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2 महीने में 43 दिन तबाही… उत्तराखंड में 4 साल का सबसे विनाशकारी मॉनसून, बाढ़-भूस्खलन से 48 मौतें

इस साल 1 जून से 5 अगस्त 2025 तक के 66 दिनों में से 43 दिनों में उत्तराखंड में भारी बारिश, बाढ़ और भूस्खलन जैसी गंभीर मौसमीय घटनाएं हुईं, जो पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे ज्यादा हैं। डाउन टू अर्थ (DTE) और दिल्ली स्थित सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के विश्लेषण के अनुसार, इस बार मॉनसून के 65% दिनों में अत्यधिक मौसमीय गतिविधियां दर्ज हुईं, जबकि 2022 में यह सिर्फ 33%, 2023 में 47% और 2024 में 59% थी। इससे स्पष्ट है कि हर साल चरम मौसम की घटनाएं बढ़ रही हैं। मॉनसून का कुल समय 1 जून से 30 सितंबर तक 122 दिन का होता है, जिसमें से अब तक आधा समय बीत चुका है।

Media Workshop on AMR Highlights Media’s Role in Combating the Silent Pandemic

New Delhi : A national-level media workshop titled “AMR: The Silent Pandemic – Let Media Break the Silence” was held today at the Press Club of India, New Delhi. The workshop was organized by ReAct Asia Pacific and brought together media professionals, health experts, and civil society leaders to raise awareness and strengthen reporting on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the gravest public health threats of our time. In 2021, an estimated 4.71 million deaths globally were associated with bacterial AMR, including 1.14 million directly attributable deaths. Recent projections indicate that between 2025 and 2050, bacterial AMR could cause 39 million deaths worldwide — equivalent to three lives lost every minute. The workshop aimed to equip journalists with scientific knowledge, cross-sectoral insights, and practical tools to report on AMR using a One Health approach—which connects human, animal, and environmental health. The event opened with remarks by Dr. S. S. Lal, Director of ReAct Asia Pacific, who emphasized the urgency of AMR and the critical role of the media in shaping public awareness and accountability. A moving session on lived experiences followed, moderated by Dr. Narinder Saini, Chairman of the AMR Standing Committee, Indian Medical Association. Bhakti Chauhan (AMR Taskforce) and Pooja Mishra (HIV advocate) shared powerful personal reflections, shedding light on the human cost of AMR—especially among vulnerable communities. Dr. Saini reiterated the call to “Stop Infection, Fight AMR” and urged journalists to “Act now, act together.” The One Health panel, chaired by Dr. Sam Prasad (AHF Indiacares), brought together experts across sectors, including Dr. Sangeeta Sharma (Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs), Dr. Chanchal Bhattacharya (Heifer International), Rajeshwari Sinha (Centre for Science and Environment), and Satish Sinha (Toxics Link). The panel underscored the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health in addressing AMR. A session on health systems strengthening featured Dr. Sarabjit Singh Chadha (FIND) and Dr. Tikesh Bisen (PATH), who spoke on the critical role of diagnostics and infection prevention and control (IPC) in AMR containment. Dr. Salman Khan (ReAct Africa) guided participants on identifying credible sources for science reporting. This was followed by Shobha Shukla (Global AMR Media Alliance), who shared insights on media trends and the challenges of reporting AMR in India. A key highlight was the launch of the India Chapter of the AMR Media Alliance by Bobby Ramakant, who also led the concluding group discussion. The event closed with a clear message: media must be at the forefront of amplifying solutions to the AMR crisis. Key Messages for the Community: • Antibiotics are lifesaving — but only when used correctly. Misuse and overuse lead to drug-resistant infections that are harder and costlier to treat. • Not all infections need antibiotics. Colds, flu, and many fevers are caused by viruses — antibiotics don’t work against them. • Always take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Don’t stop midway, skip doses, or self-medicate. • Get tested when needed. Diagnostics help identify whether antibiotics are necessary and which ones are effective. • Good hygiene prevents infections. Simple steps like handwashing, clean water, sanitation, and vaccination reduce the need for antibiotics. • AMR affects everyone — not just hospital patients. Resistant infections can occur in the community, in food, and through animals or the environment. • You have the right to ask. Ask your doctor: “Is this antibiotic really necessary?” • Antibiotics are a shared resource. Protecting them today ensures they remain effective for future generations.

