Former Assistant Editor, Down To Earth
In the shadow of El Niño fear: an already weak monsoon may suffer another jolt
There is a probability of El Niño developing between July and September, which are the peak monsoon months in India
Summer agony in monsoon season: heat wave persists in several states
Strong westerly winds are flowing in from north India in the absence of monsoon current, thus, increasing both minimum and maximum teperatures
How ethanol tax in some states is affecting crisis-ridden sugarcane farmers
State taxes are affecting inter-state supply for ethanol, which could, otherwise, generate additional income for farmers
Malviya Nagar fire incident is an example of what makes Delhi a tinderbox
Given the serious threat that such fire incidents cause to human health, the Delhi administration has to answer why it has not yet taken action …
Himachal Pradesh forest fires: Dhamarshala, Kasauli pine for respite
Extremely high summer temperature and inflammable pine needles causing fire to engulf forests in the state
‘Totalitarian movements are self-destructive’
The reason socialist awareness is not possible in the 21st century is that the middle class in India in the 60s was primarily dominated by the …
How to convince communities to sustain conservation efforts
Conservationists across the world have to warm up to the idea of communicating problems in local parlance and interpreting global challenges in …
Minister claims Ganga will be 70-80% cleaner by March 2019, but is it realistic?
So far, the government has focussed largely on curbing flow of untreated sewage into the river, but not on managing faecal sludge
To save Tamil Nadu from water crisis, prevent deforestation in Western Ghats: study
The effect of deforestation is felt more during deficit years than monsoon surplus years
New normal: series of intense, widespread storms in less than a week; 19 states brace for more
Unusually high temperature has aided such intense storms across the country, indicating more turbulent days ahead
In some places, you have to dig 130 feet down to get groundwater; that's how bad it is
With 44 per cent probability of below-normal monsoon this year, groundwater situation is likely to aggravate
Swachh Bharat Mission: other name for coercion and deprivation
What started as a campaign to make India open defecation free, has now taken shape of a cocercive policy of shaming people for not using toilets, …
No toilet, no food; is this how India will become ODF?
Kiran Bedi's order, suspending free rice distribution scheme for Puducherry's poorest families from end of May unless they produce a certificate …
Stuffed inside used vehicles, thousands of tonnes of e-waste reach Nigeria every year
About three-fourths of 60,000 tonnes of used electronic equipment shipped to Nigeria in both 2015 and 2016 originated from EU ports
Why do farmers in Gujarat seek right to die? Coercion and ‘illegal’ land acquisition
State government uses force to take possession of land it had acquired in 1997; farmers call it unlawful
How these five states in India are making it difficult to meet global SDG commitments
NITI Aayog CEO got it right, almost. Just five states are increasing the global challenge of meeting sustainable development goals
Plastics ban calls for deliberation, not draconian measures
While a plastic-free society may sound good, issues like lack of alternatives to banned products and potential threats to livelihoods of millions …
How can Africa breathe easy when millions of used cars from the West hit its roads each year?
In absence of any no regional or global agreements to govern the flow of used vehicles, the continent is now getting flooded with polluting vehicles
889% rise in cases of crime against children since 2001; can ‘smart cities’ curb them?
Making roads and public transport safe for children and women to navigate is a demand long overdue
Do we have alternatives to tribunals for settling water sharing disputes?
Considering the ineffectiveness of tribunals, there is a need to look for community-based approaches to resolve such disputes effectively, …
This coastal village in Mozambique now at the mercy of Chinese mining company
Local residents want the government to probe into company's operations and negotiate compensation for irresponsible sand mining
Last few drops
Taps will run dry in the South African metropolis of Cape Town in two months. Hundreds of cities across the world are nearing a similar breakdown.…
Nairobi's water crisis likely to continue till 2026
On December 26, 2016, the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Ltd first announced “temporary” reduction of water supply, and the …
Findings of nationwide rural sanitation survey leave several questions unanswered
The claim that 93.4 per cent of rural households are using toilets is somewhat questionable
From glacier melting to rise in glacial lakes, eastern Himalaya most hit by climate change
Among the 25,614 glacial lakes identified in five major river basins of Hindu Kush Himalayas, Brahmaputra Basin has the highest number of glacial …