NorthEast Now

Written by: Pooja Gupta The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), proposed in Upper Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, is set to be Indias largest hydropower dam a nearly 11,000 MW structure conceived to regulate the flow of the Siang River, which becomes the Brahmaputra downstream in Assam. It is also one of the most [] The post Siang Dam in Arunachal: Can India Balance Water Security and Indigenous Concerns? appeared first on NorthEast Now .

While Assam was reeling under the ravaging floods, and the devastation in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts was still vivid in the collective memory of the people, a new issue cropped up in August 2026 that swept Assam like a storm. This was about the state governments draft proposal for notifying an eco-sensitive zone around Kaziranga [] The post Kaziranga Eco-Sensitive Zone Furore: What Lies Behind 10-Km Debate in Assam appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Joydeep Gupta An entire mountainside of ice and rock fell into the Lhende Khola river on the Tibet-Nepal border, on the morning of August 26,triggering an earthquakeand a flood that rose nine metres, killing hundreds, sweeping away at least six dams and hydropower stations, over a dozen crucial bridges, homes, roads and even aherd of [] The post Nepal flash floods renews focus on regional preparedness appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Dharamtul: A public hearing on a proposed cement grinding unit at Dharamtul in Central Assams Morigaon district allegedly turned into a farce on Friday (August 28, 2026), as the administration did not allow villagers opposing the unit to register their submissions at the hearing. The public hearing took place at Khanduba in Dharamtul, under Jagiroad [] The post Assam: Max Cement plant hearing turns farce as villagers denied voice appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Guwahati: Nepal faces the risk of a second flash flood after debris from an ice-rock avalanche formed a temporary dam at a river confluence, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said. The debris is accumulating at the confluence and holding back water, raising the possibility of another flash flood in the valley as [] The post Nepal flash floods: Second threat looms as avalanche debris dams river appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Guwahati: Residents of Pub Dharamtul, Bhalukaguri and surrounding areas in central Assams Morigaon district have raised a series of questions over the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared for the proposed 1 million TPA cement grinding unit of Max Cement Industries Pvt. Ltd. at Pub Dharamtul and Bhalukaguri. The objections come ahead of the scheduled [] The post Assam: Residents flag major gaps in draft EIA ahead of Max Cement public hearing in Morigaon appeared first on NorthEast

Guwahati: The Assam Environmental NGO Forum (AENF), a platform of conservation organisations working at the grassroots, has raised objections to the Assam governments proposal to notify a one-kilometre Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR). The controversy follows Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmas statement that the state government plans to approach [] The post Assam: Proposed Kaziranga ESZ should be based on scientific assessments and expert recomm

Written by: Kishor Kr Kalita, Mahesh Deka Kaziranga: At the back of a house near Dhansiri Mukh in Assams Kaziranga National Park, wild elephants still wander up to the door most evenings. Families continue to set out broken rice, chaff and medicinal herbs for them a ritual passed down from grandparents who farmed this [] The post Kaziranga at crossroads: A shrinking ESZ, expanding tourism and fight over land appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Guwahati: The massive glacial collapse that triggered catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday has killed at least 162 people, with hundreds still missing. Among those unaccounted for are 133 Indians, many of them travelling to Tibet on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. The flash floods were triggered at 8:37 am Nepal time when [] The post Nepal flash floods: What triggered the disaster, and why was it so destructive? appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Digboi: A 16-year-old captive elephant, Mangal Singh, underwent a specialised dental procedure in Assams Margherita on Wednesday, months after suspected poachers hacked off both his tusks near their roots. The injury left the elephant with exposed pulp cavities, infection and prolonged health complications. The procedure involved a partial pulpotomy to treat and close the exposed [] The post Assam: Elephant Mangal Singh undergoes dental procedure; delay in ivory recovery raises questions appeare

Guwahati: The Assam Congress will hold a statewide march on August 29 to protest the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park. State Congress general secretary (organisation) Ramanna Baruah, in a circular, asked district Congress committee presidents to organise the march and mobilise leaders and workers against the proposal. The Congress [] The post Assam Congress to hold statewide march against proposed reduction of Kazirangas ESZ appeared first on Nort

Guwahati: Environmental concerns surrounding the upcoming Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt. Ltd. (TSAT) facility at Jagiroad have intensified, with a citizen calling on the Assam government to retain and strictly enforce a 15-km restriction on cement plants and other polluting industries around Ratan Tata Electronic City, where the major semiconductor assembly and testing project [] The post Assam: 15-km ban on polluting industries sought around Tata semiconductor plant in Jagiroad appea

As the Assam government plans to notify a site-specific eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), an ecologically fragile area, around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve extending one to three kilometres from the existing boundary, public debate has intensified in both the mainstream and social media. Although the initiative complies with directives from the Supreme Court of India, [] The post Conservation vs development: Debate deepens over Kazirangas eco-sensitive zone appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Guwahati: Vantara has appointed John E. Scanlon AO as the inaugural Chair of its newly established five-member Governing Council. The council will oversee Vantaras conservation, animal care and rehabilitation, and compliance activities. It will also have final authority over decisions to acquire animals. Scanlon said Vantara had sought external advice and was strengthening its internal [] The post Vantara appoints former CITES chief John E. Scanlon as Governing Council chair appeared first on No

Guwahati: Joymoti, a 53-year-old female elephant rescued from floods in Nagaland and Assam in July, is being airlifted to Vantara in Jamnagar for immediate and specialised veterinary treatment. Joymoti was swept away by floodwaters in Nagaland during the second week of July and later rescued by local communities with government assistance. She suffered multiple injuries, [] The post Flood-rescued elephant Joymoti airlifted from Nagaland to Vantara for specialised care appeared first on NorthEast

Guwahati: Vantara, the animal rescue and rehabilitation facility managed by the Reliance Group, has informed the Supreme Court that it will voluntarily stop applying for animal imports for 12 months, disclosing the decision in an application filed on August 19 in the case Karnartham Viramah Foundation v. Union of India & Ors. Vantara said the [] The post Vantara announces self-imposed 12-month moratorium on animal import applications, tells Supreme Court appeared first on NorthEast Now .

Shillong: A fresh application before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has challenged the environmental public hearing held on July 31, 2026, for Shree Cement Limiteds proposed 217.394-hectare limestone mining project at Lum Syrmian/Daistong in East Jaintia Hills district. The application, filed before the NGTs Eastern Zone Bench in Kolkata by Bocheru Mi Pohsnem, Jersom Shylla [] The post Meghalaya limestone mining: NGT plea challenges Shree Cement public hearing appeared first on NorthEast Now

Guwahati: The Madhya Assam Koch-Rajbongshi Students Union on August 18 urged the Assam government to immediately halt alleged illegal hill mining activities in central Assam. The organisation submitted a four-point memorandum to Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah through Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashis Sharma, seeking action against alleged illegal mining and measures to protect central [] The post Assam: Koch-Rajbongshi students body seeks halt to illegal hill mining in Karbi Anglon