Environmental News and Media Roundup for Week 11, 2013
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for week 11 (starting March 11, 2013) 2013.
1. Clean Yamuna on agenda, thousands arrive on way to Parliament
After marching for about 150 kilometres since March 1, thousands of volunteers demanding a cleaner Yamuna reached the national Capital on Monday.
2. Forest dept has no clue on green loss for Metro phase-3
The Delhi forest department has said it does not know the quantum of non-forest land required for compensatory afforestation in lieu of trees to be felled for the third phase of the Metro rail project. Work for the third phase of the Metro started in November 2011.
3. NGT restrains construction of roads in Delhi Ridge area
The National Green Tribunal today restrained construction of roads and any non-forest activity in the Rajokri forest area here.
4. Yamuna campaign volunteers stay put at border, talks still on
Thousands of volunteers of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal-who are on a march to Parliament demanding a clean Yamuna – stayed put at Ali Gaon near Badarpur on Tuesday even as their leaders held talks with the government through the day.
5. Govt bows, agrees to release more water into Yamuna
Late on Wednesday night, the government agreed to release additional 250 cusec water into the Yamuna, bowing to the demand of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal, camping in the national capital since Monday.
6. ‘Centre will ensure no domestic effluents pour into Ganga, Yamuna’
Pilloried by Parliamentarians in both Houses over the state of the Ganga and the Yamuna, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan promised that the government would ensure no domestic effluents pour into the two rivers.
7. Delhi staring at eco-disaster: Clogged landfills, mounting loads of waste
The DPCC has banned dumping at three of the four landfill sites, years after they exhausted their lifespan. But the three municipal corporations continue dumping garbage there because there are no alternative sites, leading to massive contamination of soil and groundwater.
8. Green activists frown as Metro is allowed leeway
Delhi’s forest department has ducked a query on whether it will ensure adherence to the standard practice of planting 10 saplings for each tree felled for the third phase expansion of the Metro.
9. ‘Need fresh water to make Yamuna clean’
In an attempt to have a cleaner Yamuna flowing through the Braj area, union water resources minister Harish Rawat has suggested infusion of fresh water downstream of Okhla. This could be a combination of both Yamuna waters diverted from the Hathni Kund barrage as well as Ganga waters through the Hindon cut.
10. Govt focus on falling ground water levels
As part of a “multi-pronged approach” for “long-term solutions”, the government is keen to focus on rainwater harvesting and ground water recharge in Delhi.
11. Crow chronicles
The crow’s nest looks quite ordinary. One might think it’s just a bunch of twigs of varying sizes heaped together. But did you know that beneath each of those twigs is several weeks of hard work put in by a crow-couple?
No series on waste management can afford to ignore the issue of plastic. Plastic is ubiquitous in our lives. It is used in construction material, for accessories and electronic gadgets, and more obviously for storage and cheap packaging.
13. Most Asia-Pacific countries face water crisis: ADB
More than 75 per cent of Asia-Pacific countries face an imminent water crisis unless immediate steps are taken to improve resource management, the Asian Development Bank said Wednesday.
14. Delinking of environment and forest clearances gets SC nod
he Supreme Court has approved the revised norms for infrastructure road projects that delink the environment and forest clearances – formulated by the Prime Minister’s Office last month to end the face-off between the environment and forests ministry and the National Highways Authority of India .
15. Dolphins face threat in Ganga, Yamuna rivers
The natural habitat of Gangetic dolphins is recucing at an alarming rate, according to a study by the Worldwide Fund for Nature India.
