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NEW DELHI — A grim report from NITI Aayog warns that nearly 600 million Indians are living under high to extreme water stress, even as devastating floods sweep across various states. The report underscores the profound national paradox, estimating that around 200,000 people die each year due to a lack of safe water. This crisis is particularly acute in major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, where severe shortages worsen despite deluges elsewhere. The Gendered Burden of Water Scarcity The daily struggle for water is overwhelmingly borne by women and girls, a task deeply ingrained in patriarchal social norms. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reveals that in about 71% of rural households, women aged 15 and above are solely responsible for water collection. These w...

UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a significant appeal to the global community, urging all nations signed on to the Paris climate agreement to set more ambitious emission reduction targets for 2035. The call was made at a climate leaders summit held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly session on Wednesday. A Push for Deeper Cuts Amid Global Division The summit was convened to build momentum for more aggressive climate goals ahead of the upcoming COP30 negotiations in Brazil. Guterres emphasized the urgency of deeper emission cuts in light of the United States’ planned withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the contrasting views of other major global powers. The UN chief's call for enhanced targets by 2035 is a direct ch...

NEW DELHI — In a bid to save the Jojari river in Rajasthan, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday took suo motu cognizance of media reports about the severe pollution affecting the lives and livelihoods of two million people. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will pass a comprehensive order on October 9 for the river's restoration. Industrial Discharge Renders River Toxic The pollution has been primarily caused by the discharge of untreated wastewater from more than 400 steel rolling and textile units along the river's course near Jodhpur. This untreated effluent has made the water unusable even for animals and has prompted the migration of people from over 50 villages along the Jodhpur-Barmer stretch. A report from the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board confi...

A new study published in the journal Science has revealed that human activities and deforestation have caused a staggering 80% of tropical forests to become fragmented in the past two decades. Globally, between 51% and 67% of all forests have also been fragmented, a change that is severely impacting biodiversity and ecological integrity. Primary Drivers of Forest Fragmentation The researchers identified the primary causes of fragmentation, noting that most are temporary activities rather than permanent land conversions. Globally, the leading drivers are: • Shifting agriculture Responsible for 37% of increased fragmentation. • Forestry Accounted for 34%. • Wildfires and commodity-driven deforestation Each contributed 14%. The study found significant regional differences in...

UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a significant appeal to the global community, urging all nations signed on to the Paris climate agreement to set more ambitious emission reduction targets for 2035. The call was made at a climate leaders summit held on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly session on Wednesday. A Push for Deeper Cuts Amid Global Division The summit was convened to build momentum for more aggressive climate goals ahead of the upcoming COP30 negotiations in Brazil. Guterres emphasized the urgency of deeper emission cuts in light of the United States’ planned withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the contrasting views of other major global powers. The UN chief's call for enhanced targets by 2035 is a direct ch...

NEW DELHI — A new dispute has emerged in South Delhi as the city's Revenue and Forest Departments have taken opposing views on whether a parcel of land held by the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) in the Bhatti area should be classified as forest land. The conflict has moved to a legal battle, with the Forest Department appealing a recent decision that favored the religious organization. The Heart of the Argument At the center of the dispute is approximately 140 bighas of land. The RSSB maintains that the land cannot be designated as "uncultivated surplus" or "forest land" because it was legally leased to them by the gaon sabha (village council) in 1988 and 1989 for the purpose of "tree plantation." The organization argues that under the Delhi Land Reforms (DLR) Act, tree plantation i...

ARUNACHAL PRADESH — In a race to counter China’s hydropower projects in the Brahmaputra Basin, India's push to build massive dams is causing widespread fear, anxiety, and cultural erosion among local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. A new report highlights that while these projects are championed as steps toward sustainable development, their human and ecological costs are profound and largely ignored. Displacement and Dread in the Siang Valley The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a key part of India's dam strategy, has sparked significant tension. Current estimates suggest that the project will submerge as many as 27 villages, directly impacting over 100,000 residents. For these villagers, the project is a source of unremitting fear and anxiety. "We do not want to go any...

KOLKATA — Kolkata is struggling to drain floodwaters after a record downpour, with city officials citing high river levels as a major obstacle to relief efforts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has dismissed claims of a cloudburst, attributing the unprecedented rainfall to a "cloud shift." Drainage Overwhelmed by Torrential Rains Mayor Firhad Hakim stated that despite extensive efforts, water was being drained out slowly. Tarak Singh, who heads the drainage department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), explained that the high volume of water in the river during low tide prevented effective drainage. "Hardly any water could be drained out in the morning, although we used around 900 pumps," Singh said. As a result, only about six inches of accumulated water recede...

NEW DELHI — A new study by Indian researchers has revealed that the Ganga basin is enduring its most severe drying phase in at least 1,300 years. The research, conducted by scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, and the University of Arizona, reconstructed the river's historical streamflow from the years 700 to 2012 CE. The findings indicate that the current drying trend is 76% more severe than a major drought in the 16th century, which was previously the next worst period on record. The study identified 15 drought years between 1991 and 2020, with the period from 2004 to 2010 being the most severe drought of the past 1,300 years. The researchers note that this extreme drying trend cannot be explained by natural climate variability alone. This finding challe...