Environment Ministry

India aiming for developed economy and ecology: Environment minister Yadav

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

Tamil Nadu startup launches country's first hybrid reusable rocket

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

ERF sees no payouts since 2019, fund reaches Rs 1,062 cr: MoS tells RS

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

White category industries may skip pollution permits: Environment Ministry

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

India, Bhutan to work together in areas of environment and climate change

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

Delhi rain chaos: Environment min blames plastic waste, slams state govt

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 ...

Captive elephant transfer rules 2024 leave gaps for misuse: Jairam Ramesh

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

Modi 3.0 Cabinet: Bhupender Yadav returns as environment minister

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

India lost 38,100 hectares of tree cover to forest fires in over 2 decades

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

Bandhwari landfill fire: NGT issues notice to environment ministry, others

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from authorities, including the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), regarding the blaze in the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram last week. A fire broke out at the site along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road, days after a massive blaze erupted at the Ghazipur waste site in east Delhi. Waste collected by the civic bodies in Gurugram and Faridabad is dumped at the site. The NGT was hearing the matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the fire. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the report claimed the combustion of methane gas could have caused the blaze and that there was an alleged lack of precautionary measures. "The news item raises substantial issues relating to the compliance of environmental norms particularly with respect to prevention of fire and landfill gas management," said the bench comprising expert member A Senth

After saying no, EC allows environment ministry to issue green clearances

The environment ministry had sought permission to environmental clearances while the Model Code of Conduct is in place

Firms in a tough global environment

Strategy thinkers have to redesign firms

India lags behind in geospatial patents but is scrambling to catch up

Geospatial technology data helps in urban planning, transportation, environment management, agriculture, public health and natural resource management

India's leopard population holds steady amid threats of habitat loss

Despite facing increasing threats due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching, the leopards population has remained steady, with an estimated 13,874 individuals across the country

Govt permits planting of trees on degraded land parcels for credits

India is yet to have a domestic carbon/green credit marketplace with the regulations for it under consideration. There are however independent agencies running such platforms

Water Act 2024: HP, Rajasthan and UTs first to decriminalise small offences

Experts have raised concern over central government overreach and the weakening of state autonomy, as well as the potential for leniency towards large units

Climate Change: Parliament panel unhappy over delay in submission of ATNs

A parliamentary committee has expressed displeasure over the "unprecedented" delay by the environment ministry in submitting action taken notes on the recommendations made in a report in 2018. In a report presented in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the 30-member Committee on Estimates chaired by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal said that ministries and departments concerned are required to furnish action take notes (ATNs) on the panel's recommendations within six months of the presentation of its report to Parliament. The committee presented its 30th report (16th Lok Sabha) on Performance of the National Action Plan on Climate Change to Parliament on December 13, 2018. While the ministry was expected to provide the ATNs by June 12, 2019, "the first set of requisite ATNs were received after a long delay" on September 13, 2021, the committee said. Subsequent sets of ATNs were received on October 28, 2021; and July 18 and August 24 last year, the committee said. "The committee takes serious note of

NGT seeks response from Centre, Delhi govt on 2023 Yamuna floods

Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in several pockets last year because of heavy rain, with more than 25,000 people being evacuated from the inundated areas

Three cubs born to Namibian cheetah at Kuno National Park: Environment min

A Namibian cheetah has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, weeks after three cubs were born to another feline. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the news on X, saying, "Kuno's new cubs! Namibian Cheetah named Jwala has given birth to three cubs. This comes just weeks after Namibian Cheetah Aasha gave birth to her cubs." He further said in the post, "Congratulations to all wildlife frontline warriors and wildlife lovers across the country. May Bharat's wildlife thrive." On January 3, Kuno National Park officials reported that Namibian cheetah Aasha had given birth to three cubs. Before this, a cheetah named Siyaya had given birth to four cubs last March. However, only one of them survived. Jwala, Aasha and Siyaya are among the cheetahs translocated to India from Namibia under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Project Cheetah', aimed at re-introducing the only large carnivore species that went extinct in independent India. The first

12 Gw pumped storage hydropower projects get govt's green signal

Pumped storage hydropower is a type of hydroelectric energy storage that uses water stored in two reservoirs at different elevations to generate electricity