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		<title>Mongabay-India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/by/divya-khatter/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 12:40:25 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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				<item>
					<title>New-to-science catfish sheds light on west-flowing rivers of the Western Ghats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2026 17:33:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lisann Dias]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bioindicators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/18113811/Amblyceps-vayavy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38217</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, Fish, New species, Rivers, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new species of freshwater catfish has been described from the northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Goa. The species, Amblyceps vayavy, was formally described in the journal Zootaxa and is likely endemic to west-flowing rivers of the northern Western Ghats. Amblyceps is a genus of freshwater catfish with 24 identified species found in moderate [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new species of freshwater catfish has been described from the northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Goa. The species, Amblyceps vayavy, was formally described in the journal Zootaxa and is likely endemic to west-flowing rivers of the northern Western Ghats. Amblyceps is a genus of freshwater catfish with 24 identified species found in moderate to swift-flowing rivers in South and Southeast Asia. The only known congener, or closely related species, from the Western Ghats is A. accari, first described in 2016. The name vayavy (pronounced vah-yhav-yah) means ‘northwest’ in both Konkani and Marathi, derived from the species’ distribution in the northern Western Ghats. The first reports emerged in 2020, when a Mumbai-based citizen scientist, Neil Soares, found an Amblyceps specimen in the Kundalika River in Kolad, Maharashtra. It was previously unrecorded in the region, as the distribution of A. accari is restricted to the central Western Ghats. Balaji Vijaykrishnan, the lead author of the study and an independent researcher, said, “This genus was initially thought to be restricted to the northern parts of India. The discovery of A. accari in 2016 and A. crassioris in 2023 from the Western and Eastern Ghats, respectively, revealed that the genus is also present in both the south-western and eastern parts of the country. Amblyceps vayavy is the second species (of this genus) known from the Western Ghats.” Over five years, between 2020 and 2025, the team, which included Vijaykrishnan along with researchers Tejas Thackeray and Abhishek Shirke of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Storms and lightning kill over 100 in Uttar Pradesh</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/storms-and-lightning-kill-over-100-in-uttar-pradesh/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/storms-and-lightning-kill-over-100-in-uttar-pradesh/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2026 13:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Bay of Bengal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dust storm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thunderstorm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Western Disturbances]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/18105527/AP26134302997735-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38214</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[About 111 people have died in a storm that hit Uttar Pradesh last week. The state government has announced financial compensation for the affected families. On May 13, several districts in the northern state experienced severe storms, rain, and lightning. Around 72 people were injured due to the impacts of the storm, 170 livestock animals [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[About 111 people have died in a storm that hit Uttar Pradesh last week. The state government has announced financial compensation for the affected families. On May 13, several districts in the northern state experienced severe storms, rain, and lightning. Around 72 people were injured due to the impacts of the storm, 170 livestock animals died and 200 houses were damaged, according to a statement released by the state government. The worst-affected districts included Prayagraj with 21 deaths, followed by Mirzapur (19), Sant Ravidas Nagar (16), and Fatehpur (11). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered officials to expedite relief work in the affected districts. He announced compensation of ₹4 lakh (₹400,000) for the families of the deceased as well as compensation for livestock losses. The chief minister also directed district in-charge ministers to visit affected areas and take stock of the situation and asked district officials to ensure the smooth operation of electricity, drinking water, and health facilities. Dust storms accompanied by thunder, lightning, and rain are common in April and May, when north India experiences intense heat. However, the latest storm system was more intense than usual and had a wide impact on lives and properties. In a statement, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said districts such as Prayagraj and Bareilly recorded wind speeds of up to 130 kmph, while several other districts witnessed wind speeds exceeding 100 kmph. Generally, the wind speed in a normal storm ranges from 40 to 60 kmph. The thunderstorm was accompanied by gusty winds,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/storms-and-lightning-kill-over-100-in-uttar-pradesh/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/storms-and-lightning-kill-over-100-in-uttar-pradesh/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Shrinking forest corridors in central India could disrupt tiger dispersal</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/shrinking-forest-corridors-in-central-india-could-disrupt-tiger-dispersal/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/shrinking-forest-corridors-in-central-india-could-disrupt-tiger-dispersal/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2026 12:29:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manjeera Gowravaram]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Achanakmar Tiger Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[central India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiger conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiger reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiger reserves]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/18001517/Umarpani_Male-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38206</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Forests, Mammals, Protected Areas, Tigers, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Across the forests of central India, young tigers set out on long journeys once they reach two to three years of age; they leave their mother’s territory and search for their own. But the surrounding landscapes are no longer as conducive. Once continuous forest blocks are now fragmented by farms, roads, rail lines, and settlements. