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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/water-pollution/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:11:15 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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				<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>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Red-naped ibises carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Sep 2026 15:47:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban lakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterbirds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/09132118/The-red-naped-ibis-Vijay-Kumar-Koli-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40801</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Rajasthan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Cities and Towns, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Marshlands, Research, Waste management, Water Pollution, Wetlands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Antibiotic resistance is not confined to people alone. Wildlife can also encounter and carry resistant bacteria, with birds picking them up from contaminated water, food, waste and other human-associated environments. As they move between habitats, they may spread these bacteria through their faeces, making them useful candidates in tracking the movement of antibiotic resistance in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Antibiotic resistance is not confined to people alone. Wildlife can also encounter and carry resistant bacteria, with birds picking them up from contaminated water, food, waste and other human-associated environments. As they move between habitats, they may spread these bacteria through their faeces, making them useful candidates in tracking the movement of antibiotic resistance in the environment. A new study of red-naped ibises in Udaipur, Rajasthan, has now found diverse bacteria in their faeces, including multidrug-resistant strains. The red-naped ibis is a common, resident, non-migratory wading bird that occurs across a range of habitats in and around Udaipur. It is also an opportunistic omnivore, consuming insects, amphibians, reptiles, small fish, livestock carcasses and occasionally plant material. The ibises have also been observed foraging at garbage disposal sites and on carrion. “It was not simply a matter of choosing a common and easily observable bird,” elaborates Vijay Kumar Koli, an assistant professor and in-charge head of the Wildlife Research Laboratory at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, and a co-author of the study. “Its year-round presence, broad habitat use, feeding behaviour and frequent contact with human-influenced environments make it a useful species for investigating how environmental bacteria and antibiotic resistance may circulate at the wildlife-human-environment interface.” Nesting trees of the red-naped ibis in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The bird is a common non-migratory wader that is found across the city. Image by Kanishka Mehta. Sampling the ibises The researchers collected 45 faecal samples between July 2022 and June 2023, with 15 samples collected during each&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/red-naped-ibises-carry-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-study-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Groundwater study flags localised heavy metal concerns in a coastal district</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/groundwater-study-flags-localised-heavy-metal-concerns-in-a-coastal-district/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/groundwater-study-flags-localised-heavy-metal-concerns-in-a-coastal-district/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2026 16:37:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anjana V.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy metals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saline water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water consumption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water scarcity]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/31142205/bad-water-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40567</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Coast, Groundwater, Health impacts, Human Rights, Pollution, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On the seafront, roughly 50 metres from Thottappally Harbour at Purakkad in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, 58-year-old Sainabha Zakkir relies on the shallow well beside her kitchen for her water needs. A recurring plumbing issue has recently cut the piped water supply to six panchayats including her household, forcing her family back to the 32-year-old household [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On the seafront, roughly 50 metres from Thottappally Harbour at Purakkad in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, 58-year-old Sainabha Zakkir relies on the shallow well beside her kitchen for her water needs. A recurring plumbing issue has recently cut the piped water supply to six panchayats including her household, forcing her family back to the 32-year-old household well. While there is substantial tap-water coverage in her village, many households remain outside the network and still rely on groundwater sources like wells. Although Zakkir’s well is close to the Arabian Sea, its water has fortunately not become saline like many others in the neighbourhood, making it a community lifeline. &#8220;This well supports all my neighbours too,&#8221; Zakkir explains as she fills vessels. &#8220;Many old wells in this area have become unusable. During water shortages, people come here.