Latest news with #PradhanMantriUjjwalaYojana
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
PM Modi lays foundation stone for ₹1,010 cr City Gas Project in Bengal
The project will provide piped gas to over 250,000 homes and boost clean energy access in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar of West Bengal New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a new City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in West Bengal's Alipurduar, a significant step towards expanding the CGD network in India. Speaking at the gathering, he extended his warm wishes to the people of West Bengal from the historic town of Alipurduar. The PM spoke of Alipurduar's deep cultural roots, stating that the region is more than just its geographical borders. He said it is enriched by traditions and meaningful connections. Alipurduar shares a border with Bhutan and is surrounded by Assam, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar. He expressed his gratitude for visiting the region, calling it an essential part of Bengal's heritage and unity. 'As India moves towards becoming a developed nation, Bengal's participation is both expected and essential,' said PM Modi, underlining the central government's efforts to improve infrastructure, attract investment, and encourage innovation in the state. He described the launch of the CGD project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar as an important milestone in this journey. PM Modi announced that over 250,000 households would benefit from clean, safe, and affordable piped gas. 'City Gas Distribution Project is not merely a pipeline initiative but a testament to the government's commitment to doorstep delivery of essential services,' he emphasised. This new initiative will reduce the need for households to buy liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, making gas supply more secure and hassle-free. The project also includes the expansion of compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, making green fuel more accessible. PM Modi said this would save time and money while helping the environment. He congratulated the people of Alipurduar and Cooch Behar on this important step forward. PM Modi highlighted the country's progress in moving towards a gas-based economy. In 2014, city gas services were limited to only 66 districts. Today, the network has grown to over 550 districts, including rural areas and small towns. Impact of the Ujjwala Yojana Prime Minister Modi mentioned the role of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, launched in 2016, in promoting clean fuel usage. He said the scheme has brought relief to poor women from smoke-filled kitchens, improved their health, and provided dignity in household cooking. In 2014, India had fewer than 140 million LPG connections. That number has now gone beyond 310 million, helping realise the goal of universal gas access. He added that LPG distributors have more than doubled—from under 14,000 to over 25,000—making gas cylinders widely available even in rural areas. Urja Ganga: A game-changer Modi called the Urja Ganga Project a revolutionary step towards building a gas-based economy. This project has expanded gas pipeline connectivity to eastern India, improving access in West Bengal and neighbouring regions. He noted that these developments have also created job opportunities, from pipeline construction to gas supply. 'India is now progressing towards a future where energy is affordable, clean, and universally accessible,' he said. Boosting infrastructure in West Bengal The Prime Minister said West Bengal has long been a centre of culture, knowledge, and science. He stressed that India's development is incomplete without the progress of Bengal. He listed key infrastructure efforts by the central government, such as the Purva Expressway, Durgapur Expressway, modernisation of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port, expansion of the Kolkata Metro, upgrades to New Jalpaiguri Station, and new train services on the Dooars route. 'The newly launched project is not merely a pipeline, but a lifeline of progress,' said Modi. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to making life easier for people and ensuring a brighter future for Bengal. He ended his speech by wishing continued development for the state and success for its people. The event was attended by Union Minister Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, and Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga, among other dignitaries. The CGD project, with an investment of over ₹1,010 crore, aims to supply Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to more than 250,000 homes, and over 100 commercial and industrial units. It will also include 19 CNG stations for vehicles, as part of the government's Minimum Work Programme (MWP) targets. This project is set to provide reliable, environment-friendly, and affordable energy while creating jobs in the region.
