Grassroots initiative in Pune district records over 350 wildlife sightings in six months

To assist wildlife scientists, researchers, and non-governmental organisations in studying and documenting species inhabiting non-protected grassland and scrubland ecosystems, forty residents from Saswad and Morgaon in Purandar taluk of Pune district have begun systematically recording the presence of wildlife in their vicinity. Referred to as Wildlife Watchers by the researchers, these local volunteers have reported … Read more

‘Polluting’ plant in an eco-sensitive zone in Uttarkashi draws public ire

The incinerator was set up under the PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) scheme of the Union Ministry of Tourism, which can process a tonne of waste every day. Photo: The Hindu A solid-waste incinerator installed at Gangotri, in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, has inflamed environmental and social-activist groups. The plant, which is … Read more

Asiatic wild dog: Reviving India’s elusive predator

As dawn breaks over the Eastern Ghats, the rustle of leaves and bird calls merge with a flurry of movement inside the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam. Away from public view in a quiet, forested space of the zoo lies India’s only conservation breeding centre for the endangered Asiatic wild dog, also known as … Read more

Monsoon-loving Indian expats chase rain in UAE desert

After Muhammed Sajjad moved from India to the United Arab Emirates a decade ago, he missed his native Kerala’s monsoon season, so he embarked on an unlikely quest: finding rain in the desert. Using satellite imagery, weather data and other high-tech tools, the amateur meteorologist tracks potential rainfall spots across the desert country and, along … Read more

In search of Chilika’s Irrawaddy dolphins

“Will we see the Irrawaddy dolphins?” This is the first question I ask our boatman Sanjay Das. “If we are lucky,” he replies in Odia, that our guide and in-house naturalist Karan Giri from Rambha Palace, translates. Dawn has just broken over the Chilika Lake. The boat-ride, organised for guests at the boutique hotel, takes … Read more

By 2030 Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and five other cities to experience two-fold increase in heatwave days

  A study released by IPE Global and Esri India on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) reveals that Mumbai, Thane, Chennai, Delhi, Surat, Hyderabad, Patna and Bhubaneswar are projected to witness a two-fold increase in heatwave days. The study titled ‘Weathering the Storm: Managing Monsoons in a Warming Climate’ was unveiled at the International Global-South Climate Risk … Read more

Central Pollution Control Board to decide on future of flue gas desulphurisation units: Power Minister

FGDs are an additional piece of equipment required to be retro-fitted in TPPs to cut harmful sulphur dioxide emissions resulting from burning coal. Representational image of a thermal power plant. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Union Ministry of Power will wait for the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to decide on whether flue gas … Read more

How extracting and producing nickel can be made more sustainable

Manzoor, U., Mujica Roncery, L., Raabe, D. et al, ‘Sustainable nickel enabled by hydrogen-based reduction’, Nature 641, 365–373 (2025). doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08901-7 Nickel powers everything, from gadgets to green technologies. But getting it currently involves a far from green, in fact, a dirty process. However, a new study has revealed what its authors have said is a … Read more

The story of how heeng came to be successfully cultivated in India

Heeng or asafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida) is an essential ingredient in many Indian cuisines. A pinch of heeng is typically added to hot oil before other constituents when cooking. Despite the great diversity of India’s cuisines, most of them have recipes with heeng. There are mentions of heeng in ancient Indian texts including the Mahabharata and … Read more

India’s heatwaves worsening, but no one knows how many dying

On a scorching May afternoon last year, a ragpicker in Delhi’s Ghazipur area collapsed from heat exhaustion. “The family rushed him to the hospital,” says Majida Begum, a sanitation worker who witnessed it. “But he was declared dead on arrival. They had no proof that he died due to heat, so they were not given … Read more

Floods in Northeast India | Green Humour by Rohan Chakravarty

Green Humour  | Photo Credit: Rohan Chakravarty Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist and illustrator from Nagpur. His series, ‘Green Humour’, consists of cartoons and comics on wildlife, nature conservation, environmental issues, sustainability, and all things green. Published – June 09, 2025 03:02 pm IST

