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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>Rethinking irrigation through farm ponds [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/rethinking-irrigation-through-farm-ponds-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/rethinking-irrigation-through-farm-ponds-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jul 2026 11:06:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Partik KumarParul]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[irrigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/27094551/1_Jamal-scaled-e1785125772499-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39605</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Food, Groundwater, Natural Resources, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the sandy fields of Jamal, a village in the Sirsa district of Haryana, water for irrigation does not arrive through a single source. It is mixed, stored, lifted, diluted, timed, subsidised and improvised. Jamal’s landscape first appears dry and exposed: mustard and wheat fields stretch across a semi-arid plain, field channels cutting through farms, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the sandy fields of Jamal, a village in the Sirsa district of Haryana, water for irrigation does not arrive through a single source. It is mixed, stored, lifted, diluted, timed, subsidised and improvised. Jamal’s landscape first appears dry and exposed: mustard and wheat fields stretch across a semi-arid plain, field channels cutting through farms, sand dunes levelled into cultivable plots, and very few functioning tubewells in the conventional sense. But the most striking feature is the diggi — a pond, often lined and built within the farmland. Mixing canal water and groundwater Canal water has clear agronomic value for a farmer: it is usually fresh, low-cost, and is drawn from Himalayan river flows and monsoon-fed storage. But it has limits. It moves through schedules, rotations, field channels, upstream–downstream hierarchies, tail-end losses and sometimes informal diversion. For farmers, this means canal water is valuable, but rarely fully controllable. It is not “on-demand” irrigation; it is scheduled irrigation. The Green Revolution made these limits sharper. High-yielding crops require water at the right time and in the right amount. This created space for what scholars describe as “atomistic irrigation” which means private wells and pumps that give farmers control, flexibility and timely access. Groundwater offers command. But at times, the groundwater’s quality becomes its biggest limitation. In regions with high groundwater salinity, the water is undesirable for irrigation. Jamal, on the Haryana–Rajasthan border, sits precisely in that type of region. It lies near the tail end of Haryana’s canal system, where canal&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/rethinking-irrigation-through-farm-ponds-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Public private partnerships build urban forests</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/ppp-forests-partnerships-for-planet/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/ppp-forests-partnerships-for-planet/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Feb 2025 14:19:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shweta Thakur Nanda]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Corporate Social Responsibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CSR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest and Climate Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ministry of Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nagar Van Yojana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United Nations Development Programme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban area]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban forest]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/20112827/3.-The-Nest-Pic-Credit-RPG-Foundation-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31548</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana, India, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity and Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a winter afternoon, the air feels sharp and cold as one drives on the Yamuna expressway, which gives the impression of an endless concrete ribbon. Then, the landscape suddenly shifts — the concrete, metal, and glass skyline gives way to a lush green stretch. Step in, and a different experience awaits. Outside, the city [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a winter afternoon, the air feels sharp and cold as one drives on the Yamuna expressway, which gives the impression of an endless concrete ribbon. Then, the landscape suddenly shifts — the concrete, metal, and glass skyline gives way to a lush green stretch. Step in, and a different experience awaits. Outside, the city hums with speeding cars, honking bikes, and loud street vendors, and inside this pocket forest, peace blankets the air, punctuated by the soft rustle of leaves and birdsong. Here, two worlds coexist — the chaos of urban life and the serenity of nature. Welcome to the PPP forest, a public-private project developed on public land, funded by a corporate house, and executed by a group of environmental enthusiasts. By investing in these forests, companies are aiming to fulfil their corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments while making a long-term commitment to environment conservation. Urban forests are meant to work as green infrastructure that provides various environmental benefits, such as carbon sinks, natural air purifiers, and islands for heat reduction. Urban forests are an element of nature-based solutions, says Nidhi Pundhir, Senior Vice President, Global CSR at technology firm HCLTech. “Our vision for urban forests encompasses creating/restoring green urban spaces to improve air quality, combat pollution, and support biodiversity conservation in urban areas — all while enhancing community engagement in environmental protection,” says Pundhir, who is also the director of HCLFoundation, the CSR arm of HCLTech. An aerial view of Udaan Biodiversity Park in Pune, which was featured in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/ppp-forests-partnerships-for-planet/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/ppp-forests-partnerships-for-planet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Carbon farming projects not always inclusive and equitable, says new study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/carbon-farming-projects-not-always-inclusive-and-equitable-says-new-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/carbon-farming-projects-not-always-inclusive-and-equitable-says-new-study/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jan 2025 12:03:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carbon Market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carbon offsets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indian Carbon Market]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/23092957/Anegundi_-_Rice_Farmers_-_3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31219</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections, Climate Finance, and Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana, India, and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Carbon Offset, and Carbon Sequestration]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Almost a year ago, the Union Agriculture Ministry released framework guidelines on how the