India is taking the first step in curbing down pollution !!! hurrah!!!

Govt plans Rs 1 lakh/day fine for missing energy saving target

On Wednesday 30 March 2011, 2:28 PM
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Power Ministry plans to impose huge penalties of over Rs 1 lakh per day on industries that fail to achieve energy efficiency targets under the three-year Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) programme starting April 1.
PAT, which aims to increase industrial energy efficiency, is expected to bring down energy consumption by 5 per cent, amounting to an avoided capacity of over 5,600 MW over the three-year period.
There would be strict penalties, as well as an incentives, for industries participating in PAT, starting April 1. The penalties would be more than Rs 1 lakh per day, apart from some other charges based on tonnes of oil equivalent consumption, a senior Power Ministry official told PTI.
"Those entities that fail to achieve the targets will have to pay huge penalties. Other (entities) that perform better will be awarded Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts), which can be traded," the official said.
Entities that are short of targets can also buy these certificates to make up for the shortfall.
Eight industries, which account for over 50 per cent of energy consumption, would be a part of PAT. These are: cement, thermal power plants, pulp & paper, textile, fertiliser, iron & steel, aluminium and chlor-alkali industries.
PAT is expected to result in electricity savings corresponding to about 9.78 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent. This would be more than 5,600 MW of avoided capacity (which otherwise need to be added).
The programme will end on March 31, 2014.
The basic aim of PAT is to bring down energy consumption and the programme has been finalised after many rounds of meetings and consultation with the stakeholders.
An initiative of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), the programme will be implemented by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
As per BEE, ESCerts would be traded on special trading platforms to be created on the two power exchanges. Data on traded prices, traded volumes and trends would also be maintained on the bourses.

Indian Hotels initiate green practices

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces have launched EARTH (Environment Awareness and Renewal at Taj Hotels), a movement that works to minimise the impact of its businesses on the environment. The initiatives under this include environmental training for all employees, energy audits every three years, and a phased reduction of freshwater consumption.

Mentioned below are some measures that the group has taken for making their hotels and chains eco-friendly.

Waste management: In hotels where land is available, kitchen waste and dry leaves are converted into compost; waste paper from printing is reused as writing pads; pipe steel waste is used as safety railings or in barricades; and old bed sheets are used to make linen bags and cotton napkins.

Conserving energy: Taj hotels use CFL lights, which consume 78 per cent less energy; Taj Coromandel, Chennai, generates energy from windmills; solar water heating systems at the Taj West End, Bangalore, have saved over 51,000 litres of fuel over the last three years; a biogas plant at Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, helps in cutting energy cost.

Ecosensitivity: Located in a sensitive ecological zone, the Taj Exotica, Maldives, focuses on waste management. The use of plastic bags is restricted and hazardous substances such as lead acid batteries are sent to Thilafushi Island, a landfill area allocated for refuse. The Taj Coral Reef, located on a tropical atoll, takes great care to protect the delicate ecosystem of the coral reefs. Trees are planted near the beach and extraction of sand from the beach is not permitted. Organic wastes are processed and converted to fish food. Non bio-degradable waste products are either incinerated or routed to Thilafushi Island.

At Lake Palace, Udaipur, which stands in the middle of the famous Pichola Lake, the Taj takes care to avoid spoiling the lake water and harming its marine life. The hotel uses battery-operated boats instead of those powered by gasoline, and wastewater is recycled and used for irrigation.

The Taj Garden Retreat at Kumarakom, is located near the Vembanad Lake and the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary that is a favourite haunt of several species of migratory birds. The hotel uses special lighting to reduce the glare so as not to disturb animal life, and wastewater is treated before being discharged.

Adyar Poonga - Environmental Educational Activities

Chennai: School and college students, and members of the public who intend to take a sneak peak at the scenic Adyar Poonga before it is thrown open to the public in January 2011 can do so by participating in the environmental education activities organized at the eco park from May 3, 2010.

