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.
New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) With the government exempting about 78 cent per cent of coal-fired plants from installing key anti-polluting systems, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the Environment Ministry's rationale for the policy is based on "faulty premises". He asserted that the government's policymaking will continue to be driven by "flawed metrics" in the absence of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) revision. The former environment minister attacked the government after the central government once again extended the deadline for coal-based thermal power plants to comply with sulphur dioxide emission norms and fully exempted those located away from critically polluted areas or cities with a population of over one million. "The Modi Government has already achieved the dubious distinction of having made India the global leader in sulphur dioxide emissions. Now we learn that the Environment Ministry has exempted 78-89% of India's thermal power plants from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems that cut sulphur dioxide emissions," Ramesh said in a post on X. This is after the deadline for installing FGD systems, initially slated for 2017, was repeatedly pushed, the Congress general secretary said. Sulphur dioxide is a direct threat to public health and has also been known to impact cloud formation, disrupting the monsoon that is the lifeline of the Indian economy, Ramesh said. "More damagingly, research has increasingly shown that a large part of India's ambient PM2.5 (fine particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 mm) is attributable to secondary particulate matter formed when sulphur dioxide reacts with other compounds," he said. Estimates suggest that anywhere between 12 per cent to 30 per cent of PM2.5 is attributable to such sulphur dioxide compounds, he said. "The Ministry's rationale for this policy is based on two faulty premises. The Ministry had earlier amended the focus of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) to focus largely on PM10 emissions (particulate matter of less than 10mm diameter). "PM10 is a lot less dangerous to human health than PM2.5 but is more obviously visible and somewhat easier to tackle, since it includes elements such as road dust." he said. By choosing to turn a blind eye towards PM2.5 in its policymaking, the ministry has consigned us to many years more of our ongoing public health crisis - and this decision to tolerate sulphur dioxide compounds is only set to exacerbate this trend, he said. "The Ministry claims that sulphur dioxide levels in India are largely within the limits of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). As we have repeatedly pointed out, the NAAQS were last updated in 2009, when the prevailing levels of particulate matter and emissions were of a decidedly lower order of magnitude, and when the catastrophic public health consequences of particulate matter were not known, Ramesh said. A revision of the NAAQS therefore is long due," he added. In the absence of such a revision, the ministry's policymaking will continue to be driven by flawed metrics, Ramesh said. India established stringent sulphur dioxide emission standards for coal-based power plants in December 2015, requiring compliance within two years. Even after multiple extensions, 92 per cent of coal-fired power plants have not yet installed flue gas desulphurisation units to control SO2 emissions, a major air pollutant that converts into fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and causes a range of diseases. In a notification dated July 11, the Environment Ministry said the compliance deadline for Category A plants, located within a 10-km radius of the National Capital Region or cities with a population of over one million, has been extended from December 2024 to December 2027. Category B plants, situated within a 10-km radius of critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities, will now be assessed on a case-by-case basis instead of adhering to the earlier 2025 deadline. Category C plants -- all others not falling under Category A or B -- have been completely exempted from the sulphur dioxide norms, provided they meet the prescribed stack height criteria by December 31, 2029. These plants were earlier required to comply by December 2026. Of around 600 thermal power units in India, 462 are Category C units and 72 are Category B units. The ministry said it received many representations seeking exemption or relaxation in the timelines of the emission standards due to factors such as the "limited availability of technology providers, its techno-economic feasibility, negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on supply chain, price escalation due to high demand and low supplies, low SO2 concentration in ambient air and heavy burden on consumer due to increase in electricity prices etc". PTI ASK SKY SKY
