Continuous heavy rainfall has triggered landslides, flash floods, and widespread disruption across Himachal Pradesh, affecting daily life, transport routes, and public safety. On June 30, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several districts, warning that heavy to very heavy rain is expected to continue throughout the week.

The IMD has also issued a moderate flash flood warning on June 30 for the next 24 hours in Kangra, Mandi, and Sirmaur districts, noting increased risk across several watersheds and surrounding areas.

The latest weather bulletin from the Meteorological Centre in Shimla shows that rainfall levels have been extreme in some areas over the past 24 hours. Pandoh recorded 123 mm, Mandi 119.4 mm, and Murari Devi 113.2 mm. Gusty winds up to 89 km/h were recorded in Bilaspur, and thunderstorms with lightning occurred in several locations, including Shimla, Palampur, and Sundernagar.

Temperatures also fell sharply. Maximum temperatures in many areas were between 2°C and 9°C below normal. Una was the warmest location at 33.5°C, while Keylong recorded the lowest at 13.5°C.

According to media reports, a red alert has also prompted the closure of all schools in Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Solan districts.

In an official press release issued on June 26, 2025, the Himachal Pradesh government placed all districts on high alert. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu instructed officials to monitor rivers and vulnerable slopes, stock emergency relief materials, and activate response teams across the state. “Quick Response Teams must remain fully mobilized, and community awareness campaigns should be launched in vulnerable areas,” the statement said.

Transport infrastructure has taken a major hit. Parts of the Chandigarh–Shimla highway remain blocked due to landslides. The press note added, “Two National Highways — NH-505 and NH-03 — are still blocked at multiple locations due to landslides.”

Rail connectivity has also been affected. The Kalka–Shimla heritage rail line has been suspended, while multiple districts are reporting damaged roads, power outages, and disrupted services, severely complicating rescue operations.

Following a cloudburst at Majhan nullaha in Sainj Valley, hydroelectric projects at Sainj, Parvati, and Larji were temporarily shut down and opened their gates as a precaution. The statement confirmed, “Intensive search and rescue operations are underway with teams from SDRF, Home Guards, and NDRF deployed across the affected areas.”

Chief Minister Sukhu also wrote on X, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation and urging caution, “Reports of landslides and damage from several regions are concerning. Relief and rescue operations are underway on a war footing. I am in constant contact with all district officials and monitoring the situation closely,” the post said.

With rain forecast to continue for several more days, officials are asking residents to remain indoors, stay alert, and cooperate with local authorities.

Read more: [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas

Banner image: Rescue operation underway by the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Response Force at Khaniyara Manuni Khad in Kangra district. Photos by Himachal Pradesh SDRF via X.

On June 26, a tigress and four cubs were found deceased in Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary (MMWS) in Chamrajanagar district, Karnataka, sparking concern among conservationists. The carcasses were spotted in the Meenyam range of MMWS by forest guards on their morning patrol. While the cause has not yet been identified, initial investigations by the forest department revealed that they were unnatural deaths.

The state’s Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre has ordered B.P. Ravi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to conduct a probe into the cause of death and submit a report. The area where the carcasses were found has been cordoned off as a crime scene. Veterinarians and forest officials have obtained comprehensive tissue, blood and stomach samples for toxicology, histopathology (examination of tissue samples to detect diseases), and DNA profiling tests. 

As per reports, the carcass of a cow was found close to the location and it is suspected that these tiger deaths might be a result of a poisoned carcass. As parts of MMWS are often used as grazing ground by locals, the forest department has begun tracking shepherds in the area.

“The forest department hasn’t paid the salaries of forest watchers since the past three months, and this may have brought down their morale and efficiency on the job,” said Joseph Hoover, a former member of Karnataka State Board for Wildlife, and current president of the non-profit United Conservation Movement. “Moreover, compensation for livestock killed by tigers is only paid when it occurs outside the protected area, since grazing is not allowed inside. This may have triggered a retaliatory killing.”

The incident isn’t a novel one – the larger landscape of Bandipur, Nagarahole and M.M. Hills is ridden by human-wildlife conflict as humans and predators struggle to coexist. Among Indian states, Karnataka is home to the highest number of tigers in the wild after Madhya Pradesh, with 563 tigers recorded in the 2022 All India Tiger Estimation. From 2012 to 2024, a total of 179 tiger deaths were recorded in Karnataka by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), including both natural and unnatural deaths – the third highest tiger mortality rate among Indian states.

