Latest news with #GreenpeaceIndia
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Let us not choke oceans: Naveen
Bhubaneswar: The BJD president and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, on Sunday appealed to people to take a pledge of not choking oceans with plastic waste. The former chief minister's comments came on the occasion of World Oceans Day. 'Oceans are the lungs of our planet and sustain life on Earth. Oceans generate oxygen, regulate climate and are major sources of food and medicine. On #WorldOceansDay, let us take a pledge not to choke the oceans with plastic waste for a healthier planet,' Patnaik said in a post on X. Meanwhile, environmental group Greenpeace India created a sand art at Chandrabhaga beach in Konark to highlight the critical role the ocean plays in sustaining biodiversity, regulating the climate and supporting coastal communities. 'The sinking of a cargo ship (on May 25) offshore in Kerala is not an isolated incident. From Odisha to Kerala, our oceans are facing multiple challenges, including climate change, pollution, overfishing and industrial activities,' Greenpeace India said in a statement.
The Hindu
16 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Beaches cleaned as part of World Oceans Day celebrations
As part of World Oceans Day, various organisations and individuals came together to clean the city's beaches on Sunday. The Ocean Society of India in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, organised a clean-up drive on the Kovalam beach, with the theme 'Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us'. Equipped with gloves and reusable bags, participants removed around 250 kg of plastic waste, discarded fishing gear, glass bottles, and other types of litter from the beach, which will be sent for scientific analysis as part of ongoing research into marine litter and microplastics. Pravakar Mishra, former Scientist-G at National Centre for Coastal Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Puzhgalenthi, inspector of the Coastal Security Group, Tamil Nadu Police, and Shobana Thangam, president of the Kovalam Panchayat, and R. Nagalakshmi, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor were among those present, a press release said. Around 30 volunteers of Greenpeace India came together at Elliot's Beach at Besant Nagar and removed 100 kg of waste. An artwork depicting an Olive Ridley turtle was displayed to highlight the critical role oceans play in sustaining biodiversity, regulating the climate, and supporting coastal communities. 'From the sands of Besant Nagar to the shores of Kerala, the ocean connects us all. Today's clean-up drive in Chennai was not just about collecting waste — it was a moment of collective care, led by local volunteers who know the ocean is their lifeline,' said Yasin Fahmidha, campaigner at Greenpeace India, in a press release. Another release said staff of ibis Chennai SIPCOT and ibis Chennai City Centre and volunteers took part in a beach clean-up drive in collaboration with the Environmentalist Foundation of India. 'Chennai's coast is a vital part of the city's identity, economy, and ecology. Through this initiative, we aimed to not only clean the beaches but also ignite conversations around sustainability and community involvement,' said Tejus Jose, director of operations, ibis and ibis Styles India.
New Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
‘Rising mercury hurts workers in informal sectors'
NEW DELHI: Rising temperatures are leading to significant productivity losses, particularly among street vendors, and posing serious health risks, according to a new report. The report highlights that for every 1°C increase in temperature, informal workers' earnings can decrease by up to 19%. Income losses could reach 40% due to unbearable midday heat and reduced business activity. Additionally, medical expenses for these workers are rising by approximately 14%, underscoring the severe connection between climate change, health, and economic stability, says the study by Greenpeace India. The report – 'Ground Zero: Climate Experiences among Informal Workers in Delhi' – said an average street vendor earns around `1,000 on normal day. However, the extreme heat disrupts their regular earnings.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Heat & Hustle: Informal Workers Buckle Under Climate Pressure
New Delhi: Loss in income even with the day temperature going up by a single degree — this is the fragile existence of workers in the informal sector in the capital. This was noted in a report of the Workers' Collective for Climate Justice – South Asia and Greenpeace India. Titled 'Labouring Through the Climate Crisis: A Qualitative Study of Climate Experiences Among Informal Workers in Delhi', the report narrates the summer woes of ragpickers, vendors, rickshaw pullers, labourers, domestic workers and informal sector workers, who make up about 80% of the city's workforce. The city isn't designed for the informal sector, says the report, which flags inadequacies like the absence of policies and legal recognition of such workers who also have no access to water, shade, transport, healthcare and economic stability. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The report highlights how street vendors are forced to face the harsh conditions and evictions fears on footpaths, traffic intersections and flood-prone streets. Tarpaulins, which they once used as shade, are now confiscated for facilitating 'encroachments'. Without public shelters or cooling zones, rickshaw pullers work through exhaustion, sometimes suffering heatstroke. Waste pickers, especially women, are forced to segregate waste under the summer sun or in cramped homes, the local segregation sorting centres or dhalaos having been shut down for public sanitation. Even indoors, domestic workers spend hours in sweltering kitchens, cooking over gas stoves, even when power cuts make the heat unbearable. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Due to the lack of affordable housing, these people lived in informal settlements, often situated along drains or in low-lying areas, which are highly vulnerable to flooding. They also rebuild their shacks after such incidents without official support or compensation, the report pointed out. In the summer, street vendors and waste pickers report fainting, infections, breathing problems and chronic fatigue, while domestic workers suffer from dehydration, dizziness and rashes. The report added, "Heatstroke, joint pain and fatigue among rickshaw pullers go unrecorded. Lack of access to healthcare, hydration, toilets, or rest compounds health risks — especially for women." It added that women in informal work often stretched their bodies, time and income to breaking points. Citing personal testimonies of street hawkers see a Rs 1,000 per day income dipping to Rs 300 due to the heat or of rising expenses on health, travel to work, bottled water and use of paid toilets, the report depicted how women vendors and waste pickers suffered immense physical privations. "Many women avoid the dangerous, unhygienic or paid public toilets, resulting in chronic dehydration, urinary tract infection and other heat-related illnesses," the report observed. During the monsoons, transportation is a problem with deluged roads delaying buses and autos. Consequently, many women workers spend hours commuting to their workplaces. They also end up travelling late at night, leaving them at risk of violence and accidents, the report said.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
