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.
Kendrapada: Authorities have warned people of flood-affected villages in Kendrapada district's Aul, Pattamundai and Rajkanika blocks of the presence of crocodiles in the swollen waterways surrounding Bhitarkanika National Park. District emergency officer (DEO) of Kendrapada, Amiya Ketan Swain has asked villagers to exercise caution due to the increased risk posed by the reptiles displaced by the floods.Eleven fatalities have been reported in the past 23 months and 27 deaths over the last 39 months in areas around Bhitarkanika. Highlighting the recurring issue of crocodile displacement during floods, Debendra Nayak, the sarapanch of Taradipal GP said, "It's always an issue during the floods." Villagers have reported sighting large crocodiles in areas typically free of the reptiles, such as a pond in Singhgaon, where a crocodile was spotted on Thursday.In Kolidiha village under Aul block, residents were alarmed to see a saltwater crocodile in the floodwaters. "When I saw it, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was big enough to swallow a man all at once," said Ambika Prasad Jena, a local resident.The presence of crocodiles has also been reported in Dimiripal, Petapada, Narendrapur, Sidhabali, Taradipal, Penthapala, Ambrutamohani, and other villages. Fishermen in the area are particularly affected, as the presence of crocodiles deters them from venturing into the floodwaters. "We used to catch fish easily in the floodwater. But the presence of crocodiles prevents us from venturing into the floodwater with our fishing nets," said Rajendra Behera, a fisherman from Penthapala village.Manas Das, the assistant conservator of forest (ACF) at Bhitarkanika National Park, said "We advised residents in flooded areas to remain on the lookout for the salt-water crocodiles as the reptiles may move into residential areas as floodwaters drive them out of their habitat." Authorities have placed warning signposts in riverside villages to alert residents to the potential danger.
Bhubaneswar: Nature lovers have a fresh reason to visit Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha's Bhubaneswar, as the famed wildlife sanctuary welcomed seven baby yellow anacondas into its reptilian fold on Sunday -- a rare and exciting addition that underscores the zoo's growing reputation as a haven for exotic species. The tiny hatchlings were born to a breeding pair of yellow anacondas brought to Nandankanan from the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai in October 2019. With these new arrivals, the zoo now proudly houses a thriving family of 14 yellow anacondas -- two adult males, two adul ...Read More >
Raigad (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI): Maharashtra Police beefed up the security along the Raigad coastline after the Indian Coast Guard informed the ICG Murud in the Raigad district that a 'suspicious' Pakistani boat had been spotted 2.5 to 3 nautical miles offshore near the Korlai coast. However, after the police investigation, it was discovered that the 'suspicious object' spotted is likely a fishing net buoy fitted with a GPS tracker, used to prevent nets from sinking and to facilitate retrieval, police said in a statement. Also Read | Gold Rate Today, July 8, 2025: As Gold Price Co ...Read More >
Kolkata: Thirty-four fishermen from Kakdwip in two fishing trawlers were allegedly detained by the Bangladesh Navy in the early hours of Monday for allegedly crossing into Bangladeshi waters while fishing in the Bay of Bengal. According to sources, the two trawlers -- FV Jhor and FV Mangalchandi -- were intercepted about 77 nautical miles from the Fairway Buoy of Mongla Port in Bangladesh.Bangladesh media reported that a Bangladesh Navy patrol vessel spotted the trawlers fishing within their exclusive economic zone and detained the crew along with the boats and fishing equipment. The fishermen ...Read More >
-- the proposed Sethusamudram / Sethudundaram project (a shipping canal or bridge between India and Sri Lanka through the Palk Strait) would have far-reaching implications for Sri Lanka. Let's break them down into political, geographical/environmental, and financial/economic aspect 1. Political Implications * Strategic Balance in the Region * India's construction of a bridge or canal would consolidate its influence over the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar, potentially reducing Sri Lanka's leverage over regional shipping routes. * Sri Lanka may lose some control over maritime access current ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): India's fisheries sector has emerged as a major contributor to food security, employment, export earnings and sustainable livelihoods, backed by a record ₹39,272 crore investment by the Government of India since 2015. According to an official press release issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the sector supports nearly 30 million fishers and fish farmers at the primary level and almost twice as many across the value chain. Ranked t ...Read More >
In a groundbreaking conservation effort, a large-scale underwater cleanup at Sindhudurg’s coral reefs removed 300 kg of marine debris, marking a significant step in protecting the fragile ecosystem. Organized by environmental groups, the Maharashtra Forest Department, and local divers, the operation targeted harmful pollutants like fishing nets, plastic, and glass bottles. The cleanup, which took place over two days, aims to restore coral health by removing debris that suffocates corals and disrupts marine life. The initiative, supported by local communities, sets the stage for further efforts ...Read More >
Mumbai: Fishermen will get electricity concessions like farmers. Upto 44% electricity tariff will be waived. The concession is applicable due to the agricultural status given to fishing business.The concessions are applicable to fishermen, fish breeders and fish traders. A Govt Resolution (GR) by the fisheries department was issued to apply electricity tariff concession to fishing business projects at the same rate as agriculture. Fisheries minister Nitesh Rane said registration under National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) is required to avail the concession."In the backdrop of giving equ ...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 >
