Excavating farmlands for highways
The top soil on a farm determines how bountiful a crop will be. In Haryana, farmers have sold this crucial resource to the government for highway projects. Among them is…
Residents in Haryana point to stone crushing units for their respiratory troubles and drop in crop yield
A two-kilometre detour from the six-lane national highway 152-D (Narnaul-Ambala), towards the interior villages in Haryana, where stone-crushing units are set up, presents a grim picture. At least one family…
A Haryana village opposes construction of government buildings to protect centuries-old trees
Some residents of a village in Haryana are opposing the proposed construction of government buildings on forest lands, home to the iconic Salvadora trees. The villagers say it will hinder…
Stubble burning is back, smothering north India with concerns for the upcoming winter
Even as authorities claim that they are all set to deal with what is now an annual public health crisis, stubble burning in the northern states of India is back…
With NCR Draft Plan 2041, the sensitive Aravalis remain vulnerable
The National Capital Region (NCR) Draft Regional Plan 2041 is proposed as the next iteration of the NCR Regional Plan 2021, which has been in force since 2005. The draft…
The curious case of the woolly-necked stork and its rising numbers in Haryana
As bird populations across the globe steadily decline, the woolly-necked stork is thriving in India, particularly in the northern state of Haryana. According to a recent study, large breeding populations…
Attacks by dogs a serious concern for the revered blackbuck in Haryana
Free-ranging dogs have emerged as a potential threat and predator to the local nilgai and blackbuck populations in parts of Haryana, according to a recent study conducted in the Badopal…
[Video] Can a waste-to-energy plant address piling concerns from a landfill site?
On June 13, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Haryana government regarding inaction over hazardous waste contaminating the groundwater near the Bandhwari landfill. The waste…
[Video] Living in the shadows of a waste mountain
The landfill, often called Bandhwari, located in the ecologically sensitive Aravallis, is named after the village, whose land it came up on. This growing mountain of trash gets 2,000 tonnes…
Industrial water pollution threatens residents in Haryana’s Kundli area
The industrial zone in the Kundli area of Haryana’s Sonipat district has provided a livelihood to many over the last 40 years. From a sleepy village, Kundli turned into a…
Heatwave takes a toll on north India’s wheat yield
Hardeep Kaur, 36, and her husband Chamkaur Singh, 39, owned two acres of agricultural land in the Bathinda district of Punjab, a northern Indian state. With a fierce heatwave in…
Unaccounted deaths lay bare the dark side of sand mining
Illegal and unscientific sand mining from rivers is generally seen as a threat to the environment, especially aquatic life. But there is another dark side to this that is neither…
Once the lifeline of villages, ponds in Haryana turn into garbage sites
The history of Haryana’s 7,356 villages is as old as its ponds and wells. It is said that people settled wherever they found water storage capacity for human and cattle…
Waterlogging pushes Haryana farmers to sell agricultural land, take up odd jobs
Sonu Kalkal, a farmer living in Imlota village in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana, used to cultivate his own land and harvest bumper crops. The 42-year-old has now turned landless.…
The ignorance of the Haryana government has cost the Aravallis dearly
In January 2022, five people were killed in a landslide at Tosham’s Dadam mining zone in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, a northern Indian state. The incident put the spotlight…
Addressing challenges in food systems with climate-smart agriculture
To meet the suite of climate challenges, while also producing food and energy in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is becoming popular around the globe. CSA…
From pollution to power, what stops paddy straw from becoming the fuel of choice
The northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana garner a lot of attention during the paddy harvesting season every year, starting in October. The short window between the harvesting of…
Mangar, on the outskirts of New Delhi, looks to its past to protect its future
On the outskirts of a bustling New Delhi, the quiet village of Mangar in Haryana has long held a secret in its caves: ancient paintings. Growing up grazing livestock in…
Groundwater depletion in Haryana a cause of serious concern
India is the world’s largest user of groundwater with over 80% of the rural and urban domestic water supplies met by available groundwater. But each year the water table keeps…
Haryana’s first community reserve, ancient Brahma Sarovar pond, awaits restoration
In July 2017, the Haryana government had declared a 100-acre pond site at village Thana in its Kurukshetra district as the state’s first community reserve site, to conserve its rich…
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
- Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study
- [Explainer] Living with microplastics, is not fantastic
- Residents in Haryana point to stone crushing units for their respiratory troubles and drop in crop yield
- As heatwaves projected to worsen across India, do vulnerability assessments and heat action plans suffice?
Almost Famous Species
- [Commentary] Why are evolutionary scientists studying the crawlies?
- The silent trade of elusive small cats in Mizoram
- Researchers study the elusive dugongs of the Andamans with help from community stakeholders
- New species of parachute gecko recorded in Mizoram
Eco Hope
- Green pilgrimage model balances faith and conservation
- [Video] Restoring the perennial Thamirabarani river with people power
- [Interview] Conservation scientist Joli Rumi Borah on integrating traditional knowledge in research
- [Interview] Scientist Ruth DeFries on deforestation: There isn’t one driver, there’s a different context in different places
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Studies reveal impact of land use on species diversity in rock outcrops
- Improved tiger numbers come with hidden messages on invasives, habitat connectivity
- Gymnosperms that are critical for coniferous forest health may be steadily declining in response to climate change
- Experts call for coexistence, sustainable development as tiger population is close to saturation
Beyond Protected Areas
- Bioinvasions are a global threat to ecosystems, says IPBES report
- Artisanal fishers wary of coastal aquaculture regulation amendments that legalise past violations
- Tiger poaching network, that spread from west to east India, busted
- Venomous snakebites, an occupational hazard for women tea workers
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Excavating farmlands for highways
- Increasing carbon dioxide is making our food less nutritious
- Ecosystem-based adaptation takes nature-based, people-centric approach to agriculture
- [Commentary] How grassroots-led natural farming at the landscape scale can support communities and heal the planet
Just Transitions
- Climate action not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, says Global Stocktake report
- [Interview] Suravee Nayak on why transformative justice for women, Dalits is key for a just transition
- Promised rehabilitation eludes residents living near one of India’s earliest coal mines
- As e-mobility gains traction, what’s in store for the friendly neighbourhood mechanic?
