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    New Delhi, May 12: In a major step to strengthen air pollution control measures, the Delhi government has made it mandatory for all construction and demolition (C&D) sites in the national capital to install high-density dust screens with a minimum thickness of 100 GSM (grams per square metre). The directive was issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) following updated guidelines from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which has been pushing stricter enforcement of dust-control measures across the Delhi-NCR region. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government is adopting a “whole-of-government approach” to combat worsening air pollution in the city. “Delhi’s fight against air pollution is being pursued wi...

    Urban Enviro Waste Management has released a detailed business update highlighting strong order procurement activity across FY 2025-26 and the ongoing FY 2026-27. The company has secured a total of 33 orders across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, strengthening its presence in India’s urban solid waste management sector. The newly awarded projects cover a wide range of municipal services including door to door waste collection, transportation, solid waste processing, road sweeping, drain cleaning, public toilet maintenance, manpower deployment, and operation of waste processing facilities. According to the company, 25 orders were secured during FY 2025-26 with a combined annual billing value of ₹42.26 crore. In the early phase of FY 2026-27, up to May 10, 2026...

    A major wildlife conservation effort in central India has successfully created a new breeding population of the vulnerable hard ground swamp deer, offering fresh hope for the long-term survival of one of the country’s rarest deer subspecies. The hard-ground swamp deer, scientifically known as Hard-ground swamp deer, was once found across large parts of India. However, habitat loss and fragmentation had reduced the entire subspecies to a single isolated population of nearly 1,100 animals inside Kanha Tiger Reserve. Unlike other swamp deer subspecies that inhabit marshy wetlands, the hard-ground swamp deer has uniquely adapted to survive in solid grassland ecosystems. The animal is also popularly known as the barasingha, or “12-horned deer,” because of the distincti...

    A renewable energy project in western Spain has led to the discovery of a remarkable prehistoric fortress believed to be more than 5,000 years old, surprising archaeologists and construction crews alike. The discovery was made at the Casas de Hito site near Almendralejo, where workers were preparing land for a large solar power installation. What initially appeared to be an ideal location for renewable energy development soon revealed traces of an ancient civilization buried beneath the ground. Archaeologists uncovered pottery fragments, tools, weapons and defensive structures spread across nearly 100 hectares. Excavations later identified 11 separate archaeological zones dating from around 3300 BC through the Bronze Age and into the Roman period. The most stri...

    The southwest monsoon is expected to arrive over the Andaman Sea and nearby parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands later this week, earlier than the normal schedule, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In its daily weather bulletin issued on Tuesday, the IMD said that conditions are becoming favourable for the onset of the southwest monsoon over parts of the south Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the end of this week. If the forecast comes true, the monsoon would reach the south Andaman Sea nearly five to six days ahead of its usual onset date. Normally, the monsoon enters this region around May 22. Last year, in 2025, the monsoon arrived in the Andaman Sea region on May 13. The arrival of the monsoon over...

    A new US$30 million carbon credit agreement between tech giant Amazon and India’s Good Rice Alliance is being seen as a major development in global carbon markets and climate smart agriculture. The deal focuses on reducing methane emissions from rice cultivation in India while promoting sustainable farming methods among thousands of small farmers. The Good Rice Alliance, backed primarily by Bayer and working in collaboration with GenZero and Shell, aims to transform traditional rice farming practices through scientific and water-efficient methods. Experts say the agreement could help demonstrate how agriculture can play a central role in global emission reduction efforts, alongside industries such as energy and manufacturing. India’s Rice Sector at the Centre o...

  Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have developed a promising new method to eliminate drywood termites using a safer and more environmentally friendly chemical that targets the insects without posing risks to humans. The research, published in the Journal of Economic Entomology found that a chemical called bistrifluron destroyed nearly 95% of termite colonies during laboratory testing by interfering with the insects’ ability to grow new exoskeletons. Drywood termites are among the most destructive household pests because they live hidden inside wooden structures, making infestations difficult to detect until severe damage has already occurred. Traditional termite treatments often rely on toxic fumigation methods that require homeowners to vacate t...

    Sea surface temperatures are nearing record breaking levels globally, raising concerns about stronger storms, coastal flooding and marine ecosystem disruption in Türkiye, according to climate experts. Speaking on recent climate trends, Cem Gazioğlu, director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Management at Istanbul University, warned that warming oceans are intensifying the interaction between the atmosphere and seas, increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events across the region. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average air temperature in April 2026 reached 14.89 degrees Celsius, making it the third hottest April ever recorded. Sea surface temperatures outside polar regions climbed to nearly 21 degrees Celsius...

    Scientists have uncovered rare traces of ancient stardust buried deep within Antarctic ice, offering new evidence about Earth’s movement through the Milky Way and its encounter with the remains of exploded stars tens of thousands of years ago. The discovery, led by researchers from Germany Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, identified radioactive iron-60 isotopes trapped inside Antarctic ice cores dating back between 40,000 and 81,000 years. The findings provide one of the clearest records yet of the Solar System’s passage through an interstellar cloud formed by ancient supernova explosions. The study was published in Physical Review Letters. Rare cosmic fingerprints found in Antarctic ice Researchers analyzed nearly 295 kilograms of Antarctic ice collected...

    In a major push toward groundwater conservation and sustainable water management, the Delhi Government is preparing a new policy to expand the use of treated sewage water in construction projects, park irrigation, and other non-potable activities across the national capital. Officials said the proposed framework is being developed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to ensure that treated wastewater generated from sewage treatment plants (STPs) is used more efficiently in sectors where drinking-quality water is not required. Delhi Public Works and Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the policy aims to reduce pressure on rapidly depleting groundwater reserves while promoting sustainable urban water reuse practices. Treated water already used for horticulture At ...