Cities are creaking under their own weight. And heat. In Surat, for instance, parts of the city with dense concrete jungles swelter at temperatures 5 degrees higher than the city’s greener parts.

We need a food safety model based on societal objectives of nutrition, livelihood and safety.

New Delhi: Belying expectations, the smog intensified in the capital on Tuesday afternoon and Met officials say that it will now only start clearing from Thursday.

High levels of mercury have been detected in the environment and bodies of people in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, according to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (C

District houses thermal power plants, coal mines, chemical factory

The Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh is precariously perched on the threshold of an environment disaster with a new study having found high levels of mercury in the environment as well as in the bodies of local residents. Sonbhadra, which is co-terminous to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, is the second largest district in the State after Lakhimpur Kheri.

New Delhi Environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan’s claim of awarding clearances to projects which will double coal production in the country may not hold true completely as many projects are awaiting environment and forest clearances from her ministry.

Natajaran’s recent letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the setting up of a National Investment Board said that environmental clearances had been granted to 181 coal mines with a total capacity of 83 million tonnes per annum during the 11th Plan period up to August 2011 — doubling India’s current capacity. In addition, 113 coal mines had been granted permission to divert 26,000 hectares of forest land for industrial use.

Air pollution in Jaipur has reached a critical level as a result of growing number of vehicles and resultant congestion. The air quality is affected by rising levels of particulate and nitrogen oxide contamination. Moreover, rapidly growing number of vehicles may undo any gains the Pink City might have made.

These are some of the findings of a new study-cum-citizens' survey conducted by the Centre for Science & Environment which were released at a city-level dialogue organised in association with the Jaipur Development Authority here. The survey found a belief among 88 per cent of Jaipur residents that the city's air pollution levels have worsened.