Deforestation and the weakening monsoon in India

A recent study by IIT Bombay says that deforestation and conversion of forest to crop land has weakened the monsoon in India. The study was conducted by IIT-Bombay. Subimal Ghosh, part of the research team talks about the study via Skype

Meet India's oldest activist

Meet Shri Ramsewak Pathak from Karahal Village in Madhya Pradesh. He is 105 years old and is still active for that age. He was a freedom fighter and then worked for rights of the Sahariya tribe in Madhya Pradesh

25 years of liberalisation and its impact on environment

Anil Madhav Dave, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on 25 years of liberalisation and it's impact on environment

Getting the psyche right: Mental Health Care Bill 2016

Rajya Sabha passed the Mental Health Bill on August 8, 2016. We tell you why is it revolutionary for mental health care in India

District Mineral Foundation: interview with Ramesh Sharma

Ramesh Sharma is the convenor of Ekta Parishad

Floating Solar Power

Floating solar power plant is a new and emerging concept in India. In this system, the solar photo voltaic panels are installed on waterbodies such as lakes and ponds

Guwahati: The Waste Management Report Card

Guwahati, the fastest growing city in the Northeast has its own set of problems with regards to Waste Management. An analytical report on the state of waste and waste disposal as well as its impacts on the environment in the region

Aizawl sets target to handle municipal solid waste

Aizawl has adopted a new plan that can make it one of the cleanest cities in India. Currently, it dumps municipal solid waste on a hill slope and then sets it on fire. But the new plan will promote segregation, composting and recycling, thus allowing lesser waste to reach the landfill

Gaushala of a different kind: saving cattle in Bundelkhand

Chowka village in Mahoba district, Uttar Pradesh, part of drought-stricken Bundelkhand houses a unique cow shelter (Gaushala). It takes care of abandoned cows during drought. Daya Shankar Kaushik Maharaj, who runs the place, holds the cattle dear and has an ecological agenda for the cattle shelter

Poplar - moneytree no more

Poplar tree, which was getting a good price in the market till 2014, is suffering from sharp fall in its prices. Farmers have stopped planting it in their fields. There is a huge demand and supply crisis. Centre for Science and Environment travels to Yamunanagar (Haryana), India's largest wood market to find out its probable cause and some solutions

Solar Power Tree

Solar Power Tree is a structure that is designed like a tree with branches made of steel to hold the photovoltaic panels. India's first solar power tree has been designed by Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) located in Durgapur, West Bengal

Ravines of Chambal : taking back the badlands

Down to Earth looks at how ravines are affecting villages in Chambal and how communities in this region are involved in recovering these lands

Is your five-star AC sucking more power than it should?

A new study by the Centre for Science and Environment shatters the myth of star-rated ACs. Your so-called five-star rated split AC becomes energy-inefficient as soon as the temperature soars over 40 degrees Celsius.

Rising cases of hypertension among poor in India: Interview with Amod Kumar

Amod Kumar is a senior specialist in community medicine at St Stephen's community health centre, New Delhi

District Mineral Foundation

The District Mineral Foundation's objective is to work for the interest of people living in areas affected by mining

Mid -monsoon update

After a sluggish start, the monsoon seems to be moving ahead full steam. Here is all you need to know about this year's monsoon

Amitav Ghosh in conversation with Sunita Narain

Amitav Ghosh in conversation with Sunita Narain on his new book The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable

Zoonotic diseases: interview with Sarman Singh of AIIMS

A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be spread from animals to humans. Scientists estimate that more than six out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals

Fodder for thought: in conversation with PK Ghosh, director of IGFRI

PK Ghosh is the director of the Indian Grasslands and Fodder Research Institute in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Down To Earth talks to him about the significance of fodder and grass and the role it has to play as India sees a rapidly changing climate

Avartanasheel Kheti: Bundelkhand Diaries

A farmer in Uttar Pradesh's drought-prone Bundelkhand region demonstrates the benefits of mixed cropping

CSE Clean City Awards: Panaji's five-way segregation keeps the city clean

Panaji has five-way segregation at source for solid waste. For markets and residential colonies, it has put in place decentralised composting plants. Restaurant and hotel waste is sent to centralised composting unit. Dry waste is segregated into 30 different categories and sent to recyclers