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    Scientists have identified a rare class of plant compounds in cannabis leaves for the first time, uncovering hidden chemistry in a part of the plant that is often discarded as agricultural waste. The discovery made by researchers at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, could open new avenues for studying cannabis-derived compounds beyond the well known cannabinoids associated with psychoactive effects. The study found that cannabis leaves contain uncommon flavoalkaloids rare natural compounds formed from a combination of flavonoids and nitrogen containing alkaloids. Researchers say the finding reveals a far more complex chemical profile within cannabis plants than previously understood. The research has been published in the Journal of Chromatography A. ...

    India now possesses one of the world most advanced forest monitoring systems, capable of scanning dense forests through clouds and darkness in near real time. Yet despite this technological leap delayed institutional response and weak governance continue to undermine efforts to prevent forest degradation fires and carbon loss. The concern has gained urgency after the operational rollout of the joint NASA ISRO satellite mission, NISAR, in late 2025. Built over more than a decade at a cost of nearly $1.5 billion, the radar satellite now scans almost every forest patch in India every 12 days generating nearly 80 terabytes of environmental data daily. However experts warn that while India ability to detect ecological damage has dramatically improved, the systems required ...

    Delhi environmental crisis is no longer limited to winter smog. Rising temperatures, worsening heatwaves, mounting waste and year round air pollution are placing increasing pressure on the city’s infrastructure, economy and public health. Experts now argue that the capital green transition must focus urgently on three sectors construction, transport and waste management. According to climate assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), South Asian cities such as Delhi are already witnessing more intense and frequent heat extremes. Rapid urbanisation, dense construction and shrinking green cover are further amplifying these risks across Delhi-NCR. Construction Dust, Waste And Heat Are Deepening Delhi’s Crisis Construction activities continue ...

    India forest surveillance capabilities have entered a new technological era with the operational rollout of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite NISAR. Yet experts warn that despite access to near real time environmental data, the country institutional response to forest degradation fires and carbon loss remains alarmingly slow. The issue has once again come into focus after recurring forest fires in Odisha Similipal Tiger Reserve earlier this year, even as advanced satellite systems successfully detected thermal anomalies before they were spotted on the ground. NISAR declared operational in November 2025 after more than a decade of development, is capable of scanning nearly every forested patch in India every 12 days. The satellite can penetrate cloud...

Pre monsoon activity has intensified across southern India, and weather experts say the southwest monsoon remains on track for a timely arrival over Kerala around June 1. Fresh signals from Australia and shifting atmospheric patterns across the Indian Ocean are strengthening confidence in the seasonal forecast. Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall have already been reported in parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued rain and thunderstorm activity across the southern peninsula over the coming week, indicating the gradual build up of monsoon conditions. Weather systems across northern and eastern India are also showing signs of seasonal transition, with fluctuating temperatures, lightning, hails...

    India water storage situation is showing signs of increasing stress, with reservoir levels in several states falling below critical levels ahead of the monsoon season. According to the latest weekly bulletin released by the Central Water Commission on April 30, water storage in 166 monitored reservoirs has dropped to 38.72 per cent of total capacity, down from 44.71 per cent recorded earlier in April. The decline has raised concern across multiple regions, particularly in eastern, northeastern and southern India, where several reservoirs and river basins are now operating below normal levels. The Central Water Commission monitors 166 reservoirs across the country including 20 linked to hydropower projects. Together these reservoirs have a live storage capacity of ...

    The critically endangered Timor green pigeon is rapidly disappearing from the wild with researchers warning that the species could face extinction within years unless urgent conservation action is taken. A new long term study based on more than two decades of field research has revealed that only a few hundred birds may now remain across Timor Island and nearby islands in Southeast Asia. Scientists say the species has already become functionally extinct in parts of Indonesia leaving eastern Timor Leste as its final stronghold. The Timor green pigeon is found only on Timor and a handful of nearby islands including Rote, Semau, Atauro and Jaco. The bird depends on lowland forests and does not migrate, making it especially vulnerable to habitat loss and hunting press...

    Researchers have detected microplastics in frog tadpoles and their natural pond habitats in the Amazon Rainforest for the first time, highlighting the growing spread of plastic pollution across one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. The study was conducted by ecologist Fabrielle Barbosa de Araújo and researchers from the Federal University of Pará in Brazil. The team collected water samples and tadpoles from five temporary rainwater ponds located in Gunma Ecological Park in Pará state during April 2025. The ponds serve as important breeding and larval development sites for amphibians in the Amazon region. Researchers examined 100 tadpoles from each pond belonging to the Venezuela snouted treefrog, a species commonly found across forests and urban enviro...

India recycled nearly 3 million metric tonnes of tyres during the financial year 2024-25, but weak monitoring systems, poor product standards and limited industrial demand continue to slow the growth of the country’s tyre recycling sector. To address these challenges, NITI Aayog has proposed a series of reforms aimed at improving the quality, traceability and commercial value of recycled tyre products. The recommendations were discussed during the national conference “Paryavaran NITI Manthan” held in New Delhi on May 4, 2026. The event was organised by NITI Aayog in partnership with the Material Recycling Association of India. Experts at the conference said India tyre recycling industry remains heavily fragmented despite handling massive volumes of waste tyres. Of the 3 million metri...

    India’s new plastic waste management rules now allow up to 60 per cent recycled plastic content in rigid food packaging, a move that experts say could reduce plastic waste but will require strict safety checks, better recycling systems and stronger industry coordination. Scientists and recyclers in Bengaluru believe the target is ambitious but achievable if the country improves the way plastic waste is collected, cleaned and processed. Suryasarathi Bose, professor of Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, explained that rigid packaging includes food containers commonly used by delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato. According to him, the biggest concern is food safety. He said recycled plastic used for food packaging must p...