Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a Mega Anti-Pollution Campaign, called "Yudh Prasudushan ke Virudh". The campaign was launched to reduce pollution levels in Delhi. During the campaign, the Delhi Government will focus on technology developed by Pusa Agriculture Institute to control stubble burning.
Under the campaign, thirteen pollution hotspots were identified. A separate plan has been prepared for each hotspot based on their respective cause of pollution. A new policy and a new anti-dust campaign has been introduced. According to the new policy, an agency that cuts down trees in Delhi has to plant 80% of them in a new spot.
Oct 04, 2020
Damage Uncovered on Antarctic Glaciers Reveals Worrying Signs for Sea Level Rise
A new study into the structural damage of two major Antarctic glaciers reveals that ice shelf weakening has rapidly evolved in recent years.
Multi-satellite imagery identified damage areas, sparking concerns that structural weakening could lead to major ice shelf collapse in the decades to come. This collapse, in turn, reduces the glaciers' ability to hold back major sections of the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet from running into the ocean.
Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier are located in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. The fastest-changing outlet glaciers in the region, they account for Antarctica's largest contribution to global sea level rise. Scientists have anticipated for at least 20 years that these glaciers will be the first to respond to climate change, Jessica O'Reilly, an environmental anthropologist at Indiana University, told GlacierHub.
If the ice shelves of these two glaciers collapse, it could trigger large-scale disintegration of the nearby West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds enough ice to raise global sea level by about 10 feet. The glaciers provide a natural buffering system that is holding back the enormous ice sheet upstream, but if structural damage is weakening the ice shelves, rapid outflow into the ocean could occur in the coming years.
Oct 03, 2020
Red Panda Photographed for First Time at Arunchal's Chug Valley
Wildlife activists are thrilled about the fresh spotting of a red panda in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh's Chug Valley. What is more, the furry creature has been photographed too. This happens to be the first time a red panda has been photographed in this particular area of the border state.
A WWF official said that last time a Red Panda was visually captured in Arunachal Pradesh was back in 2012.
Oct 02, 2020
Mumbai Records Most Environmental Offences among Major Cities
According to the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) latest report, Mumbai, the country's financial capital, recorded the highest number of offences under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986, in 2019 among 19 major Indian cities for the second consecutive year.
In the backdrop of the report, the Mumbai city collector on Wednesday directed the Mumbai Police to file first information reports (FIRs) against Indian Army personnel at the Sagarmatha Club in Colaba and landowners at a wetland in Wadala following alleged violations of the EPA, 1986.
EPA, 1986 violations are related to felling of trees, cutting of mangroves, flouting of coastal regulation zones (CRZs), dumping debris in eco-sensitive zones, illegal quarrying and cutting of hills, and other offences related to air and water pollution.
NCRB data revealed that of the 20 cases recorded under EPA, 1986 in 2019, Mumbai was the worst offender at eight, followed by Hyderabad (6), Nagpur (5), and Chennai (1).
Sep 29, 2020
Sri Lanka Returns Hazardous Waste to the UK
Sri Lanka said that it is sending 21 containers of waste back to the UK after they were found to contain hazardous material.
As per customs officials, hospital waste was discovered in many of the 263 containers imported by a private firm.
The shipment was meant to be made up of used mattresses, carpets and rugs for potential recycling.
Most of the containers have been stored in warehouses, with only a small amount of material having been re-exported.
The authorities said there was also plastic and polythene waste in the containers.
England's Environment Agency said that it was committed to tackling illegal waste exports.