Environment & Ecology Current Affairs — Last 12 months · Page 8 of 14 | Daily News + MCQs

CAQM Enforcement Task Force reviews 162 inspections and 64 violations across NCR

The 129th meeting of the Enforcement Task Force of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), held on 17 April 2026, reviewed 162 inspections and 64 violations recorded between 27 March and 10 April 2026.

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🌿 Pollution & Conservation 📍 Delhi Important

CAQM invokes GRAP Stage-I across NCR as Delhi's AQI turns 'Poor'

The CAQM Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan on 16 April 2026 invoked all 31 Stage-I actions across the NCR after Delhi's daily average Air Quality Index reached 226, in the 'Poor' category.

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🌿 Disasters 📍 Chhattisgarh Important

Explosion at Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district kills workers; PM announces ex-gratia

An explosion in a boiler steam tube at Vedanta's power plant at Singhitarai in Sakti district, Chhattisgarh, on the afternoon of 14 April 2026 killed several workers, with the toll reaching 21 by 17 April; the Prime Minister announced ₹2 lakh from PMNRF for each deceased worker's family.

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🌿 Climate Change 📍 India Must know

IMD forecasts below-normal 2026 southwest monsoon at 92% of LPA

The India Meteorological Department's first-stage forecast on 13 April 2026 said the June–September 2026 southwest monsoon rainfall is most likely to be below normal, at 92% of the Long Period Average with a model error of ±5%.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 Madhya Pradesh Must know

Indian-born cheetah gives birth to four cubs in the wild at Kuno, a first

An Indian-born female cheetah, KGP12, gave birth to four cubs in the wild at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, the first recorded birth in the wild since cheetah reintroduction began in 2022, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on 11 April 2026.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 India Important

NHAI-WII report 'Landscapes Reconnected' finds wildlife using Delhi–Dehradun corridor underpasses

NHAI and the Wildlife Institute of India released 'Landscapes Reconnected', a study documenting about 40,444 images of 18 wild species using animal underpasses on the Ganeshpur–Asharodi stretch of the Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor, the Ministry said on 10 April 2026.

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🌿 Pollution & Conservation 📍 Punjab Important

CAQM imposes ₹61.85 crore compensation on six thermal plants for missing biomass co-firing norms

The Commission for Air Quality Management imposed Environmental Compensation of about ₹61.85 crore on six thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi on 8 April 2026 for failing to co-fire paddy-straw biomass with coal in 2024-25.

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🌿 Climate Change 📍 India Important

India rises to third in the world for renewable energy capacity, overtaking Brazil

India ranks third in the world for installed renewable energy capacity, ahead of Brazil, according to IRENA's Renewable Energy Statistics 2026, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on 8 April 2026.

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🌿 Environment & Ecology 📍 Kerala

CMLRE Kochi and Agharkar Research Institute Pune notified as biodiversity repositories

The Referral Centre Bhavasagara at CMLRE, Kochi, and two collections at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, have been notified as designated repositories under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the Environment Ministry said on 7 April 2026.

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🌿 Disasters 📍 India

Agriculture Minister orders review of crop damage from hailstorms and heavy rain

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 5 April 2026 took cognisance of heavy rainfall and hailstorms in several states and directed officials to review crop damage.

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🌿 Pollution & Conservation 📍 Delhi

CAQM Enforcement Task Force reviews NCR inspections at 128th meeting

The 128th meeting of CAQM's Enforcement Task Force on 2 April 2026 reviewed 175 flying-squad inspections across NCR and proposed closure of 10 units and sealing of DG sets in 27.

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🌿 Environment & Ecology 📍 India Important

India tops the world in Nagoya Protocol compliance certificates with over 56% share

As of March 2026, India had issued 3,561 of the world's 6,311 Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs) under the Nagoya Protocol – over 56%.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 Kerala Important

CMLRE Kochi's 'Bhavasagara' Referral Centre designated National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna

The Environment Ministry designated the 'Bhavasagara' Referral Centre of CMLRE, Kochi, as India's National Repository for Deep-Sea Fauna under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (announced 30 March 2026).

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🚄 Energy & Power 📍 India Important

Green ammonia purchase and supply agreements exchanged for fertiliser sector under Green Hydrogen Mission

On 30 March 2026 SECI, industry and fertiliser companies exchanged 10-year Green Ammonia Purchase and Supply Agreements under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, covering about 7.24 lakh tonnes per annum.

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🏛️ Governance & Administration 📍 India Important

Mann Ki Baat 132nd episode: Gyan Bharatam manuscript survey, water conservation, sports achievers

In the 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat on 29 March 2026, PM Modi urged people to join the Gyan Bharatam Survey of manuscripts and highlighted water conservation, sports achievers and community seed banks.

