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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/rivers/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:15:21 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>As the Ganga treaty nears expiry, renewed concerns over water sharing arise</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-the-ganga-treaty-nears-expiry-bihar-renews-concerns-over-water-sharing/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-the-ganga-treaty-nears-expiry-bihar-renews-concerns-over-water-sharing/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Oct 2026 14:35:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Umesh Kumar Ray]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban water crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water consumption]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/16132023/River-Ganga3-scaled-e1792137434468-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41680</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bihar]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Drought, Environment, Environmental Politics, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the Ganga water-sharing treaty between India and Bangladesh ends this year, Bihar seeks to resolve its long-standing demands before the treaty is renewed. The treaty, signed in December 1996, governs the sharing of the Ganga river&#8217;s water between upstream India and downstream Bangladesh, particularly during the lean season when river flows are low. Under [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the Ganga water-sharing treaty between India and Bangladesh ends this year, Bihar seeks to resolve its long-standing demands before the treaty is renewed. The treaty, signed in December 1996, governs the sharing of the Ganga river&#8217;s water between upstream India and downstream Bangladesh, particularly during the lean season when river flows are low. Under the treaty, during the lean period from January to June, if water at the Farakka barrage is less than 70,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs), India and Bangladesh each get half. If the water at the barrage is between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh will be assured 35,000 cusecs, and the rest will go to India. If the water is 75,000 cusecs or more, India will get an assured 40,000 cusecs, and Bangladesh will get the rest. The agreement further says Bangladesh will get a guaranteed flow of 35,000 cusecs on the first and last ten days of April and 27,633 cusecs between April 11 and 20. If the Ganga&#8217;s flow falls below 50,000 cusecs in any ten-day period, the two governments will enter immediate consultations to make emergency adjustments. For decades, Bihar’s political leaders have argued that the Ganga water-sharing treaty with Bangladesh does not adequately account for the state&#8217;s water needs. Sanjay Jha, a member of parliament from Bihar&#8217;s ruling party Janata Dal United, said on August 6 during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha that renewing the treaty without adequately incorporating Bihar&#8217;s long-term water security, development needs, and water resource requirements would&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-the-ganga-treaty-nears-expiry-bihar-renews-concerns-over-water-sharing/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/as-the-ganga-treaty-nears-expiry-bihar-renews-concerns-over-water-sharing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Light may influence morning basking behaviour in captive gharials</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Oct 2026 13:15:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lekha Bandopadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gharials]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/16110458/dc1724dd-feb1-4d01-9e4e-4353349e9041-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41667</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Endangered species, Endemic species, Environment, Protected Areas, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Like all crocodilians, Gangetic gharials regulate their body temperature using external heat sources. They warm their enormous bodies, which can grow to 15 to 20 feet in length, by basking on sandbanks, making it an important daily activity. Both temperature and light are important environmental cues for basking. However, a recent study on captive Gangetic [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Like all crocodilians, Gangetic gharials regulate their body temperature using external heat sources. They warm their enormous bodies, which can grow to 15 to 20 feet in length, by basking on sandbanks, making it an important daily activity. Both temperature and light are important environmental cues for basking. However, a recent study on captive Gangetic gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) finds that light is a stronger cue than temperature for their morning basking movements. The researchers expected natural light to be a reliable indicator for gharials to determine the right time to bask on land, says Megha Khanduri, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, Finland. However, artificial lighting at night and the resulting light pollution can disrupt the relationship between natural light and temperature in the environment. The study finds that if light is the more dominant cue for basking, this disruption could lead gharials to bask at the wrong time, when air temperatures are not warm enough, or choose suboptimal basking sites. “Such behaviours could be potentially life-threatening as it can result in hypothermia,” says Khanduri. “If hatchlings leave the water earlier than the adults because of differences in sensitivity to light, it could also expose them to terrestrial predators in the early hours.” Radiant cue for basking The study was conducted on 382 captive gharials raised from eggs and housed in enclosures at the Deori EcoCentre in Madhya Pradesh. The eggs were collected from several nesting sites within the National Chambal Sanctuary between&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Ganges river dolphins may synchronise their activity with time, tides and the moon</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Oct 2026 11:39:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/11235131/550a628e-78e3-48db-a0f5-ec5298029931-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41572</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Endemic