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.
Srinagar: In past 47 years, Srinagar has recorded the hottest June month since 1978, which was the second hottest after 1892. An Independent Weather Forecaster, Faizan Arif Keng said that Srinagar just experienced its hottest June since 1978, making it the second hottest on record since observations began in 1892. He said, that the average maximum temperature for June 2025 stood at 31.0°C, while the mean minimum settled at 18.2°C, resulting in an overall average temperature of 24.6°C. The only hotter June on record for the city was in 1978, when the overall average temperature reached 25.0°C, driven by a higher mean maximum of 32.9°C, though the mean minimum that year was lower at 17.1°C, he informed. "Interestingly, 2008 still holds the record for the highest mean minimum temperature in June at 18.3°C, slightly above this year's figure," Keng said. Notably, an overall average temperature of 24.6°C -- the same as this year -- was also recorded in 1971 and 1973, placing 2025 on par with some of the hottest Junes in history. Qazigund in June 2025 recorded a mean maximum of 30.3°C and a mean minimum of 16.1°C, taking the overall average temperature to 23.2°C -- the highest since 1973. "Back in 1973, the station had logged its hottest June on record with an average of 23.7°C, with slightly higher values -- 30.4°C mean maximum and 16.9°C mean minimum," Keng said, adding that June average in 1978 was also 23.2°C, same as this year, though the mean maximum was slightly lower at 30.2°C and the minimum a bit higher at 16.2°C. Qazigund's highest average minimum for June remains 17.3°C, recorded in 1971, when the overall mean temperature reached 23.3°C, he added. Meanwhile, Srinagar was once again hotter than the Jammu region today with the mercury settling at 34.2°C while in Qazigund, a maximum temperature of 32.6°C was recorded today. Pahalgam witnessed a maximum temperature of 30.0°C while Kupwara, Kokernag and Gulmarg, a famous ski-resort, recorded 34.7°C, 32.4°C and 24.5°C respectively. Jammu City, however, recorded below normal temperature at 29.0°C, which was 7.0°C below average temperature. Banihal recorded a maximum temperature of 29.6°C while Batote, Katra and Bhaderwah recorded 27.5°C, 26.0°C and 31.8°C respectively. Furthermore, the weatherman here has predicted hot & humid weather conditions with possibility of brief spell of rain and thundershower at scattered places till July 04. However, Director Meteorological department (MeT), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that from July 5 to July 7, generally cloudy weather is expected with possibility of intermittent light to moderate rain and thundershower at many places. "Few places may receive intense showers with heavy rain at isolated places of Jammu division," he added. From July 8 to July 10, he said there is a possibility of brief showers at scattered places. Moreover, in its advisory, the MeT has said that flash floods are expected at few vulnerable places with landslides and mudslides & shooting stones as well during July 5 to July 7 "Rise in water level in rivers, streams, local Nalas & water logging in few low lying areas is also expected during the period," he added. (With some KNO Inputs).
Patna: With water levels already fluctuating in key rivers and forecasts warning of heavy rain upstream in Nepal, Bihar is on alert for potential flood-like conditions in the Kosi and Gandak basins starting Friday. Officials have warned that the situation could worsen quickly, especially as the region heads into a wetter-than-average monsoon season.On Thursday afternoon, water discharge through the Birpur barrage on the Kosi stood at 78,660 cusecs, a drop from 87,140 cusecs on Wednesday and 1.04 lakh cusecs on Tuesday, indicating unstable flow patterns. The Gandak, too, has seen considerable v ...Read More >
Former Manipur CM N. Biren Singh stated that efforts are underway to establish a popular government in the state, currently under President's rule. He expressed optimism about forming a new government soon, emphasizing the BJP and its allies' desire for restoration of popular governance.Former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said efforts are underway for setting up of a popular government in the state which is now under President's rule. Speaking at the sidelines of a programme at BJP state headquarters, Singh expressed hope that a new government will be formed in Manipur soo ...Read More >
Himachal Pradesh weather update: The impact of the heavy rainfall extends well beyond Mandi, with more than 129 roads across Himachal Pradesh blocked due to landslides and flooding. Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district remained the worst-affected on Tuesday as torrential overnight rains led to an overflowing Beas River, causing floods in Karsog, Dharampur, Pandoh, and Thunag areas. Villages and markets witnessed flood-like conditions as overflowing streams and rivers entered the areas, damaging houses and roads. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in parts of the sta ...Read More >
Uttarakhand (Dehradun) [India], May 19 (ANI): The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy rain in the hilly districts of Uttarakhand, effective today and tomorrow. In light of this warning, the Uttarakhand Police have issued a safety advisory for pilgrims undertaking the Chardham Yatra. Pilgrims are advised to exercise caution while travelling, consider the weather conditions, and call 112 in case of any emergency." Authorities are working to ensure public safety and minimise disruptions," said the police authorities. In light of the forecast, the Uttarakh ...Read More >
