A journey to India through 23 countries! Having started from their breeding areas in northeastern China 11 days ago, the two Amur Falcons Apapang and Alang arrived in Manipur yesterday. This marks the successful completion of their nearly year-long tracking and also their round-trip journey back to Manipur since tagging by scientists of WII in November 2025; travelling through 23 countries on their journey across Africa and Asia, the Amur Falcons are truly global citizens. The two Amur falcons are expected to now make a two to three week stopover at select sites in the beautiful mountainous tracts of Tamenglong district in Manipur, where local people now eagerly wait for their return year after year and protect the falcons. Feasting on the termites emerging in and around their stopover sites the Amurs will put on fat reserves that is critical for their next leg of migration, which will be a 6-day nonstop flight of nearly 6000 km from here to Somalia that also includes a 3000 km Arabian Sea crossing. The Amur Falcons are truly remarkable for their migration journeys.

Had a very engaging and meaningful interaction with StartUps and innovation companies working on environmental solutions, especially air pollution control and mitigation. The companies presented their solutions to air pollution control challenges and we deliberated on ways to engage further on the proposed solutions. The areas covered by the companies include: 🌱 Industrial emissions monitoring and enforcement: Develop tamper-proof OCEMS and AI detection of data drift/manipulation; monitor APCDs, detect bypass or malfunction, and link APCD operation with furnace/boiler controls. Integrate CAQMS, OCEMS and plant-operation data to flag potential violations. 🌱 Dust control at construction sites and roads: Use of AI cameras to detect C&D-site dust and activate suppression equipment; develop movable dust-containment and filtration systems. Promote low-cost mechanised road sweepers and tools to identify road-dust resuspension hotspots. 🌱 City-wide air-quality mapping and source attribution: Map air quality in near real time, including unmonitored areas; locate hotspots and estimate contributions from vehicles, road dust, construction, industries and biomass burning using monitoring, satellite and meteorological data. 🌱 Cleaner vehicles and smoother traffic: Develop tamper-proof PUC testing that verifies genuine exhaust sampling; use ANPR and linked databases to identify vehicles without valid PUCCs and over-aged vehicles. Apply AI to predict congestion and improve traffic flow, reducing idling and emissions. 🌱 Stubble/open-burning detection and utilisation: Enable 24×7 detection and geolocation of paddy-stubble and other open biomass-burning incidents, with alerts and response tracking. Optimise straw collection, transport and matching with bioenergy, biomass-fuel, composting and other utilisation facilities. 🌱 Cleaner industrial operations and DG sets: Provide affordable systems to monitor combustion efficiency and fuel use in small industries. Improve DG-set emissions control through smart RECDs that detect choking, malfunction, bypass, removal or tampering. 🌱 Recycling construction and demolition waste: Create digital platforms to certify, match and track recycled C&D products against construction-sector demand, improving transparency and utilisation. 🌱 Faster, efficient road maintenance: Developing portable, cost-effective pothole-repair machines for rapid, durable repairs with less manpower and reduced traffic disruption. 🔗 pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.…

India’s Ramsar site tally reaches 103 🇮🇳🌿 India continues to strengthen its commitment to wetland conservation, with Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh becoming the latest additions to the list of Ramsar Sites. This milestone highlights the importance PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s government has been laying on wetlands in conserving biodiversity, enhancing water and climate security, and sustaining local livelihoods. These additions reaffirm India’s ongoing efforts to conserve its rich wetland ecosystems and strengthen the ecological, climatic and livelihood benefits they provide. 🌏💧 I congratulate Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh for this feat. Dear travellers, do visit Sukhna and Sauj next time you have a couple days at hand. #AmritDharohar

Chaired the 27th Meeting of GB Pant Society of Himalayan Environment and Development in Delhi today. Emphasised on the importance of access and benefit-sharing rights and People’s Biodiversity Register as a means to improve the livelihood of native villagers in the Himalyan ecosystem and also for its greater good. Under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, there has been a concerted focus on the policy framework which focuses on balancing ecological security with sustainable socio-economic growth in the Indian Himalayan region by 2047. Released four publications which add to the knowledge repository of the work done by the institute. 1. Biodiversity and its Conservation practices for Bhagirathi Eco-sensitive Zone 2. Gangotri Glaciated System 3. E-PBR Governance for the Indian Himalayan Region 4. Ramsar Wetlands of the Indian Himalayan Region

Under the Sewa Sankalp Abhiyaan, flagged off 150 electric buses today at Anand Vihar, Delhi, along with Chief Minister Smt. @gupta_rekha ji and Delhi Environment Minister Shri @mssirsa ji. Also virtually inaugurated public EV charging stations at five locations, strengthening Delhi’s clean mobility infrastructure. Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, India is advancing towards a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future. These initiatives reflect our collective commitment to reducing emissions, promoting electric mobility and building a Viksit Bharat that grows in harmony with nature.

Interacted with mid-career training participants of Indian Forest Service today in Delhi. Urged officers to move beyond traditional regulatory functions and become leaders, innovators and facilitators of sustainable development. Stressed the importance of emerging technologies, including GIS, remote sensing and artificial intelligence, alongside continuous capacity building and community engagement. 🔗 pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.…

Addressed the Leaders’ Plenary at the Pre-COP, co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu, in Nadi, Fiji. Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India has always stood firmly with our Pacific partners and continues to work closely with them across various sectors, including health and wellness, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, IT, agriculture and capacity building. As we move towards COP31, India believes that adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation must receive equal attention, while the key principles of CBDR-RC must be upheld in letter and spirit. 🔗 pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.…

As a part of the ongoing field visit program in Funafuti, Tuvalu, visited the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) site along with Australian Prime Minister Mr @AlboMP, Australian Environment Ministers Mr Chris Bowen, and other Heads of States and Environment Ministers. The project assists Tuvalu in reducing the vulnerability of coastal communities and critical infrastructure through improved coastal protection, institutional capacity and long-term adaptation planning.

On the sidelines of ongoing Pre-COP in Fiji, met with Mr @WBHoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth. We had an engaging discussion on matters related to clean energy, including access to energy, and the importance of science-based support enabling an inclusive policy-making process. We further discussed the importance of native wisdom in terms of providing tangible solutions supported with technology transfer. India and EU will work together closely to have a productive solution oriented COP31 in November.

Addressed the plenary discussion on COP31 priorities at the Pre-COP, co-hosted by Australia, Fiji and Tuvalu, in Nadi, Fiji. Stated that success in Antalya, Turkiye should be measured not simply by new targets or declarations, but by whether implementation is accelerated, support reaches those who need it, and existing solutions can be taken to scale. 🔗 pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.…

Delighted to have met with H.E. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Federal Environment Ministry of Germany, in Fiji today, on the sidelines of the Pre-COP deliberations in Nadi. Happy to co-facilitate the discussion in the Mitigation Breakout Session along with Mr Flasbarth to enable an open platform for discussions on critical agenda items to further support the presidency.

Had an engaging conversation with Mr. Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change & Environment, Tuvalu, on the sidelines of Pre COP 31 in Fiji today. We discussed matters related to technology transfer, energy access, and India's work on sustainable coastal management under the leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji. India remains committed to supporting Tuvalu by sharing its learnings and experiences.

Coexistence on display 🐘 Foot soldiers of the forest stop traffic to allow a safe passage to elephants in Bagdogra, West Bengal. That’s how we protect people and wildlife together.