Pollutants in Kolkata air- Water sprinkling will not achieve much
The average level of PM (particulate matter) 2.5 in Kolkata’s air last year was more than 1.5 times the national standard and more than 13 times the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
PM2.5,considered the most toxic, can enter deep into the lungs and trigger a range of critical diseases, including cancer.
The city needs to address “big items like pollution from vehicles” to minimise air pollution.
According to Bengal’s transport minister, the city’s pollution scene is “scary”.
Sprinkling water on roads will not achieve much.
Household emission accounts for the maximum share of PM 2.5 in the city — 28 per cent share. This is followed by road dust (25 per cent) and emission from vehicles (24 per cent).
The big-ticket problems like the vehicle count or automobile pollution are being ignored, while focus continues on water sprinkling.
There is an increasing demand for natural gas in regional economies across various sectors. But the barriers are slowing the transition from coal to natural gas.
In South Asia, natural gas is predominantly consumed in the power and industrial sectors. In India, gas is largely used by fertilizer and power plants. In 2020, it accounted for only 4.5% of electricity generation, whereas coal represented 72%.
Infrastructure build for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, combined with gradual pricing reform policies can potentially help overcome the barriers.
There is still funding available from World Bank institutions for midstream, LNG, and gas-fired power projects. The World Bank recently published its Climate Change Plan 2021–2025, which states that the extraction and use of coal and peat are not aligned with the plan, but that natural gas remains an option to meet urgent demand.
At the current pace a significant deployment of green hydrogen in South Asia seems unlikely over the next eight to ten years, as green hydrogen is still expensive and lacks global scale.
Though it makes economic and environmental sense for the countries to reduce their energy imports by investing in renewable energy, India is increasingly dependent on LNG imports because domestic production has not increased in line with the growth of consumption. For example, in India, natural gas consumption only grew by 0.3% in 2020–19, whereas domestic gas production dropped by 11.9% due to depletion of resources and insufficient pricing policies. more
PM2.5,considered the most toxic, can enter deep into the lungs and trigger a range of critical diseases, including cancer.
The city needs to address “big items like pollution from vehicles” to minimise air pollution.
According to Bengal’s transport minister, the city’s pollution scene is “scary”.
Sprinkling water on roads will not achieve much.
Household emission accounts for the maximum share of PM 2.5 in the city — 28 per cent share. This is followed by road dust (25 per cent) and emission from vehicles (24 per cent).
The big-ticket problems like the vehicle count or automobile pollution are being ignored, while focus continues on water sprinkling.
There is an increasing demand for natural gas in regional economies across various sectors. But the barriers are slowing the transition from coal to natural gas.
In South Asia, natural gas is predominantly consumed in the power and industrial sectors. In India, gas is largely used by fertilizer and power plants. In 2020, it accounted for only 4.5% of electricity generation, whereas coal represented 72%.
Infrastructure build for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, combined with gradual pricing reform policies can potentially help overcome the barriers.
There is still funding available from World Bank institutions for midstream, LNG, and gas-fired power projects. The World Bank recently published its Climate Change Plan 2021–2025, which states that the extraction and use of coal and peat are not aligned with the plan, but that natural gas remains an option to meet urgent demand.
At the current pace a significant deployment of green hydrogen in South Asia seems unlikely over the next eight to ten years, as green hydrogen is still expensive and lacks global scale.
Though it makes economic and environmental sense for the countries to reduce their energy imports by investing in renewable energy, India is increasingly dependent on LNG imports because domestic production has not increased in line with the growth of consumption. For example, in India, natural gas consumption only grew by 0.3% in 2020–19, whereas domestic gas production dropped by 11.9% due to depletion of resources and insufficient pricing policies. more
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Efforts are to be multiplied to secure affordable energy supplies to meet the needs of the Asia's third largest economy. Long term supply contracts from the US to Australia and with Russia supplements domestic gas supplies. Gas demand is already above pre-COVID levels and will continue to rise as CGDs expand for CNG and PNG supplies in more areas and also for fertilizer plants. Gas transmission volumes and trading volumes are also expected to rise. Natural gas is a transition fuel to reach net-zero goal by specified time. LNG production is also striving to be carbon neutral by incorporating CCS(Carbon Capture and Storage) programs as some areas have large geological storage potential, energy efficiency measures, use of renewables in LNG production. Aim is to reduce carbon footprint in LNG value chain - a sustainable reduction of CO2 emission in LNG production. This require partnership where each partner brings in best- in- class technologies and combine know- how to explore production of low carbon LNG. more
Feb 11
Agree. Diesel the main cause of pollution. This more so since private vehicles too have been dieselised. With NG abandantly available within the neighbourhood, and the technology too thereof having matured, this switch should have been made, at the bus level running public transport. Increase scoping and thus also the scale, whether in transportation, that too private and public, or cooking gas, will make the necessity, thereby the economics thereof, stronger. more
Feb 10
Consumption potential of natural gas in Kolkata need to increase. CGD (city gas distribution) networks can supply CNG to automobiles and PNG for domestic needs. Natural gas is not that polluting as diesel. Buses and heavy duty vehicles are diesel run and cause pollution - they can be fitted with CNG cylinders instead and so their contribution to pollution may reduce. LNG terminals at Haldia (KoPT -Kolkata Posrt Trust - now called SMP - Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port Trust) could have raised the supply potential of natural gas to Kolkata and adjoining areas. But there have been no updates since 2019. Essar won the bid for setting up the LNG terminals with regasification at a cost of Rs 1500 crores for 1mtpa receiving capacity and reportedly the project should have been completed by 2020 - but there have been no development updates. LNG terminals are also proposed to be built by H-Energy and V- LNG for about 5MT and 1MT capacity respectively. These can bring LNG tankers to Haldia for storage and regasification. Clean natural gas then flow to Kolkata by pipelines etc. Contemplated to be completed in phases, completion may extend to 2024 as the work advances. As the natural gas availability increases along with supporting infrastructure, coal to gas switch is the other possibility that can potentially reduce pollution. more
Feb 10
Why is there such a huge price difference between the price of diesel and petrol, more than Rs.14 in Kolkata, incentiviseing people to purchase and drive vehicles that run on diesel. Diesel has over 10 times higher emissions from internal combustion engine than petrol! Are the rich there environmentally conscious thereby favouring the costlier petrol. Of course EV Secondly, rains help in keeping the air clean, washing away suspended particulate matter. More rain helps keeping environment clean. Perhaps the Kolkata's compact city form more favourable for transit oriented development that would also check transportation caused pollution. Distances there are lesser. more
Feb 09
