Pantoka is a beehive of activity. The spirit of protest in this small hamlet on the India-Nepal border is not a simple case of topical environmental awakening; it is a desperate struggle for life in which more than 1 lakh lives are at stake. Today, the first day of June, the citizens of Bihar's Raxaul sub-division in East Champaran district will stage a massive blockade on National Highway 28A, shutting off...

Endosulfan, a powerful 50-year-old insecticide sometimes called DDT’s “cousin,” was officially banned last week at an international pesticides meeting in Geneva. Partial exemptions were created for India, however; the chemical may be used on some crops there for up to 10 years. Many countries outlawed endosulfan long ago because it is dangerous to farmworkers, accumulates in the body, kills beneficial insects and persists in the environment. The United States is an...

Toxicity in Ferozepur district's groundwater is causing crippling disorders among children in several villages Sutlej water gets polluted by effluents and seeps into groundwater People in border areas upset at official apathy The toxicity of the groundwater in over four dozen villages in the border areas of Ferozepur district of Punjab has risen to such alarming levels that an increasing number of children now requires wheelchairs more than toys, as they fall victim...

Nearly 139 million Indians were suffering from high blood pressure (BP) at the end of 2008 — 14% of the global burden of uncontrolled hypertension. From 1980-2008, the number of Indians suffering from high BP rose by 87 million, while the percentage of population suffering from the ailment rose from 21% to 26%. The latest data of the "Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors" study, published in the British...

An intense cold wave has gripped northern India, claiming more than thirty lives already. Five more deaths were reported across Uttar Pradesh as the mercury dipped due to rains at some places. While a 70-year-old man and a two-year-old boy died in Bahraich and Farukkhabad districts respectively, one death each was reported from Sitapur, Mahoba and Chitrakoot in the last 24 hours. Etawah was the coldest at 6.1 degrees, Lucknow was...