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TREND | 24 Dec 2024

Delhi Pollution: Stringent Curbs Under GRAP Stage 4 Revoked

NDTV Profit

Delhi's air pollution levels showed a declining trend on Tuesday and the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 369 at 4:00 p.m.

Environment

TREND | 23 Dec 2024

Residential sector key source of PM2.5 pollution in north India: Study

Business Standard

Pollution in east, north and central Indian cities primarily comes from residential and transportation sectors, while in western India, industry and energy are the main contributors to local PM2.5 pollution, a study has found. Published in the journal Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, the study also found that PM2.5 pollution in cities in south India majorly comes from the industry and residential sectors. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Maharashtra, and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, analysed pollution levels in 53 cities, having more than a million population during the winter of 2015-2016. Residential emissions -- from burning biomass for cooking and heating -- were found to be the leading contributor to local PM2.5 pollution in Srinagar (68 per cent), Varanasi (37 per cent), Allahabad (34 per cent) and Kanpur (33 per cent). The transportation sector's contribution to local PM2.5 pollution was found to be higher in north Indian .

Environment

TREND | 22 Dec 2024

Meghalaya sees 84 sq km decrease in forest cover between 2021-2023: ISFR

Business Standard

Meghalaya lost over 84 sq km forest cover between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR). Except for Sikkim, which reported an increase of 2 sq km forest cover, all other states in the northeast region witnessed a reduction of the area under forests, it said. The region, with 7.98 per cent of land area, collectively contributes 21.08 per cent of India's forest and tree cover, the ISFR, 2023, said. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, had launched the report at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on Saturday. It showed a nationwide increase of 1,445 sq km in total forest and tree cover recorded since 2021. While the study did not specify what caused the loss of forest cover in Meghalaya, forest officials in the state said human activities, including agricultural expansion, increased settlement and infrastructure development are suspected to be the reasons. The report also made mention about jhum...

Environment

TREND | 21 Dec 2024

Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh record sharp rise in forest fires: ISFR

Business Standard

Uttarakhand reported the highest number of forest fires this season, with incidents rising fourfold, according to government data. Himachal Pradesh witnessed a 14-fold increase in forest fires compared to the previous season. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) - 2023, released on Saturday, showed that Uttarakhand recorded 5,351 forest fires in the last season (November 2022 to June 2023), ranking 13th among all states. This season, the number surged to 21,033, making it the state with the most forest fires. Himachal Pradesh, which recorded only 704 forest fires last season, saw the number rise sharply to 10,136 this season. Odisha, which recorded 20,973 incidents this season against 33,461 last season, ranked second, followed by Chhattisgarh (18,950), Andhra Pradesh (18,174), Maharashtra (16,008), Madhya Pradesh (15,878) and Telangana (13,479). Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who released the report, said forest fires were the biggest problem confronting his...

UP registers second-highest green cover increase in country as per ISFR

Business Standard | 21 Dec 2024

Environment

TREND | 19 Dec 2024, 10:23PM

Delhi govt imposes perpetual ban on manufacture, use, sale of firecrackers

Business Standard

The Delhi government on Thursday imposed a "perpetual ban" on the manufacture, use and sale of firecrackers, including through online platforms, in the national capital, according to an official order. Principal Secretary (environment) of the Delhi government A K Singh invoked the "perpetual ban" on firecrackers under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The ban covers the manufacturing, storage, and selling, including delivery through online marketing platforms, of all kinds of firecrackers and their bursting in Delhi, said the order. The move comes amid Delhi facing hazardous air pollution levels leading to a range of restrictions including a ban on construction activities and entry of trucks in the city.

Environment

TREND | 18 Dec 2024

Fog covers Delhi-NCR amid cold wave, temperature drops to 5 degrees Celsius

Business Standard

India cold wave: The air quality in Delhi remained in the 'severe' category, as the overall AQI was 442 at 8 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Delhi's air quality 'severe' at 442, temperature drops to 5 degrees Celsius

Business Line | 18 Dec 2024

Environment

TREND | 17 Dec 2024

Delhi AQI Turns 'Severe', City Under Strictest Air Pollution Curbs

NDTV Profit

The GRAP Stage 4 curbs were imposed only hours after GRAP Stage 3 restrictions were put in place in Delhi as AQI worsened during the day.

Delhi Pollution: GRAP III Measures Invoked As Air Quality Worsens

NDTV Profit | 16 Dec 2024

Environment

TREND | 16 Dec 2024

72% Of Urban Wastewater, Sewage Flows Into Rivers, Lakes Untreated: Think Tank

NDTV Profit

The Centre for Science and Environment stated that India's urban water crisis would be resolved if all that wastewater was treated and reused.

72% of urban wastewater flows into rivers, lakes, land untreated: Report

Business Standard | 16 Dec 2024

Environment

TREND | 15 Dec 2024

Illegal tree felling in Delhi: NGT issues notice to environment ministry

Business Standard

The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Centre regarding the alleged felling of scores of trees in the national capital. The green body was hearing about the alleged illegal felling of thousands of trees at Chajju Ram Bagh in Jindpur by a private builder to construct a warehouse and commercial godown. In an order dated December 9, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the district magistrate of north Delhi did not file his reply, as per the tribunal's earlier order to produce the relevant khasra entries and revenue record of Chajju Ram Bagh of last 20 years to ascertain the correct position. The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel noted that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) filed a compliance report enclosing an order where the forest officials concerned had imposed a compounding fee of Rs nine lakh for illegal felling of 15 trees. "It cannot be ascertained under what...

Dairy farms in Delhi asked to get pollution control consent within 15 days

Business Standard | 15 Dec 2024

Environment

TREND | 12 Dec 2024

HP govt notifies homestay rules, extends special aid to disaster-hit areas

Business Standard

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday approved the recommendations of a sub-committee led by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan on the operation of homestays in the state, and decided to notify the Himachal Pradesh Homestays Rules, 2024. According to the new provisions, preference will be given to bonafide Himachalis, while the requirement to obtain no objection certificates (NOCs) from the HP Pollution Control Board, local bodies or any other department has been waived, an official statement said. The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also decided to extend the special relief package given to the disaster-hit areas in 2023 to people affected by natural disasters at Samej and Rampur in Shimla district, Jaun-Bagipul and Nirmand in Kullu district, and Tikkam Thalu-Kot in Mandi district during this year's monsoon, in which more than 30 people lost their lives with several still missing. Under the special package, the affected families will receive enhanc

Drone mist-spraying pilot project in hitch for high costs, limited results

Business Standard | 12 Dec 2024