-Down to Earth The victims are living without shelter and are severely constrained for food and other necessities Hundreds of families displaced by floods that took place in June in northern Bihar, have been forced to take shelter on nearby roads. Large tracts of land are still submerged by flood waters and there is little chance of water receding in the coming days. The India Meteorological Department has forecast more rains this month due...

-The Hindu It is an ongoing pandemic which will continue to attack in waves and a ‘broader approach’ is essential, says Ministry of Home Affairs in 189-page affidavit. The COVID-19 pandemic is not a “one-time disaster”, like an earthquake or a flood, where victims can be compensated with just money, the Centre has told the Supreme Court. The virus is an ongoing pandemic which will continue to attack in waves. A “broader approach”...

-NDTV.com The centre in its affidavit also said due to increased health expenses and low tax revenue it is beyond states' budget to pay compensation for lakhs of Covid victims. New Delhi: Families of Covid victims cannot be paid compensation as it applies to natural disasters only, the government told the Supreme Court, adding that states cannot afford to pay ₹ 4 lakh to every victim. In a 183-page affidavit filed late...

-The Hindu The Uttarakhand government continues to ignore evidence that hydropower projects in the fragile region exacerbate disasters In 2018, while travelling through the villages near the India-China border in Niti Valley in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, I stopped at Reni village, the birthplace of the iconic Chipko movement. The way to Reni was dotted with hydropower projects that were marred by controversy. The villagers complained about the rampant flouting of norms by...

-The Hindu Utilisation certificates not given for 50% of money sanctioned after 2018 deluge, says Centre The Centre will not allot any additional assistance to Kerala from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as it has failed to produce utilisation certificates for 50% of over Rs. 3,000 crore fund allotted to it after the 2018 floods, a senior Home Ministry official said on Thursday. The Kerala government had demanded an additional Rs.2,000 crore...