Environment ministry notifies rules for management of contaminated sites

The Centre released the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025 for remediation of contaminated sites by those responsible for contamination. The notification names 189 contaminants and their response level for agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial areas. The rules will not apply to radioactive waste or mining operations  among others. But if the contamination of a site is due to a contaminant mixed with radioactive waste or mining operations or oil spill or solid waste from a dump site, and exceeds the limit of response level specified in these rules, then remediation of the site would be covered under these rules, HT reported.

The rules cover various halogenated aromatic compounds, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organofluorine compounds, and some metals, among others, the outlet reported. .

NGT questions sewage plant inside Ridge; seeks reply from DJB, DPCC, DDA

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) have less than four weeks to explain, as National Green Tribunal has asked how a decentralised sewage treatment plant (DSTP) was allowed to be built at Smriti Van in Vasant Kunj, part of the South Central Ridge. 

The directive follows a DPCC submission earlier this week that it had issued a show cause notice of ₹10 lakh to DJB for failing to maintain the DSTP, leading to contamination of the Macchli Talab water body, reported HT.

Earlier this month, a fresh inspection of Macchli Talab showed the pond’s water quality parameters failed to meet permissible standards. 

9 months after it ended collaboration with IIT Kanpur, DPCC to revive study on source of pollution in Delhi

In a continuous battle to tackle air pollution, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will restart its “super-site” for real-time source apportionment studies in the Capital — this time in partnership with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. Nine months ago, DPCC ended the collaboration with IIT-Kanpur that was managing the super-site set up near Rouse Avenue in 2021, saying it was not satisfied with IIT-Kanpur’s methodology. 
Since then, high-end equipment such as state-of-the-art air analysers, forecasting models and data dashboard and even a mobile van — has remained idle while DPCC searched for a new institutional partner, reported the HT.

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