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.
Bengaluru: Concerns have been raised following the report of another tigress' death in Karnataka on Saturday, coming close on the heels of the shocking incident involving the death of a tigress and her four cubs. According to forest officials, the latest death has been reported from the Gundre Forest Range in Bandipur, located in Chamarajanagar district. Authorities, based on preliminary investigation, have stated that the tigress, estimated to be between 4 and 5 years old, appears to have died of natural causes. However, the post-mortem report is awaited for confirmation. The carcass was discovered by forest officers during a routine patrol on Friday. The post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted on Saturday itself. The Forest Department is yet to release an official statement on the matter. Earlier, on Saturday the Forest and Police authorities cracked the sensational case involving the death of a tigress and her four cubs in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills forest region and arrested two persons in connection with the incident. The arrested individuals have confessed to poisoning the meat in order to kill the tigers, claiming it was an act of revenge for the death of their cow. The accused have been identified as Mada, also known as Maduraju, and Nagaraju. Police are also questioning three other individuals in connection with the case. According to the accused, the tigress had killed a cow named 'Kenchi'. An angry Maduraju shared his grief with Nagaraju, and the duo decided to take revenge on the big cats by killing the tigress and her cubs. They procured pesticide, entered the forest, and found the carcass of the dead cow, which they laced with the pesticide. The next day, the tigress and her four cubs consumed the poisoned meat and died. Maduraju is said to have expressed happiness over the death of the tigers and even celebrated it. Police stated that Maduraju had absconded after the deaths triggered a public outcry. He was eventually tracked down and arrested in Koppa village. Earlier, police had taken Maduraju's father, Shivanna, into custody. In an attempt to protect his son, Shivanna falsely confessed to poisoning the tigers. Following the arrests and confession of the actual culprits, the police have now dropped Shivanna's name from the case. Meanwhile, the government has appointed Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Nodal Officer (All India Tiger Estimation) Kumar Pushkar as the head of the investigation team, replacing the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). The investigation team includes Chief Forest Conservator T. Hiralal, APCCF Srinivasulu, NTCA representative Malleshappa, veterinary officer of Mysuru Zoo Dr. Shashidhar, and wildlife expert and activist Sanjay Gubbi. The unnatural deaths had come to light on Thursday. The carcasses of the tigress and the cubs were discovered in the Meenyam forest area, within the Hoogyam range of the sanctuary. According to sources, the tigress had killed the cow and dragged it into the forest. She and four of her cubs had partially consumed the meat. Later, the tigress and her cubs returned to the kill and died after consuming the meat that had been poisoned. "Karnataka stands second in the country in terms of tiger population, with 563 tigers. It is deeply saddening to learn about the death of a tigress and her three cubs in a state known for its conservation efforts," Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said. The Male Mahadeshwara Hill Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 906 square kilometres and is home to a variety of wildlife animals, including tigers, elephants, leopards and others.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 27 (ANI): A female student was allegedly gang-raped inside a law college in Kolkata's Kasba on Wednesday evening. The police have arrested all three accused within 24 hours. The three accused, named as Monojit Mishra (31), Zaib Ahmed (19), and Pramit Mukhopadhyay (20), were former students or staff members of the same law college. Also Read | Student Gang-Raped at South Kolkata Law College: Police Arrest 3 Youths for Sexually Assaulting Young Woman Inside Law College. According to the police, the accused named in the FIR will be produced before the A.C.J. ...Read More >
Lucknow: UP is set to celebrate Van Mahotsav from July 1 to 7 under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wherein the forest and wildlife department plans to plant a record 35 crore saplings across Uttar Pradesh, the highest in country.The department, working in close coordination with various other departments, has gathered 52.33 crore saplings and completed advance soil work on 72,912 hectares of land.A review meeting led by forest and environment minister Arun Kumar Saxena was held fo ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 28 (PTI) Two people were arrested on Saturday in connection with the death of a tigress and her four cubs in the Hugyam forest range of Male Mahadeshwara Hills, police said. The big cats were found dead on Thursday, and subsequent investigation revealed they were poisoned. The breakthrough came after the carcass of a poisoned cow belonging to Maada alias Maaduraju was found. According to police, Maaduraju was reportedly enraged after his cow named 'Kenchi' was preyed upon by wild animals. To avenge the loss, he sprayed poison on the cow's carcass. His friend Nagaraju too is ...Read More >