Antimicrobial resistance a growing threat, warn experts

At 23, Bhakti Chavan was about to complete her Master’s in biotechnology when a swelling on her neck turned her world upside down. It wasn’t cancer, it wasn’t a common infection. It was an extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) —a form of TB that doesn’t respond to even second-line antibiotics. The medicines she studied in textbooks failed her. For two years, she endured painful, toxic treatments, some injected daily, not knowing if she would survive. Chavan shared her story on Thursday at the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Media Workshop hosted by ReAct Asia Pacific, an international network working on antimicrobial resistance, at the Press Club of India in Delhi, offering a first-hand account of the human cost of AMR — a silent and escalating global health emergency. AMR refers to the ability of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites to resist the effects of medications that once killed them. This makes infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. “If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone,” said Chavan who is now a member of the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors. The sessions addressed how India is grappling with rising resistance to antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics, largely driven by unregulated use in humans, animals and agriculture. Antimicrobial resistance a growing threat, warn experts If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone, says survivor article_Author Sneha Richhariya Tribune News Service New Delhi, Updated At : 04:45 AM Aug 08, 2025 IST fb twitter whatsapp Follow us 0 Follow us Connect with us 1 Connect with us featured-imgfeatured-img An AMR media workshop underway at Press Club of India in New Delhi. Advertisement At 23, Bhakti Chavan was about to complete her Master’s in biotechnology when a swelling on her neck turned her world upside down. It wasn’t cancer, it wasn’t a common infection. It was an extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) —a form of TB that doesn’t respond to even second-line antibiotics. The medicines she studied in textbooks failed her. For two years, she endured painful, toxic treatments, some injected daily, not knowing if she would survive. Advertisement Chavan shared her story on Thursday at the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Media Workshop hosted by ReAct Asia Pacific, an international network working on antimicrobial resistance, at the Press Club of India in Delhi, offering a first-hand account of the human cost of AMR — a silent and escalating global health emergency. AMR refers to the ability of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites to resist the effects of medications that once killed them. This makes infections harder to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. Advertisement “If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone,” said Chavan who is now a member of the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors. The sessions addressed how India is grappling with rising resistance to antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics, largely driven by unregulated use in humans, animals and agriculture. Read More Flowers Delhi Mid-entry window for UG admissions in Delhi University to open on August 8' View More right-arrow Advertisement In 2021, AMR was linked to 4.71 million deaths globally, with 1.14 million deaths directly caused by resistant bacterial infections. Projections indicate that by 2050, this number could rise to 10 million deaths annually — a staggering one death every three seconds. “AMR is a pandemic in waiting,” warned Dr Narendra Saini, former Secretary General of the Indian Medical Association and Chairman of the IMA AMR Committee. “No new antibiotic molecules have been developed in the past two decades. Existing ones are failing,” he said. Experts called for a ‘One Health’ approach — an integrated method recognising that human health is deeply linked with animal and environmental health. Dr Chanchal Bhattacharya, specialist in veterinary medicine, pointed to the unchecked use of antibiotics in livestock and the poor diagnostic systems in veterinary care. Speaking on the role of climate change in the spread of AMR, Rajeshwari Sinha of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a research and advocacy organisation working on the environment, explained that rising temperatures can accelerate the growth of bacteria and microbes, including drug-resistant strains. Satish Sinha of Toxics Link, a Delhi-based NGO on environment, focusing on chemical and waste management, highlighted how antibiotic residues from pharmaceutical factories, hospitals and poultry farms are polluting rivers and soils, breeding resistant microbes beyond clinical settings. “We have conducted surveys of five rivers across the country and all of them were found to have antibiotics. This water is being used for drinking, farming and so on,” Sinha added. Pooja Mishra, an HIV survivor, shared how difficult treatment becomes when drug resistance enters the picture. After trying seven antibiotic combinations, only one finally worked for her. “The bacteria are evolving faster than the medicines we’re making,” she said.

