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: Delhi zoological garden vets are hand-rearing a tiger cub to support its survival. Earlier this month, the tigress Aditi gave birth to a litter of six, of which two cubs died last week, and one of the remaining four has grown weak as it is unable to drink the milk. According to officials, in the early hours of Saturday, one of the four cubs was admitted to the hospital and is being hand-reared. Its condition is now stable. The remaining three cubs are with the mother and are being fed
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 >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 31 (ANI): Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Himachal Pradesh for the procurement of locally produced fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, paneer, meat, trout fish and other agricultural products. Under this arrangement, ITBP will directly source produce from farmers, cooperative societies and local producers. Also Read | PSSSB Group D Admit Card 2026 Released at sssb.punjab.gov.in, Know How To Download Hall Ticket. The initiative aims to provide farmers with a reliable market within ...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 >
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 d ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
New Delhi: An Indian elephant taken on an epic journey to a tycoon's giant zoo is expected to return home after protests by the religious community she came from, officials said Wednesday, following a court battle over the animal's welfare at the temple. The story of the 36-year-old elephant called Madhuri reflects both the passion that some communities have for elephants in India -- and the mind-boggling scale of the self-declared "world's biggest wild animal rescue centre". The elephant spent her adult life at a Jain monastery in Kolhapur in Maharashtra state -- where campaigners from Peop ...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 >
VISAKHAPATNAM: In a first for any zoological park in Andhra Pradesh, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam has successfully hatched 27 bird chicks through artificial incubation, while seven others were hatched naturally. The chicks belong to five bird species, including Blue Gold Macaw, Lutino Parakeet, Peach-Faced Lovebird, Red Junglefowl, and Indian Peafowl. The zoo's veterinary team, including one senior veterinarian, one conservation biologist, and two paravets and animal keepers, carried out the work. Among the 34 chicks, three Lutino Parakeets and four Peach-Faced ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A heartening chapter is unfolding deep within the emerald wilderness of Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, where a Royal Bengal tigress named Zeenat, originally from Maharashtra, is believed to be carrying a new generation of cubs -- a milestone that could reshape the future of the region's famed tiger population. Brought to Similipal in 2023 as part of a bold genetic diversification project, Zeenat was tasked with an extraordinary mission: to infuse new bloodlines into a population long shadowed by the risks of inbreeding, particularly among Similipal's rare melanistic (black-co ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old girl from Sabroom in South Tripura district, reportedly went missing in the national capital. Following this, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha gave necessary instructions to the police to take immediate and appropriate action on the matter. Also Read | Trump Announces 30% Tariffs on EU Goods as Trade Talks Stall. In a statement posted on its official social media account, the Tripura Chief Minister's Office stated, "The report of Miss Sneha Debnath, a resident of Sabroom, who has reportedly gone missing in New Delhi, has come t ...Read More >
BENGALURU: To address the issue of cattle grazing inside forests, particularly in Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, the Karnataka Forest Department is taking the CSR fund route to empower farmers. As a pilot project, 10 families residing around MM Hills have been selected, and given hybrid cattle breeds like Jersey and Holstein Friesian for dairy activities. They have also been made to sign an undertaking that they will not take their cattle for grazing inside forests, and if found doing so, action will be initiated against them under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Fores ...Read More >
New Delhi: An 11-year-old female hyena died at the Delhi Zoo on Thursday under "mysterious" circumstances, zoo officials said, stating a post-mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the actual cause of death. The zoo is now left with only two hyenas, a male and a female. The hyena was found lying in its den -- within the enclosure. The body was retrieved and sent to the zoo hospital, where it was discovered that she had already died. Typically, hyenas stay inside dens created in the enclosure area, but they feed on the backside of the enclosure -- where zoo staff serves food to them ...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 >
MALAPPURAM: The tiger that killed rubber tapper Gafoor Ali at Kalikavu in Malappuram has finally been captured in a trap set by the forest department three weeks ago at Sulthana Estate. The female tiger, estimated to be around 13 years old, was spotted by migrant labourers on Sunday morning. Officials believe it got trapped in the cage on Saturday night. The animal suffered injuries on its face after repeatedly hitting the bars of the cage in an attempt to escape. Amid strong protests from local residents, the forest department decided to shift the tiger to the Thrissur zoo. Residents had d ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): Opening India dairy sector to US imports could result in an annual loss of Rs 1.03 lakh crore to Indian dairy farmers, according to a recent report by the State Bank of India (SBI). The report cautioned that the move would significantly impact the livelihoods of small dairy farmers, as the US dairy sector is heavily subsidized. SBI stated, If the dairy sector is opened up, price of milk in India is likely to drop by at least 15 per cent which could cause potential annual loss of Rs 1.03 lakh crore to dairy farmers. The report pointed out that agriculture an ...Read More >
"This year's selection at EUFF 2025 is both bold and deeply moving" - Artur Zaborski, Festival Curator According to a press note shared by EUFF, the Delhi leg of the festival will present 28 acclaimed films from all EU Member States and Ukraine, before travelling to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Through this vibrant showcase of European films, EUFF continues to foster Indo-European cultural collaboration, offering audiences a Window to Europe, its people, culture and society. Audiences in New Delhi ...Read More >
