Weekly Green News Update for Week 1 (Jan 4 to 10), 2016
Weekly green news update from across different media networks for week 1 (between Jan 1 and 10) 2016.
1. Delhi Secretariat lacks green nod
At a time when the Delhi government is going all out to stress on the hazards of pollution, turns out that their own house is not in order.
2. Want to Breathe in Delhi? Protect Your Aravallis
Delhi is experimenting with the Odd/Even car rule this fortnight. And the AAP Government is already claiming success in bringing down the capital’s air pollution levels.
3. Wolf snake adds drama to babus’ day at work in Anand Vihar
In a curious turn of events, a wolf snake was rescued from the office of the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board in Karkardooma, Anand Vihar, on Friday morning in the Capital.
4. Rajghat power house may become waste-to-energy plant
The Delhi government is mulling to convert the coal-based Rajghat Power House into a waste-to-energy plant.
5. Delhi’s air quality improves after 9 days of odd-even formula, pollution levels drop sharply
Air quality of Delhi took a refreshing turn on Saturday as strong wind helped blow away concentration of particulate matters, improving pollution level to the ‘moderate’ category, a rarity during the city’s winters.
6. Delhi odd-even: HC asks Kejriwal govt why one week is not enough for testing formula
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Delhi government on three point arguments made by counsel Shweta Bharti on behalf of Petitioners Gunjan Khanna and Manoj Kumar, whether there exists any reasonable relation between the implementation of odd-even formula to the reduction in pollution being sought to be achieved.
7. Moderate change in Delhi’s air, mornings more polluted than evenings: Study
With Delhi experimenting one of the most talked about project – the odd-even formula – a study by a private agency has revealed that the overall pollution levels in the last five days has been moderate.
8. Experts say pollution rose in first week of Jan, Delhi govt counters
Confusion about the impact of the odd-even restriction on Delhi’s air persisted on Friday as the Delhi government claimed that peak pollution levels had touched an all-time low while independent experts claimed that pollution had risen sharply during the first week of the restriction.
9. Delhi pollution: Action on trucks, none on diesel
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to lift a ban on fresh registration of diesel-powered cars of 2,000 cc and above in the Capital, despite automakers arguing that CO2 emissions by these cars are 20% less than petrol engine one.
10. Performance-linked payments for pvt sewage treatment plants
The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a new public-private partnership (PPP) model for implementation of the treatment of waste water and sewage flowing into the river Ganga.
11. NGT seeks data on air quality from other states
Expanding the scope of the ongoing case on air pollution, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Wednesday directed various state governments to submit data on air quality by next month.
12. Rs 5,000 crore spent on cleaning, still Yamuna stinks
The Supreme Court has resolutely attempted to improve water quality of Yamuna for the past 22 years during which governments have spent nearly Rs 5,000 crore, yet its water continues to be heavily polluted, mostly by coliform, indicating direct discharge of sewage into the river.
13. Modi plans to reboot Swachh Bharat Mission, Ganga Rejuvenation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set in motion an exhaustive plan to reboot two of his pet projects – Swachh Bharat Mission and Ganga Rejuvenation.
14. Karnataka roars No.1 in the country with 406 tigers
Karnataka has always had the highest number of tigers in the country but now it has 406! Karantaka’s steps towards tiger conservation seem to be working well.
15. Preparing to welcome Olive Ridleys
Even as the time nears for Olive Ridley turtles to arrive in large number on the shores of Chennai to lay eggs, environmentalists and volunteers have been busy ridding the coastline of the garbage that got accumulated following the December floods.
16. Ecotourism doesn’t hurt wildlife: Study
Far from increasing the vulnerability of wildlife to predators, ecotourism actually helps conservation efforts, researchers say.
17. Beijing to shut down 2,500 polluting firms this year
The Chinese capital Beijing will shut down 2,500 polluting firms in 2016 in its latest environmental protection efforts to reduce pollution as the city continues to be engulfed by smog most part of the year.