-The Times of India The Assam government on Thursday declared the current floods in the state as the worst since 2004. So far 23 people have died in the calamity even as the army, IAF and the National Disaster Response Force of BSF have been pressed into service for rescue and relief operations. Government spokesman and agriculture minister Nilamoni Sen Deka said, "The government is making all necessary efforts to help the...

-PTI ITANAGAR: The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh has become grim with reports on Tuesday of fresh areas being inundated by flood waters in several districts of the state leaving many families stranded.  The situation has turned for worse in Anjaw, Lohit, Changlang, Dibang Valley, East Siang and Upper Siang districts of the state with all the major rivers and their Tributaries in spate and flowing above the red mark.  At Bordumsa under...

-PTI Sparrows are disappearing from many parts of the country, and specially in Assam where electro-magnetic radiation from communication towers, use of leaded petrol in vehicles and overuse of pesticides in agriculture have been cited as some causes by scientists. Chief scientist of the Regional Agriculture Research Centre in Lakhimpur, Prabal Saikia, said, "It is a fact that sparrows are becoming scarce throughout Assam - both house and tree sparrows." Saikia said his...

Experts agree that the economic and environmental costs of interlinking India's rivers far outweigh its projected benefits. Some people believe it is the one-stop solution to prevent floods and droughts, reduce water scarcity, raise irrigation potential and increase foodgrain production in the country. But others say it is just another grandiose scheme involving huge costs and leading to long-term ecological consequences. The contentious idea of interlinking India's rivers has come...

An environmental scientist continues his relentless battle to save the Ganga, this time by starting a fast unto death. THE campaign to save the Ganga has cost one life in the hill State of Uttarakhand. The life of another activist now hinges on the government's commitment. In 2011, Swami Nigamananda of Matri Sadan undertook a fast unto death demanding an end to illegal sand mining in the Ganga, at least in Haridwar...