CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, will come into force on April 1, 2026, replacing the 2016 framework. The new rules comprehensively overhaul waste management by urban and rural local bodies, emphasising waste reduction, reuse, segregation, and at-source processing.

A recent faunal survey in the Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary has significantly expanded the biodiversity records of Kerala’s youngest protected area. The findings underscore the sanctuary’s ecological importance and reinforce its role in regional conservation, especially within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Nilambur Elephant Reserve.

Ahead of World Wetlands Day, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the addition of two new wetlands to India’s Ramsar network, strengthening the country’s commitment to wetland conservation and biodiversity protection.

The Union government has notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, making source-level processing of waste mandatory for bulk waste generators and local bodies across India. The rules mark a major shift in India’s urban environmental governance by strengthening accountability, reducing landfill dependence, and operationalising the circular economy framework.

A recent synthesis report by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has identified secondary particulate matter as the single largest contributor to Delhi’s winter air pollution, reshaping the understanding of pollution sources and policy priorities in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Central Government has declared the biodiversity-rich area ranging from 0 to 1 km around the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan as an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).

Recently, Iceland declared the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) a direct threat to its national security and existence.

The Union government has notified detailed rules governing the utilisation of the Environmental (Protection) Fund, created from penalties imposed under key environmental laws. The rules aim to ensure that monetary penalties collected for environmental violations are systematically channelled into environmental restoration, pollution control, and sustainability-related initiatives.

Recently, during the Southern Hemisphere summer (January 2026), an unusual phytoplankton bloom was observed in the ocean around the Chatham Islands. The bloom was so extensive that it was clearly visible from space through the VIIRS sensor of the NOAA-20 satellite. Swirling green and blue patterns appeared on the sea surface, indicating intense biological activity.