species, Mammals, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the tidal waters of West Bengal’s Rupnarayan river, Ganges river dolphins live with constantly shifting water levels, currents and conditions. A new study in the river found that tide, time of day and lunar cycle influences when the dolphins were detected. Published in Aquatic Mammals, the month-long study examined the these parameters together in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the tidal waters of West Bengal’s Rupnarayan river, Ganges river dolphins live with constantly shifting water levels, currents and conditions. A new study in the river found that tide, time of day and lunar cycle influences when the dolphins were detected. Published in Aquatic Mammals, the month-long study examined the these parameters together in relation to acoustic detections (monitoring the animal by the sounds it makes) of Ganges river dolphins. At the study site, tides rise and fall twice a day with occasional tidal bores, causing large shifts in water levels and the currents, explains Gargi Roy Chowdhury, principal project associate at Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the first author of the study. “It is a human-modified landscape with intense motorised fishing, and industrialised lower reaches with the Kolaghat thermal power plant downstream of the study site. It holds a good population of dolphins,” she adds while noting that large vessel traffic is limited here. A river shaped by the tide The Rupnarayan is an 85-km-long tributary of the Hooghly, influenced by tides from the Bay of Bengal, about 220 km away. Its upper reaches have narrower channels, while the lower stretches are wider. The river also experiences periodic tidal bores, and its flow is shaped by both seasonal and tidal forces. At the study site, the team used a single F-POD or a full waveform capture pod, an underwater acoustic recorder that listens for dolphin echolocation clicks. “The physical challenge was that the F-POD had to be&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Protests over dam heat up as crackdown on activists continues</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/protests-over-dam-heat-up-as-crackdown-on-activists-continues/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/protests-over-dam-heat-up-as-crackdown-on-activists-continues/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Oct 2026 17:45:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/05140635/WhatsApp-Image-2026-10-05-at-13.42.52-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41375</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Dams, Hydroelectric power, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh have turned violent after more than a year of peaceful demonstrations. On October 4, protesters resisting the project  were allegedly lathi charged by police and paramilitary forces in Uggeng village. The police action comes days after protesters attacked an MLA&#8217;s house and allegedly set [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh have turned violent after more than a year of peaceful demonstrations. On October 4, protesters resisting the project  were allegedly lathi charged by police and paramilitary forces in Uggeng village. The police action comes days after protesters attacked an MLA&#8217;s house and allegedly set vehicles on fire during a scheduled visit to the region by Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Residents of the Siang and Upper Siang districts have consistently opposed the 11,000 megawatt dam project and blocked all efforts to carry out a Pre-Feasibility Report study (PFR) to determine its viability. Khandu planned to meet with residents of the area reportedly to have a dialogue about the project, and persuade them to allow feasibility studies to be carried out in the area. “People don’t want the PFR to take place because they don’t want the dam at all,” said Christina Pangam, a resident of Yingkiong and a local news reporter. Protests intensified on September 14 when the state government deployed hundreds of police and paramilitary forces to the villages of Uggeng and Komkar — among the three proposed sites of the dam. Residents blocked roads into the area to prevent the PFR from taking place. &#8220;There has been a lot of misinformation that has been creating anxiety about the PFR going through,&#8221; said Pangam. In June, Khandu said the government had obtained support to carry out the PFR from 110 families after signing a memorandum with them. According to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/protests-over-dam-heat-up-as-crackdown-on-activists-continues/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Climate change may increase the ibisbill’s habitat range, but other pressures loom</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/climate-change-may-increase-the-ibisbills-habitat-range-but-other-pressures-loom/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/climate-change-may-increase-the-ibisbills-habitat-range-but-other-pressures-loom/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Oct 2026 11:12:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/02174717/Ibisbill-tagged-and-fitted-with-satellite-PTT-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41360</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Forests, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Mountains, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii), an elusive bird confined to the boulder-strewn mountain rivers of the Himalayas, has long remained one of the region’s least-studied species. Researchers have now produced the first detailed climate-based assessment of the bird in North-Western Himalayas, identifying where its suitable climatic conditions exist today and how they may shift under future [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii), an elusive bird confined to the boulder-strewn mountain rivers of the Himalayas, has long remained one of the region’s least-studied species. Researchers have now produced the first detailed climate-based assessment of the bird in North-Western Himalayas, identifying where its suitable climatic conditions exist today and how they may shift under future warming. Listed as least concern in the IUCN red list, the ibisbill occurs across the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. However, it  remains one of the most elusive riverine birds in the Himalayan region, restricted to