Hemkund: then and now
Senior journalist Suman Dubey points out Hemkund, which houses a popular Sikh shrine, has become overcrowded over the years
New dams to burden Uttarakhand, heighten disaster risk
Districts worst hit by the floods are also the ones with maximum hydropower projects in the pipeline
Sustainable tourism: Carrying capacity assessment can be a tool for protecting hilly areas
It is the need of the hour to regulate unmanaged tourism activities to maintain the ecological balance and facilitate tourism
Joshimath’s sinking brings Uttarakhand’s rehabilitation policy into sharp focus
Of Uttarakhand’s 484 villages threatened by natural disasters, more than 450 await relocation despite the state’s ambitious …
NGT refuses to allow commercial construction on Shimla railway land
A proposal allowing the construction of a hotel and other commercial structures on land in Shimla’s railway warehouse has been rejected
Massive surge in COVID-19 infections in Uttarakhand’s remote villages. But who will treat them?
Residents in several villages report symptoms but not tested; many doctors and medical officers infected
Glacial burst at Sumna on the Indo-China border near Reni in Uttarakhand
Sumna is an uninhabited place, with only border roads personnel working there; no word yet on casualties
Uttarakhand forest minister blames UP poachers for tiger deaths in Corbett
Minister Harak Singh Rawat said increased fencing and drone surveillance will be introduced to curb poaching
Bastar witnessed more forest fires than Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal
FSI’s satellite data show that while Pauri Garhwal recorded 471 instances of forest fires, the highest in Uttarakhand, Bastar recorded 555 …
Beauty and bounty
Heritage valley in danger
The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand, a World Heritage Site, may have been damaged in the recent floods in the state. A look at what makes this …
Doctors absent in flood-hit areas
Hospitals have not got green signal for deploying teams; state government unclear of medical help actually needed
After Joshimath, now Doda? Land subsidence in Chenab Valley village; 300 evacuated
Government official tells Down To Earth situation is not similar to Joshimath
Joshimath sinking: Over 50% of Joshimath high-risk area, finds IIT-Roorkee
Part 4: A team from institute conducted tests at 12 locations around Joshimath to find cause for land subsidence
Tremors in Delhi-NCR again after fresh quake in Nepal
Earthquakes struck Nepal thrice this week on November 9,10 and 12
The monkey-catcher
Monkeys exact revenge on a naturalist
19,742 years off the mark
Threat from climate change to some of India’s sacred pilgrimage sites is reshaping religious beliefs
One significant theological change that seems to be underway within Himalayan Hinduism as a result of climate change is the transformation of the …
‘We will only wake up when sal trees have been driven to the brink of extinction’
The ‘treeman of Delhi’, Pradip Krishen talks to Down To Earth about the recent decision to cut 2,500 British-era sal trees on the …
Black carbon is a threat to Himalayan glaciers
Banning fossil fuels or the introduction of glacier tax can be a deterrent in these high-altitude areas
Forest Survey Report 2021: India’s mountainous states, already facing climate change, lose forest cover
Jammu and Kashmir has lost very dense forests, while the North East is top in terms of total forest area loss
Pastoralist Van Gujjars ask why they still need permit to enter their own land
Voices of the Van Gujjars have been silenced by restrictions in the form of ‘permits’
Fading scent of musk deer
With winters approaching, Uttarakhand forest officials set out to protect the state animal, but without sufficient funds or a proper plan
Heavy rains in north India; rivers swell to dangerous levels
Heavy rainfall is expected in eastern Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and across the north-eastern states in the coming days
Why flooding raises alarm over bearing of hydropower plants on the Himalayas
The need of the hour is to put halt large hydel-power projects in the Himalayas. Can small hydropower plants offer a sustainable solution?