According to Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund officials, several activities will be conducted as part of weekly summer camps to students of all ages and even to the public to raise awareness about environmental education. Those interested can contact the Adyar Poonga on 04428153103 and make registrations.

Earth Care Awards 2010!

The Times of India in association with JSW organises the "Earth Care Awards 2010"

The Earth Care Awards is unique and is aimed at highlighting action of direct relevance to India to tackle challenges posed by climate change.

The award is for excellence in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This is in response to the recently growing consciousness about issues associated with climate change and that it is important to identify and foster locally evolved options to reduce missions, approaches to protect land and water resources and other innovations for reducing impacts, emphasizing appropriate environmental action. The present second edition of the award will focus on three important areas, signifying action by industries, collaborative action by industry and community and by individuals covering a wide range of stakeholders.


Award Categories:


* Community based Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate change with respect to Water resources, Land use, Land use-Change and Forestry
* Innovation for Climate protection
* GHG mitigation in Small & Medium and Large Enterprises.

As far as I am concern the award might go to ITC. ITC has been ‘Carbon Positive’ four years in a row (sequestering/ storing twice the amount of CO2 that the Company emits.

To apply visit
http://gogreen.timesofindia.com or you can write to gaurav.bansal@timesgroup.com

Application deadline is 30 May 2010

Finally I am happy that India is thnking about going Green and sustainability.
Jai ho! India!!!

Star rated Air conditioners!!! Is it really worth buying star rated air conditioners (ac s)

Most websites on air conditioning ratings are now recommending you to buy an ENERGY STAR rated AC. Will these energy saving air conditioners will undoubtedly save you money? Yes it will when compared to the cheapest, least efficient on the market (since the ENERGY STAR ones will be at least 10% more efficient). The star rated will definitely be more efficient than anything more than 8 or 10 years old, because as they become less efficient with time and more over they have out dated electro mechanical parts.

I have done a small calculation based on the wattage consumption and found out the following savings could be achieved by using a 5 star rated Ac over a 0 star rated AC.

Let us consider a small house:

No of operating hours for AC per day: 6 hours
No of days in a year : 300 years ( leaving out 65 days for outing and other things)

AC tonne : 1.5 tonne

Electricity charges : Chennai, India rates are applied


The total energy bill for a '5' star rated Air conditioner for the above configuration and operating pattern is : Rs. 6793 per year

The total energy bill for a '0' star rated Air conditioner for the above configuration and operating pattern would be : Rs. 9887 per year


So you save Rs. 3094 directly on energy bills in addition to that you have reduced your CO2 emissions by saving energy.

In principle nod for energy saving concept

Energy Efficiency Project in Tamilnadu, India - Gets a kick start!!!
Hurray !!!

21 April 2010

CHENNAI: The State government on Tuesday approved, in principle, the concept of energy savings through energy servicing companies (ESCOs) in urban local bodies.

Kumbakonam and Sivakasi municipalities will be covered on a trial basis, according to a senior official in the Municipal Administration Directorate. Totally, 29 municipalities will be taken up in three instalments.

The project envisages energy savings through improved performance of electrical equipment. For instance, the local bodies maintain street lights. A conservative estimate reveals that the power bills cost them Rs.30 lakh-Rs. 40 lakh annually.

A preliminary energy audit study, covering 45 municipalities, indicated that there was a possibility of 30 per cent energy savings.

Only 29 municipalities have now been chosen because the maintenance of street lights has been privatised in the remaining municipalities such as Tambaram, Alandur and Pallavaram.

The municipalities selected do not have to incur expenditure to implement the project. The identified ESCOs will study the profile of their energy consumption and replace existing street lights with energy-efficient ones. Better degree of automation will also be achieved while switching on or off the lights. The value of energy thus saved will be shared between the companies and the municipalities, depending upon the terms of reference, the official explains.

Among the advantages of the project that the local bodies may accrue are the reduction in their expenditure, additional revenue through carbon trading and re-deployment.

