Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item Titled "Neglected Katora Houz in Hyderabad’s Golconda Fort Cries for attention appearing in ‘The Siasat Daily’ dated 25 May 2025". The application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled “Neglected Katora Houz in Hyderabad’s …
Excessive heat and little light is how I would describe discussions on 'privatisation' of water. Protagonists say this is the magic bullet that will deliver safe water for all. Antagonists insist the private sector is interested only in profit, not in public good. Their claim that "Ganga is being sold …
Lawyers in the US recently filed a revised complaint alleging that fast food group McDonald's was making misleading nutritional claims. The original suit was filed last August by the parents of two girls who alleged that McDonald's did not clearly reveal the ingredients and effects of its food, including the …
• Bad news: By 2050, 7 billion people in 60 countries may face water scarcity . Climate change is expected to contribute 20 per cent of the increasing scarcity globally • Every day, 2 million tons of waste is poured into water, while 1 litre of waste water pollutes 8 …
Southern Mexico's Chiapas state boasts of a bizarre export: radiated flesh-eating flies. Chiapas' capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, is home to an unusual screwworm factory which breeds millions of insects notorious for burrowing into human or animal flesh. In the 1950s us scientists first adopted the method of sterilising the dangerous screwworm …
a space-saving technique being used to store spent nuclear fuel in the us has dramatically increased the risk of a catastrophic radiation release. So says a study conducted by a multi-institutional team of researchers, led by Frank von Hippel from the us-based Princeton University. Strapped for long-term storage options, the …
a new method that used the Bangladesh monsoon to make a monsoon prediction model could end the woes of millions of farmers. The method was used for the first time to produce forecasts of 20-25 days for the Ganges valley of Bangladesh during the summer of 2002. Unlike the predictions …
Recently, I met some senior British diplomats. Conversation moved to the impending war in Iraq and its "rationality". It became heated. I wish to share a piece of Bushspeak the discussion ended with, leaving me stunned. "Remember, there will be war. The us wants it. But if you are with …
The Delhi government in a letter to the Union ministry of road transport and highways (mrth) has suggested an improved inspection and maintenance programme for vehicles in use in the capital. The plan envisages more stringent emission norms. Pointing out that the mrth regulations are too lax, the city government …
The Afghanistan government and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) will begin a new training programme for teachers before the new school year begins next month. Four million Afghan children are expected to return to school, many of them for the first time since the ouster of the Taliban regime. More …
The Supreme Court (SC) recently demanded a status report from the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government on the implementation of previous orders to establish oxidation ponds to treat industrial waste. The state's counsel admitted to a delay but attributed it to the time-consuming process of acquiring land. Incidentally, the UP government …
two incidents of illegal handling of waste oil have come to light recently, underscoring the fact that trade in the hazardous product continues unabated in India. That this is being done in utter disregard of Supreme Court (sc) directives
Last time I wrote about the cycle of poison, where one toxic substance is replaced with another, equally toxic, one. This cycle, I wrote, is exactly like the modern economy where business is profitable only when it comes up with profitable solutions for old problems. It is a toxic tango, …
This paper will review the role of I/M in a comprehensive motor vehicle pollution control strategy, summarise the international experience with a good I/M programme, review and critique the current pollution under control (PUC) programme and the steps currently underway to improve it, and provide a similar review and critique …
The first comprehensive UN survey of Afghanistan's environment brings out the dismal state of affairs in the country. After more than two decades of war and three years of drought, air and water quality in the largest towns is badly degraded. The study also reveals chemical pollution, massive deforestation, declining …
Rising pollution levels in Nepal's Kathmandu valley are a cause for concern. In a recent survey, tourists singled out air pollution as the most disturbing factor during their stay in the country. Specifically during the period between November and January, air pollution levels zoom in the region. During these winter …
“Speedy development comes at a price,” said Prime Minister (pm) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, dedicating the 43-kilometre (km) stretch of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara National Expressway-1 to the nation on January 28, 2003. While the pm was alluding to toll tax collection, experts have pointed out that the Union government’s natio nal highway …