specific habitats and with no conclusive population estimate from India, says Ankita Sinha, a wildlife biologist and researcher at Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt. “Because of their limited sightings and ranges restricted to remote uninhabited areas, knowledge on their ecology and behaviour is limited,” she says. The ibisbill is a high-altitude bird restricted to fast-flowing mountain rivers with gravel bars and often braided rivers. Image by Asad Rahmani. These specialist birds are restricted to fast-flowing high-altitude rivers, particularly ones with gravel bars and ones that are braided. Their long, curved bills are adapted to feeding between stones and under gravel, where they mainly feed on aquatic insects, larvae and other invertebrates. They also nest directly on gravel bars, making them highly dependent on intact river habitats. Its habitat, particularly near the towns and valleys, is also occupied by people, shares Asad Rahmani, an ornithologist and the former director of Bombay Natural History Society. As boulders are required&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/climate-change-may-increase-the-ibisbills-habitat-range-but-other-pressures-loom/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Unclear records leave villages in limbo over irrigation project displacement</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/polavarams-missing-map-leaves-villages-in-limbo/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/polavarams-missing-map-leaves-villages-in-limbo/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Oct 2026 12:04:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ayushi Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clean Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[floods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rivers]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/01194159/Polavaram-2-768x425.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41333</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy and Flood and drought]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Dams and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Manglu Dorla’s house stands where the forest opens into the Sabari river in Konta, a village in the Sukma district of southern Chhattisgarh. Dorla&#8217;s family has farmed the land for generations. The forest supplies the fuel, fodder, and food. Now, he fears that he may be forced to abandon his home, along with other residents [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Manglu Dorla’s house stands where the forest opens into the Sabari river in Konta, a village in the Sukma district of southern Chhattisgarh. Dorla&#8217;s family has farmed the land for generations. The forest supplies the fuel, fodder, and food. Now, he fears that he may be forced to abandon his home, along with other residents of the village. This fear stems from a dam being built more than a hundred kilometres downstream on the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. Will that project affect his village? He and other residents of Konta are unsure. “None of us wants to leave our home,” Dorla said. The Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP), is located on the Godavari river near Ramanayyapeta in Polavaram mandal, Andhra Pradesh. It is about 42 kilometres upstream of the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, where the river emerges from the Eastern Ghats and enters the coastal plains of Andhra Pradesh. The elevation of the structure is 45.72 metres or 150 feet. Sabari, a tributary of the Godavari river, originates in the Eastern Ghats in Odisha, forms part of the boundary between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and later enters Andhra Pradesh before joining the Godavari. The Polavaram project The Polavaram Irrigation Project&#8217;s construction began in 2004, after decades of interstate negotiation stretching back to a 1980 agreement signed when today’s Chhattisgarh was still part of Madhya Pradesh. The project aims to create irrigation potential for 2.91 lakh hectares, generate 960 MW of hydropower, supply drinking water to 28.5 lakh people in 540 villages,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/polavarams-missing-map-leaves-villages-in-limbo/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Monsoon amplifies antibiotic resistance gene levels in river water used by residents</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 14:08:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lekha Bandopadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/21121256/Rispana-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41096</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttarakhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Encroachment, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Himalayas, Natural Resources, Pollution, Rivers, Roads, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In May 2019, Kenyum Bagra, a Ph.D. student from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, was collecting river water and sediment samples at multiple locations in Uttarakhand, along Bindal Rao and Rispana, two heavily polluted sub-tributaries of the Ganga river, flowing through Dehradun’s densely populated settlements. While Rispana is a perennial stream, she noted that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In May 2019, Kenyum Bagra, a Ph.D. student from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, was collecting river water and sediment samples at multiple locations in Uttarakhand, along Bindal Rao and Rispana, two heavily polluted sub-tributaries of the Ganga river, flowing through Dehradun’s densely populated settlements. While Rispana is a perennial stream, she noted that Bindal, a seasonal river, was dry at upstream locations, as expected at this time before the arrival of the monsoon (between June and September) except near the settlements where there was a slim flow. This flow was the city’s wastewater that drains into the riverbed throughout the year. Running in parallel, Rispana and Bindal respectively carry almost 10 million litres per day (MLD) and about 18 MLD of municipal wastewater, before joining downstream to form the Suswa river, a polluted river stretch listed under the Namami Gange river restoration programme. Bagra also noticed that both rivers were being used to dump solid waste. “During my work, I saw solid waste dumped directly into these rivers, as well as dead animals, while