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 (ABC Live): methane emissions from coal mines: The United Nations Environment Programme's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), strongly supported by the Australian government, has launched a pioneering global project. Its goal is to improve the accuracy of methane emissions from coal mines. This is the first comprehensive effort to enhance tracking and reduce methane emissions from coal mining and steel production. Coal mining is a major methane source, releasing about 40 million tonnes annually. This accounts for 8-10% of all human-caused methane emissions. Methane has roughly 84 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over 20 years. Therefore, reducing these emissions is critical. Methane contributes about 30% of the current global warming. For these reasons, addressing methane emissions from coal mines is urgent. The UNEP-IMEO project will simulate an open-cut coal mine environment. It will test cutting-edge technologies to monitor methane better. These include ground sensors, aircraft instruments, and satellites. Satellites can detect methane plumes with resolutions from 10 to 100 meters. They revisit sites every 1-3 days. Together, these tools provide precise and broad coverage, enabling effective monitoring. Australia has pledged AUD 5.5 million (~USD 3.2 million) to this project. This supports its "Future Made in Australia" agenda, which promotes clean energy and decarbonising steel. Methane emissions from metallurgical coal make up about 25% of the carbon footprint of blast furnace steel. Importantly, these emissions can be reduced at roughly 1% of steel production costs. Thus, it is both an economic and environmental opportunity. Cutting methane emissions from coal mines by at least 30% by 2030 is vital. This will help keep global warming below 1.5°C. More than 155 countries, including Australia, support this goal through the Global Methane Pledge. Enhanced methane monitoring is key to meeting these commitments. Better data on methane emissions from coal mines will help governments and industry. They can locate emission hotspots and plan targeted actions. Accurate data also supports stronger laws and transparency. It encourages investment in effective solutions. Martin Krause, Director of UNEP's Climate Change Division, said, "The quality of data is paramount to identifying effective mitigation strategies and tracking progress." Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, said, "We are committed to using the best technologies to ensure accurate methane inventories and support global efforts to manage coal mine methane."
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 2 (ANI): Ambuja Cements has taken a step toward achieving its Net Zero goals. The company has partnered with Finland-based technology leader Coolbrook to implement its proprietary RotoDynamic Heater (RDH) technology. According to the exchange filing, this cutting-edge, zero-carbon heating solution, powered by renewable electricity, will drastically reduce the company's dependence on fossil fuels and lower its carbon emissions, aligning with its sustainability vision. Ambuja Cements will significantly reduce its fossil fuel dependence by harnessing renewa ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 13 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 'Mission Mausam' on Tuesday to gaming to make India a 'weather-ready and climate-smart' nation. As per a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, Modi will also participate in the 150th Foundation Day celebrations of India Meteorological Department (IMD) at Bharat Mandapam here. He will also address the gathering on the occasion. "The Mission aims to achieve its aim by developing cutting-edge weather surveillance technologies and systems, implementing high-resolution atmospheric observations, next-generation radars and satel ...Read More >
Mumbai, Feb 10: The rupee on Monday plunged 45 paise and moved closer to the 88 per US dollar-level, weighed down by the strength of the American currency tariff concerns, but eventually settled at 87.45, up 5 paise, following RBI intervention. The American currency gained in the overseas market after US President Donald Trump's plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, along with reciprocal tariffs targeting countries taxing US exports. The move has added jitters over the global trade war with China's reciprocal duties coming into effect, they said. At the interban ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: State-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) recorded a 34% year-on-year growth in environmentally friendly coal transportation in FY 2025, moving 102.5 million tonnes (MT) through 20 First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects linked to the Indian Railways network. In comparison, 76.5 MT was transported in FY 2024 through 17 such projects. In the current financial year, up to the end of May, CIL registered a 36.7% increase in coal dispatch via FMC projects, compared to 15 MT during the same period last year. CIL, India's largest coal miner, also plans to commission 19 additional FMC projects w ...Read More >
Mumbai: Maharashtra will connect the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway corridor to the upcoming greenfield Vadhvan port, slated to be the country's biggest such facility, via the Nashik highway, the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai greenfield expressway corridor, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, the under-construction bullet train corridor, and the coastal road that is planned to be extended up to the port."The Prosperity corridor will have up to 500 MW to 1,000 MW capacity solar plant along it with 200 MW starting soon, besides a huge gas pipeline that will supply PNG not only to cities but also to power ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