‘Even if we faint from the heat, they make us work': How Delhi's informal workforce bears brunt of climate crisis
From working in the bustling lanes of Lal Qila Market, the garbage-strewn alleys of Seemapuri, the cramped, poorly ventilated kitchens of Govindpuri, to the crowded, sweltering spaces of Kashmere Gate, Delhi's informal workforce bears the burden of a worsening climate crisis. A report by Greenpeace India, which is part of a global environmental NGO, and the Workers' Collective for Climate Justice South Asia, titled 'Labouring through the Climate Crisis', based on fieldwork throughout 2024, paints a grim picture of vendors, waste pickers, domestic workers, and rickshaw pullers in these neighbourhoods. The study reveals how heatwaves, floods, and pollution are slashing incomes, endangering health, and pushing many into chronic debt. It also documents the 'physically punishing experience' of working in these environments. Led by researcher Shalaka Chauhan, the study involved hour-long focus group discussions with 40 informal workers and interviews with sectoral activists for an external perspective. The report finds that workers are adapting their routines to survive extreme weather, but often at a high personal cost. Street vendors and rickshaw pullers have begun working during early mornings or late nights to avoid peak heat, but this adjustment brings exhaustion, health risks, and reduced income. 'By 11 am, the sun feels like it's piercing through the skin,' one street vendor said. Another added, 'By evening, our feet are swollen, and we can't even feel our toes properly.' Domestic workers in Govindpuri face a combination of heat stress and poor working conditions. 'While cooking, they [employers] turn off the fan, and it becomes unbearable,' a worker said, as per the report. Another described the absence of rest: 'Even if we faint from the heat, they still make us work.' Commuting to work has become more dangerous and tiring: 'We live far away now because our previous settlement was demolished… It takes me 45 minutes to an hour, but we still go to the same houses,' said another worker, as cited in the report. Key findings from the study underscore seven major climate-related risks: 1. Climate crisis restructuring informal labour economies: This means informal workers are reshaping their workdays. 'Street vendors and rickshaw pullers shift to pre-dawn or late-night hours to avoid peak heat, leading to sleep deprivation and exhaustion,' the report stated, adding that women vendors and waste pickers 'lose family time and rest' due to extended hours and storage concerns. 2. Informal incomes becoming climate-volatile: Climate crisis is making costs unmanageable. 'Street vendors still pay Rs 100 a day in bribes, Rs 400 for transport, and Rs 6,000-plus a month in fees, but now earn as little as Rs 300 a day due to heatwaves, compared to Rs 1,200 on normal days,' it noted. 3. Unequal access to urban infrastructure: Street vendors are squeezed into sidewalks, busy intersections, or flood-prone streets. Makeshift shade structures such as tarpaulins, which are part of coping mechanisms, are 'now confiscated as 'encroachments'. The report pointed out a lack of cooling zones for rickshaw pullers. On the shutdown of local segregation centres (dhalaos), women waste pickers are forced to segregate waste in cramped homes or sun-scorched corners, it added. 4. Health impact escalating: Climate exposure is driving a 'silent public health emergency', as vendors and waste pickers report fainting, infections, and chronic fatigue. On the other hand, domestic workers suffer from dehydration, dizziness, rashes and heatstroke; joint pain affects rickshaw pullers. 5. Intensifying gendered impact on climate disaters: For women, work extends into unpaid labour involving cooking, caregiving, water collection and cleaning roles, adding to stress. 6. Climate extremes triggering debt and destitution: A single day of heavy rain or heatwave can affect footfall, forcing urgent restocking. There is limited access to formal credit, forcing reliance on informal lending networks borrowed at higher interest rates. The debt is compounding before the possibility of recovery through earnings, the report noted. 7. Green transitions excluding the poorest: Eco-friendly initiatives like e-rickshaws and formal material recovery facilities are inaccessible to many workers. 'Those who have money will buy e-rickshaws and get licences. For us, we neither have a home nor land; we just earn and eat here,' said a rickshaw puller, as per the report. Waste pickers are excluded from new recycling models, losing access to recyclables. Despite the challenges, the report notes that workers are forming informal resilience networks. Waste pickers share collection tips and protective gear. Vendors and pullers support each other during extreme weather and negotiate collectively for work concessions. Yet, the report states, these networks are 'precarious and invisible, lacking the formal support they desperately need'. To address these challenges, the report recommends legal recognition of all four worker groups in relevant labour and environmental policies; inclusion of informal workers in disaster management and heat action plans; declaring heatwaves as notified disasters under the National Disaster Management Authority; and the creation of a 'Loss and Damage Fund' to compensate workers for income lost to extreme weather. It further calls for improved public infrastructure, including shaded vending zones, drinking water stations, cooling shelters, and sanitation facilities; the revival of dhalaos with adequate protection and sanitation; the distribution of protective equipment at low or no cost; formal representation of workers in urban planning processes through strengthened Town Vending Committees; and new governance bodies for domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, and waste pickers. 'We keep the city running. Shouldn't there be something for us too?' asked one domestic worker quoted in the study. The report noted that 'one must recognise environmental vulnerability does not exist in a vacuum' and is entangled in structural neglect. It also mentions: '…This is not merely neglect, it is a form of structural violence that treats these workers as expendable in the face of environmental breakdown.'
