-The Times of India GUWAHATI: The flood situation in Assam worsened on Thursday following incessant rains in the state and upper reaches of Brahmaputra river in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has issued an alert after the water level of Brahmaputra river crossed the warning level mark in Guwahati. According to the CWC, the Brahmaputra river was flowing at least 0.20 metres above the warning level mark of 48.68...

-The Times of India GUWAHATI: With the onset of monsoon in the northeast, Assam has been hit by the first wave of floods affecting over 60,000 people in nine districts of the state. At least one person has been washed away in the fresh wave of deluge. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Monday said the Brahmaputra and the Jia Bharali were flowing above the danger mark at Nematighat in Jorhat...

-The Telegraph Guwahati: The Assam Agricultural University is fighting for a geographical indications (GI) tag for a local variety of rice - joha - claiming it has better aroma than the famed Basmati. "The joha class of rice is unique in aroma and grain characteristics and distinct from other aromatic rice like Basmati in biochemical and other quality attributes. The uniqueness of this rice is mainly attributed to particular climatic conditions prevalent...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The cup that cheers proved to be hotter than expected for the government today as it came under pressure to amend a central act to regularise wages of tea labourers. Congress MP from Assam Pankaj Bora demanded a timeframe within which the government would amend the Plantations Labour Act to ensure protection for tea garden workers. The question came up in the Rajya Sabha when labour and employment minister...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Sections of wildlife biologists have questioned the methodology India has adopted for its tiger census, saying it does not yield results to accurately measure changes in numbers either within a particular region or across the country. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a non-government partner that was involved in the tiger estimation exercise, said the "double-sampling" approach the Union environment and forests ministry adopted was "not the best currently...