Category: Geography & Environment

Assam recorded the highest number of earthquakes with epicentres within the state in September. The Northeast region also reported the country’s highest regional total, with 37 earthquakes, highlighting the region’s high seismic vulnerability. According to the National Centre for Seismology, its network of 177 monitoring stations detected 91 earthquakes within Indian territory during the period. … Continue reading Assam Records India’s Highest State-Level Earthquake Count in September

Manipur’s Chief Minister has launched a digital registry to conserve the critically endangered Manipuri Pony, an indigenous breed historically associated with the origins of modern polo. The initiative aims to strengthen the protection of this culturally significant animal through technology-driven monitoring. The registry will document pony populations and their owners, helping authorities track population trends … Continue reading Manipur Launches Digital Registry to Conserve Endangered Manipuri Pony

On 11 October 2026, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav placed eight wild water buffaloes from Assam’s Kaziranga National Park in a 17-hectare enclosure at Kanha Tiger Reserve. The initiative aims to restore the species in Madhya Pradesh, where it disappeared from forests about a century ago. Assam has agreed to supply 50 buffaloes in … Continue reading Kanha Tiger Reserve Begins Wild Water Buffalo Reintroduction Programme

A new study identifies Dibang in Arunachal Pradesh, Shillong and Guwahati among areas of Northeast India most exposed to strong earthquake shaking. Imphal, Itanagar, Agartala and Kohima show moderate hazard, while Aizawl has comparatively lower hazard. Researchers used Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA), a method that estimates the likelihood and intensity of future ground shaking. … Continue reading Earthquake Hazard in Northeast India

According to the North Eastern Council (NEC) Yearbook 2026, the projected sex ratio for the northeastern states, excluding Assam, is 972 females per 1,000 males. Assam’s projected sex ratio stands at 968 females per 1,000 males for 2026. Both figures are higher than the projected national average of 948 females per 1,000 males. The yearbook … Continue reading Sex Ratio in Northeast India: NEC Yearbook 2026

The Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot is a globally significant centre of exceptional biological diversity, covering large parts of Southeast Asia. It is recognised for its rich endemic flora and fauna and extensive ecosystems, making it an important region for global biodiversity conservation. Within India, the Nicobar Islands constitute the country’s only part of the Sundaland hotspot. … Continue reading Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot: India’s Nicobar Connection

The Assam Police Special Operations Group (SOG) recently foiled a suspected wildlife trafficking attempt at Medhikuchi in Sonapur, recovering six musk deer pods. The seizure highlights the threat posed by illegal trade in wildlife-derived products and the importance of enforcement against trafficking networks. A musk pod is a walnut-sized scent gland found only in male … Continue reading Musk Deer Pods Seized in Assam

Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve has documented its first official record of the Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), marking a notable addition to the protected area’s recorded avifaunal diversity. The observation expands knowledge of the species’ distribution in Assam. The nearest previously documented regional record was from Nunoi or Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary in Udalguri district. … Continue reading Indian Peafowl Recorded in Orang National Park

Thekera, belonging to the genus Garcinia, grows abundantly across Assam’s forests and homestead gardens. Despite its traditional presence, its diverse species remain inadequately studied and documented, even as global demand for Garcinia-based products continues to expand. The fruit contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), a bioactive compound associated with metabolic and health-related applications. With the global nutraceutical … Continue reading Thekera: Assam’s Untapped Garcinia Resource

LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) is a global movement introduced by India to encourage mindful resource use and shift societies from wasteful consumption towards sustainable living. It promotes individual and collective behavioural changes for environmental protection and conservation. India became the first country to incorporate LiFE in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted under the UNFCCC. … Continue reading Mission LiFE: Lifestyle for Environment (PHE 2026)

