The Chipko movement as it stands today

The idea behind the Chipko movement originated in early 1970s from Mandal, a village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Forty-three years later, …

Mountains of Sanjeevani

The Uttarakhand government's initiative to spend Rs 25 crore on an elusive mythical herb should trigger a wider quest to identify, document and …

Rafting: in troubled waters

White water rafting operators and environmental activists are in a legal battle over rafting's effect on the environment

Why cutting down Chirpine is not a solution to Uttarakhand forest fires

Resin ducts that make the tree prone to fire should rather be used as a resource

For the love of butterflies

Book>> Butterflies on the roof of the world • by Peter Smetacek • Aleph • Rs 499

Fight for land

From stricter land laws to revising domicile rules, Uttarakhand residents demand government action to stop the sale of agricultural land to …

Joshimath dispatch: Tales of woe emerge from a dying town; locals squarely blame administration

Many of those affected in Joshimath have suffered displacement for the second time

Redefining gender issues and conservation

Women farmers in Uttarakhand are bearing the brunt of the monkey menace

NGT bans camping activity in Rishikesh

The green court has however allowed rafting in the area

On wrong trek

The ecological perils of commercial hiking

Work halts on Loharinag Pala

Loharinag Pala project axed

GoM gives in to public pressure

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (February 15, 2024)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

No food in forests: DTE’s exclusive coverage on invasive species

An insidious threat has been quietly unfolding in India’s forests — invasive alien plant species have displaced native vegetation, …

Sustainable tourism: Carrying capacity assessment can be a tool for protecting hilly areas 

It is the need of the hour to regulate unmanaged tourism activities to maintain the ecological balance and facilitate tourism

Food security: Climate change is affecting the seeds that India depends on

An increase in the number of days with extreme temperatures or rain has caused a decline in the quality and size of seeds across India

Himalayan plunder: How to design cities in the region

Build lighter structures, ensure proper drainage and use local knowledge to future-proof the region

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 …

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

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

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

Glacial burst at Sumna on the Indo-China border near Reni in Uttarakhand

Sumna is an uninhabited place, with only border roads personnel working there; no word yet on casualties

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,…

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 …