Urbanisation, influx of pilgrims, fertilizer-intensive farming, and indiscriminate sand-mining have impacted on the water quality of Manimala river, a major source of drinking water in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.

A report published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, an international journal devoted to progress in the use of monitoring data in assessing environmental risks to man and environment, highlights the deterioration in water quality caused by human intervention, especially in the upper reaches of the Manimala river.

The Union ministry of food and consumer affairs proposes to insert a new clause in the fresh discussion note for the Cabinet on allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail. The Cabinet had decided to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail in November, but had put the move in abeyance, owing to political opposition.

Ground water in areas up to three km radius around garbage disposal sites of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is highly alkaline and unfit for human use.

KOCHI: One of the major reasons for the contamination of potable drinking water is the presence of E-Coli, a bacterium found in human and animal waste.

Delhi is among 30 important cities in the country that fall into high-risk seismic zone, while Srinagar is among places at very high risk of earthquakes, the government said on Wednesday.

SHILLONG: The State Government has decided to be more vigilant on the use of plastic bags to safeguard the greenery of the hilly state.
Urban Affairs minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday convened a meeting with officials of the Shillong Municipal Board, Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, district administration and police officers and decided to be more vigilant in this regard from October 2.

Panic gripped the villagers of Jayrampur under Bhograi block following detection of high fluoride content in drinking water.

“The department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) is ready to come up with guidelines for the industry in a month or two. We are trying to create awareness among small manufacturers of this unorganised sector now. We have already urged all our 600-odd members to adopt non-toxic materials only, and if possible, to recycle toys too,” said Raj Kumar, president of the Toy Association of India (TAI).

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has rated the DMRC's implementation of its first phase of construction as excellent in a study conducted recently.

Some branded Indian paint companies are producing and marketing toxic paint in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal with lead content being much higher than the 1,000 ppm limit specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Since India does not have a mandatory law on lead levels in paint, the BIS has set a voluntary limit of 1000 ppm