Part of the Rethinking India project, the volume is a collection of brilliant essays penned by leading academics, technocrats, activists and thinkers. Contributors include Manmohan Singh, Hamid Ansari, Shashi Tharoor, Shivshankar Menon, Shyam Saran, Nirupama Rao, Kishore Mahbubani, Jayati Ghosh and Sunita Narain.
Despite advancements in regional monitoring, coverage gaps mean more than 1.2 billion people across small towns, peri-urban belts and rural districts lack access to continuous air quality information, experts said. The 2026 State of India’s Environment report highlights that only about 15 per cent of India’s roughly 1.4 billion people live within 10 km of a real-time air quality monitor. This leaves about 85 per cent outside measurable range, with little to no data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides or ozone levels in many densely inhabited regions. This imbalance is particularly stark between megacities and secondary or emerging urban areas. Capital cities such as Delhi and Chandigarh have dense monitoring networks, often tied to active policymaking and emergency response systems. In contrast, rapidly growing population centres in eastern and central India — including districts in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal — remain poorly represented in the national monitoring grid. Studies show that more than 64 per cent of India’s 742 districts lacked any continuous monitoring station at all, and many medium-sized towns are entirely excluded from real-time data feeds. Urban planners and environmental scientists say these gaps matter because air quality is both spatially and temporally variable. Areas with limited official coverage may experience severe pollution episodes linked to vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction dust and seasonal crop residue burning — but without monitors, local authorities do not have the data required to issue early warnings or implement targeted mitigation. In Delhi, data quality issues illustrate the complexity of monitoring infrastructure even where coverage appears robust. Analysis of the capital’s network shows that a significant share of its air quality monitors cover less than two-thirds of the city’s area, with some stations placed in greener spaces that may under-report actual pollution levels in adjacent urban zones. The impacts of these monitoring gaps extend beyond data shortfalls. Real-time air quality information drives daily public health advisories, school closure decisions, and activation of graded response action plans during hazardous conditions. Without granular data, smaller cities and peri-urban belts may miss critical warnings, exposing vulnerable populations — particularly children and elderly residents with respiratory conditions — to harmful pollutants without notice. National efforts such as the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) have expanded both manual and continuous air quality monitoring stations across India, aiming to improve spatial coverage and inform state and municipal clean air action plans. As of recent official counts, over 1,200 real-time and manual monitoring units operate in roughly 460 towns, with plans to strengthen and expand the grid further. However, experts argue that expansion must be deliberate and equitable — extending beyond major cities to include mid-tier urban centres, transport corridors and industrial belts where pollution sources are concentrated. Integrating satellite data, low-cost sensors and community-driven networks can help close the gap, but such systems require calibration, standardisation and regulatory support to ensure reliable policy use. Filling the monitoring blind spots is not merely a technical challenge; it is a governance priority. Better air quality data can enable responsive urban planning, safeguard public health and empower local governments to design evidence-based interventions that reduce pollution exposure across India’s diverse urban and rural settlements.
Every year, certain parts of India experience air pollution that many experts call a public health emergency. In winter, while Delhi NCR chokes and requires 24x7 operation of air purifiers indoors, the weather elsewhere, such as in Hyderabad, stays under breathable norms. Due to India's vast and diverse geography, the emissions and exposures vary dramatically across the country. However, the air pollution monitoring network has failed to keep pace with the scale and complexity of the challenge, claims the 2026 State of India’s Environment report. Sharanjeet Kaur, deputy programme manager at CSE’s (Centre for Science and Environment) Urban Lab and one of the writers of the report, noted that CSE’s analysis showed only 15 per cent of India’s population—about 200 million people—live within 10 km of a continuous monitor, while the remaining 85 per cent, more than 1.2 billion people, breathe outside any measurable range. India relies on two primary systems to monitor air quality. The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme, launched in 1984–85, uses manual stations that record data twice a week, providing long-term averages for a limited set of pollutants. In contrast, the newer Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations deliver real-time, hourly readings across multiple pollutants, offering a far more detailed picture of air quality trends. India currently operates 562 real-time monitors across 294 cities and 966 manual stations in 419 cities and towns. Yet, as Sharanjeet Kaur points out, these seemingly impressive figures mask a critical imbalance: monitoring remains heavily concentrated in a handful of large urban centres. Entire districts, industrial belts, and rapidly expanding peri-urban areas still lie beyond the reach of the monitoring grid. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at CSE and head of its sustainable urbanisation programmes, observed that the gap in monitoring was not merely about missing information but reflected a deeper structural inequity in India’s environmental governance. She explained that cities equipped with multiple monitors were able to demonstrate progress, secure clean air funding, and frame action plans, whereas hundreds of smaller towns—many facing comparable or even higher levels of particulate pollution—lacked any real-time data altogether.
