Unpacking Three Decades Of Restoration In The Western Himalayas
Among the various restoration efforts in the Western Himalayas, government-run afforestation initiatives led the way in Himachal Pradesh, while Uttarakhand...
Uttarakhand
Empty Promises & Broken Taps In U’khand
Basanti Devi sits in her courtyard, surrounded by plastic containers, most of them empty. She points to a tap, held...
Empty Promises & Broken Taps In Uttarakhand
Basanti Devi sits in her courtyard, surrounded by plastic containers, most of them empty. She points to a tap, held...
Van Panchayats: Working For Forest Rights In U’khand’s Hillside Communities
In December, Uttarakhand’s High Court criticised the state government over dereliction of duty, including for being “in a deep slumber”...
When States Give Love A Bad Name
The reshaping of constitutionally guaranteed freedoms by bringing young adults’ sexual choices under the radar of the state has sinister...
Live-In Lover Law Could Open Door To Attacks On Freedoms
India’s new code throws into doubt whether its citizens are truly protected from the arbitrary exercise of power by public...
Uttarakhand’s UCC Breeds A Surveillance State
Efforts to address social issues risk being co-opted for political gain or used to further divisive agendas. When the state...
Joshimath’s Economy Suffers Blow As Tourist Numbers Dwindle
In January 2023, hundreds of houses in the pilgrimage town of Joshimath developed fissures due to sinking of the land....
Van Gujjars Help Conserve Forests, But Remain Deprived Of Rights
"Remove Van Gujjars from the forests … and all the animals will die of thirst,” says Mohammad Safi, a community...
Uttarakhand UCC: “If Tribes Are Exempt, Why Not Muslims?”
The Uttarakhand government tabled the Uniform Civil Code Bill in the assembly on Tuesday. Following this, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, said...
U’khand Faces Tunnelling Disasters As Norms Are Ignored
In the early morning of 12 November 2023, a 57 metre wide section of an under-construction road tunnel in Uttarakhand...
Rethinking Infrastructure Development In The Himalayas
The Himalayan region has seen several extreme weather events and disasters this year. Experts have repeatedly raised concern about the...
Ancient Ocean Water In Himalayas Could Offer Insights About Evolution
In the Kumaon mountains in the central sector of Uttarakhand’s Himalayas, a team of scientists from the Indian Institute of...
How Weather Changes Have Hit Production Of Rugra, A Jharkand Staple
It was the first Monday of August. Anjali Lakra, 38, a resident of Tetri village, which borders the sal forests...
Flood Damage Highlights ‘Uncontrolled’ Sand Mining In North India
When a spike of rainfall hit the Indian state of Uttarakhand from early July to late August 2023, the town...
A Decade After The Floods, Is Kedarnath Safer?
The Kedarnath Valley, located above 3,500 metres in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, has changed significantly since it was...
There Is A Mountain Of Studies But Joshimath Is Still Sinking
As soon as reports of cracks developing in houses started pouring in from Uttarakhand’s Joshimath town, in early January, the...
A Decade After Relocation, Lives Of Van Gujjars Lack Stability, Security
Sabhalgarh Compartment 8, in the Haridwar forest division is known to the residents as Gaindi Khatta. This is a settlement...
Uttarakhand’s Marginalised Farmers Struggle To Adapt To Climate Change
Neema Devi sits with her sister-in-law, Prema Devi, threshing wheat by hand in the village of Dhudholi, in the Indian...
Sinking Himalayas: Why Geologists In Sikkim Fear Joshimath-Like Disasters
After the natural disaster in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, geologists and activists working on environmental protection in Sikkim are a worried lot. Like...
Joshimath Residents Return Home, 4 Months After Sinking Crisis
“We had to come to our homes many times in a day from the relief camp we were staying at...
Joshimath Yet To See Enough Steps To Address Land Subsidence
Nearly four months since Joshimath made headlines as the "sinking town", the gateway to Himalayan pilgrimage sites is yet to...
In Spite Of Efforts, Human-Wildlife Conflict In U’khand Not Contained
On January 1 this year, when everyone was welcoming the new year, residents of Panthar village in Chaubattakhal tehsil (district...
Joshimath Sinking: Anatomy Of A Himalayan Disaster In The Making
(Source: PTI) Joshimath is a town on the edge. It’s the very precipice for thousands of people, despairing as the...
Geophysical Scientists To Study Issue Of Land Subsidence In Joshimath
(Source: PTI) A team of experts from CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) will be leaving for Joshimath in Uttarakhand, which...