Forest personnel from Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland participated in the first dedicated training programme aimed at strengthening frontline capacity to conserve the Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock), India’s only ape. The initiative recognises that the species’ habitat extends across administrative boundaries. The gibbon occurs across the Northeast south of the Brahmaputra and east of the … Continue reading Northeast States Join Hands to Protect Western Hoolock Gibbon

A biodiversity hotspot is a region with exceptional plant endemism that faces severe habitat loss. The concept was developed by Norman Myers, with Conservation International establishing two quantitative criteria for identifying such regions. First, a region must contain at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species, found nowhere else on Earth. Second, it must have lost … Continue reading Criteria for Biodiversity Hotspots (JE Soil)

The Buroi River is an important north-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra, flowing through Biswanath district of Assam. It originates in the Dafala Hills of East Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, before entering Assam and joining the Brahmaputra river system. Like several north-bank tributaries, the Buroi has a coarse sandy and pebbly riverbed and steep gradients. During … Continue reading Buroi River: North-Bank Tributary of the Brahmaputra (JE Soil)

The Parali Protection Force is a proposed district- and block-level enforcement and monitoring mechanism by the Haryana Government to tackle paddy stubble burning. It will strengthen field surveillance, facilitate prompt action and coordinate efforts to address crop-residue burning. The initiative aims to eliminate stubble-burning incidents and improve air quality while supporting farmers in adopting sustainable … Continue reading Haryana’s Parali Protection Force

A botanist from Assam has contributed to the discovery and formal description of Begonia neelamorum, a new plant species identified in the remote river valley of Keyi Panyor district, Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery adds to the Northeast’s rich and expanding botanical diversity. The species name honours the Neelam clan of the Nyishi tribe and nearby … Continue reading Assam Botanist Helps Discover New Begonia in Arunachal Pradesh

A soil profile is vertically differentiated into distinct horizons, each reflecting specific processes of soil formation. From the surface downward, the O horizon contains organic matter, while the A horizon represents humus-rich topsoil with minerals. The E horizon, where present, is characterised by leaching of clay, iron and other materials. Below it, the B horizon … Continue reading Soil Profile Horizons

Assam-based conservationist Dr Purnima Devi Barman, popularly known as the “Stork Sister,” received the Businessline Changemaker of the Year Award on September 22, 2026. The award recognises her sustained grassroots efforts to conserve the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork, locally known as Hargila. The award ceremony, part of the eighth edition of the Changemaker event, recognised … Continue reading Purnima Devi Barman Receives Changemaker Award

Middens are communal dung piles used by rhinos as important scent-marking and communication sites. Multiple individuals may repeatedly defecate at the same location, allowing rhinos to detect chemical information from the dung and identify the presence and activities of other individuals. Although rhinos are largely solitary, middens facilitate indirect social interaction. They can convey information … Continue reading Rhino Middens – Scent-Based Communication

The Kathmandu Declaration is a multilateral regional consensus adopted by environmental ministers and heads of delegations from South Asian countries to strengthen cooperation against illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and related transnational organised crime. It was adopted under the aegis of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN). The declaration seeks to shift wildlife-crime enforcement from … Continue reading Kathmandu Declaration on Wildlife Crime

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a market-based flexibility mechanism established under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. It enables developed countries with binding emission-reduction commitments to undertake projects that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in developing countries. Such projects generate Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits, with each CER representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. These … Continue reading Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

Tura, Nongstoin and Dawki in Meghalaya are among five Indian locations recording the lowest annual average concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the World Health Organization’s latest Ambient Air Quality Database. The findings highlight relatively cleaner air conditions in parts of Northeast India. The other two locations are Lunglei and Kolasib in Mizoram. Thus, … Continue reading Northeast Leads India’s Low PM2.5 Locations

Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) is a mechanism under which benefits arising from the utilisation of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge are shared fairly and equitably with local communities or provider countries. It promotes conservation while recognising the contributions of resource-dependent communities. At the international level, ABS is a key principle of the Convention … Continue reading Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)

