Environment Ministry

The National Green Tribunal has sought replies from the Union environment ministry's offices in West Bengal and Sikkim on the alleged illegal dumping of medical and hazardous waste in a vacant plot in West Bengal's Siliguri. The green body was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the unauthorised dumping in the Farabari area of the town, allegedly from the neighbouring state of Sikkim. "The article highlights that the situation became more complicated when it was revealed that the owner of the vacant plot had made private arrangements with truck drivers for waste disposal without obtaining necessary clearances from the local panchayat or other relevant authorities," a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said in an order dated November 27. The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member A Senthil Vel, said that the "irresponsible dumping" was inconveniencing the ...

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav pointed to the link between desertification and poverty, stating that India recognised land degradation as socio-economic issue and recalled India's presidency at CoP14

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was causing a "serious obstruction" in the tribunal's functioning by not providing an "appropriate response" in the matter of health hazards to students due to use of asbestos sheets in educational institutions. Earlier in July, the green panel had asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to find out whether the hazards faced by students were different from the threats asbestos work posed to industrial workers. If the health risks were dissimilar, the ministry had to conduct a scientific study and submit it, the NGT said. In an order dated November 26, a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad said the reply of the ministry dated September 24 did not provide a specific reply regarding the scientific study. The bench noted that the next day, the tribunal's order directed the MoEFCC to conduct a study after

The Delhi Transport Department has impounded 2,234 overage vehicles between October 1 and November 15 as part of an ongoing drive. The initiative, launched last month, aims to address the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. According to official data, the seized vehicles include 260 diesel four-wheelers that are over 10 years old, alongside 1,156 petrol two-wheelers and 818 petrol three and four-wheelers, all older than 15 years. The campaign, which is set to continue until December, is part of a broader effort to enforce environmental regulations and reduce vehicular emissions. In tandem with the crackdown, the Transport Department has rolled out an online portal to facilitate the scrapping, retrieval, or sale of seized vehicles. The platform is designed to streamline the process, providing owners with a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for managing overage vehicles. The Transport Department has also issued directives to Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facili

The security force's proposals, moved between April and July, also include strengthening security at Lukung, a village near Pangong Tso, and in Durbuk

Under the new rules, complaints against violators of environmental regulations can be initiated by key bodies, including the CPCB, SPCBs, Pollution Control Committees and others

The AQI of the national capital, post-Diwali celebration reached to worst level and posed a severe health risk

A panel of the Union Environment Ministry has said that site visits should be conducted "in toto" before granting environmental clearances to pumped storage projects (PSPs) in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. During a meeting of the ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on September 27, the member secretary stated that the ministry had granted Terms of Reference (ToR) -- which outlines the environmental studies a project must complete before applying for clearance -- to approximately 15 projects in the Western Ghats. "The EAC reviewed the Terms of Reference recommended to the PSPs proposed to be located in Western Ghats... Given the region's high environmental sensitivity, the EAC, in previous meetings, recommended site visits by sub-committee members to several pumped storage projects. "These projects are located in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats and a huge forest area is also involved. The EAC emphasised that, prior to granting environmental clearance or ...

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has written to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav over the Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project, alleging the high-powered panel tasked to revisit environmental clearances to the project was "biased" in its very composition and did not carry out any meaningful reassessment. Ramesh also expressed "grave concern" over expressions of interest being invited even as the National Green Tribunal deliberates on petitions before it. In his letter to Yadav, Ramesh also questioned the credibility, composition, and conclusions of a high-powered committee (HPC) tasked to revisit the environmental clearances granted to the Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project. "It is also a matter of grave concern that while the NGT deliberates on petitions before it, ANIIDCO has already invited expressions of interest that is a precursor for the clearing of around 65 square km of biodiversity-rich forests. I believe the Government of India is hell-bent on ...

