Industrial and other Manmade Disasters

Floods are an annual phenomenon in Assam. They are as integral to the state as the Brahmaputra River is, and each monsoon, we are reminded that Assam exists (or is drowning). As I write this piece, Assam is slowly recovering from the first wave of flood this monsoon.

Straddling land and sea and swarming with life, mangroves are key to healthy coastal ecosystems. They are recognised for their role as storm barriers, protecting coastal areas from flooding and erosion by dissipating the energy of huge waves. They act as nurseries for fish, help filter river water of pollutants and trap excess sediment before it reaches the ocean. Increasingly, mangrove protection and restoration is being acknowledged as a viable option for mitigating the effects of growing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

Powerhouses for carbon storage

Southwest monsoon claims 227 lives

India not a water defict country. Neglect and lack of monitoring behind country's water scarcity: CWC

The threat of desertification increases in 26 of 29 states

Sustainable development, still an unfinished agenda

Swachh Bharat Mission reduced groundwater contamination: UNICEF

Mahakali, also known as Sharda in India, gushes through the hilly tracts of Nepal and Uttarakhand, collecting its water from the numerous streams it receives on the way. Like all rivers meandering through the lush terrains and forests of Uttarakhand, Mahakali too has become a cause of disagreement between the state and the people due to the widespread community opposition to the proposed dam on it at Pancheshwar.

Hydropower dams in the region

Odisha's ecological hotspots severely affected by cyclone

Life is getting back to normal after an ‘extremely severe’ cyclonic storm Fani hit India’s eastern coastline. It ripped through several districts of Odisha and West Bengal and brought in torrential rains and winds of up to 200 km/hr. But improved responses to the disaster by way of timely warning, advance planning, evacuation, rescue and restoration operations helped mitigate casualties and damage to the region.