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New Delhi, November 3, 2025 — The national capital awoke Monday morning under a blanket of thick, grey haze, as air quality continued its steep deterioration, signaling the onset of the region hazardous winter pollution season. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and its Sameer app data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi registered at 316, firmly placing the city in the 'Very Poor' category. Alarmingly, 28 of the city monitoring stations recorded readings surpassing the 300 mark, with some pockets likely nearing the 'Severe' category (401-500). The current 'Very Poor' status (AQI 301-400) indicates that prolonged exposure can lead to respiratory illness even in healthy people, and seriously affects those with pre-existing conditions like asthma, heart,...

A new global study has sounded the alarm over worsening land subsidence across India largest cities, revealing that excessive groundwater extraction is causing the ground beneath urban areas to sink posing grave structural and safety risks for millions. Published in Nature Sustainability on October 28, 2025, the research warns that Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru are sinking at alarming rates, threatening more than 13 million buildings and nearly 80 million people. Delhi Worst Affected Among the five cities, Delhi recorded the highest subsidence rates up to 51 millimetres per year followed by Chennai (31.7 mm/yr), Mumbai (26.1 mm/yr), Kolkata (16.4 mm/yr), and Bengaluru (6.7 mm/yr). In the National Capital Region, the most affected zones include Bijwasan, Faridabad,...

Nww Delhi: Delhi's wetlands have been steadily vanishing under the pressure of rapid urbanisation, with a new study warning of severe ecological consequences. A 2025 study titled ‘The Impact of Urbanisation on Wetland Ecology in Delhi Using AWEI and GIS' by Delhi University researchers found that the city lost around 8.2% of its total wetlands between 1991 and 2021, while south Delhi lost nearly 97% of its wetland area during the same period. The research team comprising Grinedge Yadav, Rupesh Kumar Gupta and Arpit Gupta from DU's Department of Continuing Education and Extension; Ajay Srivastava from HCL Tech and Nani Gopal Mandal from Terna Global Business School, Navi Mumbai used satellite imagery and the Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI) to map changes in Delhi's surface wat...

A new report by DNV forecasts that green fuels and feedstocks including hydrogen, ammonia, sustainable fuels, and carbon capture will contribute over 25 per cent of total emissions reductions in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region by 2050. These “new energy commodities” (NECs) are expected to play a pivotal role in decarbonising hard-to-abate industries such as aviation, maritime, steel, power, industrial chemicals, and cement. The study, titled “The Role of New Energy Commodities in Decarbonizing Asia Pacific,” was launched during the Asia Clean Energy Summit (ACES), held alongside Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2025. Building on DNV Energy Transition Outlook, it underscores the urgent need for countries across APAC to accelerate investment in clean fuel infrastructure and cross...

Despite the Forest Rights Act (FRA) granting autonomy to tribal communities over minor forest produce (MFP) and community forest resources (CFR), the ground reality across many states reveals continued exploitation and bureaucratic control. Tribal gatherers, often unaware of their legal entitlements, remain trapped in cycles of economic dependence, selling valuable produce like tamarind for as little as Rs 30 per kilogram to local middlemen, far below its real value. In Odisha’s Koraput district, the situation is even more stark. Gram Sabhas that hold CFR titles legally recognising their right to collect and sell high-value forest products such as kendu leaves are systematically denied the ability to exercise those rights. The state forest department continues to dominate the lucrative ...

A new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) suggests that China, India, and Indonesia the world three largest coal growth markets are on track to see their coal power use and emissions peak by 2030. The think tank calls this a potential “global breakthrough” in the fight against climate change. Together, the three countries accounted for 73 percent of global coal consumption in 2024 and have been the biggest contributors to rising carbon dioxide emissions since the Paris Agreement. If all three nations successfully curb coal power growth within the decade, it would mark the first time that major coal-dependent economies collectively reverse fossil fuel expansion, reshaping the global energy landscape. Lauri Myllyvirta, CREA co-founder and lead analyst, sa...

  In a striking blend of art, engineering, and ecology, Austria has unveiled a visionary concept that transforms traditional power pylons into stunning animal-shaped sculptures. Known as the “Austrian Power Giants,” these innovative structures are being designed in the shapes of animals such as a stork and a stag, symbolising harmony between technology and nature. Developed by Austrian Power Grid (APG) in collaboration with Meissl Architects, the project aims to replace conventional, industrial-looking transmission towers with aesthetically appealing, regionally inspired designs. Two prototypes the stork and the stag have been developed so far to test both structural feasibility and electrical safety. The stork represents Burgenland’s annual bird visitors, while the stag reflect...

In a remarkable environmental turnaround, land in Delhi Dwarka once among the city most groundwater-stressed zones is rising again. A joint study by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), IIT Kanpur, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and the University of Miami has revealed that after years of gradual sinking, Dwarka’s land is now lifting, indicating groundwater replenishment. The study, published in Water Resources Research and titled InSAR Reveals Recovery of Stressed Aquifer Systems in Parts of Delhi, India, analysed satellite data from October 2014 to October 2023. Researchers found that land subsidence in Dwarka has not only halted but reversed with certain areas lifting by 5 to 10 centimetres since 2016. The upward movement, averaging 2 cm per year across nearly 4 sq km, points to the sl...

As air quality in Haryana deteriorates with the onset of the pollution season, the state’s ability to monitor real-time data has taken a major hit. Nearly 65% of its air quality monitoring stations went offline on Wednesday, severely crippling pollution tracking efforts at a crucial time. Out of 32 stations across the state, 20 were non-functional including three key monitors in Gurugram. The outage left only the Vikas Sadan station operational in the city, which recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 150, categorised as ‘moderate.’ However, with the majority of monitors down, officials lacked an accurate picture of pollution levels or the composition of the haze that blanketed the city. According to Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials, the stations at Gwalpahari,...

A devastating wave of child deaths in India due to toxic cough syrups has reignited concerns over the nation’s fragile pharmaceutical oversight. In October 2025, at least 24 children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district died after consuming Coldrif syrup, followed by three more deaths in Rajasthan’s Sikar and Bharatpur districts linked to another dextromethorphan-based syrup from Kaysons Pharma. All victims, aged below five, exhibited signs of acute kidney failure caused by diethylene glycol (DEG) poisoning. The World Health Organization (WHO) later confirmed DEG levels as high as 48.6 percent in Coldrif batches a staggering violation of safety norms. In standard formulations, safe solvents like propylene glycol are used, but unscrupulous manufacturers often substitute them with chea...