New study makes controversial weather-tweaking idea more realistic

The world needs to lower its dependence on fossil fuels. Countries have done so in fits and starts: issues like war, poverty, disease, and inflation have often left climate mitigation on the back burner. Today, greenhouse gas emissions are increasing worldwide. In this situation, some researchers have proposed the use of technologies to directly cool … Read more

Alappuzha coast home to 417 macrofaunal species, finds study

A Bryde’s whale that washed ashore on the Alappuzha coast. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT A comprehensive study undertaken along the Alappuzha coast has recorded 417 species of macrofauna. The research documented four species of cnidaria (jellyfish), 44 species of crustacea (brachyuran crabs, hermit crabs, shrimps, mantis shrimps and lobsters), 185 species of mollusca, seven … Read more

IIT-Kgp app helps commuters pick ‘greener’ routes on the road

Bengaluru: Ambient air pollution is responsible for 7.2% of deaths in major Indian cities every year. There’s reason to believe airborne particulate matter can cut the life expectancy of Indians by up to five years. But traffic-related pollution is usually much worse than what urban sensors report. Researchers have estimated commuting takes up only around … Read more

Picture of the week: Hi, we are ready to be clicked

A pair of meerkats peer at visitors from their glass enclosure at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam. Shot on OnePlus #FramesofIndia | Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak A pair of meerkats peer curiously from their glass enclosure at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, May 27, 2025. The new additions were … Read more

How did India develop genome edited rice? | Explained

Union Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches two genome-edited varieties of rice by ICAR, at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, NASC Complex in New Delhi on MAY 4. | Photo Credit: ANI The story so far: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently announced that India has become the first country in the … Read more

New Himalayan bat blurs India-Pakistan divide

East Asian free-tailed bat, a new addition to India’s bat fauna. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A new-to-science Himalayan bat has blurred the India-Pakistan divide. A team of Indian scientists documented 29 species of bats during a series of surveys in the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand segment of the Western Himalayas from 2017 to 2021. … Read more

In Assam’s Goalpara, children give lessons on coexistence with elephants

Children of a government-run school in western Assam’s Goalpara district engaged in activities toward mitigating human-elephant conflicts | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement GUWAHATI Kabita Sutradhar, a Class 4 student of government-run Dorapara Lower Primary School in western Assam’s Goalpara district, has a simple solution to reducing human-elephant conflicts (HECs). She says one must first know … Read more

Tamil Nadu notifies Greater Flamingo Sanctuary at Dhanushkodi

Flamingos seen near Sri Kothandaramar Temple seashore on Dhanuskodi Road, in the backdrop of Sri Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram. File | Photo Credit: L. Balachandar The Tamil Nadu government has officially declared a Greater Flamingo sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district.  Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the sanctuary via video conferencing on the occasion of … Read more

World Environment Day 2025: Why climate resilience needs development management leaders?

On World Environment Day, as the world debates net-zero targets, electric vehicles, and renewable energy milestones, it’s vital to remember that climate change is not only about carbon emissions. It is, at its core, a human crisis. In India, vulnerability to climate extremes is no longer hypothetical. An assessment by the Department of Science and … Read more

World Environment Day 2025 in pictures

The World Environment Day 2025 focuses on combating plastic pollution. Recent research has suggested that microplastics are now in almost everything that exist on the earth, including the human brain. The 2025 World Environment Day calls for action to tackle plastic pollution. World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5. It was started … Read more

Odisha police turn Medha Patkar, activists away from Rayagada where resistance against bauxite mining simmering

Rayagada police in Odisha stopped activists led by Medha Patkar from entry into Rayagada where she was scheduled to address a public meeting on occasion of World Environment Day, on Thursday, June 5, 2025. Photo credit: Special Arrangement Several activists led by Medha Patkar were stopped by the Odisha Police and turned away after they arrived … Read more

World Oceans Day, June 8 | Green Humour by Rohan Chakravarty

Green Humour | Photo Credit: Rohan Chakravarty Green Humour | Photo Credit: Rohan Chakravarty Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist and illustrator from Nagpur. His series, ‘Green Humour’, consists of cartoons and comics on wildlife, nature conservation, environmental issues, sustainability, and all things green. Published – June 05, 2025 11:00 am IST