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Across the forests of central India, young tigers set out on long journeys once they reach two to three years of age; they leave their mother’s territory and search for their own. But the surrounding landscapes are no longer as conducive. Once continuous forest blocks are now fragmented by farms, roads, rail lines, and settlements. A recent study published in the Journal for Nature Conservation examines how tigers navigate such altered terrain. The study was conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and the Institute of Integrated Learning in Management (IILM) University. “Many studies talk about habitat loss. Our focus is on building computational models that use data to understand [habitat] connectivity,” says Saurabh Shanu, Assistant Dean and an associate professor at IILM University, and one of the study’s co-authors. The goal was to identify which parts of the landscape still allow safe passage for tigers, and which are at risk of being lost. To achieve this, the researchers combined satellite data with two analytical approaches — graph theory and game theory. “Graph theory helps us connect different places on the map. Game theory helps us understand how a tiger responds to things like prey, roads, or other animals,” Shanu explains. Together, these tools map not just where forests remain, but how usable they are for wildlife. The landscape at Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Central India hold about 40% of the country’s wild tigers. Image by Kevin Buehler via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). A changing&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/shrinking-forest-corridors-in-central-india-could-disrupt-tiger-dispersal/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/shrinking-forest-corridors-in-central-india-could-disrupt-tiger-dispersal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>New night frog comes to light in the Western Ghats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/new-night-frog-comes-to-light-in-the-western-ghats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/new-night-frog-comes-to-light-in-the-western-ghats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 May 2026 13:52:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[frog]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/15122736/123081-scaled-e1778828351969-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38200</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Biodiversity, Ecology, Endemic species, Frogs, Mountains, New species, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new-to-science night frog species, Nyctibatrachus kali, has been identified in the Kali river basin of Karnataka’s central Western Ghats. Also known as the Kali night frog, the species was identified using a combination of morphology, genetics and bioacoustics, establishing it as a distinct evolutionary lineage. The Western Ghats, one of the world’s major biodiversity [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new-to-science night frog species, Nyctibatrachus kali, has been identified in the Kali river basin of Karnataka’s central Western Ghats. Also known as the Kali night frog, the species was identified using a combination of morphology, genetics and bioacoustics, establishing it as a distinct evolutionary lineage. The Western Ghats, one of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots, are home to exceptionally high amphibian diversity. According to the study, 253 amphibian species are currently known from the region, nearly 94% of them endemic. Night frogs of the genus Nyctibatrachus are themselves endemic to the Western Ghats, and around 70% of these species have highly restricted distributions. Like many Nyctibatrachus frogs, the Kali night frog is a cryptic species — one that closely resembles other species externally, but is genetically distinct. Researchers encountered the frog during field surveys in 2021 in the Castlerock region of Uttara Kannada district, within the Kali river catchment. “The discovery of the Kali night frog was a citizen-led effort in which forest department members also played a role,” says scientist K.V. Gururaja who was a part of the study. “Initially, the species was thought to be the already known Kumbara night frog (Nyctibatrachus kumbara), discovered in 2014. Researchers later collected DNA samples, recorded its calls and compared the findings, which showed that the frog was genetically and acoustically distinct.” According to scientist and co-author Preeti Hebbar, frog discoveries in the past were largely based on morphology alone, but that approach is no longer sufficient. Advances in molecular biology&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/new-night-frog-comes-to-light-in-the-western-ghats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/new-night-frog-comes-to-light-in-the-western-ghats/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Assured paddy prices reshape farms</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 May 2026 12:38:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ayushi Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional grains]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/15114005/paddy-purchasing-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38193</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Politics, Food, Organic Farming, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sukhdev Sahu, a farmer from Kurud block in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, is standing on the edge of his field. Around him, paddy cultivation stretches as far as the eye can see. &#8220;In the past, we used to grow a variety of crops here, including kodo, kutki, ragi, pulses, and oilseeds. Now, there is nothing but [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sukhdev Sahu, a farmer from Kurud block in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, is standing on the edge of his field. Around him, paddy cultivation stretches as far as the eye can see. &#8220;In the past, we used to grow a variety of crops here, including kodo, kutki, ragi, pulses, and oilseeds. Now, there is nothing but paddy,&#8221; Sahu says. Now in his sixties, Sahu remembers a time when he practiced organic farming in the early 2000s. He used to make manure from cow dung on his farm and saved seeds for the next season. He then had 20 cattle. But things changed when paddy started getting better prices. Today, on his 11 acres of land, he grows only paddy. When asked for the reason, he answers, “It is because of the price of paddy. No matter the variety, the government buys it at ₹3,100 per quintal.” This trend is not unique to Sahu. Recent data highlights a broader transformation in agricultural practices across the state. Over the past five years, the certified area under organic cultivation in the state has shrunk sharply. The area under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) certification was around 23,209 hectares in 2020–21, but by 2024–25, it had fallen to just about 6,822 hectares. This represents a decline of nearly 70%. The area under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), another Indian government scheme launched in 2015-16 to promote sustainable, chemical-free organic farming, has increased from 25,000 ha to more than one lakh ha in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Telemetry helps track vulture routes, threats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/telemetry-helps-track-vulture-routes-threats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/telemetry-helps-track-vulture-routes-threats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 