Ecology and Environment

Torrential downpour in the eastern part of the country over the past week has resulted in many rivers flowing above the danger level and causing flood along their course. While the flood situation in Assam is said to be the worst in 13 years, its neighbouring states, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar are also submerged.

Till about a year ago, 52-year-old Kisan Jite would often wake up to his wife Sarla and other village women squabbling over who would fill their buckets first from the only well in Golegaon village.

Increasingly in both academic and social sectors, sustainable development goals (SDGs) are being quoted often and set as targets.

NGT has ordered states to maintain environmental flow of 15-20 percent in rivers

Environment ministry recommends dropping seven hydel projects in Arunachal Pradesh

Fishing trawlers symbolise industrial-scale fishing which is lucrative in the present day market. These machines that catch fish in huge numbers are said to be a boon to the sector’s economy but a closer look at the figures show that these modes of mass fishing may not be as efficient as they may seem to appear.

When Satya Devi was a child, the open well near her house in the village of Malku Majra was the water source for the household. She reminisces, “The water was clean and soft. The well would never go dry.

Take a walk through the maze of lanes at Seelampur in north-east Delhi, you could see small children rummaging through electronic waste that has made its way here from all over north India. They segregate end-of-life electrical and electronic products, prise them apart, put them through acid wash and also burn circuit boards in the hope of extracting precious metals.

Floods are generally considered destructive but in some cases, overflowing rivers have the potential to create wetlands. These wetlands can serve as agreeable landscapes that turn resourceful due to the multiple functions it can host. The Kanwar Lake in Bihar is a striking example of this shared, altering landscapes. 

No compaction of soil on the World Culture Festival site: New panel to NGT