scorecardresearch
Add as a preferred source on Google
Friday, April 10, 2026
TopicNatural disasters

Topic: Natural disasters

Acts of God cases are Acts of State now. The courts are not convinced

The 'superior force' striking your contract is less likely to be a storm or a war. It is most possibly the stroke of a regulator's pen.

From Joshimath to Zojila—how Indians are loving the Himalayas to death. Literally

The operating ideology that accessibility is unqualified good and that no peak should be beyond reach turns the mountains into something to be consumed rather than reckoned with.

Uttarakhand’s ticking bomb: landslide lakes

A decade of landslides have birthed as many as six lakes in Uttarakhand in the last decade. For the first time, a team of scientists from institutes are surveying them.

Sikkim govt, central panel split over what caused 2023 floods. At stake is Rs 2,500-cr insurance claim

Report by central committee blames glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) for the incident. Sikkim govt cites a cloudburst. Insiders say destroyed Chungthang dam's insurance at root of debate.

Wayanad landslides—those who heeded warnings and relocated are among the few who survived

Landslides in Wayanad have claimed over 300 lives. It's a wake-up call to address rapid tourism development, unchecked urbanisation, and illegal quarrying and mining in Kerala.

In Devbhumi Himachal Pradesh, Kullu residents oppose ropeway to temple. ‘Mahadev is against this’

Opposition to project has been reported since last year. Such deep rooted is traditions in Kullu that people seek blessings from deities before starting any major work.

Rajnath Singh red-flags ‘natural disasters’ in border states, wonders if any ‘adversary’ involved

In Uttarakhand to inaugurate BRO infrastructure projects, the defence minister says climate change in the country is not just a weather-related phenomenon, but also a matter of national security.

Odisha police still retain carrier pigeons as backstop when disasters sever communication

Dating from days of British colonial rule when police stations used birds to communicate with each other, Odisha’s carrier pigeon service employs over 100 Belgian Homer pigeons.

War, climate change push number of internally displaced people to record high of 71.1 million

IDMC said the figure represented a 20% increase since 2021. The war in Ukraine triggered nearly 17 million displacements last year, while 32.6 million were displaced due to disasters.

Climate change is leading to more lightning strikes. Policymakers need to take note to save lives

Lightning strikes account for 35% of all natural hazard deaths in India but aren't seen as a priority at district-level where awareness & more government funding can save lives.

On Camera

Tamil Nadu’s elections are fought on delivery—ideology appears only when needed

Electoral competition now appears dominated by welfare delivery and governance metrics, but ideology has not disappeared in Tamil Nadu. Instead, it has become strategic.

Data centre gold rush risks blackouts, central electricity body warns states against tripping grids

India’s fast-growing data centre sector may strain state electricity networks; Central Electricity Authority has urged Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu to boost capacity.

India working on lowering military reaction time to hostilities, boosting use of AI—CDS Gen Chauhan

On lessons from the ongoing West Asia conflict, he says that while US had superior technology and strike capability, Iran used geography to its advantage.

China insulated itself against energy shocks. India is ‘all talk, no walk’

China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.