Climate Emergency

Bihar has the lowest electricity consumption per person in India, mostly due to lack of power availability. The government is now focusing on solar energy projects, like rooftop installations, floating solar panels, and solar street lights, to boost clean energy. But is this solar energy boom in Bihar addressing the energy poverty challenge? Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya travelled to the neighbour...

In this final episode in the Joshimath series, Sudeshna Chowdhury speaks to an anthropologist, Lokesh Ohri who talks about how ancient rituals had always held nature in high esteem and how a sustainable development model is paramount for protecting the Himalayas. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

The Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project undertaken by NTPC since 2006 is the biggest bone of contention between the people of Joshimath and the government. Residents say that it is this project that has caused disaster in the region. On the other hand, government representatives have steered away from blaming the NTPC for the disaster. Sudeshna Chowdhury speaks to different parties to unravel the...

Studies in the 1970s indicated that the town is located in a fragile area rendering the region unsuitable for construction of massive infrastructural projects. In this episode, Sudeshna Chowdhury speaks to scientists and environmentalists to understand the landscape of the place and what lies beneath its earth that makes it susceptible to land subsidence. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privac...

Joshimath, an ancient spiritual town in Uttarakhand, is facing an existential threat due to land subsidence or urban sinking. Future of people who call this town their home is uncertain. The entire region has been divided into danger zones and safe zones. Some residents seek compensation to give up their homes while some don’t want to move at all. Sudeshna Chowdhury visits the town and speaks to r...

This summer, temperatures in India soared beyond 45 degrees Celsius, sparking discussions about the necessity of cooling as a fundamental need rather than a luxury. In India, fans, coolers and later air conditioners have been effectively used for seeking comfort from the heat. But with rising CO2 levels, experts have expressed the need for sustainable cooling methods.  In countries with modern and...

In the past few years, Jharkhand has seen extreme climate shifts which have affected the forests. The forests are home to various forest flowers, fruits, roots and stems that have been used for medicinal, consumption, healing, trade and many purposes and some have also been used as a livelihood measure. Many products have also been used in urban centres in daily cooking, like lac and tamarind. The...

Extreme heat this summer has indicated the need for a robust urban cooling system. It shows an urgent need to build community cooling centres which can be accessed by the most vulnerable groups such as the urban poor, women and elderly.  To understand the challenges and solutions for urban cooling in Indian cities, Suno India’s  Sneha Richhariya  spoke to  Abhiyant Tiwari , who is the lead climate...

This year, Delhi faced severe heat waves with temperatures that soared past 45 degrees on several days. The most vulnerable people—those who live in informal settlements—suffered the brunt of this extreme weather.  The Union Health Ministry and India Meteorological Department issued public health advisories as heatwave conditions persisted in various parts of the country. The advisories talk about...

There is a strong belief that recycled plastic is always good for the environment, and is safe to use. But increasing, increasing evidence shows that recycled plastic should be used with caution. Toxics Link , a Delhi based  environmental research and advocacy organisation conducted a research to assess the toxic contaminants in recycled plastic products that were recycled in Delhi.  As part of th...

As part of an aggressive push on solar, there is a strong emphasis on establishing “ solar cities ” in Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya is being developed as a model solar city under the Solar City program in Uttar Pradesh. How far is Ayodhya from becoming a Solar city? How will the Solar City initiative change Ayodhya and the lives of its people? Where do people stand in Ayodhya’s Solar city dreams?  Suno...

Connecting more and more people with solar energy has become an election plank for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Under the  PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana , announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Ram Mandir was consecrated in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, 10 million poor and middle-class households in India are supposed to get residential rooftop solar.  In this series, Suno Indi...

On April 6, 2024, the Supreme Court gave a landmark  judgement bringing the right to be free from adverse effects of climate change within the ambit of fundamental rights.  Indian jurisprudence had earlier held that people had a right to clean air and a clean environment. The right to be free from adverse effects of climate change is a new addition. This flows naturally from the right to life, and...