&#8221; But salinity is not the only issue with the groundwater in the area. A new study published in Scientific Reports examined groundwater quality in Alappuzha&#8217;s coastal aquifers, focusing on heavy metal concentrations before and after the monsoon. It found that 32% of pre-monsoon and 34% of post-monsoon samples exhibited medium to high pollution levels with the critical hotspots at Ambalapuzha, Anandheswaram, and Thottapally for arsenic; Alappuzha, Kanjikuzhi and Paravoor for aluminium; and Paravoor, Alappuzha, Chennakari, and Ambalapuzha for iron. Sainabha Zakkir, a resident near Thottapally Harbour, Alappuzha, operates a 35-year-old well that provides salinity-free water despite the proximity to the sea. However, groundwater samples in the region may be containing heavy metal pollutants, finds a new&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/groundwater-study-flags-localised-heavy-metal-concerns-in-a-coastal-district/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/groundwater-study-flags-localised-heavy-metal-concerns-in-a-coastal-district/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A fertile landscape at the crossroads of ecology and development [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Aug 2026 15:47:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[C.P. Rajendran]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solution]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/03125249/4670487709_c95df8f47d_4k-scaled-e1785742237892-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39805</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Fish, Fishing, Floods, Lakes, Monsoons, Pollution, Sea Level Rise, Waste management, Water, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Kuttanad region of Kerala, often celebrated as the &#8220;rice bowl&#8221; of the state, is a landscape of profound beauty and immense ecological significance. Yet, its existence is a delicate balancing act, a testament to both the generative power of nature and the often-destructive ambition of human intervention. This intricate wetland system, a mosaic of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Kuttanad region of Kerala, often celebrated as the &#8220;rice bowl&#8221; of the state, is a landscape of profound beauty and immense ecological significance. Yet, its existence is a delicate balancing act, a testament to both the generative power of nature and the often-destructive ambition of human intervention. This intricate wetland system, a mosaic of lush green paddy fields, labyrinthine canals, and the vast expanse of Vembanad lake, is a geographical marvel that is simultaneously a victim of its own fertility and the relentless pressures of modernisation. Kuttanad is world-renowned for its below-sea-level paddy cultivation and unique brackish-water ecosystem. Alongside this remarkable agricultural practice, the region&#8217;s brackish-water ecosystem supports a thriving inland fisheries sector, with the Vembanad estuary serving as a critical nursery for numerous fish and prawn species. Together, these intertwined livelihoods — agriculture and fisheries — form the economic and cultural backbone of Kuttanad. So distinctive and globally significant is this integrated farming system that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has recognised it as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), placing Kuttanad alongside other iconic agricultural landscapes like the terraced rice fields of the Philippines and the saffron fields of Kashmir. Geologically speaking, Kuttanad is a young and dynamic landscape. In the distant past, this region formed part of the shallow coastal shelf of the Arabian Sea. Over millennia, the powerful rivers originating in the Western Ghats, chiefly the Pampa, Achankovil, and Manimala, carried massive loads of silt and alluvium from the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<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>West coast fishers confront ‘ghost gear’ problem</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jul 2026 10:47:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Robert Bociaga]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ghost nets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/23095213/IMG_5513-2048x1536-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39539</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the early light at Thoppumpady fishing harbour in the city of Kochi, coils of blue and green nylon nets lay heaped on the concrete docks, stiff with salt after a long night at sea. Many had been patched and repatched so often that they were barely holding together. Nets too damaged to mend are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the early light at Thoppumpady fishing harbour in the city of Kochi, coils of blue and green nylon nets lay heaped on the concrete docks, stiff with salt after a long night at sea. Many had been patched and repatched so often that they were barely holding together. Nets too damaged to mend are often cut loose offshore. Once they sink, few are ever recovered. Across India’s west coast, lost fishing gear known as “ghost gear” has become a significant source of marine pollution. Nets vanish whole or in fragments, slipping into the waters of the Arabian Sea where they continue trapping fish, turtles and other marine life long after fishers abandon them. India operates one of the world’s largest marine fishing sectors, supporting an estimated 14.5 million livelihoods along more than 7,500 kilometres of coastline. While national estimates are scarce, a 2022 study in the southwestern state of Kerala, where Kochi is located, found that fishers lost, abandoned or discarded about 21% of their fishing gear annually. That’s more than 10 times the global average of 1.82% estimated by another study, which highlights the scale of material entering India’s marine environment. Despite growing concern among researchers and conservationists, India lacks a systematic way to track, retrieve or recycle lost fishing gear, as well as accessible mechanisms to collect and safely dispose of end-of-life nets and other equipment before they are discarded at sea. The government regulates fisheries tightly in many respects — from mesh sizes and seasonal bans&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>An unregulated groundwater economy drills into trouble</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/an-unregulated-groundwater-economy-drills-into-trouble/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/an-unregulated-groundwater-economy-drills-into-trouble/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jun 2026 16:52:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Esha Lohia]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Ground Water Authority]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment Protection Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saline water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water consumption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water