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Marble and granite processing units in India, mainly in Rajasthan generate as high as 5-6 million tonnes of slurry annually. This is often dumped in the surrounding areas causing air pollution due to the dried particulate matter in the slurry and also contaminates of soil and water resources. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recently released draft guidelines that encourage sustainable utilisation of this stone slurry from marble and granite processing to prevent environmental damage.
In the draft guidelines, the CPCB has proposed a number of options such as utilisation of stone slurry in cement making, tiles, blocks and building materials, road construction, manufacture of lime and as a filler material. The guidelines also propose measures for slurry storage, handling, and utilisation such as: Use of lined storage areas within premises, utilising GPS-enabled vehicles to prevent illegal dumping, signing of mandatory MoUs between slurry generators and users, and inclusion of sustainble utilisation plans for the slurry in Consent to Operate (CTO) conditions (Down To Earth)
The Bangalore Cantonment Railway Colony, a 8.61-acre green patch in the city has been declared a biodiversity heritage site - highlighting the importance of the need for prioritising and sustaining greenery in urban areas.
This is the second site receiving recognition following the GKVK campus on Bellary Road in the city. The colony has 368 trees from 44 different species with 180 paper mulberry trees, 41 mango, 27 rain trees and 11 jackfruit trees. Some other species also include cardamom, hoovarasi, neem, amla, sandal, subabul and teak. Flowering trees such as yellow trumpetbus tabebuia rosea, gulmohar, jacaranda, champaca and African tulip exist, alongside fruiting trees like jamun, guava and pomelo. Medicinal plants include honge and drumstick.
Environmentalists say that this declaration must be followed by careful management by taking inputs from experts and plans could be made to grow medicinal plants and plant more saplings of endangered species. Discussions are ongoing and experts are also mulling the possibility of setting up a museum, access to the temple in the premises under vigilance to avoid human interference with the greenery along with actions such as removal of concrete packed around old trees and urgent cleanup to remove plastic litter across the site (Deccan Herald).
The extremes of water in Bengaluru — flooded streets during monsoons and dry borewells in summer continue to add to the water woes of Bengaluru. Seventeen year old Veruschka Pandey and 20-year-old Vedansh Pandey from Bengaluru have secured a patent for developing a system to recharge groundwater using stormwater drains (SWDs), one of the first of its kind in India to deal with this problem. Their innovation, titled “A Novel Technology for the Rejuvenvenation of Groundwater Table Through Storm Water Drains,” has been formally recognised under the Indian Patents Act (1970).
The system works by turning existing storm water drains into recharge structures. For this, open wells about 1.5 metres in diameter, are embedded within the drain bed and lined with concrete rings drilled with weep holes, allowing water to percolate slowly into the surrounding soil. A galvanised iron pipe with radial slots is inserted through the rings to enhance flow. This design enables rapid recharge during monsoon and gradual seepage in dry periods, helping maintain groundwater levels year-round. Unlike rainwater harvesting pits that need land, this system integrates with municipal drainage systems and its modular structure helps in its easy replication across urban and rural areas (Bangalore Mirror).
Excessive groundwater extraction and tectonic changes are causing cities and towns in India to gradually sink, finds a new analysis. A recent report has collated various independent studies conducted over the years to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation and found that Gujarat’s urban centres are the most vulnerable with an increasing threat to infrastructure, water systems, agriculture and human lives.
South west and southeast parts of Ahmedabad have sunk by 1.5 to 3.5 cm annually with Bopal and Vatva being the worst-hit at 3.5cm per year. This has to do with over extraction of underground water from the confined and seismically confined aquifer system that can lead to a reduction in pore water pressure and soil compaction in the aquifers.
Surat is also experiencing subsidence from 2014 and 2020, ranging from 0.01cm to 6.7cm annually with Karanj sinking the fastest. The Kutch region shows subsidence of about 4.3 mm per year, with some areas deforming by as much as 2.2 cm annually and most of the region sinking by 4.5 to 7.5mm per year. The adverse effects of subsidence often manifest in the form of cracks on walls and ceilings (The Times of India).
Udaipur has received the prestigious Wetland City accreditation by the Ramsar Convention during the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards and Wetland Cities Recognition Ceremony 2025, organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The Ramsar Wetland City accreditation is given to urban centres that demonstrate unique efforts at protecting wetlands, conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable livelihoods. Udaipur, often referred to as the city of lakes has undertaken long standing conservation measures such as involving communities in lake protection and integration of lake management efforts into urban planning. The wetlands function as the ‘kidneys of the environment' and play a vital role in flood protection, pollution control and cultural identity (The Times of India).
This is a roundup of news updates from 1st September to 15th September 2025. Read the policy updates here.