CURRENT AFFAIRS

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.

The latest crocodile census has recorded an increase in the crocodile population in Similipal National Park in Odisha, reflecting improving aquatic ecosystem health and conservation outcomes.

Recently, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommended that the Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) in Bengaluru should be restored to its original 2016 extent, citing concerns over ecological degradation and increasing urban pressure.

Recently, the CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (NPL) established the National Environmental Standard Laboratory (NESL), a specialised national facility to test and recalibrate air pollution monitoring instruments and environmental sensors under Indian conditions.