Breaking News

Despite its name, Silent Valley National Park in Kerala is filled with the sounds of the rainforest. However, for centuries, it was uniquely distinguished by the absence of a familiar chorus: the piercing calls of cicadas. This remarkable lack of insect noise gave the valley its English name and became a central part of one of India's most famous environmental battles. Yet, recent reports and scientific surveys suggest that this long-standing silence may be breaking, and cicadas may be making a cautious return. A Striking Ecological Riddle The absence of cicadas in Silent Valley has long puzzled scientists. While cicadas are a common and noisy presence in most tropical rainforests, they were consistently missing from this 90-square-kilometer stretch of the Western Ghats. Scientists t...

For decades, beekeepers have battled the Varroa mite, a tiny parasite that has wreaked havoc on honey bee colonies worldwide. But a new and even deadlier threat is on the march: Tropilaelaps mercedesae, or “tropi.” Experts fear this new mite will cause greater devastation than Varroa, with potentially catastrophic ripple effects for the billions of people who rely on honey bee-pollinated crops. From Asia to Europe: A Rapidly Spreading Parasite Tropi's natural host is the giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) found in South and Southeast Asia. However, the mite has now jumped to the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), the species used by beekeepers globally. This host shift has enabled the parasite to spread westward, with recent detections in Ukraine, Georgia, and southern Russia. Its expec...

In response to heavy rainfall and a continued forecast for more, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) has issued a flood warning for the city's twin reservoirs, Himayatsagar and Osman Sagar. The gates of both dams have been opened to release water and manage the dangerously high water levels, which are at or near their maximum capacity. Massive Water Discharge to Prevent Inundation As of Friday, the water level at Osman Sagar stood at 1789.50 feet against its full reservoir level (FRL) of 1790 feet. Similarly, Himayatsagar reached a level of 1763.20 feet, just shy of its 1763.50-foot FRL. To handle the significant inflow from upstream catchment areas, four gates at both reservoirs were opened. This action has led to a combined discharge of 8,000 ...

For generations, the Ghongha river was the lifeblood of Belgahana village in Chhattisgarh, but by the mid-2000s, it had been reduced to a dry scar on the land. Its decline began with the construction of a dam in 1980, which disrupted its natural flow and was exacerbated by unchecked stone quarrying. Now, a community-led revolution, spearheaded by local women, has legally declared the Ghongha a Gram Panchayat River Sanctuary, a model for sustainable, grassroots conservation. From Crisis to Community Action The river's decline had a devastating impact on Belgahana's economy and culture. The water table dropped, traditional farming practices became impossible, and many young people were forced to emigrate in search of work. Amid this crisis, Jugni Bai Patel, a local women's self-help gr...

To reduce the 40% of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans, packaged water company Bisleri International has launched the "Bottles for Change" initiative. This new program, spearheaded by the company’s sustainability division, aims to promote a circular economy by connecting citizens, collectors, and recyclers through a mobile app. A Digital Solution for a Mounting Problem According to Bisleri, India consumes 13 million tonnes of plastic annually, with only 60% of it being recycled. The remaining waste, often consisting of non-recyclable items like wrappers and multi-layer packets, poses a significant threat to the environment. The "Bottles for Change" app is designed to address this gap by educating citizens on source segregation and facilitating the collection of used ...

Kuppam Municipality has launched a major upgrade to its waste management system by introducing new, advanced equipment as part of the Swachha Kuppam Swarna Kuppam project. The initiative, spearheaded by the Kuppam Area Development Authority (KADA), aims to enhance urban sanitation and reduce the town’s environmental footprint. New Equipment and Technology The new system includes 20 modern CNG and electric garbage collection autos (e-autos), which are equipped with GPS tracking to improve collection efficiency. These eco-friendly vehicles will replace traditional diesel-powered autos, reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution, particularly in the town's narrow lanes. Additionally, the municipality has acquired powerful garbage compactors to compress waste, which will ...

An extraordinary meteorological event may have occurred as winds from the Southwest Monsoon (SWM) season have possibly crossed the western Himalayan mountain range and reached Tibet. This would be a highly unusual occurrence, as the Himalayas traditionally act as a crucial barrier, keeping the moisture-laden monsoon winds within India and leaving the Tibetan plateau arid. Satellite Imagery Provides First Clues The initial observation was made by Manish Mehta, a glaciologist with the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), who noticed a satellite map from the first week of September showing moisture moving from above Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh towards Tibet. This moisture transport, if confirmed, would challenge a fundamental climatic process that has defined the r...

A recent flash flood that devastated Dharali village in Uttarakhand, leaving dozens feared dead or missing, has exposed critical failures in "last-mile communication." Although the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued warnings two days in advance, the message never reached the villagers, turning a forecast into a tragedy. The incident underscores a need for climate communication to be more than just informational—it must be urgent, actionable, and culturally relevant. The Failure of a Warning System The Dharali disaster is not an isolated incident. The article notes that flash floods, landslides, and cloudbursts are becoming frequent occurrences across the Himalayan states. This raises a crucial question: are these events being treated as just another headline, or as a ti...

The death toll from devastating floods on the Indonesian island of Bali has climbed to 14, a government official reported on Thursday. The floods, which followed torrential downpours earlier in the week, have also left two people missing in the capital of Denpasar, prompting a large-scale search and recovery operation. Widespread Flooding and Landslides Heavy rains on Tuesday and Wednesday caused widespread flooding across Denpasar and six of Bali's eight administrative regions. The inundation obstructed major roads, including routes to the international airport, though airport operations remain unaffected. The majority of fatalities occurred when victims were swept away by rivers that had burst their banks. Landslides were also reported in some areas. Search and Recovery Efforts ...

GURUGRAM – The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has acknowledged that at least 20 locations across the city are facing persistent sewerage issues and has committed to finding permanent solutions within the next six months. This decision follows a comprehensive on-ground survey and feedback from residents, councillors, and resident welfare associations (RWAs). Systemic Issues and Solutions MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya stated that the majority of the problems stem from clogged drains and illegal sewerage connections that cause recurrent overflows. He announced that the MCG has deployed special teams to develop "custom-made solutions for each problem." The identified problem areas include: Saraswati Enclave and Shakti Park 10A, where new sewer lines and street work are underw...