Silent Chernobyl: Dry Aral Sea has made Central Asia dustier, with impacts on global climate, says study- Rajat Ghai

DownToEarth The Aral Sea, the world’s fourth-largest lake until the early 1960s, dried up after that decade in Soviet Central Asia and became a byword for environmental disaster later, almost on the lines of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Now, a new study has found that the desert…

Down to Earth Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla city has been battered following three days of heavy rainfall — there have been three major landslides in the last four days and the bodies of over 22 people have been recovered so far. Over two dozen people are missing…

Centre for Economic Data and Analysis, Ashoka University Retail prices of Tur (Arhar) dal jumped from INR 110.5 per kg on average across the country at the beginning of the year to INR 135.7 per kg by July 31, 2023. Prices of this dal have risen…

Carbon Copy A freshly passed amendment to the Forest Conservation Act has created a stir among ecologists, parliamentarians and stakeholders. With several contentious provisions, the amendment reveals an afforestation push where rights and justice take a backseat to commercial interests. This week, amidst a raucous monsoon session,…

Monsoon seems to have reversed gear in August, with sustained dry spell in many regions of the country. What's more worrying is that meteorologists in the US are saying there is a 66 percent chance of El Nino developing into a strong event. This means,…