Is India Winning the War Against Pollution? The fight for cleaner air and water intensifies as the nation grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change. From the devastating floods in Assam to the alarming rise in air pollution levels in Delhi, environmental challenges demand urgent action. This week saw crucial discussions on sustainable agriculture and renewable energy sources at the India Climate Change Conference, highlighting the government's commitment to tackling deforestation and promoting biodiversity conservation. But are these efforts enough? Experts warn of looming water scarcity and the need for stricter regulations on industrial emissions. The future of India's environment hangs in the balance, demanding collective responsibility and innovative solutions. Explore Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and the latest updates on environmental policies, climate activism, and the ongoing struggle for a sustainable India. Discover how you can contribute to a greener tomorrow.
Ludhiana: Although Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, came into effect from April 1, the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) is yet to launch an awareness programme to inform city residents about the new requirements before enforcing them on the ground. The absence of prior communication has raised concerns among residents and stakeholders, especially as the new rules place significantly stricter obligations on waste generators.The situation is compounded by the fact that the MC has not been ab ...Read More >
Mumbai, April 2: After days of extreme heat, Mumbai is witnessing a fall in maximum temperature, giving temporary relief from the hot summer. On Thursday, the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded at the Colaba observatory were 31.8°C and 23.1°C, both below normal. Although Mumbai and its metropolitan region did not witness rainfall as forecast, the rainfall-like weather condition and the westerly winds have resulted in partially cloudy skies and a fall in temperature. Westerly disturbance ...Read More >
KURNOOL: Once feared as one of the ferocious predators roaming the hill tracts of Rayalaseema, wolves appear to have vanished from across Andhra Pradesh. Sources in the Forest department reveal that there have been no sightings or evidence of wolves in any district of AP for over a decade and a half. The department had carried out intense surveillance and deployed special teams in select forest zones. But there has been no trace of the elusive carnivore. Traditionally, wolves have thrived in t ...Read More >
Dr. Jitendra Singh welcomed the engagement, noting that such discussions are critical in shaping policy priorities and raising awareness about ocean ecosystems. India has, for the first time, adopted a structured, mission-mode approach to marine conservation and sustainable ocean resource utilisation under the Deep Ocean Mission, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour. Highlighting a major shift in policy and institutional focus, the Minister stated that ...Read More >
Guwahati: The Eastern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stayed an Assam government order proposing the deployment of 1,600 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duty, days ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled for April 9. The development follows a report by Northeast Now that first flagged the issue, pointing to the large-scale deployment of frontline forest personnel from core duties such as anti-poaching patrols, prevention of illegal logging, ...Read More >
New Delhi: A powerful 7.4-magnitude offshore earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Thursday, leaving at least one person dead and damaging several buildings in North Sulawesi province, officials said. While local disaster mitigation agencies and Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency are yet to release official assessments, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake's epicentre was located at 1.20 degrees north latitude and 126.35 degrees east longitude, and the tremor hit at a shall ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The minimum temperature in the national capital dipped to 16.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday after two days of light to moderate rainfall across several parts of Delhi-NCR. The India Meteorological Department has predicted more rainfall activity, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong surface winds on April 3, 4, and 5. The maximum temperature on Wednesday settled at 33.5 degrees Celsius, according to IMD. Although thundery development with very light rain was predicted f ...Read More >
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 began in Bhopal on Wednesday, with the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) launching strict enforcement across multiple wards. Special teams have been deployed to penalise violations, signalling a firm approach to improving waste segregation practices in the city. According to the BMC's Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) cell, despite the strict rollout, the success of the initiative will depend on how quickly infrastr ...Read More >
