Here’s a thread based on #ParliamentAnswers on where India stands on a threat bigger than #Covid19.
A bigger health & economic threat already playing out (& likely to outlast the covid nightmare)
#povertytraps #cyclones #extremeweather 1/n
(pic:LS site)
@a_khosla @UrbanEmissions

Is #ClimateChange causing loss of life, economic loss in India?
The govt says a “causal link… has not been established.” http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=15914&lsno=17
However it is working on the “resilience of... systems to climate & disaster risks”

Has #ClimateChange impacted agriculture, water resources in India?

Govt: “overall impact of climate change… is anticipated in terms of rise in extreme events... flood, drought frequency, intensity of rainfall…”
http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=14727&lsno=17
@Ajayvirjakhar @CSTEP_India

The #climatechange risk #Mumbai #Chennai etc face?
India’s report to the UN “indicates” that “impacts of climate change will be particularly severe” in low-elevation coastal zones including mega cities http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=14682&lsno=17
#sealevel
@AUThackeray @rsutaria @iitmpune

More: Indian govt’s response to a direct question on “Impact of global #climatechange”
It’s “... likely to affect irrigated agriculture, installed power capacity, environmental flows in the dry season and wet season.”

Incidentally, interesting nugget in the reply - a table of how much the sea level has risen in these 10 Indian coastal places:
https://pqars.nic.in/annex/251/AU1162.pdf

On #AirPollution the govt denies there's “conclusive data… to establish a direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution.”
http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=13905&lsno=17
Although this #ICMR note links over a million deaths in India to air pollution https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/press_realease_files/Press.pdf

This is astonishing
Despite the #airpollution crisis, an astonishing 44% #job vacancies exist in states’ pollution control boards, 15% at the Centre
http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=13922&lsno=17
79 vacancies in @CPCB vs 521 sanctioned; & 4,163 of 9,440 sanctioned in #SPCBs
@UrbanEmissions

November ’19 saw #airpollution shut schools, cancel/delay flights, worst disruption in years.

This was despite, the govt says, a “reduction of about 18.8% & 31% in active fire incidents in Punjab, Haryana, UP in 2019 over the figures for 2018 & '17
https://pqars.nic.in/annex/251/AS312.pdf

Where the govt acknowledged Right to #CleanAir is a #FundamentalRight re an NGT order “... constitutional mandate that right to clean air is a fundamental right”
http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/QResult15.aspx?qref=14682&lsno=17

[Meanwhile India’s behind it’s #RenewableEnergy target
Installed capacity as of March ’19 was ~86 GW.
In < 2 years this has to double to 175 GW, govt’s '22 target
Doable given the pandemic?]
https://www.prsindia.org/theprsblog/impact-covid-19-power-sector
http://164.100.47.193/lsscommittee/Energy/17_Energy_3.pdf