children were playing and bathing just downstream,” says Bagra, now an Assistant Professor at IIT-Varanasi. Based on seasonal (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon) and multilocational samplings in 2019, Bagra’s mentor Gargi Singh, Associate Professor, IIT-Roorkee, recently reported that throughout the sampling stretches, these rivers showed widespread faecal and anthropogenic pollution. Monsoon rainfall was also associated with a surge in antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in both of these rivers. The river sediments were found to contain&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/monsoon-amplifies-antibiotic-resistance-gene-levels-in-river-water-used-by-residents/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Floods affect millions in Bihar despite rainfall deficit</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 17:24:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashwini Kumar Shukla]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainfall]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/18162929/IMG_3596-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41051</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bihar]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Cities and Towns, Ecosystem services, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Floods, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Geeta Devi is a resident of Gandhi Tola in Manihari, Katihar district, Bihar, one of the 15 districts worst hit by this year&#8217;s floods. Waist-deep water fills her three-room mud house, which is still standing. But she isn&#8217;t sure how long it will hold. She has kept her valuable belongings in an elevated place. Almost [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Geeta Devi is a resident of Gandhi Tola in Manihari, Katihar district, Bihar, one of the 15 districts worst hit by this year&#8217;s floods. Waist-deep water fills her three-room mud house, which is still standing. But she isn&#8217;t sure how long it will hold. She has kept her valuable belongings in an elevated place. Almost every day, the 35-year-old farmer braves the water to go from her makeshift shelter to her house check how much the water has risen and whether her things are safe. Geeta&#8217;s husband is in Delhi where he works as a daily-wage labourer, leaving her in charge of the flooded household, agricultural field, livestock and her four children. Scale of the losses Bihar is facing severe flooding, with the Ganga and several other rivers flowing above the danger mark. The Kosi is flowing above the danger mark at Baltara and Kursela, while the Budhi Gandak is above the mark at Khagaria. The Ganga is above the danger mark at Digha, Gandhi Ghat, Hathidah, Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Munger. The Punpun is above the mark at Paliganj, while the Bagmati and Ghaghra are above the danger mark at Benibad and Darauli. The floods have affected 15 districts of Bihar, with almost 50 lakh (5 million) people affected across 88 blocks and 575 gram panchayats, according to the state government’s press release dated September 14, 2026. Geeta is now sitting with her four children on a raised embankment beside the railway tracks. A small patch of cut grass lies&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/floods-affect-millions-despite-rainfall-deficit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Indus Waters Treaty needs modernisation, experts say amid deadlock</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Sep 2026 17:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hydroelectric Power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/17161710/AP6804011606-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40983</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Dams, Environmental Politics, Politics, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On August 31, the Permanent Court of Arbitration — an intergovernmental body headquartered in The Hague — passed an order that said India could not unilaterally retreat from or cast aside the Indus Waters Treaty, a 66-year-old pact governing water sharing between India and Pakistan. India rejected the court’s decision shortly after, prolonging the deadlock [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On August 31, the Permanent Court of Arbitration — an intergovernmental body headquartered in The Hague — passed an order that said India could not unilaterally retreat from or cast aside the Indus Waters Treaty, a 66-year-old pact governing water sharing between India and Pakistan. India rejected the court’s decision shortly after, prolonging the deadlock between both countries and throwing the Treaty’s future into a state of flux. The PCA’s order was issued more than a year after India placed the agreement in “abeyance” following attacks by militants that India said were linked to Pakistan-based groups. “India&#8217;s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent. The IWT stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan&#8217;s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told the press in July. The PCA said it contemplated the meaning of India’s decision, since the word “abeyance” finds no recognition in the Treaty. It concluded that none of the grounds publicly cited by India “could justify suspension or termination of the Treaty,” and that it “remains fully in force, and India must observe its obligations.” Though famously having remained intact through three wars, the ongoing suspension has reinforced the need to modernise the agreement, experts say, so it can account for geopolitical differences, climate impacts, and changing water consumption habits. “If rights under an agreement cannot be exercised within a period of time without uncertainty, then it means that process isn’t&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>People and the politics of contest, construction and compensation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Sep 2026 16:34:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Satish Bhartiya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ken-betwa river linking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River Interlinking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/16154553/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B5-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95-%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%B0-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40947</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Rivers, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard from beneath the nearby bridge. A large number of slippers lie scattered near the bridge, left behind during police interventions on July 19. Bhagwati Saur, 60, who lives 30 km away in Mainari village in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, arrived on July 4 at the protest site in Kupi village and returned home after the police cleared the site. She lives with her husband and six children in a five-room house. The family owns approximately five acres of agricultural land, where they grow mango, mahua and guava trees. She says that despite being affected by the project, she has, so far, received neither compensation for the house and land nor any related notice. “We pleaded for fair compensation, taking our appeal from Chhatarpur to Bhopal. When we were not heard, we had to raise our voices through the protest,” says Bhagwati. She is not the only one. In the affected villages, some families have been written off the compensation list, while others are awaiting payment. Many families are questioning the compensation rates and survey process. The April and July protests prompted the administration to order a reassessment of the families that had been left&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Ladakh glaciers losing speed as ice melts, new study warns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/ladakh-glaciers-losing-speed-as-ice-melts-new-study-warns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/ladakh-glaciers-losing-speed-as-ice-melts-new-study-warns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Aug 2026 14:57:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[glacier]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Glaciers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/18131448/IMG_4388-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40227</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Science, Ecosystem services, Environment, Glaciers, Global Warming, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Lakes, Mountains, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The phrase &#8220;moving at glacial pace&#8221; is inspired by the slow, inching motion of glaciers as they flow downwards. But new research suggests glaciers in the Zanskar Himalayas in Ladakh are moving even slower than before, with implications for water availability in the region over the long term. Centuries-old glaciers blanketing mountaintops may appear to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The phrase &#8220;moving at glacial pace&#8221; is inspired by the slow, inching motion of glaciers as they flow downwards. But new research suggests glaciers in the Zanskar Himalayas in Ladakh are moving even slower than before, with implications for water availability in the region over the long term. Centuries-old glaciers blanketing mountaintops may appear to be stationary, but their mass is slowly pulled down by gravitational forces over time. The speed at which glaciers descend can be used as an indicator of their health, explained Manish Mehta, a scientist and glaciologist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. “Glaciers have two parts. The crown at the top is where ice and snow is accumulated from solid precipitation at higher elevations, and the snout or toe is at the bottom. The accumulation of ice at the crown is what pushes the glacier down, increasing its velocity,” he explained, adding, “But in recent times, glaciers are losing their mass in both the upper and lower zones. With less mass, there is less movement.” In the Zanskar Himalayas in Ladakh, glacier velocity decreased by 16% from 1992 to 2023, a study published in The Cryosphere journal found. The study is among the few long-term observational analyses of glacier velocity from the region, and adds to existing evidence of unprecedented glacier retreat in the world’s third pole. Hagshu glacier in the Zanskar Himalayas of Ladakh. Glaciers in this region are moving slower than before, finds new research, with implications for long-term water security. Image&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/ladakh-glaciers-losing-speed-as-ice-melts-new-study-warns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/ladakh-glaciers-losing-speed-as-ice-melts-new-study-warns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A newly-described fish sheds light on a biodiversity blind spot</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-newly-described-fish-sheds-light-on-a-biodiversity-blind-spot/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-newly-described-fish-sheds-light-on-a-biodiversity-blind-spot/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Jul 2026 10:42:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Monish Upadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/31003452/Image-2-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39744</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Nagaland]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Fish, Forests, Himalayas, New species, Rivers, Water, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new catfish species, Pseudecheneis likimroensis, has been described from India&#8217;s north-eastern state of Nagaland. The species, named after the fast-flowing Likimro river, from which specimens have been collected so far, was described in the Journal of Ichthyology. The discovery took place unexpectedly when a research team was in the region to survey fish fauna [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new catfish species, Pseudecheneis likimroensis, has been described from India&#8217;s north-eastern state of Nagaland. The species, named after the fast-flowing Likimro river, from which specimens have been collected so far, was described in the Journal of Ichthyology. The discovery took place unexpectedly when a research team was in the region to survey fish fauna in Nagaland’s Kiphire district, said Limatemjen, co-author of the paper on the new species. Kiphire is a remote district, situated in the eastern part of the state and lies along the India-Myanmar border. “First we had to travel from Kohima to Kiphire, covering a distance of around 100 km. However, the journey takes much longer due to difficult road conditions,” Limatemjen, a professor of Zoology and Dean of Sciences at Kohima Science College, told Mongabay-India. After reaching Kiphire, the team took