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 8 (ANI): As the commencement date for the 2025 Maha Kumbh nears, popular seers and saints are joining the crowd in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Amid celebrations, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj on Wednesday demanded that cow be given the status of 'Rashtra Mata'. He said that one of the biggest problems was cow slaughter and it must be stopped. The seer said that they would organise a 'maha yagya' to press their demands. "All Sanatani Hindus are uniting here for Kumbh. Even though we have a number of problems, the ...Read More >
Kendrapara (Odisha), Jan 14 (PTI) With the annual crocodile and migratory birds' headcount exercise getting underway, the Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district would remain shut for nine days from Tuesday. Several teams have been constituted to count the crocodiles and birds in the creeks, rivers, wetland sites and mangrove forests within the park and its nearby areas, an official said. Any form of human activity could disrupt the process, and that is why the national park will remain closed till January 22, he said. The restrictions for visitors will also prevent noise ...Read More >
Guwahati/Morigaon, Jun 6 (PTI) The flood situation in Assam continued to be critical with over 5.6 lakh people reeling under the deluge in 16 districts, an official bulletin said on Friday. The toll in this year's floods and landslides stands at 21, with two more deaths reported on Thursday. Also Read | Thane Shocker: Wife Booked for Hurling Hot Oil on Autorickshaw Driver During Fight Over Domestic Issues in Kalyan. Wildlife has also been affected with nearly 70 per cent of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district facing inundation, an official said. The Regional Meteorological ...Read More >
Bengaluru: In an incident of concern, the unnatural death of a tigress and her three cubs, probably due to poisoning, came to light in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district on Thursday. Addressing media persons in Bengaluru, Forests, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre announced that an investigation has been ordered into the incident and officials have been directed to submit a detailed report within three days. The probe will be conducted by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). "Karnataka stands second in the count ...Read More >
Patna, June 28: Amid intermittent monsoon rains, lightning strikes claimed the lives of two people and injured two others in Gaya district, Bihar, on Saturday. In the Guraru block, Dinesh Yadav (40), a resident of Daulata village, died after being struck by lightning near Bhaduki village while returning from Rafiganj in Aurangabad. His sudden death has left the family in shock. In a separate incident in Pandey Pokhar village of Guraru, Rohit Kumar (14), son of Ramesh Manjhi, died on the spot after being struck by lightning while grazing cattle in a barren field. "There is news of two people d ...Read More >
Jaipur: The Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in Alwar Rajasthan has come up with country's first tiger memorial dedicated to its Rajmata, tigress ST-2 who repopulated this reserve with a family of 34 tigers. "Sariska has been repopulated thanks to tigress ST-2. The STR has 48 big cats, and 34 have come from the tigress' family. It gave life back to Sariska from the brink of extinction," said forest minister of the Sanjay Sharma, unveiling the memorial which has statues of the tigress and cubs on Sunday. He announced to observe 'Sariska Tiger Day' honouring ST 2, the Rajmata and said that this sta ...Read More >
Navi Mumbai: In a tragic incident that has sparked outrage among environmentalists, a golden jackal was crushed to death by a speeding vehicle around midnight on Sunday near DPS Flamingo Lake, Nerul. The accident occurred on the service road parallel to Palm Beach Road, an area known for its rich biodiversity. According to a volunteer from the Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA), the jackal was hit on its back by an unidentified four-wheeler, leaving it badly mangled. The volunteer rushed to the spot after receiving a distress call around 12 a.m., but the animal could not be saved. The incide ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, June 5 (UNI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday urged the people to resolve to end plastic pollution and maintain a healthy, clean environment. "Today, let us pledge to eliminate plastic pollution and create a healthier, cleaner environment for our citizens," Majhi said while addressing the state-level World Environment Day event. He noted that plastic has become an integral part of our lives, especially single-use plastics. Stressing that plastic waste must be ad ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Mysuru: A tragic incident has unfolded at the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar, where a mother tiger and her four cubs were found dead under suspicious circumstances near the Hoogyam forest range. In response to the tragedy, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has called for a comprehensive investigation. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) will oversee the inquiry, and the minister has requested a detailed report to be submitted promptly. He has also emphasized that strict action will be taken if any negligence by forest staff is found. Top forest of ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