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📅 Important Days & Themes 📍 Madhya Pradesh

MoEFCC and WWF-India mark 20 years of Earth Hour with campaign in Gwalior

On 28 March 2026 WWF-India and the Environment Ministry marked the 20th anniversary of Earth Hour with awareness activities in Gwalior and a nationwide 8:30–9:30 pm switch-off.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 Gujarat Important

Great Indian Bustard chick hatches in Kutch after a decade through first inter-state 'jump-start'

On 26 March 2026 a Great Indian Bustard chick hatched in Kutch, Gujarat – the first in the state in a decade – from a captive-bred egg brought 770 km by road from Rajasthan and placed under a wild female.

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🌿 Disasters 📍 Andhra Pradesh

14 killed as bus catches fire after collision with tipper lorry in Andhra Pradesh's Markapuram district

On 26 March 2026 at least 14 people died when a private bus collided with a tipper lorry and caught fire near Rayavaram in Markapuram district, Andhra Pradesh; the PM announced ex-gratia from PMNRF.

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🌿 Climate Change 📍 India Must know

Cabinet approves India's NDC for 2031-35: 47% cut in emissions intensity, 60% non-fossil power capacity by 2035

On 25 March 2026 the Union Cabinet approved India's Nationally Determined Contribution for 2031-2035 under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, targeting a 47% cut in the emissions intensity of GDP from the 2005 level by 2035.

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🌿 Disasters 📍 Uttar Pradesh Important

Four killed as cold storage building collapses after ammonia chamber blast in Prayagraj

On 23 March 2026 part of Adarsh Cold Storage in Phaphamau, Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) collapsed after an explosion in its ammonia gas chamber, killing four workers; the PM announced ₹2 lakh ex gratia from PMNRF for each deceased's family.

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🌿 Climate Change 📍 India Must know

Indian Carbon Market Portal launched at Prakriti 2026 conference on carbon markets

On 21 March 2026 Union Power Minister Manohar Lal launched the Indian Carbon Market Portal, the central platform for running the Indian Carbon Market, at Prakriti 2026, the international conference on carbon markets organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 India Important

National Biodiversity Authority sets up Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species

Acting on National Green Tribunal directions, the National Biodiversity Authority has constituted an Expert Committee on Invasive Alien Species, chaired by Dhananjai Mohan, to prepare a consolidated national list and recommend control strategies, PIB reported on 21 March 2026.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 Uttarakhand Important

90th meeting of NBWL Standing Committee held in Dehradun; FSI and BISAG-N sign MoU

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife in Dehradun on 21 March 2026, where the Forest Survey of India and BISAG-N signed an MoU on geospatial and AI tools for forest fire management and wildlife conservation.

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🌿 Disasters 📍 Odisha Important

Fire in trauma ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack kills 12 patients

A fire in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack in the early hours of 16 March 2026 killed 12 patients by the next day; PM Modi announced ₹2 lakh ex-gratia from PMNRF for each deceased.

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🌿 Environment & Ecology 📍 Delhi

CAQM revokes GRAP Stage-I across Delhi-NCR as AQI improves to 'Moderate'

The Commission for Air Quality Management's GRAP sub-committee on 16 March 2026 revoked all Stage-I actions across the National Capital Region after Delhi's average AQI improved from 175 to 119.

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🌿 Disasters 📍 India Important

HLC under Amit Shah approves ₹1,912.99 crore from NDRF for five States and J&K hit by 2025 disasters

A High-Level Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved ₹1,912.99 crore of additional central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund for Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir, the Home Ministry said on 13 March 2026.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 Rajasthan Important

Great Indian Bustard captive breeding enters fourth year with two new chicks; tally reaches 70

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on 13 March 2026 that two Great Indian Bustard chicks had hatched at Rajasthan's conservation breeding centre, taking the captive population to 70.

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🌿 Wildlife & Protected Areas 📍 Uttarakhand Important

Environment Ministry workshop prioritises 77 railway stretches to curb elephant deaths on tracks

On 10–11 March 2026 at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, a national workshop by the Environment Ministry's Project Elephant Division prioritised 77 railway stretches across 14 states and recommended 705 mitigation structures to prevent elephant–train collisions.

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🚄 Infrastructure & Energy 📍 India Important

C. R. Paatil opens new NDSA office and launches AI platform NETRA for dam safety

Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil inaugurated the new office of the National Dam Safety Authority in New Delhi on 10 March 2026 and launched its website and the AI-enabled platform NETRA.

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📊 Reports & Indices 📍 India

Textiles Ministry report: India generates 70.73 lakh tonnes of textile waste a year

Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh released the report 'Mapping of Textile Waste Value Chain in India' in New Delhi on 10 March 2026, which estimates India's textile waste at about 70.73 lakh tonnes a year.

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