agriculture sector could leverage the carbon market by practicing carbon mitigation techniques. Arjun Munda, the then agriculture minister, said at the time that introducing farmers to the carbon market would not only benefit them, but also accelerate the adoption of environmentally [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Almost a year ago, the Union Agriculture Ministry released framework guidelines on how the agriculture sector could leverage the carbon market by practicing carbon mitigation techniques. Arjun Munda, the then agriculture minister, said at the time that introducing farmers to the carbon market would not only benefit them, but also accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural practices. A new study on the status of carbon farming in India, however, says otherwise. Researchers from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) conducted a survey among hundreds of farmers and found that carbon farming, in which cultivation is aimed at lowering emissions or improving carbon sequestration, inadvertently excluded small landholding farmers, and monetary benefits had reached almost none of the participating farmers at the time of the survey. “While these projects are still in the early stages, we wanted to highlight that they’re not socially inclusive of marginalised caste groups or small and marginal farmers, or even women for that matter,” said A. G. Adeeth Cariappa, an Environmental and Resource Economist with CIMMYT and lead author of the study. Carbon farming has the potential to mitigate climate change while offering farmers additional income avenues through carbon credits, notes the study. Purchasing carbon offsets remains a popular option for companies looking to reduce their own carbon footprints. The agriculture sector, responsible for 13% of India’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, is emerging as a viable destination for carbon credit generation in India. According to the study, India has more than 50 agricultural carbon&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/carbon-farming-projects-not-always-inclusive-and-equitable-says-new-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Understanding roosting habits of the Indian flying fox to improve conservation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/understanding-roosting-habits-of-the-indian-flying-fox-to-improve-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/understanding-roosting-habits-of-the-indian-flying-fox-to-improve-conservation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2024 14:33:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indian flying fox]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/13074744/The-study-also-identified-15-distinct-diurnal-roosting-behaviours-with-sleeping-grooming-wing-flapping-and-wing-spreading-being-the-most-common.-Photo-Credit-Ritu-Devi-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27763</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Conservation, Research, Trees, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A comprehensive study has documented roosting colonies of the Indian flying fox, a bat species, and the characteristics of roost trees in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. As these large bats are highly selective about where they roost, understanding their roost site selection is the first step towards their long-term conservation. Fruit bats are vital for [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A comprehensive study has documented roosting colonies of the Indian flying fox, a bat species, and the characteristics of roost trees in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. As these large bats are highly selective about where they roost, understanding their roost site selection is the first step towards their long-term conservation. Fruit bats are vital for ecosystem health, aiding the survival of over 114 plant species worldwide. Among these bats, the Indian flying fox (Pteropus medius), especially, is crucial for pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling, a process that enables the flow of nutrients through the environment. However, despite its &#8216;Least Concern&#8217; status on the IUCN Red List, studies show the Indian population faces decline due to threats like habitat loss, electrocution, urbanisation, and hunting, among others. “Understanding the significance of Indian flying foxes in ecosystem health is vital for their conservation and the continuity of their ecosystem services. Therefore, the study areas were chosen to reflect the distribution, population dynamics, behaviour, and conservation status of Indian flying foxes, ensuring broader applicability and relevance,” says Parmesh Kumar, co-author of the study and research supervisor from the Department of Zoology, Kurukshetra University. A short-nosed Indian fruit bat (Cynopterus sphinx) in a palm tree in Mangaon, Maharashtra. Image by Shantanu Kuveskar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED). Site selection Research was undertaken in all four tehsils (Pehowa, Thanesar, Ladwa, and Shahbad) of Kurukshetra district, guided by several criteria. The primary consideration was the significant population of Indian flying foxes, confirmed through extensive&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/understanding-roosting-habits-of-the-indian-flying-fox-to-improve-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>To tackle air pollution, scale up monitoring, factor in health and stop ad hoc management say experts</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/to-tackle-air-pollution-scale-up-monitoring-factor-in-health-and-stop-ad-hoc-management-say-experts/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/to-tackle-air-pollution-scale-up-monitoring-factor-in-health-and-stop-ad-hoc-management-say-experts/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Nov 2023 16:51:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Health Organisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/11/10124738/A_Traffic_police_personel_keeping_watch_at_the_traffic_movement_in_the_morning_dense_fog_in_New_Delhi_on_January_29_2007-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25235</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi, Haryana, India, and Punjab]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution and Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A familiar curtain of toxic smog enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) and its neighbouring areas in the last week of October, marking the start of the pollution season that sets in every year as winter approaches. As per a recent government directive, there will be no respite in the near future and air pollution [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A familiar curtain of toxic smog enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) and its neighbouring areas in the last week of October, marking the start of the pollution season that sets in every year as winter approaches. As per a recent government directive, there will be no respite in the near future and air pollution levels are likely to escalate further as Diwali celebrations begin. The factors contributing to alarming levels of smog in NCR have been well known, but policymakers, administrators and monitoring bodies fail to prevent pollution from forming a chokehold over the city as wind speeds and temperatures drop. Air pollution peaks in NCR and its adjoining areas for three to four weeks from mid-October to mid-November during the stubble burning and Diwali seasons. The health