Environmental News and Media Roundup for Week 20, 2013
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 20 (starting May 13, 2013) 2013.
1. Pollution drives away birds from wetland
Several species of beautiful birds have been forced into leaving the Garhi Mandu city forest area due to rise in pollution and loss of habitat. The forest area is spread over 894 acres in northeast Delhi.
2. Neighbouring states of Delhi rapped for smog
The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to the governments and pollution control boards of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, ministry of environment and forest and the agriculture ministry for large scale biomass burning which leads to air pollution and caused large-scale smog over Delhi in 2012.
3. On a warpath against Capital’s noise pollution
Ravi Kalra is happy to be dubbed as the No-Honking Man of India. This Delhiite, along with 100-odd volunteers, has been carrying out a ‘Do Not Honk’ campaign for the past five years to educate drivers not to honk unnecessarily and help control noise pollution.
4. Govt banks on heritage tag to arrest green cover slide
Struggling to check the destruction of green cover, the Delhi forest department will accord heritage tag to certain tree species, hoping the experiment will help arrest the slide.
With increasing amounts of e-waste from households and small offices posing a huge threat to the environment, the World Bank’s private sector investment arm — International Finance Corporation and Attero Recycling have come together to start the ‘Clean e-India’ initiative, where they plan to involve rag-pickers and local kabadiwallahs (scrap dealers) for proper disposal of electronic waste.
6. Green tribunal glare on aircraft noise
The National Green Tribunal has asked the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to respond, by May 28, to a bunch of petitions that claimed noise created by aircrafts is affecting the lives of residents living near the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
7. ‘Free all trees of concrete by July 12 or face action’
The National Green Tribunal on Friday ordered various land-owning agencies and departments of the Centre and Delhi government to free all trees in the Capital of concrete by July 12 or face consequences.
8. Sparrows adapt for survival, find new nesting sites in city
The humble house sparrow whose population is fast declining due to rapid urbanisation is making fresh efforts for survival.
9. Take care of the environment or we will slash your budget: Plan panel warns states