tanker]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/12134242/AP24112276256315-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38619</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environomy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Groundwater, Industry, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As Mumbai waits for the monsoon, water supply in the city has been cut by 10% since May 15, after water levels in the seven lakes that supply water, have fallen. The lakes depend entirely on seasonal rainfall to be filled, commonly causing water cuts in the summers. Adding to this situation, on June 7, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As Mumbai waits for the monsoon, water supply in the city has been cut by 10% since May 15, after water levels in the seven lakes that supply water, have fallen. The lakes depend entirely on seasonal rainfall to be filled, commonly causing water cuts in the summers. Adding to this situation, on June 7, the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) went on strike. The strike was called off two days later following an intervention by Maharashtra&#8217;s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Mumbai receives around 4,100 million litres per day (MLD) against an estimated demand of 4,665 MLD, leaving a shortfall of about 565 MLD. Private water tankers fill this gap. The tanker association was protesting against notices issued by the state government ordering ring-well and borewell operators to stop supplying water to tankers until they obtain fresh licenses from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). The tanker association protest has drawn attention to a larger issue: Mumbai&#8217;s heavy dependence on groundwater and the limited oversight of its extraction. “Mumbai has more than 17,364 wells used for the commercial sale of water,” says groundwater activist Suresh Kumar Dhoka, citing information obtained through an RTI application. In 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) made it mandatory for all commercial groundwater users to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the CGWA. As of May 2025, only 619 wells, mostly borewells, had received NOCs for monitoring and charging purposes. Earlier this year, a complaint filed by Dhoka triggered an investigation into hundreds of wells in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/an-unregulated-groundwater-economy-drills-into-trouble/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Scientists report plastic-rock formation from India’s western coast</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/scientists-report-plastic-rock-formation-from-indias-western-coast/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/scientists-report-plastic-rock-formation-from-indias-western-coast/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2026 16:50:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ananya Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beaches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rocks]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/13122036/Plastiglomerate_Museon-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38144</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Environment, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In May 2024, a research group set out along the shores of Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, in search of unusual rock formations. As they walked, they collected samples by carefully chiselling out pieces of rocky outcrops where plastic waste had been trapped, later transporting these to the lab for analysis. One of these [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In May 2024, a research group set out along the shores of Diveagar beach in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, in search of unusual rock formations. As they walked, they collected samples by carefully chiselling out pieces of rocky outcrops where plastic waste had been trapped, later transporting these to the lab for analysis. One of these samples had a green plastic net embedded within the rock, which  the team recently reported as the first evidence of &#8216;plastistone&#8217; — a plastic-rock formation — from India’s western coast. Plastic-rock structures have been documented globally, including from the shores of Andaman and Nicobar islands and Tamil Nadu. Earlier formations found in India were largely plastiglomerates and pyroplastics that are formed by human-induced burning of plastic. In contrast, researchers suggest that plastistone has formed through natural processes, where the bonding of plastic debris with sediments and biological components was brought about by UV exposure, high temperatures and waves. The study, published in Discover Oceans, also found that the plastic filament protruding from the rock was polyamide in nature, suggesting that it originated from a discarded nylon fishing net. Plastistone is likely a “novel form of sedimentary rock”, said Punyasloke Bhadury, professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata and the study’s corresponding author, who added that that this is the first plastistone formation to be reported from the Indian subcontinent. A 2024 study found that India emits an estimated 9.3 millions tonnes of plastic pollution each year, equivalent to nearly one-fifth&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/scientists-report-plastic-rock-formation-from-indias-western-coast/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Experiments with natural dyes and coloured cocoons for Pashmina and silk</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/researchers-experiment-with-natural-dyes-and-coloured-cocoons-for-pashmina-wool-and-silk-fabrics/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/researchers-experiment-with-natural-dyes-and-coloured-cocoons-for-pashmina-wool-and-silk-fabrics/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Apr 2026 15:33:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wastewater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water pollution]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/21133828/1-e1776758933773-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37779</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Pollution and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Colour is at the heart of Kashmir’s textile traditions, especially for the world renowned Pashmina shawls and Kashmir silks. Yet producing these rich hues often comes with an environmental cost to ecosystems. Studies show that many textile industries use synthetic dyes during