New Delhi: India has taken a major step toward greener infrastructure with the development of a new technology that turns crop waste into bio-bitumen, a key material used in road construction, a report has said. This innovation, created by scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), could help the country reduce its dependence on imported petroleum-based bitumen while also tackling the long-standing problem of stubble burning, according to Devdiscourse report. Uni ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Experts have flagged the leniency of the central government's new plastic waste management rule, questioning its effectiveness. The rule, notified today, promotes the burning of plastic to produce energy and allow carry forward the target of recycling and reuse. The new Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will replace the 10-year-old regulation and will come into effect at the start of the new financial year. The draft amendment of the rule was issued in June 2025 to ga ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Association of PET Recyclers (APR) Bharat on Wednesday said that the government guidelines mandating brands and producers to use 40 per cent recycled content in food‑grade PET packaging effective April 1 will boost India's circular economy, a report said on Wednesday. The move marks a significant milestone in the country's commitment to sustainable resource management amidst global supply disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties impacting the availability a ...Read More >
SRINAGAR, India -- The Jammu and Kashmir government has abandoned a three-decade-old policy of relocating families from Dal Lake, replacing it with a new conservation strategy that treats lake dwellers as partners in restoration rather than obstacles to it. The policy shift, announced in March 2026, comes as residents around the iconic Himalayan lake witnessed green sludge accumulating on the water's surface in recent weeks, triggering public concern about pollution levels in the 18-square-kilo ...Read More >
Srinagar, Mar 31: The government on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that five glacial lakes in the Kashmir Himalaya have been identified as highly susceptible to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), based on a recent scientific study conducted by the University of Kashmir. The information was shared in response to a query raised by National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq, who sought details regarding the vulnerability of glacial lakes and the potential risks posed to downstream populatio ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], March 31: In wake of the recent outrage surrounding the painting of an elephant named Chanchal in Jaipur for a photoshoot made by Julia Buruleva, World Animal Protection has taken a grim view of the entire sequence of events that has led to this most unfortunate display of animal cruelty in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Jaipur in Rajasthan. This incident, yet again highlights the rampant abuse of captive elephants in Jaipur in Amer Fort and Haathi Gaon to cater to tourist ...Read More >
New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) Cloudy skies and spells of rain greeted Delhi residents on Tuesday as the national capital remained under a yellow alert, even as temperatures stayed above normal with the maximum touching 33.7 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert, indicating "be updated", with a generally cloudy sky and intermittent very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and strong surface winds of 20-30 kmph, gusting up to 40 kmph duri ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], March 31: Orient Electric Limited, part of the USD 3 billion CKA Birla Group, today unveiled Aero O2, a first-of-its-kind lifestyle innovation that evolves the ceiling fan from simple air movement to active air revitalization. Powered by patented Bio-Oxy Plasma ION+ Technology, Aero O2 is India's first oxygen-enriching fan designed to create a fresher, more energizing indoor atmosphere for modern urban homes. Also Read | Impact Subs in Today's IPL Match for Punjab Kings and G ...Read More >
New Delhi: Indigenously developed bio-bitumen, derived from agricultural residues, is emerging as a promising solution to the long-standing challenge faced by farmers in clearing their fields quickly while also addressing the severe air pollution that has consistently troubled northern India for years. Traditionally, the urgent need to prepare land for the next crop cycle has led many farmers to burn stubble, contributing significantly to seasonal smog. Now, an innovative approach is quietly tr ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: With another intense summer approaching, Delhi govt on Monday unveiled its Summer Action Plan 2026-27 to shore up water supply, tighten sewer management and accelerate the clean-up of the Yamuna, while rolling out digital tools to improve grievance redressal and transparency.Launching the plan at the DJB headquarters in Jhandewalan, water minister Parvesh Verma said the focus will be on maintaining peak production, plugging distribution gaps and ensuring accountability in tanker opera ...Read More >
New Delhi - Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt. Ltd., a leading company in cutting edge water technology has been awarded recognition as one of the Most Innovative Companies in the Asia-Pacific regions for 2026 by Fast Company; ranking 10th in the Asia-Pacific Region. Akvo is one of only three Companies from India listed on the 2026 Global List, further strengthening its international presence in the innovation space. Akvo's inclusion underscores its pioneering work in Atmospheric Water Generat ...Read More >
The accused are also involved in illegal opium cultivation, an official said (Representational) A radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned to death, following which five persons were arrested on Saturday, Madhya Pradesh police said. The tiger's body was found buried in a pit in West Chhindwara division revenue area on Friday, the official said. "The tiger was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria in December 2004. It had formed its territory outside the reserve. Five persons hav ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday visited Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)'s Bhalswa landfill to review the ongoing bioremediation work aimed at flattening the mountain of garbage.While inspecting the site, Sandhu told officials to address the issue of not only legacy waste but also the continuous inflow of fresh waste.He noted that while significant progress has been made since PM Modi, on Swachhata Diwas 2021, flagged the three landfill sites in Delhi -- Bhalswa, Ghazipur and O ...Read More >
