Month: August 2026

  Environmental activists and local residents have urged the Tamil Nadu government to strengthen protection for several sites of archaeological, ecological and biodiversity significance across Madurai and Theni districts. The demand gained prominence during gram sabha meetings held across Melur taluk in Madurai as part of the 80th Independence Day celebrations, where environmental and heritage conservation featured among the common resolutions. Activists have identified at least 11 sites in Madurai that they believe deserve greater protection, including Kottaimalai, Aruvimalai, Somagiri, Kallangadu and Vellimalai in Melur, as well as Mondrumalai, Poigaimalai, Onankaradu, Malai Kovil Kadu, Samanatham and Idayapatti. They have called for several of these locations to be decl...

  The world’s largest waterfall is not found on land and it cannot be seen from the surface. Hidden beneath the Atlantic Ocean between Greenland and Iceland, the Denmark Strait cataract is a massive underwater current in which cold, dense Arctic water plunges down the seafloor slope beneath warmer ocean water. The submerged cataract spans an estimated vertical extent of about 3.5 kilometres, or 11,500 feet roughly 3.5 times the height of Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall on land. Unlike a conventional waterfall, however, the Denmark Strait cataract does not involve water falling through air. Instead, differences in temperature and salinity make the northern water denser. As this cold, heavy water crosses an underwater sill in the Denmark Strait, gravity pulls it down...

  The Andhra Pradesh State Climate Change Cell (APSCCC) has recommended eight adaptation measures to reduce the impact of climate change on the state’s energy sector under the Andhra Pradesh State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) for 2025-30. The recommendations follow a vulnerability assessment that found significant risks to energy production, transmission and infrastructure from rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. According to the APSCCC, climate change is expected to increase energy demand while simultaneously affecting the state’s ability to generate and distribute power. Thermal and hydropower generation, fossil fuel supplies and electricity transmission could face growing disruptions as temperatures ris...

  New Delhi: Nearly nine out of 10 non-suburban railway stations inspected by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) were found to be deficient in at least one essential passenger facility, raising concerns over the quality of basic services provided across the Indian Railways network. The CAG’s report on passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban railway stations, released on August 12, 2026, found that 458 of the 512 stations inspected more than 89% did not meet one or more prescribed Minimum Essential Amenities (MEAs). The shortcomings included inadequate drinking-water facilities, seating, toilets, platform shelters, fans, water coolers and signage. Only 54 of the 512 stations inspected had no shortfall against the prescribed norms. The audit covere...

  Scientists have developed a new method to turn one of the world’s hardest to recycle plastics into a useful ingredient for engine oil. Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a chemical process that converts polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste into polyalphaolefin, a major component used in synthetic lubricants. The study was published in the journal Nature on August 5, 2026. PVC is widely used in products such as pipes, window frames and credit cards, but recycling it is difficult because it contains chlorine and various chemical additives. As a result large amounts of discarded PVC end up in landfills. The researchers placed PVC waste in a solvent and added aluminium trichloride and alpha-olefins. The mixture was heated to about 158°F (70°C) for three hours. The resulti...

  Gujarat rapid growth in vehicle ownership is adding to the air pollution challenge in its major cities, where annual PM10 concentrations remain significantly above the national standard despite improvements over the past decade. Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara are among the Gujarat cities covered under India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Data available on the Central Pollution Control Board’s PRANA portal show that annual average PM10 levels in all four cities remained above the national standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre in 2025-26. Ahmedabad recorded the highest annual average PM10 concentration at around 100 micrograms per cubic metre, followed by Rajkot and Vadodara at about 98 micrograms per cubic metre each. Surat recorded around 86 micrograms pe...

  A new study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has highlighted a major gap between the actual cost of managing plastic packaging waste in India and the financial support provided through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system. India generates around 158,619 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, with plastic accounting for an estimated 10-12 per cent, or nearly 19,000 tonnes daily. A large portion comes from plastic packaging particularly flexible and multi layered materials that are difficult to collect, segregate and recycle. The study found that municipalities, waste collectors and informal workers often continue to bear much of the financial and operational burden, despite EPR placing responsibility on producers importers and brand owners. ...

  The Supreme Court has taken a significant step towards creating a more structured system for environmental compensation related to solid waste management in India. In its August 4, 2026 judgment in Amravati Municipal Corporation vs Ganesh Dadarao Anasane & Others the Court directed the development of a national framework for determining and collecting environmental compensation under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026. The move seeks to strengthen the implementation of the “polluter pays” principle, under which those responsible for environmental damage should bear the cost of restoration. The Court said environmental compensation should not simply function as a punishment but should primarily help restore environmental damage. Under the Solid Waste Management Rules...

  Ancient forests in what is now Wyoming took more than 100,000 years to recover after a period of intense global warming around 56 million years ago, according to a new study published in Science. Researchers examined fossil leaves and microscopic plant cuticles to reconstruct the density of forests during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), when global temperatures rose by as much as 6°C. The study found that Wyoming forest canopy declined by about 60% as extreme heat and drought placed increasing stress on trees. As forests became more open, sunlight reached the ground more easily, while changes in vegetation also affected water and sediment movement across the landscape. Ferns and heat tolerant plants, including palms expanded as the climate warmed, replacing ...

  Researchers from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have photographed a natural coral formation beneath the sea that appears to resemble the Indian national tricolour. The unusual underwater image was captured during a marine mammal survey near Minicoy in Lakshadweep. According to CMFRI, the formation consists of two coral colonies displaying orange, white and green colours. The species were identified as Lobophyllia corymbosa, which showed a vibrant orange colour, and Lobophyllia radians, which displayed white and green shades. Beyond its striking appearance, the image has provided researchers with valuable insights into how corals respond differently to environmental stress. One colony of Lobophyllia radians had undergone bleaching after losing its sy...