Achieving Viksit Bharat also requires sustainable development pathways. Sunita Narain has contributed to environmental policy and sustainability discourse, bridging scientific analysis with public adv...
Extreme weather has emerged as a grave and persistent challenge across India, with Rajasthan among the worst affected. The term refers to severe and unseasonal climatic events such as heatwaves, cold waves, lightning strikes, storms, cyclones, cloudbursts, floods and landslides. In Rajasthan, the situation has been particularly alarming. Over the past four years, excluding 2023, the state has recorded more than 100 days of extreme weather annually. Each year, such events have claimed over 100 lives. These findings were highlighted in the ‘State of India’s Environment 2026’ report published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and its magazine Down To Earth. The report issues a stark warning for the country, and especially for Rajasthan.
इंसानों से डरने वाले और जंगली जानवरों का शिकार करने वाले बाघ अब इंसानों को अपना शिकार बना रहे हैं. ये न केवल हमला कर रहे हैं बल्कि इंसानों के मांस को खा भी रहे हैं. भारत के बाघ अभ्यारण्यों के आसपास बाघों के हमले के ये मामले साल-दर साल बढ़ते जा रहे हैं. इसका खुलासा हाल ही में आई सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की रिपोर्ट 2026 में हुआ है. रिपोर्ट बताती है कि बाघ और इंसानों के बीच का यह संघष न केवल बढ़ रहा है बल्कि डराने वाला भी है. जंगली क्षेत्रों से निकलकर टाइगर अब इंसानी आबादी के बीच पहुंचकर मवेशियों पर भी हमले कर रहे हैं.आंकड़े बताते हैं कि पूरे भारत में जनवरी से जून 2025 के बीच टाइगर रिर्जव्स के पास पास कम से कम 43 लोगों की मौत बाघों के हमले के कारण हुई है. जबकि इसी अवधि में साल 2024 में 44 लोगों ने टाइगर का शिकार बनकर जान गंवाई थी. सबसे विचित्र बात जो 2025 में देखने को मिली वह यह है कि इन 43 शिकारों में से 4 इंसानों के शरीर के कुछ हिस्सों को बाघों ने खा लिया था, जबकि आमतौर पर बाघों को इंसानों का मांस खाने के लिए नहीं जाना जाता. ये बड़ी बिल्लियां इंसानों की गर्दन पर पंजों या मुंह से वार कर मौत के घाट उतारती रही हैं.
India’s 2026 State of Environment report reveals a concerning rise in tiger attacks on humans, with at least 43 fatalities recorded between January and June 2025. The report attributes these incidents to ecological changes, habitat degradation, and increased proximity between human settlements and tiger territories. Simultaneously, tiger populations inside reserves are reaching saturation, prompting more frequent movement into areas shared with humans and agricultural activity. According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down to Earth magazine, tigers are increasingly preying on humans for sustenance.
