What triggers desertification in India
A low down on the most important causes behind desertification in every state of the country. Addressing these will be critical to meet targets …
'I cannot be a mute spectator to the carnage of Ganga'
As Uttarakhand grapples with the task of repair and restoration, octogenarian environmentalist G D Agarwal's fast to free Ganga of dams continues.…
How to contain Himalayan tsunamis
The Himalaya has one of the most fragile topographies among mountain ranges of the world on account of being the youngest. Even though its phase …
Rights without benefits
Over 1.3 million tribals and forest dwellers have got rights over the land they had been using for years under the Forest Rights Act. This can, …
Let solar shine
Census 2011 throws light on the darkness across India. Of the 246 million households, 67 per cent get electricity from the grid, while 31 per …
Organic Universe
Organic is all the rage. Organic food, cosmetics, clothes and even organic medicines. But mostly it is food. There are speciality stores that …
The past and present of rivers
Author(s): Karuna Futane We are a generation that has turned flowing fresh water rivers to rivers of sewage and garbage. We have lost rivers. …
Sand slips
Where there is a river, there is sand. Called a minor mineral, it fulfils a major requirement of the booming construction industry. No wonder, …
Rural migration may alter Uttarakhand‘s political geography
Around 32 lakh migrated from Uttarakhand’s rural areas since the state's inception
Uttarakhand: inheritance of loss
After a year of the flood devastated Uttarakhand, DTE takes stock of relief and rehabilitation works
A year on: A Raini-like incident can happen again
Rampant construction continues in the seimically active and climate change-sensitive Himalayas; the next disaster is waiting to happen
Weekend cloudburst reiterates need to beef up early warning systems; is Uttarakhand on track
There have been positive and negative developments in Uttarakhand since 2013 as far as early warning systems are concerned; the key is to …
Climate change is real: Six months on, Uttarakhand forests still ablaze
Forest fires that began in Uttarakhand on October 15 last year are still burning due to less rainfall and rising temperatures
After forest fires, Uttarakhand is now hit by cloudburst; Kumaon region badly affected
Apart from the cloudbursts, there have been heavy rains in several districts of Uttarakhand
Baranaja: a climate resilient farming practice
Baranaja is a mixed crop farming practice from Uttarakhand based on traditional wisdom. Millets and pulses are the main crops cultivated through …
The blue boom
Indigo farming debuts in the hills of Uttarakhand as people find it ecologically and economically beneficial
‘Greed will consume the village’: Chipko birthplace questions its choice after Chamoli disaster
Following the flash floods of February 7, residents of Reni village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district want to relocate
Parched hills
Women are the worst sufferers of the water crisis in Uttarakhand. Why are the hills going dry?
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
Still burning: Forest fires continue to rage in Uttarakhand
Wildfires began in Uttarakhand on October 15, 2020 and continue to destroy large tracts of forests
Uttarakhand dams jeopardise Ganga's free flow
Two private and one government owners of dams on the Ganga refuse to follow the upcoming water discharge guidelines necessary for the cleaning …
Life in the burning mountains
Besides destroying hectares of forest land, the Uttarakhand forest fire has huge implications on the lives and livelihoods of the local population
High rainfall, swelling rivers spread panic in Uttarakhand
Extreme rainfall of the kind witnessed during last year's flood disaster unlikely, say Met officials
Climate crisis: Uttarakhand may see forest fires round the year
It is winters but state forests are on fire. Experts say lack of soil moisture due to insufficent rainfall aided spread
‘February 7 appears to be what I would call a rock avalanche’
Down To Earth speaks to Daniel Shugar from the University of Calgary in Canada on what exactly could have happened in Chamoli