Headquarters
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
Darbari Seth Block, Core 6C,
India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road,
New Delhi - 110 003, India
Every winter, a grey haze settles over many Indian cities. Schools close, hospitals see a rise in respiratory cases, and public debate intensifies over who is responsible for the pollution.
India’s forests are entering a decade of compounded risk. Longer dry spells, erratic rainfall, severe fire seasons, invasive spread, fragmentation and rising biomass pressure are no longer episodic concerns; they are structural realities.
The Union Budget 2026 for agriculture marks a decisive recalibration of India’s farm policy, signalling a gradual transition from a subsidy-reliant, relief-driven approach to a more technology-enabled, outcome-oriented, and sustainability-focused growth paradigm.
India’s clean energy transition depends not only on renewable expansion but also on securing critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Recycling these materials from e-waste and batteries can reduce import dependence and build a resilient, self-reliant supply chain for the future.
Air pollution continues to be one of the most visible and damaging environmental challenges across Indian cities, particularly in northern and urban regions where poor air quality has become a recurring health emergency.
Observed each year on 1 March, World Seagrass Day was officially designated by the United Nations General Assembly in May 2022 to highlight the critical importance of seagrass ecosystems for marine biodiversity and climate stability.
Ahead of World Wetlands Day 2026, the Centre announced two more wetlands to India’s list of Ramsar sites, taking the national count to 98. Recognition matters.
This article summarizes about India’s winter air pollution, role of meteorology, emission sources and their mitigation, hidden drivers of winter pollution, and requirement of airshed-based approach, preventive action, and sustained emission reductions beyond emergency measures.
Operation Flood catapulted India as the highest producer of milk in the world and the same needs to be replicated to revolutionize the bioenergy sector.