Death of penguin chick in Mumbai zoo rekindles controversy
The first chick born to Humboldt penguins at the Mumbai Zoo in August this year, died due to “birth anomalies”, within a week from its birth on India's Independence Day.…
Articles by Darryl D'Monte
Darryl D’Monte was Resident Editor of The Times of India and the Indian Express in Mumbai. He writes for several newspapers and websites and has devoted himself to networking environmental journalists in India and throughout the world for nearly four decades.
His book, Ripping the Fabric: The Decline of Mumbai and its Mills was published by Oxford University Press in Delhi in 2002 and reprinted as a paperback in June 2005. He edited a book titled Mills for Sale: The Way Ahead, Marg Publications, 2007.
He is a Trustee of the Mumbai Waterfronts Centre, which in 2007 shared the first Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award of $100,000 for implementing a project in Mumbai which made a difference to citizens’ well being.
He is the President of the Bandra West Residents Association and a Founder Trustee of the Celebrate Bandra festival.
[Book review] Living days and nights in the forest
I will never forget the two chaotic nights I spent with the wildlife biologist Rauf Ali in the jungles of Mundanthurai, a hilly tract in southernmost Tamil Nadu. In spite…
[Interview] Imagining an alternative future
Ashish Kothari, activist from Kalpavriksh in Pune, has co-edited with K.J. Joy a large and impressive tome called Alternative Futures: India Unshackled (Authors Upfront, 2017). They boldly attempt to predict…
Could Mumbai’s leopards reduce the risk of rabies?
Leopards in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the heart of Mumbai could be doing a public health service. A new study from the Ecological Society of America states that…
Mumbai sighting of Olive Ridley hatchlings may not be as rare as imagined
The citizens of Mumbai are overjoyed at the birth of 80 Olive Ridley hatchlings on Versova beach in the northwest suburbs after some 20 long years. These hatchlings were given…
Should there be road-tunnels under Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park?
Environmentalists are divided over the recent decision of the Maharashtra State Wildlife Board, which is presided over by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, to permit a geo-technical survey for two 11-km-long…
Mumbai gets a flamingo sanctuary as trade-off for trans-harbour sea-link
In Mumbai, when a new highway had to cut through mudflats where flamingos come in, the quid pro quo by the Maharashtra Government was to notify a flamingo sanctuary. Thus,…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
- [Explainer] Living with microplastics, is not fantastic
- Residents in Haryana point to stone crushing units for their respiratory troubles and drop in crop yield
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
Almost Famous Species
- Scavenging hyenas save carcass disposal costs
- Hybridisation, roadkills are major threats for the Indian desert cat population
- From abundance to endangerment to revival, Kachchh’s guggal comes a full circle
- [Commentary] Why are evolutionary scientists studying the crawlies?
Eco Hope
- Green pilgrimage model balances faith and conservation
- [Video] Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Studies reveal impact of land use on species diversity in rock outcrops
- Improved tiger numbers come with hidden messages on invasives, habitat connectivity
- Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
Beyond Protected Areas
- [Commentary] India needs a scientific response to mitigate the population of free-ranging dogs
- Hybridisation, roadkills are major threats for the Indian desert cat population
- [Video] Farmers grow paddy for wild elephants in Assam to reduce conflicts
- Megaherbivores could be a potential solution to manage invasive plants, finds study
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Architect of India’s Green Revolution, agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan passes away
- Excavating farmlands for highways
- Increasing carbon dioxide is making our food less nutritious
- Ecosystem-based adaptation takes nature-based, people-centric approach to agriculture
Just Transitions
- With no primary data on impacts, government approves an oil extraction technique 500 m outside forests
- Climate action not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, says Global Stocktake report
- [Interview] Suravee Nayak on why transformative justice for women, Dalits is key for a just transition
- Promised rehabilitation eludes residents living near one of India’s earliest coal mines