May 2026 11:38:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cinereous vulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vulture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vulture conservation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/15100522/IMG_9480-scaled-e1778821678309-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38186</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A cinereous vulture rescued in Madhya Pradesh earlier this year, rehabilitated at Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park and later released with a tracking device, was found injured in Pakistan after crossing the border. The case has added to a growing record of tracking vulture movement across India, Pakistan, Nepal and Central Asia, using telemetry to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A cinereous vulture rescued in Madhya Pradesh earlier this year, rehabilitated at Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park and later released with a tracking device, was found injured in Pakistan after crossing the border. The case has added to a growing record of tracking vulture movement across India, Pakistan, Nepal and Central Asia, using telemetry to follow routes, wintering grounds and threats. The two-year-old female cinereous vulture was rescued on January 22, 2026, from Parsulia village in Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur district after being found injured. It was first stabilised at Van Vihar National Park and later rehabilitated at the park’s Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre. The bird, which had suffered a leg injury, was ringed, microchipped and monitored under veterinary care before being fitted with a GPS-GSM telemetry device on March 25 with support from WWF-India and Bombay Natural History Society. Released near Halali Dam in Raisen district, it crossed into Pakistan by April 6. An injured female cinereous vulture was rescued on January 22 from Shajapur district, Madhya Pradesh. It was rehabilitated at the Van Vihar National Park, tagged for monitoring and released near Halali Dam in Raisen district. It crossed into Pakistan by April 6. Image courtesy of Department of Public Relations, Madhya Pradesh. Soon after, its signal stopped. Later, the bird was recovered in Khanewal district in Pakistan by local residents who then alerted wildlife officials. The bird is currently recovering at a rehabilitation facility there. The cinereous vulture is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/telemetry-helps-track-vulture-routes-threats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A salt marsh through time [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 May 2026 16:41:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[C.P. Rajendran]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[salt pans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/14125046/Asiatic_Wild_Ass_at_sunset-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38174</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Marshlands, Oceans, Rivers, Thar Desert, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Have you ever heard of a desert that disappears every year, only to return? Rann of Kutch is a landscape where a shallow sea floods the land for a few months each monsoon. During the monsoons, tidal currents from the Gulf of Kutch flow onto this white desert, transforming it into an inland sea. As [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Have you ever heard of a desert that disappears every year, only to return? Rann of Kutch is a landscape where a shallow sea floods the land for a few months each monsoon. During the monsoons, tidal currents from the Gulf of Kutch flow onto this white desert, transforming it into an inland sea. As the monsoon retreats, the waters recede, leaving behind an endless stretch of snowy flats. Migratory birds like flamingos descend upon the newly formed lake, where they feed on fish and hatch their young on the fringes of the marshes, which then turn green. But this doesn’t last forever. Come summer, the water recedes, the earth dries, and you see a land that stretches to the horizon — snow white, with shiny crystals of salt. This is the Rann of Kutch in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where a desert changes its appearance with the seasons, year after year. The features are not permanent; they come and go. Derived from Hindi, rann means salt marsh, and Kutch refers to an alternately wet and dry place. This large area of salt marshes, called the Rann of Kutch (also spelt Kachchh), stretches across the border between India and Pakistan. Much of it lies in the Kutch district of Gujarat and extends into Sindh in Pakistan. Occupying around 26,000 square kilometres and extending east to west, the Rann of Kutch is divided into the Great Rann and the Little Rann. This &#8220;marsh of alluvium&#8221; is home to India&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Rare peacock tarantula gets dedicated conservation survey</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/rare-peacock-tarantula-gets-dedicated-conservation-survey/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/rare-peacock-tarantula-gets-dedicated-conservation-survey/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 May 2026 15:04:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[arachnids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invertebrates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spiders]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/14135011/1f67dcea-25fe-44c4-9457-8ee3f15be3e1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38180</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andhra Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Eastern Ghats, Endangered species, Forests, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, along with the non-profit Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, has launched a conservation survey of the critically endangered peacock tarantula in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. First recorded in Gooty, Andhra Pradesh, in 1899, the peacock tarantula or Gooty ornamental sapphire tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica) is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, along with the non-profit Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, has launched a conservation survey of the critically endangered peacock tarantula in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. First recorded in Gooty, Andhra Pradesh, in 1899, the peacock tarantula or Gooty ornamental sapphire tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica) is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, which means it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. Known for its striking metallic blue colour with yellow and white markings on its abdomen and legs, it is the only blue species in the genus Poecilotheria. The species is found mainly in the Nandyal and Giddalur forest divisions, as well as parts of the Seshachalam hills in southern Andhra Pradesh. One of the most trafficked arachnids in the world, the peacock tarantula faces threats from illegal pet trade as well as habitat loss caused by logging. Murthy Kantimahanti, CEO of the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, informs