Over two weeks after flash floods devastated Jammu and Kashmir, leaving seven dead and nineteen missing, India is once again coming to terms with the threat posed by cloudburst events. In the aftermath of the flash floods that sent mud, rocks, and other debris crashing through the community causing widespread damage and fatalities, local officials […]
Kerala floods
Floods in Kerala kill 111, lakhs displaced
Floods continue to ravage Kerala where the death toll has crossed 100. At the time of writing, 111 fatalities have been reported with the Malappuram district being the worst-affected. The floods have led to mass displacement. More than 2.27 lakh people are being sheltered in 1,551 relief camps. Excess rainfall during the monsoon season triggered […]
Heavy flooding continues to ravage India
Amidst the heavy flooding plaguing eastern and northern India, a tiger displaced from Assam’s flood-ravaged Kaziranga National Park sought refuge in a nearby house – much to the shock of residents. The tiger fled the park where 92 animals have drowned. Many are still trapped by the floodwaters. In a viral photo shared by an […]
West Nile virus in Kerala’s Thrissur?
Kerala’s Thrissur district is on an alert following new reports of infections with the West Nile virus. Two individuals have been diagnosed with the West Nile virus and encephalitis in the past fortnight, according to district medical officer (DMO) Dr K. J. Reena, who has announced efforts to contain the diseases. Both individuals are receiving […]
India’s water woes are bigger than you think
It is not even summer season and great swathes of India’s land are suffering from drought, recently published data reveals. This is according to an IndiaSpend analysis of figures from the Drought Early Warning System (DEWS), which contains dire implications for an enormous number of Indians and a sizeable proportion of the country’s land. At […]
Climate change is heating up India – and you should be worried
A three-hour siesta will soon become a part of the working day for Kerala’s workers, as part of a policy to help them beat the heat. The policy will be good for workers in the short term – but over time, India’s climate will worsen to the extent that a siesta won’t be enough. . […]
Fears of infectious disease outbreaks after Kerala floods realised?
Fears of infectious disease outbreaks in the aftermath of the Kerala floods appear to have been realised. Cases of leptospirosis, acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) and dengue fever have been reported from the afflicted state, where 483 people lost their lives in its worst floods in almost a century. Kerala has reported 159 cases of leptospirosis […]
Will India accept foreign aid for Kerala?
India has said “thanks, but no thanks” to foreign nations offering relief assistance for Kerala – for now. Offers of help have poured in from across the world, from nations including the Maldives, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The Centre, however, is so far declining offers of assistance from foreign governments and choosing to […]
Kerala flood relief efforts get shot in the arm from Centre
The Centre has given a shot in the arm for relief efforts in flood-battered Kerala. Rs 600 crore (more than $85.9 billion) will be released to the state and emergency supplies will be exempted from both customs duty and Goods and Service Tax (GST). Kerala endured one of the worst calamities in its history this […]