Kendrapara (Odisha), Feb 16 (PTI) Migratory birds of the trans-Himalayan region have started their homeward journey from Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district after a four-month-long winter sojourn, a forest official said on Monday. More than 1.52 lakh feathered guests of 106 species had flocked to the Bhitarkanika wetland sites this year to avoid the harsh winter, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division assistant conservator Manas Das said. Every year, birds fly thousands of miles to Bhitarkanika to escape the severe cold conditions in northern Asia and some centra ...Read More >
Vadodara: A large crocodile was found dead in the Vishwamitri river near Kashiba Children Hospital in Karelibaug on Saturday, marking the ninth crocodile death in the past seven months.The crocodile was first spotted by workers involved in the Vishwamitri river project near the hospital. When the animal remained motionless for several hours -- a rare but not unheard-of behaviour -- they alerted rescuers, who suspected it may have died.Forest department officials later arrived at the spot and confirmed the death. The crocodile's body was taken for an autopsy to determine the exact cause.Range f ...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 >
TIRUCHY: Tamil Nadu fishers who have been facing frequent arrests on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) at the Palk Strait would soon get a good news as the bilateral talks between India and Sri Lanka has witnessed positive approach and negotiations are being made to solve the mid-sea issues faced by the Indian fishermen particularly those who are from Tamil Nadu. Palk Street is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu and the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and the Gulf of Mannar, where the controversial Katchatheevu is situated. Sources revealed that fo ...Read More >
Pune: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday criticised the state govt over its flood-relief package and said that the aid is inadequate to help farmers recover from the huge losses. Pawar's party members held demonstrations in various districts against govt for not providing aid to all flood-affected people before Diwali which started on Friday. Vasubaras is the first day of the festival in Maharashtra where the cow and calf are worshipped. BJP hit back at NCP (SP) and called the protest crocodile tears. Pawar told reporters in Baramati, "Over the last month, several districts received heavy r ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
Mumbai On High Alert: Unidentified Boat Spotted Near Raigad Coast; Security Protocols Increased (VIDEO) | Representatinal Image A high-alert security scare off the Raigad coast late on Saturday evening triggered a swift and extensive response from the Mumbai Crime Branch, Raigad Police, and multiple maritime security agencies. The suspected Pakistani boat, which was initially believed to pose a possible infiltration threat, was ultimately identified as a floating fishing net buoy commonly used by local fishermen.The suspected Pakistani boat, which was initially believed to pose a possible inf ...Read More >
Mumbai: Net profit of Nifty 50 companies at the aggregate level is expected to increase 4.6% year-on-year while revenue may increase 4.5% for the June 2025 quarter. Net profit is likely to show single-digit year-on-year growth for the first time in at least nine quarters amid an anticipated poor performance by select companies, including Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank and Coal India. The sample's revenue is expected to grow in single digit for the fourth consecutive quarter reflecting persistent muted demand scenario. Select companies from metals, pharmaceuticals, cement, banking and finance and ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Oct 24 (UNI) Forest officials seized around 15 quintals of mangrove roots that bore striking resemblance to sandalwood in Bhitarkanika National Park on Friday and arrested nine persons, including five women, for trespassing into protected forest and felling trees. Ten quintals of Salacia prinoides roots and stems locally called Batara, an important mangrove species packed in 20 sacks, and five quintals of ceriops decandra roots locally called as Garani packed in 10 sacks, were seized from Kalibhanjadia forest block of the national park. The implements and tools used for cutting ...Read More >
KENDRAPARA: Forest officials have counted 117 nests of saltwater crocodiles during the breeding season this year in Bhitarkanika National Park. The number of nests has marginally increased this year as 114 crocodiles had nested during the breeding season in 2024. Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Bhitarkanika Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav said 30 experienced forest personnel with knowledge of crocodile behaviour were engaged in the nest counting exercise. The nest counting exercise in Bhitarkanika is a challenging and risky job due to the presence of a large number of crocodiles in the water bod ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's fish production has more than doubled over 10 years to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 from 95.79 lakh tonnes in 2013-14, making it the second largest producer of marine products in the world, according to a factsheet put out by the Central government on Monday. Collectively, fisheries-related schemes implemented since 2014-15 have generated an estimated 74.66 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, underscoring the sector's expanding role in inclusive and sustainable economic growth, the official statement said. Concurrently, seafood exports expanded significantl ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) The Border Security Force (BSF) is studying the feasibility of releasing crocodiles and snakes in the "vulnerable" riverine gaps along the India-Bangladesh international border to curb illegal infiltration and cross-frontier crimes, officials said on Monday. The plan was discussed during a meeting at the force's headquarters in Delhi on February 9. Following this, field units along the 4,096-km front were asked to provide their opinion. According to data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), about 856 km of this frontier remains unfenced, owing to difficult g ...Read More >
