An overview or analysis of jaitapur’s new nuclear power plant

आत्ताच मी जैतापूर  विषयी आपल्या माननीय मुख्यमंत्र्यांच भाषण ऐकत होतो. जे त्यानचे विचार त्यांनी प्रकट केले ते अतिशये चिंताजनक आणि काही निरर्थक वाटले, तर काही  विचार ऐकून चीड देखील आली आणि म्हणून मी हा लेख लिहायचा असे ठरवले. इथून पुढे आपल्याला जे जे वाटेल अथवा सुचले ते ते लिहून सर्वां परयंत पोचवायचे असा माझा प्रयन्त असेल. बघुया त्यातून काही होऊशकत का. असो आता आपण मुख्य मंत्र्यांकडे आणि त्यांच्या विचारांकडे आपण वळू.

तर हा साध्य्याच्या सर्व मार्ठीचानेल्स वरचा चर्चे चा विषय असलेला  जयतापुरचा प्रकल्प म्हणजे गावकऱ्यां करता वळूच ठरणार असे दिसतंय. मुख्यमंत्री त्यांच्या भाषणास  सुरवात करीत होते ते काही मला ऐकायला मिळाले नाही पण आत्ता जे काय ऐकायला मिळाले ते ऐकून माझ्या डोक्यात खळबळ उडाली.

मी एक एक करून त्यांनी म्हंटलेल्या काही वाक्यांचा आढावा घेणार अआहे. आता आढावा घेणार मी कोण असं तुम्हाला वाटत असेल तर तुमच्या माहिती करता मी तुमच्या सारखाच एक सामान्य माणूस आणि मी तुमच्या इत्किचं सामान्य विचार श्रेणीचा असल्याने सारा-सार विचार करूनच मी त्या वाक्यांचा आढावा घ्यायचा असे ठरवले. तर मुख्य मंत्री इतके आव काढून का आणि काय ओरडून सांगत होत ते काही मला पटला नाही बुवा.

पहिला प्रश्न आपण बघितला तर जैतापुर्च्या लोकांच्या जमिनींचा: मुख्य मंत्री म्हणे कि त्यांना ह्या प्रकल्पाकरता २०,००० हेक्टर जमीन लागणार आहे. आता मला सांगा एवढी सुपीक जमीन कोकणातली ती अश्या आणु उर्जेच्या प्रकल्पांकरता खर्च करायची का त्यावर शेती करायची? हा प्रश्न दिसायला जरी सोपा दिसला तरी त्या मागे काही गणितं मी अखिल आहेत आपल्याला ती पटताय्त  का बघा. पहिले म्हणजे जी जमीन जाणार आहे त्या जमिनीला सरकार कवडीमोल भावाने विकत घेणार एवढे निशित आणि गाव्कार्याना कधी ते पैसे मिळणार हे देवच जाणे. परत पर्यायी जागा कधी आणि कुठे देणार? असो ती जागा सुपीक असेल कि नापीक? आणि आता ह्या वर माझे असे म्हणणे आहे कि त्या लोकांची जमीन जर घ्याची असेल तर ती खुशाल घ्या पण त्यांना त्या जमिनीचा योग्य मोबदला तरी द्या. आता योग्य मोबदला कसा काय शोध्याचा? त्यासाठी प्रत्येकाची जेवढी जमीन आहे त्या जमिनीवर तो शेतकरी जेवढा उत्पन्न मिळवतो त्याची मागील ५ वर्षांची सरासरी काढून हि सरासरी पुढील २५-३० वारश्यान परयंत किती असेल ती रक्कम व त्या रकमेत दर वर्षी हल्ली होणार दरवाढीची मागील ५ वर्ष्याटली सारा-सारी मिळवावी आणि त्यांना ती रक्कम आणि नवीन जागे    सहित देऊकारावी मग माझा काही म्हणणं नाही.

