Reports of early flowering from poplar trees in Punjab
In October 2019, a few months into her Ph.D. at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Garima Thapliyal set out on a field survey to Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.…
The Indus dolphin is struggling in India, thriving in Pakistan
“Have you seen dolphins in your area?” “You mean Bhulan Machi (long-lipped fish),” replied 22-year-old Bagha, a boatman who ferries people on the banks of the Beas river in Karmuwala village of Punjab’s…
Why Punjab failed to douse farm fires
Last month, on December 11, farmers in Punjab held three officials of the state agriculture department hostage at Kabar Bachha village in Ferozepur district. They alleged that an insect, the…
Ludhiana attempts to come clean, again
In August this year, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) filed a criminal case against the mayor, commissioner and four other officials of the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana, a large…
Hope runs dry as groundwater sources in Punjab drop to alarming levels
On the morning of February 21, 2018, Manvir Singh, 32, a farmer from Andana village in Sangrur district of Punjab, left early from home for his farm. When Manju, his…
Punjab’s groundwater stress drowns in election noise
“It is easy to point fingers at farmers in Punjab for air pollution from stubble burning. But what about the pollution in rivers? Will people living in cities take responsibility…
Punjab farmers’ widows respond to apathy by standing in elections
In the agrarian state of Punjab, an average of two farmers have committed suicide every day, over the last 18 years, an estimate based on multiple reports. These statistics should…
Elections hold out little hope for Punjab’s farmers
In January this year, farmers across the state of Punjab took to the roads in protest. In 12 districts of the state, they were protesting against banks that filed cases…
Scientists take a step towards India-Pakistan cooperation to fight air pollution
Air pollution does not adhere to human-created borders. So, even as south Asian neighbours India and Pakistan spend a majority of time in political conflict, both countries suffer from the…
Delhi smog: Entrepreneurs offer hope with technologies to reuse crop biomass
Nidhi Arora a software professional who works in Delhi dreads winters. She suffered a serious bout of asthma in 2017 due to the dense smog in Delhi. The air quality…
Winter is coming and so is the pollution
Winter in north India is almost here and social media is already buzzing with pictures of crop residue burning in northern Indian states. Over the last few years, the national…
Wheat genome unravelled: can help in dealing with climate change
It took the best scientific minds from 20 nations, including India, to scale what is considered as the “Mt. Everest of the genome world”. After 13 years of painstaking effort,…
Less firewood at home means better health for the family
While air pollution in metropolitan cities like Delhi has hogged the headlines over the past few years, we don’t know much about how our emissions from various activities are affecting…
Air pollution from crop residue burning in the north spreads across India
Northern India, particularly Delhi, is notorious for its choking smog blanketing the city and nearby areas during the post-monsoon period in October-November. This is the time when farmers in the…
High levels of uranium found in groundwater from Rajasthan
India relies heavily on groundwater for crop irrigation and for drinking in many regions. Studies have shown high levels of fluoride, nitrate, and arsenic in groundwater in some parts of…
Dust storms may increase in India due to climate change
Over the past few years, rise in the global temperature has set new records and that is leading to increase in the number of extreme weather events. India may also…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Stitching sustainability amidst climate change challenges
- Gujarat bans exotic Conocarpus tree amid health and environment hazard
- Malaria-carrying mosquitoes shift homes from forests to rice fields
- [Commentary] Neglecting household biomedical waste management can lead to adverse environmental effects
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Majuli’s shrinking wetlands and their fight for survival
- Saving India’s wild ‘unicorns’
- Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
Beyond Protected Areas
- The dietary habits of endangered vultures
- Waterbirds adapt to nest and roost in the urban oases of Udaipur
- Understanding the elevational movements of Himalayan birds to improve conservation efforts
- Nilgiri pipit seeks better status as habitat shrinks
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
- [Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management
- Millet tradition loses flavour among Madhya Pradesh’s tribals
- A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
Just Transitions
- How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
- Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
- Conflict over critical mineral prospecting in Odisha signals need for better community involvement
- Fuel leak in Manipur raises concerns over water contamination
