It is one of the greenest national capitals in the world. Its metro transit system caters to around 23 lakh passengers daily and government buses are running on clean CNG. But Delhi continues to remain the country's most-polluted city. A study funded by
the Ministry of Science & Technology has identified the metropolis as a "high health risk" zone, stating there is an alarming rise in the level of outdoor particulate matters (PM) in the city.

"The pollution in Delhi has increased by 21 per cent in the last 10 years and is persistent. For more than 50 per cent of the day, the pollution is high in the city and is sustaining for long periods. This is posing a major health risk to its people,"
said Dr Sagnik Dey, assistant professor, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT Delhi, who led the research team. "Humans, if exposed to particulate matter for a long time, are at a high risk of respiratory and heart diseases," he said.

Read more at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-still-the-most-polluted-city/1/298028.html

The moratorium on mining in the Western Ghat areas should continue till a proper cumulative assessment of the damage to ecology and people affected by mining is drawn up, M K Prasad, of the people's convention on Western Ghats, said..............................

Meetings will be organized in all the six states to exert pressure on the governments to adopt the WGEEP report. Gram sabhas in panchayats along the Western Ghats will be asked to pass resolutions in support of WGEEP report. The committee will also translate
the 520-page WGEEP report in vernacular languages to make it accessible to more stakeholders and mobilize support for the implementation of the report.

Read More at  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Let-moratorium-on-mining-in-Western-Ghats-continue/articleshow/21608048.cms

The highly toxic carbofuran is being used to kill leopards in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand, the same pesticide used to poach tigers in and around Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR).

The suspicions of the state forest department have been confirmed by confessions of a poacher who was arrested recently. A pesticide, carbofuran is used to control insects and bird population causing threat to agriculture fields. It is now banned in US,
Canada and European Union countries but sold over the counter in India under different brand names.

Read more at  http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Uttarakhand/Poacher-admits-using-pesticide-traps-to-kill-leopards/Article1-1103103.aspx

Supporting wildlife conservation, a number of industrialists, individuals and even schools have come forward in adopting animals like tiger, elephant and rhino at the Kolkata Zoo.

Even before the animal adoption programme was officially launched today, the zoo authorities said they have already received contributions of Rs 30 lakh. 

"Almost all animals have been adopted. For some animals like tiger and rhinoceros there is a queue as more people are willing to adopt them," said V K Yadav, acting director of Alipore Zoological Gardens.

Read more at http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/industrialists-schools-queue-up-to-adopt-animals-113080400671_1.html

Residents from 11 villages gathered at Amilia village today to issue a declaration that they would not allow their forests to be converted into coal mines and demanded that they be given rights under the Forest Act.

NGO Greenpeace's senior campaigner PriyaPillai said a peaceful non-violent campaign was on for the last two years to ensure that allotment of the Mahaan coal block for mines would not mean ending the livelihood of 14,190 people.

Read More at  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/mp-villagers-declare-mining-will-not-be-allowed-in-forests/articleshow/21603323.cms

Forest officials at Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh will soon get eyes in the sky to track the movement of 20 odd tigers in the park area and to keep them off poachers. In a bid to strengthen tiger conservation in the national park, drones--unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAV) will be deployed for surveillance. A proposal to use drones in the park is learnt to have been cleared by the ministry of defence.

Thus, Panna would be the second national park in the country besides, Kaziranga to use drones for aerial surveillance.

Read More at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Drones-to-keep-eye-on-Panna-tigers/articleshow/21550133.cms