Guwahati: The Congress party has raised concerns about a "proposed agreement" between the Delhi Zoo and Vantara, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center operated by the Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's youngest son Anant Ambani. The party questioned whether this agreement could be a precursor to the privatization of the zoo. Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge! As of now, neither the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which oversees the zoo, nor the Reliance group has made any official statement on the potential agr ...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 >
Gandhinagar: In households in Gujarat's cities, cereals may take up less space in the grocery bill, but they still dominate the dinner plate. A new Union govt report shows that cereals, while accounting for just 3.8% of household spending, supply 35% of total calorie intake in cities. In villages, their role is even more dominant, making up 43% of calorie consumption while accounting for 4.5% of total spending.Cereals also account for a major portion of protein intake for people in Gujarat.These insights come from the Centre's latest "Nutritional Intake in India" report, which tracks food patt ...Read More >
Setting up the SIT under former judge Justice J Chelameswar, the apex court had on August 25 called for a report on a number of issues, including the acquisition of animals from India and abroad, particularly elephants, and compliance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and rules for zoos. The Supreme Court on Friday said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiring into the affairs of Vantara - the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre launched by Reliance Foundation in Gujarat's J ...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 >
A sub-adult tiger spotted moving between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh has prompted wildlife authorities to explore the possibility of developing Ratanmahal in Dahod as a tiger sanctuary as part of the Union govt's Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project. The three-year-old male tiger, first sighted near Gujarat border in Feb, has been frequently captured on camera traps in Ratanmahal's core area since late May. This marks the second tiger sighting in the region within six years. A National Tig ...Read More >
Lucknow: Umar Ansari, the younger son of gangster-turned-politician late Mukhtar Ansari, was arrested by Ghazipur police from Darul Shafa area of Lucknow late Sunday night.The arrest was made following the registration of a criminal case against him for forgery in Ghazipur. He was taken into custody and transported to Ghazipur for further proceedings.Umar Ansari was booked for allegedly attempting to fraudulently reclaim a property that had been confiscated under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. The property was earlier seized under Section 14(1) of the ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], November 19 (ANI): Special measures, including the use of water sprinklers, have been implemented at the Delhi Zoo to combat air pollution and ensure that wild animals are not adversely affected. The Director of the National Zoological Park, Dr. Sanjeet Kumar, on Monday, highlighted the challenges faced by zoo management during winter. Speaking to ANI, Dr. Kumar said, "As soon as the winter season begins, the zoo management faces two challenges. First, the pollution levels rise after Diwali, and second, the onset of winter... The area around the zoo is very green, and loca ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Nandankanan Zoological Park on Saturday night welcomed two tiger cubs born to white tigress Mousumi, marking a significant milestone in the zoo's conservation breeding programme. The cubs were born in enclosure 28 (B), with the first delivery at 9.15 pm and the second at 11.30 pm.As per initial observations, one cub appeared to be normal in colour while the other was white, though their sex remains undetermined. The cubs are the result of successful mating in late Feb between Mousumi and Rajesh, a normal-coloured tiger.Both parent tigers were born at Nandankanan, with Mousumi born ...Read More >
Namsai (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], July 9 (ANI): Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has launched the Nadi Utsav 2025 at Namsai in a bid to conserve aquatic life and restore fish populations in the river systems. As part of the initiative, 30,000 fingerlings of various fish species, including Rohu, Catla, Mrigal, Grass Carp, Labeo Gonius, and Labeo Kalbasu, were released into the Marua, Teang, and Namtenga rivers on Tuesday. The release also included endangered local freshwater species such as Pavi, Pahum, and Palao, with the goal of restoring their populations in the riveri ...Read More >
Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said agriculture and livestock were mutually connected and asserted the importance of focusing on local breeds. "Prosperity cannot come without the prosperity of the farmer. Agriculture and livestock have been interconnected in India. The farmer who provides food will have livestock in his house, and the livestock owner will also be connected to farming. Considering their interrelationship, significant steps have been taken in this sector in UP. The energy of the double-engine govt has benefited UP, making it the number one state in milk prod ...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 >
Hyderabad: Hyderabad's Nehru Zoo Park (NZP) is set to welcome new attractions after several years, including a mandrill from Jamshedpur, Hoolock Gibbons from Nagaland, and Zebras from Gujarat. These animals are being brought to the zoo as part of an inter-zoo exchange program, which is likely to be completed in a period of a few months from now. As a part of the exchange, the NZP will send an African Lion to the Tata Zoological Park, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, in exchange for the Mandrill. The Mandrills, the world's largest Old World monkeys, are native to west central Africa, and are known for t ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary on Friday recorded an increase of 129 Indian bison in the summer census in just a few months, bringing their total count to 788. In the winter census, their number was 659.This time, Debrigarh, the lone sanctuary in the state with a rich bison density, recorded 60 herds, compared to 52 herds in the last census.The 788 gaurs include 315 juveniles (less than two years old) and 128 newborns (less than three months old). The juveniles constitute 40% of the total population."Due to the increase in population, herds keep drifting, with female adults leading ...Read More >