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.
Colva: The much-anticipated Western Bypass and its service roads may have drastically cut down travel time, but they have unfortunately taken on a far less welcome identity -- as an unofficial garbage dumping zone. Stretching across 2.7km from Navelim through Benaulim to Seraulim, this stretch of the bypass is now marred by piles of garbage, creating not just an eyesore but a looming environmental hazard.Plastic waste is discarded along the stretch. Locals and environmentalists fear that these pollutants could eventually find their way into the region's water bodies since the road cuts through ecologically sensitive catchment areas. The problem is aggravated by the lack of a scientific and decentralised waste collection system in the peripheral villages surrounding Margao. Villagers often end up discarding garbage along roadsides, especially wet waste which is not collected regularly.With the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) reportedly imposing heavy fines on non-Margao residents using its waste collection stations, residents from neighbouring villages find themselves caught in a bind.Former MMC chairperson Savio Coutinho blamed the worsening situation on the systemic failure of local governance."This crisis stems from a lack of political will and citizen engagement. I had proposed a model where village waste -- if properly segregated -- could be accepted by the city's waste management system for a nominal fee," Coutinho said. "Blaming villagers alone is unjust. City dwellers too have been seen dumping garbage along the bypass."Coutinho also emphasised that penalties alone cannot curb the problem. "People will always find a place to dump their garbage if no structured disposal system exists," he said. "Restrictions without solutions only worsen illegal dumping."Local activist Santan Pereira from Benaulim echoed similar concerns. "Our panchayats have no facilities for wet waste disposal," he said. "While they collect dry waste once a week, wet waste remains unaddressed. Naturally, roadside dumping becomes the go-to solution."Pereira also raised questions about inconsistent policies and poor regulation. "Panchayats permit chicken slaughter stalls without any verification of waste disposal methods," he said. "Residential projects are sanctioned without checking if proper garbage systems are in place. All of this leads to more waste -- much of it organic -- being dumped on roadsides."While every village panchayat technically has a garbage management committee, Pereira said these committees rarely meet or function as intended. "What's the point of having these committees on paper if they don't take active steps to address this pressing issue?" he said.Without urgent coordination between municipal authorities, panchayats, and state govt, and without sustainable, village-level waste management solutions, this convenience corridor could soon become an environmental catastrophe in the making, Coutinho said.
Thiruvananthapuram: The state budget has introduced a significant hike in land tax, with rates increasing by 50% across all slabs. The minimum tax rate, previously Rs 5 per are (2.47 cents), has been raised to Rs 7.50, while the highest slab rate has risen from Rs 30 to Rs 45 per are. Kerala Budget 2025: Rs 20 crore allocated for Vijnana Kerala Project to boost student employability The government anticipates an additional revenue of Rs 100 crore through this revision. In panchayat areas, land measuring up to 8.1 ares will now be taxed at Rs 7.50 per are, while for land exceeding this limit, ...Read More >
Bhimavaram: West Godavari district collector Chadalawada Nagarani said that in addition to planting trees to improve greenery, efforts are being made to control plastic pollution. On Thursday, to celebrate World Environment Day, a large-scale programme was taken up in the district to plant saplings and remove plastic waste from canals and drains under 'Vanam-Manam.' As part of this, collector Nagarani, District Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi, district Joint Collector T Rahul Kumar Reddy, DRO Mogili Venkateswarlu, and district officials from various departments enthusiastically pa ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The MSC IRINA, recognised as the world's largest container ship by TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) capacity, is set to dock at the Adani Group's Vizhinjam International Seaport on Monday and will be berthed till Tuesday. The monumental arrival marks a significant milestone for the seaport, which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2. The MSC IRINA boasts an impressive capacity of 24,346 TEUs, making it a formidable player in global shipping. With a length of 399.9 metres and a width of 61.3 metres, the vessel is approximate ...Read More >
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 1 (ANI): Assam has set a new record in paddy procurement by procuring nearly 7 lakh MT of paddy during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said, 'We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024-25 with a record paddy procurement of 6.97 lakh MT -- the highest ever.' In Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23, the state procured 5.92 lakh MT of paddy, and in 2023-24, the state procured 3.14 lakh MT of paddy. 'This remarkable achievement reflects our commitment to e ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 2 (PTI) The controversy over a five-storey building collapsing in Bhatta Kuffar area in Shimla saw two officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) being booked on Wednesday on complaints by residents for allegedly endangering life and intentional hurt. This came a day after a case was filed against Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on charges of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt after he allegedly assaulted the two NHAI officials while inspecting the building collapse site. The FIR against the minister was lodged on the complaint fil ...Read More >
