not as high as that of the Indo Gangetic Plain but it seems to be catching up, the levels increase this year in identical fashion despite the geographical and meteorological advantage. Even though the overall average level of PM 2.5 for the 2020 (uptill 20 Dec) is lower than the previous year due to the pandemic related to summer lockdown, the PM 2.5 levels in winter rose beyond the standard in Jaipur and rest of Rajasthan. This is a typical and predictable winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and episodic pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. But this year, this trend has set in almost a week earlier in the season and the average PM 2.5 levels in November have been 26-33 per cent higher in Jaipur division compared to previous November. Combination of the reopening of the economy and changing meteorology is responsible. But the region cannot rely only on its advantage of being close to the sea. This demands speed and scale of action. This detailed data analysis points to the fact that the air pollution is a more pervasive problem in the Jaipur region and beyond and this requires quicker reforms and action in key sectors of pollutionvehicles, industry, power plants and waste management to control winter pollution and further bend the annual air pollution curve.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science ... more New analysis of winter pollution until December first week this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Kolkata-Howrah as well as Asansol and Siliguri show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though the overall average level of PM 2.5 for the 11 months in 2020 is considerably lower than the previous year, the PM 2.5 levels in winter spiked to "very poor" levels in the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. This is a typical and predictable winter trend when continuous emissions from local sources including vehicles, industry, construction, and episodic pollution from biomass burning get trapped due to meteorological changes. But this year, there is higher pollution peak and substantial jump due to reopening of the economy. Reforms and action in key sectors of pollutionvehicles, industry, power plants and waste management will have to be scaled up at speed across the region to further bend the annual air pollution curve. Data used in the analysis: The analysis is based on publicly available granular real time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) official online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Four cities-Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol and Siliguri have been selected for this analysis because real time data is available for these cities. This has analysed data recorded by 7 air quality monitoring stations at Kolkata, 3 stations in Howrah, one station each Asansol and Siliguri under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of CPCB. Weather data has been sourced from the Dum Dum weather station of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The reason Centre for Science and Environment Analysis Key highlights Average level of PM 2.5 has been lower during this year due to the lockdown but could not prevent the winter spike: The overall PM 2.5 average this year (until first week of December) has been predictably lower compared to the previous year largely because of the unprecedented economic disruption during the summer lockdown and monsoon. But reopening of the economy coinciding with the onset of the winter trapping pollution made PM 2.5 levels spiral upward starting November hitting record high in early December. From the respective cleanest week weekly average of PM 2.5 in Kolkata rose 13 times, in Howrah 11 times, Asanasol 7 times and in Siliguri 11 times (See Graph 1a: Pollution build-up in 2020 winter (monthly averages); and Graph 1b: Change in weekly PM 2.5 levels). The transient change of the lockdown phases could not be sustained without the systemic changes needed to control pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants, and waste. Graph 1a: Pollution build-up in 2020 winter (monthly averages) Note: Average PM2.5 concentration for a month is based on mean of all CAAQM stations in the city. Worst 24hr average at the citywide level recorded between 1 March-6 December, 2020. Source: CSE analysis of CPCB's real time air quality data Graph 1b: Change in weekly PM 2.5 levels 2020 Note: Average PM2.5 concentration for a week is based on mean of all CAAQM stations in the city. Dirtiest week for Kolkata, Howrah, and Asansol was the week ending on
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
New analysis of the winter pollution until November this year by the Centre for Science and Envir... more New analysis of the winter pollution until November this year by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the deep dive analysis of the realtime data from monitoring stations across Delhi NCR and Delhi expose the changing pattern of winter pollution.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2021
After years of battling air pollution, the time has come to assess what has worked, what has not,... more After years of battling air pollution, the time has come to assess what has worked, what has not, and what more is needed to clean the air of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The real challenge at this juncture is to build ambition, speed and scale of action to push even more difficult and inconvenient solutions. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that gains made so far are not lost. This review by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) aims to further the conversation and propel action.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
The summer of 2020 has been quite different.
The ongoing public health crisis, besides having cau... more The summer of 2020 has been quite different. The ongoing public health crisis, besides having caused unprecedented disruption to business-as usual, has also given us a new prism through which we can view the air pollution crisis. The economic slowdown and implementation of lockdown measures have bent the pollution curve dramatically – blue skies have reappeared over cities where smog used to rule the roost. This report from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) delves deep into an examination of how clean the air actually became. CSE has put the available air quality data under scanner to understand the different dimensions of the change in air quality during the lockdown period. This granular view of pollutant-wise local trends across cities gives an insight into the challenges and how the new normal needs to be shaped.
