Environment

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has ordered a time-bound scientific study of photocatalytic “smog-eating” coatings, including titanium dioxide-based surfaces, hoping they may offer a drawbridge between policy and technological innovation to reduce harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and volatile hydrocarbons.

Dhaka is warming faster than the rest of the country, and the consequences for public health, productivity, and well-being are growing.

Climate change intensifies the vulnerability of ecologically sensitive areas, where faulty clearances often open the door for further degradation.

But beyond the immediate destruction, most prominently over Dehradun on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, new reports and expert commentary point to deeper systemic failures – in climate monitoring, disaster preparedness, and infrastructure planning – that are making the Himalayan state increasingly vulnerable.

The state had proposed expansive eco-tourism development in this area, which spans over 745 square kilometers.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $126.42 million loan along with $1 million in technical assistance to promote sustainable and climate-resilient tourism in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Lake area, one of the state’s most vulnerable and economically disadvantaged regions.

For Delhi’s nearly 30 million residents, the coming weeks will test whether the city’s multi-pronged strategies can meaningfully reduce the haze that has become synonymous with its winters.

A new report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) warns that as demand for energy surges, regional cooperation will be crucial to meeting development and climate goals.