Geography

The biggest increases in acreage this kharif season come from water guzzling crops such as sugarcane and paddy. More resilient crops such as nutri-cereals — ragi, jowar, bajra — have dropped in acreage this year, Agriculture Ministry data reveals. As on September 20, paddy has been planted over 2.5% more …

The death toll from a landslip in the central Philippines has risen to 29, the police said on Friday, as rescuers frantically dug for survivors of the latest tragedy in the storm-hit nation. Dozens were still missing as authorities probed whether a nearby rock quarry could have played a role …

A dozen lions die in Gir forest Around a dozen lions have died in Dalkhania range of Gir forest in Amreli district of Gujarat within a week. According to sources, eight lions died owing to infections, one due to food poisoning and three due to infighting. A probe is on. …

In a first, Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary recorded 98,532 birds this year; presence of water bodies make their stay comfortable The number of winged visitors at the Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinjapur district has crossed all previous records. As per a census carried out by the State Forest …

A total of 2.37 million people have been evacuated in Guangdong province Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into mainland China late on Sunday after leaving a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and Macau and killing at least 59 people in the northern Philippines. The world’s biggest storm this year felled trees …

Maharashtra, Assam, Gujarat account for 117 sections The number of polluted stretches in India’s rivers has increased to 351 from 302 two years ago, and the number of critically polluted stretches — where water quality indicators are the poorest — has gone up to 45 from 34, according to an …

At least six districts in Assam have been hit by floods as incessant rains in Arunachal Pradesh raised the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries downstream on Saturday, affecting more than one lakh people, official sources said. An Assam State Disaster Management Authority report said Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, …

Booming guns do not break the calm of the meadows of Tosa Maidan in Kashmir anymore. For seven decades, the lush meadows in Budgam district had lost their serenity as the Army used to practise artillery fire in the grass, leaving them out of bounds for locals and tourists. The …

Two days after a chunk of the Majerhat bridge, a key connector between south and southwestern Kolkata, collapsed, killing three persons and leaving more than 20 injured, the West Bengal government made a startling revelation. After a meeting with officials of different Departments, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said 20 bridges …

Every year, the Brahmaputra takes away chunks of land from Kaziranga National Park that on paper is 1,030 sq km in area. The park now measures 884 sq km and is shrinking. But the river gives more to the address of the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos than it …

Farmers from Uthamapalayam taluk have complained about the huge loss of grapes due to incessant rain for the past two weeks. Revenue and Horticulture officials have taken up survey of the extent of damage faced by the grape farmers. Following complaints that well-ripened grapes on around 200 acres in Odaipatti, …

As the rains continue to lash different parts of Telangana, mostly in northern parts for the last few days, the overall rainfall deficit for the State in the ongoing south-west monsoon season has come to naught. The State faced a deficit rainfall of 20% compared to the normal precipitation till …

For years, the vast expanse of natural white limestone under the earth has been excavated by local people. The pulverised stone was used as an essential feed in poultry farms, as a component in paints and distemper, and as aggregate in floor tiles. In 1959, the A.P. government issued 20-year …

Kodagu inundated; administration issues advisory to tourists against travel to district The arterial road connecting Bengaluru to the State’s coast will be barred for heavy traffic for the next 10 days following incessant rains and repeated landslides in the Shiradi Ghat stretch of National Highway 75. The Karnataka State Road …

24 killed, several missing as rain pounds the State CM Pinarayi Vijayan seeks more Central help from Modi Cochin International Airport suspends operations A resurgent monsoon brought Kerala to its knees on Wednesday, with the State tottering under the worst floods in its history. Submerged by floodwaters, cities and villages …

The death toll from an earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has topped 400, authorities said on Monday, as bodies were still being recovered from the ruins of destroyed buildings. The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake on August 5 levelled tens of thousands of homes, mosques and businesses across Lombok, just …

50,000 cusecs from Krishna too Nearly 4.35 lakh cusecs were discharged from the Godavari into the Bay of Bengal and more than 50,000 cusecs from the Krishna which received rain in the lower reaches though 233.87 tmcft are required to fill up two major reservoirs on the river. While Srisailam …

For 2018, the monsoon is past the crucial half-way mark. As of August 9, the seasonal rain, which decides the fate/extent of the kharif crop acreage, has run up a deficit of 10%. But it is not so much the deficit figure as the spatial and temporal spread (across space …

More than half of State’s 584 mandals faced with rainfall deficiency this season After a long lull, monsoon showed signs of strengthening, thanks to unexpected weather changes. Northern parts of the State are likely to witness continued rainfall during the first half of the week. A low-pressure system in the …

The outflow from the Kabini reservoir in H.D. Kote reached a record level of 80,000 cusecs on Friday, inundating low-lying areas in H.D. Kote, Nanjangud, Suttur, and other towns. This was caused by heavy rains in Wayanad, Kerala, which is the upper catchment area of the Kabini. The discharge is …