another four-hour journey to Likimro river where they walked yet another hour to reach the designated sampling site. Characteristic of mountain streams, the sampling site is torrential in nature and is surrounded by steep valleys. Around five specimens of Pseudecheneis likimroensis were collected by the team during the survey in October 2024. Although initially surprised by the unusual catch, found at an elevation of 446 m above sea level, it was only after bringing the specimens to the laboratory and running detailed examinations did the team realise they had an undescribed species at hand. A Pseudecheneis likimroensis specimen found in the fast flowing Likimro river in Nagaland in 2024. The species was described in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-newly-described-fish-sheds-light-on-a-biodiversity-blind-spot/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-newly-described-fish-sheds-light-on-a-biodiversity-blind-spot/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Major mugger habitats lie outside protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2026 13:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[critical habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muggers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/06111444/A-local-fisherman-and-a-mugger_-the-Kollidam-River_-Jason-Dominic-Gerar-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39004</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Dams, Habitat Loss, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[From the rocky gorges of Hogenakkal to the coastal marshes of Muthupet, the mugger crocodile has long inhabited the rivers, reservoirs and wetlands of the Kaveri river basin in southern India. A new study estimated that while there are about 2,209 square kilometres of potentially suitable mugger habitat in the river basin, only about 38% [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[From the rocky gorges of Hogenakkal to the coastal marshes of Muthupet, the mugger crocodile has long inhabited the rivers, reservoirs and wetlands of the Kaveri river basin in southern India. A new study estimated that while there are about 2,209 square kilometres of potentially suitable mugger habitat in the river basin, only about 38% falls within the existing protected area network, leaving much of the species&#8217; habitat exposed to human pressures. The study, published in the journal Ecological Applications, assesses mugger habitat across the entire Kaveri (Cauvery) river basin which stretches across parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and covers about 81,155 sq. km. in southern India. &#8220;The number that stays with me is 38%. Only 38% of the habitat our model identified as potentially suitable for muggers falls within the existing protected area network. That means roughly six in every ten hectares of meaningful mugger habitat is outside any formal protection, unmanaged, unmonitored, and subject to the full range of human pressures,&#8221; says co-author Nikhil Whitaker, the Research Director at Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology. Building a basin-wide picture The mugger is one of India&#8217;s three native crocodilian species and is found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and marshes across much of the subcontinent. Although populations have been studied in river systems such as the Moyar, Kabini and Amaravati, researchers say conservation planning has lacked a basin-wide understanding of where suitable habitat occurs and what factors shape its distribution. “The CRB (Cauvery River Basin) has&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/study-finds-major-mugger-habitats-lie-outside-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Forest clearance for dam puts white-bellied herons at risk</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/forest-clearance-for-dam-puts-white-bellied-herons-at-risk/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/forest-clearance-for-dam-puts-white-bellied-herons-at-risk/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jun 2026 13:54:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hydroelectric Power]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/19110747/WHITE-BELLIED-HERON-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38747</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Fish, Hydroelectric power, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The  Forest Advisory Committee has granted “in principle” approval to a hydropower project in a region of Arunachal Pradesh that is inhabited by the white bellied heron, a critically endangered bird whose species number was estimated to be less than 60, globally, in 2015. To compensate for the forest loss resulting from the project, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The  Forest Advisory Committee has granted “in principle” approval to a hydropower project in a region of Arunachal Pradesh that is inhabited by the white bellied heron, a critically endangered bird whose species number was estimated to be less than 60, globally, in 2015. To compensate for the forest loss resulting from the project, the FAC approved afforestation thousands of kilometres away, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a decision experts termed futile for the bird’s conservation. The FAC, a statutory body under the environment ministry which evaluates project proposals on forest land, gave its approval to the Kalai II hydroelectric power plant (HEP) in a meeting on May 8. The 1200-megawatt run-of-the river dam is planned on the Lohit river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, in the border district of Anjaw. The river’s catchment area is flanked by tropical wet and dense mixed forest types and sits in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot. A total of 33,338 trees are proposed to be felled within this landscape for the dam. In its meeting, the FAC noted that the white-bellied heron was absent in the list of important species that could be impacted by the project, and granted its approval on the condition that the Wildlife Institute of India vet the project’s Wildlife Management Plan. The FAC insisted that the assessment put a special emphasis on conserving the bird’s habitat. However, conservation experts say that the hydropower project is likely to cause major disruptions to the species’ survival in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/forest-clearance-for-dam-puts-white-bellied-herons-at-risk/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/forest-clearance-for-dam-puts-white-bellied-herons-at-risk/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<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>