impacts of such prolonged exposure can be fatal. A 2021 study by NGO Greenpeace and Swiss firm IQAir estimated some 54,000 people died premature deaths in Delhi in 2020 due to air pollution. Significant money has been poured into ineffective technologies, such as smog towers, aimed at alleviating the pollution. Most recently, the Delhi government is considering seeding clouds and creating artificial rain to drown out the pollution. The solution to tackling the problem can’t be as short-term as the peak smog season, experts say. “There are a lot of actions that should be taken throughout the year to reduce pollution levels at the source,” said Sunil Dahiya, an analyst with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/to-tackle-air-pollution-scale-up-monitoring-factor-in-health-and-stop-ad-hoc-management-say-experts/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Architect of India’s Green Revolution, agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan passes away</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/architect-of-indias-green-revolution-agricultural-scientist-m-s-swaminathan-passes-away/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/architect-of-indias-green-revolution-agricultural-scientist-m-s-swaminathan-passes-away/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Oct 2023 12:31:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm income]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[M.S. Swaminathan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water-dependent agriculture system]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/10/02105839/17165706641_ec923aac0f_h-e1696224611574-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=24672</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana, India, and Punjab]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Environmental Economics]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, known as the father of India’s Green Revolution, passed away in Chennai on September 28, at the age of 98. Swaminathan was the principal architect of a reform in the agricultural sector in India that started in the 1960s. When droughts in 1965 and 1966 impacted agriculture and caused a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, known as the father of India’s Green Revolution, passed away in Chennai on September 28, at the age of 98. Swaminathan was the principal architect of a reform in the agricultural sector in India that started in the 1960s. When droughts in 1965 and 1966 impacted agriculture and caused a food crisis in the country, many international experts predicted a situation of mass starvation. In the years that followed, Swaminathan, with scientific innovation and administrative skills, changed India’s agricultural trajectory and turned India from a mass importer to a self-sufficient nation in food grain production. Swaminathan supported the agricultural industry by identifying and promoting high-yielding seeds. He also led the committee that recommended the minimum support price for farmers be 50% of the weighted average cost of production. Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food Prize, a Padma Vibhushan and the Ramon Magsaysay award, among many other national and international awards for leading India’s Green Revolution. Talking to Mongabay India, agro-economist Devinder Sharma says that it is the end of an era. “The Green Revolution of India was the biggest achievement of the country in the 20th century. Several projections were made about India failing to feed its people. But the Green Revolution thwarted all these predictions. Swaminathan&#8217;s ability to lead the scientific community, along with ensuring the right kind of policy is framed to boost production, has delivered and ensured food security for millions of people,” he said. Born in Kumbakonam on August 7,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/architect-of-indias-green-revolution-agricultural-scientist-m-s-swaminathan-passes-away/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Excavating farmlands for highways</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/excavating-farmlands-for-highways/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/excavating-farmlands-for-highways/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2023 16:23:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sat Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Highway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Highway Authority of India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NHAI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Topsoil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/09/21094434/Farmers-at-Budha-Khera-village-of-Jind-district-showing-difference-in-terrain-after-getting-their-soil-extracted-for-highway-projects-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=24538</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The top soil on a farm determines how bountiful a crop will be. In Haryana, farmers have sold this crucial resource to the government for highway projects. Among them is the Trans-Haryana Expressway, a 227 km long highway that connects Ambala to Narnaul within the state, which was opened to the public in August 2022. Engineers [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The top soil on a farm determines how bountiful a crop will be. In Haryana, farmers have sold this crucial resource to the government for highway projects. Among them is the Trans-Haryana Expressway, a 227 km long highway that connects Ambala to Narnaul within the state, which was opened to the public in August 2022. Engineers who worked on the project, told Mongabay-India, that a share of soil used to elevate this and other highways, crisscrossing the agrarian state, has been excavated from farmers’ agricultural land. Requesting anonymity, they said that the central or state government route the excavation of the land through local contractors who arrange for the soil. The farmers, meanwhile, enticed by the promise of quick returns, agreed to sell the top soil to private contractors. They are now facing the unfortunate consequences of that decision, something they say they were unaware about. In the last five years, Haryana has seen construction or expansion of 19 highways. The state’s chief minister recently said that Haryana is perhaps the only state in which all district headquarters have been connected to the National Highway. Several projects are also in the pipeline. Highway construction in progress. Engineers working on the Trans-Haryana Expressway project, state that the topsoil from agricultural fields nearby is used for the construction of highways in the state. Photo by Sat Singh. Beyond the sheen of progress In the heart of Jind district lies Budha Khera Lather village, home to several affected farmers who have sold the top&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/excavating-farmlands-for-highways/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Residents in Haryana point to stone crushing units for their respiratory troubles and drop in crop yield</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/residents-in-haryana-point-to-stone-crushing-units-for-their-respiratory-troubles-and-drop-in-crop-yield/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/residents-in-haryana-point-to-stone-crushing-units-for-their-respiratory-troubles-and-drop-in-crop-yield/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Aug 2023 17:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sat Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Green Tribunal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NGT.