Weekly Environmental News Roundup for Week 20, 2025
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 20 (12 to 18 May) 2025.
1. Delhi Environment Minister orders DPCC probe into illegal dumping of septic waste in Yamuna
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to complete an investigation into the illegal dumping of septic waste in the Yamuna within seven days and formulate a comprehensive plan within 10 days to “eliminate all instances of illegal sewage discharge into the river”.
2. Like air, Delhi govt to assess water quality in real time at Yamuna, major drains
The Delhi government will for the first time install 32 water quality monitoring stations at the Yamuna and city’s drains for obtaining real-time data for quick intervention on ground, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.
3. Delhi govt allocates ₹10 crore for new e-waste eco park in Narela
Delhi govt’s environment department released ₹10 crore to the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation for setting up an e-waste eco park at Holambi Kalan village in Narela.
4. NGT calls illegal groundwater extraction a serious matter, seeks chief secretary’s response
Five months after the National Green Tribunal passed an order regarding the environmental damage caused by the illegal extraction of groundwater in Paharganj, the Delhi chief secretary’s response is yet to be submitted.
5. Environment ministry orders petrol cars, ignoring pollution body’s advisory to buy cleaner vehicles
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has put out a tender to buy 57 petrol-powered cars less than a week after a pollution control body urged all government institutions in the National Capital Region to buy only cleaner-fuel vehicles, a move that experts said was perplexing.
6. New Delhi council to pilot 24X7 water supply in Vinay Marg
The New Delhi Municipal Council will initiate the first phase of its round-the-clock water supply project in areas around Vinay Marg, and the pilot will be used as a template to modernise the water supply system, officials aware of the development said on Sunday.
7. Now, Sewage Bills Instead Of Water Bills For Delhi Hotels, Malls, Hospitals
Delhi’s hotels, shopping malls, banquet halls, private hospitals, and other large commercial establishments will now be billed on basis of the amount of sewage they discharge, instead of traditional water meter readings, the Delhi government has said.
8. RWAs raise alarm over water supply contract expiry in Malviya Nagar
With the public-private partnership contract managing Malviya Nagar’s water supply set to expire in June, over two dozen residents’ welfare associations in south Delhi have raised concerns over an imminent disruption in water services.
9. Clear water a far cry in lakes of Delhi
At Roshanara Bagh, Delhi’s oldest Mughal-era park, history isn’t just neglected — it’s rotting in plain sight.
10. Yamuna’s water still worsening, now 42 times worse than permitted limit: DPCC
Water quality in the Yamuna river has worsened, with the biological oxygen demand levels spiking to over 42 times the permissible standard, a latest report from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee showed.
11. Delhi transport dept to appoint jaldoots at 1,500 bus shelters by next week
The transport department will appoint civil defence volunteers as “jaldoots” at 1,500 bus queue shelters in Delhi by next week, Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said on Saturday.
A recent survey conducted by the Delhi Jal Board across all 70 constituencies of the National Capital has uncovered significant disparities in water supply, with some areas facing severe shortages while others receive more than their actual needs, prompting Water Minister Parvesh Verma to order immediate rationalisation to ensure equitable distribution.
13. Delhi govt releases Rs 1,400 crore to Jal Board for summer action plan, key projects
The Delhi government has sanctioned Rs 1,400 crore for the Delhi Jal Board to expedite ongoing projects and implement its Summer Action Plan, officials said on Wednesday.
14. Delhi Jal Board to soon complete sewage treatment plan in Sonia Vihar
The Delhi Jal Board has almost completed the construction of a 7-MGD new sewage treatment plant at Sonia Vihar, which will help reduce pollution in the Yamuna River, officials said on Tuesday.
15. 12 more STPs to treat sewage discharged from Najafgarh in Delhi
The Delhi Jal Board is working on developing 12 new sewage treatment plants in the Capital with the aim to reduce untreated sewage being dumped from the Najafgarh drain into the Yamuna river, officials said.
“Like the dinosaurs, this garbage mountain will become extinct, disappear,” Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, announced emphatically during a visit to the Okhla landfill site on Thursday.
A new proposal is in the pipeline to provide a modern and international level experience to visitors at Delhi Zoo.
18. Delhi Zoo Goes Paperless; Tablets Provided To Employees Of All 20 Beats
Delhi’s National Zoological Park has shifted its office work to the digital platform doing away with paperwork in a bid towards environmental protection.
19. SC panel clears tree felling, transplantation for new JNU hostel
The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee approved the construction of a hostel block in a 2.1-hectare area of the morphological ridge.
20. No water, no power — and no classes. Two new Delhi govt schools lie unused
Their red-brick walls are gleaming, the forecourt looks spotless, and they boast of state-of-the-art facilities — these are two newly built government schools in Northwest Delhi’s Kirari and Northeast Delhi’s Sunder Nagri.
21. Taapsee Pannu helps underprivileged, distributes water coolers in summer relief drive
Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu visited slum areas in Delhi and offered relief from the heatwave.
22. 48 villages to be urbanised in Master Plan 2041: Delhi govt
The Public Works Department minister Parvesh Verma announced on Saturday that the Delhi Master Plan 2041 will lead to urbanisation of 48 villages and allow free registry in “lal dora” areas — village residential areas traditionally used for habitation and exempt from certain land-use.
23. Archaeological Survey of India restores 16th-century stepwell in Delhi’s Mehrauli
The conservation of the 16th-century stepwell, Rajon Ki Baoli, located in the heart of Mehrauli’s historic archaeological site, has been completed.
Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to discuss the longstanding issue of water supply to Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu, Sikar, and Churu districts, which fall in the parched Shekhawati region.
25. Form SITs to examine status of forest land: Supreme Court to States, UTs
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed all the States and Union Territories to constitute special investigation teams to examine if any reserved forest land was allotted to any private parties for non-forestry purpose.
26. Sikkim Honoured As Best State For Environmental Education; Rumtek SSS Wins Top Eco-Club Award
Sikkim has been recognised as one of the Best States for Excellence in Implementing the Environment Education Programme (Eco-Club Programme) for 2024–25, alongside Odisha and Goa.
An expert panel of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted preliminary permissions to carry out an environmental impact assessment study for a proposed 1,000 MW Upper Bhavani pumped hydropower project in the Nilgiri Hills, located in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats.
28. SC says ‘illegal’ to grant green nod for projects after work has already begun
UNDERLINING THAT environment conservation is key to development, the Supreme Court Friday struck down and held as “illegal” a 2017 Ministry of Environment notification that allowed grant of environmental clearance to projects ex-post facto i.e., after commencement of work.
29. Global warming escalates pregnancy complications due to rising heatwaves: Study
Scorching heatwaves fuelled by global warming are increasing the risk of dangerous complications during pregnancies across the world, a report warned on Wednesday.
30. Indians buy 14 million air conditioners a year, and need many more
Aarti Verma is about to join the growing ranks of Indians installing air conditioning, scraping together savings to secure relief from sometimes deadly temperatures that can reach nearly 50 degrees Celsius.