Mongabay-India that the species prefers dry deciduous forests with large, mature trees that provide specialised microhabitats. “These tarantulas are purely arboreal, living in tree holes and crevices. They are found across hill slopes, valleys and plains along this landscape, suggesting that these forest patches together create the ecological conditions that have made the species endemic to the region,” he says. Kantimahanti says baseline surveys began last month after the required permits were obtained. The work includes interviews with local communities and forest department officials to document historical records of the species. The proposed one-year&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/rare-peacock-tarantula-gets-dedicated-conservation-survey/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Climate change and tourism are reshaping farming in the Himalayas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 May 2026 12:20:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rozita Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather patterns]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/14112402/AP19130602267775-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38167</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Food, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Land Rights, Mountains, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[​For generations, farmers in Bir village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district have relied on seasonal rhythms to guide when to sow and harvest crops. Today, many residents say those patterns no longer hold. ​“Earlier, the rains came at the right time. Now, when crops need sunshine, it rains instead. Summers have become hotter too,” says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[​For generations, farmers in Bir village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district have relied on seasonal rhythms to guide when to sow and harvest crops. Today, many residents say those patterns no longer hold. ​“Earlier, the rains came at the right time. Now, when crops need sunshine, it rains instead. Summers have become hotter too,” says Sarla Devi, 60, a farmer and cattle rearer from Bir. ​Situated in the mid-Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, the Bir-Billing area has long supported small farms growing grains, vegetables, and fodder crops. Bir village lies at roughly 1,525 metres above sea level. But residents say erratic rainfall, warmer winters, and sudden weather shifts are affecting crop cycles and making agriculture less predictable. ​Scientific findings echo these concerns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report notes that mountain regions, including the Hindu Kush Himalaya, are experiencing increasing temperatures and changing seasonal weather patterns, while shifts in temperature and precipitation are affecting the timing and availability of water for agricultural activities. ​At the same time, climate pressures are unfolding alongside rapid land-use change. Bir and nearby Billing, internationally known as a paragliding destination, have seen steady growth in guesthouses, cafés, and tourism infrastructure over the past decade. Residents say agricultural land is increasingly being sold or repurposed for construction. Rain clouds seen over Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. Representative image. ​Residents say erratic rainfall, warmer winters, and sudden weather shifts are affecting crop cycles and making agriculture less predictable. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia) ​Older residents&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Workers groups are pushing for legal protections against deadly heat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/workers-groups-are-pushing-for-legal-protections-against-deadly-heat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/workers-groups-are-pushing-for-legal-protections-against-deadly-heat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2026 19:23:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gig workers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat impacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat waves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwaves]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/13171049/AP20138243285483-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38109</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Human Rights, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Several labour unions have demanded, in writing, that India’s labour codes be reformed to include more explicit provisions for working in extreme heat. Record-breaking heat in recent years has moved government bodies to issue advisories urging employers to reschedule working hours and make drinking water available to workers. But workers say this isn’t enough in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Several labour unions have demanded, in writing, that India’s labour codes be reformed to include more explicit provisions for working in extreme heat. Record-breaking heat in recent years has moved government bodies to issue advisories urging employers to reschedule working hours and make drinking water available to workers. But workers say this isn’t enough in the face of life-threatening heat. &#8220;Advisories don&#8217;t scare anybody, so no one is compelled to comply with them,&#8221; said Nirmal Gorana, National coordinator of the Gig &amp; Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU). Working in conditions where ambient temperatures are sustained above 32°C are found to raise the risk of heat-related illness significantly. For India’s largely informal workforce, this type of exposure can be deadly. Workers and researchers woke up to this reality in 2024 — India’s hottest year on record — when temperatures crossed 40°C for several days and resulted in more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases. “That year really shaped public opinion about the importance of improving safety measures against heat,&#8221; said Aravind Unni, an urban practitioner and researcher on informality and urban spaces. Each degree rise in temperature is estimated to reduce annual plant output by 2% and worker productivity by 2-4%, but India’s labour laws haven’t kept pace with these impacts. In 2020, India’s numerous labour laws were simplified and consolidated into four distinct codes — the Code on Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety. The codes were modified to include platform and gig workers, and expanded social security and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/workers-groups-are-pushing-for-legal-protections-against-deadly-heat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Scientists report plastic-rock formation from India’s western coast</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/scientists-report-plastic-rock-formation-from-indias-western-coast/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/scientists-report-plastic-rock-formation-from-indias-western-coast/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2026 16:50:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ananya Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beaches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rocks]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/13122036/Plastiglomerate_Museon-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38144</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Environment, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In