Plastic pollution in the oceans has caused a spike in plastic ingested by seabirds, with the number rising each year since 2023. A study done on Australian seabirds has found that there is so much plastic in their bodies that their bodies literally make a crunching sound. Carried out by researchers from the Adrift Lab in Australia and published in the journal Earth’s Future, it states that a fledgling, a bird that has just learnt to fly, was found with 894 pieces of plastic in its body.&nbsp;This is a new record after a dead chick last year was found to have eaten 778 pieces of plastic. The 894 pieces of plastic weighed 64.2 grams, more than 15 per cent of a shearwater’s expected body weight. In human terms, it would be like an 80 kg person having 12 kg of plastic in his body.&nbsp;Scientists studied 16 years of data on ingestion patterns among Australian seabirds. They noticed that their exposure to plastic had jumped in recent years. This was also the time when a lot more waste, especially plastic, was ending up in the oceans.<h2>From 276 to 894 - number of plastic pieces in bodies on birds</h2>The team raised concerns over the increase in the amount of plastic that was being eaten by the birds every year. Alex Bond, co-author of the study, said that in 2012 they found a "sable shearwater with 276 pieces of plastic". It was small, and they assumed it was the worst-case scenario since a bird of this size could not survive eating any more.&nbsp;"We were wrong. From 2023 to 2026, the record for the most plastic ingested by these birds has been broken year after year. The plastic crisis is only getting worse, but we’re acting nowhere near fast enough to try and tackle it."&nbsp;More and more plastic is entering the oceans. Birds do not know the difference between edible items and plastic floating in the sea and unknowingly end up feeding their young ones plastic. A large portion of the items in the birds' bodies comprised bottle caps and plastic resin pellets.<h2>Need to recycle plastic</h2>Bond has called on countries to take urgent steps to mitigate the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. These objects need to be recycled, and steps need to be taken to prevent bottle caps from reaching the seas. This could be done by attaching them to the bottle, something Europe is already doing.&nbsp;Adrift Lab scientists have been removing plastic from the stomachs of young birds for years, and say "terms like ‘unprecedented’ and ‘horrific’ really don’t do it justice" to the gravity of the situation. They wrote in a press release that they can "barely begin to describe what witnessing this for two decades has done to our mental and physical well-being." &nbsp;

Birds are feeding their young so much plastic that scientists were shocked to find nearly 900 pieces of it in one tiny bird. Last year, they found 778 pieces in a dead chick. The researchers say this is beyond horrific, and witnessing this has affected their mental health as well.

Plastic pollution in the oceans has caused a spike in plastic ingested by seabirds, with the number rising each year since 2023. A study done on Australian seabirds has found that there is so much plastic in their bodies that their bodies literally make a crunching sound. Carried out by researchers from the Adrift Lab in Australia and published in the journal Earth’s Future, it states that a fledgling, a bird that has just learnt to fly, was found with 894 pieces of plastic in its body. This is a new record after a dead chick last year was found to have eaten 778 pieces of plastic. The 894 pieces of plastic weighed 64.2 grams, more than 15 per cent of a shearwater’s expected body weight. In human terms, it would be like an 80 kg person having 12 kg of plastic in his body. Scientists studied 16 years of data on ingestion patterns among Australian seabirds. They noticed that their exposure to plastic had jumped in recent years. This was also the time when a lot more waste, especially plastic, was ending up in the oceans. From 276 to 894 - number of plastic pieces in bodies on birds The team raised concerns over the increase in the amount of plastic that was being eaten by the birds every year. Alex Bond, co-author of the study, said that in 2012 they found a "sable shearwater with 276 pieces of plastic". It was small, and they assumed it was the worst-case scenario since a bird of this size could not survive eating any more. "We were wrong. From 2023 to 2026, the record for the most plastic ingested by these birds has been broken year after year. The plastic crisis is only getting worse, but we’re acting nowhere near fast enough to try and tackle it." More and more plastic is entering the oceans. Birds do not know the difference between edible items and plastic floating in the sea and unknowingly end up feeding their young ones plastic. A large portion of the items in the birds' bodies comprised bottle caps and plastic resin pellets. Need to recycle plastic Bond has called on countries to take urgent steps to mitigate the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. These objects need to be recycled, and steps need to be taken to prevent bottle caps from reaching the seas. This could be done by attaching them to the bottle, something Europe is already doing. Adrift Lab scientists have been removing plastic from the stomachs of young birds for years, and say "terms like ‘unprecedented’ and ‘horrific’ really don’t do it justice" to the gravity of the situation. They wrote in a press release that they can "barely begin to describe what witnessing this for two decades has done to our mental and physical well-being."

Birds are feeding their young so much plastic that scientists were shocked to find nearly 900 pieces of it in one tiny bird. Last year, they found 778 pieces in a dead chick. The researchers say this is beyond horrific, and witnessing this has affected their mental health as well.

