The world today stands at a critical environmental crossroads. Climate change, rising temperatures, air pollution, deforestation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and increasing natural disasters are no longer distant concerns-they are realities affecting communities across every continent. India, too, is witnessing these environmental changes through irregular rainfall, prolonged heat waves, declining groundwater levels, loss of green cover, and growing pollution in both u

Strong regulations alone cannot solve plastic pollution if the people collecting and recovering the waste are left out of the system. After reading my earlier articles in this column outlining India’s legislative framework on plastic waste management, one could be forgiven for feeling reassured. The Government of India has, after all, introduced a comprehensive set of laws and regulations to address the growing plastic waste problem. One might therefore expect our roads, stre

Scientists call for urgent comprehensive strategy Mumbai: As the annual monsoon rains sweep across the Indian subcontinent, they bring essential respite from the summer heat but also unleash a devastating environmental hazard by flushing massive volumes of land-based plastic into the ocean. Scientific data unveiled during a national workshop on World Environment Day revealed that the monsoon acts as a potent accelerator for India’s marine pollution crisis. According to fi

Comprehensive regulations alone cannot solve the plastic waste crisis. Their success will depend on credible enforcement and accountability. Through previous articles in this series, we have learned that India's plastic waste management framework is primarily anchored by the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. These rules have been continuously strengthened through major amendments in 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024-25, and most recently in April 2026. The latest amendments mark a s

Every year on June 5, the world observes World Environment Day—a global reminder that the future of humanity is inseparably linked with the future of nature. Yet this day should not remain limited to ceremonial tree plantations, public campaigns, or symbolic declarations. It must become an occasion for reflection, responsibility, and meaningful action. For decades, nature has sustained human civilization by providing clean air, water, fertile land, biodiversity, and climatic

For a greener future, environmental concern must become a daily practice rather than a symbolic annual ritual. AI generated image Every year on June 5, the world observes ‘World Environment Day’ with seminars, tree plantation drives, social media campaigns and solemn declarations about saving the planet. Governments issue statements, schoolchildren hold placards, and citizens post photographs of greenery and rivers. For a day, environmental concern becomes fashionable and urg

India’s battle against pollution cannot be won without confronting the social inequities hidden within the smog. Each winter, India’s cities disappear behind a familiar grey curtain. Schools are closed; flights are delayed while hospitals are full of respiratory patients Air pollution has become so common in India that it is like a season in itself. But beneath this ecological catastrophe lies another, less talked-about crisis. India’s pollution is very uneven. Not everyone b

Mumbai: Amid gloomy forecasts of a below-normal monsoon 2026 in India due to a potentially devastating El Nino, scientists are monitoring the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), an ocean-atmosphere phenomena that could possibly soften the impact over the sub-continent. As a ‘very strong’ El Nino threatens to overshadow the rainy season with erratic rains, uneven spread, heat waves, farm distress and fresh inflationary pressures on the economy, meteorologists keep their fingers cross

A report by the Azim Premji University warns Mumbai could see 16.8 percent rise in southwest monsoon rainfall by 2040. Mumbai: The city could witness a 16.8 percent increase in southwest monsoon rainfall by 2040, according to a climate crisis report released by the School of Climate Change and Sustainability at Azim Premji University. The report, titled Indian Coastal Region: Climate Protection 2021–2040, was discussed on Friday during a session led by scientist and professor

Pause for a moment and ask yourself: how did you get to work today and what might that choice have meant for the planet? When we talk about climate change, the conversation often drifts to big-picture ideas, rising temperatures, emission targets, long-term commitments. But in my experience working in urban mobility, the impact feels much closer to home. It shows up in the smallest, most routine decisions, how we move through our city every day, often without even thinking abo

The latest plastic waste management amendments aim to reduce long-term plastic pollution through safer, more complete decomposition of plastics. The Plastic Waste Management Rules have undergone several amendments over the years to address emerging environmental concerns and implementation challenges. The changes introduced in 2018 and 2022 focused on issues such as multi-layered plastics, registration systems, thicker carry bags, recycled plastic packaging, and Extended Prod

The new plastic waste management norms favour ease of doing business but raise concerns over environmental degradation and public health. In my last article, I discussed the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. These rules have undergone several amendments from time to time in order to address emerging concerns and practical challenges. In this article, we will learn about these amendments and the reasons behind them. Soon after their implementation in 2016, the Plastic Wast

Extended Producer Responsibility brought producers into the waste chain—not as bystanders, but as accountable actors. In my last article, I traced the rise of plastics in India — from the early growth of the industry to the explosion of single-use plastics in the 1990s that created mounting environmental concerns. I also looked at how the government began responding through the first plastic waste regulations in 1999 and the stricter rules introduced in 2011. However, those e

AI generated image Mumbai: In an important development, a two‑judge monitoring committee appointed by the Bombay High Court has flagged serious and persistent failures in Navi Mumbai’s air‑pollution control measures after an on‑site inspection on Monday, April 27. The panel, comprising Justice Anuja Prabhudesai and Justice Amjad Sayed, was constituted in February 2026 to supervise local authorities’ response to rising pollution levels after the court found prior efforts unsat

Community solar in mountain economies is powering a new regional diplomacy in the Himalayas. Far more than just decarbonization, the energy transformation in the Himalayan highlands is shaping the next chapter of regional diplomacy. While big powers discuss megawatts and grid integration, mountain villages in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar continue to struggle with inconsistent electricity. However, these same mountains provide an underexplored potential in the fo

Have bans, rules and waste systems really been enough to tackle plastic waste? The Indian plastics industry began in 1957 with the state-owned Indian Petrochemicals. By 1979, the sector had taken firmer shape. Use of plastics in India became increasingly common over the decades and grew sharply in popularity in the 1990s. Single-use plastic entered the market and soon became a widely sought-after material for households and businesses alike. Plastic consumption had already be

Every year on April 22, the world observes Earth Day, a reminder that our planet is not just a place where we live, but our shared home that needs care, protection, and responsibility. In Indian culture, the Earth is often referred to as “Vasundhara,” meaning the nurturing mother who provides everything necessary for life-air, water, food, shelter, and natural beauty. The idea of Vasundhara teaches us respect for nature and reminds us that environmental protection is not just

Global warming refers to the gradual increase in the Earth’s average temperature due to the excessive accumulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun, creating a “greenhouse effect” that leads to a steady rise in global temperatures. Over the past century, human activities-particularly the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, rapid urbanisation, and industrialisation-have significantl

Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental issue it is a growing public health concern. Plastics are indispensable, as discussed earlier, yet they severely harm not only cows, bulls, wild animals, and sea creatures but also human health. Plastic pollution poses health risks that start long before plastic becomes waste and persist throughout its entire life cycle. To clarify how plastics endanger human health, we must examine every stage of their life cycle. As we ha

Dear reader, last week, we saw how microplastics enter the aquatic food chain and eventually reach giants such as whales. This week, let us move a little further through the marine world and understand how plastic pollution is harming other ocean creatures as well, including sea turtles, seabirds and many other marine species. Like many other animals, sea turtles have been around for 100 million years. They have survived periodical mass extinctions and they have survived thro