Weekly Green News Update for Week 12 (March 16 to 22), 2015
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for week 12 (between March 16 and March 22) 2015.
1. Air pollution level in Delhi exceeds WHO limits: Government
The level of air pollution in Delhi exceeds the limits prescribed by the World Health Organisation, government said in Rajya Sabha today.
2. Delhi: 60 per cent of sewage remains untreated
Around 2,225 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated water is either seeping into the ground or being discharged into Yamuna every day as only 40 per cent of sewage is treated in 18 treatment plants in Delhi, an RTI reply reveals.
3. Pollution control: Capital has nobody to check vehicular emissions
In an attempts to curb the soaring pollution in Delhi, the green tribunal in November ordered all vehicles- 15 years and older- off its streets.
4. NGT cracks whip, civic body places dustbins
The National Green Tribunal on Monday directed the Railways and Municipal Corporations to identify exact locations for placing dustbins in 46 slum clusters adjoining railway tracks.
5. National Air Quality Index to debut in April
The environment ministry will be launching the National Air Quality Index, a simple, composite, and easy to understand measure of air quality, on April 6.
6. No efforts to rescue Capital’s sparrows
Nearly three years after the house sparrow was declared the state bird, little has been done to increase its number in the Capital.
7. NGT seeks reply on proposal to ban old diesel vehicles
Deploring the ambient air quality in Delhi and its surrounding areas, the National Green Tribunal on Monday sought the Delhi Government’s views on taking off the roads diesel vehicles that are over 10 years old.
8. Encroachments in Najafgarh: NGT summons SDMC Commissioner
The National Green Tribunal has directed South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Commissioner to appear before it and explain what steps his office has taken to control encroachments on Khaira Road in Najafgarh here.
9. Don’t jump on roads, will throw you out: NGT to street vendors
The National Green Tribunal today came down heavily on street vendors for encroaching space in Lajpat Nagar market here saying “if you will jump down on roads, we will throw you out”.
10. NGT announces Rs 5,000 fine for littering on railway property
Cracking the whip on those littering on railway platforms and tracks, the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday announced a fine of Rs 5,000 on individuals spotted littering or throwing waste on the platforms and tracks.
11. List wetlands in 3 months, NGT tells UP
The National Green Tribunal has asked the UP state government to uphold the Wetland Conservation and management Rules of 2010 and identify all wetlands in the state and document them with the ministry of forests and environment in three months.
12. NGT issues notice to Govt. over contaminated drinking water
National Green Tribunal on Tuesday issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Government over contaminated drinking water in six districts of western Uttar Pradesh.
13. Modi’s real-time monitoring of Ganga pollution hits roadblock
The Modi government’s first big bang reform to clean the Ganga by introducing real-time online monitoring of pollutants from April 1 has hit a roadblock after stiff resistance from the industry, potentially jeopardising a plan to expand the plan nationwide.
14. Govt examining recommendations of Ganga restoration panel
A report of the Consortium of IITs on Ganga River Basin Management Plan 2015 has identified eight important areas including ecological restoration and sustainable agriculture for carrying out restorative works.
15. Conservationists bag prestigious Salim Ali Awards for their crusade to save nature
The prestigious Salim Ali Awards of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have been conferred on two distinguished individuals and a conservation group at a glittering function in Mumbai.
16. Upper Yamuna River Board to Meet on 20th of this month to Discuss Yamuna Water Issue
Union Minister for water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has said that a meeting of Upper Yamuna River Board has been called on 20th of this month to amicably sort out various issue related to Yamuna water amongst the States of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
17. Braj residents demand fresh Yamuna water
Plagued with only filthy Yamuna water reaching their region, hundreds of holy men, residents and farmers of Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan reached the capital on Sunday.
18. Activists go ahead with march for Yamuna clean-up
Spiritual leaders and activists who are taking part in the ‘Yamuna Muktikaran Yatra’ today rejected Union minister Uma Bharati’s plea to them to suspend the march.
19. Cong raises concern over Yamuna pollution in UP Assembly
Congress today raised in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly the issue of rising level of pollution in the Yamuna river and staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction over the government’s reply.
20. NGT pulls Haryana, Rajasthan govts over sand mining
The National Green Tribunal has taken strong objection to the non-compliance of its orders by the Haryana and Rajasthan governments on the issue of sand mining and warned it of coercive action.
21. 4 Ghaziabad units get pollution notice
UP Pollution Control Board has served show-cause notices to four industrial units in Ghaziabad, asking them to explain within 15 days why they should not be shut down for causing large-scale pollution in the vicinity.
22. Campaign to protect Gangetic dolphins
To protect the endangered Gangetic river dolphins here and in nearby districts, a three-day campaign is being run on a cruise.
23. Let’s join hands to save rhinos, Union minister to state
Union minister of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) Prakash Javadekar said on Saturday the Centre and the state government should stop the blame game over the recent spurt in rhino poaching in Kaziranga and, instead, take steps to check the menace.
24. Rainwater Harvesting pioneer Rajendra Singh to be honoured with Stockholm Water Prize
Rajendra Singh, an environment activist of India widely popular as the ‘Water Man’ has been conferred with Stockholm Water Prize on March 20, 2015.