Rajpura thermal power plant named India’s best-performing supercritical coal unit for emission intensity

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has named Nabha Power Ltd’s (NPL) Rajpura thermal power plant (TPP) as India’s best-performing supercritical coal-based thermal power plant for emission intensity. This is in the below 800MW capacity unit category. NPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro and the thermal power plant is located in Punjab’s Patiala district. In its latest report titled “Decarbonizing the Coal-based Thermal Power Sector in India: A Roadmap,” released recently, CSE evaluated the emission intensity of all coal-based thermal power plants in India and identified Rajpura plant among the top performers. According to CSE, Rajpura plant achieved an emission factor of 0.84 tonne/MWh, a benchmark among all supercritical power units in the country. This is significantly better than the national average emission factor of 0.97 tonne/MWh.

How can we make our hills safe again?

The Centre for Science and Environment’s Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. The latest natural-turned-man-made disaster in Uttarakhand highlights the need to integrate ecological solutions into broader infrastructure planning. Climate change adaptation must be embedded within policy frameworks, writes Banasree Purkayastha l Why Uttarkashi is in the news ON TUESDAY, A cloudburst in the upper catchment of the Kheer Ganga river is believed to have triggered flash floods in Dharali village of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. Dharali is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, and is home to several hotels and homestays. The flash floods, carrying debris from the mountains, left at least four dead and many more missing as it wiped out the village’s market, houses, and hotels in just 34 seconds. Besides Dharali, cloudbursts were also reported in Harsil and Sukki Top in the same district. Though some experts believe the amount of rain the Uttarkashi district received on Tuesday was not enough for it to be termed a “cloudburst”, and a glacier pond burst on the upper reaches was perhaps behind the flash floods, the wave of silt and the disaster that followed were certainly man-made. The state has been witnessing heavy monsoon-triggered disruptions, especially in its higher-altitude regions, prompting large-scale evacuation and relief operations led by multiple agencies. Experts say these natural factors are worsened by human activity. l Increased human activity compounds risk DHARALI IS LOCATED in the fragile Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone (BESZ), and unregulated activities like construction on river floodplains along with deforestation contributed to making the disaster more severe. While the ESZ tag offers a safety net against unregulated development, the region has been in the spotlight due to the construction of the Char Dham all-weather highway project, which faced legal challenges due to ecological threats, and was cleared by the Supreme Court. Ravi Chopra, who headed a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee which appraised the Char Dham project in-depth, told The Indian Express, “On the stretch from Dharasu to Gangotri, the headquarters of Bhatwari block is located. The slope here has been sliding away over a period of time, and scientists have studied and published papers on this. We had said the road widening was not recommended and advised (the authorities) not to touch it.” l Weather extremities on the rise A STUDY PUBLISHED in the Journal of the Geological Society of India last month has confirmed a rise in extreme rainfall and surface runoff events in Uttarakhand after 2010. While 1998-2009 saw warming and low rainfall, the trend reversed post-2010, with central and western Uttarakhand witnessing more extreme precipitation events. The state’s geology compounds its risk. A November 2023 study published in the Natural Hazards journal, analysing disaster data between 2020 and 2023, recorded 183 incidents in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months. Landslides accounted for 34.4% of these, flash floods 26.5% and cloudbursts 14%. The Centre for Science and Environment’s Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. l Himachal too faces nature’s fury IN NEIGHBOURING HIMACHAL Pradesh also, rain-related incidents have left 173 people dead this year. In Kullu’s Parvati Valley, heavy rains and flash floods led to the collapse of a temporary cofferdam at the Malana-I hydroelectric project last week. Damages worth `9,000 crore due to higher silt flow and debris were recorded between 2022 and 2025, as per government estimates. Climate change, deforestation, hydropower projects causing landslides, construction of four-lane roads, tunnels and multi-storey buildings to cater to the increasing tourist footfall are among the reasons behind the ecological imbalance, leading the Supreme Court recently to lament that “the day is not far when the entire state of Himachal Pradesh may vanish.” “The danger to the state’s natural richness is growing as a result of human greed and apathy,” the SC bench said. Calling for sustainable planning and conservation measures, it said all Himalayan states need to collate resources and expertise to ensure their development plans are cognisant of environmental challenges. l Call for calibrated development EXPERTS SAY IT’S time to take a relook at the Char Dham project, particularly its Gangotri stretch. As Mallika Bhanot, a member of the BESZ monitoring committee from Ganga Ahvaan, a non-profit organisation, said on X, “This is a natural event turned into a disaster which is due to man-made reasons. Unregulated construction along the sides of small tributaries and rivers leads to devastation downstream.” The Uttarakhand government has commissioned assessments of the carrying capacity — the maximum number of individuals an ecosystem can sustainably support without degrading natural resources — of its cities to check ecological imbalances. The state attracts streams of tourists to its hill stations and shrines, with 3.7 million visiting these shrines in the summer of 2025. While tourism will remain the mainstay, a calibrated approach to tourism development, akin to how Bhutan does it, should be considered. At the same time, the need to identify alternative income-generating avenues for local residents cannot be ignored.