आता दुसरा मुद्दा: मा.मु. (माननिय मुख्यमंत्री नाहीतर मला कोणी ओरडायचं ) म्हणाले कि आपल्याला १ लक्ष मेगा वॉंट वरून ६० लक्ष मेगा वॉंट हे लक्ष्य गाठायचा आहे. अहो पण मी म्हणतो हे नुसते वीज निर्मिती कडेच का बघत बसल्येत? जरा डोकं चाल्वा आणि आम्हा सामान्य माणसान सारखं विचार कारानां. आता मला सांगा काय गरज आहे भारताला एवढा लक्ष्य गाठायची आणि ते सुद्धा इतक्या हात घाईने ? मी असे म्हंटले कारण हे लोक नुसता प्रोप्रोडक्शन बदल बोलत बसल्येत, जरा डोळे उघडून पहा कि आपण निर्मित केलेल्या विजेचा कसा गैर वापर होत आहे ते. आमदार, खासदार, आणि सर्व नामवंत लोकं कशी सारास विजेची धूळधाण करतात. ते आधी थांबवले तर अधिक वीजेची गरजच भासणार नाही. बरं नुसते हेच लोक नाही तर हल्ली प्रत्येक ऑफिस आणि दुकानां मध्ये बहितला तर ऐ/सी अस्तात मग ते साधं टपरी इतका छोटं दुकान का असेना, ह्यावर प्रबंध घाला विजेची गरज आपोआप कमी होईल, वर जी विनाकारण दिवस भर रोषणाई करतात त्यांच्या वर कारवाई करा. आणि थोडा टेक्निकल बोलायचे झाले तर विजेचे जेव्हा प्रसारण होते किवां वीज एका ठिकाण हून दुसरीकडे पोचवतात तेव्हा जी विगेची घात होते ती कमी करा, आणि आपल्या देशात जी यंत्रणा बापारली जाते ती कमी प्रतीची व त्याची खरेदी आणि देखभाल करण्या मध्ये जो काही बाजार चालतो त्यावर भाष्य न केलेलेच बरे.

ह्यात एक मुद्दा राहिला तो म्हणजे वीज चोरी चा इथे हज्जारो लोक वीज चोरी करतात आणि जे बिलं भारतात त्यांना वीज कापती ला समोर जावा लागतं. काही महिन्यांपूर्वीच एक बातमी ऐकायला मिळाली होती कि मुंब्र्या मध्ये काही M.S.E.B च्या अधिकार्यांना मारहाण करण्यात आली होती कारण त्यांनी वीज चोरी करणाऱ्या लोकांना पकडून त्यंची वीज कापली होती. आता असे प्रसंग जर वाढत असतील तर सामान्य माणसाला त्या नवीन निर्मित झालेल्या विजेचा काय ढेंगा फायदा होणार? बरे हे लोकं काय निर्लज्ज कितींदा पण वीज कपा त्यांना त्याच्याशी काही घेणा देना नाही. पण सरकारने ह्याविरोधात ठोस पावला उचायला नकोत का? आणि जे लोकं बाहेरनं येऊन इथे वास्तव्य करतात अनाधिकृत रीत्त्या त्यालोकांना वीज कश्या साठी द्याची? इथे आमच्या घरी परीक्ष्य असल्या तरी ह्यांचे लोडशेडिंग चालूच ते बंद करायला लोकांना कोर्टात जावे लागते आणि मतच असली कि सरकार आधीच लोडशेडिंग नाही होणार अशी घोषणा करून मोकळा होतं ? आता अश्या साकारी कारभार करता आपण आपली सुपीक जमीन द्याची का? आणि हल्ली दिवस एवढे वाईट आहेत कि ह्या जमिनीत किती घोटाळे आणि अफरातफरी ह्होणार आहे ते काही वर्षांनी बाहेर पडेल कि ह्या वेळी घोटळी समाज अधिक दक्षता पूर्वक पुराव्यांची कशी करतील हे बघायचं.

बोल्बोलता मुख्य मंत्री मधेच म्हणले कि आपल्या महाराष्ट्रच्या जनतेला विजेची गरज आहे आणि त्यापासून वंचित ठेवण्य सारखं काय गुन्हा आहे त्यांचा? आता मला सांगा मग हि जैतापुरची जनता काय अमेरिकेची आहे का? आणि ह्या जनतेचा काय गुन्हा आहे कि त्यांचीच जमीन घेताय? तुम्हा आमदार खास्दार्यांच्या शेकडो एकर जमिनींवर का नाही आणू उर्जा प्रकल्प उभारत? थिटे मग तुम्हाला शाळा आणि महाविद्याल्यायचं का बरं बांधायची?

तर हे इध सगळं लिहण्या मागचा कारण असे कि एकुन्दारीत साकारला जैतापुरच का हा प्रश्न आधी मला पडलाय आणि दुसरा म्हणजे वरील मुद्द्यांवर जर साकारणे अधिक लक्ष्य दिले तर आपली उर्जेची गरज किमान २०-३०% नी  कमी होणार हे निस्षित. अरे हो पण त्यांच्या वोट बँका जातील त्याचा काय? त्यांचा विचार कोण करणार?

ह्या विषयवार मला जे अजून सुचेल ते मी लिहीतच राहीन तूर्तास इथेच थांबतो.

हा लेख वाचल्या बद्दल आपला आभारी आहे. सुध्रणी नक्की कळवाव्यात हि विनंती.

जय हिंद ! जय महाराष्ट्र !

