Weekly Environmental News Roundup (26 October 2026)
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for Week 43 (19 to 25 October) 2026.
Air Quality
Delhi Air Quality Witnesses Sudden Decline, GRAP-1 Measures in Place
Delhi’s air quality witnessed a sudden dip on October 21, prompting authorities to put in place Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (a series of emergency anti-air pollution measures) in the national capital.
Delhi Minister Sirsa warns of action against high-rises without mist systems
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday inspected anti-smog guns and water mist systems in high-rise buildings in the NDMC area and warned of strict action against establishments violating prescribed pollution control norms.
Delhi tightens pollution checks ahead of winter, over 10,000 challans issued daily
With winter pollution becoming a major concern, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Sunday held a virtual meeting with traffic police officials from neighbouring NCR districts to review preparations for the coming months.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday inaugurated the Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory, a specialised facility aimed at identifying the sources, composition and potential health impacts of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Water
Toxic Foam Returns To Yamuna As Delhi-NCR Air Quality Slips To ‘Unhealthy’
Delhi-NCR is facing a double environmental blow, with toxic white foam reappearing on the Yamuna River near Kalindi Kunj and air quality across the region slipping into the ‘unhealthy’ category, with the overall Air Quality Index touching 168.
Amit Shah To Launch Rs 8,941 Crore Delhi Water Projects On October 22
More than 35,000 people joined the ‘Chalo Yamuna’ campaign on October 18, cleaning 70 locations along the river and removing 76,755 kg of waste in one morning.
Water supply hit in NDMC areas till Nov 8
Water supply in New Delhi Municipal Council areas will be affected till Nov 8 due to the scheduled annual maintenance and repair works at Upper Ganga Canal.
Delhi’s longest cycling track planned along Yamuna: Route details, opening date, cost and purpose
The Delhi Development Authority is planning to develop a 24-km cycling track along the Yamuna riverbank, which could become the national capital’s longest cycling track.
Waste & Circularity
Delhi opens Rs 16-crore biogas plant to keep dairy waste out of Yamuna
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday inaugurated a Rs 16-crore biogas plant that can process 200 metric tonnes of cattle dung a day, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Ahead of winter, MCD ramps up C&D waste collection measures with 125 centres
To curb illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste on city roads ahead of winter, when air pollution levels typically rise, Municipal Corporation of Delhi has made all 125 secondary C&D waste collection centres operational.
Biodiversity
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Wednesday that authorities have rescued 103 protected native wildlife species, including parakeets and endangered tortoises, from a pet shop in the capital’s Moti Nagar area.
Delhi Metro To Plant Over 28,000 Trees, Saplings Across 991 Locations
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will plant over 28,000 trees and saplings across 991 locations in the national capital, mainly in MCD parks, to compensate for trees to be felled or transplanted for a Phase IV corridor.
Activists cry foul over tree felling at Noida Biodiversity Park
Environment activists have raised concerns over the felling of trees at Noida’s Biodiversity Park for a proposed deer park, alleging that the number of trees cut may exceed the scope of the permission granted.
Haryana drafts tree law, moots 3-month jail for failure to pay compensation
Haryana govt has proposed an act to regulate the felling of trees on non-forest land across the state.
Climate & Energy
India knows heatwaves well. What is the new threat called heat storm?
India is no stranger to scorching summers, with temperatures soaring above 45°C in parts of the country during severe heatwaves. But climate change is fuelling a bigger, more persistent form of extreme heat that can spread across vast parts of the planet and last for months.
‘Empty Nests Everywhere’: Climate Change Sends Antarctic Penguins Into Freefall
Watch this video as Firstpost explains how one of the world’s largest penguin colonies on Antarctica’s remote Zavodovski Island is facing a dramatic collapse, with occupied chinstrap penguin nests falling by 63% between 2011 and 2025.
Environment & Policy
48 Delhi villages to get urban status; focus on roads, water, sewerage, says CM
Aiming to ensure planned and integrated development of the capital, the government has decided to urbanise 48 villages in the city.
IIC Festival of the Arts to explore ecology under ‘Prakriti’ theme
The India International Centre will hold the 22nd edition of its annual festival, The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts, from October 29 to November 3. This year’s theme is ‘Prakriti: Ecology and Existence’.