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stone crusher]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/08/01134805/Harijan-colony-of-Khatoli-in-Nangal-Chaudhary-of-Mahendergarh-district-is-the-worst-affected-due-to-pollution-raised-by-stone-crushers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=23853</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment And Health]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution and Health impacts]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A two-kilometre detour from the six-lane national highway 152-D (Narnaul-Ambala), towards the interior villages in Haryana, where stone-crushing units are set up, presents a grim picture. At least one family member in each of the 100 families residing in Harijan colony, at Khatoli Ahir village of the state&#8217;s Mahendragarh district, is either suffering from lung [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A two-kilometre detour from the six-lane national highway 152-D (Narnaul-Ambala), towards the interior villages in Haryana, where stone-crushing units are set up, presents a grim picture. At least one family member in each of the 100 families residing in Harijan colony, at Khatoli Ahir village of the state&#8217;s Mahendragarh district, is either suffering from lung disease, skin allergy or kidney-related issues. The residents attribute the dust created by stone crushing units, as the reason for their illnesses. Three-year-old Sheetal, is among the youngest in the Khatoli Ahir village with multiple illnesses, including rashes on her skin and kidney-related disorders. Priyanka Devi (27), her mother, said that her daughter has been facing these issues for the last six months. &#8220;The doctors at Narnaul (the district headquarters) told us that she should be protected from dust and treatment would run for several months. But we have no other place to stay. The air here has dust all the time,&#8221; she says. Expressing similar anguish, 52-year-old Kamla Devi, who also lives in the Harijan colony at Khatoli Ahir, said she had two sons; one had died, and the other is suffering from tuberculosis (TB) and is being treated in a private hospital in Narnaul, around 22 kilometres away. &#8220;He was diagnosed with TB a year ago and is currently under treatment. Doctors had asked him to stay away from the polluted environment, but we cannot afford it,&#8221; she added. Babli Devi and Sunita Devi, both in their thirties, who live in the same village,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/08/residents-in-haryana-point-to-stone-crushing-units-for-their-respiratory-troubles-and-drop-in-crop-yield/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>A Haryana village opposes construction of government buildings to protect centuries-old trees</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/06/a-haryana-village-opposes-construction-of-government-buildings-to-protect-centuries-old-trees/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/06/a-haryana-village-opposes-construction-of-government-buildings-to-protect-centuries-old-trees/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jun 2023 15:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sat Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/06/27153806/Ram-Kisan-Shashtri-with-his-wife-clinged-to-trees-to-protect-them-from-chopping-down.-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=23384</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Some residents of a village in Haryana are opposing the proposed construction of government buildings on forest lands, home to the iconic Salvadora trees. The villagers say it will hinder the ecological balance of the area. Thaska is a village in the Gohana sub-division of the Sonipat district, situated in the northern part of India. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Some residents of a village in Haryana are opposing the proposed construction of government buildings on forest lands, home to the iconic Salvadora trees. The villagers say it will hinder the ecological balance of the area. Thaska is a village in the Gohana sub-division of the Sonipat district, situated in the northern part of India. It is known for its enormous and well-branched Salvadora trees, which are said to have antibacterial and hypolipidemic capabilities. The village has over 1,200 houses and 100 acres of forest land, according to Thaska&#8217;s revenue records. Haryana is among the states with the lowest forest cover (3.59 per cent) in the country, according to the central government’s think tank NITI Aayog. Thaska village in Haryana is home to Salvadora trees. Photo by Sat Singh. Ramesh Dutt, who is supervising the village administration, said in mid-2022 the state government had requested land for constructing a state co-operative service and marketing institution known as the Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (HAFED), and the police line department. He added that the village panchayat had passed a proposal on March 8, 2023, to allot 15 acres of forest land to the state government. “The land with trees has been unused for decades. After consultation (among elected members of village panchayat), we passed a resolution and sent it to the government,” Dutt said. Felling the trees hampers ecology of the area For more than a month, residents have been in a conflict with the sarpanch (head of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/06/a-haryana-village-opposes-construction-of-government-buildings-to-protect-centuries-old-trees/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Stubble burning is back, smothering north India with concerns for the upcoming winter</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/stubble-burning-will-north-india-smother-again-before-winter/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/stubble-burning-will-north-india-smother-again-before-winter/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Oct 2022 16:11:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vivek Gupta]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air quality index]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stubble burning]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/10/13132658/6315315366_fd50808322_b-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20206</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Environment And Health]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture and Air Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Even as authorities claim that they are all set to deal with what is now an annual public health crisis, stubble burning in the northern states of India is back this year, raising concern among citizens, government authorities and policymakers. For the last several years, the practice of stubble burning &#8211; where fire is set [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Even as authorities claim that they are all set to deal with what is now an annual public health crisis, stubble burning in the northern states of India is back this year, raising concern among citizens, government authorities and policymakers. For the last several years, the practice of stubble burning &#8211; where fire is set to straw stubble to clear fields before the next crop is planted &#8211; has been one of the prime reasons for air pollution over the national capital region (NCR) and other parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains, before the onset of the winter season. The Punjab Pollution Control Department&#8217;s latest data