The severe lockdown and slow reopening of the economy during the COVID19 pandemic has presented a... more The severe lockdown and slow reopening of the economy during the COVID19 pandemic has presented a unique opportunity to understand the trends in electricity consumption in our cities. While diverse uses of electricity —residential, commercial, retail, industry, agriculture among others — add up to contribute to the overall electricity demand in normal times, the lockdown phases have uniquely isolated the influence of residential demand. With economic activities coming to a near halt, only the households remained active users. But this is not a simple and an obvious story of substantial drop in power consumption during hard lockdown. There is in fact, a more complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer lockdown. Not many have noticed this story though; public attention was drawn more towards the visible blue sky during the pandemic. This report unlocks a not-so-obvious, unnoticed story of electricity consumption in Delhi during the pandemic-induced lockdown, and offers a complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer’s lockdown.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2018
On June 8, Delhi’s peak electricity demand broke all previous records, hitting a new high of 6,93... more On June 8, Delhi’s peak electricity demand broke all previous records, hitting a new high of 6,934 megawatt (MW) at 3:28 PM. A new analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released here today, shows how the insidious link between subsidised electricity, rising ambient temperature, growing use of air conditioners (AC) and inadequate central regulations for energy performance of ACs, is triggering the huge demand for electricity in Delhi. CSE has carried out an analysis of electricity consumption this summer to understand the trends and nature of demand in the city, and the likely impact of growing dependence on air conditioning to escape the heat. Electricity consumption data has been sourced from daily and monthly reports of the State Load Dispatch Center, Delhi, the apex body which ensures integrated operation of Delhi’s power system. Historical data has been sourced from the annual and Load Generation Balance Reports of the Central Electricity Authority. Consumer and demographic data is sourced from the Delhi Statistical Handbook, while the weather data source is the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather station at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2016
Centre for Science and Environment has carried out this study to know how energy efficiency of ro... more Centre for Science and Environment has carried out this study to know how energy efficiency of room air conditioners (RAC) perform when outside ambient temperature is variable and high. Room air conditioner is a cooling device that cools closed environments. The amount of electricity that room air conditioners use to do cooling is one of the critical parameters that decide the energy budget of households as well as that of the country. This appliance is inherently an energy guzzler and therefore a climate rogue. Regulations are shaping up across the world as also in India to set tighter energy efficiency targets for RACs, while passive architectural design is being promoted to improve thermal comforts of buildings to reduce its use. As India has also started to set energy efficiency targets for this appliance it is important to understand the real world energy performance under different operative conditions and if the current benchmark and test parameters are adequately designed to deliver on the intended efficiency targets. It is known that climatic stress affects overall efficiency of these systems. But this is also an important reason to review and address testing parameters and standards of these appliances to minimise deviation and margin of deterioration in the real world to ensure targeted savings.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2014
Why is CII Godrej Green Business Centre, umbrella body for Indian Green Building Council, which w... more Why is CII Godrej Green Business Centre, umbrella body for Indian Green Building Council, which was until recently responsible for LEED rating of buildings denying that several LEED rated IT buildings and office buildings are failing to meet the official benchmark for energy performance and misleading all by casting doubt on CSE analysis?
Government must step in immediately to assess the actual energy performance of all rated buildings in operation. Green rating is expected to enjoy enormous official incentives. Without performance monitoring this will be reduced to state sponsored resource guzzling.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
Construction and demolition (C&D) waste poses a serious threat to our environment. Heaps of concr... more Construction and demolition (C&D) waste poses a serious threat to our environment. Heaps of concrete, bricks and metal waste from building construction and infrastructure choke our waterbodies, green areas and public spaces in cities and outside. Huge amounts of toxic dust particles from the debris pollute the air. Rules to manage this waste were notified in 2016, but their implementation on the ground has remained a challenge. Recent critical policy developments are now expected to have a strong bearing on acceleration of C&D waste management in cities. The National Clean Air Programme aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20–30 per cent by 2024 in about 122 cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Clean-air action plans in these cities have included C&D management as part of their clean-air strategies. The other big development is the 15th Finance Commission’s direct allocation of Rs 4,400 crore to urban local bodies (ULBs) for air pollution control. C&D management is the direct responsibility of ULBs, and this funding can catalyse transformation in cities and strongly support Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This report assesses the current preparedness of cities with regard to C&D waste management and presents an action plan with detailed indicators for strategy development and implementation.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2020
India’s National Clean Air Programme has set a goal of 20–30 per cent reduction in particulate ma... more India’s National Clean Air Programme has set a goal of 20–30 per cent reduction in particulate matter pollution by 2024 (using 2017 as the baseline) in cities that do not comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. As these cities and the larger regions they are housed in begin implementation of Clean Air Action Plans, there is no explicit official method to help them analyse and report changes in ambient air quality trends, to establish compliance with clean air targets. Without such a method, data gaps and issues of data availability cannot be addressed properly. In the absence of a method, how will cities leverage the ever-expanding monitoring network (manual as well as real-time) to report better? How do we ensure that reporting compliance with air quality targets becomes a robust process, with effective consequences for non-compliance? How will Delhi and other cities battling pollution know if action is making any difference to air quality? The breadth of the answers to these questions is our breathing space.
Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2019
Ever wondered why we keep ACs at 24°C or lower during summers
and monsoons when we do not switch ... more Ever wondered why we keep ACs at 24°C or lower during summers and monsoons when we do not switch on ACs till the temperature rises above mid-30°C at the beginning of the hot season? Do you know how much (and what percentage of) electricity is consumed by ACs? Can you guess how much electricity will be needed to provide the level of cooling enjoyed by a rich American—Indian—to all? Any idea if modern buildings (and city layouts) make it easier to deal with a climate-stressed world? Are you aware that the government differentiates between thermal comfort in air conditioned and naturally ventilated buildings, measuring the former in terms of 'psychology' and the latter in terms of ‘physiology’, perpetuating the mind–body division between classes? Do you know that the peak electricity consumption is big cities (like Delhi) is shifting from mid-afternoon (the hottest period when most people are in offices) to midnight? Can you fathom the ramifications of the answers to these questions? In this exhaustive report, the first of its kind in the world, Centre for Science and Environment presents before you the Shakespearean tragicomedy of thermal comfort and our response(s) to it.
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Winter after winter Delhi battles serious challenge of prolonged smoggy days. However, in the time horizon of 2015-2020, several multi-sector action has been initiated as part of the comprehensive clean air action plan as well as graded response action plan. Year-on-year basis annual average of PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build up and severe peaks during winter when pollution is trapped across the region? Therefore, this analysis of winter pollution trend since 2018 helps to build the pattern of change.
New analysis of winter pollution until 11 January of this year, carried out shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather like all other regions. While this was expected, the analysis of the real-time data from monitoring stations outside NCR in the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain show newer pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the larger Indo Gangetic Plain is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that of the NCR but it was alarmingly high and synchronized despite large distances. This is the challenge of this landlocked region.
The ongoing public health crisis, besides having caused unprecedented disruption to business-as usual, has also given us a new prism through which we can view the air pollution crisis. The economic slowdown and implementation of lockdown measures have bent the pollution curve dramatically – blue skies have reappeared over cities where smog used to rule the roost.
This report from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) delves deep into an examination of how clean the air actually became. CSE has put the available air quality data under scanner to understand the different dimensions of the change in air quality during the lockdown period. This granular view of pollutant-wise local trends across cities gives an insight into the challenges and how the new normal needs to be shaped.
But this is not a simple and an obvious story of substantial drop in power
consumption during hard lockdown. There is in fact, a more complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer lockdown. Not many have noticed this story though; public attention was drawn more towards the visible blue sky during the pandemic.
This report unlocks a not-so-obvious, unnoticed story of electricity consumption in Delhi during the pandemic-induced lockdown, and offers a complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite
the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer’s lockdown.
CSE has carried out an analysis of electricity consumption this summer to understand the trends and nature of demand in the city, and the likely impact of growing dependence on air conditioning to escape the heat. Electricity consumption data has been sourced from daily and monthly reports of the State Load Dispatch Center, Delhi, the apex body which ensures integrated operation of Delhi’s power system.
Historical data has been sourced from the annual and Load Generation Balance Reports of the Central Electricity Authority. Consumer and demographic data is sourced from the Delhi Statistical Handbook, while the weather data source is the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather station at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
As India has also started to set energy efficiency targets for this appliance it is important to understand the real world energy performance under different operative conditions and if the current benchmark and test parameters are adequately designed to deliver on the intended efficiency targets. It is known that climatic stress affects overall efficiency of these systems. But this is also an important reason to review and address testing parameters and standards of these appliances to minimise deviation and margin of deterioration in the real world to ensure targeted savings.
Government must step in immediately to assess the actual energy performance of all rated buildings in operation. Green rating is expected to enjoy enormous official incentives. Without performance monitoring this will be reduced to state sponsored resource guzzling.
The National Clean Air Programme aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20–30 per cent by 2024 in about 122 cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Clean-air action plans in these cities have included C&D management as part of their clean-air strategies. The other big development is the 15th Finance Commission’s direct allocation of Rs 4,400 crore to urban local bodies (ULBs) for air pollution control. C&D management is the direct responsibility of ULBs, and this funding can catalyse transformation in cities and strongly support Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
This report assesses the current preparedness of cities with regard to C&D waste management and presents an action plan with detailed indicators for strategy development and implementation.
addressed properly.
In the absence of a method, how will cities leverage the ever-expanding monitoring network (manual as well as real-time) to report better? How do we ensure that reporting compliance with air quality targets becomes a robust process, with effective consequences for non-compliance?
How will Delhi and other cities battling pollution know if action is making any difference to air quality? The breadth of the answers to these questions is our breathing space.
