Weekly Environmental News Roundup for Week 5, 2025
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 5 (27 Jan to 26 Feb) 2025.
1. 300ha of land in southern Ridge encroached still, NGT told
The Delhi forest department, in a submission before the National Green Tribunal, has stated that more than 300 hectare of the southern Ridge in Delhi is still encroached upon, six years after encroachments of 398.61 hectare were identified in the region.
2. NGT pulls up CPCB over usage of funds
The National Green Tribunal has questioned the Central Pollution Control Board over its utilisation of environmental compensation it has received in lieu of projects across the country — especially those in Delhi — and has sought a detailed audit of the usage of funds within eight weeks, listing the matter for further hearing on May 2.
3. Arvind Kejriwal accuses Haryana government of ‘poisoning’ Delhi’s water supply
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has accused the BJP government in Haryana of poisoning the water supplied to Delhi through the Yamuna river, calling it an attempt at mass genocide.
4. Haryana CM sips Yamuna water, says no poison going to Delhi; Kejriwal hits back
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) took a couple of sips of water from River Yamuna and hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying there is no poison in water coming from his State to national capital.
5. “Untreated sewage from Haryana causing water supply crisis in Delhi”: Delhi CM Atishi writes to EC
Delhi chief minister Atishi on Tuesday wrote a letter to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar demanding action against BJP-ruled Haryana government for trying to “sabotage water supply” in Delhi to influence the upcoming assembly elections.
6. AAP collects water samples from Yamuna, challenges BJP and Congress leaders to drink it
With four bottles of water that had “7 ppm of ammonia and chlorine”, each labelled with the names of Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the AAP challenged the leaders to take a sip at a press conference or issue a public apology.
7. Stop blaming us, fix Delhi’s dirty water, retorts Saini
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini accused former Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of “running a business based on lies.”
8. Bad roads, sewer, water supply key concerns in SW Delhi
Last week, Rama Singh asked the civil contractor working on the sewer line to postpone the work in front of her beauty provisions shop.
9. Low-pressure, dirty water in several sectors of Noida and Greater Noida
About half a dozen sections in Noida and Greater Noida complained of low water pressure, water leakage, and poor-quality, muddy water supply, along with sewer leaks on Friday.
10. Gautam Budh Nagar admin seeks list of ponds from Noida for water table recharge
To address the groundwater depletion issue, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration has asked the authorities to provide a list of the ponds allocated for the purpose of groundwater recharging — the process of water moving from the surface to underground aquifers, replenishing the groundwater supply — in the district, officials said on Tuesday.
11. Waterbodies encroached? NGT seeks info on projects
The National Green Tribunal has instructed HSVP to provide a comprehensive explanation regarding the land expanse and ongoing development projects in Sector 50.
12. Greater Noida invites bids to set up C&D waste treatment plant
The Greater Noida authority said on Tuesday that it has decided to develop a facility that can handle the legacy waste and also process the fresh construction and demolition waste generated by the city.
13. 18 months gone, no company yet for garbage pickup in Manesar
Municipal Corporation of Manesar faces further delays in hiring a dedicated solid waste management firm, with the wait now extending beyond 18 months.
14. 4 years on, transformer not installed, water boosting station still remains defunct
Gurgaon: Despite construction of an additional tank at the boosting station in Sector 9A and installation of motors over four years ago, capacity of the facility remains the same, with no enhancement of water supply, residents said.
15. NGT issues notice to Centre on use of invasive fish species for mosquito control
The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Centre on two highly-invasive and alien fish species being used as biological agents for controlling mosquitoes.
16. NGT sets 3-month deadline for forming new guidelines on glass facades to safeguard birds
Taking note of the negative impact of the glass facade on highrises killing birds, increasing urban heat and consuming ten-fold more electricity for air conditioners, the National Green Tribunal has ordered the Union environment ministry to com…
17. 4 yrs after NGT order, 4 states assess their hill cities to strike balance between tourism & ecology
Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala & Tamil Nadu are assessing the ‘carrying capacity’ of hill cities, aiming to find out the maximum population they can sustain.
18. Renewable energy accounts for 47 per cent of India’s total installed power capacity: Economic Survey
Renewable energy now accounts for approximately 47 per cent of India’s total installed power capacity, according to the Economic Survey for 2024-25.
19. After a decade of NGT ban, Meghalaya approves permission for scientific coal mining
Meghalaya government has approved permission to carry out scientific coal mining in three sites, more than 10 years after coal mining was completely banned by the National Green Tribunal.
20. Cabinet nod to critical minerals mission in green energy boost
The union cabinet chaired by PM, Narendra Modi has approved the launch of National Critical Mineral Mission to establish an effective framework to make India self-reliant in critical minerals— key for the renewable energy sector, particularly for solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.
21. Govt announces Nuclear Energy Mission with outlay of Rs 20k cr
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a Nuclear Energy Mission to promote research and development of small modular reactors, with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore.
22. India to develop 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047 for energy transition: FM Nirmala Sitharaman
The government will develop at least 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047 for energy transition, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.