The Centre has again approved a coal mining project operated by an Adani Group company in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, just six months after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) revoked its environmental clearance, directing the environment ministry to reexamine the case from the stage of the public hearing. There was no reaction available from the Adani Group till the filing of this report. The Rs 7,465-crore coal mine project, which will affect 14 villages in the Gare Palma area of Tamnar tehsil, belongs to the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco), with Gare Palma II Collieries Pvt. Ltd., an Adani Group company, as the mine developer and operator. The environmental clearance has been granted despite studies highlighting serious concerns about the project's impact on the socio-economic and health conditions of villagers, hydrology, and carrying capacity, suggest government records. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre for granting clearance again

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday said the two years of Project Cheetah have been challenging, with several hurdles, from habitat adjustments to ensuring the cubs' survival in the wild, successfully overcome. Yadav said the project, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a globally pioneering effort, symbolising hope for successfully restoring lost wildlife populations and ecosystems. "It hasn't been an easy road. Numerous challenges, from habitat adjustments to ensuring the cubs' survival in the wild, were overcome," he posted on X. "Today, as the world watches these cheetah cubs thrive in their natural habitat, we celebrate not just their survival but the resilience and dedication of all involved in these humongous efforts," he said. This is just the beginning of restoring balance to our ecosystems. Many more milestones lie ahead, the minister added. As part of the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the big cats, 20 cheetahs have been brough

Yadav also announced an extension of the deadline for idea submissions in the Ideas4LiFE initiative from September 15 to October 15

Sets new standards for rapid space missions; the rocket launches three Cube satellites into orbit to study atmospheric conditions

Established in 2008 to assist individuals affected by hazardous substances, ERF has remained inactive in recent years. "No funds have been released from the ERF in the past five years," Singh stated

The ministry has suggested eliminating 'consent to establish' (CTE) and 'consent to operate' (CTO) for industries classified under the non-polluting 'white category'

India and Bhutan on Friday agreed to work together in the areas of air quality, forest, wildlife management and capacity building in the field of environment and climate change, with New Delhi suggesting holding joint working group meetings between the two countries. A Bhutanese delegation headed by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Gem Tshering met Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh and discussed issues related to air quality, climate change, forests, natural resources, wildlife and renewable energy, a statement said. Singh thanked the Bhutanese minister for joining the International Big Cat Alliance, a global initiative by India to protect and conserve the seven big cat species worldwide. He said India and Bhutan share the same geography, ecosystem as well as common values of democracy. Climate change is a common concern for both the countries, he added. Tshering informed Singh about successfully hosting the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscape

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav attributed the waterlogging in Delhi following torrential rains on Friday morning to drains being clogged with plastic waste and criticised the Delhi government for its inaction despite multiple reminders. The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's primary weather station, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday, more than three times the June rainfall average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month in at least 16 years. The season's first heavy spell of rain brought back familiar scenes of waterlogged roads, underpasses, vehicles stuck in water, and long traffic snarls, with many residents expressing frustration over the city's drainage infrastructure. "We banned single-use plastic and also asked the Delhi government to take action. We have asked the Delhi government's industries department several times to close down these (single-use plastic manufacturing) units," Yadav said at the India Climate Summit ...

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday wrote to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, expressing concern that the Captive Elephant (Transport or Transfer) Rules 2024 notified in March do not effectively prevent the wild capture and commercial trade of elephants. In his letter, Ramesh said the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2022, allowed the non-commercial transfer of elephants for "any other purpose" but failed to clarify what this phrase means, leaving room for misuse. "This is no way to treat India's national heritage animal, declared thus in 2010," Ramesh wrote on X and urged Yadav to reconsider the Rules in light of these concerns and those raised by various animal welfare organisations. Ramesh reminded Yadav that during his speech on the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2022, he had objected to the non-commercial transfer of elephants "for any other purpose". He said this was contrary to the recommendation of the Standing Committee that examined the Bill in

Bhupender Yadav, who defended India's dependence on coal at international climate talks, retained his portfolio as environment minister in the third Narendra Modi government. Kirtivardhan Singh, the BJP MP from Gonda and a first-time minister in the Modi government, has been appointed as Union minister of state for environment. A key organisational member of the BJP, Yadav took over as environment minister from Prakash Javadekar in the second Modi government in July 2021. He also served as the Union labour and employment minister in the previous government. This portfolio has now been allotted to Mansukh Mandaviya. Under Yadav's leadership, India's climate actions were rated the fourth strongest in an annual performance index released by Germanwatch in 2023, up one place from the previous year. His achievements also include the reintroduction of cheetahs in India, a ban on identified single-use plastic items, and an increase in Ramsar sites -- wetlands of international importance

Globally, 2023 stands out as the year with the highest tree cover lost due to fires