The State of India’s Environment (SOE) 2026 report, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth, warns that multiple planetary boundaries are being breached due to human activities, while ecological degradation is intensifying human–tiger conflicts across India. What are the Key Highlights of the State of India’s Environment (SOE) 2026 Report? Planetary Boundaries Crisis: The SOE 2026 report warns that 7 of the nine planetary boundaries have been breached, with ocean acidification emerging as the seventh. Breached boundaries include Climate change, Biosphere integrity, Land system change, Freshwater depletion, Biogeochemical flows, Novel entities, and Ocean acidification. Ocean acidification emerging as the seventh, ocean acidity has increased by 30–40% since the industrial era, threatening marine ecosystems. Climate Crisis Escalation: The report highlights that the world is close to breaching the 1.5°C global warming threshold, signalling irreversible climate impacts. Climate disruptions are arriving earlier than predicted, pushing ecosystems like coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest toward critical tipping points. Biodiversity & Forest Decline: Global forest cover has fallen to 59%, far below the 75% safe threshold, while species extinction rates exceed 100 per million species years (ten times the safe limit). Habitat degradation and ecosystem imbalance are accelerating biodiversity loss. Freshwater & Pollution Threats: Freshwater reserves are under severe stress due to overuse and climate change. The proliferation of plastics, synthetic chemicals, and other novel entities poses long-term ecological and health risks, highlighting the growing challenge of pollution. Rising Human–Tiger Conflict: The report notes that habitat loss, prey depletion, and increasing human proximity to forests are altering tiger behaviour and increasing encounters. The invasive plant Lantana camara now occupies nearly 50% of forest and scrublands, suppressing native grasses and reducing prey for tigers. This forces tigers to prey on cattle, increasing human–tiger interactions and conflict. Recommendations Institutional Integrity: Strengthening the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and environmental clearing houses to prioritize ecological substance over procedural paperwork. Sovereign Climate Action: Integrating planetary boundaries into national accounting and shifting toward a technology-led, full-stack decarbonization. Coexistence Models: Moving toward landscape-scale governance that treats local communities as primary stakeholders in conservation rather than obstacles.
1.4 अरब आबादी वाले भारत में जहां प्रदूषण और उसका असर भौगोलिक रूप से बेहद विविध है, वहां वायु प्रदूषण मॉनिटरिंग नेटवर्क समस्या की गंभीरता के साथ तालमेल नहीं बिठा पाया है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की 2026 की स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज़ एनवायरनमेंट (SOE 2026) रिपोर्ट में यह चौंकाने वाला खुलासा किया गया है। CSE के अर्बन लैब की डिप्टी प्रोग्राम मैनेजर और रिपोर्ट की सह-लेखक शरणजीत कौर के अनुसार, “हमारे विश्लेषण के मुताबिक, भारत की सिर्फ 15 प्रतिशत आबादी – यानी करीब 20 करोड़ लोग – ही 10 किलोमीटर के दायरे में किसी निरंतर (रीयल-टाइम) मॉनिटर के पास रहते हैं। बाकी 85 प्रतिशत, यानी 1.2 अरब से अधिक लोग, ऐसी हवा में सांस ले रहे हैं जिसकी कोई मापनीय निगरानी नहीं हो रही।”
According to the 2026 State of India’s Environment report, only 15% of India’s population – about 200mn people – live within 10 km of a continuous monitor. The remaining 85% more than 1.2bn people breathe outside any measurable range. India, a country of 1.4bn people where both emissions and exposures vary dramatically across a vast and diverse geography, the monitoring network for air pollution has not kept pace with either the scale or complexity of the problem, says the 2026 State of India’s Environment report. What percentage of India’s population is covered by pollution monitors? Only 15% of Indians are covered by real-time air pollution monitors Summary Summary of this article Only 15% of Indians live near real-time pollution monitors. Over 64% of districts lack continuous air quality monitoring. Monitoring concentrated in metros, leaving smaller towns unrepresented nationwide. India, a country of 1.4bn people where both emissions and exposures vary dramatically across a vast and diverse geography, the monitoring network for air pollution has not kept pace with either the scale or complexity of the problem, says the 2026 State of India’s Environment report. What percentage of India’s population is covered by pollution monitors? Start-up Outperformers 2026 3 February 2026 amazon According to the 2026 State of India’s Environment report, only 15% of India’s population – about 200mn people – live within 10 km of a continuous monitor. The remaining 85% more than 1.2bn people breathe outside any measurable range. Limitations of India’s Air Quality Monitoring Network India has two main sets of infrastructure for monitoring. The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme, launched in 1984-85, relies on manual stations that measure air quality twice a week. They offer long-term averages for a limited set of pollutants. More recently, the country has set up Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations, which offer real-time, hourly data across multiple pollutants. Today, India has 562 real-time monitors across 294 cities and 966 manual stations in 419 cities and towns. Kaur points out that these impressive numbers hide the fact that monitoring is concentrated in a limited set of large cities. “Entire districts, industrial belts, and fast-growing peri-urban centres remain outside the monitoring grid,” she says. Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director-Research and Advocacy in CSE and Head of CSE’s Sustainable Urbanisation Programmes, stated in the news release, “This gap in monitoring is not just about missing information, but also about the structural inequity in environmental governance in India. Cities with multiple monitors can demonstrate progress, claim clean air funding, and frame their action plans. But hundreds of smaller towns, many of which experience comparable or even higher levels of particulate pollution, have no real-time data at all.”