Chennai: Hours before Union home minister Amit Shah was to arrive in Madurai, Thuglak editor and an associate of Shah, S Gurumurthy on Saturday met PMK founder S Ramadoss. The PMK leader, however, ruled out the possibility of meeting Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.Gurumurthy met Ramadoss for the second time amid reported tension within PMK regarding alliance strategies and insistence by Anbumani Ramadoss to remain party president. The hour-long meeting took place at the T Nagar residence of A K Vijay Mahesh, son of former Union minister and PMK leader A K Moorthy, sources sai ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
Speaking at IIT Bombay's Techfest 2024, Mr Adani, the 27-year old younger son of infrastructure magnate Gautam Adani, said the future of technology is both scary and exciting. India cannot stay out of global technological race, said Jeet Adani. Mumbai: India cannot stay out of global technological race and should build capabilities that will keep it at the top while remaining vigilant against its misuse, said Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. Speaking at IIT Bombay's Techfest ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's coal sector has registered a 5.88 per cent increase in production to 830.66 million tonnes (MT) during April 2024 to January 2025 of the current financial year, from 784.51 MT recorded during the same period of 2023-24, according to a Coal Ministry statement issued on Monday. The total coal production during January 2025 has reached 104.43 MT, reflecting a 4.38 per cent increase over 100.05 MT recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year. The contribution from captive, commercial, and other entities for January 2025 has also been particularly strong, with ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Rising temperatures, driven by climate change, is increasing the atmosphere's 'thirst', making droughts around the world 40 per cent more severe over the past 40 years, according to a new study. Researchers, including those at the University of California-Santa Barbara, US, explained that the atmosphere is becoming warmer, thereby increasing its capacity to hold moisture -- atmospheric evaporative demand -- and making droughts more severe, even in places where rainfall has stayed the same. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, He ...Read More >
Rajamahendravaram: As part of World Environment Day celebrations, a major initiative to plant 4 lakh saplings across the district has been launched, district collector P Prasanthi announced on Thursday. She called on everyone to protect these saplings for the benefit of future generations. The main event was held at the Government Arts College campus in Rajahmundry under the aegis of the Forest Department, where the district collector participated as the chief guest. Chief Conservator of Forests BNN Murthy and other senior officials were also present. Speaking on the occasion, collector Prasa ...Read More >
Durg: It was a proud moment for Chhattisgarh to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the world's highest railway bridge over Chenab river on Friday as steel used for building this architectural marvel was supplied by Bhilai Steel Plant, located in Durg district. This is India's first cable-stayed rail bridge. Located in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, this bridge connects the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link project. This arch bridge spanning 1,315 metres is at a height of 359 metres from Chenab river, which means it is 29 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower of Paris, w ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to develop 'Visakha Economic Region' as the growth engine of Andhra Pradesh, with an aim to transforming it into a USD 120 billion economic region by 2032. He emphasised the need to develop Visakhapatnam on the lines of Mumbai in the next seven years. The Economic Region consists of eight districts including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, ASR, and Manyam. The Chief Minister instructed officials to develop projects that would boost economic activity across this eight-distri ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Sustainability is at the heart of our maritime policy, and we are committed to achieving net zero emissions at major ports by 2047, said Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday. During an interaction with students of the Blue MBA Executive Programme at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Sonowal outlined India's strategy to transform its maritime infrastructure through flagship initiatives like the Sagarmala Programme and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. "These efforts aim to build modern, multimodal logistics systems w ...Read More >
Mumbai : ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has proudly reinforced its role in India's infrastructure transformation by supplying critical steel for two of the country's most iconic railway bridges 70% of flat steel for Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, and 100% of steel for the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. The dedication of the iconic Anji and Chenab bridges by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi marks a significant step in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. These engineering marvels truly showcase India's will an ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, instead of introspecting on the defeat in the 2024 state assembly polls, has been repudiating the mandate given by the people because they rejected him. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha is preparing his excuses for future defeats in the upcoming assembly elections, including Bihar, Fadnavis said in his articles published in the Indian Express and Marathi daily Loksatta. On Saturday, Gandhi, in an article published in several newspapers and in posts on X, claimed the 2024 Maharas ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) The government on Thursday came out with the definition of green steel and asked the industry to take measures to bring down carbon emissions below the level of 2.2 tonnes on per tonne of finished products. Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy also released a 'taxonomy on green steel' with parameters for giving star ratings on products based on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during the production process. The steel industry has been the backbone of India's industrial growth and it is imperative that this vital sector undergoes a transformative shift towards ...Read More >