Birds turn 'crunchy' - 894 pieces of plastic found in tiny bird leaves scientists horrified

Delhi's ambitious 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (A plant for mother) plantation campaign has crossed the halfway mark, with more than 37.99 lakh saplings planted across the national capital as of August 3, 2026. The campaign, which aims to plant 70 lakh saplings, has now achieved nearly 54 per cent of its target.According to the Delhi government's Delhi Green Warriors progress report, a total of 37,99,583 saplings have been planted so far, including 17,13,350 trees and 20,86,233 shrubs. On August 3 alone, authorities planted 87,589 saplings.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bangladesh-says-sheikh-hasina-s-india-media-appearance-hurt-ties-calls-it-an-affront-to-sovereignty-1785977377689">Bangladesh furious after India lets Sheikh Hasina address media from Delhi</a>The campaign was launched on July 7 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, with simultaneous plantation drives at 51 locations across the city. Since then, government departments, schools, social organisations and residents have joined the initiative, turning it into a large-scale public movement.Focus on Delhi's ridge forestsA major focus of the campaign is the restoration of Delhi's ridge areas. The government has set a target of planting 28.42 lakh trees and 11.54 lakh shrubs across the Central Ridge, DDA Ridge and Southern Ridge. So far, 2,73,690 saplings have been planted in the Central Ridge, 33,706 in the DDA Ridge and 8,46,968 in the Southern Ridge.<h2>Citizens drive the campaign</h2>Public participation has emerged as one of the biggest strengths of the initiative. Between July 8 and August 3, nearly 89,958 people booked online plantation slots, of whom 83,209 turned up to plant 1,47,580 saplings. Overall, the campaign has received 1,10,657 online bookings.The government's Vriksh Rath initiative has also helped expand the drive by planting 9,909 saplings and distributing 40,544 saplings across the city. In addition, government nurseries have distributed 5,43,514 saplings free of cost.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/several-indian-states-ban-analogue-paneer-experts-explain-what-it-is-and-the-health-risks-1785987065751">Several Indian states ban analogue paneer: Experts explain what it is and the health risks | WION Decodes</a><h2>Schools, institutions join hands</h2>The plantation campaign has attracted participation from schools, legislators and several organisations. Seventeen MLAs have led plantation programmes in their constituencies, planting 5,347 saplings with the participation of 2,855 citizens. Students from 44 schools have planted 14,450 saplings.Organisations including the Delhi Police, ICAI, FICCI, Rotary Club, Delhi Medical Association and IFSOWA have also taken part in the campaign.<h2>Focus shifts to sapling survival</h2>Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government's objective is not just to plant more trees but also to ensure they survive. She said native species are being selected according to local conditions, while regular watering, protection and monitoring are being carried out to improve survival rates.Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the campaign has been designed around public participation through initiatives such as online slot booking, Vriksh Rath, free sapling distribution and the Environment Saviour programme. He added that the government's priority is now to ensure proper care and long-term protection of the planted saplings so the campaign delivers lasting environmental benefits for Delhi.

Delhi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign has crossed the halfway mark, with nearly 38 lakh saplings planted, achieving 54% of its 70 lakh target. The drive now shifts focus from planting to ensuring long-term survival through monitoring, watering and public participation.

Delhi's ambitious 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (A plant for mother) plantation campaign has crossed the halfway mark, with more than 37.99 lakh saplings planted across the national capital as of August 3, 2026. The campaign, which aims to plant 70 lakh saplings, has now achieved nearly 54 per cent of its target. According to the Delhi government's Delhi Green Warriors progress report, a total of 37,99,583 saplings have been planted so far, including 17,13,350 trees and 20,86,233 shrubs. On August 3 alone, authorities planted 87,589 saplings. Also read | Bangladesh furious after India lets Sheikh Hasina address media from Delhi The campaign was launched on July 7 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, with simultaneous plantation drives at 51 locations across the city. Since then, government departments, schools, social organisations and residents have joined the initiative, turning it into a large-scale public movement. Focus on Delhi's ridge forests A major focus of the campaign is the restoration of Delhi's ridge areas. The government has set a target of planting 28.42 lakh trees and 11.54 lakh shrubs across the Central Ridge, DDA Ridge and Southern Ridge. So far, 2,73,690 saplings have been planted in the Central Ridge, 33,706 in the DDA Ridge and 8,46,968 in the Southern Ridge. Citizens drive the campaign Public participation has emerged as one of the biggest strengths of the initiative. Between July 8 and August 3, nearly 89,958 people booked online plantation slots, of whom 83,209 turned up to plant 1,47,580 saplings. Overall, the campaign has received 1,10,657 online bookings. The government's Vriksh Rath initiative has also helped expand the drive by planting 9,909 saplings and distributing 40,544 saplings across the city. In addition, government nurseries have distributed 5,43,514 saplings free of cost. Also read | Several Indian states ban analogue paneer: Experts explain what it is and the health risks | WION Decodes Schools, institutions join hands The plantation campaign has attracted participation from schools, legislators and several organisations. Seventeen MLAs have led plantation programmes in their constituencies, planting 5,347 saplings with the participation of 2,855 citizens. Students from 44 schools have planted 14,450 saplings. Organisations including the Delhi Police, ICAI, FICCI, Rotary Club, Delhi Medical Association and IFSOWA have also taken part in the campaign. Focus shifts to sapling survival Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government's objective is not just to plant more trees but also to ensure they survive. She said native species are being selected according to local conditions, while regular watering, protection and monitoring are being carried out to improve survival rates. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the campaign has been designed around public participation through initiatives such as online slot booking, Vriksh Rath, free sapling distribution and the Environment Saviour programme. He added that the government's priority is now to ensure proper care and long-term protection of the planted saplings so the campaign delivers lasting environmental benefits for Delhi.

Delhi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign has crossed the halfway mark, with nearly 38 lakh saplings planted, achieving 54% of its 70 lakh target. The drive now shifts focus from planting to ensuring long-term survival through monitoring, watering and public participation.

'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam': Delhi's plantation drive crosses halfway mark, 54% of 70 lakh target achieved

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Birds turn 'crunchy' - 894 pieces of plastic found in tiny bird leaves scientists horrified

Delhi's plantation drive crosses halfway mark, 54% of 70 lakh target achieved