Reportage
Floodplains are not ‘available lands’ for tree plantation
Any “afforestation” effort like Namami Gange, where trees are raised in active floodplains of rivers, is grossly misplaced and should be avoided.
Manoj Misra
Why are Sparrows vanishing? Janaki Lenin interviews Farah Ishtiaq
Is disease the reason why so many Indian cities have seen a decrease in the population of the house sparrow? Can feeding birds spread disease in the avian world? Experts are divided on the issue.
Janaki Lenin
Crime and Punishment: Gender violence survivors will benefit only if the police force adopts reforms
Outdated laws, under-utilised funds, staff shortage, inadequate infrastructure — reforms in the police force are needed if crime against women has to be addressed.
Shivani Gupta
Najafgarh Jheel: Story of a forgotten river
The jheel, recorded in an 1807 Antique SoI Map, used to be a wetland in Gurugram and Delhi. Now, it is fed by the waste water from a drain constructed to carry flood discharge to the Yamuna.
Ritu Rao
Orchards of misery: Scab infestation hits apple crop in J&K
During the COVID-19 lockdown, apple farmers in J&K could not buy pesticides. A severe scab infestation has resulted in heavy wastage of crop in India’s largest apple producing region.
Divendra Singh
Physical Distancing on Mumbai’s trains is nearly impossible; station design is a big reason
As the system recovers from COVID19-related shutdowns, it is time to focus more on station infrastructure to improve safety in light of the continuing public health threat.
Leona Nunes
Of penury and pension: Just 10% of deserving widows receive a pension in West Bengal
The state has a pension scheme for widows, but only 10% avail its benefits, as reflected in a recent World Bank document. By 2041, a fifth of the state’s population is expected to be elderly.
Purnima Sah
Can the Centre’s new ordinance on air pollution clean up NCR-Delhi’s air? Experts’ opinion divided.
Whereas some have welcomed the new commission on air pollution with representatives from different states and ministries, others have termed it a “bureaucratic vessel” or a ‘Civil Servants Club’.
Nidhi Jamwal
Powerless in Punjab: Amid Centre vs state blame game, power plants in Punjab run out of coal
With three of its five thermal power plants already shut due to exhausted coal stocks, and the remaining two having coal supplies only till this weekend, Punjab is headed towards darkness as goods train movement remains suspended.
Vivek Gupta
Photo feature: The worm collectors of Pune’s Mutha river
Sludge worms collected from the heavily polluted Mutha river are washed and dried and sold to aquariums. While worm collectors barely earn a day’s living, aquariums sell these worms for Rs 4,000-5,000 a kg.