Chennai: The capacity utilisation of the domestic steel industry is set to drop to 78 per cent for the first time in four years. In order to check unprecedented imports, the government is considering imposing a 25 per cent duty on steel imports. Cheaper imports from China and countries under Free Trade Agreement along with ongoing capacity addition can lead to capacity utilisation of domestic steel mills dropping from 85 per cent in FY2024 to an estimated 78 per cent in the current fiscal, the lowest we have seen in the last four years. The domestic steel industry witnessed an all-time high ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Srinagar, Jun 7 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday barred Eid prayers from taking place at the Eidgah ground and the Jama Masjid in the old city here, while Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that he was put under house arrest. "Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside," the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said Odisha would not be allowed to follow the lawless path in sand operations like it is in Bihar and West Bengal, while responding to the recent assault of an additional tehsildar in Kaptipada block, Mayurbhanj district, by the sand mafia. He promised stringent action against the sand mafia regardless of their connections, while speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday."The Kaptipada incident represents a serious escalation in conflict between law enforcement and the sand mafia. The attack on officers performing their enforcement dutie ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that it is keeping a constant watch on developments in India's neighbourhood, especially in light of the recent trilateral meeting involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Speaking at a press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'We maintain a constant watch on the developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interests and our security, our relations with individual countries, while they stand on their own footing, take into account the evolving context as well.' The meetin ...Read More >
At Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, on Monday, a teacher played the role of a vegetable seller, complete with props, while students acted as buyers. "How much is this vegetable for?" asked the teacher, setting off lively exchanges -- all over a laptop screen. Advertisement https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png This roleplay session, part of an online lesson about markets and vegetables, is one of many such creative strategies teachers are adopting as schools across Delhi shift to remote learning due to hazardous air pollution levels. The air quality in Delhi plummeted to "se ...Read More >
India's NTPC (previously the National Thermal Power Corporation) has launched its first 160 megawatt hours (MWh) CO₂ battery energy storage project, to be developed by Triveni Turbine and its energy partner Energy Dome. The project will be executed on a turnkey basis at NTPC's Kudgi plant in Karnataka, India. The initiative aligns with NTPC's strategy to diversify its energy portfolio and increase renewable power generation. The adoption of CO₂ battery technology also supports India's "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar" (self-sufficiency) policies, offering opportunities for the domestic indu ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Silver prices on Thursday, crossed USD 35 mark per ounce and hit its highest level since March 2012, boosted by a combination of factors such as weaker US dollar, rising geopoltical tension and robust industrial demand. 'With the trust in dollar decreasing silver appears to be a good avenue for money to move to and the Gold Silver ratio was recently above 1.10 so the only way forward was either silver prices rise up or gold prices fall, and thats what has happened silver has risen far more than gold,' said Mrinesh Jain Director, Bombay Bullion Metal Hub LLP. ...Read More >
Still, the ongoing U.N. climate talks have thrown a spotlight on their efforts to tackle global warming. While the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, is tasked with agreeing a goal to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars for climate, leaders of the Group of 20 major economies half a world away in Rio are holding the purse strings. G20 countries account for 85% of the world's economy and are the largest contributors to multilateral development banks helping to steer climate finance. "The spotlight is naturally on the G20. They account for 80 percent of global emissions," U.N. Secretary Ge ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): On the occasion of World Environment Day, a website, "Discover Green Hydrogen," was launched by L&T GreenTech. The website focuses on the global clean energy revolution, providing insights, expert analysis, and real-time updates on the rapidly evolving Green Hydrogen industry. Powered by L&T GreenTech, a key division of L&T Energy's Green & Clean Energy Business, the newly launched website reflects L&T's unwavering commitment to sustainability. Also Read | Delhi: High-Level US Team Arrives for Talks on Bilateral Trade Pact With India. This website is designe ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Business conglomerate Aditya Birla Group has acquired Cargill's speciality chemical manufacturing facility in Dalton, Georgia. In a statement on Thursday, the group announced the expansion of its US Advanced Materials business with the acquisition of Cargill Incorporated's 17-acre speciality chemical manufacturing facility in Dalton, Georgia. The acquisition continues Aditya Birla's expansion in the US' manufacturing sector, a key aspect of Aditya Birla's growth strategy, which now totals over USD 15 billion in investment. The acquisition was executed through Aditya B ...Read More >