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 …
Predicting the future
A severe shortage of medicinal plants and herbs threatens ISM. Cultivation may be the only way out. But currently medicinal plants that are …
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, …
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, …
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 …
Wild foods
Wild fruits in the Himalayas could well be an answer to the nutrition and energy requirements of the region
The blue boom
Indigo farming debuts in the hills of Uttarakhand as people find it ecologically and economically beneficial
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 …
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
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 …
Parched hills
Women are the worst sufferers of the water crisis in Uttarakhand. Why are the hills going dry?
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
‘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
COVID-19: Around 800 Nepali workers stranded in Dharchula, Uttarakhand
The workers want to enter Nepal but the Nepalese government has declared a complete lockdown
Fault lines in expressway
To assess the extent of the ecological damage that construction activity is causing, Down To Earth travelled 250 km on the Char Dham Mahamarg …
Karela's sweet cousin, a delicacy in the hills
The little-known vegetable grows abundantly in Uttarakhand and people either eat the baby karela raw or cook it as a vegetable
Uttarakhand: 4 arrested for starting fires, policeman dies fighting flames
More than 2,900 hectares of forest have been razed in last three months, and the fires have killed at least four people so far
Joshimath, a well-engineered calamity
Sinking of the Himalayan town shows we have completely lost the ability to plan keeping in mind the ecological uniqueness of fragile areas
Do forest fires hinder solar power production?
A new study has found that forest fires that break especially during the summer season play a major role in reducing solar power generation in …
Rising heatwaves ravage the Himalayas; here’s why
According to experts, the hot winds blowing in from Pakistan could also have been the reasons behind the unusually high temperatures in many …
Phool Dei: Uttarakhand's festival of flowers to teach kids environmental conservation
The festival is celebrated in Garhwal, Kumaun regions to teach children to cherish & nurture nature
Is apple really good for the Himalayas?
Apple is the major crop in hills, but its role as a water guzzler or spread of orchards at the cost of nature is rarely discussed
UP village demanding compensation for riverine erosion stops fast
The residents of Kamhariya in Sitapur district had been on a 48-hour hunger strike, demanding measures against erosion by the Sharda river. They …