Down to Earth himachal pradesh’s Shimla city has been battered following three days of heavy rainfall — there have been three major landslides in the last four days and the bodies of over 22 people have been recovered so far. Over two dozen people are missing and suspected to be buried under the debris. According to experts, the city has long crossed its carrying capacity, which is leading to regular landslides...

Carbon Copy A freshly passed amendment to the Forest Conservation Act has created a stir among ecologists, parliamentarians and stakeholders. With several contentious provisions, the amendment reveals an afforestation push where rights and justice take a backseat to commercial interests. This week, amidst a raucous monsoon session, the Indian Parliament saw the passage of several consequential pieces of legislation in quick succession. Among them was the contentious amendment to the Forest Conservation...

The Indian monsoon arrived on the coast of Kerala on June 8, more than a week later than normal and the southern part of the country received its lowest June rainfall in 122 years—88.6 mm—which was 45% less than the normal between 1971 and 2020. However, the monsoon has made quick progress and has now covered the entire country.  While rainfall was 10% below average during June, in July it could...

Tomato prices are up through the roof. Retail prices are in the range of Rs 120-150 per kilogram in most mandis across India, making the household vegetable more expensive than petrol. Prices, which at the beginning of the year were in the range of Rs. 25 a kg, have increased by an order of between 500-600 percent.   What does the data show? The National Horticultural Board is a body under the...

The Mrinalini Mukherjee Foundation and People's Archive of Rural India invite proposals for the MMF-PARI fellowships 2023-24.  Number of fellowships: Four Grant amount: Rs. 2 Lakh per fellowship Focus: Arts and Crafts from rural India Duration: One Year Deadline for application: July 31, 2023 Special Focus for 2023-24: Stories from Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, West Bengal, Punjab, himachal pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand. Eligibility: Indian citizens who currently live and work in India...