In August last, a workshop with elected representatives of the identified urban local bodies was held to disseminate the concept.

The representatives wanted the government to issue an order, giving its approval to the concept in principle.

'CW 2010 offer great opportunity for India'

Brand Equity got in a candid conversation with the Secretary to the government of India and director general on tourism to get an insight into preparations for Commonwealth Games. Excerpts:

What is the roadmap to put India further on the global tourism map?

During the current year, the XIX Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi in October 2010 offers a great opportunity for India to showcase its vast and diversified culture, heritage and rich history. Tourism in our country derives its strength from the diversity of its product . There is great potential for growth of new and niche products like adventure, rural, eco and wellness tourism which will bring about dispersal of tourists, as each area of the country offers some unique experience and take tourism to the next level.

More vigorous promotion of Incredible India brand will be undertaken in the overseas markets — focused print, electronic, online and outdoor media campaigns in the source markets. Road shows in association with tourism stakeholders would be undertaken to promote niche tourism products such as medical & wellness tourism, cruise tourism, caravan tourism, heliport tourism, MICE tourism, etc. The Visa on arrival scheme has recently been introduced for the citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore and this facility is expected to provide a quantum jump in foreign tourist arrivals to India from these markets.

Road shows are being organized in these countries, to generate greater awareness about introduction of the scheme and to ensure that maximum number of eligible tourists is able to avail the benefit of the facility. Infrastructural facilities in the country are being augmented in a well planned manner, in partnership with the State Governments and the private sector. Destinations/circuits which are frequented by a large number of tourists have been identified, for integrated development as mega projects. modernization of major airports in the country has been undertaken through Public - Private Partnership. Measures are being initiated to augment hotel accommodation in major metros and tourist destinations in the country and a "Bed & Breakfast" scheme has been launched which would give tourists the opportunity to stay with an Indian family and experience Indian customs and traditions.


What are the incentives/help extended by the centre to the respective states?

The Ministry of Tourism extends financial assistance to State Governments / Union Territories for the development and promotion of tourism and upgradation of tourist infrastructure at tourism destinations and circuits, on the basis of specific proposals received from them, subject to availability of funds and interse priority, under the following schemes: Product / Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits Assistance for Large Revenue Generating Projects Computerization and Information Technology Fairs, Festivals & Events Rural Tourism - Infrastructure and Capacity Building for Service Providers The Ministry of Tourism also extends support to the North East States, Jammu & Kashmir and the newly formed states of Uttarakhand , Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh for production of publicity collaterals on 50:50 cost sharing basis.

What are the challenges enountered when it comes to developing tourism?

Tourism is a state subject and development of tourism infrastructure is largely the responsibility of the states / UTs. Moreover, tourism as an activity involves not only the ministry of tourism, but a large number of Ministries that are responsible for providing the basic infrastructure and facilities required for development of tourism, e.g. ministries of external affairs, home affairs, railways, civil aviation, road transport, culture, etc.

Very often, the steps required for the development of tourism are not directly under the purview of the ministry of tourism and need to be taken up and pursued with the concerned ministries. Some of the other challenges faced in promoting and developing tourism in the country are : India is a long-haul destination for tourist generating countries such as USA and countries in Europe. High room tariffs in hotels in India Lack of hygiene and solid waste management at tourist places. Lack of world class infrastructure facilities and amenities at all tourist centres. Safety concerns Competition from countries in South and South-East Asia, such as Maldives, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Lack of direct air connectivity from some key source markets.

Dust, vanishing greenery threaten Taj

Agra: The Taj Mahal and other heritage monuments in and around Agra are facing a major threat from dust-laden air. Unabated construction is making the city's green cover disappear and drying up water bodies, adding to the dust levels.

"The collision (of the dust with the marble) results in micro-scratches that retain moisture which attracts pollutants and gaseous substances," said PC Gupta, head of the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) chemical department.

