Weekly Green News Update for Week 17 (April 20 to 26), 2015

weekly-media-roundup

Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for week 17 (between April 20 and April 26) 2015.

1. Not just winters, Delhi’s air toxic in summer too

High air pollution levels in Delhi have been generally associated with winters, when atmospheric inversion traps pollutants close to the ground and causes smog.

2. Supreme Court backs NGT’s ban on old vehicles in Delhi

The ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal last year on vehicles more than 15 years old from plying on Delhi roads received the Supreme Court’s stamp of approval on Monday.

3. Carrot-&-stick policy can help implement NGT ban

The ban on older, polluting vehicles is not impossible to implement if the transport and traffic departments show some will.

4. Weak monsoon may cause spike in air pollution levels this year

The weather office’s forecast of a weak monsoon this year could lead to a spike in air pollution in many Indian cities, including Delhi and its suburbs, for a second straight year, says a state weather analysis institute.

5. Plant on anvil to recycle Yamuna’s puja waste

Having identified that most of the puja waste dumped into the Yamuna is ‘green waste’, the capital’s premier land-owning agency is in the process of setting up a re-cycling plant along the river belt.

6. India needs to take the lead on climate change action: Richard Verma

India needs to take the lead in spearheading the cause of climate change even as the US will help it realize a low carbon and clean energy future, US ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Monday.

7. 5-star hotels, malls under NGT lens over rainwater harvesting

Five-star hotels and malls today came under the lens of National Green Tribunal which issued notice to them for not installing proper rainwater harvesting systems in their premises.

8. Now, Android app to track Ganga pollution

Now, pollution in the Ganga could be tracked through an Android-based application. The National Mission for Clean Ganga will launch the new app for Android mobile phones in May.

9. NGT adds armour for protection of rhinos

After shocking revelations of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India about the dire state of management of Kaziranga National Park, home to one-horned rhinoceros, the National Green Tribunal has issued notices to 71 hotels, resorts and dhabas which have encroached into the eco-sensitive zone of the Park.

10. Ganga plains act as shock absorber: Experts

The Ganga plains — in which Lucknow is located- effectively acts as a shock absorber, and reduces the impact of the earthquake to a significant extent.

11. World Bank programme to focus on air quality in India

A new World Bank administered programme, with an initial total allocation of around $45 million, will focus on air quality management in five major urban areas in India, China, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.

12. Environmentalists discover new species of macaque in Tibet

A new species of macaque, named white-cheeked macaque, has been discovered in China’s southeast Tibet, according to the Chinese media.

13. Demand for rubber threatens forests in Asia

Demand for natural rubber fuelled by the tyre industry is threatening protected forests and their endangered species in Southeast Asia, a new study has warned.

Shilpi Chakravarty

Shilpi Chakravarty is an environmental professional with a master's degree in environmental studies from the University of Delhi. She works to use her professional skills for making the planet a better place to live on.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Views: 2,087