revealed that a total of 650 field fire incidents were reported between September 15 and October 6 this year, more than double the cases (320) recorded during the same period last year. This year, the border district of Amritsar reported 419 cases followed by 109 cases in Taran Taran. In Haryana too, 48 cases of field fires have been reported so far, against 24 last year. The Punjab Pollution Control Board member secretary Krunesh Garg, however, told Mongabay-India that these initial cases were from areas where early varieties of paddy are grown. But initial burning data in Punjab showed trends similar to previous years. Air pollution in New Delhi. Stubble burning has been one of the prime reasons for air pollution over the national capital region (NCR). Photo by Prami.ap90/Wikimedia Commons. Meanwhile in Delhi, in 2021, the 30-day average of its air quality index (AQI)&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/10/stubble-burning-will-north-india-smother-again-before-winter/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>With NCR Draft Plan 2041, the sensitive Aravalis remain vulnerable</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/with-ncr-draft-plan-2041-the-sensitive-aravalis-remain-vulnerable/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/with-ncr-draft-plan-2041-the-sensitive-aravalis-remain-vulnerable/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2022 09:57:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aayush Goel]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/08/30162940/4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=19710</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The National Capital Region (NCR) Draft Regional Plan 2041 is proposed as the next iteration of the NCR Regional Plan 2021, which has been in force since 2005. The draft plan is positioned as a long term plan for the development of the region – which comprises the national capital Delhi and certain districts of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The National Capital Region (NCR) Draft Regional Plan 2041 is proposed as the next iteration of the NCR Regional Plan 2021, which has been in force since 2005. The draft plan is positioned as a long term plan for the development of the region – which comprises the national capital Delhi and certain districts of the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan – with citizen centric infrastructure aims to be in tune with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rolled out by National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), the draft, which was released at the end of 2021 and open till the start of this year for public opinions and suggestions has faced flak from the environmental community for being regressive and threatening air quality, groundwater recharge, forest cover and wildlife habitat across the 25 districts of the region. While the plan promises to contour the region’s development while balancing ecology, it has been touted as a blow to the conservation of the Aravali hill range that has been fighting for survival since decades. Unchecked construction in Aravali foothills in National Capital Region. Photo by Shaz Syed. In the 2041 version of the plan, the term ‘natural zone’ now refers to geographical features such as mountains, hills, rivers, water bodies and forests which shall be notified for conservation under central or state laws, and shall be recognised as such in land records. With this update, it restricts conservation to only those features that are (a) notified under state/central acts and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/with-ncr-draft-plan-2041-the-sensitive-aravalis-remain-vulnerable/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The curious case of the woolly-necked stork and its rising numbers in Haryana</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/the-curious-case-of-the-woolly-necked-stork-and-its-rising-numbers-in-haryana/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/the-curious-case-of-the-woolly-necked-stork-and-its-rising-numbers-in-haryana/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Aug 2022 12:28:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/08/16115800/Two-storks-crossing-the-road-in-north-India.-Photo-Credit-Gopi-Sundar-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=19556</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture and Birds]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As bird populations across the globe steadily decline, the woolly-necked stork is thriving in India, particularly in the northern state of Haryana. According to a recent study, large breeding populations of this understudied species can even be found in densely populated villages and towns of the state, which has been predominantly an agricultural landscape. The [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As bird populations across the globe steadily decline, the woolly-necked stork is thriving in India, particularly in the northern state of Haryana. According to a recent study, large breeding populations of this understudied species can even be found in densely populated villages and towns of the state, which has been predominantly an agricultural landscape. The findings support evidence for the revision of their IUCN Red List status from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘near-threatened’. Tree-nesting waterbirds such as the woolly-necked stork (Ciconia episcopus) often have a fragile relationship with farmlands, given that their survival depends on the retention of trees amidst crops. In places such as North America, waterbird colonies in human-dominated areas are regarded as a nuisance that require ‘removal’. Large-scale mechanised monoculture farming that necessitates deforestation and removal of wetlands, along with hunting activities, have largely limited waterbird nesting to wetland reserves, protected riverine forests, and inaccessible islands. Tropical countries such as India tell a different story. “For the longest time, it was believed that this particular species needed forest reserves to survive. We now know that they prefer irrigation canals over wetlands. The storks use agricultural fields as their major habitats in South Asia where conducive crops, relatively traditional farming techniques, and low hunting activity are key to their proliferation alongside food production,” says K.S. Gopi Sundar, co-chair, IUCN Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill Specialist Group, and co-author of the study. A family of four woolly-necked storks foraging in a recently harvested field in north India. Traditional farming techniques, conducive crops,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/the-curious-case-of-the-woolly-necked-stork-and-its-rising-numbers-in-haryana/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Attacks by dogs a serious concern for the revered blackbuck in Haryana</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/attacks-by-dogs-a-serious-concern-for-the-revered-blackbuck-in-haryana/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/attacks-by-dogs-a-serious-concern-for-the-revered-blackbuck-in-haryana/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Aug 2022 14:32:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/08/01141209/Blackbuck_Antilope_cervicapra-_Male__female_in_Hyderabad_AP_W_IMG_7268-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=19368</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Free-ranging dogs have emerged as a potential threat and predator to the local nilgai and blackbuck populations in parts