Berhampur: Residents of Baghasala in Gajapati district are living in fear after forest officials found pug marks of a suspected Royal Bengal Tiger on the outskirts of the village in Paralakhemundi forest division on Tuesday. The villagers apparently sighted a big cat early in the morning and reported it to forest officials. A forest department team went to the village and collected the animal's pug marks. "After preliminary analysis, the pug marks have been identified as that of a tiger," said S Anand, divisional forest officer (DFO), Paralakhemundi. Camera traps will be installed in the are ...Read More >
Viral video shows AI cameras spotting a herd of elephants. (Photo: X/susantananda3) Elephants in Odisha's forests often face the threat of train collisions on railway tracks, as highlighted by multiple reports over the years. To prevent such accidents, authorities installed four AI cameras in the Rourkela Forest Division. A post on X (formerly Twitter) by Susanta Nanda, a retired Indian Forest Service officer, stated that the use of AI cameras effectively averted another potential accident. In t ...Read More >
Guwahati: The flood situation across Assam continues to be critical, with over 5.6 lakh people in 16 districts reeling under the severe flood, an official bulletin confirmed on Friday. The cumulative death toll from this year's floods and landslides has now climbed to 21, following two more fatalities reported on Thursday. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin stated that floodwaters are currently submerging 57 revenue circles and 1,406 villages, impacting a total of 5,61,644 individuals ...Read More >
Thane: The highly decomposed bodies of three men from Mumbai were found Thursday evening in a car that had veered off the Mumbai-Nashik highway, near Kasara, and landed into a drain, some 40 feet below at a turn sloping down. The three friends were on their way to the Trimbakeshwar temple near Nashik.The crash site between Kasara and Unbarmali showed telltale signs, the police said. Barks of trees lining the stretch showed signs of having borne the impact of the collision impact. Besides, the man ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 27 (PTI) The discovery of a seemingly stale carcass of a cow in Hugyam forest range in Mahadeshwara Hills on Friday strengthens the doubt that the death of a tigress and her four cubs could be due to poisoning, officials said. These five tigers were found dead in this forest on Thursday. It is suspected that the miscreants had poisoned the cow, and after eating it, the tigress and its cubs might have died. "Either the bovine was poisoned before being left in the forest, or the owner of the cattle, after spotting the dead cow, would have spread poison on its body, which the ti ...Read More >
Munnar: The residential areas of Old Munnar are once again gripped by fear as leopard sightings have been reported near human settlements. An inspection by the Forest Department and the Rapid Response Team (RRT) confirmed the presence of a leopard through the discovery of pugmarks in the area. The animal was reportedly spotted by passersby on Thursday night and again on Friday morning near the KDH Club locality, an area where many tourists are also accommodated. Children playing outside their homes also claimed to have seen the leopard. It is suspected that the animal may have been drawn to t ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday dismissed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's criticism regarding the Delhi Zoo's proposed agreement with the Reliance Group's Gujarat-based wildlife facility, saying such collaborations are routine and aimed at improving animal care and management practices. "Some people have made it a habit to create doubts in the mind of the public at every instance," Yadav said on X in response to Ramesh's remarks. He clarified that the National Zoological Park (NZP), also known as the Delhi Zoo, had signed a memorandum of understa ...Read More >
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 8 (ANI): Several districts of Rajasthan witnessed an intense heatwave on Sunday, with the highest temperature of 47.4 degrees Celsius recorded in Sri Ganganagar. According to the India Meteorological Centre in Jaipur, the temperatures recorded across different districts were 47.4°C in Sri Ganganagar, 46°C in Bikaner, 45.9°C in Barmer, 45.6°C in Churu, 45.4°C in Phalodi, 45.2°C in Jaisalmer, and 45°C in Kota. Also Read | Anjali Varmora Suicide Case: Young Model Ends Life in Gujarat's Surat, Mental Stress Suspected. A June 8 yellow alert, for heatwave and dust ...Read More >
