Platform to unite clean air activists pan India

For over 13 years now Devrram Mahulkar 33 along with his father Dayaram and a few others have been leading a fight for their villages of Mahul Koliwada and Ambapada over a lsquodemand for clean airrsquo running from pillar to post collecting information about norms regulations and legal procedures to support their battleHowever citizens like Mahulkar NGOs and even researchers battling to curb escalating air pollution in their cities now have a powerful resource and database at their disposalmdashthe India Clean Air Connect ICAC platformSupported by the India Climate Collaborative and Asar Social Impact Advisors the initiative designed by Bengalurubased Sensing Local is a dynamic communitycentric digital resource hub for air quality stakeholders including citizens which aims to facilitate collaborative action in the air quality domain to check air pollution in the countryThe residents of Mahulmdashan area declared lsquounfit for human habitationrsquo by the National Green Tribunal NGT in 2015mdashfinally got a reprieve in the form of an NGT order in August 2020 Their tenacious efforts finally paid off when the NGT directed four firms in the areamdashSeaLord Containers Ltd Aegis Logistics Ltd Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltdmdashto collectively pay a fine of Rs2862 crore for the damage caused by lsquovolatile organic compoundsrsquo emitted by their activities Case studies like Mahul past court cases government notifications and many such resources including air quality data can now be easily accessed by citizens organisations and even researchers on the ICAC platformSpeaking with midday Mahulkar said ldquoThere is so much data all over the internet However as an individual citizen it is very difficult to verify how much of it is authentic and genuine When the battle started my father Dayaram and three othersmdashMohan Mhatre Charudatt Koli and Dattaram Kolimdashhad no direct information handy to aid their battle They had to do so much running aroundhellip they spent years collecting information data etc If there is such a portal or website it will make things much easier for us I am glad that such a portal has been launched If it is indeed as claimed it will benefit manyrdquoAir pollution is one of the greatest threats to public health in India accounting for nearly onethird of the total annual deaths in the country Nearly 70 per cent of the top 50 most polluted cities in the world are in India additionally most Indian cities consistently do not meet World Health Organization WHO air quality standards putting much of the countryrsquos population at riskRetired Mumbai Police ACP Dattatray Khot and his daughters have for years been working and doing research on the issue of vehicles idling at traffic signals ldquoWe have proposed to have a parallel signal light when the signal turns red at signals as long as 100 seconds With a cushion time of five seconds people can switch off their vehicle engines when the parallel light is on and then switch them on during the buffer time before the red light changes to greenrdquo Khot explained his suggestion asserting that research indicates that vehicle idling at signals causes more air pollution than moving carsldquoIf our efforts and other initiatives of many who have been working towards achieving clean air are available on the portal for peoples reference pan India and even globally it will be of great support to everyone demanding clean airrdquo he addedAir pollution and climate change are closely interlinked While a number of solutions to air pollution have been implemented addressing the issue comprehensively requires a variety of stakeholders policymakers citizens boundary organisations and so on to work collaboratively on solutions Studies suggest that such systemlevel action is currently missing in the air quality domainElaborating on the efforts Ankit Bhargava cofounder at Sensing Local said ldquoICAC emerged from the urgent need recognised by air quality organisations to unite stakeholders bridge knowledge disparities and monitor sectoral and regional advancements to minimise redundancies or avoid duplication of effortsrdquo According to Bhargava the platform serves to aggregate knowledge data and opportunities to foster a shared resource pool that facilitates peer learning and aligns effortsAbout the ICAC databaseWith a database of more than 350 air quality actors in over 100 cities and 16 countries as well as 74 international and national sources of data and knowledge and over 70 networks in the ecosystem the ICAC platform brings together organisations individuals and networks working on air quality in India across sectors and geographies for collective action on air pollution The platform provides stakeholders with avenues to collaborate across the ecosystem align goals and coordinate action across the country The platform also serves as a hub for communication knowledgesharing and learning and stakeholder engagement It offers pertinent information on events employment opportunities funding possibilities and resource portalsSpecifically ICAC aims to break the siloed nature of sectors and stakeholders within the air quality domain which arises due to organisational structures limited communication and differing priorities Collective action is imperative as air quality challenges are complex interconnected and transboundary necessitating a holistic approachldquoAir pollution is a complex challenge that requires collective action from all stakeholders to bridge key gaps and promote ecosystemwide collaborations regional partnerships and innovative solutions wherein ICAC plays a pivotal role This groundbreaking website brings together diverse air quality actors amplifying their efforts and fostering a thriving ecosystemrdquo said Brikesh Singh chief of communications and engagement at AsarA critical function of the ICAC is also to synthesise information on air quality in India The platform features essential government notifications relevant air quality data retrieved from public sources and a repository of past and present reports on air pollution Users can access city and microaction plans under the National Clean Air Programme NCAP as well as a comprehensive list of resource portals that present air quality data and knowledge from and on India The platform also provides updates on major online and offline events related to air quality and job opportunities in the domain which can aid in enabling more strategic engagementAdditionally ICAC offers a critical opportunity to leverage philanthropic capital as well According to India Climate Collaborative CEO Shloka Nath the air quality ecosystem in India is fragmented and severely underfunded with funding limited to specific geographies and organisations ldquoRecognising this reality the ICAC platform adopts an ecosystem lens vital for effective clean air action in India The platform can serve as a common space for funders to engage with a variety of air quality actors understand ecosystem priorities based on evidence and find likeminded stakeholders to partner withrdquo Nath saidThe platform aims to harness this potential of collaborative systems for clean air in India inviting all stakeholders working in the air quality domain to join collaborate and collectively work towards a cleaner and healthier future for all