The dry westerlies from the Rajasthan desert are sand-blasting the white marble mausoleum and the first question in the minds of many tourists visiting the Taj is whether it is turning yellow?

The suspended particulate matter (SPM) level in the ambient air around the Taj Mahal is over 350 micrograms per cubic metre, much above the permissible standard of 100. In the city and around other monuments, it could be much higher, Gupta told a news agency.

The chief reasons are the rapid increase in vehicular movement, lack of water in Yamuna river and poor afforestation on the western periphery of the city, he said.

Surendra Sharma, president of Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, questioned the success and validity of a whole lot of exercises undertaken to bring down the air pollution level when the SPM and dust levels have not come down.

The abnormally high temperature in March and April have dried up all water sources and the dust storms have raised the SPM level to a new high.

Mughal emperor Akbar's abandoned capital at Fatehpur Sikri is equally threatened by illegal mining activity all around and lack of water to green the surroundings.

No government department has any idea or plan to remove the garbage dumps that have come up on 80 acres of the incomplete Taj Heritage corridor - work on which was ordered to be stopped by the Supreme Court in 2003 - between the Taj and the Agra Fort.

"The Supreme Court has done justice by staying the development of corridor at the site. However, the unfinished project is actually causing lots of environmental problems," said Ritesh K Sharma, an activist of rights group LegalMitra.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) officials have said repeatedly that the dust level in the whole Taj trapezium cannot come down until there is massive tree plantation all around and water in the river Yamuna round the year. The ASI last year sent a proposal for a barrage on the river but no action has been taken.

Despite crores of rupees spent over the past 15 years, the Yamuna behind the Taj is still dry. Urging efforts to save the river, Mughal historian R Nath said: "The water in the river will absorb all the pollution and dust and also strengthen the base of the massive structure."

Stretches of green cover along the Western periphery of the city and the southern side have vanished to make way for residential colonies. Community ponds have also disappeared and there is no trace of the dozen-odd Mughal gardens and with only their names like Bagh Farzana, Begum Samru Ka Bagh, Bagh Muzaffar Khan and so on surviving.

Road building activity all around the Delhi-Kolkata national highway, the Jaipur-Agra highway, and now the Jaypee group's most ambitious expressway connecting Greater Noida to Agra along the river bank have also taken a heavy toll on trees and greenery.

The new townships proposed to be built by the expressway authority all the way from Noida to Agra will further deplete the green resources.

"They are spending tonnes of money on questionable projects within the city in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, but the general maintenance of the monuments and the surroundings has remained miserably poor," conservationist Ravi Singh told a news agency.

"Encroachments have not been removed and conservation work has not been taken up to facelift the historical monuments that dot the city. The focus is too Taj-centric."

Scientists are reporting that "biochar" -- a material that the Amazonian Indians used to enhance soil fertility centuries ago -- has potential in the modern world to help slow global climate change. Mass production of biochar could capture and sock away carbon that otherwise would wind up in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.


Their report appears in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a bi-weekly journal.

Kelli Roberts and colleagues note that biochar is charcoal produced by heating wood, grass, cornstalks or other organic matter in the absence of oxygen. The heat drives off gases that can be collected and burned to produce energy. It leaves behind charcoal rich in carbon.

Amazonian Indians mixed a combination of charcoal and organic matter into the soil to improve soil fertility, a fact that got the scientists interested in studying biochar's modern potential.

The study involved a "life-cycle analysis" of biochar production, a comprehensive cradle-to-grave look at its potential in fighting global climate change and all the possible consequences of using the material. It concludes that several biochar production systems have the potential for being an economically viable way of sequestering carbon -- permanently storing it -- while producing renewable energy and enhancing soil fertility.
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Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

1. Roberts et al. Life Cycle Assessment of Biochar Systems: Estimating the Energetic, Economic, and Climate Change Potential. Environmental Science & Technology, 2010; 44 (2): 827 DOI: 10.1021/es902266r