dyeing and printing processes. When wastewater from these processes is released without proper [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Colour is at the heart of Kashmir’s textile traditions, especially for the world renowned Pashmina shawls and Kashmir silks. Yet producing these rich hues often comes with an environmental cost to ecosystems. Studies show that many textile industries use synthetic dyes during dyeing and printing processes. When wastewater from these processes is released without proper treatment, these chemicals can enter rivers and streams, polluting water and harming aquatic life. Globally, the textile industry is among the largest sources of water pollution, with the dyeing processes contributing significantly to chemical discharge. Researchers in Kashmir are now exploring alternative ways to colour these fibres using plant-based natural dyes for pashmina and feeding pigment-infused diets to silkworms for them to spin naturally coloured silk. These approaches, they say, aim to reduce textile production&#8217;s contribution to pollution while maintaining the value of high-end natural fibres. Traditional dyeing process for Pashmina textiles. Pashmina yarn is gently submerged and lifted from the dye vat, ensuring even absorption while maintaining low heat to preserve fibre quality. Image by Tayoor Ahmad. Plant-based natural dyes for Pashminas Pashmina from the Ladakh region is considered one of the world’s most luxurious natural fibres. The woollen fibre comes from the undercoat of Changthangi goats raised in the extremely cold, high-altitude Changthang plateau of Ladakh at around 3,500-4,000 metres above sea level. “The global reputation of Kashmiri Pashmina is also closely linked to the traditional craftsmanship of Kashmiri artisans,” Asif Hassan, a professor in the division of Livestock Products Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/researchers-experiment-with-natural-dyes-and-coloured-cocoons-for-pashmina-wool-and-silk-fabrics/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<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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						<item>
					<title>Traditional boatmen washed out by waterways infrastructure and tourism</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/traditional-boatmen-washed-out-by-waterways-infrastructure-and-tourism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/traditional-boatmen-washed-out-by-waterways-infrastructure-and-tourism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Mar 2026 17:36:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rahul Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transport]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/17154548/Varanasi-MMT-main-Building-2-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37310</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Environmental Politics, Industry, Pollution, Rivers, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A multi-modal terminal (MMT) has been constructed on the banks of the Ganga river in Ramnagar, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, under the National Waterways Project, a venture of the central government. As part of this project, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways also approved the construction of a freight village in Milkipur in December 2018, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A multi-modal terminal (MMT) has been constructed on the banks of the Ganga river in Ramnagar, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, under the National Waterways Project, a venture of the central government. As part of this project, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways also approved the construction of a freight village in Milkipur in December 2018, with a budget of ₹156 crore and the foundation stone for it was laid on September 2025. The village is to be developed on approximately 100 acres of land as a cargo hub. In a report submitted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee in the Rajya Sabha in December 2024, the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shripad Naik stated that the freight village would facilitate the shift of cargo from rail and road to waterways. The land is to be acquired from villages in Varanasi and surrounding districts by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). However, this land largely belongs to the Mallah community which is native to the region. They claim that this land is being acquired from them at very low prices, and that the project will adversely impact their long-standing traditional livelihoods as boatmen of the Ganga. Concerns related to land acquisition The announcement of the freight village has left 43-year-old Chhaya Devi worried for her future. She is a resident of Tahirpur village in Mughalsarai tehsil of Chandauli district, which is adjacent to Varanasi. “We will not give our land to the port (IWAI) to build the freight village. If&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/traditional-boatmen-washed-out-by-waterways-infrastructure-and-tourism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Marine litter traps thousands of hermit crabs</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/marine-litter-traps-thousands-of-hermit-crabs/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/marine-litter-traps-thousands-of-hermit-crabs/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Mar 2026 12:37:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crabs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine plastic debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/10101339/7_Hermit-Crab_Little-Andaman_Vandana-K-scaled-e1773118507251-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37206</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Ecology, Human Wildlife Conflict, Islands, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, Water Pollution, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[If you stand on the soft silver sand on the aquamarine beaches of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, you can often see plastic waste washed ashore. When you bend down and look closely, you might find a tiny crab trapped inside a bottle. You might try to rescue the crab by shaking it loose, but [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[If you stand on the soft silver sand on the aquamarine beaches of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, you can often see