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The Ganga river, originates from the Gangotri glacier in the western Himalayas and flows through the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and Bangladesh, and is crucial for human survival and livelihoods as well as for aquatic ecosystems.
The Gangotri glacier has been losing 10% of its snowmelt flow over decades because of climate change and this has raised concerns about the survival of the river Ganges that depends on the glacier.
However, recent evidence shows that it is groundwater, not glaciers, that is the lifeline of the Ganga river. A first of its kind comprehensive isotope study has revealed that groundwater aquifers are the main source of the Ganga's summer flow. Groundwater discharge increases the Ganga river’s volume by about 120% in the Gangetic plains compared to its initial volume at its origin.
Glaciers and snow melt contribute significantly to the river flow in the upstream region, but when the Ganga reaches the plains, along the 1,200-kilometre stretch where it meets major tributaries such as the Ghaghara and Gandak, the river is mostly groundwater-fed. The river waters in the middle plains are crucial for agriculture and industry and for the 400 million people that depend on it for their survival. Experts argue that rejuvenation and preservation programmes for the Ganga thus need to focus on groundwater recharge and the health of its tributaries (Mongabay, India)
Digital technology has now come to the rescue of Kashmir’s Chinar trees, that are facing the threat of illegal felling. Geo-tagging technology is now being used by the J&K Forest Department to track and protect the trees from felling, ensuring that the trees thrive for future generations.
The beautiful and ancient Chinar trees, the pride of Kashmir valley, are crucial for preventing soil erosion and controlling floods as their deep roots act as anchors, and they are vital carbon sinks. However, they have been disappearing at rapid rates due to illegal felling. Data shows that there has been dramatic reduction in the number of trees from 42,000 trees in 1970 to between 17,000 and 34,000, today.
Infrastructure expansion and pest infestations, due to lack of proper care and the impacts of climate change are found to be taking a toll on the trees. Shifting weather patterns in the Himalayan ecosystem are also affecting tree survival in the region. For example, a 2022 study has found that between 1980 and 2020, Kashmir's maximum and minimum temperatures increased by 2.00°C and 1.10°C, respectively, while precipitation decreased. This has also led to reductions in the Chinar trees.
A unique aadhar identity has been given to every chenar tree in the Kashmir valley and trees are being geotagged with scannable QR plates, and are being monitored and safeguarded using cutting edge tech (The Better India).
Women from Kibber village in Himachal Pradesh have successfully led an effort to estimate the region’s snow leopard population. This survey conducted by the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department in collaboration with NCF estimated 83 snow leopards in the state - up from 51 individuals in 2021.
Camera traps placed across 26,000 square kilometres of snow leopard habitat recorded 44 individual cats. The survey also produced the first photographic evidence of Pallas’s cat in Kinnaur and confirmed the presence of the woolly flying squirrel in Lahaul.
The effort was done with the participation of local teams and communities who knew the terrain. Collaboration with local communities through Eco-Development Committees, livelihood programmes, and awareness efforts helped in collecting information and improved trust and reduced conflict in the Trans-Himalaya. The effort demonstrated that partnerships between scientific communities and communities can offer sustainable models for coexistence and resilience in the high Himalayas (Mongabay, India).
The Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes in Kashmir have practised seasonal migration between the lowland plains in the winter and the alpine meadows in the summer for years, guiding their livestock along ancestral migration routes. However, increasingly erratic weather, early heatwaves, delayed rainfall and sudden snowstorms are presenting numerous challenges. A 2023 study has showed that erratic rainfall has shrunk pastures in the region. The nomads are thus giving up seasonal migration to tend to someone else’s livestock in the plains. .
With grazing grounds shrinking, land protections denied, and nomadic lifestyles with lack of opportunities for formal education, many pastoralists are being forced to change their way of life. This new phase of marginalisation has not only increased the threat of displacement but of gradually disappearing occupations and a way of life (The Scroll).
India is poised to become the second-largest growth market for renewables, with capacity expected to increase 2.5 times by 2030. This has been due to record auction volumes, improved rooftop solar support, and faster hydropower permitting. Faster auction cycles and growing investor confidence have helped, but transmission expansion and distribution company financial health will be critical to sustain momentum, says a new report.
While grid and financing gaps threaten momentum, India could surpass its 2030 target if states address payment delays, sign pending power purchase agreements (PPAs), and strengthen renewable portfolio obligations, warns the report. It notes that while variable renewables share in India’s grid remains low due to growing power demand, state-level concentrations— particularly in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka— will require significant investment in grid and flexibility solutions (Down To Earth).
This is a roundup of news updates from October 1st to October 15th, 2025. Read our recent policy updates here.