Author: Deshwale Science and Environment Desk

For years, the Bhalswa landfill has been Delhi’s most visible symbol of a broken waste system. A 70-acre hill of trash, rising higher than nearby buildings, sitting in full view of the city that made it. Now, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi says the mountain is finally coming down. Officials have set December 31, 2026, as the deadline to clear the site completely. By July 31 this year, 99.07 lakh metric tonnes of old, buried waste had already been removed. On paper, that sounds like a victory. Drive past Bhalswa today and the mound does look smaller than it once…

India highlighted its science-based efforts in snow leopard conservation at the Russian-Indian Roundtable Meeting on Snow Leopard Study and Conservation held in Moscow on August 26, 2026. The meeting took place at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It brought together officials, researchers and conservation experts from India and Russia to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in snow leopard research, monitoring and conservation. The meeting was organised under the framework of the Partnership Agreement between the Interregional Association ‘Irbis’ and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). The agreement was signed in December…

Mumbai (Anil Bedag): This Dussehra, audiences can expect a fresh mix of fantasy, comedy, family drama and mystery with “Nayi Naveli”. Amazon MGM Studios and Colour Yellow will bring the fantasy family entertainer to cinemas on October 16, 2026. The film stars Yami Gautam Dhar in a never-seen-before avatar. A Mysterious Bride Arrives in Meerut Set in Meerut, “Nayi Naveli” follows a mysterious bride who joins an unusual and eccentric family. At first, she seems like the perfect daughter-in-law. Her arrival brings happiness and excitement to the household. However, the family soon faces an unexpected mystery. Her brother-in-law starts noticing…

Mumbai could soon get a major boost in pedestrian connectivity, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposing a ₹702.44 crore underground walkway connecting the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and Science Centre Metro station on Metro Line 3 to the Worli Coastal Road promenade. The project aims to provide a safe, seamless and weather-protected route for commuters and visitors travelling between the Metro station and the seafront. The proposed underground pedestrian link will stretch approximately 1.3 kilometres, passing through the Mahalaxmi Racecourse before reaching the Worli promenade. Once completed, it is expected to improve last-mile connectivity for thousands of Metro passengers while reducing…

Scoring just 51 marks in mathematics may not sound like the beginning of a space entrepreneur’s success story. But for Pawan Chandana, it became the first chapter of an extraordinary journey that would eventually take him from the classroom to the launch pad. Today, as the co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, Chandana has helped create history with Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed rocket to successfully reach space. Born and raised in a middle-class family in Hyderabad, Chandana was never considered an academic topper. While mathematics was once one of his weaker subjects, his curiosity for machines and technology kept…

Scientists have developed a new “smart” cancer drug designed to activate primarily inside cancer cells, offering a potential approach that could reduce the damage caused to healthy cells during cancer treatment. The drug, named RK-251, remains inactive while travelling through the body and is designed to become active when it encounters conditions found inside cancer cells. Traditional cancer treatment can affect healthy cells along with cancer cells. This can lead to significant adverse effects and side effects. The development of treatments that can target cancer cells more precisely has therefore become an important area of research. The new research has…

India has launched its first-ever comprehensive Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), marking a significant step towards recognising and conserving ecosystems that have often received less attention than forests. The guide was launched on August 17, 2026, at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The publication brings together information on India’s diverse grasslands, savannas, deserts, scrublands, ravines and other open natural ecosystems, highlighting their ecological, social and economic importance. The launch places India’s open natural ecosystems at the centre of discussions…

Everyone around us claims to care about the environment. We talk about plastic pollution, disappearing forests and the need to protect nature, yet many of us continue using plastic bags for everyday needs without thinking much about their impact. But there are also people who do more than talk. They are willing to dedicate years of their lives to protecting nature, even when there is no guarantee of recognition or reward. Jadav Payeng is one such person. Born on 31 October 1959 in Assam, Jadav “Molai” Payeng belongs to the Mising community and grew up around the Brahmaputra landscape. He…

The growing number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is creating new challenges for space safety, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) taking steps to address the increasing risk of space debris. Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, said in a reply in the Rajya Sabha on August 13 that ISRO is closely monitoring the issue of large LEO satellite constellations and satellite internet constellations. According to the Minister, the proliferation of these satellite constellations can contribute to the accumulation of space debris. ISRO is taking steps for…

By: Pratyush Bardoliwala Look at a map of Earth and one fact immediately stands out: our planet is dominated by water. The ocean covers about 71% of Earth’s surface, influencing everything from climate and weather to marine ecosystems, food supplies and global trade. Although we commonly speak of five oceans, they are actually interconnected parts of one global ocean. The five recognised oceans are the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans. Each has its own geography, depth, climate and marine environment. Some stretch across enormous distances, while others are relatively small but play an important role in Earth’s climate…