Scientists have identified Gastrodia keyiensis, a rare leafless orchid, in a remote gorge along the Keyi River in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district. The discovery adds to the state’s rich botanical diversity and highlights the ecological significance of its remote habitats. Belonging to the genus Gastrodia, the orchid lacks leaves and chlorophyll and cannot produce … Continue reading New Leafless Orchid Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

Community Surveillance and Monitoring Teams (CSMTs) were initiated by conservation organisation Aaranyak in 2022 through its Legal and Advocacy Division. The first pilot was developed in villages surrounding Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary (D’Ering WLS) near Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, using local participation to strengthen wildlife-crime surveillance in difficult terrains with limited enforcement resources. By 2023, … Continue reading Community Surveillance Teams: Local Guardians of Wildlife

India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution seeking more accurate representation of global landmasses on maps. It highlighted the limitations of the Mercator projection, created in the 16th century primarily for navigation, which significantly enlarges areas away from the equator. The resolution noted that such distortion can understate the perceived size of … Continue reading UN Resolution: Towards a More Accurate World Map

A tiny frog recorded in Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram, has extended the known range of the Northeast Indian Paddy Frog (Micryletta aishani). The discovery represents the species’ southernmost documented occurrence, adding an important new location to its known distribution. The Dampa population was found approximately 147 km south of the type locality at Subhong, Assam, … Continue reading Northeast Indian Paddy Frog: Southernmost Record

Researchers from CSIR-IHBT, Himachal Pradesh, have identified Doronicum sanctum, a new plant species of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. It is the first documented species of the genus Doronicum from Northeast India, highlighting the rich and underexplored floral diversity of the Eastern Himalayas. APSC Relevance: Northeast Biodiversity; Botanical Research.

The Jaintia Students’ Union has filed a PIL before the Meghalaya High Court challenging the public hearing for a proposed Shree Cement mining project. The petition seeks to prevent irreversible damage to the ecologically fragile Karst ecosystems of Jaintia Hills, which develop in soluble rocks such as limestone and dolomite through water-driven dissolution. Karst ecosystems … Continue reading Jaintia Hills Karst Ecosystem

Khagi, a traditional Himalayan spice harvested by indigenous communities in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, is emerging as a successful model of community-based livelihood and forest conservation. The spice belongs to the Zanthoxylum genus and is commonly associated with Sichuan pepper or Timur. The initiative benefits over 200 households, has generated a turnover of … Continue reading Khagi: Himalayan Spice of Arunachal Pradesh

Two caregivers from Namdapha National Park & Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, have been recognised at the Gaja Awards 2026 for exceptional service, ethical animal care and captive elephant management. They were the only recipients from the Northeast. Ganesh Tamang, a Senior Elephant Mahout, was honoured for over 26 years of dedicated service in elephant care … Continue reading Gaja Awards 2026: Northeast Honours

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is establishing 11 new Doppler Weather Radars across the Northeast to strengthen weather monitoring and improve the accuracy and timeliness of forecasts. The expansion will address the region’s historically sparse weather-observation network. Assam will receive radars at Guwahati (Kahilipara), Jorhat, Tezpur and Silchar. At present, the Northeast has three radars … Continue reading New Doppler Weather Radars in Northeast India

Colletes bhutanicus, a rare solitary Himalayan bee, has been recorded in India for the first time from Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). Previously documented in Bhutan and China, including the Xizang region, the discovery expands knowledge of Himalayan pollinator diversity and distribution. The bee was observed … Continue reading Colletes bhutanicus: First Record from India

With the inclusion of heatwaves and lightning, the list of nationally recognised disasters has expanded from 12 to 14 categories. The recognised categories include cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, tsunamis, hailstorms, landslides, avalanches, cloudbursts, pest attacks, cold waves, heatwaves, and lightning. The Northeastern hill states, particularly Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, experience high lightning … Continue reading Nationally Recognised Disasters