plastic waste washed ashore. When you bend down and look closely, you might find a tiny crab trapped inside a bottle. You might try to rescue the crab by shaking it loose, but chances are that it has already died. This is not an isolated incident. Researchers recorded 4,783 instances from January to July 2024 where hermit crabs were entrapped in marine litter across 28 beaches in the Nicobar Islands, according to a new study published in January 2026. The study was conducted by Mayur Fulmali and Nehru Prabakaran from the Wildlife Institute of India. The researchers surveyed beaches across two island subgroups – Nancowry and Great Nicobar. &#8220;These small crabs are very important for the coastal ecosystem and in most marine litter studies, they are neglected,” said Fulmali. A plastic bottle with a hermit crab trapped inside, spotted on Trinket Island. The bottle orientation makes it possible for the hermit crabs to enter easily but exit becomes impossible due to the slippery inner surface and incline. Image by Mayur Fulmali. Approximately 4-12 million metric tonnes of plastic waste enters oceans annually, causing widespread harm. The study notes that Nicobar Islands are particularly vulnerable to marine debris because they are located near the Malacca Strait, one of the world&#8217;s busiest shipping routes. Various ocean currents transport enormous quantities of plastic waste from neighbouring countries and deposit it on&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/marine-litter-traps-thousands-of-hermit-crabs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Hilly villages trap runoff to tackle water scarcity amid plenty</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/hilly-villages-trap-runoff-to-tackle-water-scarcity-amid-plenty/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/hilly-villages-trap-runoff-to-tackle-water-scarcity-amid-plenty/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Feb 2026 13:38:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[irrigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water consumption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/04214121/percolation-tank-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36756</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Rural Futures]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Conservation, Ecology, Energy, Environment, Groundwater, Rivers, Villages, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the morning mist clears over the Sahyadri mountains, the jagged silhouette of the Rajgad Fort becomes visible to the trekkers beginning their ascent from the base village of Gunjavne. For most visitors escaping the nearby concrete Pune in Maharashtra, the landscape appears to be a lush, emerald paradise. They buy bottles of mineral water [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the morning mist clears over the Sahyadri mountains, the jagged silhouette of the Rajgad Fort becomes visible to the trekkers beginning their ascent from the base village of Gunjavne. For most visitors escaping the nearby concrete Pune in Maharashtra, the landscape appears to be a lush, emerald paradise. They buy bottles of mineral water from local stores, perhaps unaware of the irony beneath their feet: scarcity amid plenty. Velhe (officially renamed as Rajgad), the smallest taluk in Maharashtra’s Pune district, records an average annual rainfall of over 2,500 mm, the highest in the district. Yet, by February, many of its 129 villages have historically faced a dry reality, relying on water tankers for drinking and farming during the summer months. The problem is not a lack of water, but its refusal to stay in this hilly, undulating terrain. Rainwater slides off the slopes almost immediately, eroding soil, briefly filling wells and streams, then disappearing. The art of slowing the flow Near the base of the Rajgad trail, Laxman Rasal, Gunjavne’s sarpanch and a veteran of the gram panchayat for 32 years, walks over massive boulders that have tumbled down along the mountain stream. He points out a series of gabion structures, walls built of local stones, punctuating the stream. These are part of a deliberate &#8220;microwatershed&#8221; strategy to manage the Gunjavne river’s water. A gabion structure built on a stream of the Gunjane river in Velhe. Made of stones and boulders, the watershed management structure slows water flow and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/hilly-villages-trap-runoff-to-tackle-water-scarcity-amid-plenty/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A river carries industrial waste and sewage from Nepal to India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-river-carries-industrial-waste-and-sewage-from-nepal-to-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-river-carries-industrial-waste-and-sewage-from-nepal-to-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jan 2026 12:47:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Suresh Bidari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/23101221/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-21-at-13.48.48-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36589</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Ecology, Environment, Fish, Industry, Pollution, Rivers, Waste management, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When 38-year-old Pradeep Kumar Bishwokarma was growing up in Ramgadhawa, a neighbourhood in southern Nepal’s industrial town of Birgunj, he would jump into the Sirsiya River to beat the summer heat as his mother washed clothes and residents drew drinking water from it. Today, Bishwokarma and his fellow residents of the border town cover their [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When 38-year-old Pradeep Kumar Bishwokarma was growing up in Ramgadhawa, a neighbourhood in southern Nepal’s industrial town of Birgunj, he would jump into the Sirsiya River to beat the summer heat as his mother washed clothes and residents drew drinking water from it. Today, Bishwokarma and his fellow residents of the border town cover their noses with a handkerchief whenever they pass by the river that was once their village’s lifeline. The flowing liquid no longer resembles a river. It is thick and black as if a truckload of oil had been dumped into it. The air around the river feels heavy with the stench of sulphur and rotting organic matter. “This is no longer a river,” Bishwokarma said, pointing toward it. “It has become an open drain for factories, and