On an unusually hot afternoon in Goa, with the tide receding and only occasional breeze offering respite, life moved slowly under the shade of coconut groves. As people emerged from their homes, they congregated near a tea stall, preparing for a unique practice. The ceremony commenced with the clearing of weeds, creating a pristine ground. An intersection of bundhs (dykes) in a Khazan, coastal wetlands of Goa used for agriculture, aquaculture and salt panning, was chosen as the site for this ritual. This space accommodated nearly 40 individuals, who began by stripping down to loincloths, formi ..read more

It was meant to be just another monsoon night of herping in the wild for five friends passionate about herpetology. A rainstorm was brewing in the foothills of the Kudremukh ranges of the Western Ghats; the air resounded with the chorus of Rao’s golden-backed frogs, a species endemic to southern India. As Lohit Y.T, a rivers and wetlands specialist with WWF India, prepared to retreat with his companions before the showers, something extraordinary caught his attention, causing the team to pause and linger. Resting on a nearby twig, one of the frogs, Rao’s intermediate golden-backed frog (Hylara ..read more

Chhattisgarh-based environmental activist Alok Shukla was conferred with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize on April 29 for championing the cause of Hasdeo Arand – an embattled forest landscape in central India rich with both biodiversity and coal reserves. Headquartered in the United States, the Goldman Environmental Prize seeks to recognise grassroots “environmental heroes” from six continental regions of the world every year. Since 1990, the Prize has awarded individuals for their “sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great pers ..read more

The fundamental right to life of Indian citizens has been extended to the right to be protected against harm caused by climate change, thanks to a landmark judgement of the Supreme Court on April 5, 2024. This has been hailed by almost everyone who has faced the impacts of climate change – more frequent and more severe floods, storms and droughts; ever-worsening heatwaves; coastal lands and water going saline due to sea level rise; more flash floods in mountain areas and others. But there are two worries. The three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud ext ..read more

In the peak of summer, with heat waves sweeping several parts of India, seven-phase general elections are underway in the world’s biggest democracy. The weather department and the government agencies have been regularly issuing alerts and warnings, to ensure the safety of citizens who step out to cast their votes, amid fear of heat strokes and heat-related illnesses as temperatures rise and heat waves turn deadlier. But heat waves are rising not just on land. Globally, marine heat waves are registering a growing trend. A recent study titled Future Projections for the Tropical Indian Ocean has ..read more

This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Indoor saffron farming offers hope amidst declining saffron production Indoor saffron farming offers greater control over environmental conditions and minimises crop vulnerability to extreme weather events. Technologies to decrease food loss and increase farmer incomes About 14% of the world’s food gets lost between harves ..read more

In February this year, Shabir Ahmad (name changed on request), who works with the Kashmir wildlife department received a call from a colleague alerting him about a leopard’s presence in a residential area of Central Kashmir. Along with his colleagues, he swiftly moved into action to capture the animal. Arriving at the location, the team saw a large crowd throwing stones at the leopard, making the situation worse. Despite the challenging circumstances, after over six hours, the team successfully captured the animal. Two employees, however, sustained severe injuries. “Each time we respond to suc ..read more

This story is Part 3 of a three-part series about the advances in agricultural technology in India. It discusses the agricultural technologies in the post-harvest stage. Part 1 and Part 2 throw light on the agricultural technologies in use in the pre-sowing stage and the crop growth stage. Imagine you are a tomato farmer who faced drought, which has resulted in a low yield and poor quality of crop. The tomatoes need to be individually harvested and the labour cost to harvest them is high. The combined cost of storage and transportation is more than the value of the produce in the market. What ..read more

The 2019 outbreak of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) that put Shivamogga district of Karnataka in the spotlight underscored a significant shift in the transmission pattern of the tick-borne zoonotic disease. Most of those affected in that outbreak were primarily plantation workers. Parsvanath, Somavathi, Ramamma, Raghavendra, Manjunath — each of these workers shared a common link: their association with arecanut plantations, which dominate the landscape of Shivamogga alongside forested areas. Dr. Gudadappa Kasabi, the district’s vector-borne disease control officer, noted this transition, statin ..read more

Food consumption patterns exert the greatest influence on the differences in environmental footprints of Indians, especially as high-income households spend more on food in restaurants and in social events, says a study recently published in the Ecological Economics journal. In 2023, India stood as the third most polluted nation globally while also recording the highest wealth inequality in its history. The study underscores the connection between increasing expenditure by the wealthy and environmental impacts. A polluted beach in Mumbai. India is the third most polluted nation in the world wi ..read more