L&T’s Rajpura Thermal Power Plant named India’s best for lowest emission intensity

Leading public interest think tank – Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) – has named Nabha Power Ltd’s (NPL) Rajpura thermal power plant (TPP) as India’s best-performing supercritical coal-based thermal power plant for emission intensity. This is in the below 800MW capacity unit category. NPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro and the thermal power plant is located in Punjab’s Patiala district. In its latest report titled “Decarbonizing the Coal-based Thermal Power Sector in India: A Roadmap,” released recently, CSE evaluated the emission intensity of all coal-based thermal power plants in India and identified Rajpura plant among the top performers. According to CSE, Rajpura plant achieved an emission factor of 0.84 tonne/MWh, a benchmark among all supercritical power units in the country. This is significantly better than the national average emission factor of 0.97 tonne/MWh. The CSE report also highlighted the plant’s auxiliary power consumption rate of 4.62 per cent, the lowest in the sector. Auxiliary power consumption refers to the portion of electricity used by a plant to operate its systems — such as pumps, fans, and other essential equipment. A lower auxiliary power consumption rate indicates higher operational efficiency, as more of the generated power is available for external supply. “Benchmark set by Rajpura TPP nudges other coal based TPPs to adopt operational and modernisation measures to achieve emission intensity improvements. Coal decarbonisation potential via efficiency improvement is key to emission reductions in the power sector of India”, said Parth Kumar, Programme Manager – CSE. Commenting on the report, S K Narang, Chief Executive – NPL, said: “This recognition by CSE is a proud moment for all of us at Nabha Power. It validates our relentless focus on operational efficiency, environmental responsibility, and the adoption of best-in-class technologies. We remain committed to setting new benchmarks in sustainable power generation.” Rajpura plant comprises two supercritical units, each with a capacity of 700 MW, bringing the total installed capacity to 1,400 MW. Both the units were commissioned in 2014 and continue to operate efficiently. The CSE report commended the fact that despite operating both the units using domestic coal, the plant is able to maintain emission factors below 0.9 tonne/MWh. Congratulating NPL on the feat, D K Sen, NPL Chairman and Advisor to the L&T CMD, said: “Rajpura power plant’s performance is a testament to L&T’s engineering excellence and unwavering commitment to sustainability. We are proud of the team at Nabha Power for leading the way in clean and efficient thermal power generation.” The performance of Rajpura power plant reflects L&T’s overall focus on environmental responsibility and efficient resource utilisation. L&T has set a target to achieve water neutrality by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2040.