we haven’t just lost a river, we’ve lost our self-respect,” he added. The river, which was once a crucial part of daily life, religion and agriculture in Bara and Parsa districts, is one of the 6,000-odd rivers and rivulets flowing into India from Nepal. It begins its journey from the Ramban Jhadi (forest) of Bara district farther north and passes through Nepal’s largest industrial zone, the Bara-Parsa corridor. Today, ineffective environmental regulation and poor coordination among government agencies have allowed factories to dump untreated industrial waste and sewage into the river. Even after decades of protests, multiple court cases and government committees and unimplemented wastewater treatment plans, the river remains a public health hazard, damaging local culture and ecosystems&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-river-carries-industrial-waste-and-sewage-from-nepal-to-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Unsafe drinking water can influence antimicrobial resistance</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/unsafe-drinking-water-drives-antimicrobial-resistance-in-tribes/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/unsafe-drinking-water-drives-antimicrobial-resistance-in-tribes/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Jan 2026 12:44:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Debdutta Paul]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[onehealth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/03235835/Irulas-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36333</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Environment, Health impacts, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, Rivers, Tribes, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When harmful microbes develop resistance to medicines meant to kill them, antimicrobial resistance develops. But scientists are discovering that even environmental and lifestyle factors, and not just medicine overuse, can contribute to this resistance. Scientists examining the gut bacteria of three tribal groups in South India have found that even the source of drinking water [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When harmful microbes develop resistance to medicines meant to kill them, antimicrobial resistance develops. But scientists are discovering that even environmental and lifestyle factors, and not just medicine overuse, can contribute to this resistance. Scientists examining the gut bacteria of three tribal groups in South India have found that even the source of drinking water plays a significant role in shaping the types of antimicrobial resistance the gut bacteria develop. The research group examined tribal groups in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The team found that people drinking water from untreated streams had more resistance genes related to metals and multiple chemicals, while those using tubewell water had more antibiotic resistance. The study, published in the journal Total Environment Microbiology, shows that even in remote populations with limited exposure to antibiotics, environmental factors, such as water quality, strongly influence antibiotic resistance. Environment and lifestyle influence resistance to microbes The Jenu Kuruba community of Karnataka, the Kurumba community of Kerala, and the Irula community of Tamil Nadu are more vulnerable than other tribal communities with respect to health. Having pre-agricultural practices, they face economic hardships and are geographically isolated from urban facilities, including healthcare systems. They often rely on untreated rivers and streams for drinking water and other domestic activities. Despite these vulnerabilities, they have minimal exposure to antibiotic medicines and are relatively unaffected by antibiotic resistance. This made their gut bacteria a valuable subject of study as the researchers could figure out the other sources of antimicrobial&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/unsafe-drinking-water-drives-antimicrobial-resistance-in-tribes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Heavy metals, microplastics found in fishing cats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/heavy-metals-microplastics-found-in-fishing-cats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/heavy-metals-microplastics-found-in-fishing-cats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Dec 2025 17:32:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fishing cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heavy metals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sundarbans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Threatened species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/16141406/WhatsApp-Image-2025-12-03-at-7.37.53-PM-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36086</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Cats, Health impacts, Industry, Mangroves, Plastic, Pollution, Water Pollution, Wetlands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sixty-five-year old Lal Mohan Das started farming at the age of 15. For the last 50 years, he has been growing paddy every year. “Earlier we used to sow it and it used to grow. Things were easier at that time. Now, at every stage of growth in paddy, pests increase and then we have [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sixty-five-year old Lal Mohan Das started farming at the age of 15. For the last 50 years, he has been growing paddy every year. “Earlier we used to sow it and it used to grow. Things were easier at that time. Now, at every stage of growth in paddy, pests increase and then we have to increase the amount of pesticides. If we don&#8217;t use it, there will be no harvest,” says Das. Sitting at a small tea shop run by his wife in Bhagabatpur village of West Bengal, in the Sundarbans region, Das talks about the increasing use of pesticides and fertilisers, and increasing plastic pollution in this mangrove ecosystem. In recent years, he has had to ramp up the use of fertilisers as the soil quality has depleted because of increasing salinity and the increase in pests because of climate change. But this growing amount of pesticides, fertilisers and plastic waste is causing heavy metal and microplastic pollution in the waters flowing through the Sundarbans and draining in the Bay of Bengal. A growing amount of pesticides, fertilisers and plastic waste is causing heavy metal and microplastic pollution in the waters flowing