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    Residents of Delhi are likely to face an intense spell of heat over the coming week as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave conditions across northwestern India from May 18 to May 22. Temperatures in the national capital are expected to rise steadily and may touch a scorching 44 degrees Celsius in some areas. According to the weather department, maximum temperatures across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh are likely to remain 3-5°C above normal during the next few days. Strong hot winds blowing from Rajasthan and central Pakistan are expected to worsen conditions and increase discomfort levels across the region. On Saturday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.8°C, slightly above the seasonal average, while the Ridge area em...

    India is facing a rapidly growing electronic waste crisis as the use of smartphones, computers, televisions, and household appliances continues to rise across the country. With millions of electronic devices becoming outdated every year, the government’s E-Waste Management Rules 2016 have emerged as a major policy framework aimed at promoting scientific recycling, reducing pollution, and improving accountability among manufacturers and consumers. E-waste refers to discarded electrical and electronic equipment such as mobile phones, laptops, printers, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and televisions. Experts warn that improper disposal of these products can release toxic substances like lead, mercury, cadmium, and harmful flame retardants into the en...

    A microscopic fungus discovered inside NASA clean rooms has raised fresh concerns about the possibility of Earth microbes contaminating other planets during space missions. According to a new study published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology researchers identified a highly resilient fungus called Aspergillus calidoustus inside spacecraft assembly facilities used during the Mars 2020 mission. Scientists say the organism was able to survive conditions similar to deep space travel and the harsh environment of Mars, exposing potential weaknesses in current planetary protection protocols. The fungus was collected from clean rooms at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, highly controlled environments where spac...

    A new report has revealed that most Indian banks are still treating climate action as a compliance requirement rather than integrating climate risks into their core financial strategies, despite growing threats from extreme weather events and economic instability linked to climate change. The analysis, released by Bengaluru based think tank Climate Risk Horizons, assessed the climate preparedness of 35 Indian banks with a combined market capitalisation of nearly Rs 50 trillion. The findings suggest that while climate-related disclosures have improved across the sector, deeper structural reforms in lending and risk management remain limited. The report comes at a time when India is facing severe heat waves and energy pressures triggered by global geopolitical tensi...

    A new study has raised alarm over a growing ecological crisis in the Western Ghats, one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots, after researchers found that nearly 35 percent of the region’s dragonfly and damselfly species are now missing. The two year survey, conducted between 2021 and 2023 across 144 locations in the mountain range, documented only 143 species of Odonata the insect group that includes dragonflies and damselflies representing roughly 65 percent of the area’s known diversity. Researchers say the decline is a major warning sign for the health of freshwater ecosystems in the region. The study was led by Dr. Pankaj Koparde, who described the disappearance of dragonflies and damselflies as an indicator of deeper environmental stress. Because ...

    The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that recycled plastics used in food packaging could create new food safety risks unless governments establish stricter controls, stronger monitoring systems, and harmonized international regulations. In a new analysis released through UN agency said recycled plastics can play an important role in reducing the global waste crisis, but poorly managed recycling systems may allow dangerous chemicals and contaminants to enter food products. The report comes at a time when plastic packaging use is expanding rapidly worldwide. According to the FAO, the global food packaging market is projected to grow from approximately $505 billion in 2024 to more than $815 billion by 2030. Despite growing awareness around sustainab...

    India’s famous tiger reserves are introducing strict limits on smartphone use during wildlife safaris as authorities attempt to control overcrowding, reckless tourist behavior, and the growing influence of social media driven wildlife tourism. The restrictions follow a 2025 ruling by the Supreme Court of India, which called for stronger protection measures inside sensitive wildlife zones. According to reports by the BBC, several tiger reserves across the country have already started enforcing mobile phone bans within core tourism areas, asking visitors to either deposit devices before entering or keep them switched off during safaris. The move marks a significant shift in how wildlife tourism is managed in India, home to more than 3,600 wild Bengal tigers nearly 7...

    Extreme weather events including lightning strikes, heatwaves, floods, and landslides caused the deaths of nearly 8,000 people across India in 2024, according to new data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. The figures highlight the growing human cost of climate-linked disasters as rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and increasingly severe weather events continue to affect millions across the country. According to the NCRB’s latest report on accidental deaths caused by natural forces, a total of 7,903 people died due to extreme weather and related disasters during the year. Lightning strikes emerged as the deadliest weather-related hazard, accounting for 2,825 deaths nearly 36 percent of all fatalities linked to natural causes. Heatwaves and s...

    The National Green Tribunal has sharply criticised the Delhi Forest Department for failing to act against illegal tree felling in the national capital and directed officials to compile a five-year database of such cases across the city. The tribunal issued the order while hearing a case related to the cutting of 40 trees near the Mangolpuri-Sultanpuri drain in outer Delhi in 2023. The case was originally filed by Vijay Kumar, president of a residents’ welfare organisation in Sultanpuri, who alleged that officials linked to the Delhi government were involved in the illegal felling. In its judgment released on May 14, the NGT described the situation as a “very sorry state of affairs” and said authorities responsible for protecting trees had failed both to prevent il...

    A new study has found that nearly all environmental claims made by some of the world’s largest meat and dairy companies could qualify as greenwashing, raising serious concerns about the credibility of corporate climate commitments in one of the planet’s most polluting industries. Researchers examined more than 1,200 environmental pledges made by 33 major meat and dairy corporations between 2021 and 2024 and concluded that 98 percent of the claims relied on vague language, lacked evidence, or failed to provide clear implementation plans. The study was led by Maya Bach, an environmental science and policy researcher at the University of Miami in the United States. According to the researchers, many companies are presenting sustainability promises in ways that create...