Winter after winter Delhi battles serious challenge of prolonged smoggy days. However, in the time horizon of 2015-2020, several multi-sector action has been initiated as part of the comprehensive clean air action plan as well as graded response action plan. Year-on-year basis annual average of PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build up and severe peaks during winter when pollution is trapped across the region? Therefore, this analysis of winter pollution trend since 2018 helps to build the pattern of change.
New analysis of winter pollution until 11 January of this year, carried out shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather like all other regions. While this was expected, the analysis of the real-time data from monitoring stations outside NCR in the larger Indo-Gangetic Plain show newer pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in the larger Indo Gangetic Plain is high compared to other regions, it was not as high as that of the NCR but it was alarmingly high and synchronized despite large distances. This is the challenge of this landlocked region.
The ongoing public health crisis, besides having caused unprecedented disruption to business-as usual, has also given us a new prism through which we can view the air pollution crisis. The economic slowdown and implementation of lockdown measures have bent the pollution curve dramatically – blue skies have reappeared over cities where smog used to rule the roost.
This report from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) delves deep into an examination of how clean the air actually became. CSE has put the available air quality data under scanner to understand the different dimensions of the change in air quality during the lockdown period. This granular view of pollutant-wise local trends across cities gives an insight into the challenges and how the new normal needs to be shaped.
But this is not a simple and an obvious story of substantial drop in power
consumption during hard lockdown. There is in fact, a more complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer lockdown. Not many have noticed this story though; public attention was drawn more towards the visible blue sky during the pandemic.
This report unlocks a not-so-obvious, unnoticed story of electricity consumption in Delhi during the pandemic-induced lockdown, and offers a complex message around the pattern of residential demand. Despite
the lower economic activities compared to previous summers, residential demand remained obstinate and bullish due to higher heat stress and resultant thermal discomfort during this summer’s lockdown.
CSE has carried out an analysis of electricity consumption this summer to understand the trends and nature of demand in the city, and the likely impact of growing dependence on air conditioning to escape the heat. Electricity consumption data has been sourced from daily and monthly reports of the State Load Dispatch Center, Delhi, the apex body which ensures integrated operation of Delhi’s power system.
Historical data has been sourced from the annual and Load Generation Balance Reports of the Central Electricity Authority. Consumer and demographic data is sourced from the Delhi Statistical Handbook, while the weather data source is the India Meteorological Department (IMD) weather station at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
As India has also started to set energy efficiency targets for this appliance it is important to understand the real world energy performance under different operative conditions and if the current benchmark and test parameters are adequately designed to deliver on the intended efficiency targets. It is known that climatic stress affects overall efficiency of these systems. But this is also an important reason to review and address testing parameters and standards of these appliances to minimise deviation and margin of deterioration in the real world to ensure targeted savings.
Government must step in immediately to assess the actual energy performance of all rated buildings in operation. Green rating is expected to enjoy enormous official incentives. Without performance monitoring this will be reduced to state sponsored resource guzzling.
The National Clean Air Programme aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20–30 per cent by 2024 in about 122 cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Clean-air action plans in these cities have included C&D management as part of their clean-air strategies. The other big development is the 15th Finance Commission’s direct allocation of Rs 4,400 crore to urban local bodies (ULBs) for air pollution control. C&D management is the direct responsibility of ULBs, and this funding can catalyse transformation in cities and strongly support Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
This report assesses the current preparedness of cities with regard to C&D waste management and presents an action plan with detailed indicators for strategy development and implementation.
addressed properly.
In the absence of a method, how will cities leverage the ever-expanding monitoring network (manual as well as real-time) to report better? How do we ensure that reporting compliance with air quality targets becomes a robust process, with effective consequences for non-compliance?
How will Delhi and other cities battling pollution know if action is making any difference to air quality? The breadth of the answers to these questions is our breathing space.
and monsoons when we do not switch on ACs till the temperature rises
above mid-30°C at the beginning of the hot season? Do you know how
much (and what percentage of) electricity is consumed by ACs? Can
you guess how much electricity will be needed to provide the level of
cooling enjoyed by a rich American—Indian—to all? Any idea if modern
buildings (and city layouts) make it easier to deal with a climate-stressed world? Are you aware that the government differentiates
between thermal comfort in air conditioned and naturally ventilated
buildings, measuring the former in terms of 'psychology' and the latter
in terms of ‘physiology’, perpetuating the mind–body division between
classes? Do you know that the peak electricity consumption is big cities
(like Delhi) is shifting from mid-afternoon (the hottest period when most
people are in offices) to midnight? Can you fathom the ramifications of
the answers to these questions?
In this exhaustive report, the first of its kind in the world, Centre for
Science and Environment presents before you the Shakespearean
tragicomedy of thermal comfort and our response(s) to it.