Weekly Environmental News Roundup for Week 2, 2025
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 2 (6 to 12 Jan) 2025.
1. PM2.5 pollution up in Delhi for second year on trot: Report
Delhi’s annual PM2.5 levels rose in 2024 for the second consecutive year, despite a 37 per cent drop in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and the national capital, according to a new report.
2. Delhi signed off 2024 as India’s 2nd most polluted city
Delhi continues to rank among India’s most polluted cities.
3. Delhi’s air pollution remains high despite 71% reduction in farm fires: Report
For the second consecutive year, Delhi’s annual PM 2.5 levels rose in 2024 despite a drop in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and the national capital, according to a new report.
4. Smog causes travel chaos in Indian capital Delhi
Dense fog and severe air quality levels have caused travel chaos in India’s capital Delhi.
5. A tale of two cities: Delhi’s air more toxic than LA’s wildfire-hit skies
Synonymous with glitz and glamour, Los Angeles County in the United States is grappling with devastating wildfires that have engulfed parts of the region.
6. ‘More groundwater used than recharged’
Delhi extracted more groundwater in 2024 than it recharged, reversing a two-year trend of sustainable usage, according to the latest Central Groundwater Board report released in December 2024.
7. DJB flags over 20k illegal borewells in Delhi affecting groundwater levels
The Delhi Jal Board has informed the National Green Tribunal that it has identified at least 20,625 illegal borewells across the Capital, and directions to seal them have been issued to district magistrates in the respective areas in a bid to prevent groundwater extraction.
8. NGT Seeks Response Over Alleged Misuse of Forest Land in Delhi
The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to the Delhi government and other relevant authorities in response to allegations of misuse of forest land
9. 609 water birds of 19 species recorded in Delhi Zoo census exercise
Delhi Zoo conducted a census of its aquatic birds on Wednesday, documenting them across five water bodies within the premises and categorising them into 10 groups, officials said.
10. India’s first battery energy storage system to go live in south Delhi’s Kilokri in March
India’s first commercial utility-scale battery energy storage system — an inverter that can provide electricity to a grid — from renewable energy is expected to go live in Delhi in March this year.
11. India launches forum to focus on clean tech manufacturing
With adequate capital and a focused approach, Indian can be made self-reliant in manufacturing clean technology to address the climate crisis, ministers and experts said at the launch of the Bharat Climate Forum on Friday.
12. No maintenance, silt & waste choke drains on Delhi-Gurgaon eway
The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, known for heavy flooding during monsoon, faces yet another challenge with choked drains, especially at Narsingpur.
13. RRTS Corridor Opens for Faster Connectivity Between Delhi and Meerut
The RRTS Corridor introduces advanced facilities, including 11 well-equipped stations, making commuting convenient.
14. Bizarre: Man found with crocodile head at Delhi airport; check what wildlife officials did
In a bizarre incident at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, customs officials intercepted a Canadian national carrying a severed crocodile head in his luggage.
15. Delhi Police Bust ₹3 Crore Rhino Horn Smuggling Racket, Four Arrested
In a significant operation against wildlife trafficking, the Delhi Police Crime Branch seized two rare rhinoceros horns worth ₹3 crore in the international market and apprehended four individuals involved in the illegal trade.
16. Dehradun-Delhi Expressway prioritises wildlife protection with innovative lighting solutions
As the Dehradun-Delhi Expressway nears its final stages of completion, the National Highways Authority of India is taking special measures to ensure that the operation of the expressway does not adversely affect the wildlife that has roamed the area for decades.
17. Centre’s Wildlife Panel Clears Proposals To Build Strategic Infra In Eastern Ladakh
The Centre’s wildlife panel has cleared several proposals to build infrastructure for troops, ammunition storage and communication networks in eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control with China, official records show.
18. With 2024’s record-breaking heat, climate change is speeding up
Scientists sounded the alarm long before last year ended that 2024 would become the hottest year on record and almost certainly the first to surpass the 1.5C limit to global warming, set out as a goal in the Paris Agreement.
