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Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
NGT seeks replies over palm tree felling in state
Patna: The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB), the state's disaster management department, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and others in connection with the widespread felling of palm trees in Bihar, which, it is believed, is contributing to a rise in lightning-related deaths. The NGT's principal bench in New Delhi took suo motu cognisance of a news report titled "Are missing palm trees causing more lightning deaths in Bihar", published in TOI on May 29, 2025. "The news item relates to the large-scale felling of toddy-yielding palm trees, which is stated to have contributed to a rise in lightning-related deaths with over 2,000 lives lost since 2016 in Bihar. According to the article, the widespread cutting of palm trees is directly linked to a sharp increase in lightning-related fatalities. It highlights that dozens of towering palm trees are being felled, leading to more frequent lightning strikes that result in deaths. The article notes that after the ban on toddy tapping due to Bihar's prohibition policy, palm trees lost their economic value and have since been widely cut down. This ecological loss appears to have made rural areas more vulnerable to lightning strikes with the state recording over 2,000 lightning-related deaths since 2016," the principal bench, comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, stated in its order on June 5. The bench further observed, "The news item mentions that according to the Bihar Economic Survey and the disaster management department, lightning strikes claimed 2,446 lives between 2016 and April 2025 with rural population being the worst affected. The article states that the number of lightning deaths began to rise following the rampant felling of palm trees. The Annual Lightning Report 2023-2024 states that lightning strikes claimed as many as 2,937 lives in Bihar between 2014 and 2024. " According to the tribunal's order, the most severely affected districts include Aurangabad, Patna, Nalanda, Kaimur, Rohtas, Bhojpur and Buxar. The highest incidence of lightning-related deaths occurs between 12.30pm and 4.30pm, when many people are outdoors for work. The article also mentioned that the south-central region of Bihar is more prone to lightning strikes than other parts of the state. The order added, "In addition, the Bihar Rashtriya Pasi Sena, a platform representing the Pasi community, which has traditionally been involved in toddy tapping, has found that the area under palm tree cultivation in Bihar has decreased by 40%. The article further notes that the planting of palm trees has almost stopped." Citing the seriousness of the issue, the NGT bench noted, "The matter seems to attract the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Hence, we implead the BSPCB, the CPCB, the additional chief secretary of the state's disaster management department and the regional office of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change, as respondents in the matter." The bench directed that, "Replies/responses may be filed by the respondents before the eastern zone bench of this tribunal at Kolkata at least one week before the date of next hearing on Aug 7."
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Isotopic study of dust particles undertaken to understand their impact on environment'
With several cities in the state being hotspots of air pollution, Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has initiated some necessary steps to reduce the load and ensure a safe environment for people. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In an exclusive interview by B K Mishra, BSPCB chairman Devendra Kumar Shukla has said the board has recently launched an isotopic study of dust particles in collaboration with National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, for identifying their source. Excerpts: Bihar is ranked among one of the most polluted regions in the world. Why? Some pockets of Bihar are certainly considered hotspots of air pollution mainly due to the large concentration of dust particles in atmosphere, but due to the recent initiatives of the BSPCB, the position has improved considerably. Recently released World Air Quality Report, 2025, by Swiss firm IQAir has shown signs of improvement in several towns. Notably, Patna's position has improved significantly, dropping from 20th place in 2023 to 37th this year. What initiatives have been taken by the board to combat air pollution? Most recently, the board, in collaboration with National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), has undertaken an isotopic study of dust particles in the air to understand their sources, transport and impact on the environment. The NIO has already started collecting samples of dust particles from Patna region in the first phase. After collecting samples from different parts of the state, the work will focus on using isotopic ratios, particularly Sr and Nd isotopes, to trace the origins of the dust particles, especially those transported from river Ganga. Q. You are also making some studies in collaboration with the IITs? A. Earlier, last year, the board started the study of dust particles in three most polluted cities of the state, namely, Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya, in collaboration with the IITs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The study will identify the "seasonal mass concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air" of the extended urban areas of the thee cities. PM 2.5 and PM 10 are minute particles present in the air, and exposure to these is harmful to health. Real-time source apportionment studies help identify factors, such as vehicles, dust, biomass burning, and emissions from industries, responsible for an increase in air pollution in an area. The study on dust particles of Patna region is likely to be completed this year. What about water pollution in the state? Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali scheme of the state has not only provided the people with drinking water supply but also enhanced the rate of groundwater recharge. About 1.85 lakh hectare area has benefited under eco-restoration scheme with focus on watershed development. Further, more than 3,500 ahar pynes (a traditional water management and irrigation system) will be restored under the fourth agricultural road map of the state. All these will result in the total groundwater reserve of 34.15 BCM, of which 30.95 BCM can be extracted. At present, only 14.1 BCM of groundwater is being extracted. Hence, there is no problem of groundwater pollution in 473 blocks of the state. Do you think groundwater is being misused in urban areas? As many areas of the state are water-surplus, people are in habit of misutilising this resource. But, its overexploitation can be checked by introducing water meter in the supply system. People will try to save water, if they have to pay for it.
