Environment

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) A Supreme Court mandated panel on Friday declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region and banned construction activity till November 5.

As pollution level in the region entered the "severe plus" category, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority also banned the bursting of crackers during the winter season.

New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) The Delhi government on Friday decided to shut all schools till November 5 after a Supreme Court mandated panel declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region in the wake of rising level of pollution.

As the pollution level in the region entered the "severe plus" category", the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority banned construction activity till November 5 and bursting of crackers during the winter season.

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Accusing the BJP of instigating people to burst firecrakers on Diwali to increase air pollution in Delhi, the ruling AAP on Monday said that the saffron party has "a habit of" opposing everything that the Kejriwal government does.

But Delhi BJP leader Vijender Gupta hit back, saying the Aam Aadmi Party is making these claims to "distract" people from its failures to curb air pollution to a manageable level.

New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) A layer of haze blanketed the national capital and its air quality dipped to "very poor" category with revellers continuing to defy with impunity the Supreme Court-enforced two-hour limit for bursting crackers on Diwali on Sunday.

Ear-deafening booms, toxic smoke and ash from firecrackers filled the air as the overall air quality index crossed the "severe" mark at many places.

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU’s top court ruled on Thursday that France has persistently exceeded the threshold limit for nitrogen dioxide, a polluting gas from diesel motors that causes major health problems.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, referred the matter to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in May 2018 after almost a decade of warnings that went unaddressed.

New Delhi, Oct 25 (PTI) As many as 2,155 people lost their lives and another 45 were reported missing this monsoon season in rains and floods, which affected more than 26 lakh people in 22 states, Union Home Ministry officials said on Friday.

The maximum number of 430 people died in Maharashtra, followed by 227 in West Bengal in rains, floods and landslides that hit as many as 361 districts in the country.

Kurseong (WB), Oct 24 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took part in a 10 kilometres long march in Darjeeling hills to create awareness on environment conservation.

Banerjee, who is known to be a fitness freak, marched the entire 10 km stretch - from Kurseong to Mahanadi area - on the occasion of International Day of Climate Action.

During the march, she interacted with the locals and spoke about environment conservation and keeping the greenery intact.

SOCHI (Russia), Oct 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia and Ethiopia have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The two countries signed the agreement on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

HARARE, Oct 24 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — At least 55 elephants have starved to death in the past two months in Zimbabwe’s biggest national park as a serious drought forces animals to stray into nearby communities in search of food and water, authorities said.

“The problem is real, the situation is dire,” said National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Other animals such as lions at Hwange National Park have been affected.

BERLIN, Oct 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of farmers drove their tractors into German cities on Tuesday, in protest at the government’s new agricultural policies which they say will hurt their livelihoods and make them scapegoats for climate change.

Long convoys of tractors held up traffic at the main protest sites in Berlin and Bonn, both home to federal government offices, while thousands more honked their horns and blocked roads in cities including Munich, Hanover and Stuttgart.