Kolar Gold fields: From fields of gold to a dust bowl
“The government has taken 40 precious years of my life, used me and left me to die when their work was completed,” rued 79-year-old K. Esavel, a resident of Karnataka's…
Mongabay series: Environment And Health
New research improves understanding on dengue, but vaccine search continues
As COVID-19 cases rapidly rise in India (more than 4.4 million cases now), the annual scourge of dengue fever is also slowly raising its head. India is labelled as ‘hyper-endemic’,…
Some hope for Rajasthan’s silicosis victims but many challenges
Akki Bai, 37, who lives in Kharapalli, a small village of Sirohi district in Rajasthan, lost her husband Bhana Ram in May, this year. Bhana, 42, who cut sandstone in…
Household air pollution: Empowering women could boost LPG adoption
Household air pollution caused mainly by the burning of solid fuels, including biomass—firewood, charcoal, coal, dung, and agricultural waste—and ambient air pollution are among the leading risk factors contributing to…
[Photos] Suffering in the town powering India’s nuclear dreams
Anamika Oraom, 16, of village Dungridih, around a kilometre away from Narwa Pahar uranium mine in Jharkhand, wants to study. But she cannot, owing to severe headaches that come up…
Clean air, sanitation can save newborn lives
Exposure to fine particles (PM10) found in the air increases the risk of harm to child health irrespective of hygiene practices, said a survey of 184 Indian towns and cities.…
Mumbai’s COVID waste peaks, second waste treatment plant not in sight
As Mumbai copes with COVID-19, a related outcome of the pandemic is the mounting waste. Mumbai city generated three times the daily average COVID-19 waste in July as compared to…
[Commentary] Wrong values, not technical lapses to blame for industrial mishaps
Industrial mishaps like the boiler blast at Neyveli Lignite Corporation’s (now called NLC India Ltd., or NLCIL) power plant on July 1, 2020, are often seen as a consequence of…
With boiler blast, the Neyveli power station becomes a fiery grave
On July 1, what should have been a routine maintenance check in Unit 5 of the Thermal Power Station- 2 (TPS-2) of the NLC India Limited (NLCIL), formerly the Neyveli…
Shhh! CPCB proposes stringent fines for noise pollution
Incessant honking, loud construction activity, loudspeakers at odd hours – all contributors to noise pollution – could soon fall heavy on the pockets of those violating norms. The country’s pollution…