Deccan Herald
28-05-2025
- Health
- Deccan Herald
Why India fails to improve its air quality standards
Despite a growing number of initiatives generating momentum for improving air quality, meeting the World Health Organization (WHO)'s air quality guidelines remains a steep climb for launched its Air Quality Index (AQI) on September 17, 2014, offering a simple numerical scale to communicate air quality and its health impacts. While the initiative marked a significant step forward, debates continue over the AQI's formulation, highlighting a need for stronger scientific leadership. Around the same period, China was battling a similar air quality crisis. While China moved decisively, India faltered — not due to a lack of scientific understanding, but rather because of insufficient political will. The launch of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 was a moment of renewed hope. It aimed to cut particulate pollution by 20-30 per cent by 2024 (from 2017 levels), later revised to a more ambitious 40 per cent reduction by 2026. Think-tanks, academic institutions, and civil society rallied behind the mission, and statutory bodies like the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) were created to drive co-ordinated action in the National Capital this institutional push, however, significant and consistent improvements in air quality remain elusive studies are crucial for evaluating policy scenarios and understanding how various interventions impact pollution dynamics. In this context, advanced air quality modelling has emerged as a powerful decision-support studiesHigh-performance air quality models help answer fundamental questions about the sources of pollution in a city, pollution from primary emissions versus secondary chemical formation, and local pollution versus that transported from models enable policymakers to evaluate whether specific interventions — like the shift from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards or large-scale initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) (which received an initial investment of ₹800 billion ($9,300 million)) — are likely to produce measurable improvements in air quality, and where those benefits are most likely to be seen.A study published in a leading international journal underscores the gravity of the air pollution crisis in the Indo-Gangetic Plain — one of the world's most densely populated and polluted regions. Annual average PM2.5 concentrations consistently exceed 80 μg/m³, with winter peaks surging to between 150 and 230 μg/m³ — far above safe limits. According to the WHO guidelines, the annual average for PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m³, and 24-hour concentrations should remain below 15 µg/m³ on all but 3-4 days in a year. For PM10, the corresponding limits are 15 µg/m³ annually and 45 µg/m³ in a day. Tackling air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain demands integrated, regional strategies based on the idea of 'airsheds' — analogous to watersheds — that extend well beyond local emissions elevated levels are not driven by local emissions alone. Two major factors contribute to the severity of winter pollution: First, the region experiences a nearly fivefold drop in its ventilation coefficient — a measure of how well the air in a region can 'clean itself' by moving and spreading out pollution. In winter, still air, especially in mountain-ringed areas like the Himalayas — traps pollutants near the ground, worsening air a significant share of secondary PM2.5 forms from precursor gases transported from neighbouring areas. Natural phenomena like temperature inversions, low wind speeds, and the topographical trapping of pollutants often intensify winter pollution levels. Tackling this complex issue demands more than blanket solutions; it requires a nuanced understanding of where air pollution originates, and how it evolves. It is made all the more difficult by geographical diversity, economic pressures, and cross-border assessments suggest that primary emissions account for roughly 38 per cent of PM2.5, while secondary formation, driven by chemical reactions in the atmosphere, contributes about 62 per cent. Biomass burning in the domestic sector is the dominant source of primary particulates, whereas secondary pollutants are largely influenced by industrial processes, power generation, and cross-border transport. Another series of studies conducted for various state governments suggests that without bold, transformative action, India is unlikely to ever meet the air quality guidelines of the WHO. Studies comparing business-as-usual and 'most ambitious' intervention scenarios in cities show that even aggressive policies fall short of the WHO benchmarks. These findings emphasise the magnitude of change required — not incremental tweaks, but systemic shifts in energy use, transport, industry, and waste shifts and solutionsAs scientific and policy discussions around air pollution solutions continue, meaningful implementation ultimately hinges on political will. While evaluating political priorities falls outside the scope of this article, one recent scientific insight offers a practical adjustment that could greatly enhance existing policy. The study proposes a shift in how India approaches air quality management: by dividing the country into nine to 11 regional airsheds, each defined by its unique meteorological and topographical characteristics. Under the current framework of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), 130 non-attainment cities are individually responsible for meeting pollution reduction targets. However, air pollution doesn't respect municipal or state boundaries — it moves with the wind. This phenomenon, known as transboundary pollution, often renders city-specific plans ineffective. The airshed-based approach groups cities that share similar wind and pollution patterns, enabling more co-ordinated and scientifically grounded interventions. For example, the study shows that Delhi's airshed boundaries shift seasonally. In summer, easterly winds carry pollution from Uttar Pradesh into the capital, while in winter, westerly winds bring pollutants from Haryana. Delhi's clean air efforts could be bolstered by co-ordinated action with neighbouring cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. This pattern repeats across India. In Chennai, winter winds transport pollution from inland Tamil Nadu to the coastal city. Mumbai experiences landward pollution flow from industrial zones seasonally. Even relatively cleaner cities like Bengaluru are impacted by emissions drifting in from nearby implementation hurdlesThe message is clear: managing air quality by airshed, not by administrative boundaries, is essential for any realistic and science-driven path toward cleaner air in scientific understanding of India's air pollution crisis has grown substantially in recent years, converting this knowledge into actionable policy continues to be a major hurdle. Implementing an effective airshed-based strategy would require a significant shift in the country's current approach. It would involve restructuring the NCAP to prioritise airshed-level planning, moving beyond city-specific targets; establishing robust interstate co-ordination, especially for cross-jurisdictional airsheds; expanding regulatory efforts to include precursor gases, which play a critical role in the formation of secondary PM2.5, and; developing integrated air quality monitoring systems capable of tracking both primary emissions and the complex chemistry behind secondary pollutant India can achieve the air quality levels recommended by the WHO is not only a scientific question — it is equally a matter of governance and policy commitment. Shivang Agarwal is Technical Fellow, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), Washington DC. Suresh Ramasubramanya Iyer is Senior Fellow and Area Convenor, Centre for Air Quality Research, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi.(This article was first published under Creative Commons by 360info.).(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Oil PSUs absorb ₹40,000 cr loss in FY25 to keep LPG affordable; 96,000 retail outlets operational: Govt
