Environment

A report by Healthy Energy Initiative — India (an initiative that works in healthcare and climate change spaces) reveals that two Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) in the Ennore thermal cluster in Tamil Nadu were found violating the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) prescribed norms up to 53% of the total operational time in two years, between 2019-2020.  In March 2021, just as the second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic was surging in India, the MOEFCC issued a notification extending the deadline to meet the 2015 emission norms for thermal power plants until 2024. Zero action to meet…

Translated by Sandhya Raju இம்மாத துவக்கத்திலிருந்து, இயல்புக்கு அதிகமாகவே தொடர்ந்து ஐந்து நாட்களாக ஆரம்ப வெப்ப அலை வீசத் தொடங்கியுள்ளது. இந்த வருடத்தின் அதிகபட்ச வெப்ப நிலையாக 41.6 டிகிரி செல்சியஸ் வெப்பம் சென்னையில் பதிவாகியுள்ளது. கடுமையான வெப்பம் சென்னைக்கு ஒன்றும் புதிதல்ல. மக்கள் இதற்கு பழகி இருந்தாலும், மிக கடுமையான அல்லது நீடித்த வெப்ப நிலையை எதிர்கொள்ள ஆயுத்தமாக வேண்டியுள்ளது. பருவ நிலை மாற்றத்தை சீர் செய்ய பல்வேறு நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டாலும், அதிகரித்து வரும் கோடை வெப்பத்தை சமாளிக்க தற்செயல் திட்டங்களை உருவாக்க இணை முயற்சிகள் எடுக்கப்பட வேண்டும். இதற்காக, வெப்ப நடவடிக்கை திட்டங்களை இந்தியாவிலுள்ள பல நகரங்கள் உருவாக்கி, வெப்ப அலை நிலைகளையும், அதிக வெப்பமான கோடை வெப்பநிலையையும் நிர்வகிக்க நெறிமுறைகளையும் வகுத்துள்ளன. Read more: Why some parts of Chennai felt hotter than others this summer வெப்ப நடவடிக்கை திட்டம் என்பது ஆரம்பகால…

"Three decades ago, the lanes of Chennai were adorned with a thick canopy, the shadows of which protected us from heat," recalled V Latha, a retired BSNL employee. "Today, that green canopy is gone to make space for tall, concrete buildings, leaving us exposed to the harsh sun." Latha, who is associated with organisations like the Sabari Green Foundation and Senior Citizens Forum, was speaking at a webinar organised by Citizen Matters Chennai on April 30th, titled 'Why does Chennai feel hotter than ever before?' Travelling down memory lane, Latha reminisced about those bearable summer years during the 1980's when…

The usually quiet police station of Kumbalgodu, located on the outskirts of Bengaluru enroute to Mysuru, saw some unusual activity a few weeks ago.  A group of about 50 residents of the neighbourhood had landed up to file a complaint.  Residents at the Kumbalgodu Police Station, March 2021. Pic: Nikhil Tiwari The trigger was a major fire that had broken out on the banks of the nearby Vrishabhavathi river and which had spread dangerously close to their homes. This was just the most recent in a series of fires that have been noticed on the river's banks over the past…

One of the characteristic features of a lake is its colour.  You may have noticed that the water in many lakes in Bengaluru is green, and not blue, as you might have imagined it to be. This is due to the presence of algae. Algae are microscopic plants that contain chlorophyll which is the pigment that gives it a green colour. While some amount of algae is healthy for the lake ecosystem, excess algae can be harmful and is an indicator of a polluted and nutrient-rich lake. Lakes rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are called eutrophic lakes,…

Chennai saw an unseasonal, early heat wave earlier this month, with the temperature soaring above normal for five consecutive days. The city also recorded its highest temperature of the year till date during this period, at 41.6 degree celsius. Brutal summers in Chennai are not uncommon and people tailor their lives around these, but extreme or prolonged heat waves require a certain level of preparedness and planning to protect the most vulnerable persons in the city. While cities work on climate action plans to mitigate the impact of climate change, parallel efforts must be made to create contingency plans for…

On March 30th, the Meenambakkam weather station in Chennai recorded a high of 41.3 degree C, beating the all-time record for the hottest day in March in the city. The last time Chennai witnessed such a peak in temperature was when the Nungambakkam station recorded 40.6 degree C on March 29 1953. The second-highest temperature recorded by the Meenambakkam station was on March 31 2014, when the observatory registered 39.2 degree C.  Just two days after the mercury touched its highest ever in March this year, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced (on April 1st) the likelihood of Chennai’s temperature…

In the short span of 10 days, around 600 citizens of Bengaluru sent an email to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (Bengaluru Urban), seeking an extension to send objections/suggestions to the double tracking of the Baiyappanahalli-Hosur railway line. The double tracking project that will pan out over 48 km around Bengaluru is part of the Government of Karnataka's special purpose vehicle Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Company (K-RIDE) developing a plan for the extension of the suburban railway network.The double tracking project seeks to cut 1034 trees between Baiyappanahalli and Hosur. The forest department issued a public notice calling for objections and…

Summers are getting hotter in Chennai. The mean average temperature in the city has increased 1.3°C in the time period between 1951 and 2010, according to a study conducted by Anna University in 2012. The number of hot days in a year have been spiking too, according to various reports from the Regional Meteorological Centre.  Studies apart, Chennaiites also feel the heat. Most admit to using long hours of air-conditioning to battle the scorching summer days. “At the risk of high electricity bills, I have installed an air conditioner in the living room this year. The heat is getting unbearable,”…

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is the busiest airports in India, after Delhi. But unlike the Delhi airport CSMIA is located in the middle of a densely populated, congested area.  Therefore balancing biodiversity and wildlife alongside the airport infrastructure is an unusual challenge for the airport authorities. All living things, including plants, animals, and humans are part of the biodiversity of the area.  CSMIA in a press release states “it has undertaken numerous measures towards biodiversity management and wildlife conservation at the airport and its vicinity. The principles of biodiversity and wildlife management have been integrated right from the…