OCCRP had published news articles against Adani; BJP MP Sambit Patra calls Rahul 'traitor of highest order' After a hiatus of two days, the Winter Session of Parliament plunged into chaos again Thursday, this time due to the ruling BJP targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of being part of a plan to "derail" India's economy and "disrupt" its democracy. Senior BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised the matter in the Lok Sabha, alleging that a "dangerous triangle" ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging that defamation of Jawaharlal Nehru and minimum democratic governance was his model. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi has an "obsession" with Nehru as he invokes him to distract the nation's attention from his own failures and current challenges on which he maintains a complete silence. The Congress attack on the prime minister came a day after he attacked the party during the debate on the 'Glorious 75 year journey of India's Constitution'. "It was the famous French philoso ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hit out at the government, saying voting at the introduction stage of two bills on simultaneous elections in the Lok Sabha showed the BJP did not have the two-third majority required to pass a constitutional amendment. Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery debate on Tuesday. Opposition parties dubbed the draft laws -- a Constitution amendment bill and an ordinary bill -- as an attack on the federal structure, a charge rejected by the government. "We (th ...Read More >
Port Blair: Namita Roy was just 26 years old when she gave birth to her son, 'Tsunami', in a snake-infested jungle where she and her family took shelter after deadly waves triggered by a massive earthquake devoured her home in Hut Bay Island in Andaman and Nicobar on this day in 2004. Twenty years later, she remembers the day with a shudder. "I don't want to recall that dark day. I was pregnant and busy with daily chores. Suddenly, I noticed an eerie silence and was shocked to witness the sea receding miles from our shore. We also noticed zugunruhe in birds," she told PTI. "Seconds later, th ...Read More >
Rameswaram, Feb 10 (PTI) The new 2.05 kilometre Pamban Bridge will allow trains to cross the sea between mainland India and Rameswaram Island in Tamil Nadu in less than 5 minutes, significantly less than the previous 25-30 minutes on the old structure, railway officials said on Monday. The bridge is ready to be dedicated to the nation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate it within the next few weeks, though a date is yet to be decided, he added. "Trains used to take 25-30 minutes to cross the old colonial-era Pamban Bridge between Mandapam and Rameswaram Islands due to ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The museum police have arrested three caretakers of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for allegedly injuring a two-and-a-half-year-old child. The accused -- Ajitha, Maheswari, and Sindhu were taken into custody on Tuesday under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the BNS. The incident reportedly happened when the child was hurt in the genital area as a punishment for urinating on the bed. The injury came to light when the child was being bathed. On noticing it, CWC General ...Read More >
Pointing to the increase in the country's stature in the world forum, he asked how, under these circumstances, the promises made to farmers cannot be fulfilled. "Policy-making is not on right track," he added.. Jagdeep Dhankhar's comments come amid a spike in farmer protests. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar took up the farmers' issue and questioned the government on their behalf today, directing most of his queries at the Union agriculture minister. Pointing to the increase in the country's sta ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging that defamation of Jawaharlal Nehru and minimum democratic governance was his model. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi has an "obsession" with Nehru as he invokes him to distract the nation's attention from his own failures and current challenges on which he maintains a complete silence. The Congress attack on the prime minister came a day after he attacked the party during the debate on the 'Glorious 75 year journey of India's Constitution'. "It was the famous French philoso ...Read More >
The Congress on Sunday (December 15, 2024) hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging that defamation of Jawaharlal Nehru and minimum democratic governance was his model. Constitution is the basis of Indian unity, but Congress has wounded that spirit: PM Modi Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi has an "obsession" with Nehru as he invokes him to distract the nation's attention from his own failures and current challenges on which he maintains a complete sile ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Fintech firm BimaPay Finsure on Thursday said it has entered into corporate insurance financing and aims for Rs 20 crore in premiums in 2025-26. Launching the pilot phase with insurance partners, BimaPay said the initiative will allow businesses to pay premiums in easy equated monthly instalments (EMIs) instead of bearing the burden of full upfront costs. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, Here's All About BJD Leader With Whom Mahua Moitra Reportedly Married. The company aims to finance over Rs 20 crore worth of premiums by t ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The Congress Wednesday said a "cover-up" is in the making after reports claimed entities connected to the Adani Group have approached the SEBI seeking settlement in a case that alleges violations of public shareholding norms through unfair practices. It asserted the "scam" requires serious punitive action, including arrests and raids by investigative agencies. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said a token settlement would make Indian institutions a laughing stock whose reputation has already been tarnished by the actions of Prime Minist ...Read More >
