Alphonso’s last call?

The world’s best mango is perishing in coastal Maharashtra, which grows most of the crop. The culprits are climate change and unsustainable …

The magician farmer

How a farmer from Bihar used magic tricks to convert others in his village to organic farming

Darkling waters

The Bagmati loses its way in Kathmandu amid political vacuum and urban chaos

A revolution gone awry

Easy access to agro-chemicals in Sri Lanka blamed for public health scare

Rotterdam Convention meet: no consensus on including herbicide paraquat in the prior informed consent list

120 nations had agreed to the listing, but India and Gautemala played spoilsport

Who is monitoring Lavasa?

Lavasa Corporation is rushing to complete its township in Western Ghats. No one knows if the promoter is complying with conditions on which it …

Gentle on critical pollution

After declaring 43 industrial areas in India as critically polluted and imposing a moratorium on their expansion, the Union Ministry of …

India reverses stand on asbestos at Rotterdam Convention meet

Opposes its inclusion in prior informed consent list; campaigners accuse industry lobby of influencing government

Desperate for gas

Gas is the cleanest of fossil fuels and also more efficient and cheaper to use. Yet, in India, there has been no policy focus on this fuel, …

Sodium cyanide 'possibly stored' in Tianjin warehouse, say experts

The Chinese State Council has rolled out a nationwide inspection of businesses using dangerous chemicals 

Science & Technology - Briefs

Fertilizer companies will not allow meaningful action in agriculture during COP 21: report

The report says the role of fertilizers in contributing to climate change has been severely misunderstood 

UN conference calls for global action to save people from toxic chemicals

Delegates agreed though that the key 2020 goal for sound chemical management could not be met by that year

Bitter organic brew

Falling income and lukewarm market are forcing organic coffee growers to go back to chemical fertilisers

42% of India’s districts use 85% of its chemical fertilisers

A parliamentary standing committee blamed Agriculture Ministry’s skewed policy for the inequality in fertiliser usage

Green chemistry is key to reducing waste and improving sustainability

Green chemistry prioritises safety, improving energy efficiency and, most importantly, minimising toxic waste from the very beginning

Satellite study finds ammonia hotspots over agricultural areas

Ammonia concentration in the atmosphere over India is the highest in the world due to cattle population and excessive fertilizer use, says study

Sikkim is 100% organic! Take a second look

The state's transition to organic farming is yet to become a true success

Tughlaqabad gas leak: report from the ground

Gas leak at a container depot in Tughlaqabad on Saturday led to the hospitalisation of 290 children. The locals narrate a harrowing tale

At least 300 Delhi students fall ill after toxic gas leak; government orders probe

While investigation is on to find the cause of leakage, police have assured legal action against handlers

NGT orders joint inspection of Tughlakabad container depot after chemical leak

The green court has also ordered assessment of the impacts of the leak 

Deadly omission

The chemical that caused 400 schoolchildren in Delhi to be hospitalised is not considered hazardous by the government

Record number of chemicals reviewed by UN committee

The review is to list chemicals into the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions' annexes to push for a pollution-free planet

From living in a mud house to a fixed roof, this Malawian farmer knows the value of climate-smart agriculture

Grace Manda from Malawi never thought a climate-resilient method of farming could help her build a fixed roof, send her kids to school, that too …

Scientists assess how continuous use of fertilisers affects soil bacteria

Application of Nitrogen Phosporus Potassium with farmyard manure increases the minerals' availability in the soil as compared to other treatments