NGT seeks clarification from MCD on waste management at Ghazipur landfill

After the Municipal Corporation of Delhi shared its plan to clear the Ghazipur landfill by 2028, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked for clarity on lapses in waste management, the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant there and leachate management, saying the untreated waste was adding to the legacy waste at Ghazipur, reported TOI.

While pointing out that the operational capacity of the WTE plant was 800-850 tonnes per day, NGT asked the civic body to explain how 700-1,000 tonnes were reaching Ghazipur WTE. “MCD needs to disclose the plant’s actual capacity and consented utilisation, along with the supporting materials such as daily electricity generated by it and the details of its utilisation/feeding into the central grid,” the tribunal said.

Commenting on MCD’s report on its plan to clear the Ghazipur landfill by 2028, the court said: “Though the dump site receives waste in the range of 2,400–2,600 tonnes per day, it is presently processing a much lesser quantity. Therefore, the untreated waste is adding to the legacy waste. The WTE plant in Ghazipur is presently utilising only 7,00-1,000 tonnes of waste daily.

NGT issues notices on alleged plastic waste violations by tobacco brands

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notice on a plea alleging widespread non-compliance with the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, by manufacturers of gutkha, pan masala, and tobacco products, reported ET.

The petition claimed that banned plastic packaging materials are still being used and calls for strict enforcement of existing regulations. This includes the closure of units violating the rules and the recovery of environmental compensation. A judicial bench led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. A. Senthil Vel has issued notices to relevant authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), seeking their responses.

Gas flaring created 389m tonnes of carbon pollution last year, report finds

Oil companies pumped an extra 389m tonnes of carbon pollution into the atmosphere last year by needlessly flaring gas, a World Bank report found, in an “enormous waste” of fuel that heats the planet by about as much as the country of France, Guardian reported. 

Flaring gets rid of gases such as methane that arise when pumping oil out of the ground, the outlet explained, adding that while it can sometimes keep workers safe by relieving buildups of pressure, the practice is routine in many countries because it is often cheaper to burn gas than to capture, transport, process and sell it.

Global gas flaring rose for a second year in a row to reach its highest level since 2007, the report found, despite growing concerns about energy security and climate breakdown.

It found that 151bn cubic metres (bcm) of gas were burned during oil and gas production in 2024, up by 3bcm from the year before.

Only 0.5% of 90,000 oil slicks reported over 5 yrs 

A shocking expose revealed that only 474 out of more than 90,000 oil slicks from ships around the world were reported to authorities over a five-year period, and barely any resulted in any punishment or sanctions, reported the Guardian.The figure, obtained from Lloyd’s List by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations, showed pollution incidents reported between 2014 and 2019, compared against a scientific study using satellite imagery that counted the number of slicks from ships over the same period.

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