Monday Feature: Green News and Media Roundup for Week 43, 2011

Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for week 43 (starting October 24), 2011.

1. Air Pollution down 50% this Diwali

Diwali in the city was a greener affair as people burst fewer crackers, leading to a 50-75% decrease in air pollution from last year. However, some Delhiites made up for the muted fireworks with noisy celebrations. CPCB recorded increased noisepollution at three out of nine locations, the highest being Mayur Vihar-Phase II in east Delhi.

2. Eco-friendly crackers to light up Diwali

Eco-friendly crackers are all set to lessen pollution and noise this Diwali. Cheap in cost and stuffed with leaves, these are available in different varieties here.

3. City gets more Games-type air monitoring centres

The system for air quality forecasting and research (SAFAR) that was used to monitor and forecast air quality and weather conditions at various venues during the Commonwealth Games last October is now being installed across the city.

4. Delhi zoo to get a major facelift

Aquarium, insectariums and a butterfly park along with different zones representing different geographical areas of India  will be part of the revamp work to be carried out at the National Zoological Park over the next two decades.

5. Chinese crackers up pollution levels

The Delhi government’s ‘anti-cracker’ campaign seems to have worked well over the years but an increase in the number of imported crackers has paled the move a bit.

6. New plant to recycle waste, generate electricity

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is all set to sort out Delhi ’s problem of ever-increasing garbage more efficiently by building a waste-to-energy plant at Narela-Bawana, where they already have a waste processing plant. Highly placed sources have said that the plant was approved by the minister of environment on Tuesday and the plant would be set up by 2014.

7. Ghazipur rendering plant opens

Stinking dead animal carcasses no longer pester Delhiites, asserts the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) with the opening of a rendering plant at Ghazipur. The site which was lying unused since 2004 has become operational and it brings in dead animals found on the roads and processes them into bird feed which is then sold in the markets.

8. String of missing files in Adarsh case

The two parallel investigations into the Adarsh society controversy have unearthed a string of missing documents. There were four instances of documents going missing and one of hard drives vanishing.

9. Natarajan seeks top official’s explanation for questioning FRA

Union environment and forests minister Jayanthi Natarajan has demanded an explanation from the highest forest official in the country, the Director General of Forests, on his letter questioning the provisions of the Forest Rights Act and a report of the Union government.