Mercury, chromium in UP water: NGT demands action
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a serious alert regarding widespread mercury and chromium contamination detected in the drinking water supply of three Uttar Pradesh districts: Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, and Fatehpur. This alarming discovery has prompted the tribunal to express grave concern over the potential severe impact on public health. Residents in these affected areas have already reported various serious health issues, yet the NGT found the current medical testing efforts grossly inadequate, with only around 7,000 individuals examined despite a much larger population at risk.
Consequently, the NGT has not only pulled up local authorities for submitting insufficient and misleading reports but has also specifically tasked AIIMS Delhi with conducting a comprehensive, detailed health survey and thorough water testing across all three districts.
AIIMS Delhi is mandated to submit a full report on its findings within three months, underscoring the tribunal's urgent call for systematic health surveys, robust diagnostic facilities, and effective medical treatment interventions to address the significant health risks, including neurological damage and chronic illnesses, posed by these toxic heavy metals. Delhi has been directed to mandate treated water use in construction to combat groundwater depletion. (India Today)
India's Forest Rights Act under fire: Ministry vs. activists
The Union Environment Ministry is clashing with civil rights activists and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs over its alleged "subversion" of the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Activists accuse the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Minister Bhupender Yadav of baselessly linking FRA land titles to forest degradation in interviews and the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, while overlooking the MoEFCC's own role in forest diversion. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has also demanded scientific justification for the ISFR's claim.
The MoEFCC refutes these allegations, calling them a "gross misunderstanding" and misrepresentation of facts, asserting its commitment to forest protection. However, critics argue the underlying issue is the government's reluctance to empower Gram Sabhas as per FRA, thereby maintaining central control over forests. Activists also contend that recent amendments to the Forest Conservation Act further weaken the FRA's provisions, despite the MoEFCC's defense of due parliamentary process. (The Wire)
India's Agroforestry Rules: A quiet revolution needs state buy-in
India's Environment Ministry has quietly launched Model Rules for Felling Trees on Agricultural Land, aiming to revolutionise agroforestry. This policy seeks to simplify tree farming on private land, boosting farmer income, restoring soil, and reducing timber imports by cutting bureaucratic red tape through digital traceability. If adopted, it could significantly advance India's climate and biodiversity goals.
However, the success of these transformative "model rules" depends entirely on state adoption and implementation, as states are not obligated to follow them. Challenges include states' willingness to recaliberate legacy systems and the NTMS portal's accessibility for all farmers. Effective capacity-building, farmer engagement, and robust digital infrastructure are crucial to ensure this progressive vision translates into widespread green livelihoods and ecological benefits. (The Times of India)
Centre submits Great Nicobar Project Report to NGT in sealed cover amidst environmental concerns
The Union Environment Ministry recently submitted a confidential report from a high-powered committee (HPC) to the NGT concerning the controversial Rs. 81,000-crore Great Nicobar Island mega-project. This ambitious development, involving a transshipment terminal, township, airport, and power plant, necessitates diverting over 130 sq km of forests and felling millions of trees.
The HPC was formed by NGT order in April 2023 to address "unanswered deficiencies" in the project's environmental clearance, particularly regarding coral conservation, port location in prohibited areas, and insufficient baseline data. Despite the HPC concluding that the project adheres to statutory provisions and recommending coral translocation, its findings remain undisclosed to the public.
In an accompanying affidavit, the Ministry also informed the NGT that Rs. 80.84 crore has been released for various wildlife conservation plans and healthcare initiatives, including efforts for leatherback sea turtles, Nicobar megapodes, and coral reefs, as part of the project's environmental clearance conditions. This initial funding is a fraction of the estimated Rs. 9,162 crore required for the total environmental management plan. The NGT has granted the applicant's counsel time to respond to this affidavit, keeping the matter ongoing. The Centre's submission in a sealed envelope underscores the sensitive nature of the project's environmental implications and the ongoing scrutiny it faces from environmental activists and the tribunal. (The Indian Express)
NGT slams Chennai and Southern cities over multi-layered plastic menace
The NGT has expressed strong displeasure with metropolitan civic bodies in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and the Andhra Pradesh government for their failure to comply with a two-year-old directive to phase out non-recyclable multi-layered plastic waste. In a stern warning, the NGT's southern bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal, mandated that if compliance reports are not submitted by the next hearing on August 14, each defaulting party will incur a penalty of Rs. 20,000 for filing their reports.
The tribunal emphasised that "heavy penalties will follow" if states continue to disregard the order, which was initially issued in August 2023 following an execution application by environmental activist Antony Clement Rubin. The NGT's original directive instructed these civic bodies to adopt Puducherry's waste segregation model and establish multi-layered plastic recycling facilities, either independently or through public-private partnerships. It also urged the Union Environment Ministry to promote advanced recycling technologies, including solvent-based methods for aluminum extraction from packaging foils.
Despite being given three months to file compliance reports, none of the respondents have adhered to the order, with Chennai Corporation singled out for its failure to even inspect the Puducherry facility. The continued use of non-recyclable multi-layered plastic, which typically consists of six layers making it commercially unrecyclable, remains a violation of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018. (The New Indian Express)
This is a roundup of policy updates from July 1, 2025 to July 15, 2025. Read our news updates here