New Delhi: India continues to offer one of the lowest domestic LPG prices globally, with Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries paying ₹553 per 14.2 kg cylinder despite a 58% increase in international prices, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said. Chairing the Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in Manesar, Haryana, Puri informed that state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) incurred a combined loss of ₹40,000 crore last year to keep LPG prices affordable. Regular consume₹currently pay ₹853 per cylinder, while PMUY consumers pay ₹553. The per-day cooking cost is approximately ₹6.8 for Ujjwala households and ₹14.7 for non-PMUY consumers. The minister stated that India's LPG coverage rose from 55% in 2014 to nearly 100% today. He said, 'The Government reduced excise duties twice—on November 4, 2021, and May 22, 2022—cutting petrol prices by ₹13/litre and diesel by ₹16/litre. A recent price hike in April 2025 was absorbed by oil companies, shielding consumers from additional burden.' The session, attended by 27 Members of Parliament and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi, reviewed key developments in fuel affordability, LPG distribution, regional infrastructure, and energy resilience. According to the ministry, India now operates over 96,000 fuel retail outlets, 314 oil terminals and depots, and a 24,000 km product pipeline network. These have supported the consistent availability of fuel, including strategic reserves and LPG caverns for emergency requirements. On LPG consumption and distribution, the ministry reported daily deliveries of more than 56 lakh cylinders. Over 25,000 LPG distributors now operate nationwide, 86% of them in rural areas. These efforts have enabled deeper last-mile access and expanded usage. Highlighting the PMUY's impact, the ministry noted that the government subsidizes the ₹1,058 market cost of each LPG cylinder by ₹505 for Ujjwala beneficiaries. The subsidy results in a retail price of ₹553 per cylinder. For regular consumers, the effective cost is ₹853. MPs present in the meeting acknowledged the ministry's focus on balancing consumer interest and market volatility. They also raised issues related to regional disparities in infrastructure, price sensitivity, and energy resilience. The government assured them that their inputs would inform future policy development. The ministry reiterated its commitment to providing affordable, accessible, and resilient energy solutions while protecting consumer interests through fiscal and policy measures.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
9 crore using LPG scheme, says BJP, hails govt's welfare moves
NEW DELHI: As the launch of 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' completed nine years this month, BJP on Thursday claimed that the welfare measures of the Modi govt have resulted in empowerment of all sections and buoyancy in Indian economy. Party's spokesperson Tuhin Sinha noted that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme providing LPG connections to poor households, has provided 10.3 crore connections so far, with nearly nine crore beneficiaries turning out to be sustained users of the programme. 'This negates opposition's claim that many beneficiaries did not opt for refills after utilising the initial free gas cylinders,' Sinha told reporters. The scheme has led to an expansion in the LPG network with 7,959 more distributorships, overwhelmingly in the rural areas, he said, adding that the per capita consumption was 3.9 cylinders. Sinha said the beneficiaries include 1.8 crore in Uttar Pradesh, 1.2 crore in West Bengal and 1.1 crore in Bihar, adding that it shows the wide popularity of the welfare programme that also led to a drop in the country's carbon footprint. He also cited several case studies to assert the scheme led to the mitigation of pulmonary diseases among women.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BJP highlights economic strength, benefits of Ujjwala Yojana
The BJP on Thursday cited a host of developments to project buoyancy in the Indian economy and the positive impacts of the Modi government's welfare measures. Its national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha noted that the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana , a scheme providing LPG connections to poor households that completed its ninth anniversary on May 1, has provided 10.33 crore connections so far, with nearly nine crore beneficiaries turning out to be sustained users of the programme. This negates the opposition's claim that many beneficiaries did not opt for refills after utilising the initial free gas cylinders , Sinha told reporters. The scheme has led to an expansion in the LPG network with 7,959 more distributorships, overwhelmingly in the rural areas, he said, adding that the per capita consumption was 3.95 cylinders. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Air conditioners without external unit. (click to see prices) Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo Sinha said the beneficiaries include 1.85 crore in Uttar Pradesh, 1.23 crore in West Bengal and 1.16 crore in Bihar, adding that it shows the wide popularity of the welfare programme that also led to a drop in carbon footprints. He also cited several case studies to assert that the scheme led to the mitigation of pulmonary diseases among women, as they began using smoke-free mode of cooking. Live Events The BJP spokesperson also referred to a Moody's report to highlight the strength of the domestic economy, which will not be impacted much by the US tariffs. India is well-positioned to deal with the negative effects of US tariffs and global trade disruptions as domestic growth drivers and low dependence on exports anchor the economy, Moody's Ratings said on Wednesday. In a note on India, the ratings agency said government initiatives to boost private consumption, expand manufacturing capacity and increase infrastructure spending will help offset the weakening outlook for global demand. Sinha said the EPFO also reported 7.5 lakh new subscribers in March, with 59 per cent of them falling in the 18-25 years age group.
