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NEW DELHI: As Delhi continues to battle urban flooding, clogged drains and choked rivers, an equally alarming but less visible crisis is brewing the silent invasion of microplastics. From Yamuna murky waters to city landfills and even the air we breathe, microscopic plastic particles are making their way into every corner of the capital and even into our bodies. The monsoon has only made things worse. Heavy rains flush plastic waste into stormwater drains, many of which are already clogged due to poor waste management. These plastics break down into microplastics tiny fragments less than 5mm and find their way into soil, water and food. Once released, they’re nearly impossible to remove. Recent environmental studies suggest Delhi's water bodies, including the Yamuna, are among the mo...

India criteria-based ban on 19 single-use plastic (SUP) items is being hailed as a model for global policy, especially as negotiations continue under the United Nations’ Global Plastic Pollution Treaty. The move, based on scientific assessment and socio-economic considerations, is now positioning India as a key global advocate for a plastic-free future. The framework developed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, evaluated 40 single-use plastic items and identified 19 for immediate ban. Items such as plastic straws, carry bags, earbuds, stirrers, and small packaging films are now prohibited across production, distribution, and usage. India structured approach aligns with global treaty negotiations chaired by Louis Vayas Valdivieso. Concepts such as littering ten...

CHENNAI: In a bold move toward making Chennai India first zero-waste, people-centric city, residents of North Chennai have proposed the Green Chennai Initiative (GCI) a comprehensive, climate-resilient waste management plan. The proposal directly challenges the controversial Waste-to-Energy (WtE) incinerator project planned at the Kodungaiyur dumpyard. Spearheaded by the Federation for North Chennai Residents Welfare Association, the GCI calls for a decentralised system rooted in composting, recycling, and community participation rejecting incineration, which they argue would create toxic byproducts like ash and air pollutants. “Burning 2,300 tonnes of dry waste daily will only generate 500 tonnes of toxic ash. This is not the future we want for Chennai,” said TK Shanmugam, president...

UTTARKASHI: A devastating cloudburst struck Dharali village in Uttarakhand Uttarkashi district on Tuesday afternoon, triggering flash floods that left at least four people dead and over 50 missing. The disaster occurred around 1:45 pm, just 4 km from the Indian Army camp at Harsil, cutting off access to Gangotri Dham, one of the Char Dhams and a major pilgrimage site. According to officials, the cloudburst unleashed a sudden and violent surge of water mixed with mud and debris, sweeping through homes, roads, and farmlands. Entire areas near the winter seat of Ganga Ji at Mukhba have been left devastated. Rescue operations are underway, with ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), and local disaster management teams deployed. However, continuous...

NEW DELHI: Once seen as a source of clean and pure water, rain clouds over the Himalayas have now been found to carry poisonous heavy metals, according to a new scientific study raising alarm over the health and environmental threats this poses to one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. Researchers have discovered that clouds drifting across the Eastern Himalayas contain pollution levels 1.5 times higher than expected, largely due to vehicular emissions and industrial pollution from the plains. These airborne pollutants including lead, arsenic, and mercury are carried by wind systems into the upper reaches of the Himalayas, contaminating rainwater that eventually feeds rivers and groundwater. The consequences are deeply concerning. Toxic metals in rainfall can seep into soils, ag...

India continues to grapple with a serious wildlife crime problem, recording over 2,700 cases between 2020 and 2024. The highest numbers have emerged from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, signaling hotspots of concern for law enforcement and conservation agencies. Despite a declining yearly trend, the scale of trafficking and poaching remains a threat to India’s rich biodiversity. Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh noted that the responsibility to prevent wildlife crimes rests with individual states and Union Territories under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. He emphasized that coordinated action remains key in addressing organized wildlife trafficking across India’s porous borders and remote forest regions. At the center of this multi-agency effo...

Namibia one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa is tackling climate change head-on with a mix of innovation, climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy. Facing erratic rainfall sometimes as low as 25 mm a year and worsening desertification the country is reshaping its development model to survive a hotter, drier future. Heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture Namibia is increasingly vulnerable to food insecurity, land degradation, and economic shocks. Prolonged droughts have hit crops and livestock hard threatening rural livelihoods and key sectors like biodiversity, fisheries, water, and tourism. To fight back, Namibia has introduced a national climate change policy and a 17-year action plan, focusing on mitigation and adaptation. Local communities are at the centre ...

Afghanistan is facing a deepening child malnutrition emergency, with nearly 10 million people suffering from acute food insecurity and humanitarian agencies warning of a looming catastrophe if immediate action isn't taken. The World Food Program (WFP) has called for USD 539 million in urgent funding to support vulnerable families, many of whom are on the brink of starvation. The crisis has escalated rapidly following major cuts to international food aid. One of the most critical blows came in April when the U.S. ceased its food assistance to Afghanistan, despite the country’s longstanding dependency on such support to manage poverty and conflict-related displacement. WFP officials say the aid shortfall is already taking a toll on children. Hospitals and health clinics across Afghanis...

A new study has revealed that fire-scorched Amazon forests in Brazil remain significantly warmer for decades, severely weakening thei Environmental Research Letters by researchers from Columbia University’s Climate School, the study shows that fire-affected tropical forests stay, on average, 2.6°C warmer than untouched forests, with this elevated heat persisting for up to 30 years. The research focused on southern and eastern Amazon regions and found that even after three decades, these forests showed only a 1.2°C temperature drop. “Burned forests exhibited substantially altered thermal regimes even after 15 years of recovery,” said lead author Savannah Cooley, now a NASA scientist. “Regeneration is much more at risk it’s slower or not happening at all.” The team noted that fire dama...

Torrential rains continue to batter Uttar Pradesh, plunging several regions into crisis as rivers breach danger levels and floodwaters rise across key districts. With severe waterlogging reported in cities like Ayodhya, Kanpur, and Varanasi, the state government has ordered all schools government and private from classes 1 to 12 to remain closed as a precautionary measure. In Ayodhya, localities like Jalwanpura were submerged in knee-deep water after the Saryu River overflowed its banks. In Varanasi, the Ganga’s water level has been rising steadily since Saturday, prompting officials to ban all boat operations temporarily. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has swung into action, deploying ministers to personally monitor relief work in 12 flood-hit districts. He directed officials to mai...