The Ministry of Environment has officially issued the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025, creating a legal system for identifying and cleaning up sites contaminated with chemicals under the Environment Protection Act.

Key points:

• First legal framework: India's first specific legal framework for the management of chemically polluted areas.

• Identification process: Local authorities are required to report suspected contaminated areas every six months.

• Time-bound assessment:A preliminary evaluation must be finished by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) in ninety days, and if necessary, a comprehensive assessment must be finished in ninety days.

• Official notification: If contamination from one of the 189 listed hazardous chemicals is confirmed, the site is officially declared contaminated and made public.

• ‘Polluter pays’ principle: The responsible party must cover the cost of cleanup. If the polluter cannot be identified or is unable to pay, the cost is shared between the central and state governments.

• Criminal liability: In cases where health or environmental harm occurs, individuals or entities may be charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Transparency and accountability: Publicly disclosing contaminated sites helps raise awareness and enables community supervision.

• The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board has reported that groundwater is not fit for drinking in 25 villages under the Chennimalai Panchayat Union in Erode district. Officials attributed the contamination to pollutants in local water sources and stated that measures are being planned to ensure a safe supply to the affected areas.

• Tests revealed contamination, raising health concerns among residents who depend on wells and borewells for daily needs.

• Meanwhile, environmental groups have pointed to industrial discharge from the nearby SIPCOT complex as a possible cause.

• The affected areas were identified, and officials were directed to place red warning boards, discontinue the use of motors at those sites, and ensure that residents receive drinking water solely through the Combined Water Supply Scheme (CWSS).

• Officials have assured that alternative water supply measures will be arranged while long-term solutions are being planned.

On July 25, Union Minister Anupriya Patel informed the Lok Sabha that chikungunya cases in Telangana rose sharply — 1,588 cases (Jan–Jun 2025) vs. 170 in 2024 — based on Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) reporting.

Reason for Increase: The Centre explained that higher numbers partly reflect enhanced surveillance and digital paperless reporting on IHIP in 2025 as opposed to conventional reporting methods used in 2024.

Telangana’s Response: The Directorate of Public Health (DPH) has contested the Centre’s figures, reporting only ~240 cases that are said to be “effectively controlled.” The state has also raised concerns about the accuracy of data presented in Parliament by the Union government.

Seasonal Peak: Both Centre and State agree that cases typically surge during monsoon months (August–September), reflecting a seasonal trend despite numerical differences.

• Blenrep (belantamib maphodotin-BLMM), a humanized monoclonal antibody from GlaxoSmithKline, has been approved in the EU for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

• Already authorized in the UK and Japan, it is under extended review in the US.
  Approval follows positive results from the DREAMM-7 and DREAMM-8 trials conducted in patients with relapsed or refractory Multiple myeloma.

• Multiple myeloma, the second most common hematological malignancy, was historically considered incurable. However, with the introduction of targeted small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies median survival rate now stands at 10 years

• Blenrep builds on these advances to address relapse and resistance.

A Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) carried out at the German Trias i Pujol Hospital in Barcelona used genomic data collected from 33 groups across 19 countries globally to identify genetic risk factors that could contribute to long COVID. The following were the salient findings -

• The study looked for single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with Long Covid. After analysing data from 6450 cases with 1 million population controls, they identified the FOXP4 gene. This association was reconfirmed in a separate cohort of 9500 cases against 8,00,000 controls.

• The ‘C’ variant of the rs9367106 chromosomal region near the gene led to a 63% higher chance in people of having long COVID symptoms than those without the gene.

• The gene increased the risk of long COVID in patients who were not hospitalised. This indicated that the severity of the initial infection was also not tied to it. It was also more common among East Asian populations.

• The gene was active in lung tissue, especially in type 2 alveolar cells. Thus, it helped influence the lung’s ability to respond to infection and injury.

• After analysing data from blood samples of people who had recovered from the initial infection, it was seen that having moderately higher levels of the FOXP4 gene doubled the odds of developing long COVID.

• Using co-localisation analysis, there was a 91% chance that the same genetic signal affected FOXP4 activity and the chance of developing long COVID.

There was a lack of South Asian representation in the data used for the study. Therefore, its interpretation in an Indian context was limited. The GenomeIndia Project contains a large amount of genomic data, which could support future studies into long covid in an Indian scenario

For further reading, click here

• Recently, two clusters of botulism in Sardinia and Calabria were identified.

• In Sardinia, two women who ate guacamole at a local event died, and a 14-year-old remains in hospital.

• Meanwhile, in Calabria, two more deaths resulted from industrial and homemade preserved foods.

• In one incident, sandwiches containing sausage and friarielli bought from a street vendor sickened about 18 people.

