Month: February 2026

Ravinder Kumar walks through ankle-deep sludge every morning just to step out of his home in northwest Delhi’s Sharma Enclave. But inside his small brick house, there is often no water at all. The 55-year-old father of three twists his plastic taps repeatedly, hoping for a trickle that rarely comes. “Water comes once every three days, and even then, clean water lasts barely an hour,” Kumar said. “Sometimes the water is black. We bathe once in four or five days.” Kumar is among millions of residents in India’s capital who have endured days of water shortages after soaring ammonia levels in the Yamuna River forced the shutdown of six out of Delhi’s nine major water treatment plants last week. The river, considered sacred by millions, has become so polluted that water drawn from it has ...

    As large parts of the Northern Hemisphere grapple with intense cold waves and winter storms, southeastern Australia is facing an unusually severe heatwave, with temperatures climbing close to record levels. Scientists say the stark contrast highlights how seasonal patterns, combined with climate change, are driving more extreme and uneven weather events across the globe. In late January, parts of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia recorded temperatures above 49°C, with several inland regions enduring consecutive days of extreme heat. The prolonged heat spell has strained power infrastructure, triggered bushfires, and left thousands without electricity. Heatwave Tightens Grip on Southeastern Australia Meteorologists say the ongoing heatwave has laste...

    The Union Environment Ministry has issued a directive allowing private entities to lease forest land and carry out plantation activities for commercial purposes, triggering a sharp debate among conservation experts, researchers, and forest rights advocates over its long-term ecological and social impact. The move reclassifies certain plantation activities as “forestry activity,” making it possible for non-government entities to raise plantations on forest land without attracting penalties under India’s forest conservation laws. The ministry says the decision will help restore degraded forests and increase India’s green cover, while critics warn it could blur the line between ecological restoration and commercial exploitation. Policy Shift Aims to Boost Green Cover...

    Scientists have uncovered a remarkable cache of million-year-old fossils deep inside a cave in New Zealand, offering the first detailed glimpse into an ancient ecosystem that vanished long before humans arrived on the islands. The discovery was made in a cave near Waitomo on the North Island and includes fossil remains of 12 bird species and four frog species. Researchers say the findings reveal a once-thriving forest ecosystem that was repeatedly devastated by extreme climate changes and powerful volcanic eruptions. Fossils Reveal Repeated Extinctions Before Human Arrival According to the study, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology the fossils are trapped between layers of volcanic ash dated between 1.55 million and 1 million years...

    Himachal Pradesh has renewed its demand for a dedicated ₹50,000-crore Green Fund from the Centre ahead of the Union Budget 2026, citing repeated natural disasters, ecological stress and the state’s role as one of India’s key environmental buffers. Cash-strapped Himachal Pradesh, the only Congress-ruled state in north India, has been urging the Union government to create a special fund for hill states, which it describes as the country’s “green frontiers.” The state has faced frequent cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in recent years, intensifying the need for sustained investment in climate resilience and ecological protection. CM Sukhu Raises Demand With PM and Finance Minister Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he has personally raised the prop...

    India could be heading towards another challenging monsoon season as early climate signals point to the possible development of an El Nino later this year. While meteorological agencies say certainty will emerge only by April, the likelihood of weaker rainfall during the crucial monsoon months has already raised concerns among policymakers, farmers and climate experts. An El Nino refers to the warming of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean by at least 0.5 degrees Celsius for five consecutive overlapping three-month periods. Historically, such warming events have often coincided with subdued monsoon rainfall over the Indian subcontinent, making them a key factor in seasonal climate forecasting. El Nino Probability May Rise After July According to M. Mohapatra, ...

    The World Bank Group has announced a new partnership with the Government of India aimed at accelerating job creation across urban and rural regions, with funding that could reach up to $50 billion over the next five years. The new country partnership framework came into effect at the beginning of 2026 and marks a significant expansion over the previous funding cycle. Under the new plan, the World Bank will provide annual financing of $8–10 billion, compared to $6–7 billion a year under the earlier framework that ran from FY18 and was extended till December 2025 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative is expected to play a key role in supporting India’s long-term development and employment goals. Focus on Job-Intensive Growth Sectors The World Bank said the...

    A budget-friendly solar drying technique developed using locally available materials has helped around 500 farmers in Nagaland reduce post-harvest losses and increase their incomes by 30–40 per cent, highlighting the growing role of frugal solar innovation in rural agriculture. India loses agricultural produce worth nearly ₹1.53 trillion every year due to poor storage, handling and lack of cold-chain infrastructure. Fruits and vegetables account for a major share of this loss, with nearly 40 per cent of food produced in the country wasted annually. Limited electricity access and unpredictable weather further compound the problem for small farmers, particularly in hilly and remote regions. Solar Innovation Designed for Local Conditions The solution emerged in Na...

    The Economic Survey 2025–26 has placed climate change adaptation at the centre of India’s development strategy, arguing that growth and resilience must move together. Released on January 29, the survey underlined that strengthening infrastructure, agriculture, energy access and health systems is as crucial to climate action as emission cuts. In a chapter titled Environment and Climate Change: Building a Resilient, Competitive and Development-Driven India, the survey stated that “development is, in itself, a form of adaptation,” stressing that economic progress helps societies absorb and recover from climate shocks. Growth, resilience and climate action must move together According to the survey, effective climate action depends on improving the capacity of peop...