Raigad (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI): Maharashtra Police beefed up the security along the Raigad coastline after the Indian Coast Guard informed the ICG Murud in the Raigad district that a 'suspicious' Pakistani boat had been spotted 2.5 to 3 nautical miles offshore near the Korlai coast. However, after the police investigation, it was discovered that the 'suspicious object' spotted is likely a fishing net buoy fitted with a GPS tracker, used to prevent nets from sinking and to facilitate retrieval, police said in a statement. According to the police, the Indian Coast Guard has reporte ...Read More >
Chennai: Madras high court has clarified that private self-financing medical colleges are required to pay only a stipend, and not a full salary, to in-service govt doctors pursuing postgraduate or super-specialty courses under the govt quota.A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice K Surender passed the order while partly allowing a batch of appeals moved by Karpaga Vinayaga Medical College and others. They challenged a single judge's order that directed private colleges to pay salaries to in-service doctors studying in their institutions.The appeals were moved based on a GO dated ...Read More >
Kendrapada: Altogether 117 crocodile nests were spotted in Bhitarkanika National Park during a counting conducted from July 1 to 13 this year. Last year, the count was 114. The counting exercise conducted in India's second largest mangrove forest after Sundarbans, is considered a challenging and risky operation due to the presence of numerous crocodiles in the water bodies and mangrove forest."Female crocodiles are particularly aggressive during nesting and hatching seasons, as they guard their n ...Read More >
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 3 (ANI): For the year 2025-26, under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Gujarat has been allocated a grant of Rs 50 crore. These approvals have been significantly boosting fisheries activities in Gujarat. It also aims to modernise the sector, improve traceability, and build a robust fisheries management system while ensuring the socio-economic welfare of fishing communities. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the Government of India has approved projects (with multiple components) worth Rs 897.54 crore for Gujarat under PMMSY. To boost fish production a ...Read More >
Mumbai: Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, once distant cousins, are coming together to challenge the Maharashtra government's choice to implement Hindi as a compulsory language for Classes 1 to 5 according to the National Education Policy (NEP). They perceive this action as an infringement on local identity and language variety. Uddhav's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are set to conduct a unified protest march on July 5, representing their first joint endeavour in twenty years. Sanjay Raut, spokesperson for Shiv Sena (UBT), affirmed the collective position through a post o ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharshtra) [India], July 19 (ANI): Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that the proposal to rename Islampur in Sangli district as Ishwarpur in Maharashtra reflects India ongoing cultural renaissance. He said that it marks an effort to restore historical identities that were once deliberately erased. Speaking to the media on Friday, Shekhawat said, There were many of our subjects, places, history books, and incidents, which were intentionally erased, or attempts were made to erase them. Now that they are coming alive again, and India is going through a ...Read More >
Jaisalmer: A rare fossil believed to date back to the Jurassic period has been discovered in Megha village of Fatehgarh Panchayat Samiti in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district. The find, an extremely well-preserved vertebrate skeleton, was examined by Professor Virendra Singh Parihar, Head of the Geology Department at Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur, along with geologist Dr Narayan Das Inkhaia. According to Parihar, the fossil belongs to a species called 'Phytosaur', a reptilian creature that lived during the Jurassic era. Comparable in size to a crocodile, it is estimated to have been around ...Read More >
Surat (Gujarat) [India], August 21: KP Group, a leading name in India's renewable energy sector, is stepping up its expansion with a clear goal of reaching 10 GW capacity by 2030. With projects already underway in Gujarat, the Group is working on projects in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, supported by a strong order book and government partnerships. KP Group has signed memoranda of understanding with Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for over 2.6 GW of renewable projects, while exploring new opportunities in other states. The Group has already e ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's fish production has more than doubled over 10 years to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 from 95.79 lakh tonnes in 2013-14, making it the second largest producer of marine products in the world, according to a factsheet put out by the Central government on Monday. Collectively, fisheries-related schemes implemented since 2014-15 have generated an estimated 74.66 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, underscoring the sector's expanding role in inclusive and sustainable economic growth, the official statement said. Concurrently, seafood exports expanded significantl ...Read More >