In India, around three lakh children die of water-borne diseases every year, with diarrhoea alone causing more than 50 per cent of the deaths. Despite the primary sources of water in the country—groundwater and surface water—being highly contaminated, only 32 per cent of the Indian households get water from a treated source. The groundwater in most of the districts of 24 Indian states has high concentrations of metals and heavy metals. Water sources across the country are also contaminated with high levels of pathogenic organisms.

Farmers in India receive electricity either free of charge or at extremely low rates for operating irrigation pump (IP) sets. The distribution utilities are compensated for the free (or nearly free) supply through subsidies by state governments. To claim higher subsidy amounts, utilities often show inflated figures of agricultural consumption. The higher consumption (by IP sets) estimates also help utilities portray lower loss in their network.

This work presents the effects of fireworks display during Diwali on the short-term elevation of atmospheric aerosols and associated particle deposition in human respiratory tract at Dehradun, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. During Diwali in the years 2017 and 2018, the real-time particle number count (PNC) and particulate matter (PM) with the aerodynamic diameter of 0.01 to 35 μm were measured using an aerosol spectrometer.

Leveraging the COVID-19 India-wide lockdown situation, the present study attempts to quantify the reduction in the ambient fine particulate matter concentrations during the lockdown (compared with that of the pre-lockdown period), owing to the highly reduced specific anthropogenic activities and thereby pollutant emissions. The study was conducted over Bengaluru (India), using PM2.5 (mass concentration of particulate matter having size less than or equal to 2.5 µm) and Black Carbon mass concentration (BC) data.

The Indian power sector is going through a major transformation owing to extensive generation from sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind and the introduction of newer market mechanisms such as real-time market, which provide the opportunity to trade power within half-hour windows. However, there are challenges that hinder the evolution of the sector into a sustainable model. These include the poor financial health of electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), slow momentum in attaining renewable energy targets, and the desynchronized functioning of various stakeholders.

Carbon dioxide levels have hit a record high yet again despite the slowdown caused by the coronavirus lockdowns globally. Based on estimates by the GHG platform, heavy industries comprising cement, steel, chemicals, and aluminium and heavy-duty transport such as shipping, trucking, and aviation are responsible for more than a third of the carbon dioxide emissions in India.

Climate change increases strain on agriculture systems through changes in the magnitude, distribution, and timing of rainfall; rise in temperature; and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Karnataka, agriculture is the key contributing sector for the state’s economy. Despite its importance, agriculture in the state is limited by the availability of irrigation (only 31.2%) and uncertainty in rainfall distribution. These factors greatly hamper the agricultural productivity of the state.

The 2021 Union Budget announced an institutional framework to instill liquidity into the corporate bond market. In sync with the pro-investor move, the country has an opportunity to scale up the green bond market, presently just under one per cent of the total domestic debt market. Green bonds are debt financing instruments for projects that involve renewable energy and energy efficiency, low-carbon infrastructure, and sustainable resource use.