May 2024, a research group set out along the shores of Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, in search of unusual rock formations. As they walked, they collected samples by carefully chiselling out pieces of rocky outcrops where plastic waste had been trapped, later transporting these to the lab for analysis. One of these [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In May 2024, a research group set out along the shores of Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, in search of unusual rock formations. As they walked, they collected samples by carefully chiselling out pieces of rocky outcrops where plastic waste had been trapped, later transporting these to the lab for analysis. One of these samples had a green plastic net embedded within the rock, which  the team recently reported as the first evidence of &#8216;plastistone&#8217; — a plastic-rock formation — from India’s western coast. Plastic-rock structures have been documented globally, including from the shores of Andaman and Nicobar islands and Tamil Nadu. Earlier formations found in India were largely plastiglomerates and pyroplastics that are formed by human-induced burning of plastic. In contrast, researchers suggest that plastistone has formed through natural processes, where the bonding of plastic debris with sediments and biological components was brought about by UV exposure, high temperatures and waves. The study, published in Discover Oceans, also found that the plastic filament protruding from the rock was polyamide in nature, suggesting that it originated from a discarded nylon fishing net. Plastistone is likely a “novel form of sedimentary rock”, said Punyasloke Bhadury, professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata and the study’s corresponding author, who added that that this is the first plastistone formation to be reported from the Indian subcontinent. A 2024 study found that India emits an estimated 9.3 millions tonnes of plastic pollution each year, equivalent to nearly one-fifth&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/scientists-report-plastic-rock-formation-from-indias-western-coast/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The monkey with a lion’s tail</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/the-monkey-with-a-lions-tail/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/the-monkey-with-a-lions-tail/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2026 14:02:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Team Mongabay-India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[lion-tailed macaque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macaques]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monkeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/13135041/macaque-4-e1778660458190-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38141</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Species File]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. Lion-tailed macaques are moving out of forests. A recent study in the Western Ghats has recorded as many as 800 individuals in human landscapes, where they face risks like road accidents and electrocution. The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) is a tree-dwelling monkey, endemic to the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Species File: Exploring India&#8217;s biodiversity, one species at a time. Lion-tailed macaques are moving out of forests. A recent study in the Western Ghats has recorded as many as 800 individuals in human landscapes, where they face risks like road accidents and electrocution. The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) is a tree-dwelling monkey, endemic to the rainforests of the Western Ghats. These macaques are recognised for their distinctive silver-white mane, black face and tufted tail similar to that of a lion. Since they primarily eat fruits, they move through the canopy of connected trees in forests, rarely descending to the ground. They also supplement their diet with insects for protein. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species, the lion-tailed macaque is endangered. The loss of rainforests has led to a decline in its population with only about 2,400-2,500 mature individuals remaining. In India, the species is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving it the highest level of legal protection. The Anamalai Hills in the Central Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, is home to some of the largest populations of lion-tailed macaques. However, these rainforests have been broken up into smaller fragments by tea plantations, human habitation, roads and electric lines, increasing threats to this species. In recent years, researchers have found vanishing forests are driving lion-tailed macaques to search for food in people’s homes, highlighting the need for large-scale restoration of their rainforest habitat, expansion of sanctuaries and protection&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/the-monkey-with-a-lions-tail/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>High Court bench to hear PILs challenging Great Nicobar clearance</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/high-court-bench-to-hear-pils-challenging-great-nicobar-clearance/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/high-court-bench-to-hear-pils-challenging-great-nicobar-clearance/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 May 2026 16:02:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[EIA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental impact assessment (EIA)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/12154102/pexels-vishal-jadav-41034772-14313849-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=38138</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Politics, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Islands, Land Rights, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Calcutta High Court’s Divisional Bench at Port Blair has agreed to hear three Public Interest Litigations alleging violations in forest rights laws when granting the Great Nicobar Island megaproject clearance. The Court rejected the government’s plea to dismiss the PILs since the petitioner, former IFS officer Meena Gupta, lived in Telangana not the Andaman [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Calcutta High Court’s Divisional Bench at Port Blair has agreed to hear three Public Interest Litigations alleging violations in forest rights laws when granting the Great Nicobar Island megaproject clearance. The Court rejected the government’s plea to dismiss the PILs since the petitioner, former IFS officer Meena Gupta, lived in Telangana not the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Apart from arguing that Gupta had “no locus standi” in the matter, the Union government also said there was no need to re-visit the case as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had already cleared the project three months earlier. However, the Calcutta Court said it was &#8220;crystal clear” that the petition in the NGT — which challenged the Project’s environmental clearance — was completely different from the present PILs. Gupta’s PILs concern the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in gram sabhas that are likely to be affected