Most tourist brochures of ‘God’s own country’ Kerala, show off the beautiful beaches and backwaters of Kovalam and Alleppey. The state is also home to both the Northeast and Southwest monsoon receiving an average rainfall of 3000 mm annually (contrast that with around 1000 mm in neighbouring...
Spur in farmer suicides after untimely rain in Maharashtra18 farmers end their lives in less than a month after unseasonal rain and hailstorm destroyed their crops. Social activists claim the figure could be anywhere above 80, more than the average for every two monthsPlatform made with waste pollut...
Need to find source of uranium contamination in Punjab: Experts Doctors in Patiala say Centre should support the state government to find out how uranium is constantly contaminating water in the state, especially in the Malwa belt. Excessive use of pesticides over the years is said to be a poss...
No Govt in Delhi means no water for DwarkaThe locality has to source its water from Gurgaon now, as even the number of water tankers that used to meet its demand till now, have reduced. The Delhi Development Authority says nothing can happen unless neighbouring Haryana releases water from the Munak ...
I have an open well in my house in Ernakulam district, Kerala. It is around 20 to 30 feet deep. Our problem is that during very heavy summer season we experience shortage of water.Cracking rocks with explosives won't work in our case, because the well is so close to one of the bedrooms. I have heard...
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7 Goa hotels sealedThe State Pollution Control Board ordered the sealing of the hotels for malfunctioning sewage treatment plants, overflowing soak pits or no consent to operate certificate from the BoardAssam objects to hydel project in upstream ArunachalThe 1750 MW Demwe project on the Lohit...
Dams sold but tribal issues remain unaddressedJaypee group is yet to pay a due of Rs 82 crore under local area development fund against Kinnaur's Karcham Wangtoo dam. Other dues under pollution norms, damage due to tunneling and forest rights also remain pendingTelangana chief promises drought free ...
Himachal irked at dam saleExpressing shock over Jaypee group's sale of the Karcham Wangtoo and Baspa hydropower projects to an Abu Dhabi firm, the state chief minister Virbhadra Singh said the company cannot sell its projects without the government's consent as it has signed an MoU with the stateKer...
El Nino might affect 2014 monsoonThe weather phenomenon that disturbs cloud formation could bring down India's economic growth from the current 6% to 5.2% in the next financial year, says a study by the credit Rating Information Services of India LimitedCentre accepts Kerala's demands on Western Gha...
Kerala seas's rich in sand, says GSI
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has revealed that Kerala's offshore areas have 2,030 million tonnes of sand that can cater to the needs of the construction industry in the state for about 50 years. Ponnani, Chavakkad, Alappuzha, Kollam North, and Kolla...
MoEF accepts Kerala's recommendations on Western Ghats
The Environment Ministry has approved the Kerala government's recommendation to keep agricultural land, plantations and habitations out of the ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats. The state had appointed an expert commit...
Water across Northern Railways highly contaminated, says reportThe Indian Railways' report has observed that the tap water across the Northern Railways is highly polluted, putting over 50 lakh passengers at risk. All the samples taken from the Lucknow division were contaminated with coliform bacteri...
Metal plant contaminates groundwater in KollamGroundwater has turned acidic and agricultural fields gone waste within 500 metres radius of Kerala Minerals and Metal Limited in Chittoor village, affecting 300 familes. Tankers supply water only once a weekMaha Irrigation Scam report readyA Committee h...
Manipur villagers spend Rs 400 per month on drinking water79% people living in villages of the four valley districts in Manipur use raw water from ponds, rivers and canals, says the Village Development Profile published by the Manipur State Panchayat ParishadPollution plagues holy wells of Rameshwar...
Siang Basin dams' study inadequate: NGOSouth Asia Network for Dams, Rivers and People says the cumulative study conducted by the Central Water Commission does not mention social and cultural impacts of the 44 proposed projects on the river in Arunachal PradeshThanks to high pollution, Agra's water s...
Post Telangana, tribals want Polavaram dam scrappedThe dam will benefit only Seemandhra and displace about two lakh tribals, most of them in Telangana. Tribal activists launch padyatra to protest against an amendment in the Telangana Bill which proposes to shift their villages to Seemandhra.Sikkim f...
India builds dykes on Kaliganga, causes misery to NepalFloods wreaked havoc in Nepal's Darchula district in June 2013. The affected residents in the region blame this on the construction of dykes and embankments on the Kaliganga river in India. The Indian government has unilaterally taken up f...
Ganga full of SuperbugsLevel of multi-drug resistant viruses in the river goes up by 60 times during the pilgrimage season of May-June, say researchers.Wells around ISRO unit contaminated with rocket fuel chemicalAround 40 wells found contaminated with ammonium perchlorate that affects iod...
Uninformed construction on the Indian side floods NepalConstruction of embankments and dykes along Kaliganga river in Uttarakhand results in floods in Nepal's Dharchula district downstream.Slow economy reduced water uptake by Pune industriesOf the 31.19 million litres per day ear...
Policies that address the WASH need to acknowledge the presence of a glass curtain that curtails access to its appropriate gender and age-related services.
As night falls, women in Chempakaraman beach on the Pulluvila coastal belt in Thiruvananthapuram step out of their safe abode and leave for the open fields. The barking of stray dogs send a chill down their spine but still, these women brave the odds and venture into the darkness as it is an urgency. Yes, they are out to answer the call of nature and they know very wellthe dangers that lurk in the darkness.
Potential threats of environmental deterioration continue to be ignored in Kollam partly due to the difficulty in regulating an industry that produces resources of high strategic importance.
Mining and processing of heavy and rare earth minerals can produce a tremendously negative impact on the land and environment in the area, the magnitude and intensity of which depends on the kind of chemicals and processes used, the efforts taken in the management of waste as well as on environmental fragility of the location. It can also endanger the health of local residents as well as their livelihoods through water pollution and destruction of farmland thereby violating the rights of local communities.
While India continues to be besieged by waste, a new book on waste management looks at how a minimal waste society can be created.
When it comes to managing huge piles of waste, Indian metros have a monumental task in hand. As per 2011 figures, Delhi is the biggest waste generator with 6800 tonnes of waste being produced daily. Lessons from other countries show that these mountains of waste will only grow bigger as India gets richer. And with this, how we manage our waste is going to change as well.
The once pristine island of Munroe Thuruth in Kerala is sinking. As some villagers leave the island for greener pastures, the others wait for the government help to rehabilitate them.
Sexagenarian Radha Madhavan's (name changed) voice carries a shade of gloom even as she rationalises her children's decision to leave their parental home for good. “My husband and I totally understand it. Do they not have a point when they say they do not wish to return to this wretched island, considering their own families’ safety? After all, who wants to sink this way, little by little?” asks the housewife.