 

 

Random notes on Air Pollution

The vehicular population in the Megacity of Mumbai is ever increasing as the human population. To cope up with the problems of huge number of vehicles and traffic jams the state and the city authorities came up with the solution of fly-over bridges and successfully managed to complete the mega task of building 55 flyovers, in a span of decade. But soon these bridges also felt short and to suffice the need of ever-expanding vehicular population the government decided to construct the Bandra-Worli Sea-link which is one of the latest additions to this infrastructural growth. It has been constructed to join Bandra and Worli with a bridge on the sea. Due to this the traffic which earlier was moving from older route of Dr. Annie Besant Road is switched to the new route. This shift in the route has now lead to slow movement of traffic near the area of Worli.

Also the traffic which is very slow moving in the peak hours has raised concerns about the phenomenon of air pollution, with the increase in concentration of criteria pollutants along with a rise in the formation of secondary air pollutants like ground level ozone, poly aromatic hydro carbons, etc.

These pollutants from vehicluar ehausts can have effects at all the three levels – local (e.g., smoke affecting visibility, ambient air, noise, health effects to people in the vicinity, etc.), regional (such as smog, acidification, respiratory ailments to people, animals and effects on vegetation) and global (Trans-boundary movement of air pollution). The vehicles besides being the prominent source of air pollutants also account for a number of external effects, such as congestion, noise, accidents, and road wear and tear, etc.

Properties of Ground level ozone

Ozone (O3) an allotrope of oxygen is a colourless, reactive oxidant gas that is a major constituent of atmospheric smog. The odour of the gas is similar to the one which is experienced during short-circuit. At normal conditions the gas is known to form a protective layer in the Stratosphere, which protects us from the Ultra-violet radiations of Sun. There is lack of awareness about the presence of Ozone at ground level (0-300m). Fluctuating concentrations of this gas have been observed (at ground level). These fluctuations beyond a critical level (80 ppb) are known to show deleterious effects on life.

The molecular weight of Ozone being 47.998 is heavier than Nitrogen dioxide (molecular wt 30.006), carbon dioxide (molecular wt. 44.01) and hence, it easily precipitates to the surface of the earth. The higher weight of ozone enables the precipitation of stratospheric ozone to the ground level due meteorological conditions and forms one of the natural sources of ground level ozone.

AIR POLLUTION, AN INTRODUCTION WITH REFERENCE TO TROPOSPHERIC (OR GROUND LEVEL)OZONE

The problem of Air pollution is said to be critical for the survival of life on the planet, one can escape from water or soil pollution which will not have any direct impacts on the humans, but one cannot escape from air pollution, because till date no discoveries have been made which would sequester the pollution and maintain an ideal atmospheric composition. If this problem becomes severe, then a day might come when the human activity will be limited under a huge dome which would isolate us from the external polluted environment (Air). Hence, more attention is required towards abatement of air pollution.

Air pollution may be defined as “the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more contaminants or combinations of thereof in such quantities and of such duration as may be or may tend to be injurious to human, plant or animal life, or property or the conduct of business” (Kenneth Wark, Cecil Warner); whereas a contaminant is defined as “dust, fumes, liquid, smoke, other particulate matter, vapour, gas, odorous substances, or any combination of thereof, but shall not include un-combined water vapour” (Kenneth Wark, Cecil Warner).

The air pollution is not a recent phenomenon, as the records shows that it dates back to 1272 A.D. in the reign of King Edward I of England who in order to curtail air pollution gave orders to ban the use of “sea coal” and the people who disobeyed that law were punished to death (A. C. Stern, 1968).

One of the earliest recorded publications dealing with air pollution is a pamphlet published in 1661 by royal command of Charles II: “Fumifugium; or the Inconvenience of the Air and Smoke of London Dissipated; together with Some Remedies Humbly Proposed”, authored by John Evelyn, one of the founding members of the Royal Society (A. C. Stern, 1968).

The issue of air pollution in India was taken up seriously after the country had participated in the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in June 1972. This led to the formation of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The act when formed was not applicable to the Union territories; until the modifications in the year 1983 made it applicable to the Union Territories. The main aim of this Act is to prevent and control air pollution. The Act also made provisions for the establishment of Boards at the Central and State level for curtailing air pollution.

According to the Act, “air pollution” means the presence in the atmosphere of any air pollutant” {The Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981}, and “air pollutant” means any solid, liquid or gaseous substance (including noise) present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment” {The Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981}.

The Act is mainly applicable to the industrial establishments and does not speak much on vehicular emissions, but for which separate standards have been suggested which also include the issuing of “PUC (Pollution under Control)” certificates at the local levels, which analyze in the vehicular exhaust the concentration of HC (Hydrocarbons), CO (Carbon monoxide).