• Investigations are underway in both regions, with charges such as culpable homicide and unsafe food practices under consideration.

• Experts warn that botulinum toxin is tasteless and invisible, making early detection and prevention essential.

• The recent detection of a New World screwworm case in the United States has raised alarms among ranchers and livestock experts.

• A human case of New World screwworm in Maryland — a parasitic infection linked to travel — has fully recovered, with no indication it spread to people or livestock.

• Ranchers and industry leaders are upset about delays and lack of openness: the government confirmed the case but only publicised it weeks later.

• Screwworms lay eggs in open wounds on warm-blooded animals, and an outbreak could hit cattle producers hard, especially in Texas, potentially costing billions.

• The Morning Consult, acting on behalf of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), conducted a survey that revealed:

• Of the 1,000 Indian responders, 82% have heard of weight-loss medications.

• Only 18% of respondents knew how the medications worked.

• A large percentage of participants, 65%, are concerned that the benefits of these drugs may be greatly exaggerated.

• An analysis of the findings from the last National Family Health Survey suggests household-level interventions over individual approaches, as obesity and overweight tend to run in families.

• The medical experts at PCRM suggest lifestyle changes such as a plant-based diet - with low-fat and high-fibre content - as a healthier, safer, and more sustainable alternative for weight loss.

• TPPs have been defined by the WHO, starting from 2014, with the intention  to define quality standards to support international collaboration towards TB elimination by promoting the development of TB screening tests in different parts of the world, which follow basic quality standards criteria.

• Since then, there has been continuous innovation and advancements in TB screening technology and current additions include technology such as portable radiological scanners and Artificial Intelligence aided software for detection which provide unsupervised and rapid Chest X-ray interpretation.

• A rapid (active) case detection gap continues to remain a significant barrier to slow TB elimination efforts, accentuated by limited options within low cost, high accuracy and widely adaptable screening tools.

• The 2025 TPPs offer technology-agnostic guidance on TB screening, defining three tool types suitable for different settings. They were developed with global expert input and modeling to optimize test performance and cost-effectiveness.

• Thus, WHO is promoting research efforts in all countries interested irrespective of past contributions, with an aim to work in collaboration for finding a universally adaptable low cost and high accuracy screening test for TB.

Bhadrayyapeta, a village in Padmanabham mandal of Andhra Pradesh, has reported an unusually high prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with health camps identifying dozens of cases. While residents suspect unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation, official tests have not confirmed contamination.
Medical experts highlight multiple contributing factors, including uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, and overuse of painkillers.
The Nephrology Department at King George Hospital has recommended regular screening, access to safe water through an RO plant, lifestyle modifications, and public education on drug use and hygiene.
The situation underscores the urgent need for integrated policy measures combining healthcare, infrastructure development, and social protection to address both immediate risks and long-term community vulnerability.

For further reading,  click here

• Parents of children with Type 1 diabetes in Kerala have raised concerns about the state’s Mittayi project, which aims to support young diabetics with insulin pumps and monitoring systems.

• Children with Type 1 diabetes are excluded from insurance coverage because of age limitations, as most private and government-approved plans provide coverage for juvenile diabetes only after the age of 18.

• Despite the initiative being in place, many families are facing long delays or limited access- only a small fraction of the estimated 1,500–8,000 eligible children have received insulin pumps.

• The annual budget cap and strict eligibility criteria, including income limits, are seen as barriers. Meanwhile, rising costs for sensors and equipment continue to strain households trying to manage their children’s care effectively.

For further reading,  click here

• A study conducted by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 vaccine collaborators worked on understanding the trends of vaccination for 11 key vaccines from 1980 to 2023 while understanding the influence of the pandemic on the same. These are given below -

• Though the overall rates for vaccination have markedly increased, even doubled in this period, over 2010 - 2019, this progress decelerated. 21 out of 36 high income countries experienced a drop in vaccines rates for at least one vaccine.

• The pandemic hit vaccination hard with the rates drastically reducing in 2020 and still hadn’t reached pre pandemic levels in 2023.

• Other than for the third dose of the Diphtheria Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP) vaccine, none of the other vaccine doses will meet the targets set under the coverage goals set for 2030 under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

• There has also been a rise in zero dose children (those who haven’t received even a single dose of the DTP vaccine) globally with the maximum contribution seen in the Sub Saharan and South Asian regions.

• Out of the 15.7 million zero dose children present globally, 1.44 million belong to India.

• The authors have cautioned that concerted efforts globally must be undertaken to ensure that the 2030 targets are met. Targeted approaches tailored to the underperforming regions must be focused on to ensure a reversal in this downtrend.