Another chance to fix the plastic crisis. Will Geneva talks deliver?

A report released last week on countries’ positions on the Global Plastics Treaty by the Centre for Science and Environment shows that Kenya proposes that a plastic product under consideration should meet 'all' criteria requirements rather than 'any'. Kenya asks the reviewing committee to develop an initial list of plastic products along with its justification. In Geneva, Switzerland At the heart of the ‘Peace Capital’, delegates from more than 170 countries are gearing up to hammer out a possible agreement that will potentially end plastic pollution globally. They are attending the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC 5.2) that will run from Tuesday to August 14, 2025. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) calls plastics pollution a global problem. A 2024 update from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)shows that every year, about 460 million metric tons of plastic are produced, and out of that number, an estimated 20 million end up polluting our environment. This number will go up by 2040 if nothing is done by governments around the world. On the eve of the start of the negotiations, there was a sense of calm at the Palais des Nations where negotiators trickled in to set the stage for the talks. The talks happening in Geneva, Switzerland, are the second part of the fifth session in a two-year UN treaty-drafting process that will address plastic pollution across its full lifecycle. It all started in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, during the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) when countries passed a historic resolution which was adopted to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The whole process was to end by 2024. Last year, however, while there was swelling hope that the government would finally ink a deal in Busan, South Korea, there was a disappointing end to the negotiations. It resulted in the postponement of the treaty to this year. The world now waits, and a decision will be made over the next couple of days. Kenya, together with 54 other countries, will be represented by the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN), sharing a common voice that will speak on behalf of the people in Africa. A report released last week on countries’ positions on the Global Plastics Treaty by the Centre for Science and Environment shows that Kenya proposes that a plastic product under consideration should meet 'all' criteria requirements rather than 'any'. Kenya asks the reviewing committee to develop an initial list of plastic products along with its justification. Kenya also wants a baseline study to be done on the levels of production within its national jurisdiction to inform a reduction schedule for the production of plastic. Griffins Ochieng, Executive Director of the Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD), said in a press statement that the negotiations are an opportunity for Africa to assert its position, protect its people, and shape an ambitious, legally binding treaty that delivers real, systemic change. “Let this treaty reflect the lived realities of our people, not the boardroom interests of petrochemical companies as witnessed over the past negotiations,” he said. In 2017, Kenya banned the use of plastic bags and extended this to all single-use plastics in protected areas such as the National Parks, forests and beaches. “Kenya’s single-use plastic ban showed that policy works, but real progress requires going beyond recycling to tackle the root cause: overproduction. A binding global treaty must shift us from managing plastic waste to ending plastic waste,” said Fredrick Njau, Programme Coordinator, Sustainable Development Programme, Heinrich-Böell Foundation. Gerance Mutwol, a Plastics Campaign Manager, Greenpeace Africa, told the Nation yesterday that Africa has to seize this moment to lead because he believes that the stakes are higher this year. “Now more than ever, countries must set aside national interests and come together to forge a treaty that is not only ambitious, but truly fit for purpose, one that can confront the unchecked plastics production and call for an urgent reduction in plastics production and tame the health risks from the toxic chemicals in plastics,” he said. He added that African Negotiators should not lose sight of the real impacts their decisions will have globally. “The continent is disproportionately affected by plastic pollution despite contributing the least to its production. As they sit in Geneva, they should remember that back home our communities and ecosystems are suffering the consequences of plastic pollution from health risks and degraded ecosystems,” Gerance said. “With over 1.5 billion Africans set to be either positively or negatively impacted by the outcome of this treaty, their decisions carry immense weight. The time for ambition is now, the world is watching, and Africa must speak with one strong, unified voice,” he added.