of Haryana, according to a recent study conducted in the Badopal area of Fatehabad district and the Mangali-Rawatkhera region of Hisar district. The two non-protected, wildlife-dominated sites are home to the Bishnoi community that reveres the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Free-ranging dogs have emerged as a potential threat and predator to the local nilgai and blackbuck populations in parts of Haryana, according to a recent study conducted in the Badopal area of Fatehabad district and the Mangali-Rawatkhera region of Hisar district. The two non-protected, wildlife-dominated sites are home to the Bishnoi community that reveres the blackbuck. The study found that the free-ranging dogs formed packs to attack wildlife and more sightings and casualties were reported during the breeding season, as the mothers and fawns are more vulnerable to an attack. According to the Haryana State Forest Department, from January 2016 to May 2020 in the Hisar division alone, 361 blackbucks, 1641 nilgai, 25 peafowl, 29 chinkara and 35 monkeys were killed by dogs. “Dogs generally turn stray when their owners disown them or they are born on the streets. As a result, they roam freely, breed unrestrictedly and attach themselves into a local population. They have now become a major cause of concern in wildlife-dominated areas that are surrounded by high human habitation in the state,” says Vikram Delu, a PhD in Zoology on blackbuck behaviour and genetics in western Haryana, and the co-author of the study. Read more: Domestic dog: Is our best friend a foe for wildlife? The data from the state forest department about the number of wildlife casualties to stray dog attacks provided the baseline information to categorise the dogs as the only predator in this region. “The cheetah was the blackbuck’s main predator in Haryana.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/attacks-by-dogs-a-serious-concern-for-the-revered-blackbuck-in-haryana/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>[Video] Can a waste-to-energy plant address piling concerns from a landfill site?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/07/video-can-a-waste-to-energy-plant-address-piling-concerns-from-a-landfill-site/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/07/video-can-a-waste-to-energy-plant-address-piling-concerns-from-a-landfill-site/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jul 2022 14:33:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan PandeyVideo by Shaz Syed]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dry waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Landfills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste-to-energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/07/01132628/banner-2-bandhwari-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18912</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi, Haryana, and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Cities and Towns, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Groundwater, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On June 13, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Haryana government regarding inaction over hazardous waste contaminating the groundwater near the Bandhwari landfill. The waste dumping site, located near the Delhi and Haryana border, has been in the news for many years now. To deal with the many health, environmental, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On June 13, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Haryana government regarding inaction over hazardous waste contaminating the groundwater near the Bandhwari landfill. The waste dumping site, located near the Delhi and Haryana border, has been in the news for many years now. To deal with the many health, environmental, and waste management challenges, the Haryana government has proposed a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant. In 2018, Haryana&#8217;s Chief Minister M.L. Khattar laid the foundation stone for a 15 megawatt (MW) capacity plant. Later, when a proposal was mooted to increase its capacity from 15 MW to 25 MW, it received intense opposition from the local people. “On August 31 last year, a public hearing was organised regarding the increase of the capacity of the proposed WTE plants. Around 300 people were present there. Everyone opposed the plan vehemently,” informs Neelam Ahulawalia from Aravalli Bachao Citizens Group which has run an online campaign against the proposed WTE plant which has received support from more than 34,000 people. In their petition, they have argued, “Despite the fact that waste incineration is a completely failed model in India, the Haryana government is in the process of setting up a waste-to-energy plant in our Aravalli Forest at the Bandhwari landfill site, which is not only a complete waste of huge amount of money but is another environmental disaster in the making.” Their fear seems reasonable when one looks at the history of WTE plants in India. The first WTE plant was&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/07/video-can-a-waste-to-energy-plant-address-piling-concerns-from-a-landfill-site/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Industrial water pollution threatens residents in Haryana&#8217;s Kundli area</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/industrial-water-pollution-threatens-residents-in-haryanas-kundli-area/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/industrial-water-pollution-threatens-residents-in-haryanas-kundli-area/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Jun 2022 12:17:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sat Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contamination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water pollution]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/06/23171954/Pic-1-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18823</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment And Health and The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Pollution, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The industrial zone in the Kundli area of Haryana’s Sonipat district has provided a livelihood to many over the last 40 years. From a sleepy village, Kundli turned into a prime-industrial zone. But this came at a price &#8211; the unchecked growth of industries resulted in air and water pollution, threatening the health of local [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The industrial zone in the Kundli area of Haryana’s Sonipat district has provided a livelihood to many over the last 40 years. From a sleepy village, Kundli turned into a prime-industrial zone. But this came at a price &#8211; the unchecked growth of industries resulted in air and water pollution, threatening the health of local people. The locals allege that groundwater was contaminated by the industries as there was no check on them. As a result, they had to rely on private sources of clean water. Ironically, the need for clean water led to more industries being set up in the area to produce clean water. Locals note that these industries charge Rs. 300 rupees per month for the daily supply of 10 litres of water, cleaned through reverse osmosis. There are seven big and medium-scale water distillation plants that are active in the area and supply drinking water to the local people as the groundwater is contaminated and not fit for consumption. During a visit to the area, Mongabay-India found that the village roads were overflowing with sewage and at many places, the foul smell from drains was unbearable as