Hyderabad: The city's air may not yet resemble the choking smog of Delhi, but a quieter crisis is unfolding. Vehicular pollution has emerged as the most persistent contributor to deteriorating air quality, with multiple datasets showing traffic is no longer just a congestion problem but a slow-burning public health emergency. While the city's Air Quality Index (AQI), hovering around 100, may seem less alarming than Delhi (over 300) or Mumbai (around 130), experts warn such comparisons can be misleading. Vehicular emissions remain a major contributor to particulate matter (PM) levels. Pollution Control Board data shows PM2.5 levels ranging from 80 to 140 µg/m³ and PM10 between 70 and 130 µg/m³ across several pockets — far exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) limits of 5 µg/m³ for PM2.5 and 15 µg/m³ for PM10. A large share of this load is linked to vehicle exhaust, tyre and brake wear, and prolonged congestion. Environmentalists point to Hyderabad's exploding vehicle population as the core driver. Official estimates put the city's daily vehicular pollution load at 1,500 tonnes, nearly one-third of total air pollution. "With more than 88 lakh vehicles, emissions of PM, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide have become constant rather than episodic," said Babu Rao, a senior environmentalist who has worked on city air quality for three decades. Fresh evidence suggests the burden is worsening. A study by Development Data Lab found Hyderabad ranked third among 10 Indian cities that recorded a rise in PM2.5 concentrations between 2011 and 2022, with levels increasing by 15.4%. Only Surat (24.5%) and Pune (32.2%) fared worse. In contrast, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Chennai and even Delhi recorded declines. More concerning is the post-2022 acceleration. Data compiled by TOI from Pollution Control Board readings shows PM2.5 concentrations rising to 176 µg/m³ this winter, compared to about 140 during the same period last year. PM10 climbed to 185 µg/m³, up from nearly 150 in winter 2024. Measured against WHO benchmarks, PM2.5 levels are now up to 35 times higher than guidelines, while PM10 is as much as 37 times higher. The invisible threats Traffic congestion not only increases particulates but also intensifies gaseous pollutants. Vehicular emissions are the dominant source of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), closely linked to respiratory illness and the formation of ground-level ozone. A report titled ‘Beyond North: NO₂ pollution and health risks in seven major Indian cities' found Hyderabad recorded dangerously high NO₂ levels on 307 days in 2023 — more than Mumbai, Bengaluru or Kolkata. Among monitoring stations, Gachibowli recorded the highest average NO₂ concentration at 41 ppb, followed by Old City (23 ppb), Bolarum (22 ppb) and Sanathnagar — all exceeding the WHO's safe limit of 10 ppb. "Nearly 80% of NO₂ emissions come from diesel buses, three-wheelers and ageing petrol vehicles," said environmentalist Narsimha Reddy Donthi. He added that chronic traffic idling worsens the situation. "At every signal, thousands of vehicles crawl forward. Idling engines emit carbon monoxide and fine particulates continuously." Ozone pollution, once confined to industrial belts, has also spread to residential areas. A report by the Centre for Science and Environment found 10 of Hyderabad's 14 monitoring stations recorded ozone levels beyond WHO limits between Jan and July 2024. The highest eight-hour average — 150.9 µg/m³ — was recorded in Sanathnagar, followed by ICRISAT Patancheru and ECIL Kapra. Public health crisis Findings published in The Lancet Planetary Health highlight the scale of the crisis. The study ‘Ambient air pollution and daily mortality in ten cities of India' estimated Hyderabad averaged 5,552 deaths annually due to air pollution between 2008 and 2020. The toll continues to rise, with 1,597 pollution-related deaths recorded in 2023 alone. Though updated city-specific health data is limited, doctors report increasing respiratory illness. "We are seeing a rise in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases, often requiring ICU admissions, especially among the elderly and vulnerable. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 also increases lung cancer risk even in non-smokers," said pulmonologist Dr Hari Krishna G. "While not every case can be attributed solely to pollution, the growing burden points to air quality as a major contributing factor." Underspent funds, gaps Despite being classified as a non-attainment city under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Hyderabad spent only Rs 11.2 crore of its Rs 20 crore allocation in 2024. The city's action plan identified vehicular emissions, road dust and congestion as priority targets. Yet implementation remains weak. Ecologist BN Sai Reddy argued that even current benchmarks are insufficient. Measures such as excessive paving and mechanical sweeping, he said, may worsen other urban challenges without addressing core emission sources. "Even the CPCB's higher thresholds reduce life expectancy. We are treating symptoms, not causes," he said. Hotspots & solutions Acknowledging gaps, the GHMC has constituted a city-level monitoring and implementation committee to recalibrate its clean-air strategy. "We have identified four chronic vehicular pollution corridors — Punjagutta–Patancheru, Charminar–Nampally, Hi-Tec City and MGBS–Secunderabad — and proposed measures such as electric buses, expansion of electric three-wheelers, stricter pollution-under-control enforcement and better construction waste management," said Raghu Prasad, additional commissioner, GHMC. However, experts caution that without enforcement, plans may remain on paper. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi stress that Hyderabad must urgently reduce dependence on private vehicles. "Public transport needs a complete overhaul. Non-motorised mobility — walking and cycling — must be prioritised, and vehicle and fuel standards strictly enforced," said Deepti Jain, an air-quality researcher. "Our responses are largely reactive — advisories and closures — rather than preventive. We need to ask what is adding to pollution today and how vehicular emissions will be controlled over the next decade."
सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की ''स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट 2026'' रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, मानव हस्तक्षेप के कारण पृथ्वी की जीवन रक्षक प्रणालियां यानी ''प्लैनेटरी बाउंड्री'' तेजी से ध्वस्त हो रही हैं। चौंकाने वाला तथ्य यह है कि कुल नौ प्रणालियों में से सात अब अपनी सुरक्षित सीमा को पार कर चुकी हैं। यह रिपोर्ट बुधवार को नीमली स्थित अनिल अग्रवाल एनवायरमेंट ट्रेनिंग इंस्टीटयूट में तीन दिवसीय ''अनिल अग्रवाल डायलाग 2026'' के उदघाटन सत्र सुप्रीम कोर्ट के पूर्व न्यायाधीश दीपक गुप्ता, केंद्रीय वन एवं पर्यावरण के पूर्व सचिव अशोक लवासा और सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से जारी की गई। इस दौरान सीएसई के अध्यक्ष राज लिब्रान, रिचर्ड महापात्रा और सुपर्णो बनर्जी भी उपस्थित रहे। खतरे की घंटी : 1.5 डिग्री सेल्सियस की सीमा पार रिपोर्ट जारी करते हुए सुनीता नारायण ने चेतावनी दी कि जलवायु संकट अब ''प्वाइंट आफ नो रिटर्न'' (वापसी की गुंजाइश नहीं) पर पहुंच गया है। उन्होंने कहा, 'पिछले तीन वर्षों के औसत को देखें तो दुनिया पहली बार 1.5 डिग्री सेल्सियस की सीमा को पार कर गई है। यह एक संकेत है कि हमने सुरक्षा की अंतिम दीवार को भी तोड़ दिया है।'
