-Down to Earth blog Overburdened drainage, frenzied and unregulated construction, no regard to the natural topography and hydro-geomorphology all make urban floods a man-made disaster The recent floods in Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh have taken by surprise both governments and people. In Patna, severe water logging has brought the city to a halt, with hospitals and residential areas filled with waist-deep water. Transport services have been disrupted, with many trains cancelled. There is...

-Down to Earth According to high-level government sources, the survey results contradict the government’s open-defecation free status claim A copy of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)’s latest survey on the state of toilet coverage and use at the household level in India was doing the rounds among officials. The ‘draft’ report, accessed by Down To Earth, pegged toilet coverage in India at only 75 per cent. Close to 80 per cent of...

-Hindustan Times It has also exempted projects with a proposed capacity expansion up to 40% from the requirement of public consultations, with certain riders. In a move that could turn out to be a bonanza for the mining and infrastructure sectors, the environment ministry is considering a number of relaxations in the environment impact assessment (EIA) process that is carried out for development projects, including mining, before they are given the go-ahead. In...

-ThePrint.in Health ministry's reply was in reference to plea that seeks to raise time period for terminating pregnancy from current cap of 20 weeks to 26 weeks New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has told the Supreme Court that a pregnant woman’s right to abort is not “absolute”, while making clear the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 shall make legal access “easier for vulnerable women” desiring...

-Livemint.com * The report was released on the sidelines of the 14th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Conference in Greater Noida * Representatives from over 198 countries and agencies are engaged in deliberations in the conference on strategies needed to mitigate drought New Delhi: As climate risks become more profound on agricultural activities, a report by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has highlighted that the number...