chemical-laced water was flowing unchecked. Subhash Chand, 64, who runs a shop in front of one such drain in Kundli residential area, said that ever since factories were set up in their village, the groundwater quality has continuously deteriorated. “In 1980, Kundli village used to have clean and drinkable water but things worsened after industries were set up,” he&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/industrial-water-pollution-threatens-residents-in-haryanas-kundli-area/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Heatwave takes a toll on north India’s wheat yield</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/heatwave-takes-a-toll-on-north-indias-wheat-yield/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/heatwave-takes-a-toll-on-north-indias-wheat-yield/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jun 2022 09:34:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kapil Kajal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crop loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwave]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/06/07230915/Banner-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18583</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environomy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and Punjab]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, and Global Warming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Hardeep Kaur, 36, and her husband Chamkaur Singh, 39, owned two acres of agricultural land in the Bathinda district of Punjab, a northern Indian state. With a fierce heatwave in March and April, the yield of wheat crop on their land reduced. At the time, the couple had a loan of Rs. 800,000 and with [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Hardeep Kaur, 36, and her husband Chamkaur Singh, 39, owned two acres of agricultural land in the Bathinda district of Punjab, a northern Indian state. With a fierce heatwave in March and April, the yield of wheat crop on their land reduced. At the time, the couple had a loan of Rs. 800,000 and with reduced income from the low wheat yield, the stress to repay the loan kept mounting. Kaur and Singh died by suicide in April 2022. Sarup Singh Sidhu, general secretary of the Bathinda chapter of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), a farmer’s organisation, told Mongabay-India, that since mid-March this year, nine farmers in Bathinda had died by suicide. In another district, Mansa, seven farmers had died the same way. Sarup Singh Sidhu attributes these deaths to the stressful situation that overcame them because of the low wheat output, which in turn is linked to the heatwaves. Bathinda and Mansa districts have recorded the highest decline in wheat yield this season in Punjab, said M.S. Sidhu, head of the Indian Society for Agricultural Development and Policy, an agricultural journal. “Punjab registered the lowest wheat harvest this year in two decades,&#8221; he told Mongabay-India. &#8220;In the 1980s, Punjab wheat yield used to be 27 quintals per hectare which increased to 35 quintals in the 1990s and crossed 45 quintals per hectare in the year 2000.” After the year 2000, wheat yield in Punjab continued to stay above 45 quintals per hectare. From 2016 to 2020, the wheat yield crossed 50&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/heatwave-takes-a-toll-on-north-indias-wheat-yield/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Unaccounted deaths lay bare the dark side of sand mining</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/unaccounted-deaths-lay-bare-the-dark-side-of-sand-mining/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/unaccounted-deaths-lay-bare-the-dark-side-of-sand-mining/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jun 2022 10:12:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Varsha Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accident]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drowning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sand mining]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/06/06180720/Tejpal-and-his-wife-PC-Varsha-Singh-01-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18578</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana, India, and Uttarakhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Mining, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Illegal and unscientific sand mining from rivers is generally seen as a threat to the environment, especially aquatic life. But there is another dark side to this that is neither recorded in government files nor discussed enough: the hundreds of unaccounted deaths every year due to sand mining, leaving behind broken families. Haryana resident Dharampal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Illegal and unscientific sand mining from rivers is generally seen as a threat to the environment, especially aquatic life. But there is another dark side to this that is neither recorded in government files nor discussed enough: the hundreds of unaccounted deaths every year due to sand mining, leaving behind broken families. Haryana resident Dharampal is one such person who lives with these consequences of such sand mining. In July 2019, his 18-year-old son Santi and 15-year-old nephew Sunil died due to drowning in the Som river. The cousins had gone to bathe in the river, narrates Tejpal, the brother of Dharampal, a resident of Kanalsi village of Yamunanagar district. Due to illegal sand mining in the river, many deep pits were formed in it. When the boys went for a swim, no one was aware that mining was taking place in the river or that it had caused such a situation. Talking to Mongabay-Hindi, Dharampal said, “For two months, we kept pursuing the police administration and even approached the district magistrate. Our complaint was not heard. No compensation was given for the death of our children. We are labourers. How many days could we devote to this, leaving our work? From that day onwards, we have not allowed our children to go towards the river.&#8221; With no action from the administration, Dharampal prepares to file a case in court. Kanalsi, the village where the tragedy struck, is where rivers Yamuna, Som and Thapana meet. Kiranpal Rana, another resident of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/unaccounted-deaths-lay-bare-the-dark-side-of-sand-mining/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Once the lifeline of villages, ponds in Haryana turn into garbage sites</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/once-the-lifeline-of-villages-ponds-in-haryana-turn-into-garbage-sites/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/once-the-lifeline-of-villages-ponds-in-haryana-turn-into-garbage-sites/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 May 2022 12:13:13 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sat Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/05/25164445/Banner-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18384</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Environment, Health impacts, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The history of Haryana’s 7,356 villages is as old as its ponds and wells. It is said that people settled wherever they found water storage capacity for human and cattle consumption. A water pond/well would be revered like a village deity and the local people, specially women, would pay their reverence by performing rituals on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The history of Haryana’s 7,356 villages is as old as its ponds and wells. It is said that people settled