The cooling industry contributes significantly to global CO2 emissions. As pressure mounts to address climate impacts, there's a crucial need for the industry to overhaul its manufacturing and disposal practices of appliances.  But how are your cooling appliances making the climate worse? What exactly is energy efficiency and what makes an appliance energy-efficient? What role can the consumers pl...

On 17th March 2024, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Capital notified the new Delhi Solar Policy, 2024 , rolling out larger incentives and subsidies for people to install solar power systems at their homes and businesses. The vision is to make solar energy accessible and affordable for all consumers in Delhi.  In the past months, the government has repeatedly promoted the policy that ap...

In early March 2024, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted a hot summer this year, with above-normal temperatures and an above-normal number of heatwave days from March to May. On 5th March 2024, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), a specialised agency of the UN, said in a media release that the 2023-24 El Niño , one of the five strongest on record, has peaked and is gradual...

We're seeing what is being called one of the worst droughts in recent years in Karnataka. Bangalore has become unliveable. Bangalore has access to only half the amount of water that it needs on a daily basis. There's no water in many high and mid-rise buildings, gated colonies. The government is rationing out water tankers, construction using the adjacent Kaveri river is banned, new bore wells are...

Access to clean cooking has been on the radar of policymakers for several decades. With over half of rural households still using traditional, polluting cooking methods, the need for cleaner alternatives is more pressing than ever.  In this episode of Climate Emergency, Suno India’s  Sneha Richhariya  speaks to  Noble Varghese , who has studied India’s transition to e-cooking. Why should we think...

More than 500 people lost their lives in human-wildlife conflict between January 2000 to December 2023, as per the data gathered by the forest department. In 2023 alone, more than 20 persons died of conflict with leopards in the state. The state’s Living with Leopards programme is trying to mitigate these conflicts. The programme that originated in Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park kicked off a...

Efforts towards fighting plastic pollution are being made by governments across the world. India is also speeding up its fight against plastic pollution. On July 1, 2022, a ban was imposed on single-use plastic items. This ban was ambitious, covering 19 items.  In this episode, Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya  tries to dig deep and understand all about single-use plastics. She speaks to retail shopk...

On 21st and 22nd December, 2023, authorities in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district cleared thousands of trees over hundreds of hectares for the phase-2 extension of coal mines in the Hasdeo Arand forest.  Over the past one decade, Adivasis have been a part of a struggle to save Hasdeo Arand forests that stretch across over 1,500 km through Chhattisgarh. The area is home to India’s tribal communities,...

In this episode, Rakesh Kamal, host of of the Climate Emergency Podcast sits down with Disha Ravi, a prominent voice from an environmental awareness youth group, Fridays for Future India. She talks about the expectations and aspirations of the youth as they are participating in the critical climate change negotiations at COP28 in Dubai. Disha shares her realistic insights into the role of young ac...

The climate change conference, COP28, where the world gathered to make agreements to solve the climate crisis, has wrapped up in Dubai. It's now a crucial moment for assessment and contemplation. Was the conference effective? Are we progressing as planned to achieve the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement? And, importantly, is the Global South experiencing upliftment or facing neglect? Clima...

In this episode of "Climate Emergency," host Rakesh Kamal engages in a conversation with Vaibhav Chaturvedi, a fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a leading think tank in Asia. He delves into the heart of the global stocktake (GST) in climate change negotiations, unraveling key developments and emerging trends witnessed at COP28 in Dubai. Vaibhav Chaturvedi brings a weal...

Join host Rakesh Kamal in this episode of "Climate Emergency" as he sits down with Arun Krishnan from the Climate Policy Initiative to delve into one of the most contested issue at COP28 in Dubai "the Global Goal on Adaptation". As the world gears up for outcomes from COP28 in Dubai, Arun sheds light on the challenges that lie ahead and opportunities that are being missed. Gain insights into the c...