Noida: Police on Tuesday arrested more than 160 protesting farmers, including the president of Bharatiya Kisan Parishad Sukhbir Yadav 'Khalifa', who were holding a sit-in at the 'Dalit Prerna Sthal' in Noida after their march to Delhi on land compensation and other demands was stopped a day earlier. The protesters, who had gathered in Gautam Buddh Nagar from different parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday on the call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), had threatened to resume their march to the national capital if their demands were not met within a week. Condemning the police action, the SKM said it ...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 >
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand State Election Commission (SEC), on June 21, issued a notification for the three-tier panchayat elections in 12 districts except Haridwar. Polls would be held in two phases, and the district election officers will issue notifications on June 30. The first phase will be conducted on July 24, followed by the second phase on July 28. The counting for all phases will be conducted by July 31. Earlier, the Uttarakhand High Court had stayed the panchayat elections in the state on June 23, at a time when it had already been notified by the SEC. Elections will be held in 89 ...Read More >
Majuli (Assam) [India], June 28 (ANI): Majuli, the river island district in Assam, has marked a significant milestone as its indigenous organic red bao paddy makes its debut in the global market. In a historic development, the first consignment of this unique variety of rice has been formally exported to countries in Central Asia and Europe, bringing smiles to the faces of Majuli's farming community. Also Read | Long-Awaited Relief for Retired Government Employees? 8th Pay Commission May Reduce Commuted Pension Restoration Period from 15 to 12 Years. The export initiative has been spearhead ...Read More >
Meerut: Solid waste management is a huge challenge confronting human settlements but Mohiuddinpur village in Meerut has found a solution to this problem. The panchayat here has set an example for others to emulate by not only disposing off the waste to generate power but also earning revenue in the process. The village is earning an annual revenue of Rs 10 lakh which is an example in resource generation. The village has around 1200 residences that also house some tenants. The population here is around 12,000. The interesting aspect is the blueprint prepared by the panchayat that ensures effec ...Read More >
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Congress Panchayat member and his mother were found dead in their residence at Nilakkamukku near Varkala on Monday morning in what appears to be a case of suicide. The deceased has been identified as Arun V, 42, of Nilakkamukku ward in Vakkom panchayat, and his mother Valsala, 71. They were found hanging in a shed behind their house. The suicide note written by Arun on his letter pad and shared to his friends via WhatsApp stated that four of his neighbours gave fake police complaints against him and that was the reason behind the suicide. The police had recently registe ...Read More >
Patna: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted simultaneous raids in Muzaffarpur and Vaishali on Wednesday morning in connection with an investigation involving two AK 47 assault rifles. One of the targeted locations was the residence of Bhola Rai, the village head of Mankauli Panchayat in Muzaffarpur. The raid at Bhola Rai's house began at approximately 3 A.M. and was carried out with the assistance of the local police. The NIA team conducted a thorough search of the premises, seizing several documents. However, officials have not disclosed details about the seized items. The i ...Read More >
Hisar, Jun 5 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Thursday announced the establishment of natural and organic mandis in Gurugram and Hisar to promote natural farming on a large scale in the state. The Gurugram mandi will cater to produce such as wheat, paddy and pulses, while the Hisar mandi will focus on fruits and vegetables grown through natural and organic methods. Also Read | Delhi: High-Level US Team Arrives for Talks on Bilateral Trade Pact With India. In addition, a committee will be formed under the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran to determine fair pricing for produce gr ...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 >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 28 (ANI): The State Election Commission in Uttarakhand on Saturday issued a notification regarding the conduct of panchayat elections in 12 districts of the state, except Haridwar. The notification signed by Sushil Kumar, Uttarakhand State Election Commissioner, comes after the Nainital High Court on Friday permitted the continuation of the panchayat election process, lifting its earlier stay order issued on June 23. Also Read | Parag Jain Set To Take Charge As New RAW Chief on July 1, Succeeds Ravi Sinha. According to the notification, the three-tier pa ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 1(ANI): Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the extensive damage caused by rains in the state over the last two days, especially in the Mandi and Kullu districts, and lashed out at the Congress government "for failing to restore" communication and road access in affected areas. The BJP leader also launched a scathing attack on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, who has been accused of assaulting a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
Gurgaon: The two-day national conference of urban local bodies (ULBs), held in Manesar, concluded with a formal resolution to enhance the impact of these institutions on national development. Participants highlighted that the core objective of ULBs is to bring about positive change in the urban service delivery framework. The pivotal role of women as key drivers of development within ULBs was also discussed.It was noted that MP has implemented 50% reservation for women in urban local governance. Remarkably, currently, 60 to 65% of women are represented in ULBs there, demonstrating their strong ...Read More >
Hisar, Jun 5 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Thursday announced the establishment of natural and organic mandis in Gurugram and Hisar to promote natural farming on a large scale in the state. The Gurugram mandi will cater to produce such as wheat, paddy and pulses, while the Hisar mandi will focus on fruits and vegetables grown through natural and organic methods. In addition, a committee will be formed under the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran to determine fair pricing for produce grown using natural and organic farming practices. The Chief Minister made these announcements ...Read More >