दिल्ली ने तोड़ा 7 साल का रिकॉर्ड, बरसात में धुलकर लॉकडाउन से भी ज्यादा साफ हुई हवा

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की वायु प्रदूषण विशेषज्ञ के अनुसार वायु गुणवत्ता में सुधार मौसम की परिस्थितियों का परिणाम है। उन्होंने कहा कि मानसून के दौरान भारी बारिश के कारण प्रदूषक पानी में मिल जाते हैं, जिससे प्रदूषण का स्तर घटता है। इस वर्ष लगातार हो रही तीव्र बारिश को इस स्थिति का मुख्य कारण माना गया है। हालांकि सीमित समय में सभी उत्सर्जन डेटा की तुलना करना संभव नहीं है। मानसून के मौसम में इस तरह के आकलन करना उचित नहीं होगा। सर्दियों के महीनों में प्रदूषण के स्तरों का विश्लेषण करना आवश्यक है, ताकि यह पता चल सके कि सरकार की पहल सही दिशा में प्रगति कर रही हैं या नहीं।

Milking natural coagulants to fix dairy dirt

Treatment of dairy wastewater A 2024 report by the Centre for Science and Environment reveals that less than one-third of India’s urban wastewater and sewage is treated. This means the rest flows into rivers, lakes, and land. Mishra explains that in traditional methods of water or wastewater treatment, there are three stages: preliminary or primary, secondary, and tertiary treatments. In preliminary treatment, only heavy particles or floating materials are removed. In primary treatment, conventionally used coagulants such as alum and ferrous sulphate, which are easily available in the market, are added. “These coagulants form sludge that settles at the bottom of the tank, which needs to be treated again before being released. Some dairy plants just remove the sludge and dispose of it on the ground, which contaminates the soil and causes pollution,” says Mishra.

Uttarkashi Cloudburst: The Impact Of Extreme Weather Events On Residents, Ecology And Tourism In The Region

Studies have found an increase in extreme rainfall events in India in recent decades as global temperatures have risen. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India faced extreme weather events on 93 per cent of the days in the first nine months of 2024—255 out of 274 days—marked by heat and cold waves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rain, floods and landslides. These events claimed 3,238 lives, affected 3.2 mha of crops, destroyed 235,862 houses and buildings and killed approximately 9,457 livestock.

L&T’s Rajpura Thermal Power Plant named India’s best for lowest emission intensity

Leading public interest think tank – Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) – has named Nabha Power Ltd’s (NPL) Rajpura thermal power plant (TPP) as India’s best-performing supercritical coal-based thermal power plant for emission intensity. This is in the below 800MW capacity unit category. NPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro and the thermal power plant is located in Punjab’s Patiala district. In its latest report titled “Decarbonizing the Coal-based Thermal Power Sector in India: A Roadmap,” released recently, CSE evaluated the emission intensity of all coal-based thermal power plants in India and identified Rajpura plant among the top performers. According to CSE, Rajpura plant achieved an emission factor of 0.84 tonne/MWh, a benchmark among all supercritical power units in the country. This is significantly better than the national average emission factor of 0.97 tonne/MWh. The CSE report also highlighted the plant’s auxiliary power consumption rate of 4.62 per cent, the lowest in the sector. Auxiliary power consumption refers to the portion of electricity used by a plant to operate its systems — such as pumps, fans, and other essential equipment. A lower auxiliary power consumption rate indicates higher operational efficiency, as more of the generated power is available for external supply. “Benchmark set by Rajpura TPP nudges other coal based TPPs to adopt operational and modernisation measures to achieve emission intensity improvements. Coal decarbonisation potential via efficiency improvement is key to emission reductions in the power sector of India”, said Parth Kumar, Programme Manager – CSE. L&T’s Rajpura Thermal Power Plant named India’s best for lowest emission intensity S K Narang, Chief Executive – NPL, Commenting on the report, S K Narang, Chief Executive – NPL, said: “This recognition by CSE is a proud moment for all of us at Nabha Power. It validates our relentless focus on operational efficiency, environmental responsibility, and the adoption of best-in-class technologies. We remain committed to setting new benchmarks in sustainable power generation.” Rajpura plant comprises two supercritical units, each with a capacity of 700 MW, bringing the total installed capacity to 1,400 MW. Both the units were commissioned in 2014 and continue to operate efficiently. The CSE report commended the fact that despite operating both the units using domestic coal, the plant is able to maintain emission factors below 0.9 tonne/MWh. Congratulating NPL on the feat, D K Sen, NPL Chairman and Advisor to the L&T CMD, said: “Rajpura power plant’s performance is a testament to L&T’s engineering excellence and unwavering commitment to sustainability. We are proud of the team at Nabha Power for leading the way in clean and efficient thermal power generation.” The performance of Rajpura power plant reflects L&T’s overall focus on environmental responsibility and efficient resource utilisation. L&T has set a target to achieve water neutrality by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2040.