Debate regarding largely unresolved tiger deaths recorded in MMWS in the recent past has been reignited – numerous cases of poison, snares and other tools being deliberately used to kill or harm tigers and leopards have been reported. In 2019, a proposal was submitted to the NTCA to notify MMWS as Karnataka’s sixth tiger reserve, and was accepted in 2021. However, the state government has been delaying the pending notification, which could open up avenues for strengthening conservation efforts in this crucial tiger landscape. 

Banner image: A tigress and cubs. Representative image by Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

A new climate study predicts a 43% rise in the intensity of extreme rainfall events, alongside a 2.5-fold increase in the heat wave days in India. Titled Weathering the Storm, the study by the international development organisation IPE Global and a geographic information system (GIS) company – Esri India, provides the first district-level assessment of climate extremes in India, highlighting the urgent need for micro-level risk planning and climate resilience strategies.

Using dynamic ensemble climate modelling, spatial mapping, and climatological analysis, the study projects climate scenarios for 2030 and 2040. According to the study, India saw a 15-fold rise in extreme heat wave days between 1993 and 2024, with a 19-fold increase in the past decade alone.

Some of the key findings include identifying potential heat wave hotspots; cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai are predicted to experience a two-fold increase in heatwave days. Moreover, eight out of 10 Indian districts are projected to face multiple extreme rainfall events by 2030. More than 75% of the districts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Manipur are identified as high-risk states facing a double whammy of heat stress and rainfall extremes. These districts will at least witness one instance of heat wave in the months of March, April and May by 2030.

The study takes a keen interest in understanding the urban vulnerability to extreme weather events — around 72% of tier-I and tier-II cities will be at high risk due to increasing heat stress, storm surges, hailstorms, and lightning. The study also found that monsoon seasons in India are witnessing an extended summer-like condition, except on non-rainy days.

Abinash Mohanty, head of the Climate Change and Sustainability Practice at IPE Global and the lead author of the study, says that the study findings are indicators that climate change has exposed India to extreme heat and rainfall. “Meteorological phenomenon like El Niño and La Niña are going to gain stronger momentum, resulting in abrupt surge in climate extremes like flood, cyclones, storm surges and extreme heat,” Mohanty shares.

The study underscores the urgency of hyper-local risk assessments, early-warning systems, and targeted resilience strategies to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. Other recommendations include integrating risk financing instruments and appointing district-level heat-risk champions. Promoting GIS-based decision tools for climate-resilient infrastructure and policy planning have also been suggested by the researchers as preparedness. As climate extremes intensify, India must move from reactive to proactive planning — turning data into action for a sustainable, climate-resilient future.

Banner image: Heavy rain and flooding in Hyderabad. Image by Rajib Ghosh via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

A new report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) finds that the Asian continent is warming twice as fast as the global average, highlighting the uneven impacts and consequences of global warming across the world.

Higher levels of warming are causing reductions in glacier mass, unprecedented sea-level rise, and prolonged heat waves over the region. Depending on the data set, the year 2024 was either the hottest or second hottest on record in Asia, with temperatures reaching 1.04°C above the 1991-2020 average, the State of the Climate in Asia report, released on June 23, says.

Faster warming over Asia is attributed to its massive landmass, “because temperature increase over land is larger than the temperature increase over the ocean,” the report says. The Asian continent has the largest landmass of all other continents on earth, at 44.58 million square kilometres. Even so, exceptionally high temperatures last year caused most of the ocean area in Asia — 15 million square kilometres — to experience marine heat waves.

Among the extreme weather events noted in the report is the 2024 Wayanad landslide in Kerala, which killed more than 220 people. The landslide was caused by excessive one-day rainfall, which was made 10% more intense due to climate change, according to a rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution.

“The State of the Climate in Asia report highlights the changes in key climate indicators such as surface temperature, glacier mass and sea level, which will have major repercussions for societies, economies and ecosystems in the region. Extreme weather is already exacting an unacceptably high toll,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, in a press release. “The work of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and their partners is more important than ever to save lives and livelihoods,” she added.

The report comes amid steep budget cuts made by the Donald Trump administration in hydrometeorological services like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The move could impact climate modelling and cross-border collaborations on predicting and modelling future climate impacts, scientists have said.

Early warning and anticipatory action, with the help of hydromet services, saved 1,30,000 lives during last year’s record-breaking flooding in Nepal, the WMO report notes.

Banner image: An ox-driven cart carries a block of ice during hot weather. Image by Kristina D.C. Hoepnner via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Maruti Bhujangrao Chitampalli, widely revered as Aranya Rishi (sage of the forest), died at his home in Solapur on the evening of June 18, 2025. He was 93.

