Green business

What started as an informal attempt to ease congestion and reduce the physical toll on pedal rickshaw pullers has now evolved into a dominant transport mode across Dhaka’s North and South city corporations.

The EPA, which enforces federal environmental laws, said it would stop estimating the economic value of health benefits from reducing ozone and fine particulate matter, even though it acknowledges that they contribute to pulmonary disease, heart attacks, and premature deaths. 

Over 30 exporters, nine importers and around 50 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) from Assam participated in the conclave, reflecting growing interest in the region’s export potential.

Crucially, medium-scale irrigation proposals aimed at bolstering water access in Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region were discussed alongside measures designed to enhance water regimes for both human use and wildlife needs, particularly for reptiles like gharial crocodiles.

Local communities, for their part, have begun to address some of these issues: they are forming their own trader groups to facilitate legal trade and negotiate better prices.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2025 ranked as one of the three warmest years on record, underscoring the relentless grip of human-driven climate change even amid natural cooling influences.

Once feared extinct, the tiger (Panthera tigris) now stands as a symbol of India’s ecological resurgence. But as the national survey gains momentum, scientists and forest officials warn that habitat space, prey availability and human pressures could test future gains.

The meeting also reviewed management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, with emphasis on designating C&D waste sites, stopping demolition activities during peak pollution periods, and partnering recycler associations for scientific disposal.