The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), comprising of 11 Indian states and two union territories, is ironically struggling for its very survival despite the region’s well acknowledged ecological, strategic and economic importance to the country. This is not an exaggerated statement, as even the Apex court’s… Read More »Dialogue of the Deaf
EDITORIAL Published in The HIndu on April 30, 2025 India is the biggest plastic polluter in the world, according to a new study published in Nature, releasing 9.3 million tonnes (Mt) annually. This is equivalent to around a fifth of global plastic emission. Plastic emissions,… Read More »A powerful judicial remedy for waste management
We need active participation, cooperation and support of the people, without which the system of waste management cannot function efficiently Published on: 11 Apr 2025, Down to Earth The first step in solving any problem is recognising that there is a problem. A problem needs to… Read More »Could we make our waste management system work? A case study from Himachal Pradesh offers a reality check
Despite an understanding of the fragility of the IHR, there is scant acknowledgement of its need for a different set of environmental standards and clearances
Empowering the local bodies and creating the necessary infrastructure for waste management in the Indian Himalayan Region needs immediate attention.
On the ground, PRIs are totally subservient to the bureaucracy and politicians of a state; participatory governance, decentralised planning and grassroots democracy cannot be realised by tokenism The 73rd Constitutional Amendment was a watershed moment in the history of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), as that was… Read More »30 years after the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, Panchayati Raj institutions still leave a lot to be desired; HP a case study
Empowering local bodies and creating the necessary infrastructure for waste management in the Indian Himalayan Region need immediate attention Plastic is ubiquitous everywhere, from the top of the highest mountain to the deepest of trenches in the ocean. It is found even inside the human… Read More »Mountains of plastic are choking the Himalayan States
Clean air is a Fundamental Right – that’s why judiciary has to intervene in Delhi’s pollution crisis. The situation in India is dire enough that courts need to intervene however necessary in order to enforce the Fundamental Right to clear air. The actions of the… Read More »Clean Air Is A Fundamental Right
In order to have high standards of dam safety, the prerequisites are designing and constructing dams with reasonable safety margins; operating and maintaining them safely; and having emergency arrangements to address situations that might arise. Operation of a dam within its ambit also includes a… Read More »Dam Safety Can No Longer Be Ignored