Born on November 5, 1932, in Solapur, Chitampalli served in the Maharashtra Forest Department for 36 years, eventually retiring as Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests. In recognition of his contributions to nature and literature, he was awarded the Padma Shri in January 2025. Chitampalli leaves behind a remarkable legacy of forest conservation, environmental education, and contributions to Marathi literature.

“He was an encyclopaedia of the forest,” says Atul Deulgaonkar, veteran journalist and author, speaking to Mongabay India. “He was a good orator and narrator. He could bring in many stories from mythology to help anyone understand complex things.”

Reflecting on his interactions with Chitampalli, Deulgaonkar recalled, “I had the chance to meet him three or four times since 1992. I first interviewed him that year while we were roaming around Nagzira Tiger Reserve on an elephant. I was amazed by his knowledge. He could explain anything from ants to birds in a way that was simple and easy to understand. He used to take us into the forest sometimes and share stories about everything we saw.”

“He knew many languages, so he could talk about how tribal communities, like the Paradhi community of Maharashtra, live. How they preserve nature. He knew how people who depend on nature live, how they protect it and take only what they need from it. That was the crux of his thinking,” Deulgaonkar added.

“He helped shape hundreds of experts who now travel, observe, and care deeply for nature,” said Deulgaonkar. “That is why social media is filled with obituaries. Anyone could walk up to him and ask a question, and he would immediately start narrating. What an anthill is, how birds build their nests. This is how he enriched us, with stories and knowledge that stayed with you.”

Chitampalli wrote more than 20 books about wildlife and conservation. His writing mixed factual detail with a storytelling style, helping many Marathi readers understand and appreciate the natural world. His first book, Pakshi Jaay Digantara (1981), was an instant bestseller and set the stage for a successful literary journey. His encyclopaedias on birds (Pakshi Kosh), animals (Prani Kosh), and trees (Vruksha Kosh) have become important resources for researchers and nature lovers alike.

“His books were read widely, and many of them went through several editions,” said Deulgaonkar. “He was highly respected for his knowledge and for the way he connected people to nature through his words.”

As a forest officer, Chitampalli played a pivotal role in the development of key wildlife sanctuaries such as Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Nagzira Sanctuary, and Navegaon National Park. He also served as Director of the Melghat Tiger Project until 1990.

Banner image: Image of Maruti Chitampalli by All India Radio. Representative image of Melghat Tiger Reserve by Ankitfunk via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently issued an order to all the states and Union Territories, and state pollution control boards to stop concretisation around roadside trees. The NGT cited Uttar Pradesh’s 2018 guidelines on urban landscaping for others to use.

While disposing of the case filed by two residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Budh Nagar — Vikrant Tongad and Dr. Supriya Mahajan — the NGT said that while developing urban areas or for construction of road, road berms, footpath etc., local bodies shall follow the guidelines issued by various authorities and also the directions issued by the NGT against indiscriminate concretisation. With regards to the protection of trees, the NGT said that adequate area should be kept non-concretised around trees to ensure healthy growth and survival for longer period.

“We are issuing these directions pan India and a copy of this order shall be communicated to all the Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories and State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees for necessary action and compliance,” the NGT added.

In their plea, Tongad and Mahajan had alleged that in certain sectors of Noida and Greater Noida, there was considerable damage to the environment due to reckless, excessive and indiscriminate concretisation of road sides and road berms. The petitioners also alleged that this was in violation of earlier orders passed by the NGT, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The plea filed by Tongad and Mahajan talks about certain authorities in Uttar Pradesh, but the case also highlights a larger issue of non-compliance in urban construction across the country.

The issue of indiscriminate concretising roads and pathways not only affects the tree cover, but also increases the amount of runoff water leading to urban floods and uprooting of trees in the rainy season.

Recently, Bengaluru-based social activist and president of Project Vruksha Foundation, Vijay Nishanth had also written to forest minister of Karnataka, Eshwar Khandre highlighting the issue of tree root concretisation in cities like Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Ballari.

In his letter, Nishant urged the minister to issue a state-wide government directive to all urban local bodies and district forest offices to conduct tree health audits and immediately begin de-concretisation work in compliance with NGT rulings.

The Forest, Ecology and Environment Department of Karnataka, on June 18, issued a government order to make sure one metre area around the roots of roadside trees is not concretised.

Banner image: Roadside trees in Bengaluru. Image by T.R. Shankar Raman via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).