On the eve of World Environment Day, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released 'State of India's Environment 2026: In Figures' on 4 June 2026. The report was launched by Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE, and presents a data-driven picture of the country's environmental health. It records that about 97,000 hectares of forestland were diverted for non-forest use between 2020-21 and 2024-25, with the pace of forest diversion rising in 26 states. On the climate front, the report finds that in 2025 India recorded extreme weather on 99 per cent of the days of the year. Such events killed 4,421 people and damaged 17.41 million hectares of cropped area, underlining the mounting human and agricultural cost of a warming climate. The water situation is equally stressed: 15 states and union territories were found to be over-exploiting their groundwater, with Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana extracting more groundwater than is naturally recharged. The report also flags a development paradox, noting that India's five most populous states rank at the bottom on combined environment, agriculture, health and human-development metrics, suggesting that population size alone does not translate into well-being. Together, the figures portray an environment under severe strain from deforestation, climate volatility and groundwater depletion.