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    Tucked deep within the forested slopes of the Western Ghats in Kerala’s Thekkady, a quiet experiment in sustainable tourism is taking shape. At a time when unchecked construction is placing mounting pressure on fragile hill ecosystems, Niraamaya Retreats’ Cardamom Club offers a different vision one where hospitality adapts to the land instead of reshaping it. Spread across nearly eight acres in the Cardamom Hills of Idukki, the retreat has been designed to minimise ecological disturbance, conserve water and energy, and strengthen local livelihoods. In doing so, it presents a working model of how tourism can coexist with one of India’s most sensitive biodiversity hotspots. Letting the Landscape Decide the Design Unlike conventional hill resorts that level slopes...

    Despite offering higher yields and protection against climate shocks, climate-resilient rice varieties continue to see limited adoption across India. A recent analysis by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) shows that while farmers could earn significantly higher returns by switching to these varieties, structural gaps in seed systems and cautious farmer behaviour are slowing their spread. Rice remains central to India’s food security and rural economy, covering nearly a quarter of the country’s cropped area and forming the backbone of public procurement and household consumption. Yet rice cultivation is increasingly vulnerable to rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts and floods. In this context, climate-resilient rice varieties were develope...

    Food trade is increasingly being shaped by geopolitical rivalries rather than market fundamentals, with serious consequences for food prices, availability and long-term food security, especially in import-dependent countries, new research has warned. As global food systems grow more interconnected, sanctions, tariffs and trade disruptions are no longer just diplomatic tools. They are directly influencing what people can afford to eat, how much they eat, and how vulnerable countries absorb economic shocks. Unlike industrial goods, food cannot be easily substituted or postponed, making disruptions uniquely destabilising for consumers and low-income populations. Global Conflicts Have Exposed Fragile Food Trade Links Recent geopolitical crises have highlighted how ...

    Japan is piloting a new kind of household water system that could fundamentally change how homes access and reuse water. In several rural and depopulated regions, residents are beginning to rely on compact machines that purify and recycle water inside the home, removing the need for connection to public pipelines. The shift comes as Japan faces mounting challenges in maintaining its aging water infrastructure. With fewer people living in remote areas, local governments are struggling to justify the rising cost of maintaining long stretches of pipelines. National authorities have increasingly described the current system as financially and logistically unsustainable, particularly outside major cities. Compact Systems Allow Homes to Operate Without Water Networks ...

    A new scientific study has found that airborne pathogens attached to desert dust plumes originating in western India are reaching the high-altitude regions of the Eastern Himalayas, potentially increasing the risk of respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal diseases in mountain populations. The research challenges the long-held perception that Himalayan hill-top air is inherently protective of human health. While cold temperatures and low oxygen levels already heighten health vulnerability in these regions, the study shows that long-range transport of microbial pollutants adds a previously underexplored layer of risk. Dust Storms Travel Hundreds of Kilometres to Himalayan Peaks Researchers from the Bose Institute, an autonomous institute under the Department of S...

    Even though it arrived later than usual, winter snowfall across Himachal Pradesh has brought much-needed relief to the state’s apple-growing regions, raising hopes of a healthier crop after months of unusual dry conditions. Experts say the snowfall has helped restore soil moisture, provided essential chilling hours, and reduced pest risks at a time when orchards were under visible stress. After a prolonged rain deficit and failed snowfall since November 2025, fruit belts across Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti had been experiencing warm winters and dry soils, conditions considered unfavourable for apple cultivation. Snowfall Restores Soil Moisture and Supports Bud Development The upper reaches of Shimla received two to three spells of snow...

    A new global scientific study has found that invasive alien species are playing a far greater role in the worldwide decline of insects than previously recognised, contributing to sharp losses in both insect numbers and diversity across continents. Published in the journal Nature Communications the research was conducted by scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Cambridge. The findings add a crucial dimension to the ongoing debate on insect decline, which has largely focused on habitat loss, climate change and pollution. Invasive species linked to major global losses According to the study, regions affected by invasive plants and animals recorded an average 31 per cent decline in terrestrial insect abundance and a 26 per ...

    Eight years after the Union environment ministry approved diversion of forest land for the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, there is still no clear public record of how many trees have been planted to compensate for the loss, raising questions about compliance with environmental safeguards. The approval, granted in August 2018, allowed diversion of 51.12 hectares of forest land for the Badshahpur–Sohna stretch of the expressway. Under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, such clearances are conditional upon compensatory afforestation, requiring trees to be planted to offset forest loss. However, official data detailing where and how this was carried out remains incomplete. RTI Reply Reveals Gaps in Afforestation Details The lack of clarity emerged through a Right to In...

    A rare and intense polar vortex sweeping across North America has transformed Niagara Falls into a dramatic winter wonderland, as temperatures around the iconic site plunged below −20 degrees Celsius. While the waterfalls continued to roar, the surrounding landscape froze almost instantly, coating cliffs, riverbanks and viewing areas in thick layers of ice. Locals and visitors shared videos showing frozen mist suspended in the air, glass-like ice sheets clinging to rocks, and fleeting rainbows forming as sunlight hit the icy spray. The falls themselves never stopped flowing, but the scene appeared eerily still, as if nature had pressed pause around one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls. How the Polar Vortex Triggered Rapid Freezing The polar vortex pushed...

    A chance discovery by rock climbers in Italy has uncovered what scientists believe are 79-million-year-old tracks left by ancient marine reptiles, possibly sea turtles, offering rare insight into how ocean life reacted to seismic events during the Late Cretaceous period. The unusual markings were found in Monte Cònero, a coastal area overlooking the Adriatic Sea, inside the Cònero Regional Park. The grooves were etched into Scaglia Rossa limestone, a geological formation known for preserving deep-sea sediments and marine fossils. Researchers say the tracks may record a moment of sudden chaos on the seafloor, frozen in time by a powerful underwater avalanche triggered by an earthquake. Climbers’ Discovery Reveals Rare Fossil Evidence The tracks were first notice...