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Gurugram - Gurugram claim of processing a remarkable 98 percent of its daily waste has been exposed as a "statistical illusion," according to on-the-ground investigations that reveal a system in complete disarray despite an annual expenditure of ₹45 crore. The city, which generates approximately 1,200 tonnes of waste every day, manages little more than relocating garbage until it becomes a hazard for the Aravalli forests and nearby communities, experts warn. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) boast of a leap from 140th to 41st in the 2024–25 Swachh Survekshan rankings is directly contradicted by official figures showing a collapse in fundamental sanitation metrics. The rate of door-to-door collection dropped from 98 percent to 59 percent over three years, while source seg...

New Delhi - An alarming new international study published in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine has sounded a loud warning over soaring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in India, placing the country at the center of what experts describe as a rapidly escalating superbug crisis. The research found that an overwhelming majority of Indian patients carried multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) or superbugs a prevalence rate that is the highest globally. The study titled 'Preprocedural screening for multidrug-resistant organisms in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography...', screened over 1,200 patients across four countries India, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States to assess MDRO carriage before a common endoscopic procedure. Alarmingly High Resistance Levels The findings...

New Delhi - The Union Ministry of Power, Government of India, has released a comprehensive new policy mandating coal-based thermal power plants (TPPs) to co-fire torrefied charcoal derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) alongside traditional coal and biomass pellets. Released on November 7, 2025, the consolidated policy supersedes all earlier versions, creating a unified framework aimed at utilizing the country’s vast amounts of surplus agricultural residue and unmanaged urban waste. The primary objective is to sustainably utilize India’s estimated 230 million tonnes of surplus agricultural residue and the 25% of the 150,000 tonnes of daily MSW that currently remains unmanaged. This move aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean ...

Antarctica - A hidden world beneath the Antarctic ice has been revealed, following the calving of the massive A68 iceberg from the Larsen C Ice Shelf. Using an underwater robot, scientists have discovered thousands of highly organized fish nests stretching across the seafloor, likened to a vast underwater city. The remarkable discovery was made in a remote part of the Western Weddell Sea, an area previously sealed beneath a 200-meter-thick ice shelf. The opportunity to study this environment arose when the 5,800 square kilometer A68 iceberg broke away in 2017. Structured Nests in the Exposed Seabed The team, operating from the South African polar research vessel SA Agulhas II during the Weddell Sea Expedition of 2019, deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) into the newly acces...

London, UK - A ban on the sale of plastic wet wipes has been signed into law in England, aiming to tackle the persistent problem of sewer-clogging fatbergs. The new legislation, set to take effect in 2027, aligns England with the rest of the UK in outlawing wipes made of plastic, which fail to disintegrate in the sewage system. The move has been broadly welcomed by water companies, which estimate that clearing fatbergs congealed masses of fat, oil, and wet wipes costs them approximately £200 million a year. Plastic wipes, which can last for hundreds or even thousands of years, are a major contributor to these blockages. The New Dilemma: Are Non-Plastic Wipes Safe to Flush? While the ban removes the primary culprit, a new debate is emerging over the non-plastic wipes now dominating...

The Congo Basin, the world's second-largest tropical rainforest, is a vital planetary asset that remains alarmingly overlooked in global climate policy and funding, despite being one of the Earth's most critical carbon sinks. Spanning six countries across Central Africa and home to approximately 130 million people, the basin is often referred to as the "lungs of Africa" and plays an indispensable role in maintaining biodiversity and continental climate stability. Ecologically, the basin is unique, sheltering thousands of rare species, including forest elephants, okapis, mountain gorillas, and bonobos. Its flora is exceptional, with about 30\% of its 10,000 plant species found nowhere else. Furthermore, the basin's rainfall feeds main river systems, circulating water across the continent...

RANIPET, November 19 — The Forest Department successfully seized 31 wooden logs of red sanders valued at approximately ₹15 lakh from the Ammoor Reserve Forest (RF) near Arakkonam town on Sunday. The recovered consignment weighed around 390 kg. Based on alerts received from local residents, a team of forest officials led by S. Tamilarasan, Forest Range Officer (Arakkonam), conducted a patrol inside the reserve. The team discovered the valuable red sanders logs dumped and hidden within the bushes. Forest officials revealed that the operation quickly utilized technology and local assistance to track the suspects. Subsequent analysis of CCTV cameras fixed along the route revealed footage of the culprits entering the forest. With assistance from the local police, the team managed to locat...

NEW DELHI, November 18, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India, in a far-reaching judgment arising from ecological violations in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, has mandated a uniform national compensation of ₹10 lakh for every human death caused by wild animals. The Court further strongly urged all States to consider classifying human-wildlife conflict as a "natural disaster" to ensure faster relief and administrative mobilization. The landmark ruling, In Re: Corbett (2025 LiveLaw SC 1112), presided over by Chief Justice BR Gavai, rejected contentions by State authorities regarding financial flexibility, stating that uniformity in compensation is mandatory to uphold the principles of equality and humane governance. Addressing Systemic Failures The case, which began by scrutinizing ille...

KATRA, November 18 — The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has mandated a significant upgrade in disaster management and security protocols following a comprehensive review meeting held on Monday. The review, chaired by CEO Sachin Kumar Vaishya, involved officials from the Board and security and administrative heads from Reasi district. The directives aim to enhance pilgrim safety through better coordination, modernized equipment, and stricter compliance with safety measures. The CEO issued several key instructions focused on disaster preparedness, underscoring the necessity of swift and effective response. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was instructed to organize frequent mock drills to ensure Shrine Board teams and stakeholder agencies are fully prepared and in...