Weekly Environmental News Roundup for Week 21, 2025
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 21 (19 to 25 May) 2025.
1. CAQM invokes Stage-I of GRAP in NCR to curb worsening air quality
The Commission for Air Quality Management has invoked Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan across the entire National Capital Region, as Delhi’s air quality continues to linger in the ‘Poor’ category with no significant signs of improvement.
2. NGT raps Delhi Jal Board for supplying sewage mixed drinking water
The National Green Tribunal has pulled up Delhi Jal Board for supplying non-potable water to Janakpuri residents in the capital.
3. Water supply to be disrupted for 24 hours in several parts of Delhi today
The Delhi Jal Board has announced a 24-hour water supply disruption in several parts of the national capital on Thursday due to drain repair work.
4. Atishi writes to CM seeking appointment to discuss ‘water woes’; BJP calls it ‘imaginary crisis’
Leader of the Opposition and AAP MLA Atishi wrote to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday seeking an immediate appointment to discuss the “water crisis” in Delhi.
5. Yamuna water quality in Delhi worsens: Report
Water quality of the Yamuna has worsened in May, clocking a spike in biological oxygen demand and faecal coliform levels from April, according to the monthly water quality report of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
6. Delhi opens sewage plants for public adoption drive
Delhi Jal Board has launched an unconventional scheme inviting individuals, companies, and institutions to adopt decentralised sewage treatment units across the capital.
7. STP upgrade delays hits Delhi Yamuna clean-up
The Delhi Jal Board has made poor progress in upgrading its sewage treatment plants, which has subsequently affected the clean-up of the Yamuna river, according to an April progress report of the DJB.
8. Experts call Delhi Jal Board’s sewage plan flawed and unlawful
Days after the Delhi Jal Board released a detailed action plan to curb the discharge of untreated sewage into the Yamuna, environmentalists have criticised the proposal as “unreasonable” and “illogical.”
9. DDA plans to irrigate parks across Delhi with treated wastewater
The Delhi Development Authority plans to develop a citywide network for supplying treated water to parks and green belts in a bid to adopt sustainable practices by increasing water utilisation , officials aware of the matter said.
10. Kitchener Lake water quality improving gradually, DDA tells NGT
Corrective measures to reviver Kitchener Lake near Dhaula Kuan have led to an improvement in water quality, and plans are afoot to find a permanent long-term solution—such as connecting it to a sewage treatment plant—the Delhi Development Authority told the National Green Tribunal.
11. Damage at Delhi airport T1 due to heavy rain, DIAL says ‘no structural compromise’
A section of the external tensile fabric at the Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 arrival forecourt was damaged due to heavy rain Sunday morning.
12. Delhi govt orders immediate suspension of junior engineer over Minto Bridge waterlogging
The Delhi government on Sunday took prompt action regarding water-logging at Minto Bridge by issuing immediate suspension orders to the Junior Engineer-in charge and the pump operator at site, government sources said.
13. Waterbody encroachment in Delhi: NGT seeks report from authorities
National Green Tribunal has issued notices to Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, district magistrate of North Delhi and Delhi Pollution Control Committee over the encroachment of a waterbody in Narela.
14. Suspected grey wolf sighted in Delhi after decades
A possible sighting of the Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) has been reported in Delhi, after a wildlife enthusiast photographed a lone animal resembling the elusive species along the Yamuna floodplains near Palla, in north Delhi, where the river enters the city.
15. Repeat tree felling offenders to face stricter action, Delhi govt. tells NGT
The Delhi government has assured the National Green Tribunal that it will take stricter action against repeat offenders involved in illegal tree felling by digitising related records within three months.
The Central Empowered Committee, in its latest report to the Supreme Court, has recommended that a private builder be allowed to use 4,553 square metres of land in Sector-B, Pocket-1, Vasant Kunj, which falls within Delhi’s Morphological Ridge zone, for a group housing project.
17. NGT Asks Delhi Govt to Consider Geotagging Trees During Ongoing Census to Curb Illegal Felling
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government to explore the feasibility of geotagging trees as part of the ongoing tree census in the national capital. The directive aims to strengthen monitoring efforts and curb repeated violations related to illegal tree felling.
18. After uproar over property tax hike, MCD to roll back waste collection fee
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is set to roll back the user charge levied on garbage collection and bring an amnesty scheme to settle old house tax dues, BJP leaders announced Tuesday.
19. Delhi: Eco Clubs in schools to be renamed, strengthened under Mission LiFE drive
All schools in Delhi have been instructed to rename their existing Eco Clubs as “Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE” and complete their re-establishment by August 31, as part of a nationwide campaign aimed at enhancing environmental education among students.
20. On International Biodiversity Day, Delhi Zoo Rolls Out Summer Camp To Teach Environmental Protection
Delhi’s National Zoological Park is conducting a special 15-day summer camp on the occasion of the International Biodiversity Day, observed on May 22, to increase environmental awareness among children and connect them with nature.
21. 2 Killed, At Least 11 Injured In Rain-Related Incidents In Delhi
A 22-year-old youth and a person with disability died, while at least 11 were injured, in separate rain-related incidents in the national capital Wednesday evening, police said.
22. CM presents ‘Developed Delhi’ vision to NITI Aayog, emphasizes infra development, clean Yamuna
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday presented the roadmap for a ‘Developed Delhi’ before NITI Aayog, with a strong emphasis on cleaning the Yamuna River, infrastructure development, and ensuring potable water for every household.
23. Haryana vows to plug toxic flow to shield Yamuna from urban waste
A day after Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini met his Delhi counterpart Rekha Gupta in the national capital, the state govt announced that it was going to “clean up its act” to help BJP govt in Delhi fulfil its promise to clean the Yamuna.
24. Supreme Court seeks government response on heat wave deaths amid climate crisis
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) issued a notice to the Centre seeking its response on a petition that draws urgent attention to the escalating heat wave crisis linked to climate change, which has resulted in a high number of deaths across the country.
25. Environment Ministry Launches Campaign To End Plastic Pollution
In the run-up to World Environment Day, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Thursday launched a nationwide mass mobilisation campaign, ‘One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution’, in a bid to protect the environment.
26. India’s 76 per cent population is at high risk of extreme heat, says study
In India, 57 per cent of districts, which are home to 76 per cent of the population, are at very high risk of extreme heat.