Rain Data Doesn't Support Claim Cloudburst Caused Uttarkashi Disaster: Experts

The Centre for Science and Environment's Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events in 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. A cloudburst in the upper catchment of the Kheer Ganga river is widely believed to have triggered the flash flood in Uttarkashi's Dharali, but experts feel the amount of rain the Uttarkashi district received on Tuesday was not enough for it to be termed a "cloudburst". "Data available with us does not reflect the occurrence of a cloudburst," Rohit Thapliyal, a scientist with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told PTI. He said Uttarkashi received only 27 mm of rain on Tuesday, "which is too little for a cloudburst or flash flood of such devastating intensity". On what could have been the reason for the flash flood if not a cloudburst, he said it was a subject of research. "Only after detailed research can anything be definitively said about what led to the flash flood," he said. "All I can say is the data available with the meteorological department confirms there was no cloudburst," Mr Thapliyal said. Counted among the most devastating natural disasters in the Himalayas, a cloudburst causes an enormous amount of rainfall across a limited area within an extremely short span of time. According to the IMD, rain falling at a rate of over 100 mm an hour with strong winds and lightning across 20-30 sqkm is termed a cloudburst. However, in a 2023 paper, researchers from IIT-Jammu and National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, define cloudburst as a "sudden downpour of rainfall in a range of 100-250 millimetres an hour in a short span covering a smaller spatial extent similar to one square kilometre". It is not just the amount of rainfall. DP Dobhal, a former scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, also said the possibility of a cloudburst at an altitude like that is too thin. "The heights from where the sludge came rushing down the slopes fall in the Alpine region where the possibility of a cloudburst is minimal," DP Dobhal told PTI. "Most likely it was an ice chunk falling, a rockfall or a huge landslide which mobilised the moraine deposits in the narrow stream, causing the flash flood," the former scientist said. However, the precise cause of the disaster will be known only after a scientific analysis is done of the satellite images of the event that caused such devastation in Dharali, he said. Satellite images have been requested from the Indian Space Research Organisation to clearly ascertain the causes of the Uttarkashi disaster. Officials said that the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre has issued a request letter to ISRO in this matter. A study published last month in the Journal of the Geological Society of India has confirmed a sharp rise in extreme rainfall and surface runoff events in Uttarakhand after 2010. The research, led by Professor Sundriyal, shows that while 1998-2009 saw warming and low rainfall, the trend reversed post-2010, with central and western Uttarakhand witnessing more extreme precipitation events. The state's geology compounds its risk. Steep slopes, young and fragile formations prone to erosion and tectonic faults such as the main central thrust make the terrain unstable. The orographic effect of the Himalayas forces moist air upwards, leading to intense localised rainfall, while unstable slopes magnify the risk of landslides and flash floods. A November 2023 study published in the Natural Hazards journal, analysing disaster data between 2020 and 2023, recorded 183 incidents in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months alone. Landslides accounted for 34.4 per cent of these, flash floods 26.5 per cent and cloudbursts 14 per cent. The Centre for Science and Environment's Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events in 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. Experts say these natural factors are worsened by human activity. Unregulated road-building, deforestation and construction of tourism infrastructure and settlements on unstable slopes or riverbanks have increased disaster risk.

