Weekly Environmental News Roundup for Week 7, 2025
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 7 (10 to 16 Feb) 2025.
1. Stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana contributes only 14% of PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR: study
Based on field measurements, airmass trajectories, and particle dispersion and chemical transport model simulations, a study published in January 2025 has found that there is no linear correlation between stubble-burning events in Punjab and Haryana and fine particulate matter concentration in Delhi-NCR.
2. Too many chinks in Delhi pollution fight: CAG
The Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on Delhi’s air pollution exposed severe lapses in the city’s efforts to mitigate vehicular pollution, highlighting a lack of data on the number of vehicles and their emissions, delays in public transport expansion plans and improper placement of air quality monitors, according to officials familiar with the findings of the agency.
Five years after issuing an order for freeing the Yamuna floodplains from encroachments, the National Green Tribunal recently pulled up the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Forest Department over non-compliance.
4. Yamuna cleaning begins in Delhi after BJP’s poll win, PM Modi’s promise
Days ahead of the formation of the BJP government in Delhi, the cleaning of Yamuna started on Sunday based on a four-pronged strategy to free the river from heavy pollution in three years.
5. Delhi L-G inaugurates NDMC Tulip Festival-2025
The New Delhi Municipal Council Tulip Festival – 2025 was on Tuesday inaugurated by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands Marisa Gerards at Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri.
6. 811 water bodies identified, 247 of these can’t be restored: DDA to National Green Tribunal
The Delhi Development Authority has identified 811 water bodies under its ownership and found that 247 were non-feasible for restoration due to existing land plans, encroachments, and built-up properties, it informed the National Green Tribunal on Thursday.
7. Watch: This Delhi society mastered waste management, and the internet loves it
In South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, a residential society is making waves with its impressive waste management system.
8. Indian Scientists Develop Environment-Friendly Way To Treat Hazardous Bio Waste
India generates 742 tonnes of biomedical waste daily and managing it gives hospitals, literally, a real headache.
9. Routine maintenance work may cause water supply disruptions in several Delhi neighbourhoods
The Delhi Jal Board recently issued a warning about potential water shortages in several areas of the national capital in the coming days due to routine maintenance work.
10. Delhi: Flooded underpass at Dhaula Kuan leaves agencies stumped
The underpass along the Parade Road near Dhaula Kuan’s Manekshaw Centre has remained inundated for the past two months.
11. Smiling Tree Turns Maurice Nagar Police Station Green with Vertical Gardens and Blooming Flowers
Smiling Tree, the renowned environmental initiative led by Dr. Mukesh Kwatra, has once again made a remarkable contribution to sustainability by transforming the Maurice Nagar Police Station into a lush, green space.
12. TN seeks Rs 74.4 crore to relocate villagers from buffer zone in MTR
Tamil Nadu Finance, Environment and Climate Change Minister Thangam Thennarasu submitted a Rs 74.4 crore proposal to Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi, to facilitate the relocation of Thengumarahada villagers from the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris.
Dozens of civil society organisations, activists, and lawyers urged the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to revoke the exemption given to white-category industries from the mandatory consent requirement for environmental clearance from pollution control authorities related to air and water pollution.
14. Green cover in India absorbed more carbon than it emitted annually: Study
The green cover in India has absorbed more carbon than it emitted annually in the last decade, but the rate of sequestration declines during extreme climate events such as drought, a study has revealed.
15. UN calls on ‘solar superpower’ India to submit stronger climate plan
The top United Nations climate official says India is uniquely placed to take advantage of the global shift towards cleaner energy and urged it to submit a more ambitious national climate plan.
