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 neighbouring villages in Gaya district of Bihar to understand how renewable energy is penetrating in Bihar. This episode explores the extent of solar adoption in the state and looks at whether solar adoption in Bihar transcends socio-economic factors like income, occupation and caste. This is the third story as part of a three-episode mini-series supported by Earth Journalism Network. 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 reasons behind the disasterSee sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 residents to find out more about the issue.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 climate shifts have resulted in reduced forest produce, affecting the livelihoods of tribal people here. For reporting on this episode, Sushmita visited remote villages located deep inside forests. She interviewed activists and government officials to understand this issue. This podcast was supported by the Pulitzer Center.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 following precautions such as monitoring the health of vulnerable individuals, staying hydrated, staying indoors during peak hours, keeping the house cool and so on. Suno India's Sneha Richhariya visited Nandlal Juggi in Gopalpur village near Mukherjee Nagar in North Delhi, to understand whether these advisories reflect the lives of the urban poor and more. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 India’s Sneha Richhariya travelled to energy poor areas of Uttar Pradesh to find out what the solar schemes like PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojna and other policies on solar mean to the people. In this episode, the focus is on Ayodhya as it is being planned as a “solar city”See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 right to equality guaranteed in the Constitution under Article 21 and 14 respectively. But what are the implications of this ruling for climate litigation in India? How will this help in India’s fight against climate change? Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya explains in this episode of Climate Emergency.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 appears less like an environmental step taken to reduce emissions, but more like a policy to push subsidies and reduce electricity bills. Notably, the policy is being sold to all middle and working-class people. But is it really inclusive? Is it really consumer friendly as the government says? Will the middle class who have access to conventional forms of electricity switch to solar energy? Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya spoke to people in Delhi to understand the complexities of residential rooftop solar adoption.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 being dug and so on. In this episode of Climate Emergency, Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya speaks to Shreya Nath, who heads the urban water program at Well Labs, which is an environmental research organisation based in Bengaluru. Last year, Well Labs conducted a study on ‘How water flows through Bengaluru?’ to understand where is Bengaluru's water, how much of it is there and in what condition.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 around 2016 when several non-profits such as Titli Trust, Wildlife Conservation India along with the forest officials sat down and discussed the problem. The programme that was piloted in three clusters in Pauri, Tehri and Almora districts depends on the co-operation of villagers. It is a behavioural change program that teaches people how to live peacefully with leopards. Instead of conflict, the focus here is on coexistence which takes place through sensitization and involvement of various stakeholders. Sudeshna Chowdhury tails forest officials to find out how they are co-opting villagers into this programme and trying to reduce human-animal conflict. She also speaks with Sanjay Sondhi, Trustee of Titli Trust, NGO, Dr. Koko Rose, deputy project director with Jyca project in Dehradun, Dhananjai Mohan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttarakhand, Dharam Singh Meena, Uttarakhand’s Additional Secretary Forest and Environment, and Diksha Bijlan Bhatt, range officer, Maniknath range.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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, with an estimated five billion tonnes of coal buried under the dense forests. In this episode of Climate Emergency, Suno India’s Sneha Richhariya speaks to Adivasis from villages in Korba and Sarguja districts of Chattisgarh, to understand their concerns regarding the felling of trees in Hasdeo for coal mining. She also speaks to Alok Shukla, the convenor of Chattisgarh Bachao Andolan and has been associated with the Hasdeo moment for a decade. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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? Climate Emergency podcast editor- Rakesh Kamal has reported from the grounds of COP28 in Dubai. In this episode, host Sneha Richhariya speaks with Rakesh about his observations, experiences, and reflections at the climate conference this year.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

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 crucial discussions surrounding climate policy, adaptation strategies, and the collective efforts needed to address the urgent climate emergency. Don't miss this informative and timely conversation on the forefront of climate action.See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.