There are certain pollutants other than the above mentioned; which are also present in the ambient air at low concentrations, but due to the emissions from human activities, their concentration is increasing. Some of these compounds are known to be pollutants as they cause deleterious effects to the plants, animals, humans or property. Based on their formation, these compounds are classified as Primary and Secondary pollutants. Usually, “primary pollutants are substances directly emitted from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption, the carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust or sulfur dioxide released from factories. Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly, they form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact” (Wikipedia). An important example of a secondary pollutant is ground level ozone – one of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog.

The current study investigates a secondary pollutant; Ground level ozone, which is found at an altitude of 0-300m from mean sea level in the troposphere. Ozone is gas which is well-known to everybody to be found in the stratosphere of the planet and it is the gas which protects us from the Ultra violet radiations from the Sun. But it is not known to many that the gas is also present at ground level (0 to 300 m) and is therefore termed as Ground level Ozone or Tropospheric Ozone.

Ozone (O₃) is a colourless, reactive oxidant gas which is a major constituent of atmospheric smog. Unlike other air pollutants it is not emitted by any specific source; but is formed in the atmosphere as a secondary pollutant by the photochemical reactions of sunlight (UV rays) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), facilitated by a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are photo chemically reactive in nature. Ozone concentrations are influenced by the intensity of solar radiation (UV rays), the absolute concentrations of NOx and VOCs, and the ratio of NOx and VOCs.

Tropospheric ozone (O₃) is a global air pollution problem. But at the same time ozone is the most important gas as it protects us from the U.V. rays of the Sun. This layer is located in stratosphere and is also depleting day-by-day. Because of this scenario Ozone has become a dual-threat and a critical issue which has to be solved by combined efforts of scientific research and skilful managerial approach.

How to study or go for assessing Air Quality

Stuff to focus on when working in Air Quality and Air Quality Modelling:

These are a few points and questions I have penned-down, which I feel from my point of view are necessary for a person to understand when he intends to work on Air Quality or Air Quality modelling:
1. Firstly understand the basic atmospheric chemistry of the selected region or area of work. In this also understand the chemistry of primary pollutants, formation of secondary pollutants and their interactions with each which are influenced by solar radiation.
2. Understand and study the Metrology of the select area and study the wind patterns and seasonal, diurnal and temporal variations of the region. If the region is an industrial area or an urban area this is very important factor as dispersion of pollutants is largely dependent upon the wind currents.
3. Understand the concept of Mixing heights which allows one to gain an insight on what will be the possibilities of interaction between different pollutants
4. Plume Behaviour: Types of plume, its relation with and importance with respect to Mixing-Heights.
5. Now once the metrology part is clearly understood focus on which pollutants you intend to select or a group of pollutants like for example: Particulate matter in total or only fine particulate matter with diameter of 10 μm (PM10).
6. What is Source apportionment?
7. How is it carried out?
8. Once the pollutants are selected and the area of the study is defined one can proceed to select the model which is suitable for the specified factors.
9. Before selecting any model first understand and answer the following questions:
a. What is a model?
b. What are different types of model?
c. How to select a model for the above specified constraints?
d. What is the purpose of using the model?
10. Once the model is selected understand the data requirements of the model, which means which parameters are to be monitored to prepare the data to be fed into the model to get an out-put.
11. Understand the cost involved in collection of data and cost of purchasing the model.
12. Read the manual of the model which might contain the standard procedures for selection of site, requirement of data (whether hourly, daily, or seasonal,), parameters to be monitored, sampling duration, etc.
13. Scan some previously published reports and Theses on the area or related to your selected topic.

WORKSHOP ON ECO-FRIENDLY GANESH IDOLS

Birla College of Arts, Science and Commerece, Kalyan has organized a Workshop on preparation of Eco-friendly Ganesh idols from 12th to 15th August 2010.
On 12th A lecture is organized on “Eco-festivals” by Mr. Walavalkar (NGO Envirovigil) and Workshop by Mr. Gunesh Adval from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. All college students are invited for the same.
The Workshop will be kept open for public on 15th of August 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

World Environment Day Activities around the world

http://www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/aroundtheworld.asp

THE HISTORY OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

History & Celebration:
World Environment Day (WED) falls each year on 5 June. It is a day when people focus on the environment and it is celebrated in over 100 countries. World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

World Environment Day is created to promote environmental issues to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development. It promotes an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues and advocates partnership that will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. World Environment Day embodies this approach, raising awareness, encouraging people to voice their thoughts and do their utmost to improve the environment.
By resolution 2994 (XXVII) of December 15, 1972, the General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day, to deepen public awareness of the need to preserve and enhance the environment. That date was chosen because it was the opening day of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972), which led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2010

YOUR’LL INVITED FOR WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2010, 5th June at Institute of Science, fort, Mumbai. organized by SOCLEEN and NEERI.

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