Environmental Issues

‘No compromise on public health’ The Supreme Court on Wednesday banned the sale and registration of motor vehicles conforming to the emission standard Bharat Stage-IV in the entire country from April 1, 2020. It said pollution hasreached an “alarming and critical” level all over India. “It brooks no delay,” a …

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed shock over the disappearance of 31 hills in the Aravalli area of Rajasthan and asked the State government to stop illegal mining in the 115.34-hectare area there within 48 hours. The top court said that even though Rajasthan was earning royalty of around Rs. …

Bursting of firecrackers during Deepavali may not be the only reason for air pollution, but the Supreme Court cannot become a mute spectator and allow the deterioration of air quality caused by the bursting during the festival. This is how the Supreme Court’s judgment, declaring a ban on toxic and …

The tractor mounted Happy Seeder machine can cut and lift the previous crop (in this case the rice straw) and sow a new (wheat) crop in its place. It also deposits the straw over the sown area as mulch. The machine can be operated with a 45 hp tractor and …

Aimed at reducing the rapidly growing human-elephant conflict in areas of Chhattisgarh, where nearly 20 human lives were lost because of attacks by a herd of 19 elephants, the State Forest Department in collaboration with Wildlife SOS has radio-collared a wild elephant to help create an early warning system and …

Union Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister, Uma Bharti, on Wednesday likened the government’s initiative to mandate a minimum flow for the Ganga as a “MeToo moment” for Indian rivers. “All rivers in India would say ‘MeToo’ and would want that such standards be imposed for them [to restore their health] …

Confirms Canine Distemper Virus killed Gir animals The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed that the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was responsible for lion deaths in the Gir forest of Gujarat and recommended that the remaining lions be vaccinated to prevent further outbreaks. This goes against recommendations by …

Data on the birdto be used to learn about its habitat A citizen science initiative of documenting Indian hornbills is providing valuable inputs for the conservation of the unique bird. The data on hornbill presence outside protected areas would be be crucial in identifying and protecting their habitats from possible …

For over a week now, more than 100 Forest Department officials, guards, tranquillising experts, shooters, trackers, rescue teams, veterinarians and two elephants, brought from Madhya Pradesh, have been carrying out a massive hunt for a tigress in the Ralegaon area of Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. What happened? They are looking …

Post-mortem report fails to establish that the deadly attack was by a big cat Many of the villagers living on the fringes of Odisha’s Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) were against having a tiger in their neighbourhood. But they had no say in the matter when two big cats were transferred …

Increasing awareness has seen eco-friendly Ganesh idols making steady inroads into a sea of plaster of paris gods Ganesh Chaturthi observances today owe much to Bal Gangadhar ‘Lokmanya’ Tilak. Under British rule the festival, which had been celebrated with gusto in Maharashtra under the Peshwas, became a smaller family occasion. …

An analysis of 14 cities in India, including six mega cities and eight metropolises, on how they fare when it comes to pollution and energy consumption from urban commuting, places Kolkata as the top-performing megacity. Bhopal leads the list on the lowest overall emissions. Delhi and Hyderabad are the two …

The catchments of top seven large reservoirs that produce hydropower in India are likely to experience “substantial warming” leading to increased mean annual rainfall in near future (2020-2030), mid and end (2070-2099) of the century due to global warming. Based on modelling, a team of researchers from IIT Gandhinagar found …

Residents of West Bengal’s Jhargram district staged a protest on Wednesday against the destruction of crops and damage to houses caused by wild elephants in the area. Hundreds of villagers blocked roads and disrupted traffic in Sankrail area of the district alleging that forest officials were not doing enough to …

A recent map published by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has revealed that water in nearly a dozen major stretches of the Ganga in West Bengal is so polluted that it is even unfit for bathing. The development comes at a time when the Centre has claimed that the …