Environment

Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra (Photo credit: ANI) MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is gearing up to tackle a possible El Nino impact, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday directing all departments to prioritise water management, expedite conservation works and ensure coordinated preparedness.Chairing a high-level review meeting, Fadnavis said the state must mitigate…

Waterfalls remain fascinating sites worldwide and attract tourists not only because of their natural beauty but also due to their height. While some may be broad, there are other waterfalls that are narrower and flow from extremely high elevations. In fact, height becomes the primary aspect of comparison among various waterfalls in the world. They…

CUTTACK: Alleged large-scale felling of trees for a proposed Rs 28-crore urban development project in Odisha’s Baripada municipality area has landed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), with a Kendrapada based petitioner seeking immediate intervention.Seeking relief, Pratap Chandra Mohanty has urged the tribunal to declare the tree felling illegal under the Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan…

The beaver (Castor canadensis) has recently been acknowledged for its contribution in terms of carbon sequestration and climate regulation. According to a recent study, “Beavers can convert stream corridors to persistent carbon sinks,” the beaver has been shown to have a considerable impact on carbon sequestration within an ecosystem. Through the construction of dams and…

Image used for representative purpose only CHIANG: Rice farmers Siriporn and Amnat Taidee used to burn their paddy fields between plantings — a common method of clearing crop residue partly blamed fortoxic smog that blankets much of Thailand every spring.A quick and affordable way to prepare for a new growing cycle, the practice has long…

NEW DELHI: In what may be bad news for India’s farm sector and rural economy, IMD on Monday predicted a ‘below normal’ southwest monsoon (June-Sept) in the country amid growing risk of El Nino, which is linked to depressed summer rainfall over India. “Quantitatively, the seasonal rainfall over the country is likely to be 92%…

The emperor penguin has been declared an endangered species as climate change pushes the icon of Antarctica a step closer to extinction, the global authority on threatened wildlife announced on Thursday.Its change of status from “near threatened” to “endangered”, made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), underscores the existential threat for ice-dependent…

Attendees sit under a globe in a lobby at the side events pavilions at the COP30 UN Climate Summit, Nov. 11, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (File photo-AP ) New Delhi: India has withdrawn its offer to host the 33rd session of the UN climate conference (COP33) in 2028. The country has communicated its decision, expressing…

A wayward humpback whale has finally wriggled its way out of trouble in the Baltic Sea, ending a days-long saga that had onlookers glued to the shoreline. The 12–15 metre giant, which had been stranded in shallow waters near Wismar, managed to swim free last week, giving both officials and spectators a reason to cheer.The…

Guwahati: A rare butterfly species has been discovered in the semi-evergreen forests of the Basar region in central Arunachal Pradesh’s Lepa Rada district and named after Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg by its discoverers.The butterfly, scientifically christened Euthalia (Limbusa) zubeengargi and given the common name ‘Basar Duke’, is distinguished by olive-brown wings with white markings…