Articles by News Desk

Over 200 Olive Ridley turtles die in Chennai A high-level review meeting is scheduled for January 20 to discuss the alarming rise in the deaths of Olive Ridley turtles in Chennai. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notices to the Tamil Nadu fisheries and forest departments over the carcasses of the endangered species found on the city beaches. Almost 40 Olive Ridley turtles perished on January 15, the highest number of deaths recorded on a single night between Marina and Neelankarai beaches. Ten more were found between Neelankarai and Kovalam on the same night.  By January 16, the Students Sea…

Precautions against HMPV across Indian cities In Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and Rajkot civil hospitals, isolation wards have been created as precautionary measures against the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV). Just a day earlier, the State government revealed that a two-month-old boy had been admitted with the infection. In Mumbai too, a six-month-old was admitted to a hospital after testing positive for the virus. A respiratory virus infection was reported in Bengaluru too. Sources said that HMPV affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts and is a risk to all vulnerable groups, including young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems.  …

Ridership shoots up in Chennai, Kochi Metros Chennai Metro Rail's patronage increased by 1.41 crore in 2024, with 10.52 crore using it, compared to 9.11 crore in the previous year. The ridership is nearly one-third of the total 35.53 crore passengers using Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) services for more than nine years since June 29, 2015. While the ridership for CMRL to break even was 4.33 lakh per day in its initial three years since June 29, 2015, the Chennai Metro catered to only 2.8 crore till December 31, 2018. Meanwhile, the Kochi Metro set a new monthly ridership…

Chennai lakes to become drinking water sources The Chennai Water Resources Department (WRD) plans to transform the city’s lakes into drinking water sources to cater to the fast-growing population. It plans to add 21 tmcft of storage capacity, including rainwater storage capacity, create new reservoirs, expand and interlink water bodies, and improve water flow. Chennai's six reservoirs, with a capacity of 13.213 tmcft, are currently catering to the city's needs. However, according to official sources, this is below the annual drinking and industrial water demand of 24 tmcft, which is expected to rise to 34 tmcft by 2035. Discussions are…

Air quality deteriorates in Indian cities For the fifth consecutive day on December 20th, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) remained severe at 429. However, this was an improvement from the ‘severe plus’ AQI of 451 on December 19th, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It had been 445 the previous day. The AQI crossed this level on November 19th, reaching 460, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The IMD states that the severe AQI situation is primarily due to meteorological conditions, such as extremely calm winds that trap particulate matter and prevent pollutants from dispersing. On…

Bellandur Lake, Bengaluru’s largest water body, has been at the heart of an ambitious rejuvenation project since 2020. However, persistent delays, severe funding shortages, and inadequate planning have left citizens increasingly frustrated. Time is slipping away, and without immediate government intervention, this critical environmental project risks failing. A recent meeting with government bodies shed light on the project’s stagnation and the urgent steps required to salvage it. Progress so far Desilting Work: Of the estimated 32.33 lakh cubic meters of silt, 22.69 lakh cubic meters (70%) have been removed, leaving 30% unfinished Early monsoons and slushy conditions have delayed progress…

More rains expected in Chennai The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the formation of a new low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, bringing heavy rain to Tamil Nadu from December 9th to 12th. Just over a week ago, Cyclone Fengal ravaged Puducherry, northern Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka and Kerala causing extensive damage. The Centre has promised ₹944.80 crore relief as two instalments from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), for the people affected by Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu, against the state's plea for ₹2,000 crore. The state government has announced ₹2,000 for every family affected in…

Riding on the success of Ladki Bahin Scheme and a flurry of manifesto promises from better pension for older people, increased honorarium for Asha and Anganwadi workers, the Mahayuti - BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)  and NCP ( Ajit Pawar) have swept the assembly elections with a tally of 230 out 288 seats in Maharashtra and 22 out of 36 seats in Mumbai. They are yet to announce the chief minister amidst heavy speculation as successful MLAs celebrate. As various reports and analyses indicate that the main factors were launch of welfare schemes or promises of the same, communal agenda…

Delhi's AQI still 'very poor' After a brief period of relief, air pollution in Delhi surged again on November 22, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The capital recorded the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) in the country at 393, placing it in the 'very poor' category. Hajipur in Bihar followed closely with an AQI of 389. By the evening of the same day, Delhi's AQI deteriorated further to 'severe', reaching 401. The Decision Support System (DSS) of IITM Pune said that vehicle emissions are responsible for 15.16% of the pollution in Delhi, even as smoke from industrial…

Delhi air 'severe plus'; North India reels under air pollution Delhi's air quality has been going from bad to worse since Diwali, and the air quality index plummeted to hit 'severe plus' category, at 457 on the evening of November 17th. At 8 am on Monday, November 18th, data from the Central Pollution Control Board pointed to a daily average AQI of 484. After days of hovering at severe levels (AQI of 400-450) it crossed the threshold, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management to invoke implementation of Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, across the National…