Is the Supreme Court judgment on Kaveri environmentally sustainable?

The Supreme Court reallocated water from the Kaveri delta to Bengaluru city, in its February 16 order. Is that order environmentally sustainable? MORE ...

Silent Valley: A controversy that focused global attention on a rainforest 40 years ago

In the late 1970s, when the Kerala Government proposed a 120 MW hydro-electric project that would have drowned substantial parts of the Silent Valley rainforests, it did not expect a systematic science-based opposition from a citizen's group, which was picked up nationally and internationally. The final refusal came from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and river Kunthi continues to flow even during worst summers. MORE ... 

Much of these rich rainforests would have been submerged under the reservoir.

The disease burden of Delhi’s smog is among the highest in the world

Delhi and surrounding areas will have to pay a heavy price for the air pollution that the people face during winter. MORE ... 

Enthusiasts and experts document biodiversity on a digital platform

There is an increasing enthusiasm among citizens to know more about our country's biological diversity. The India Biodiversity Portal brings together field enthusiasts and experts to create a digital platform to document this wealth. MORE ...

India unveils New Wildlife Action Plan

With its focus on landscape approach, climate change and reducing human-wildlife conflict, the New Wildlife Action Plan will impact 4.89% of the country's land area, its wildlife population and lives and livelihoods of millions living in and around forest areas. Even though this plan brings in additional elements, critics feel that it is good on intent but poor on details. MORE ... 

Did Chennai learn anything from the 2015 flood?

The people of Chennai responded admirably to the climate crisis unleashed by the unprecedented rains of November-December 2015, but the city is yet to build upon the lessons it learnt. MORE ... 

The Pallikaranai Marsh is a natural sponge that has been clogged with garbage and encroached upon.

Why Chennai's Velachery floods more but recovers faster than Mylapore

Even though the old locality of Mylapore suffered less than the new Velachery during Chennai floods of 2015, the new area had better social and economic resilience. MORE ... 

The narrow streets of Mylapore in Chennai were less affected during the 2015 floods but took relatively more time to recover.

Since Velachery, a newly developed area in Chennai, is constructed over a wetland, there’s water-logging even with mild rains.