Tigers are starting to behave differently. A new State of India's Environment 2026 (SOE 2026) report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, warns that rapid ecological changes are reshaping how India's big cats live and hunt. According to the report, shifts in habitat, shrinking forests, and swelling human populations around protected areas are driving noticeable behavioural changes in tigers. These pressures are altering how the animals move, stalk prey, and interact with communities living on the forest fringes. Man–Animal Conflicts Rising Are tigers increasingly targeting humans for food? The report notes a worrying trend: deadly encounters between humans and tigers remain consistently high. Between January and June 2025, 43 people were killed near tiger reserves — almost the same as 44 deaths in the same period of 2024. In four of the 2025 cases, tigers partially consumed the victims. With tiger numbers rising and reserves nearing saturation, more big cats are pushing beyond protected boundaries. A study cited in the report finds that in 20 Indian states with tiger populations, 40% of tiger habitats are shared with nearly 60 million people. This crowding, combined with habitat degradation and expanding human activity, is accelerating behavioural shifts in tigers — and intensifying conflict on the ground. Rise of the Lantana Tigers - Pattern Of Tigers Hunting The reports document a trend in what some researchers call 'Lantana Tigers'. The rapid spread of Lantana camara, an invasive shrub that forms dense, impenetrable thickets, has reshaped forest undergrowth in states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. These lantana patches are now becoming unexpected tiger refuges especially outside reserve boundaries. In landscapes around Bandhavgarh and Tadoba, tigers have been observed using lantana‑dominated areas as daytime shelters and strategic hunting grounds for the tigers and the prey is cattle. Cattle offer a richer calories meal than animals like cheetal, enabling a tiger to feed well with fewer hunts. Interestingly, this behaviour is reshaping village economies in unexpected ways. When a tiger kills cattle, owners often receive substantial compensation from forest departments. As a result, in some areas, villagers may not resent livestock loss as strongly especially if the animal in question was elderly, unproductive, or surplus to household needs. The report cites expert recommendations recommending local community-based conservation strategies and discouraging human interventions in tiger-dominated areas as ways to control these actual and potential human-tiger conflict scenarios.
देश में तेजी से बदलती इकोलॉजी और बाघों के प्राकृतिक हैबिटैट पर बढ़ते दबाव ने एक गंभीर संकट पैदा कर दिया है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की ताज़ा “2026 State of India's Environment” रिपोर्ट ने दावा किया है कि पर्यावरणीय बदलावों और मानव गतिविधियों के हस्तक्षेप ने बाघों के व्यवहार को प्रभावित किया है. इसके चलते इंसानों पर हमलों की घटनाएं बढ़ रही हैं. रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, जनवरी से जून 2025 के बीच भारत में बाघों ने कम से कम 43 लोगों की हत्या की, जो पिछले साल की समान अवधि (44 मौतें) के लगभग बराबर है. राजस्थान के निमली में जारी की गयी रिपोर्ट रिपोर्ट राजस्थान के निमली में जारी की गई, जिसमें कहा गया है कि बाघों के हैबिटैट लगातार सिकुड़ रहे हैं. जंगलों के आसपास मानव बस्तियों का विस्तार, संरक्षण रणनीतियों में असंतुलन और पारिस्थितिक संरचना में बदलाव बाघों को अपने मूल स्वभाव से अलग व्यवहार करने के लिए मजबूर कर रहे हैं. यही वजह है कि कुछ मामलों में बाघों ने मनुष्यों को केवल हमला ही नहीं किया, बल्कि 2025 में हुए 43 हमलों में से चार में शवों के हिस्से खा भी लिए जो चिंताजनक प्रवृत्ति है.
