Significant environmental damage in Maharashtra hill station Matheran: Report
An expert team's interim report has confirmed significant environmental damage by horse movement in Matheran, a hill station in Maharashtra, citing air and water pollution, soil degradation, and a possible loss of local flora and fauna.
The report, submitted in April to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), recommended urgent interventions including limiting the horse population and a systematic dung collection mechanism.
Experts from Raigad's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (DBATU) carried out a study in Matheran in collaboration with Solapur's Nagesh Karajagi Orchid College of Engineering and Technology.
DBATU civil engineering head and dean (R&D) Sachin Pore, who led the study, said their investigation showed the need for measures to control the undesirable effects of horse dung in Matheran. 'These include proper dung collection and disposal, and regulating the number of horses,' said Pore. 'This is just the interim report. The final report will be submitted after the second phase of sampling and analysis between September and December 2025.'
The first phase (pre-monsoon) of the study involved air, water, and soil sampling at locations including horse stables, trekking trails, run-off sites, and control zones.
The experts monitored air quality over three days at Matheran's Dasturi Naka, railway station, and the Nagar Parishad (city council) office area and found particulate matter levels exceeded Central Pollution Control Board limits. The PM10 levels were 40–72% higher than the permissible limit of 100 µg/m³ due to aerosolized horse dung, dust from unpaved roads, and ammonia and methane released during dung decomposition.
Water samples collected from Charlotte Lake, locations upstream and downstream, and the Simpson Tank showed high turbidity and elevated levels of E. coli, nitrates, phosphates, and heavy metals like lead, indicators of fecal contamination and potential health risks.
The report suggested buffer zones, bioremediation wetlands, and stormwater infrastructure to prevent contaminants from flowing into the lake and other sensitive water bodies.
Samples from seven locations, including the forest trail to Charlotte Lake, Dasturi Naka, and the Pashuvaidyakiy Davakhana, indicated progressive soil degradation in high horse-traffic zones. The report flagged risks such as loss of native vegetation, poor seed germination, and persistence of pathogens. It warned of potential irreversible damage to soil structure and fertility.
An MPCB official said they will wait for the final report and NGT's directives before initiating action.
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Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Significant environmental damage in Maharashtra hill station Matheran: Report
An expert team's interim report has confirmed significant environmental damage by horse movement in Matheran, a hill station in Maharashtra, citing air and water pollution, soil degradation, and a possible loss of local flora and fauna. The report, submitted in April to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), recommended urgent interventions including limiting the horse population and a systematic dung collection mechanism. Experts from Raigad's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (DBATU) carried out a study in Matheran in collaboration with Solapur's Nagesh Karajagi Orchid College of Engineering and Technology. DBATU civil engineering head and dean (R&D) Sachin Pore, who led the study, said their investigation showed the need for measures to control the undesirable effects of horse dung in Matheran. 'These include proper dung collection and disposal, and regulating the number of horses,' said Pore. 'This is just the interim report. The final report will be submitted after the second phase of sampling and analysis between September and December 2025.' The first phase (pre-monsoon) of the study involved air, water, and soil sampling at locations including horse stables, trekking trails, run-off sites, and control zones. The experts monitored air quality over three days at Matheran's Dasturi Naka, railway station, and the Nagar Parishad (city council) office area and found particulate matter levels exceeded Central Pollution Control Board limits. The PM10 levels were 40–72% higher than the permissible limit of 100 µg/m³ due to aerosolized horse dung, dust from unpaved roads, and ammonia and methane released during dung decomposition. Water samples collected from Charlotte Lake, locations upstream and downstream, and the Simpson Tank showed high turbidity and elevated levels of E. coli, nitrates, phosphates, and heavy metals like lead, indicators of fecal contamination and potential health risks. The report suggested buffer zones, bioremediation wetlands, and stormwater infrastructure to prevent contaminants from flowing into the lake and other sensitive water bodies. Samples from seven locations, including the forest trail to Charlotte Lake, Dasturi Naka, and the Pashuvaidyakiy Davakhana, indicated progressive soil degradation in high horse-traffic zones. The report flagged risks such as loss of native vegetation, poor seed germination, and persistence of pathogens. It warned of potential irreversible damage to soil structure and fertility. An MPCB official said they will wait for the final report and NGT's directives before initiating action.