Did cloudburst cause Uttarkashi flash flood? Experts say rain data doesn’t support claim

The Centre for Science and Environment’s Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. A cloudburst in the upper catchment of the Kheer Ganga river is widely believed to have triggered the flash flood in Uttarkashi’s Dharali, but experts feel the amount of rain the Uttarkashi district received on Tuesday was not enough for it to be termed a “cloudburst”. “Data available with us does not reflect the occurrence of a cloudburst,” Rohit Thapliyal, a scientist with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. He explained that Uttarkashi received only 27 mm of rain on Tuesday, “which is too little for a cloudburst or flash flood of such devastating intensity”. Asked what could have been the reason for the flash flood if not a cloudburst, he said it was a subject of research. “Only after detailed research can anything be definitively said about what led to the flash flood,” he said. “All I can say is the data available with the meteorological department confirms there was no cloudburst,” Thapliyal said. Counted among the most devastating natural disasters in the Indian Himalayas, a cloudburst causes an enormous amount of rainfall across a limited area within an extremely short span of time. According to the IMD, rain falling at a rate of over 100 mm an hour with strong winds and lightning across 20-30 sq km of area is termed a cloudburst. However, in a 2023 paper, researchers from IIT-Jammu and National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, define cloudburst as a “sudden downpour of rainfall in a range of 100-250 mm an hour in a short span covering a smaller spatial extent similar to one square kilometre”. It is not just the amount of rainfall. DP Dobhal, a former scientist at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, also said the possibility of a cloudburst at an altitude like that is too thin. “The heights from where the sludge came rushing down the slopes fall in the Alpine region where the possibility of a cloudburst is minimal,” Dobhal said. “Most likely it was an ice chunk falling, a rock fall or a huge landslide which mobilised the moraine deposits in the narrow stream, causing the flash flood,” the former scientist said. However, the precise cause of the disaster will be known only after a scientific analysis is done of the satellite images of the event that caused such devastation in Dharali, he said. Satellite images have been requested from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to clearly ascertain the causes of the Uttarkashi disaster. Officials said that Uttarakhand Space Application Centre has issued a request letter to ISRO in this matter. A study published last month in the Journal of the Geological Society of India has confirmed a sharp rise in extreme rainfall and surface runoff events in Uttarakhand after 2010. The research, led by Professor Sundriyal, shows that while 1998-2009 saw warming and low rainfall, the trend reversed post-2010, with central and western Uttarakhand witnessing more extreme precipitation events. The state’s geology compounds its risk. Steep slopes, young and fragile formations prone to erosion and tectonic faults such as the Main Central Thrust make the terrain unstable. The orographic effect of the Himalayas forces moist air upwards, leading to intense localised rainfall, while unstable slopes magnify the risk of landslides and flash floods. A November 2023 study published in the Natural Hazards journal, analysing disaster data between 2020 and 2023, recorded 183 incidents in Uttarakhand during the monsoon months alone. Landslides accounted for 34.4 per cent of these, flash floods 26.5 per cent and cloudbursts 14 per cent. The Centre for Science and Environment’s Atlas on Weather Disasters shows that between January 2022 and March 2025, the 13 Himalayan states and Union territories reported extreme weather events on 822 days, claiming 2,863 lives. Experts say these natural factors are worsened by human activity. Unregulated road-building, deforestation and construction of tourism infrastructure and settlements on unstable slopes or riverbanks have increased disaster risk.