through the Sundarbans and draining in the Bay of Bengal. Image by Samrat Chakraborty. This fragile but polluted ecosystem is also the prime habitat of the fishing cat, the state animal of West Bengal. Unsurprisingly, the animal is being affected by the pollution in the waters, because of what it eats. A research project by Samrat&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/heavy-metals-microplastics-found-in-fishing-cats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Three filmmakers and their urgent stories about the environment and health</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/three-filmmakers-and-their-urgent-stories-about-the-environment-and-health/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/three-filmmakers-and-their-urgent-stories-about-the-environment-and-health/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Dec 2025 14:22:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat impacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat stroke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/11130513/banner2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36000</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment And Health]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Environment, Health impacts, Indigenous Peoples, Industry, Pollution, Tribes, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Over the past few months, three journalists produced environmental news documentaries that probed the links between environmental change and human health. For some, it was their first film; for others, their first attempt at in-depth visual storytelling. What united them was journalistic rigour and a willingness to experiment. For three consecutive editions, Mongabay-India has partnered [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Over the past few months, three journalists produced environmental news documentaries that probed the links between environmental change and human health. For some, it was their first film; for others, their first attempt at in-depth visual storytelling. What united them was journalistic rigour and a willingness to experiment. For three consecutive editions, Mongabay-India has partnered with the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) for the Video Reporting Opportunity, which commissions original environmental reportage. Earlier cohorts explored urban biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and grassroots solutions. This year, the fellowship turned its lens to one of the most urgent themes of our time: the intersection of environment and health. The films premiere at ALT EFF 2025 (December 4–14) before reaching wider audiences on Mongabay-India’s platforms. The filmmakers will join post-screening conversations reflecting on their work, process, and experiences behind the camera. Subscribe to Mongabay-India’s YouTube channel and set reminders to get notified when the films release online. Walking Against The Heat By Divya Vilvaraj and Aishwarya Mohanty In Rajasthan, a way of life is disappearing quietly. Hyderabad-based filmmaker Divya Vilvaraj and journalist Aishwarya Mohanty spent a week alongside the Raikas, a nomadic agropastoralist community, during a segment of their annual migration on foot. Mohanty had long been intrigued by the Raikas she saw near her home in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh. If water, grazing lands, and livestock are threatened, what does it mean for a nomadic community as climate change intensifies? The lack of documentation concerned her. “Agropastoralism is often described as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/three-filmmakers-and-their-urgent-stories-about-the-environment-and-health/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Environmentalists concerned over size-based buffer zones for water bodies</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/environmentalists-concerned-over-size-based-buffer-zones-for-water-bodies/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/environmentalists-concerned-over-size-based-buffer-zones-for-water-bodies/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Dec 2025 15:29:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban lakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/02141459/Ulsoor_lake_Bangalore_India-Credit-Wikimedia-Commons-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35853</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Lakes, Waste management, Water, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In August 2025, the Karnataka government proposed the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to reduce the size of the standard 30-metre buffer zones around some water bodies. The Bill was passed in the monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature but has been strongly criticised by citizen collectives and environmentalists [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In August 2025, the Karnataka government proposed the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to reduce the size of the standard 30-metre buffer zones around some water bodies. The Bill was passed in the monsoon session of the Karnataka legislature but has been strongly criticised by citizen collectives and environmentalists in the state&#8217;s capital, Bengaluru. This Bill aims to amend the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act (KTCDA), 2014, for area-wise buffer zones around lakes, based on the size of the lake. This would then allow for the construction of “certain public utility activities such as roads, bridges, electrical lines, and water supply lines.” Buffer zones are designated areas around lakes and stormwater drains where construction and other development activities are not permitted. “They create land and water boundaries where flora and fauna can flourish, which would not exist otherwise,” says Shubha Ramachandran, a water sustainability consultant. She elaborates that buffer zones increase the places around the lake where percolation is possible. “When there is solid waste dumping, it [buffer zone] provides space for it [waste] to be further filtered before it comes into the lake or is diverted. The wider the buffer zone, the better,” she says. Moreover, in urban areas, buffer zones also provide some spaces for recreation. Currently, Section 12 of the KTCDA prohibits any unauthorised construction, any commercial, recreational or industrial complexes or houses or carrying on any industrial activity within 30 metres from the outer boundary of the water&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/environmentalists-concerned-over-size-based-buffer-zones-for-water-bodies/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>The plot twists about a river’s politics [Book Review]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-plot-twists-about-a-rivers-politics-book-review/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-plot-twists-about-a-rivers-politics-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Nov 2025 17:07:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arti Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/13143710/8.