Top court rules out total ban, pushed for balanced approach on burning firecrackers

Supreme Court has ruled out a complete ban on firecrackers ahead of Diwali and favoured a balanced approach, AIR reported. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale indicated it will permit the use of certain firecrackers during Diwali but impose specified time limits, ruling out both a blanket ban and unrestricted bursting of crackers.

The apex court stressed the need to strike a balance between religious sentiments and the harmful effects of air pollution. It said a complete ban could hurt the sentiments of people celebrating Diwali, while allowing firecrackers throughout the day will adversely affect the environment and vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly and the sick.

The apex court was hearing a long-pending matter concerning restrictions on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR and other northern states during the period of severe air pollution. The bench also indicated that it is inclined to accept a suggestion to permit joint firecrackers, or ‘larri’, subject to conditions.

Centre proposes 'red category' tag for farms linked to stubble burning

Any agricultural land parcel where stubble burning is detected via satellite or field verification will be marked with a "red entry" in the local revenue records for a duration of 15 months from the date of the incident, reported PTI.

The 15-month period will automatically double (extend by another 15 months) if a subsequent stubble-burning violation occurs on that same land parcel or if the levied environmental fine is not paid within the stipulated time.

While the draft text have not spelt out consequences of farmers land being marked with red entry officials suggest that land with a red entry may face hurdles with agricultural loans, mortgages, land sales/registrations, and eligibility for state or central welfare schemes, PTI and TOI reported. 

Mob kills UP factory owner over smoke from tyre recycling plant 

A mob protesting against smoke and pollution from a tyre-melting recycling factory in Uttar Pradesh‘s Saharanpur allegedly turned violent, killing its 38-year-old owner and injuring his business partner. The factory, which extracts oil and carbon by melting waste tyres, had been run for the last two years by Shamli native Arbeen Chauhan, Indian Express reported.

Pollution body probes the issue of steel units dumping toxic chromium waste in districts along Ganga in Uttar Pradesh

Districts adjacent to river Gangs in UP are facing dumpers arriving in the middle of the night and releasing chromium-containing waste on the fields. After multiple complaints from the villages the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) set up a five-member committee that has begun investigating the matter, DTE reported. 

Chromium is commonly used in steel-making, protective plating and as a dye the outlet said adding that hexavalent chromium, can be toxic to humans and the environment. The International Agency for Research on Cancer places it in the highest category of carcinogenic substances for humans. 

The article noted that the chemical can cause nasal irritation and ulceration, hypersensitivity reactions and contact dermatitis, acute bronchitis and emphysema, liver and kidney disease, lung and skin cancer, internal bleeding and DNA damage, says a 2022 study published in the journal Bioengineered. While Purwameer’s tryst with chromium may have just begun, the wider Kanpur region has long struggled with environmental pollution due to chromium.

Cancer-causing chromium 1,000 times the limit in Nashik water ahead of Kumbh

In another case of chromium pollution, ahead of the Kumbh Mela in Nashik in 2027, a laboratory report on water samples collected near the Ambad industrial area has found chromium levels more than 1,000 times the permissible drinking water limit, prompting the state government to direct officials to take action against polluting industries, IE reported. 

The analysis found total chromium at 50.5 mg per litre, including 50.3 mg per litre of highly toxic hexavalent chromium. The Bureau of Indian Standards’ permissible limit for chromium in drinking water is 0.05 mg per litre. The Indian Express has accessed a copy of the laboratory report.

India’s water plants are failing to catch cancer causing PFAS or the forever chemicals

Research published by institutions like IIT-Madras (focusing on Chennai) and regional studies in places like Bengaluru and Himachal Pradesh show that conventional water treatment plants often fail to trap—and can sometimes even increase—certain PFAS concentrations due to the breakdown of hidden precursor compounds.

Elevated levels have frequently been traced to industrial zones, textile/tannery discharges, and groundwater wells situated near urban garbage dumps. Studies highlight potential long-term human health risks via the food chain and local water/fish consumption.

China strengthens penalties for carbon emission noncompliance

Revisions to rules for China’s carbon market have “strengthen[ed]” penalties for carbon-emission “noncompliance” through higher fines and possible production suspensions.