Page 5 - Environment

Modi govt to continue to balance development, environment protection: Min

The Modi government will continue to balance development with environmental protection and conservation, Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday after taking over as Union Environment minister. Yadav's role as Environment minister will be crucial as India proposes to host the international climate talks (COP33) in 2028. If accepted, it would be the next major global conference in India after the G20 Summit last year. Listing the major achievements of the Modi-led government, which enters its third consecutive term, he said, "India met the quantitative and qualitative targets set under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - the national climate plan to achieve Paris Agreement goals - nine years ahead of schedule." "Our achievements in emission reduction and the renewable energy sector are significant milestones of the Modi government over the past decade," Yadav told reporters. The minister, who also expressed satisfaction with the progress of the cheetah project, said Prime Minis

Anant Ambani's Vantara launches campaign for World Environment Day 2024

Anant Ambani's wildlife preservation initiative shared a video with a campaign towards environmental conservation. The video features Ajay Devgn, KL Rahul, Kusha Kapila etc

WHO calls for boosting collaboration between health, environment sectors

The WHO on Wednesday called for strengthening collaboration between the health and environment sectors to address shared challenges. It is imperative to advocate for policies that prioritise environmental sustainability and public health, and invest in research and innovation to develop sustainable healthcare practices, Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia said on the World Environment Day. She urged the public health community to join the efforts towards land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience "The worrying reality is that our region records the highest number of deaths from climate change annually amongst all WHO regions. Climate change and biodiversity loss already pose major threats to health, the regional economy and livelihoods across our region," Wazed stated. World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5, after it was established at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. This year the focus is

Kerala govt devising schemes to preserve environment, says CM Vijayan

The Kerala government has been devising and implementing various schemes to prevent land degradation and preserve the environmental balance in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday on the occasion of World Environment Day. In a Facebook post, Vijayan said this year's message on World Environment Day is to prevent land degradation and increase soil fertility. He claimed that as part of the neoliberal economic order, land grabbing, illegal encroachments by private capitalistic forces to serve their self interests and climate change were leading to large-scale degradation of the land. Vijayan said that the degradation of land can be prevented only through extensive planning and interventions in policy formulation and implementation. "It requires public participation also. The LDF government in Kerala has been devising and implementing various schemes for this purpose," he said. Giving examples of steps taken by the government, the CM said that interventions wer

World Environment Day 2024: Date, Theme, History, Importance, Quotes

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 to pause, reflect, and take action to protect our amazing planet. 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary as per the UN Convention

NCRTC to plant over 250K trees along RRTS corridor from Ghaziabad to Meerut

The NCRTC will be planting more than 2.5 lakh trees along the RRTS corridor from Sahibabad to Shatabdi Nagar in Meerut, a statement said on Wednesday. This initiative aims to contribute to the green cover and sustainable environment, aligning with global environmental protection goals, it said. Half of these saplings are being planted in the median under the viaduct along the 48-km RRTS corridor from Sahibabad to Shatabdi Nagar in Meerut where more than 95 per cent of the tree plantation works have been completed, it said. The remaining half of the saplings have been planted in the RRTS Depot in Duhai, the statement said. Plants planted in the median below the viaduct from Duhai to Shatabdi Nagar include Bougainvillea, Tecoma, Plumeria Alba, Allamanda, Mansoa, Jasmine, and Madhumalati. Known for their beautiful flowers, these plants will make the area along the RRTS corridor green and visually appealing, it stated. At the RRTS Depot in Duhai, about 70-75 types of plants have been

One degree temperature rise could slash global GDP by 12%, warns new study

The study said that the new estimates are higher than previous ones due to the use of new datasets that more accurately reflect changes in global mean temperatures

World Bee Day 2024: Celebration, history, themes, significance and more

World Bee Day 2024: This day is celebrated every year on May 20 to mark the birth anniversary of Anton Jansa. Check dates, history, significance and more

India Greens Party's manifesto pitches for environment, social justice

The country's only 'green' party has fielded candidates for Lok Sabha polls from Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab

Less corporate responsibility? India Inc's CSR spending slowed down in FY23

In FY23, there was only a 5 per cent increase in CSR spending compared to the previous year, due to which, CSR spending as a percentage of net profit fell to a six-year low of 1.87 per cent

NGT seeks response from authorities on deteriorating condition of Dal Lake

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from several authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board and the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, on "deteriorating conditions" of the Dal Lake in Kashmir. The green panel was hearing a matter in which it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a media report that said "...the condition of the Dal Lake in Kashmir was deteriorating because of municipal sewage, pollution and urbanisation and its impact on the lives of Hanji people (those living in houseboats)". A bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member A Senthil Vel said, according to the report, sewage has destroyed the fish in the lake. At one time, people used to drink the lake water but today it cannot even be used for washing faces. "The news item mentions that 70 per cent of the sewage generated in Srinagar city finds its way into the lake and the sewage treatment plants (STPs) are heavily ...

SC halts new mining leases in 4 states to safeguard Aravalli ecosystem

The Supreme Court injunction in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi will not affect existing mining operations

Why is Uttarakhand up in flames? Key details about the state's forest fires

Five lives have been lost so far due to out-of-control wildfires in Uttarakhand, which started more than a week ago and have now spread to several regions in the state

Drop in annual PM2.5, PM10 levels between 2018 and 2023: Environment dept

The Delhi environmental department said there has been a decrease in the annual PM2.5 concentration, dropping from 128 micrograms per cubic metre in 2018 to 106 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023

Australia should prepare for 'megadroughts' lasting 20 years, shows study

The study showed that megadroughts of 20 years or more were a natural feature of the Australian hydroclimate

As fix for global warming, US scientists try 'sun blocking' to cool Earth

The scientists tested a technique that involves reflecting sunlight back into space in order to cool the Earth

Only 20% environmental funds utilised for NCR, shows CPCB report to NGT

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has spent only 20 per cent of the environment protection charge and environmental compensation collected so far for mitigating air pollution in Delhi-NCR and protecting the environment. The CPCB receives compensation broadly under two heads - environment protection charge (EPC) and environmental compensation (EC). According to a CPCB report submitted to the National Green Tribunal on March 20, the central pollution control body has disbursed only Rs 156.33 of the total Rs 777.69 crore collected under the two heads. The dealer/manufacturer is required to pay one per cent environment protection charge on the ex-showroom price of new diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2000cc and above, registered only in Delhi and NCR. This is called 'environment protection charge'. The EPC is received as per an order of the Supreme Court and is utilized for air quality improvement and related work in Delhi-NCR such as research and development activities

Dysfunctional environmental clearance system should be shut down: Narain

India's system for granting environmental clearances is badly broken and should be completely shut down to dispel any illusions about their effectiveness, eminent environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interview with PTI, Narain -- the director general of independent think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) -- suggested that the government overhaul the system to strike a balance between environmental preservation and development. Expressing concern over the decriminalisation of environmental laws in India, Narain said the current system for granting environmental and forest clearances, and penalising polluters is "so broken that it should be completely shut down so that we have no illusion of anything that is not working". Regarding environmental impact assessments, Narain pointed out the lack of accountability of committees granting clearances. "The panel lays down hundreds of conditions so that it is not held to account but there is no way to know if the ...

Green energy push: India's companies charge up on power policy shift

Rush to tie up green energy through open access in C&I segment after two key policy amendments last year

Bharti Airtel switches to recycled PVC SIM cards from virgin plastic

IDEMIA Secure Transactions, a division of the IDEMIA Group, is a leading provider of payment and connectivity solutions for financial institutions, mobile network operators and automotive manufacturer