-Down to Earth Enforcement of graded response action plan on pollution hotspots in the national capital can help achieve clean air Delhi has, in the last 10 years, made visible strides in ameliorating its air quality. Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Sunita Narain and Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director and head of the air pollution and clean Transportation programme at CSE discuss how this was achieved and how to bring...

-Hindustan Times Undernutrition, alcohol abuse and smoking are the biggest risk factors for tuberculosis (TB) in India, where the infection affected an estimated 2.69 million people and killed 449,000 in 2018, according to World Health Organisation Global TB Report 2019 released this week. While the poor with little or no access to treatment are at highest risk of disease and death, the airborne infection – it spreads through droplets from coughing —...

-The Indian Express Traditional wisdom is that because women are less likely to be breadwinners, especially in families of limited means (who are primarily the targeted PMJAY beneficiaries), families are more reluctant to pay for their treatment. One year into Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), heart surgery data from the tertiary care arm of Ayushman Bharat show a gender skew, with women comprising just 29 per cent of total hospital...

-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...

-The Hindu Business Line Kochi: Kerala betel leaf farmers are pinning hopes on the Geographical Indication status received for Tirur Vettila, the unique betel leaf variety from Malappuram district of the State, as the tag is likely to enhance its marketability in Asian markets. Pakistan was a major market for Tirur Vettila till 2016, when the government imposed restrictions by levying additional duties on the merchandise trade between the two countries following...