राजधानी में महज 6.4% लोग कार से चलते हैं जबकि अब भी 38.9% लोग नॉन मोटराइज्ड वीकल का इस्तेमाल करते है। वहीं दिल्ली की प्लानिंग कारों के हिसाब से होती है। फ्लाईओवर बन रहे हैं, सड़कें चौड़ी हो रही हैं जबकि नॉन मोटराइज्ड वीकल (साइकिल और पैदल) चलने वालों के लिए न तो फुटपाथ है न जगह है। यह कहना है सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की डीजी सुनीता नारायण का। वह CSE के वार्षिक कार्यक्रम अनिल कुमार डायलॉग 2026 को संबोधित कर रही थीं। दिल्ली में सड़कों पर 90 प्रतिशत जगह घेर रही कारें उन्होंने कहा कि इसके बावजूद दिल्ली जैसे शहर में सड़कों पर 90% जगह कारें घेर रही है। जबकि मेगा सिटी में इन कारों में महज 6 से 15% लोग ही चल रहे हैं। बडे़ शहरों में भी 40% लोग साइकिल का इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं या पैदल चल रहे हैं। उन्होंने बताया कि देश भर में जनवरी से नवंबर 2025 के दौरान 99% दिनों में कहीं न कहीं तीव्र मौसमी घटनाएं हुई। कुल 334 दिनों में से 331 दिन यह मौसमी घटनाएं हुई। देश भर में हुईं इतनी घटनाएं इनमें से 320 घटनाएं अत्यधिक बारिश और इससे जुड़ी बाढ़ और भूस्खलन की थी। 225 घटनाएं बिजली गिरने और आंधी की, 52 घटनाएं लू, 46 घटनाएं शीत लहर या दिन में शीत लहर की, 19 घटनाएं बादल फटने की और तीन घटनाएं स्नोफॉल और साइक्लोन की थी। कार्यक्रम में CSE ने अपनी रिपोर्ट स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरमेंट (SOB) का विमोचन किया। महासागरों में क्या बढ़ रहा खारापन इस मौके पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट के पूर्व जस्टिस दीपक गुप्ता और पर्यावरण मंत्रालय के पूर्व सचिव अशोक लवासा भी मौजूद रहे। SOB में बताया गया है कि जीवाश्म ईंधन (मुख्य रूप से कोयला) की वजह से महासागरों में खारेपन बढ़ा है। औद्योगिक युग की शुरुआत से समुद्री सतह का खारापन 30 से 400% बढ़ चुका है। बढ़ता खारापन उन कोरल, मेलस्क और प्लवकों के लिए खतरा है जो कैल्शियम कार्बोनेट के खोल या कंकाल बनाते हैं। दिल्ली में बारिश और आंधी जानलेवा जनवरी से नवंबर 2025 के डेटा पर नजर डालें तो दिल्ली में आधी और बारिश जानलेवा साबित हो रहा है। दिल्ली में इस दौरान भारी बारिश की 3 घटनाओं में 9 लोगों की जान गई। वही आधी की पाच घटनाओं में 6 लोगों की जान गई। चार दिन लू चली, लेकिन यह जानलेवा साबित नहीं हुई। सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि जलवायु सकट अब उस जगह पहुंच रहा है जहां से वापसी संभव नहीं होगी। यदि हम बीते तीन सालो का औसत ले तो दुनिया पहली बार 1.5 डिग्री से अधिक तापमान को पार कर जाएगी।
The growing number of tigers and humans has enhanced the man-animal conflict, leading to more instances of tiger attack. Compared to the first six months of 2024, one more person died in the same period in 2025. Paradoxically, when it comes to attack on cattle, the tiger has become part of the village economy, with the government paying hefty compensation for the cows killed. This and more have been revealed by a report released by the Centre for Science and Environment or CSE and Down To Earth magazine today. The report also said in four instances, the tigers had eaten parts of the prey - which is more a deviation than the norm. While the big cats attack humans, they become maneaters only when the animal in question is old or sick. The 2026 State of India's Environment (SOE 2026) report says at least 43 people were killed near tiger reserves during the period January-June 2025. In 2024, the figure was 44. This, the report said, is due to the increasing overlap of tiger and human territories. The report quotes a recent study which says in 20 states with tiger populations, about 40 per cent of the tiger's territory is shared by 60 million people. With reserve forests being saturated by the tiger population, the animals are venturing outside protected areas in search of food. Here, the report adds a twist - the increasing areas of lantana bushes in the Indian forests. Lantana, an ornamental hedge plant brought to India by the British in the 19th Century, has now invaded into forests, scrublands and village commons of the country and occupies 50 per cent of the area. In the process, they have driven out the native grass and plants that deer and other herbivores - the usual prey of tigers - pushing the big cats all the more to come to villages in search of cattle, an easier and bigger prey.