Weekly Environmental News Update for Week 1, 2022

Weekly environmental news update from across different media networks for Week 1 (January 03 to 09) 2022.

Air Pollution

• Air Quality Index at 90 as showers continue in Delhi
  Light to moderate intensity rain continued to lash several parts of the national capital on Sunday morning.
• Delhi-NCR: Air panel to check public suggestions
  CAQM has constituted an expert group to examine the public suggestions it had received before finalizing a policy to curb air pollution in NCR.
• Delhi plans mesh of sensors to monitor pollution air hot spots
  The national capital’s 40 real-time ambient air quality monitoring stations account for a network that roughly covers every 37 sq km of Delhi’s 1,484 sq km area.
• Urban air pollution led to 1.8 million excess deaths in 2019, finds Lancet study
  In 2019, air pollution in urban areas contributed to 1.8 million excess deaths across the world, as per a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

Water Security

• Wetlands in biodiversity parks in Delhi-NCR attracting migratory birds
  Wetlands in Yamuna biodiversity and Kalindi biodiversity parks are attracting migrating birds.
• NGT forms committee to probe open discharge of sewage in Greater Noida
  NGT has formed a committee to look into a plea alleging discharge of sewage on open land, roads, internal lanes and storm water drains in 93 villages of Greater Noida.

Waste Management

• Delhi civic bodies rush to meet revised dates for flattening landfills
  In an effort to flatten and shut down landfill sites, the three municipal corporations are installing screening machines of larger capacities to speed up the biomining exercise.
• Mumbai’s first waste to energy plant gets Centre’s green nod
  Mumbai’s first and upcoming Waste To Energy plant at Deonar in Govandi area has received Environment Clearance from MOEFCC.

Biodiversity Conservation

• Sanjay Lake losing birds to pollution: census
  The Sanjay Lake in east Delhi has become polluted over the years and the number of birds sighted there has fallen to 132 from 771 in 2016, according to a census carried out by Wetlands International.
• Migratory birds make their home in restored wetlands of Delhi biodiversity parks
  Efforts to reclaim silted-up wetlands of Yamuna and Kalindi biodiversity parks have started to reap dividends with migratory birds, including 50-100 bar-headed geese, seen for the first time.
• SC seeks response from Centre, 17 states on 741 elephant electrocution between 2009-2020
  The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and 17 states on a PIL accusing the governments of pushing the Asiatic elephant towards extinction because of their apathy in taking minimum required protective steps.
• Rare clouded leopard spotted for the first time at record heights in Nagaland mountains
  Researchers have for the first time spotted a clouded leopard in a community forest in Nagaland.
• India is all set to get cheetah back in its jungles, 50 to arrive in next 5 years
  Government is preparing to translocate the first batch of eight from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh soon.

Climate Change

• In green budget, NDMC says it will only buy e-cars, renewable energy
  NDMC said that all official cars from now on will be electric vehicles, and that it will purchase power produced from renewable sources only.
• Climate change affecting nesting of Olive Ridley turtles
  Climate change direct effect the incubation temperature of Olive Ridley turtles, a study to assess the incubation temperature of nests along the Maharashtra coast has found.
• NGT panel submits interim report on Simhadri thermal power plant
  A National Green Tribunal-constituted joint committee has submitted its interim report on the Simhadri Super Thermal Power Plant Project.

International News

• “Severe” Smog Is Beijing Winter Olympics’ New Problem
  Beijing’s air pollution is far below acceptable World Health Organization levels with the Chinese capital a month away from hosting the Winter Olympics.
• Jump in deforestation of world’s most biodiverse savanna alarms Brazilian scientists
  Deforestation and other clearances of native vegetation in the Cerrado rose to 8,531 square kilometers in the 12 months through July.
• Climate change forces polar bears to migrate to Russia from Alaska
  It is reported that between 2001 to 2010, there was a 40 per cent drop in Alaska’s polar bear population.