The Nagaland Department of Soil & Water Conservation has highlighted the severe environmental impact of uncontrolled rat-hole and opencast coal mining, particularly in the districts of Wokha, Mon, Mokokchung, Longleng, and Tuensang. The report warns that Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from abandoned mines has polluted water sources and degraded surrounding ecosystems. Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) … Continue reading Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)

Rat-hole mining is an unscientific coal extraction method involving narrow, manually dug tunnels to access coal seams. Despite Nagaland's substantial coal reserves, the practice continues in several areas, raising concerns over environmental degradation and worker safety. The exposure of iron and sulphur-bearing rocks to air and water during mining leads to acid mine drainage, contaminating … Continue reading Rat-Hole Mining in Nagaland

Glaw Lake in Arunachal Pradesh has been designated as India's 101st Ramsar Site, becoming the first wetland in the State to receive international recognition under the Ramsar Convention. The lake is located within the Kamlang Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, underscoring its rich ecological significance. The Ramsar recognition highlights the lake's biodiversity value, promotes wetland … Continue reading Glaw Lake

The Konyak Union has refuted allegations that the recent floods in parts of Assam were caused by the release of water from the proposed Dikhu Hydro Electric Project in Nagaland's Mon district. The clarification comes amid public concerns linking the floods to the project. The Dikhu Hydro Electric Project is a proposed 186 MW hydropower … Continue reading Dikhu Hydro Electric Project

Manipur has recorded its first documented evidence of the Asiatic wild dog (dhole) after camera traps installed in Shirui Village of Ukhrul district captured images of the species, marking an important milestone for wildlife conservation in the state. The dhole (Cuon alpinus) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its population has declined … Continue reading First Dhole Sighting Recorded in Manipur

The proposed 1,200 MW hydropower project on the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh has raised concerns over the survival of the White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis), one of the world's rarest and most threatened bird species, due to potential habitat loss and ecological disruption. The White-bellied Heron is the second-largest heron in the world and is … Continue reading White-bellied Heron Conservation in Focus

The degradation of wetlands has emerged as a major factor worsening floods in Assam by disrupting the natural hydrological connectivity between rivers and floodplains. At Panidihing Bird Sanctuary in Sivasagar, the Brahmaputra, Desang, and Demow rivers once sustained an interconnected wetland ecosystem. A study found that the sanctuary's wetlands shrank to 15 wetlands covering only … Continue reading Wetland Degradation Aggravates Floods in Assam

Desang, a major southern perennial tributary of the Brahmaputra, is flowing at its highest-ever recorded level in Sivasagar and Charaideo, causing flooding and transport disruptions. Originating in the Nagaland Hills, the river is highly flood-prone during the monsoon. The river drains a 2,029 sq km basin and has potential for micro-hydropower and irrigation. It also … Continue reading Desang River in Focus

Brahmaputra, along with the Ganga and Meghna, forms the delta that hosts the Sundarbans, where the Union Ministry of Home Affairs plans to fence about 90 km of the India–Bangladesh border. The BSF has begun feasibility studies to secure this difficult riverine terrain. At present, the BSF depends on Floating Border Outposts to guard the … Continue reading Brahmaputra Delta’s Sundarbans to Get Border Fencing

Researchers in Assam have found that invasive plant species such as Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata serve as important nectar sources for butterflies in Raimona National Park. The finding emerged from a study documenting 220 butterfly species, along with their larval host plants and nectar plants, in the Bodoland Territorial Region. Although Lantana camara and … Continue reading Invasive Plants as Nectar Sources for Butterflies

The Himalayan Mole (Euroscaptor micrurus), a rare species endemic to the Himalayan region, was rescued by the Assam Forest Department after being swept away by the currents of the Manas River. The animal was later safely released into its natural habitat inside Manas National Park. The Himalayan Mole is a burrowing mammal that spends most … Continue reading Himalayan Mole