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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>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Riverine heatwaves are on the rise</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/riverine-heatwaves-are-on-the-rise/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/riverine-heatwaves-are-on-the-rise/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 May 2026 15:07:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat waves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatwaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[temperature rise]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/04125520/Final_days_of_river_Tunga_Shimoga_Summer_in_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38014</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Decoding Heat]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Rivers and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[River water temperatures have come under the scanner in several global studies as researchers raise alarm bells about the increase in heatwaves across riverine ecosystems. Riverine heatwaves are defined as periods where daily mean river water temperatures exceed the 90th percentile threshold of the locally defined and seasonally varying river temperatures, for at least five [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[River water temperatures have come under the scanner in several global studies as researchers raise alarm bells about the increase in heatwaves across riverine ecosystems. Riverine heatwaves are defined as periods where daily mean river water temperatures exceed the 90th percentile threshold of the locally defined and seasonally varying river temperatures, for at least five consecutive days. Put simply, when river temperatures are higher than 90% of its past recorded observations for that location and time of the year, it constitutes a heatwave. An increase in temperatures for shorter duration is considered a heat spike. In a modelling study published earlier this year, researchers revealed that between 1976 and 2005, rivers globally experienced, on average, 2.19 heatwave events per year. The intensity and duration of riverine heatwaves have increased in this time at a rate of 0.02°C per decade and 0.09 weeks per decade, respectively. Under the high climate emissions scenario, projections reveal a 95-fold increase in the duration of riverine heatwaves by the end of the 21st century. The study also predicts that in India, more than 50% of the Ganges will experience year-round heatwaves under the high emissions scenario by the 2090s. Not only will this cause widespread damage to the ecosystem itself, the population exposure to heatwaves in the Ganges (impacts on drinking water, agriculture, and fisheries) will also be the highest in the world. The Ganga River as seen from Varanasi. A recent study of river heatwaves in India predicts that more than 50% of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/riverine-heatwaves-are-on-the-rise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/riverine-heatwaves-are-on-the-rise/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Hopes for inland waterways transport fall short as operational challenges rise</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/hopes-for-inland-waterways-transport-fall-short-as-operational-challenges-rise/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/hopes-for-inland-waterways-transport-fall-short-as-operational-challenges-rise/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Apr 2026 12:48:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rahul Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transportation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/13105842/Saraswati-Ghat-at-Yamuna-River-in-Prayagraj-2-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37658</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Industry, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2016, Nitin Gadkari, the then Shipping Minister, laid the foundation stone for a multi-modal terminal (MMT) in Ramnagar, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and symbolically flagged off two ships. In November 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the completed terminal, built on the banks of the Ganga River, as a key stop on National [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2016, Nitin Gadkari, the then Shipping Minister, laid the foundation stone for a multi-modal terminal (MMT) in Ramnagar, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and symbolically flagged off two ships. In November 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the completed terminal, built on the banks of the Ganga River, as a key stop on National Waterway-1. “Inland waterways will save time and money, reduce road congestion, fuel costs and vehicular pollution,” the Prime Minister had said at the time. However, today, transportation through National Waterway-1 remains inefficient and unreliable. Adequate river depth remains a major problem for water transport throughout all months. Targets set in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) projected that the multi-modal terminal had the potential to transport 3.55 million tons annually by 2020, 3.82 million tons by 2025, 10.12 million tons by 2035 and 10.32 million tons by 2045. However, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is far behind these targets. When Mongabay-India asked about the number of trips from the terminal and operational challenges, Sanjeev Kumar, Assistant Director at IWAI, did not provide any concrete response. The Ganga River flows through Jopa village in Mirzapur district, between Varanasi and Prayagraj. Image by Rahul Singh. Goals vs reality According to a data analysis of the IWAI cargo portal by Manthan Adhyayan Kendra (an organisation that conducts research on waterways), only two shipments were flagged off from the Varanasi MMT in 2024-25. From November 2018 to December 2025, about 1,057 metric tonnes were transported from Varanasi MMT,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/hopes-for-inland-waterways-transport-fall-short-as-operational-challenges-rise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/hopes-for-inland-waterways-transport-fall-short-as-operational-challenges-rise/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rewilding