by the project, as well as the reduction in buffer zones around national parks. “Merely because&#8230;the word &#8216;environment&#8217; is mentioned, it does not make the present two petitions similar to the first one,” the court said in its order. The matter will be heard next on June 23. The FRA law recognises the historical rights that forest dwellers and scheduled tribes have over forest resources. While the government maintains that FRA procedures were duly followed, media reports covering the ongoing legal proceedings have reported that quorum under the law was not met. Gupta’s PIL also argues that the Shompen and Nicobarese — the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/high-court-bench-to-hear-pils-challenging-great-nicobar-clearance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>India bets on data centres even as water, energy-use concerns mount</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/india-bets-on-data-centres-even-as-water-energy-use-concerns-mount/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/india-bets-on-data-centres-even-as-water-energy-use-concerns-mount/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 May 2026 14:47:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data centres]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/12124137/pexels-ujjwal-kishore-11047831-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38088</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Energy, Environmental Law, Technology, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The coastal district of Visakhapatnam (Vizag) in Andhra Pradesh is set for a major transformation. On April 28, the foundation stone was laid in Tarluvada, a village in Vizag for a new data centre for Google — expected to be the technology company’s largest data centre outside the United States. The data centre is part [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The coastal district of Visakhapatnam (Vizag) in Andhra Pradesh is set for a major transformation. On April 28, the foundation stone was laid in Tarluvada, a village in Vizag for a new data centre for Google — expected to be the technology company’s largest data centre outside the United States. The data centre is part of an AI Hub announced by the company last October. The state government allotted 480 acres of land in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts for the hub. Activists and lawyers have raised environmental concerns and questions about the lack of clarity on water and energy consumption for the operation of the approved data centres. They also assert that data centres should be classified as separate infrastructure projects with massive resource needs, for obtaining environment clearance. Experts call for a clear, defined national data centre policy. After a draft policy was launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India (MeitY) in 2020, there have been no updates or a final policy yet. Meanwhile, Reliance Industries Ltd. is also planning to build a 1.5 gigawatt (GW) data centre cluster, also in Vizag. AP aims to create 6.5 GW of compute capacity in the coming years. Environmental concerns surrounding data centres in Vizag  Data centres use water, primarily for cooling the systems. Google alone consumed approximately 31 billion litres of water across all its data centres in 2024. While the company reports that a majority of its freshwater withdrawals came from sources at low risk of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/india-bets-on-data-centres-even-as-water-energy-use-concerns-mount/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/india-bets-on-data-centres-even-as-water-energy-use-concerns-mount/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>While the world hesitates, India must continue leading on climate [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 May 2026 12:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Minal PathakVaibhav Chaturvedi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/12102052/AP26110297264780-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38125</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Science, Energy, Human Rights, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is already brushing up against record electricity demand weeks before the peak of summer, with consumption nearing a record 256 gigawatts in April as an intense heatwave sweeps across large parts of the country. Temperatures in central and southern regions are climbing well into the mid-40s, pushing cooling demand and straining power systems earlier [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India is already brushing up against record electricity demand weeks before the peak of summer, with consumption nearing a record 256 gigawatts in April as an intense heatwave sweeps across large parts of the country. Temperatures in central and southern regions are climbing well into the mid-40s, pushing cooling demand and straining power systems earlier than usual. These accelerating extremes coincide with India&#8217;s unveiling of its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2035 at a moment of geopolitical uncertainty. The opening months of 2026 have also underscored how fractured the global climate consensus has become. Some countries are wavering on climate commitments, even as 2025 closed with a grim roll-call of climate records, disasters, and missed targets worldwide. With global tensions disrupting energy markets and exposing the fragility of fuel supply chains, one message is clear: climate ambition today is inseparable from energy security. India’s climate choices are now about securing growth, stability, and strategic autonomy, and they carry unusual weight going forward. India must now move decisively from targets to systems that protect its growth and credibility in the Global South. There are some steps that India can take on this pathway. Embedding science and development at the core First, public policy must be guided by the best available evidence. Across the world, scientists are increasingly questioned even as environmental decisions are taken as short-term fixes. Such choices, whether on air quality, energy, or climate policy, affect not just present welfare but future generations. The question is simple: what&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/while-the-world-hesitates-india-must-continue-leading-on-climate-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>The changing fate of Kerala’s sacred groves [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-changing-fate-of-keralas-sacred-groves-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-changing-fate-of-keralas-sacred-groves-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 May 2026 18:08:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nibha Namboodiri]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Snakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tradition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/11171600/Sarpa_Kavu_By_Manojk-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38118</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, and Reptiles]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sacred groves in Kerala are often held up as examples of how tradition can protect biodiversity. For generations, these sarpa kaavus or the traditional sacred groves, survived precisely because they were considered sacred. They were left undisturbed, protected not