Chamoli disaster: What lesson can Himachal learn
More than a dozen organizations from the hill state have come together to highlight dangers of climate change, exacerbated by exploitation of land,…
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
Fabulous Faba: Ancient super food set to stage a comeback
Food scientists are now trying to give this neglected ancient crop a makeover, given its high nutrition content
Vishweshwar D Saklani (1922-2019): The calm tree man of India
A freedom fighter, conservationist and a scientist who truly heard the voice of trees, Mr Saklani is a role model for future generations
Char Dham national highway has cost Uttarakhand its ecological balance
To assess the extent of the ecological damage that construction activity is causing, Down To Earth travelled 250 km on the Char Dham …
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 …
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
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 …
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’
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
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?
Departure in rainfall across flood-affected districts this June very sharp: DTE analysis
A detailed study of data across districts and subdivisions reveals that such excess rainfall in June has rarely occurred otherwise
Kumbh amid COVID-19: 1.3 million bathe at Haridwar as COVID-19 cases spike
Officials at Kumbh Mela report decrease in number of pilgrims at second royal bath even as COVID-19 cases surge