PwDs nominees to receive same benefits as elected councillors Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has granted assent to bills that empower the state government to nominate persons with disabilities (PwDs) to positions in the municipal administration and rural development departments. Chief Minister MK Stalin took a dig at Ravi while acknowledging the governor's decision. "The Governor has approved the bill for disabled people today ... It was expected as we passed it in the legislative resolution. Mayb ...Read More >
Bhopal: After decades of lingering uncertainty, the disposal of 307 tonnes of toxic waste (earlier 347 tonnes) from the infamous Union Carbide factory responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy, has now been disposed. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had issued directives in this regard earlier to dispose it in maximum 72 days. "The process, which began from the evening of May 5 was completed on June 29 evening," a senior officer in the MP Pollution Control Board told IANS. It was burnt at a private facility in Pithampur in Dhar district near Indore, amid protests by locals. "The incineration proc ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 30 (PTI) Most parts of India are likely to receive above-normal rainfall in July, the weather department said on Monday, asking authorities and people in central India, Uttarakhand and Haryana to stay alert due to the risk of flooding even as some parts of the country are facing the fury of the monsoons. In rain-induced damages in parts of Himachal Pradesh, while buildings collapsed, landslides and road blockades added worries to the woes of the people in the hill state on Monday. Also Read | Was Samruddhi Expressway Flooded After Heavy Rainfall in Maharashtra? Videos of Wate ...Read More >
Panaji: Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has decided to empanel agencies for door-to-door collection of waste and transportation to ensure consistency and accountability across the state for the scientific disposal of waste.GWMC said that a framework for the state-wide empanelment of agencies will be developed for door-to-door waste collection and transportation, including the collection of waste from commercial establishments and industries.Uniform guidelines and performance standards for the empanelled vendors will be prepared to ensure consistency and accountability across the state. ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 9 (ANI): Following the violent protest at Kerala University, a case has been registered against 27 activists of the ruling CPM's Students Federation of India (SFI), including its state secretary P S Sanjeev, who has been named the prime accused, police said. The case also names 1,000 identifiable protesters who have been accused of damaging public property, forcibly entering the university campus, and assaulting police and university staff, police said on Tuesday. Also Read | Nobel Peace Prize 2025: From Mahatma Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru, Check Full ...Read More >
Aasif Khan, known for his roles in popular shows like Panchayat and Paatal Lok, recently suffered a heart attack and was admitted at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The news sent shockwaves among fans and the industry alike, but the actor is now stable and recovering, according to hospital sources. He's expected to be discharged in a couple of days. Sharing his ordeal, Aasif took to Instagram to post a photo from his hospital bed along with a deeply emotional message that read: "Realising after w ...Read More >
Bareilly (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) A teacher from Bahedi district, who went viral recently after reciting a poem mentioning Kanwar Yatra, approached the police on Thursday stating a threat to his life from anti-social elements. A case has been registered at Bahedi police station based on a complaint from Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gangwar, a teacher at MGM Inter College in the district. According to Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh, Gangwar's complaint says that ever since his recitation of the poem 'Tum Kanwad Lene Mat Jana, Gyaan Ka Deepak Jalaana' (You don't go get Kavad, light the lamp of knowledge inste ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
Gurgaon: A chemist and a lab operator have been arrested for allegedly selling medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits illegally. Two separate FIRs were lodged against the accused at Sector 10 and Sector 9A police stations, police said on Friday.The pharmacy was sealed and medical officials have initiated proceedings to cancel its licence. District drugs control officer Suresh Verma said the department received information about illegal sales of MTP kits - also called abortion kits - from Juneja Chemist, located near Civil Hospital. A pregnant woman, who was deployed as a decoy customer, v ...Read More >
Gurgaon: MCG additional commissioner Yash Jaluka directed bulk waste generators (BWG) across the city to ensure proper disposal of waste by private agencies who are assisting them. Giving these instructions in a meeting held on Friday, he said it is often observed that BWGs hand over their waste to private agencies, which only sort valuable items and dump the remaining waste on roads, drains, vacant land or public places. This, he said, not only affects cleanliness of the city but also poses a threat to public health."Under the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, it is the legal and moral respo ...Read More >
The Nainital High Court on Friday cleared the path for Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand by lifting the interim stay it had earlier imposed, offering a much-needed breather to the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state government and the state Election Commission. After examining the petitions and the documents submitted by the state in a key meeting on Friday, the high court granted interim relief to the government, allowing it to proceed with the much-anticipated three-tier panchayat elections. However ...Read More >