Environment

In a decision that has reignited debate over the balance between tradition and public health, the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the use of green firecrackers during the upcoming Diwali season in the Delhi-NCR region, under tightly controlled conditions.

At least 16 people were killed and several others injured after a massive fire engulfed a garment factory and an adjoining chemical warehouse in Dhaka’s Mirpur area on Tuesday, October 14, exposing once again the fragile state of industrial safety in Bangladesh’s most vital economic sector.

The avalanche’s impact generated a powerful displacement wave that breached a second downstream glacial lake, releasing an additional 303,000 cubic metres of water – a combined total equivalent to 185 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The report, Global Climate Litigation Report: 2025 Status Review, highlights a striking increase in legal actions seeking to hold governments and corporations accountable for their role in the climate crisis.

Arriving in the Brazilian capital to represent India, Minister Yadav declared that Pre-COP30 offers a pivotal moment to build consensus on the key pillars of climate diplomacy — from adaptation to energy transition to climate finance.

As Nepal moves further into the post-monsoon season, the health sector faces a precarious balance. On one side are the improving weather conditions and fading monsoon rains; on the other, the remnants of mosquito-friendly conditions – standing water, warm afternoons, high humidity – that sustain dengue transmission.

The October rains also coincided with the autumn flush, a critical harvest that typically contributes about 15 per cent of Darjeeling’s annual production.

Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, released the report, ‘Guardians of the Wild: Supporting India’s Frontline Forest Staff’.