Hottest March in 122 years damages wheat crop across North India
heat is a temperature-sensitive crop that requires a cool temperature, especially in March when it is at its final stage
Why potato means bad news in Punjab now
A cycle of misery kicked off by demonetisation still haunts farmers as well as cold storage owners
How farmers united in Punjab and Haryana during the 2023 floods
For every farmer whose crop has been ruined, there is another one who is sending him saplings from hundreds of kilometres away
From snake charmers to agricultural labourers: A case of Haryana’s Saperas
They still carry the stigma of being a de-notified tribe; also, the law prohibits the catching of snakes now, they say
Scanty rain in India’s largest state; kharif sowing hit in eastern UP
41 of 42 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, except Varanasi, are reeling under severe rain shortfall, India Meteorological Department has reported
STPs in 3 Punjab towns lying defunct: NGT monitoring committee
Poor performance of sewage treatment plants due to delayed payment by municipal bodies, monitoring committee report to NGT
After broken dam wrecked this Punjab village twice, farmers decided to take matters into own hands
Overflowing Ghaggar river broke banks in July, destroyed Kharif paddy; villagers blame state government for disrepair
Punjab extends time for brick kiln conversion to September
Those operating kilns with older technology still have to pay a fine depending upon the capacity of kiln under the polluter pay principle
Punjab is a bleak example of India’s groundwater crisis. Here is how
In the wake of the UN report showing alarming levels of depletion, DTE analysed the groundwater crisis in the state
Indo-Pak study reveals extensive arsenic problem in Punjab groundwater
The study found that 23 per cent of the 30,567 wells they covered had arsenic content higher than the prescribed limit
Har Gobind Khorana: The chemist who cracked DNA’s code and made the first artificial gene was born into poverty 100 years ago in an Indian village
Khorana’s legacy has also suffered from neglect that may be a result of racial bias. But this neglect is changing, as a new generation of …
DTE Coverage: 2023 North India deluge
Down To Earth reports from the ground on why the hills and plains of northern India got inundated
Gharial seen in Pakistan’s Punjab after 3 decades; it likely crossed over from India
Gharials were reintroduced to the Beas river in 2017, having been extirpated in the Punjab region now divided between India and Pakistan
Water for fruits: Why Abohar and Ganganagar’s citrus revolution needs encouragement
We need to build wealth from prudent and wise use of natural resources. Use scare water for fruit economy instead of paddy
Desertification in India: How Green Revolution hastened the man-made soil degradation
The biggest threat of desertification emanates from the major crops of the Green Revolution — wheat and paddy
No end to discrimination against Punjab’s Dalit women labourers, says study
A recent study examined 927 Dalit women labour households across four districts. A lot of them reeled under debt, faced sexual harassment
Will centralised waste disposal work for Punjab?
Safe waste disposal is a big challenge for the national sanitation overdrive. Punjab has been experimenting with centralised systems to tackle …
The ‘qissa’ of Basmati
As the European Union gets set to pronounce whether to give a GI tag to India’s Basmati rice, we explore the history of a grain that …
Jodhpur blues: How the Indira Gandhi Canal has robbed the desert citadel of its character
There is ample water in what was once a water scarce place; traditional water bodies, architecture, social habits have consequently gone for a toss
Why Punjab’s short-duration paddy varieties have not solved stubble burning
Promoted by the government, short-duration varieties now dominate Punjab’s paddy landscape and allow farmers enough time to clear the field …
Why farmers in Punjab and Haryana continue to burn rice stubble?
Every year during October and November, farmers in Punjab and Haryana are blamed for polluting the Delhi air by burning stubble
Struck by higher costs, Punjab farmers wait to burn stubble; fire incidences likely to flare up
At least 5,772 incidents of stubble fire have been registered in Punjab till October 22 alone
Rising wet-bulb temperatures due to climate change pose health risks for humans
A wet-bulb temperature of 35°C is considered the maximum limit of humidity humans can handle
Farmers in Punjab are burning stubble as an act of rebellion
They are angry that even as they suffer from farm distress and do not get any proper returns on their labour and produce, the onus of stubble …
Punjab sets an example by banning junk food in schools
By not allowing children to bring junk food from home, the state education department's message—that junk food is unhealthy—is made …