Counterview

By A Representative   Top farmers' group, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), has issued a strong warning to the Union Government against the proposed release of two gene‑edited rice varieties—DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) and Pusa DST Rice 1—arguing that the move threatens India’s seed sovereignty, farmers’ rights and the country’s long‑standing rice biodiversity. In a press statement dated 18 September 2026, the farmers’ coalition said it “strongly opposes the release of any patented seed technologies and of unsafe gene‑edited rice varieties,” and demanded that the government halt all steps toward seed multiplication and distribution before the process becomes “irreversible.”

By Bharat Dogra    A growing coalition of scientists, academics, farmers' organizations, and concerned citizens is urgently urging the Indian government to halt the planned release of two gene-edited rice varieties, citing serious risks to health, the environment, food sovereignty, and cultural heritage. This crucial intervention is not just about stopping a hazardous technology; it is about reclaiming a forgotten, sustainable path for Indian agriculture—one championed decades ago by India’s preeminent rice scientist, Dr. R.H. Richharia. The Gene-Editing Controversy and its Hidden Risks The current controversy centers on two rice varieties: Kamala (DRR Dhan 100) and Pusa DST Rice, both developed using SDN-1 and SDN-2 gene-editing technologies. Reports indicate that seed multiplication for Pusa DST Rice is already underway ahead of the winter sowing season, with a scheduled Rabi 2026 release.  The Coalition for a GM-Free India, supported by nearly 320 professor...

By A Representative   A group of 77 former civil servants has raised concerns over what it describes as the steady weakening of statutory safeguards for India’s forests, wildlife and environment. In an open letter dated September 17, the Constitutional Conduct Group, comprising former members of the All India and Central Services, said large-scale diversion of forestland for development projects was causing increasing ecological risks. The group said it was non-partisan and committed to impartiality, neutrality and the Constitution of India.

Counterview News   A comprehensive new study from the Capgemini Research Institute paints a troubling picture of corporate climate readiness, revealing that while executives increasingly recognize climate change as a material business threat, most organizations lack the fundamental capabilities to measure, manage, and adapt to its impacts.

Counterview News   The Earth is approaching a series of irreversible environmental thresholds that threaten the stability of life on the planet, but a landmark new study argues that the same systems science that predicts catastrophe also offers a blueprint for rapid, self-propelling recovery. 

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  Amidst the catastrophe, Alton C Byers has arrived in Nepal for a six-week visit, driven by his profound love for mountains, especially the mystic Himalayas and its resilient people. Back in 2013, following over 40 years of working in mountain ranges all over the world, Byers decided to focus his career in the Himalayan ecosystem after experiencing a deep sense of belonging during field research.

Counterview News   A scathing independent citizens' inquiry has concluded that the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada river, one of India's most ambitious multipurpose dams, has systematically violated the legal and human rights of tens of thousands of displaced families while overstating its economic benefits and understating its ecological costs.

By Bhim Singh Rawat   There is little doubt that growing encroachment on Delhi’s Yamuna floodplain, or khadar, has created the risk of turning natural flooding into a disaster. Because the floodplain has not been properly demarcated, the O-Zone, which covers the Yamuna khadar, is not being effectively implemented.

Counterview News   The devastating flood that swept through Nepal 's Rasuwa district on August 26, 2026, was likely triggered by climate change , but the scale of the tragedy was determined by human decisions — including the unchecked proliferation of hydropower projects in a fragile Himalayan landscape, according to Himanshu Thakkar , coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP).

Counterview News   On the eve of the 18th BRICS Summit, a new report has accused the New Development Bank (NDB) — the multilateral lender set up by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — of failing to deliver on its founding promise of people-centric, sustainable development, even as the harms from its projects mount and affected communities are left with no way to seek redress.

Counterview News   The National Highways Authority of India on Tuesday announced that highway projects will no longer receive their Provisional Certificate of Completion (PCC) or Provisional Commercial Operation Date (PCOD) unless at least 80% of the right-of-way earmarked for plantation is covered and saplings show a 90% survival rate at inspection. Operations and maintenance payments across EPC, HAM and BOT-Annuity projects will also be withheld if survival drops below 90%.

By Aseem Mishra  With 4.82 lakh hectares of farmland under stress, 21 lakh livestock facing fodder and water shortages, milk production declining and Maldhari families beginning to migrate, Kutch's drought is becoming a crisis of livelihoods, food security and ecology. *** A drought does not begin with a government notification. It begins when a farmer watches his crop wilt, when a Maldhari walks farther in search of grass and water, when a family starts buying drinking water, and when livestock—built up over generations—has to be sold or transported elsewhere simply to survive. That is increasingly the reality in Kutch.

By A Representative   A detailed submission sent to senior members of the Union government has urged a fundamental rethink of India’s massive nuclear‑power expansion plans, warning that current targets are “highly unrealistic”, economically risky, environmentally unsound and socially contentious. The letter—addressed to the Minister of State for Atomic Energy and the Vice‑Chairperson of NITI Aayog, with copies to the Prime Minister—argues that India’s electricity future must be shaped by “unambiguous evidence, economics, ecological sustainability, social justice and technological realism,” not predetermined nuclear‑capacity targets.

By Rajiv Shah  A new study has ranked Ahmedabad as the least climate-resilient major city in the world , highlighting a dangerous gap between the city’s extreme physical vulnerability to climate hazards and its capacity to adapt. Cited by The New York Times , the analysis, conducted by geospatial artificial intelligence firm AlphaGeo , places the Indian city at the top of a list of global urban centres most exposed to climate risk.

By Bharat Dogra    When the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games lit up the sky over Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31, it marked more than the start of a sporting spectacle. For ten days, through September 6, nearly 4,000 athletes, artists, and officials from 104 countries will compete in 43 events—from traditional wrestling and horseback riding to archery—while celebrating the rich folk music and cultural heritage of nomadic communities.

By Palla Trinadha Rao*  When a small tribal hamlet in Sikkim can single-handedly hold up a hydropower project worth thousands of crores, whose job is it to say no to the company — and whose job is it to say no to the hamlet? A one-page government note quietly answered that question this week: nobody's job.

Counterview News   For generations, the seasonal Anjani River has been more than a waterway for the Patharvat community of Waghlud Khurd. It has been their classroom, their workplace, their temple, and their source of life. But today, the riverbed that once rang with the sound of hammers and chisels has fallen quiet. A centuries-old stone craft is dying—not because the river has changed, but because the world around it has, says a  guest blog published in the website of the advocacy group SANDRP (South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People).

By A Representative   Even as the Karnataka High Court continues its stay on the Rs 10,240 crore Sharavati Valley Pumped Storage Project (PSP), the state government has initiated the tendering process for preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for another 2,500 MW PSP in the Varahi River Valley — located within the Mookambika and Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuaries. 

By Bharat Dogra   India stands at a crossroads. The future of its agriculture—and indeed its food sovereignty—hangs in the balance. The nation’s true strength lies in its potential to lead the world in natural, climate-resilient farming, grounded in agro-ecology, soil and water conservation, and the rich heritage of its indigenous seeds. This is the path to self-reliance and healthy food. Yet, this promising vision is under siege by the hidden and overt representatives of global agribusiness, who are determined to entangle Indian agriculture in a corporate-led model that prioritizes profit over people, sustainability, and nutrition.

Counterview News   The environmental advocacy group South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has published a hard-hitting analysis of Pune's ongoing River Front Development (RFD) project , framing its concerns around fundamental questions that challenge the project's technical, ecological, and legal foundations.