Kolkata rain today: Kolkata is likely to experience rain, thunderstorms and strong winds in the City of Joy and Hooghly district today, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast. On Wednesday, Kolkata may see partly cloudy sky with possibility of development of thunder lightning. On April 2 and 3, there will be clear skies in the city. Kolkata is likely to witness rain, thundershowers with strong gusty winds on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted. Th ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The capital witnessed light rain in some parts of the city on Monday, with the minimum temperature settling at 20.4 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasts light showers in the capital in the first week of April. The possibility of very light rain or drizzle has been predicted for March 31 and for April 3 and 4. On the other hand, the minimum temperatures over the next two days are expected to fall and range between 17 and 19 degrees Celsi ...Read More >
New Delhi: Lieutenant governor (LG) of Delhi, Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to address the continuous inflow of fresh and legacy waste into landfills, officials said. The directions came while the LG was inspecting the ongoing bio-mining work at the Bhalswa landfill site. Spread over 70 acres, the Bhalswa landfill had 7,300,000 metric tonnes (MT) of waste in November 2022. While 4,500,000 MT was bio-mined till December 2024, another 3,980,000 ...Read More >
It has already seen successful trial applications, including construction of road stretches, and is now moving towards large-scale deployment. "Even partial substitution of conventional bitumen with bio-bitumen will significantly cut import dependence, strengthen economic resilience, and ensure that infrastructure development remains insulated from global supply disruptions," said Singh. Conventional bitumen, which is a byproduct of crude oil and contains a mixture of hydrocarbons, is used, fo ...Read More >
Patna: Starting April 1, residents, institutions, hotels, markets, and commercial establishments across all municipal bodies in the state will come under a tough new waste management regime. The reason: The state is implementing the national Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, notified by the Centre in Jan, marking a major shift from the earlier 2016 framework.Under the new rules, every waste generator must segregate household and institutional garbage into four separate streams at source: Wet b ...Read More >
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday visited the Bhalswa Landfill to review ongoing bioremediation work, noting improvement over the past year and stressing on the need for sustained efforts. According to the official statement, the LG emphasised that authorities must focus not only on clearing legacy waste but also on managing the continuous inflow of fresh garbage at the site scientifically and sustainably. "While significant progress has been mad ...Read More >
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season has barely begun, but it has already delivered its first major controversy. Following Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, a pointed remark from captain Ajinkya Rahane has triggered a wider debate - forcing Cricket Australia (CA) to step in with a clarification. At the centre of the storm is Cameron Green, KKR's high-profile signing worth INR 25.20 crore, who did not bowl a single over despite ...Read More >
Dr. Prashant Prabhakar Deshpande has post-graduated in Economics with a Gold Medal in 1976 and was awarded a Ph.D in Social Sciences from Nagpur University in 2007. Agriculture is the backbone of India's rural economy employing nearly half of the country's workforce and supporting food security for over 1.4 billion people. However, the farmers' community continues to face: * Rising input costs; * Erratic electricity supply, and; * Increasing climate risks. In this context, Solar energy, par ...Read More >
Bandipur (Karnataka) [India], March 12 (ANI): Karnataka Forest and Environment Minister Ishwar B Khandre has defended the State government's decision to temporarily suspend safari operations in Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks last November, stating that the move was taken to protect human lives after a series of wildlife attacks. Speaking in the Assembly during the Question and Answer session, Khandre was responding to Leader of the Opposition R Ashok who said that over 4,000 people had ...Read More >
From the alarming rise in Himalayan glacier melt impacting water security to the devastating cyclones battering coastal communities, India's environmental challenges demand urgent attention. Climate change, deforestation, and air pollution are no longer distant threats; they are daily realities shaping lives across the nation. We track crucial developments in environmental policy, highlighting government initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme and examining the impact of sustainable agriculture practices. Explore our coverage of biodiversity conservation efforts, the growing renewable energy sector, and the crucial role of citizen activism in environmental protection. Understand the intricate web connecting environmental degradation and socio-economic disparities, and discover how India is navigating the complexities of a changing climate. Stay informed, stay engaged, and become part of the solution. Explore the latest environmental news and analysis now.