rhinos as part of a long-term conservation plan</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rewilding-rhinos-as-part-of-a-long-term-conservation-plan/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rewilding-rhinos-as-part-of-a-long-term-conservation-plan/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Apr 2026 16:23:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brahmaputra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dudhwa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dudhwa Tiger Reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greater one-horned rhino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rhino conservation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/03152740/DSC4427.JPG-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37605</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Ecology, Grasslands, Mammals, Protected Areas, Rhinos, Rivers, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the grasslands of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, a rhino stood inside a transport crate mounted on a tractor trolley as forest staff, veterinarians, mahouts and elephants gathered around it. Once the team lifted the door and stepped back, the animal paused briefly, looked around, and then moved toward the forest. The was [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the grasslands of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, a rhino stood inside a transport crate mounted on a tractor trolley as forest staff, veterinarians, mahouts and elephants gathered around it. Once the team lifted the door and stepped back, the animal paused briefly, looked around, and then moved toward the forest. The was part of a two-day release operation in March 2026, during which forest staff, veterinarians and field teams shifted four great one-horned rhinos from a fenced rehabilitation area into the reserve’s core habitat. The rhinos (one male and three females aged 15 to 25 years) were tranquilised, fitted with radio collars, examined and then released into an unfenced grassland area inside the reserve. With the introduction of the four rhinos in March, Dudhwa now has eight free-ranging rhinos. This exercise was carried out by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and WWF-India. It was the third such effort after similar releases in November 2024 and March 2025. The team has set up a monitoring mechanism and control room to track the animals using VHF and satellite locations. H. Rajamohan, Field Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, said in a press release, the release of the four rhinos into the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve was a significant step in rhino conservation. “After decades of hard work, the efforts to bring back rhinos to India’s Terai landscape have finally begun to bear fruit. The exercise exemplifies the commitment of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to conserve and protect&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rewilding-rhinos-as-part-of-a-long-term-conservation-plan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rewilding-rhinos-as-part-of-a-long-term-conservation-plan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The last Indian town before Bhutan is reeling under waste dumped on its river banks</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-last-indian-town-before-bhutan-is-reeling-under-waste-dumped-on-its-river-banks/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-last-indian-town-before-bhutan-is-reeling-under-waste-dumped-on-its-river-banks/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Mar 2026 18:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Chandrani Sinha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/25135914/822191f9-5c93-451f-9d73-c3f88dc8bc05-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37461</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Environmental Crime, Health impacts, Plastic, Pollution, Rivers, Waste management, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Dark grey smoke curls above the Torsa riverbank in Jaigaon, a crowded border town of West Bengal, India, separating India and Bhutan. Plastic waste, medical refuse, construction debris and household waste lie scattered across the river bed and cows and dogs forage through the garbage. In January, an Instagram reel of this area drew a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Dark grey smoke curls above the Torsa riverbank in Jaigaon, a crowded border town of West Bengal, India, separating India and Bhutan. Plastic waste, medical refuse, construction debris and household waste lie scattered across the river bed and cows and dogs forage through the garbage. In January, an Instagram reel of this area drew a long-ignored environmental crisis into public notice. In it, a young content creator who goes by the name Rock Lama on Instagram, stood before the smouldering waste, appealing to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for immediate intervention to stop what he describes as the routine illegal dumping of the town’s waste along the river. The video by the 24-year-old Jaigaon resident, spread widely across social media platforms, sparking discussions about rural waste management, governance, environmental negligence, and the growing waste crisis in smaller towns and Panchayat areas where populations have increased with time and waste has increased proportionately, without infrastructure to manage it. A border town struggles under its own waste Jaigaon is a densely populated commercial town with approximately 100,000 residents and serves as a crucial gateway between India and Bhutan. Its markets bustle with cross-border trade, tourism, and transport activity. Yet, beneath this economic vibrancy lies an escalating environmental problem of riverside pollution amplified by rapid urban growth without corresponding civic infrastructure to manage it. According to estimates by the Central Pollution Control Board, small and medium-sized towns like Jaigaon generate about 30-40 tonnes of solid waste daily. The Himalayan Torsa River&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-last-indian-town-before-bhutan-is-reeling-under-waste-dumped-on-its-river-banks/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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