Mhow (M.P), Jan 27 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday urged party workers to unite in saving the Constitution, saying the Dalits, backwards, tribals and poor will suffer otherwise. Addressing the "Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan" rally here, he also branded the BJP-RSS people as "traitors" and said the Congress will never tolerate the exploitation of the poor in the name of religion. Taking a swipe at BJP leaders taking holy dip at the Maha Kumbh, Kharge said taking a dip in the holy Ganga will not help remove poverty. He, however, stressed that he does not wish to hurt ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The national capital wrapped up a rather warm January with Friday's maximum temperature reaching 27 degrees Celsius, making it the city's warmest day in the month since 2019. The month's average maximum temperature was 21.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above the long-period average of 20.1 degrees Celsius, marking it as Delhi's warmest January since 2019. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, nighttime temperatures were also higher than usual. The average minimum temperature for the month settled at 8.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the LPA of 7.5 deg ...Read More >
Delhi is facing worsening pollution and erratic weather patterns, with the air quality regularly reaching dangerous levels. This is partly due to climate change, with temperature rises and unpredictable rainfall patterns caused by global warming. The industrial revolution has played a significant role, contributing to the rise in global temperatures. The effects are already being felt, with 2024 witnessing record-breaking heat in India. Despite this, there is little action from society or leadership, with courts repeatedly stepping in to address issues like pollution and farm fires. The need f ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of making "false allegations" about the statement of the Army chief on the situation at the India-China border. "The words attributed to the Army Chief by Shri Rahul Gandhi were never spoken by him at any time. It is a matter of deep regret that Shri Rahul Gandhi should indulge in irresponsible politics on matters of national interest," Singh said on X. In his speech on Monday in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, the leader of opposition clai ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Dec 3 (PTI) The Karnataka government on Tuesday requested the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to investigate and take necessary action against a West Bengal-based manufacturer, amid concerns that recent maternal deaths in Ballari district, could be linked to substandard Ringer Lactate solution supplied by the company. In a letter, Karnataka Health Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta, drew the attention of the DCGI to the supply of several batches of "Compound Sodium Lactate I P (Ringer's Lactate I P)" by the West Bengal-based pharmaceutical company Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical ...Read More >
Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 13 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) leader ST Hasan on Friday said that the 'One Nation, One Election' rule was not possible in the country with the various cultures and laws present. "The One Nation, One Election rule is not possible in our country. Our country has a lot of different cultures and religious laws. There is a huge conspiracy behind it... Indirectly, only the centre will rule. They are trying to change the Constitution. They are talking about a common civil court, saying One Nation One Constitution... tomorrow you'll say One Nation One Cult ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the country will not tolerate Babasaheb Ambedkar's insult and demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha. Several MPs of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises demanding Shah's apology for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. Sharing pictures from the protest, Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi, "Baba Saheb is the architect of the Constitution, ...Read More >
Guwahati, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a scathing attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, citing recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids as "evidence of illegal coal mining operations" in the state, and also issued a clarification on his 'links' in Pakistan. Speaking to the media in Delhi for the first time after becoming the Assam unit chief of Congress, Gogoi pointed to the April 24 raids conducted across Assam and Meghalaya, where the ED reportedly unearthed a coal smuggling network, seizing Rs 1.58 crore in cash, digital devices, and ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of the southern states will be taken care of and discussed with all concerned at appropriate time. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said this on Thursday, a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed concern over the Census-linked delimitation exercise. "The Honourable Home Minister has made it clear on several occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of southern states will be taken care of and discussed with a ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 26 (UNI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday greeted the people on the occasion of 75th Constitution Day. On social media handle X, Kharge said, "The Constitution of India, painstakingly and carefully drafted by our foremothers and forefathers, is the lifeblood of our nation. It guarantees us social, economic and political rights. It constitutes India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC". He said, "Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity are not ...Read More >