-Mhadei-bio-reserve-over-Goa-Karnataka-and-Maharashtra-borders.-Photo-by-Vikram-Hoshing-e1763025473418-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35558</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Dams, Environment, Forests, Rivers, Water, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The book, The River Mhadei: The Science and Politics of Diversion, published by Goa 1556, is a compilation of research essays on the river which traverses through three states — Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra. Written by experts — scientists, ecologists, legal scholars, historians, planners, journalists, activists, and community practitioners — explore the environmental dispute over [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The book, The River Mhadei: The Science and Politics of Diversion, published by Goa 1556, is a compilation of research essays on the river which traverses through three states — Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra. Written by experts — scientists, ecologists, legal scholars, historians, planners, journalists, activists, and community practitioners — explore the environmental dispute over the damming and diversion of Mhadei’s waters. At its core, the book documents the dispute around the sharing of Mhadei’s waters among three states, focusing on Karnataka’s Kalasa-Bhanduri Nala project that aims to divert the waters to the Malaprabha basin, and the 2018 Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) award. “This book is Goa’s contribution to the global debate on safeguarding rivers and making them sustainable. The river Mhadei is our case study,” states academician Peter Ronald deSouza, former director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, in the introduction, who is one of the editors of this book along with Solano Da Silva, and Lakshmi Subramanian. Goa, the smallest state in India, is known for its west coast beaches, pristine Western Ghats, and the eleven rivers that flow across its breadth. Mandovi is the largest river here, known as Mhadei/Mahadayi in its upper reaches, originating in Degao near Khanapur, inside Karnataka’s Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, entering Goa through the Sattari taluka. With a run of 111 km — 28.8 km through Karnataka, joined by three tributaries including Bhandura, and 81.2 km through Goa, joined by five tributaries. The Mandovi river basin covers a little less&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/the-plot-twists-about-a-rivers-politics-book-review/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>How excess rains and poor wastewater management send microplastics into city lakes</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/how-excess-rains-and-poor-wastewater-management-send-microplastics-into-city-lakes/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/how-excess-rains-and-poor-wastewater-management-send-microplastics-into-city-lakes/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Oct 2025 12:24:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[microplastics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban lakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/30111713/AP18344503246779-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Connected Environments]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Lakes, Plastic, Pollution, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Weather conditions, especially continuous rainfall, drive microplastics into city lakes, a new study reports. Other major pathways include stormwater runoff, wastewater treatment plants, littering zones and laundry facilities. A recent study on Dal lake in Srinagar looks at the routes that microplastics take to find their way into urban lakes. While microplastics contamination of freshwater [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Weather conditions, especially continuous rainfall, drive microplastics into city lakes, a new study reports. Other major pathways include stormwater runoff, wastewater treatment plants, littering zones and laundry facilities. A recent study on Dal lake in Srinagar looks at the routes that microplastics take to find their way into urban lakes. While microplastics contamination of freshwater systems is being widely reported as a pressing problem, there are only a few studies to explain how they could end up there. The amount of plastics entering freshwater systems is forecast to increase from an estimated range of 9-14 million tons in 2016 to approximately 23-37 million tons by 2040, according to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report. The new pathway-specific risk assessment in Dal lake, published in Environmental Science: Advances, shows how microplastic properties are altered due to continuous rainfall in an urbanised lake; and how weather conditions, especially continuous rainfall, drive complex shifts in microplastic pollution patterns. Previous studies mostly focused on quantifying microplastics in ambient surface waters (natural water bodies such as rivers and lakes), says Sudha Goel, professor at the department of civil engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and one of the authors of the study. “Our study goes a step further by tracing the microplastic pollution back to its specific entry points,” she told Mongabay-India. Goel’s team, which includes researchers from IIT, Kharagpur; National Institute of Technology, Srinagar; and Institute for Water and Wastewater Treatment, Durban; compared microplastic abundance and characteristics in Dal lake near wastewater outlets, open&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/how-excess-rains-and-poor-wastewater-management-send-microplastics-into-city-lakes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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