by law but by belief. But that relationship is beginning to shift. In many parts of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sacred groves in Kerala are often held up as examples of how tradition can protect biodiversity. For generations, these sarpa kaavus or the traditional sacred groves, survived precisely because they were considered sacred. They were left undisturbed, protected not by law but by belief. But that relationship is beginning to shift. In many parts of the state, sacred groves are now being altered, reduced or lost,not only because of external pressures such as urbanisation and land-use change, but also because the very rituals meant to sustain them are increasingly being practiced without their ecological context. At the centre of this transformation lies a difficult contradiction: traditions that once protected these landscapes are, in some cases, contributing to their decline. Traditionally associated with serpent worship, sarpa kaavus functioned as informal conservation spaces, preserving native vegetation, water systems and wildlife within otherwise altered landscapes. Protected by belief systems that discouraged disturbance, these groves survived for generations without formal regulation. Yet this protection is now uneven. One such contradiction can be seen in the practice of the ritual kaavu avahana, in which the chaitanya, or sacred essence of a grove, is ritually transferred elsewhere by a tantri (priest). Within the tradition, this is understood as a legitimate continuation of worship. However, in practice, it has often been followed by the clearing of the original grove. A sarpa kaavu at Thirunelli Temple in the Brahmagiri Hills. Sacred groves or sarpa kaavu in Kerala, touted as examples of how tradition can protect biodiversity, are now&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-changing-fate-of-keralas-sacred-groves-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>LPG shortage leads to increased demand for clean-cooking solutions</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/lpg-shortage-leads-to-increased-demand-for-newer-clean-cooking-solutions/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/lpg-shortage-leads-to-increased-demand-for-newer-clean-cooking-solutions/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 May 2026 18:02:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shuchita Jha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biofuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biogas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cooking fuel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LPG]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/11160014/Sahyandri-school-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38102</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biofuels, Energy, Food, Fossil Fuels, Human Rights, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“My phone has not stopped ringing since the LPG crisis began,” said Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe of Pune, founder of Vaayu Mitra, a decentralised, waste-to-energy biogas model. The set-up promotes the use of home-generated biogas from wet-waste, over the typical LPG supply that homes use for cooking. The recent West Asia conflict led to an energy crisis [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“My phone has not stopped ringing since the LPG crisis began,” said Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe of Pune, founder of Vaayu Mitra, a decentralised, waste-to-energy biogas model. The set-up promotes the use of home-generated biogas from wet-waste, over the typical LPG supply that homes use for cooking. The recent West Asia conflict led to an energy crisis in India when the Strait of Hormuz — where most of India’s imported LPG comes through — was closed. Hospitality industry, food processing companies and households in the country rushed to switch to alternatives, many switching back to traditional wood and cow-dung cake-fuelled open stoves, and induction stoves. Soon after, long queues of people waiting in line for an LPG cylinder became a common sight in almost all cities of India with many paying as high as ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 for a ₹950 LPG cylinder, many being sold in the black market. Sahasrabuddhe has been LPG-free for the past seven years and his company has helped restaurants, cafeterias, canteens and families in Pune and nearby cities reduce their dependence on LPG. He has installed the biogas system for around 440 customers since 2015. The 405 currently active systems of the total installed manage 1,119 tonnes of waste annually, and the biogas produced in the process has saved around 3,000 LPG cylinders of 14 kg, worth ₹2.8 million in a decade. Sahasrabuddhe himself has saved around ₹70,000 in the last seven years doing all his cooking on biogas. The recent situation has brought in new challenges&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/lpg-shortage-leads-to-increased-demand-for-newer-clean-cooking-solutions/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Overlooked urban springs can strengthen water security in Himalayan cities [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/overlooked-urban-springs-can-strengthen-water-security-in-himalayan-cities-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/overlooked-urban-springs-can-strengthen-water-security-in-himalayan-cities-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 May 2026 12:57:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Niharika BindalSailendra Dewan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drought]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[droughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[piped water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Springs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban area]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban water crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/11095320/Photo_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38093</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Sikkim]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Himalayas, Mountains, Water, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the winter between November 2025 and February 2026, Gangtok faced a crisis it could not ignore. After September 2025, rainfall almost completely stopped, and the city’s main water source, the Ratey Chu River, saw its discharge drop by nearly 50%. The Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Sikkim, issued a public notification on February [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the winter between November 2025 and February 2026, Gangtok faced a crisis it could not ignore. After September 2025, rainfall almost completely stopped, and the city’s main water source, the Ratey Chu River, saw its discharge drop by nearly 50%. The Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Sikkim, issued a public notification on February 11, 2026, rationing municipal water to once a day and issuing repeated warnings against wasting water. Five months later in April 2026, the crisis, though somewhat resolved, still persists. Gangtok’s centralised water system has always been vulnerable. When monsoon landslides damage intake pipelines or winter droughts shrink rivers, supply collapses quickly. Additionally, Gangtok’s water system was under increasing strain due to population growth, rising tourist inflow, and rapid urban expansion. Yet as the formal water infrastructure struggles, another water network has quietly supported the residents of Gangtok. Gangtok’s freshwater springs (locally known as dharas), continue to function as a parallel source of water. Far from being used only during crises, these springs remain part of everyday urban life. Emerging from underground aquifer networks beneath the town, these springs form an invisible yet resilient water system that sustains residents long before and long after crises emerge. A natural spring or dhara in Bojoghari, Gangtok, harnessed through a plastic pipe and traditional bamboo outlet that have been fitted together. Image by Niharika Bindal. A city-wide assessment conducted by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment across all 19 municipal wards identified 56 springs in Gangtok.