Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Devavrat Kumar Sahani Vs State of Bihar dated 07/04/2025. The application was being registered on the basis of a letter petition dated December 27, 2024 sent to the NGT by the applicant, Devavrat Kumar Sahani, Muzaffarpur, …
a recent development can revolutionise the concept of waste management. Alka Umesh Zadgaonkar, head of the department of applied chemistry at the Nagpur-based G H Raisoni College of Engineering, has demonstrated how plastic waste can be converted to diesel, gasoline and lubricant oil. V A Juvekar of the department of …
Himachal Pradesh, the first state in the country to regulate the manufacture and use of plastics, is now contemplating a complete clampdown on polythene bags. The state's Council of Science, Technology and Environment is behind the proposed move. "At present only coloured, recycled polybags are banned in Himachal. But we …
Baby bottles are often made of polycarbonate plastic. Impurities remaining in the bottle from the monomer bisphenol A can migrate from the plastic bottles into baby food, thereby causing a health concern. Previous migration testing of new baby bottles showed only trace migration levels of the substance. In the present …
solutions are always sweet, and if they come along with a dash of sugar, they are bound to work wonders. Scientists from Pune-based National Chemical Laboratory (ncl) have found that a small amount of sugar can help make a more ecofriendly kind of plastic. It is well known that soil …
Painter M F Husain's writ runs large in Uttar Pradesh too. Recently, he influenced state chief minister (cm) Mayawati to issue an ecofriendly directive. When the renowned painter met the cm at her residence, he revealed his preference to sip drinks from kulhads (earthen cups). Mayawati promptly banned the use …
healing power: An Indian research team has been granted the rights to develop the curative potential of jamun (black plum fruit). The team has obtained a US patent on a compound extracted from jamun, which reduces blood sugar levels. The compound will be developed to produce a "herbal therapeutic product …
a new technique may solve one of the biggest snags for a plastic recycling company: the numerous variety of plastic waste, ranging from tough transparent cola bottles to soft, light polystyrene packaging. When an assortment of different plastic polymer is melted, its various components don't mix well. They solidify into …
The young volunteers of Jammu and Kashmir-based Nature's Oath to Obtain Reliance (noor) are deeply engrossed in a mission that started about a year ago as part-time activism: creating awareness about activities harmful to the environment, particularly among people living in remote areas . Their concerns range from wildlife protection …
Yet another case of dumping of banned waste in developing countries has surfaced, this time in Cambodia. In the latest crackdown, three persons were arrested for unauthorised shipping of plastic bags and other trash into the country. During a raid on a Phnom Penh dock, the police discovered more than …
Picturesque Goa does not wish to lose its money-spinning charm as a tourist haven. The state government has issued a notice, under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, banning the sale and use of plastic bags and bottles on beaches and in wildlife sanctuaries. The ban comes into …
What would you say of an industry that takes common salt and turns it into one of the most environmentally deadly substances we know of today, namely chlorine? And what if in its production process it uses yet another deadly substance, mercury? We are talking about India's caustic-chlorine industry. Centre …
See Score Card Raw material sourcing phase To rate the companies on the raw material sourcing phase, grp used the following indicators: the quality of input salt, transportation of salt, self-sourcing of water (water harvesting) and the use of renewable and clean fuels. The Indian caustic-chlorine industry has performed poorly …
Pondicherry-based Chemfab Alkalis Ltd (cal) has been rated as the greenest caustic-chlorine company in India. With an overall score of 46.7 per cent, it has been given the Three Leaves Award. Set up in 1985 by Krishnamurthy Rao, a technical expert, cal set the trend by going in for membrane …
Although there has been a belated shift from the polluting mercury cell technology to the membrane cells, mercury pollution in India is still very high. India does not produce mercury and relies completely on imports. Between 1998-2001, the annual mercury imports stood at 170-190 tonnes, which is 10 per cent …
It’s a Catch-22 situation. How does one rate an industry where the pollution is minimal at the production plant and peaks the moment the product leaves the factory gates? How does one rate an industry that is the mother of all chemical industries? How does one rate an industry that …
