Month: October 2025

Delhi air quality plunged to alarming levels on Diwali evening, with 34 out of 38 monitoring stations recording pollution in the ‘red zone,’ according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) climbed to 345 on Monday from 326 on Sunday, marking a sharp rise in pollution and placing the capital firmly in the ‘very poor’ category. Four areas reported ‘severe’ air quality with AQI readings above 400. Wazirpur recorded the worst level at 423, followed by Dwarka at 417, Ashok Vihar at 404, and Anand Vihar at 404. Around 30 other stations registered AQI levels above 300, showing widespread deterioration in air quality across Delhi. Officials have warned that pollution levels could worsen further, slipping into the ‘severe’ range over...

RAIPUR – In a major conservation success, the blackbuck a medium-sized antelope declared locally extinct in Chhattisgarh in the 1970s has made a remarkable return to the state's forests. Officials at the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Balodabazar district successfully implemented a five-year reintroduction plan, which began in 2018. The sanctuary, which once saw the graceful animal vanish due to poaching, habitat loss, and human encroachment, now boasts a growing population of 190 blackbucks. The Revival Plan and Translocation The decline of the blackbuck, an endangered species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, was driven by rampant poaching and the destruction of its open grassland habitat. In 2017, the species was officially declared locally ext...

The Delhi government has announced that it is fully prepared to conduct cloud seeding to induce artificial rain in an effort to reduce pollution levels around Diwali. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday that four days of successful trial flights have already been conducted over northwest Delhi, and the operation now awaits final approval from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). “Our aircraft is ready at Meerut, and the pilots have familiarised themselves with the flight path. We’re only waiting for IMD’s green signal and the right cloud conditions. If all goes well, the first trial could happen even the day after Diwali or the following day,” Sirsa said. The ₹3.21-crore project, carried out in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, involves a modified Cessna-2...

Srinagar: In a landmark recognition, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has declared the Guryul Ravine in Kashmir as a national geo-heritage site for its extraordinary fossil deposits dating back over 250 million years. The site, located in Khanmoh on Srinagar outskirts, is known for preserving traces of the Earth’s biggest extinction event the Permian–Triassic or “Great Dying” when nearly all marine life and most terrestrial species vanished. This recognition raises India geo-heritage site count to 35 and opens doors for global scientific research and tourism. The Guryul Ravine is the first site in Jammu and Kashmir to receive such recognition and is now being considered for nomination as India’s first UNESCO geo-heritage site. A senior GSI official said the declaration of three K...

A new international report by scientists collaborating across continents provides stark evidence that human-caused climate change is making the world wildfires more extreme, unpredictable, and devastating. The analysis found that climate change has increased the area burned by wildfires (known as bushfires in Australia) by a magnitude of 30 times in some regions globally, serving as a clear warning about the urgent need to rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions. Global and Regional Impacts In the past year, an estimated 3.7 million square kilometres a land area larger than India was burned globally. The fires affected over 100 million people, placing US$215 billion worth of homes and infrastructure at risk. The study used satellite observations and advanced modelling, noting that...

New Delhi: After the Supreme Court allowed the sale and bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR for Diwali, health experts have raised concerns that even these so-called eco-friendly crackers could worsen the city’s already deteriorating air quality. Dr. S. Chatterjee, Senior Consultant at Apollo Hospital, cautioned that the festive celebrations might trigger another surge in pollution levels, especially harming those with respiratory issues. “Green crackers are not pollution-free. They cause about 30% less pollution than conventional ones, but that still means a significant amount of harmful emissions,” he told. He added that while smaller shell sizes and reduced particulate emissions make green crackers relatively less hazardous, their use amid Delhi’s current poor air conditions c...

A remarkable discovery in Saudi Arabia northern Nefud Desert is rewriting the history of one of the world’s driest regions. Archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of life-sized animal petroglyphs carved into cliff faces and boulders, revealing that the area now a barren desert was once home to thriving human and animal life nearly 12,000 years ago. The findings published in Nature Communications detail 176 massive rock engravings across three previously unexplored sites Jebel Arnaan, Jebel Mleiha, and Jebel Misma. These carvings, some positioned as high as 128 feet on sandstone cliffs, depict camels, ibex, gazelles, horse-like mammals, and even an extinct ancestor of cattle. Researchers say the intricate carvings show evidence of evolving artistic styles over millennia, with newer engra...

India is facing a mounting public health emergency as antibiotic-resistant infections continue to rise, fuelled by widespread misuse of antibiotics and poor infection control in hospitals. Most of these infections are caused by carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria pathogens that are notoriously difficult to treat and can spread rapidly in clinical settings. According to the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project, between 3 lakh and 10.4 lakh deaths in India in 2019 were linked to bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Experts warn that the situation has since worsened, with the unchecked use of antibiotics deepening the crisis. Dr. Aravind R, a senior microbiologist leading Kerala’s AMR control initiative, said that inadequate regulation and over-the-cou...

The Haryana government has defended its plan to set up a safari park in the Aravalli hills, telling the Supreme Court that the project aims to restore degraded land rather than pursue commercial interests. In its affidavit, the state said the proposed area had been heavily mined in the past and is now “highly degraded” with scrub vegetation and limited forest cover. “Instead of death knell, the project will be a conservation initiative for Aravallis as the area will be closed with a boundary wall, which at present is highly prone to encroachments and biotic interference,” the government stated. The clarification comes in response to a plea filed by five retired Indian Forest Service officers and the collective People for Aravallis, who argued that the project prioritises tourism over...

India Supreme Court has allowed the sale and use of “green crackers” during the upcoming Diwali festival, even as Delhi’s air quality plummets to dangerous levels. The ruling partially lifts a 2020 ban on firecrackers in the capital, where pollution typically spikes to its worst each winter. The court said that the less-polluting firecrackers which claim to emit 20–30% fewer toxic substances and generate minimal ash can be sold and used under strict conditions. Their sale will be permitted only between Saturday and Monday from authorised shops, and they may be set off only in designated areas for one day before and on Diwali. The Supreme Court has fixed a three-hour window for their use: one hour in the morning and two hours at night. The order came on a day when Delhi’s air quality ...