wherever they found water storage capacity for human and cattle consumption. A water pond/well would be revered like a village deity and the local people, specially women, would pay their reverence by performing rituals on key occasions. Now, the same ponds are polluted, overflowing, filled with dirt, under encroachment, and have become the dumping grounds for garbage. Some of them have even disappeared completely. According to data from Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority (HPWWMA), there are a total of 18,835 ponds across rural and urban areas in the state, and at present, about 63 percent (12,036) of those are polluted. There are 10,118 ponds that are polluted but not overflowing while 1,918 are both polluted and overflowing. The HPWWMA was established in 2018 to monitor and promote the development, protection, rejuvenation, conservation, management of ponds, and utilisation of pond water after treatment. Recently, on May 2, Haryana’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said at a public event, that the government was working to rejuvenate 8,000 ponds in the state. He had said that of Haryana&#8217;s 18,000 ponds, 4,000 are filled with rainwater, 6,000 with water for animal use, and 8,000 with dirty water, which will be treated. Khattar had said that HPWWMA has been made for the rejuvenation of ponds by setting aside Rs. 1,000 crore (Rs. 10 billion) for this task. Garbage, encroachment take over ponds In&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/05/once-the-lifeline-of-villages-ponds-in-haryana-turn-into-garbage-sites/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Waterlogging pushes Haryana farmers to sell agricultural land, take up odd jobs</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/04/waterlogging-pushes-haryana-farmers-to-sell-agricultural-land-take-up-odd-jobs/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/04/waterlogging-pushes-haryana-farmers-to-sell-agricultural-land-take-up-odd-jobs/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Apr 2022 15:14:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sat Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[groundwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterlogging]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/04/27082921/IMG20220410102837_011-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18013</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Flood and drought]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Groundwater, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sonu Kalkal, a farmer living in Imlota village in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana, used to cultivate his own land and harvest bumper crops. The 42-year-old has now turned landless. The stagnation of excess water and a high rise in water table in the agriculture fields have turned the once fertile lands into sandy ruins, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sonu Kalkal, a farmer living in Imlota village in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana, used to cultivate his own land and harvest bumper crops. The 42-year-old has now turned landless. The stagnation of excess water and a high rise in water table in the agriculture fields have turned the once fertile lands into sandy ruins, forcing Kalkal and many farmers in this part of the north Indian state, to sell off their agricultural lands. “I could not take it anymore. I was under a debt running in lakhs and the compounding interest on it was killing me. The agricultural land, which once used to spin gold, had turned into a liability for me,” said the worried Kalkal, who had to sell off five acres of his land. “It has been one-and-half decades. As the water table was rising, the financial wealth of farmers in the cluster was falling at the same pace,” said the father of four. The residents of the village, whose main occupation was farming before the waterlogging situation, now work as motorcycle mechanics, small-time shopkeepers or labourers in factories at Gurugram. Manoj Kalkal, a graduate from Dadri’s Janta Degree College, said that out of 1,700 acres of agriculture land, 1,200 acres were left without sowing this season. People like him, whose only livelihood skill is farming, have taken land on lease in other villages and practice farming there. “Despite having our own land which is under water, we are forced to run pillar to post for survival,”&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/04/waterlogging-pushes-haryana-farmers-to-sell-agricultural-land-take-up-odd-jobs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>The ignorance of the Haryana government has cost the Aravallis dearly</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/02/the-ignorance-of-the-haryana-government-has-cost-the-aravallis-dearly/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/02/the-ignorance-of-the-haryana-government-has-cost-the-aravallis-dearly/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Feb 2022 11:36:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kapil Kajal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aravallis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/02/24015534/Banner-2-526x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=17179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Haryana and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forests and Mining]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In January 2022, five people were killed in a landslide at Tosham’s Dadam mining zone in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, a northern Indian state. The incident put the spotlight once again on the mining activities in Aravalli hills flouting prescribed rules and threatening local ecology. The incident took place in the Dadam stone mining [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In January 2022, five people were killed in a landslide at Tosham’s Dadam mining zone in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, a northern Indian state. The incident put the spotlight once again on the mining activities in Aravalli hills flouting prescribed rules and threatening local ecology. The incident took place in the Dadam stone mining project which is surrounded by the Aravalli hills and spread over an area of 48 hectares owned by Govardhan Mines &amp; Minerals (GMM). According to the official documents, nearly three reserved forests and three protected forests falls within a 10-kilometre radius of the mine lease area. The blasting is not permitted within 100 metres of surface structure. The depth of the water table in the area is 80 metres pre-monsoon to 78 metres post-monsoon below the surface level but the villagers allege that mining is being done in forest areas as well as below the permissible limit of 78 metres. Dharambir Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who represents Bhiwani in the Indian parliament, told Mongabay-India that the excavation was being conducted at about 250 metres against the permissible limit of 78 metres in the forest land of the Aravallis. He said, “The contractor has sucked the groundwater using high-powered motors and made big blocks of 250 metres below the surface. So the base became hollow, the rocks came down in the form of a landslide which killed five people.” In Haryana, the state government is led by the BJP. Ramphal, who goes by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/02/the-ignorance-of-the-haryana-government-has-cost-the-aravallis-dearly/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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