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Delhi woke up on Thursday morning under a thick layer of haze and fog, pushing the air quality into the “very poor” category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city average Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 357 at 8 a.m., up sharply from 279 a day earlier. Several monitoring stations recorded alarming figures, with Anand Vihar (408) and Vivek Vihar (415) slipping into the “severe” range. Other parts of Delhi, including ITO, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram, and Dwarka, also reported “very poor” air quality levels, crossing 350. Experts say stagnant winds and dense fog have trapped pollutants close to the surface, leading to reduced visibility. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted visibility of 800 to 1,000 metres at Safdarjung and Palam during early hours. ...

The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has issued a major policy shift, declaring that the relocation of forest-dwelling communities from tiger reserves must only occur as an “exceptional, voluntary, and evidence-based measure.” The new framework emphasizes that communities should have the right to remain in their traditional forest habitats under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), while ensuring that relocation, if undertaken, adheres to strict standards of consent, equity, and scientific justification. The policy outlines the creation of a National Framework for Community-Centred Conservation and Relocation (NFCCR), to be jointly managed by the Environment and Tribal Affairs Ministries. This framework would establish clear procedures, timelines, and accountability systems for any relocation effo...

India agricultural soils are critically deficient in key nutrients such as nitrogen and organic carbon, according to new findings by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Released at the National Conclave on Sustainable Food Systems in Nimli, Rajasthan, the assessment raises alarms about declining soil fertility and its implications for crop productivity and climate resilience. Based on data from the government’s Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, the study found that 64 per cent of soil samples were “low” in nitrogen and nearly 49 per cent were “low” in organic carbon. These deficits not only threaten food security but also weaken India capacity to store carbon a key factor in mitigating climate change. The report estimates that Indian soils could sequester about 6–7 teragrams of c...

As the world seeks sustainable alternatives to fossil-based materials, Indian climate-tech startup AltM is charting a new path by tapping into the vast potential of agricultural residues abundant in the Global South but notoriously difficult to collect and transport efficiently. Through a feedstock-agnostic and modular model, the company aims to simplify logistics and scale production sustainably, positioning itself as a pioneer in the emerging bio-based economy. AltM’s co-founder AG explained that instead of reinventing the wheel, the company is building on existing supply chains already functioning in pockets across sectors like bioenergy, board manufacturing, and paper pulp. “Our approach is to integrate with those networks instead of reinventing them. By being feedstock-agnostic and...

Under the blazing sun of Brazil semiarid Caatinga shrubland, the piercing cries of the rare Spix’s macaw once again filled the skies a sound thought lost forever after the species was declared extinct in the wild in 2000. The reintroduction of these striking turquoise-blue birds in the Bahia region had sparked global hope for conservation success. But now, the project faces a severe setback: the detection of circovirus, a lethal and highly contagious disease that could threaten the very survival of this fragile population. On May 12, BlueSky, the Brazilian organization overseeing the Spix’s macaw breeding and reintroduction center in Curaçá, Bahia, notified authorities that seven birds had tested positive for circovirus. Among them was one chick born in the wild marking a historic miles...

Efforts to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding over parts of Delhi on Tuesday were “not completely successful,” as the clouds had very low moisture content, according to IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agarwal. The experiment, carried out jointly by IIT Kanpur and the Delhi government to combat worsening pollution, yielded minimal rainfall and only a modest reduction in particulate matter levels. “There hasn’t been any rain so far, so in that sense, it was not completely successful, Unfortunately, the clouds today did not have high moisture only around 15–20%. The chances of causing rain with such low moisture are limited. But the trial gave our team more confidence to continue testing,” he said. During Tuesday experiment, the team fired 14 flares containing a mixture of 20% si...

A city-based environmental organisation, Save Aravali Trust, has accused the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) of allowing illegal dumping and open burning of untreated waste from the Bandhwari landfill inside the protected Aravalli forest area. The trust alleges that the activity is causing severe groundwater contamination, air pollution, and long-term ecological damage. According to the Trust, tonnes of untreated waste are being secretly transported from the Bandhwari site and set on fire in forest patches surrounding it. Members claim this is being done with the silent approval of civic officials, leading to the release of toxic leachate into the soil and nearby ponds contaminating groundwater sources and threatening both wildlife and human health. “This is not just an envir...

The Ganga River Basin home to nearly half of India’s population, is facing alarming levels of water stress that could threaten the nation economic stability and energy security, a new global report has warned. The basin supports 45 per cent of India people, contributes 44 per cent of its GDP and houses 25 per cent of its coal fleet making the crisis both environmental and economic in scale. The report titled No Water, No Growth 2 – Rising Mother River Risks Threaten Half the Total GDP of 16 Asian Countries highlights the vulnerability of major Asian rivers, including the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, and Mekong. Released by China Water Risk (CWR) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Geographic Sciences & Natural Resources, it warns that 1.96 billion people, US$10.3 trillion...

As the onset of winter thickens Gurugram’s air with dust and smog, several housing societies and condominiums across the city have begun taking independent measures to fight rising pollution levels. From installing anti-smog guns to setting up terrace-based water-sprinkling systems, residents are attempting to create a rain-like effect that helps settle particulate matter and improve local air quality. Environmentalists say that while these community-driven efforts show initiative, their impact remains limited and temporary. “Sprinkling of water can at best have a localised limited impact when the entire airshed is highly polluted,” said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air. She added that using drones could make such operations more effective by covering a wider area...

In the pitch-black depths of the ocean, where sunlight never reaches and life seems unlikely, scientists have discovered a vibrant ecosystem flourishing around the decaying remains of a colossal sea creature. The extraordinary find, captured on film during a 2021 expedition led by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, reveals how death in the deep sea can spark new life. When a massive marine animal like a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, it sets off a rare event known as a “whale fall.” Instead of becoming a lifeless graveyard, the seafloor transforms into a hub of biological activity that can sustain entire communities for decades. The process begins as scavengers hagfish, sharks, and crabs feed on the soft tissues. Once the flesh is stripped away, microbial decomposers and unique bone...