Itanagar, Jun 7 (PTI) The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh improved on Saturday with water levels of most rivers receding, even as 33,000 people in 24 districts remained affected, officials said. Twelve people lost their lives and one person went missing in rain-related incidents, including landslides, after the monsoon set in, they said. In its daily report, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said 33,200 people in 215 villages remained affected due to floods and landslides in the state. The water levels of most major rivers and their tributaries were showing a receding trend o ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 29 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rainfall at many places in several districts of Himachal Pradesh in the next few hours. IMD has warned of light to moderate rainfall at many places in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla, Sirmaur, Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra, with a few spells of intense to very intense rainfall likely to occur at isolated places. Also Read | Bhopal's Aishbagh Railway Overbridge Sparks Outrage Over Hazardous Design; MP CM Mohan Yadav Suspends 8 Engineers, Orders Inquiry. "Light to ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 29 (ANI): Train services on the Kalka-Shimla heritage railway line were severely disrupted on Sunday due to multiple landslides caused by heavy rainfall in the region. According to railway officials, landslides occurred at two key locations--first at kilometre 16/18-19 near Tunnel No. 10 close to Koti railway station, and a second slip at kilometre 25/5-6 between Koti and Sanwara stations. The first affected train, Train No. 52457 from Kalka to Shimla, was halted at Koti railway station. Another service, Train No. 52452, was stopped at Gumman railway s ...Read More >
A cloudburst near Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi has caused significant damage to a hotel construction site, leaving several workers missing as rescue operations are underway. Separately, heavy rainfall has blocked the Badrinath-Rishikesh highway, disrupting pilgrimage travel. Chief Minister Dhami has advised caution and urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel due to the adverse weather forecast.A cloudburst in Baligarh, along the Barkot-Yamunotri road in Uttarkashi district, caused sign ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 30: A persistent and intensifying heatwave continues to grip Kashmir, pushing temperatures well above seasonal norms and leaving the people sweltering with little immediate relief expected. According to the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, Monday saw unusually high maximum temperatures across several key locations in Kashmir. Srinagar recorded a scorching 34.5 degrees Celsius, nearly 5 degrees Celsius above the normal temperature. Qazigund wasnít far behind at 33.6 degrees Celsius, registering an alarming 6.1 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. Pahalgam, typically know ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 1 (PTI) Cloudbursts and flash floods triggered by heavy overnight rains battered Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, leaving five people dead, five injured and 16 missing, officials said on Tuesday. The state witnessed 11 cloudburst incidents, four flash floods and a major landslide on Tuesday, most of them in Mandi district, disrupting normal life. Mandi received extensively high rainfall of 253.8 mm since Monday evening. The MeT office has issued an 'orange' warning for heavy to very heavy rains, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places in three districts of Kangra, Solan ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the winter season on Wednesday, with the mercury plunging to 4.9 degrees Celsius, a sharp drop from 8 degrees Celsius the previous day. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated, "The minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius reported over Safdarjung is the lowest minimum of this winter season. The same minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius was reported last year also on 15th December." The coldest minimum temperature ever recorded at the Safdarjung station was 0.0 degrees Celsius on December 27, 1930, according to the ...Read More >
Pakyong (Sikkim) [India], June 6 (ANI): As part of the ongoing evacuation efforts in response to the recent disaster in North Sikkim, the first helicopter sortie of the day took off early this morning from Pakyong Greenfield Airport towards Chaten to rescue stranded tourists, according to an official statement. The Mi-17 helicopters are carrying essential supplies for Army personnel stationed in and around the Chaten area. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for June 06, 2025 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. The opera ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 26 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday has directed all the Deputy Commissioners of the State to stay alert and ensure 24/7 availability for the public to deal with the unfolding situation efficiently, keeping in view the adverse weather conditions. According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), while reviewing the situation in the State with district administrations virtually from Shimla today, he asked all Deputy Commissioners to conduct relief and rehabilitation operations for a ...Read More >
Shimla: At least five people have lost their lives so far after heavy rain and cloudbursts wreaked havoc in parts of Himachal Pradesh, throwing life out of gear. Notably, three more bodies were recovered on Thursday in Kangra district. At least 10 workers deployed in the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Project were swept away in the strong current in Manuni Khad, reported IANS. Apart from Kangra, Kullu is also the worst affected district in the state. According to reports, five people are also missing in the flash floods. Over 250 people were rescued in a major operation by state and cent ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 28 (ANI): The death toll in flash floods near the Manuni stream in Dharamshala has reached to seven, a senior police official said on Saturday. Officials said that teams of SDRF, NDRF are assisting in the rescue operations. 'Six bodies were recovered, and now one more body has been recovered today. We are trying to identify the seven bodies. One person is from J&K, two from UP, and the remaining are from Himachal Pradesh... The weather remains poor, making it difficult to carry out search and rescue operations. We found one of the bodies stuck und ...Read More >
