Monday Feature: Green News and Media Roundup for Week 09, 2012

Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for week 09 (starting February 27, 2012) 2012.

1. Campaign to protest privatisation of water

With the blazing summers ahead, several organisations have come together to form the ‘Pani Hakk Abhiyan’ to protest privatisation and commercialisation of drinking water in the Capital. The campaign also plans to make it as an election issue during the upcoming municipal polls.

2. Sunita Narain bats for sustainable development

Batting for sustainable and inclusive development, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director general Sunita Narain on Monday cited the successful campaign in Delhi where public transport such as buses and autos have taken to CNG due to rising air pollution.

3. SC: Want to take action on Yamuna pollution now

Eighteen years after the Supreme Court took cognisance of a report published in HT on pollution in the Yamuna, a bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia on Monday said that it intended to pass orders to ensure that no person, industry or corporation discharged untreated effluent or sewage into the river.

4. Govt draws up checklist to improve air quality in city

Deteriorating air pollution levels in the city have forced the Delhi government to take up mitigation measures on a very serious note. The environment department led by the chief minister, along with various NGOs, IIT representatives, MoEF, CPCB, civic agencies and Delhi government departments, has drawn up a check-list of action that need to be undertaken across various sectors, including power and transport, to improve air quality.

5. Delhi Tourism receives National Tourism Award

The Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation has received the National Tourism Awards (2010-11) of the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Delhi Tourism chairman Manish Chattrath and MD & CEO, Delhi Tourism, G.G. Saxena, received the award for Best Heritage Walk Category from the chief guest of the ceremony, Ms Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, the President of India.

6. City goes walker friendly, trees choke

The state of trees in the city is “abysmal”, say environmentalists. Recently, NGO Kalpvriksha surveyed Delhi’s trees, covering areas from Ramlila Maidan to Dhaula Kuan, including Paharganj, Anand Parbat, North Campus, Rajghat, Vikas Marg and Moti Bagh and found that most trees are either diseased or dead, top heavy due to incorrect lopping or suffocating due to concretization around roots.

7. Now solar-powered rickshaws for green Delhi

The Capital is turning green with a vengeance. After promoting the use of electric cars and the use of green technologies, Delhi will soon see the solar-powered rickshaws on its roads.

8. 55% Delhi population directly hit by air pollution

Deteriorating air quality in the national capital can translate into 3,000 additional “premature deaths” annually due to air pollution related diseases, the Centre for Science and Environment has said in a report.

9. Mining of minor minerals to be governed by stricter laws in 6 months

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and the state governments to implement within six months strict regulations to govern mining of minor minerals as recommended by the ministry of environment and forests.