Nest guardians to keep the Indian skimmer’s eggs safe
A thick, orange-yellow bill with a slightly longer lower mandible (jaw) is one of the most striking features of the Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis). This bird with pointed black wings…
Demolition of illegal construction in Sukhna lake area put on hold till the pandemic is under control
A survey by Chandigarh’s administration, of houses illegally built in catchment area of lake Sukhna, is temporarily on hold with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown. The survey was being…
Rebirth of dying Vembanad lake in sight with new court orders
Sitting on his traditional canoe on the Vembanad lake, fisher A. K. Sailan believes that the gods have finally started smiling down on him. While on the eco-sensitive lake, in…
Indian government proposes a 10-year plan to protect birds
On February 4, 2020, images of a rare oriental darter struggling to free its beak from a piece of plastic went viral. The incident was reported from Palwal in Haryana…
Water food cultivators in Madhya Pradesh face existential crisis
With the help of a bamboo pole, Rajesh Raikwad expertly navigates his kishti, a tapered flat-bottomed boat made of iron and painted blue and green, in the Kusum Sagar talaab…
States can alter activities prohibited in wetlands as per latest guidelines
Nearly two and a half years after it had notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 for conservation and management of wetlands in the country, the Indian government’s environment…
Forest land identified for development after reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir
After August 6, 2019, when the Government of India scrapped the semi-autonomous status of the former Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territories, recent…
A restored wetland brings hope to some in flood and drought prone Chennai
Venkatesh Kesav and his friends, equipped with gloves, spades, and dustbins, have a weekly ritual of cleaning a 10-acre pond in the Sholinganallur area in Chennai, the capital of Tamil…
A dose of eco-optimism: Stories of hope and inspiration in 2019
Don't lose hope. This is probably not the cliché you want to hear after what the past year has been like. Extreme weather events, wildfires, water crises, rampant deforestation, record…
Restoring Chennai’s water bodies
Twenty-seven-year-old Chandra, a house help in Chennai, does not know much about deficient rainfall, rainwater harvesting or the city's degraded water bodies. All she knows is that once in two…