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/overlooked-urban-springs-can-strengthen-water-security-in-himalayan-cities-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Pollution and poor infrastructure remain barriers to cyclists in India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/pollution-and-poor-infrastructure-remain-barriers-to-cyclists-in-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/pollution-and-poor-infrastructure-remain-barriers-to-cyclists-in-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 May 2026 17:22:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban transport]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/08153957/1-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38079</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Cities and Towns, Environment, Human Rights, People, Pollution, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2025, a district collector, a Union Minister, and a cycling advocacy group were motivated by the same thought: cycling for a pollution-free future. At the beginning of the year, BYCS India Foundation, a cycling advocacy group, urged major political parties to prioritise making Delhi a bicycle-friendly city. In August, Union Minister for Youth Affairs [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2025, a district collector, a Union Minister, and a cycling advocacy group were motivated by the same thought: cycling for a pollution-free future. At the beginning of the year, BYCS India Foundation, a cycling advocacy group, urged major political parties to prioritise making Delhi a bicycle-friendly city. In August, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, echoed the sentiment, framing cycling as “a solution to pollution.” And in December, Andhra Pradesh’s NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha emphasised the importance of cycling not just for personal fitness, but to reduce emissions. With more research highlighting that cycling can reduce pollution and move towards net-zero carbon goals, there has been a push to promote the familiar leisure activity as a climate solution. However, a new study, published in Nature Cities, examined bicycling culture in cities of four low- and middle-income countries — Delhi and Chennai in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Accra in Ghana — and found barriers including lack of physical infrastructure as well as policy, implementation and gender gaps. India is the sixth most-polluted country, according to the 2025 World Air Quality Report by IQAIR, with Delhi ranking as the fourth most polluted city worldwide. “Whenever air pollution rises in Delhi, the conversation turns to reducing vehicular emissions. The government and the media advocate using public buses and bicycles instead of cars. But this is ironic because the government acts as an advocate, but nothing is done to improve the actual conditions that discourage their use,” says&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/pollution-and-poor-infrastructure-remain-barriers-to-cyclists-in-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Reintroduced rhinos breed, but recovery remains fragile</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/reintroduced-rhinos-breed-but-recovery-remains-fragile/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/reintroduced-rhinos-breed-but-recovery-remains-fragile/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 May 2026 12:46:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greater one-horned rhino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rehabilitation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rhino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rhino conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[translocation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife translocation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/08101202/Between-2012-and-2021-researchers-recorded-35-rhino-births-in-Manas.-Photo-Credit-Deba-Kumar-Dutta-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38071</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Ecology, Mammals, Rhinos, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The greater one-horned rhinoceros was once wiped out from Assam’s Manas National Park (MNP), marking a major conservation setback. The rhino population, however, was re-established through the wild-to-wild translocation under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020) and rhino rehabilitation programmes. A recent study on the re-established population, introduced through two routes — translocation from other [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The greater one-horned rhinoceros was once wiped out from Assam’s Manas National Park (MNP), marking a major conservation setback. The rhino population, however, was re-established through the wild-to-wild translocation under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020) and rhino rehabilitation programmes. A recent study on the re-established population, introduced through two routes — translocation from other protected areas, and rehabilitation and release — between 2012 and 2021 offers encouraging signs of adaptation in their restored habitat. The study also followed the first generation (F1) of rhinos born in Manas. Manas National Park lies in Assam’s Chirang and Baksa districts in northeast India and borders the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan to the north. Between 2008 and 2021, 22 greater one-horned rhinos were translocated from Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of efforts to restore the park’s rhino population. In addition, 20 rehabilitated rhinos from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation were released in the park between 2006 and 2021, as Manas was considered a more suitable natural habitat than keeping them in rehabilitation facilities. Breeding and calving pattern Researchers recorded 35 rhino births in Manas during the study period. Nineteen calves were born to translocated females and nine to rehabilitated rhinos. Five calves were born to the F1 generation, while two calves were recorded without identified mothers. In total, eight translocated females, four rehabilitated females, five F1 females and two unidentified adults produced calves. “Breeding and calving are among the most important indicators that reintroduced&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/reintroduced-rhinos-breed-but-recovery-remains-fragile/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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