Unfettered coal mining is causing unchecked underground fires that threaten human habitation and the environment, writes geologist Dr Nitish Priyadarshi. The haunting inscription that marks the gates of hell in Dante's Inferno could well be true for Jharkhand. For, the underground fires that have been raging in the coalfields of this state over several years are now beginning to engulf its thickly inhabited areas as well. An underground mine fire that has...

The monsoon is expected to further advance across Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand over the next three to four days marking intensified rainfall activity, meteorologists said today. Rainfall from June 17-23 was subdued, 21 per cent below the expected normal levels. But weather features suggest that a spell of wet weather lies in the week ahead. “Overall, things appear to be getting better for the season,” said Damodar Pai, a senior...

An analysis of the remote sensing data collected by Nasa satellites on the changes in vegetation in India during the last 25 years has confirmed the bad news: The growth rate of foodgrain production in India has been stagnant in the last decade, which crop statisticians have been aware of for some time now. A nine-member team of scientists from Nasa, the Boston University and the Indian Institute of Tropical...

That hospital births curb mother and child deaths is probably a no brainer. Convincing expectant mothers to get admitted to a hospital is only part of the problem in India’s rural healthcare system. The other challenge is abysmal infrastructure: There is just one hospital bed for every 10,000 Indians living in villages and one in 10 primary health centres in rural areas stumble along without doctors. The result is a human tragedy....

Drought hit farmers in Himachal Pradesh will get 50 per cent subsidy on kharif seeds. “Due to deficient rains from October to March coupled with the abnormal rise in Temperature in March and April the standing grain crops have been partly damaged,” said a spokesman of the state agriculture department. The official said in the current kharif season, about 35,000 quintals of seeds will be supplied by the department to the farmers...