Shimla: The Shimla Meteorological Centre on Sunday issued a "red alert" for downpour in 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh while services on the Shimla-Kalka rail line were suspended after boulders and trees fell on the tracks following overnight rains. A landslide near Koti on the Shimla-Kalka National Highway (NH-5), connecting Shimla and Chandigarh, damaged some stretches of the road, resulting in a two to three-km-long traffic jam for hours. Solan Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Singh on Sunday said two-way traffic has been restored near Chakki mod on NH 5 which was damaged due to lan ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Shimla: Heavy rains lashed Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, triggering landslides and flash floods and blocking more than 100 roads, even as the weather department issued a red alert.A landslide at Chakki Mod near Parwanoo blocked the Chandigarh-Shimla highway for hours, resulting in a massive traffic jam Sunday morning. The local administration had to divert traffic through the Jangeshu link road until the landslide debris was cleared at Chakki Mod.The traffic was first restored one-way and later two-way, but the traffic jam continued on both sides of the highway throughout the day due to slow veh ...Read More >
KOLKATA: With the mercury dipping below 14 degrees before Dec 15, winter has set in early this year. In the past 11 years, the mercury dipped below 14 degrees before Dec 15 only once - in 2014. Even as the city started yearning for the chill, the Met office predicted a slight rise in mercury from Monday due to twin weather systems - one over the Bay of Bengal and another over north India. The minimum temperature plunged to 13.8 degrees on Thursday. The only time it dipped this low before the Dec fortnight was a decade ago. In the past two days, there has been a slight rise, with it standing a ...Read More >
Delhi Weather Today: After almost 5 days of cool and calm, the Delhi weather is turning up the heat... quite literally! According to the weather department, people in Delhi may have to bear the brunt of the rising temperature for the next week as the heat is only going to increase. The skies are likely to remain clear throughout the day, making way for the sun. According to the IMD, the maximum temperature is likely to cross 44 degrees in the next three days. On Saturday, June 7, the maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to cross 40 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Delhi is like ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The city is in for a spell of hot and dry days, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by up to 6 degree Celsius over the next five days. While the mercury is expected to cross 40 degree Celsius, no heatwave conditions are likely, officials said on Friday. According to the weather office, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung on Thursday was 38.2 degree Celsius, about 2 degree below the seasonal average. Minimum temperature stood at 25.6 degree Celsius, also slightly lower than the normal. Similar trends were observed acro ...Read More >
JAMMU: Three persons, including two minors, drowned while four others were rescued as flash floods triggered by heavy rains occurred in different areas of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kathua districts in J&K on Thursday. Meanwhile, a fresh landslide near Satya viewpoint along the Himkoti route blocked the new track to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta Hills in Reasi district.In Rajouri district, Shaqafat Ali (14) and his cousin Safeena Kousar (11) were out grazing cattle along with a 10-year-old ...Read More >
New Delhi: Devastating cloudbursts and flash floods have ravaged parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Kullu and Kangra districts, claiming at least five lives and leaving five others missing. The region witnessed three cloudburst incidents, nine flash floods, and three landslides in the past 24 hours, with rescue operations underway on a war footing. The disaster has resulted in significant damage, with 15 houses destroyed near rivers and streams, and several roads severely affected. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast isolated heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and neig ...Read More >
UTTARKASHI/DEHRADUN: Bodies of two labourers have been found while seven remain missing after a cloudburst triggered a flash flood that swept through a resort construction site at Silai Bend on the Barkot-Yamunotri highway in Uttarkashi around 2am on Sunday. Twenty labourers managed to escape to safety. The rescue operation was suspended for the night due to poor visibility and risky terrain.The flash flood, caused by intense rainfall, flattened a tin-and-plywood shelter housing 29 workers engaged in hotel and road construction. The Yamunotri highway was damaged at three spots, including a 10- ...Read More >
Srinagar: The minimum temperature has plummeted and settled below freezing point across Kashmir with many of the stations including Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recording the season's coldest night. According to the news agency -- Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the night temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 2.1 degree Celsius. Shopian was the coldest in Kashmir as the mercury plummeted and settled at minus 5.5 degree Celsius. Pahalgam, a famous tourist destination, recorded minus 5.0 degree Celsius while Gulmarg, a famous ski-resort recorded a low of minus 2.5 degree ...Read More >
A severe cold wave, comparable to the intensity of summer heat, is expected to sweep across West Bengal. How long will these frigid conditions persist? A severe winter is approaching, with temperatures expected to drop sharply across West Bengal. The Meteorological Department has forecast a cold wave from December 13 to 15, marking the onset of intense winter conditions. Dry weather is likely to persist until December 18, accompanied by northerly winds sweeping across the state. Light fog is ex ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >