'Ministries play the blame game'

Jagdish Bahadur, an expert on glaciers and former joint advisor, department of science and technology, and Syed Iqbal Hasnain, who heads the …

New poster released to highlight threat to orchids from illegal trade

The poster was released ahead of Save the Himalayas Day 2022 and depicted 11 species protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Cat on the Roof of the World: Pallas’s cat DNA found on Mount Everest

The cats share their territory with the red fox. Their main prey on Everest are pika, a cousin of the rabbit and mountain weasel

Himalayan plunder: Manipur landslides raise environmental questions

Considering the long-term nature of the ongoing project, it is necessary to adopt regulatory and monitoring mechanisms at the vulnerable slopes

'We could discover new bird species in the eastern Himalayas'

Trevor Price has been studying birds in India since 1972, investigating breeding biology and bird distributions, especially in the Himalayas. He …

Quantifying ecosystem value crucial for conservation, say experts

Experts gathered at the second international dialogue on Himalayan ecology spoke of valuing mountain ecosystems for their services

After central, now eastern Himalayas? Glacial lake outburst in North Sikkim sparks alert across the state

Downstream areas such as Darjeeling and north Bangladesh to be affected as water travels in the Teesta river

Western Disturbances: Reason for the temperature spikes in North India this February

The primary reason for the early onset of heat over northwest India is the lack of strong western disturbances

The Yeti quest

Daniel C Taylor explored the Himalayas extensively for 60 years only to discover that it is actually a bear

After dry spell, heavy rains damage trans-Arunachal highway

Despite a rain deficit, connectivity is affected due to heavy landslides on critical roads connecting the remote Himalayan state with the rest of …

Glacial lakes in the Himalayas: A ticking time bomb

There are 39 glacial lake and water bodies across India, China and Nepal that have recorded more than 40 per cent increase in the water spread …

What determines height of mountains?

Height of the mountains stops increasing after crossing a threshold, influenced by erosion of the areas between mountains, finds the study

Book notice: Indigenous Honeybees of the Himalayas

Nepal's native honeybees are an acknowledged vital cog in maintaining the region's biodiversity, as they naturally pollinate an assortment of …

Himalayan plunder: Hydroelectric plans in Arunachal will effect downstream Assam too

Arunachal Pradesh is highly susceptible to landslides; debris flowing downstream will change river behaviour, fear experts 

New council to ensure sustainable development of Himalayan region

Set up by the NITI Aayog, the council will work on five thematic areas significant for the Himalayas, including tourism, skills, shifting …

Water crisis in the Himalayas: story of urbanisation at the cost of environment

For four years, two academics and a photojournalist researched urbanisation in the Himalayas to bring out the deadly scams of human activities in …

Pulse varieties in the Himalayas are decreasing

Lack of planning, introduction of hybrid seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and weed killers are responsible for decline in pulses’ …

Mapping the subcontinent

In 2002, the Survey of India began a year-long programme which celebrated 200 years of the Great Trigonometrical Survey, a mammoth cross-country …

World Heritage Day: ‘Himalayan geo-heritage sites under threat to road construction activities’

DTE talks to ON Bhargava, geology professor at Panjab University, Chandigarh about why roads must be constructed in the Himalayas on the basis of …

Another disaster in Himachal Pradesh: What is the reason?

The region has seen many disasters, and most of them are directly related to massive engineering projects planned in the area

Himalayan plunder: Stop excessive, aggressive development

Incidents such as Joshimath subsidence will continue to occur if policy approaches do not change

Rise after the fall

Sikkim, once the world's largest producer of large cardamom, is trying to regain its lost glory. Can it achieve the feat in the face of a …

What are cloudbursts? Should we be prepared for more frequent occurrences?

A cloudburst is a sudden spell of localised, heavy rainfall where the amount of rainfall over a particular area exceeds 100 millimetres in an hour

World Environment Day 2023: Springs need urgent revival for water security in the Indian Himalayas

The neglect of springs and aquifers in the context of rivers and watersheds has led to large gaps in developing a national response to spring …

After Joshimath, what?

A series of 7 columns on various issues affecting the Indian portion of the Himalayas in the light of the Joshimath disaster