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru's Bellandur lake gets ₹79 crore boost for rejuvenation efforts: Report
In a significant move to clean up one of Bengaluru's most heavily polluted water bodies, the Karnataka Cabinet has cleared an additional ₹79 crore for the rejuvenation of Bellandur Lake, taking the total project outlay to ₹179 crore, according to a report by The Indian Express. The lake, notorious for producing toxic foam and catching fire in the past due to unchecked pollution, has been under scrutiny by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for years. The additional funding comes as part of a comprehensive development project mandated by the tribunal. The state government will bear 75% of the cost, while the remaining 25% will be contributed by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). Law Minister H K Patil, speaking after a Cabinet meeting on Friday, said the NGT had advised the government to submit a proposal if further funding was required for Bellandur's restoration, the report added. (Also Read: Belagavi gets its own Vande Bharat Express from Bengaluru; Not an extension of Dharwad route) A 2023 study by the Indian Institute of Science's Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) had highlighted untreated sewage inflow as a key contributor to the lake's pollution. The stagnant sewage, when left in the oxygen-deficient lake for days, degrades partially and forms sludge. Over time, this sludge traps surfactants, chemicals found in detergents and shampoos, which lead to the infamous frothing. According to CST's chief research scientist HN Chanakya, the problem becomes visibly worse after heavy rains. The influx of rainwater churns the surfactant-rich sludge, dislodging it and allowing it to rise to the surface, where it forms thick foam, often seen at the lake's outflow points. The researchers warned that while foam rarely forms in the centre of the lake, it appears at the outlets where rising water carries surfactant-laced sludge through narrow gaps, creating the frothy mixture. They recommended that the government halt the inflow of untreated sewage and remove existing sludge before the monsoon to prevent future episodes. The Cabinet's renewed push for Bellandur's revival reflects the growing urgency to restore the lake, which once served as an important water body but has now become symbolic of Bengaluru's urban ecological crisis. (Also Read: What is 'Sanchari Cauvery'? Bengaluru's new government-run water tanker service explained)
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Time of India
IIT-Gn repurposes diuretic drug to fight resistant bacteria
Ahmedabad: Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. With more and more bacteria turning resistant against the limited arsenal of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a serious challenge nationally as well as globally – some estimates put the number of deaths attributed to ' superbugs ' with no cure in sight at about 10 lakh annually. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In such a scenario, IIT-Gn researchers have reported a breakthrough where they have turned a diuretic and anti-seizure medicine into a potent 'antibiotic'. This chemical design potentially kills resistant E-coli , one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide. Researchers from IIT-Gn chemically married acetazolamide – a diuretic which helps flush extra fluid and salts out of the body, which is also used to treat altitude sickness and certain seizures – with octa-arginine (R8) peptides to successfully target resistant E. Coli. When merged, this combination had the ability to breach the bacterial wall and kill the E-Coli. The findings were recently published in the journal ACS Omega. The study 'Coassembly of Cell-Penetrating Peptide Octaarginine with Acetazolamide: Emergent Interactions with E. coli' is authored by Rinku Choubey, Moumita Chatterjee, Pramina Kumari Pandey, Abhijit Mishra, and Bhaskar Datta from IIT-Gn. "This research is a breakthrough in the fight against AMR. We will now undertake further trials using this novel drug delivery system to test it against clinical strains with AMR," said Bhaskar Datta, associate professor of chemistry and biological sciences at IIT-Gn. Professor Datta said that the trigger point of this research was the known ability of certain peptides called cell-penetrating peptides to create channels in human cells, through which other cargo molecules could be introduced inside the cell. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The research has proved the development of emergent antibacterial agents that combine an active pharmaceutical but non-antibacterial agent – acetazolamide – with a drug delivery strategy of using R8 peptide cell penetrating complex," Prof Datta said. "This learning is helpful as it suggests that bacterial cells could be tricked into submission by use of such entities that are more than the sum of their individual parts," he added. The researchers said that conventional drug development relies on the exploration of chemical agents to target biological substances such as specific proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids, that are directly associated with disease conditions. But they took a different approach where they created novel chemical structures not known to AMR bacteria. In simpler terms, the drug-peptide complex successfully penetrates the bacteria membrane as the bacteria does not identify it as a potential threat. The researchers said that it took them about three years to define various components of the method – physical complexes of molecules, cell-penetrating peptides, and optimal dose of pharmaceutical agents. 'Treatment of Escherichia coli with the complexes results in a distinctive pattern of membrane disruption and pore formation. The R8:AZM co-assemblies inhibit carbonic anhydrase and E. coli growth with greater efficiency compared to bare AZM. The 1:5 w/w complex leads to pronounced outer and inner membrane rupture and significantly restricts glucose uptake by E. Coli,' read the findings of the study.