Coimbatore: A male leopard, suspected of killing a four-year-old girl on June 20, was trapped in a cage near the child's house at Pachamalai estate in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Valparai on Thursday.The four-year-old leopard was caught around 5am, in one of two camouflaged cages placed by Valparai forest range staff near a labourer's quarters where the leopard attacked the girl. The big cat had attacked a guest worker's daughter M Roshini Kumari, from Jharkhand, and dragged her into the nearby bushes. After an extensive 17-hour search, the girl's partially consumed body was found abou ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, Jun 27 (PTI) One person was injured on Friday during the Rath Yatra procession in Ahmedabad, when a male elephant, agitated by excessive noise, broke a barricade and rushed into a narrow lane, officials said. The mahouts on two other elephants followed the jumbo and controlled it, ensuring that the procession proceeded smoothly on its designated route, said RK Sahu, superintendent of Kankaria Zoo in the city. "One bystander was injured after an elephant got disturbed and entered a narrow lane in the Khadia area. The injured person has been shifted to a nearby hospital. The process ...Read More >
Haridwar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday demanded that hotel, dhaba and eatery owners on the Kanwar Yatra routes should display their names and identities on boards outside their business establishments. The owners, who hide their identities under fake names, on the Kanwar Yatra routes should not be spared, he told reporters here. "Tampering with faith of the Hindu devotees during the Kanwar Yatra will not be tolerated," said the Unnao MP. The food shops on the Kanwar Yatra routes should have a board outside with the names of their owners clearly written on them, h ...Read More >
Jaipur: Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma Friday flagged off the first air-conditioned 'Rajasthan Vahini Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train' from Durgapura railway station under the Devasthan department's Senior Citizens Pilgrimage Scheme-2025. This initiative marked the beginning of the pilgrimage to Rameshwaram, carrying around 800 passengers.Under the scheme, 50,000 senior citizens will travel to 13 different pilgrimage sites via AC trains for the first time this year. The eight-day journey is the longest among the Devasthan department's pilgrimages, including visits to the Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlin ...Read More >
Nagpur: Development without ecology is not development it is devastation in disguise, remarked, environmentalist and member of the State Board for Wildlife Shrikant Tekade while addressing a World Environment Day programme organised by RTO Nagpur in collaboration with the Institute of Environment, Ecology, Health & Management (IEEHM).Speaking on this year's theme 'Beat Plastic Pollution and Deforestation', Tekade painted a grim picture of plastic misuse and its growing impact on both urban and forest ecosystems. He pointed out that Nagpur generates over 1,100 tonnes of municipal waste daily, o ...Read More >
RANCHI/SILLI/PURULIA/KOLKATA: "Bhagwan Krishna ne aaj bacha liya (Lord Krishna has saved us today)," said farmer Puran Chand Mahto (55) of Mardu village in Ranchi district's Silli block, still unable to believe his luck at being alive to tell the tale of how he and his family - his three daughters and a relative, who is a minor - slept peacefully while a tiger silently crouched in a corner of the same room.Around 4.30am Wednesday, Puran was getting ready for the day. As he stepped out of his thre ...Read More >
Bengaluru, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said an investigation has been launched into the death of a tigress and its four cubs in the state's Chamarajanagar district, and necessary orders have already been issued, even as two suspects have been held for questioning. Sources said that the authorities have taken two persons into custody on Friday and are questioning them in connection with the incident. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, CM Siddaramaiah said that appropriate action would be taken once the investigation report is submitted. Minister ...Read More >
Puri: Despite travel uncertainties due to recent conflicts in some parts of the world, people from Europe and elsewhere have reached Puri to witness the annual Ratha Yatra of the sibling deities.As non-Hindus are not allowed inside the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the Ratha Yatra provides a rare opportunity for devotees across the world to see the deities in their full glory atop their majestic wooden chariots."Back home, we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear. But here, I found peace. I came because this is my only chance to see Lord Jagannath. He comes out for the whole world. This is v ...Read More >