INDIA bloc MPs, donning black jackets with slogans like "Modi Adani Ek Hai", protested at Parliament demanding a joint probe into the Adani issue. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused PM Modi of evading discussion on the "Adani mega scam" while defending Adani's alleged corruption. Rahul Gandhi asserted that Modi won't investigate Adani as it would be like investigating himself.Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday said the country's people want the "Adani mega scam" to be discussed in Parliame ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's opposition MPs on Wednesday, December 11, greeted their BJP counterparts in Parliament premises with the tricolour in one hand and a red rose in the other, urging the ruling party to ensure that the Parliament functions properly. This is the latest in a series of demonstrations led by Congress over the issue regarding industry mogul Gautam Adani getting indicted by the US. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also offered the tricolour in the form of a card to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh when the latter was entering the main Parliament building. Congress ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 5 (PTI) Maharashtra on Thursday reported 98 COVID-19 cases, taking the tally in the state since January 1 this year to 1,162, the health department said. Of these cases, 48 are from Pune district, 34 from Mumbai and six from Thane, an official said. Since January 1, a total of 14,565 COVID-19 tests have been carried out, with 1,162 returning positive. A total of 597 persons have recovered during this period, while 17 have succumbed, including 16 with co-morbidities, he said. There has been no death reported from the ailment in the state since Wednesday, he added. The total num ...Read More >
A crucial round of negotiations on a global plastic pollution treaty has begun in Busan, South Korea. Led by Norway and Rwanda, 66 countries and the EU are pushing for a legally binding agreement to control plastic production, consumption, and waste management. However, key points of contention include limits on plastic production and the ban of single-use plastics. With plastic production set to rise 70% by 2040, negotiators aim to protect human health and the environment while promoting recycling, reducing harmful chemicals, and supporting sustainable plastic practices. Industry leaders and ...Read More >
Entrepreneur and managing director of Homestays and villas and Mangalya destination weddings, Siddharth Bakaria, was the latest victim of the horror show that the city has turned into. Delhi's air and its declining quality have unfortunately become the hallmark of the general discourse of the country towards the end of the year and almost all throughout Winter. Lungs are Burning To no one's surprise, the Winter of 2024 is no different, with the landlocked capital city breaking the most undesirable records, very early on in the season. According to reports, Delhi and its neighbouring region ...Read More >
The United States congressional subcommittee's final report on the Covid-19 pandemic has pointed to the "lab leak" theory, making it the latest US report pinning the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the Wuhan lab in China. "Four years after the onset of the worst pandemic in 100 years, the weight of the evidence increasingly supports the lab leak hypothesis," the 500-plus page report said, adding that since they began their work in February 2023, more senior intelligence officials, politicians, science editors, and scientists had "endorsed the hypothesis that COVID-19 emerged as the result ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Dec 18 (PTI) Alleging that the country's reputation was "hurt" following the indictment of Gautam Adani in a US court, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to protect the industrialist. The chief minister, who participated in a 'Chalo Raj Bhavan' here as per a call given by the AICC, said the Congress government is ready to pass a resolution in the Assembly seeking JPC on the Adani issue if the opposition BRS extends support. Congress and the INDI Alliance demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at the Modi government over its economic policies and asserted that real development is when everyone progresses, there is a fair environment for business, a fair tax system and the income of workers increases. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "The truth of Modi Ji's developed India: Your hard work, whose profit? The wheel of the country's economy is turning with your sweat and blood, but are you getting your fair share in it? Just think." The share of the manufacturing sector in the economy has gone down to the lowe ...Read More >