News Excerpt:

Landfill sites in Ahmedabad and Surat are second and third, respectively, among the top 22 methane hotspots in India, according to a recent study conducted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Key highlights of the study:

• The study identified a sewage outlet in Maharashtra as the single largest emitter, releasing a staggering 6,209.9 kilograms per hour (kg/hr) of methane.
• Additionally, Ahmedabad’s Pirana and Surat’s Khajod were found to emit 4,727 kg/hr and 4,705 kg/hr of methane, respectively. 
• These alarming figures underscore the urgent need to improve waste management practices in these cities.
• As per the study, the decomposition process at landfill sites creates unhealthy conditions and releases substantial methane even after the landfills are closed.
• The study also provided insights into the overall methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills in India. 
• According to the findings, India’s net annual methane emissions from these landfills were estimated to be 10.84 lakh metric tons in 2015, with a notable reduction to 4.04 lakh metric tons by 2000.

Impact of Methane emission:

• Methane (CH4), the primary component of natural gas, is responsible for approximately a third of the global warming we are experiencing today.
• Methane is a powerful and short-lived greenhouse gas, with a lifetime of about a decade and a Global Warming Potential about 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere.
• Without action, global anthropogenic methane emissions will rise by up to 13% between 2020 and 2030. 
• Global methane emissions must be reduced by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030 to be consistent with the least-cost pathways of limiting global warming to 1.5°C this century (Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)).
• Methane also harms human and ecosystem health. Methane emissions lead to ground-level ozone pollution, which causes approximately a million premature deaths per year globally, reduces crop productivity and harms ecosystems. 

Measures to Reduce Methane Emissions in India:

• National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, involves climate-resilient practices, including methane reduction practices in rice cultivation.
• Through initiatives like ‘The Gobar (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) –Dhan’ scheme and the New National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme, cattle waste utilisation is being incentivised and producing clean energy in villages. 
• The Gobardhan scheme supports biodegradable waste recovery and waste conversion into resources and reduces methane emissions.
• The National Livestock Mission since 2014 includes feeding livestock with balanced rations, which "can help reduce methane emissions from livestock".
• Direct Seeded Rice scheme, which uses less water during initial paddy cropping, can reduce methane emissions.
• Waste to Energy plants that will generate biogas/biomethane or Bio-CNG from agricultural, urban, industrial, municipal solid waste, etc., indirectly reducing methane emissions.