nanda devi biosphere

The Indian Air Force swiftly deployed an Mi-17 V5 helicopter to combat a forest fire in Uttarakhand's nanda devi biosphere Reserve. Responding to a state government request, the IAF's Central Air Command engaged in firefighting operations in the rocky terrain. Aerial surveillance confirms the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib remain safe amidst ongoing efforts.

The state forest department is exploring whether nanda devi biosphere, where tourism was banned in 1983, can be reopened to tourists. On Tuesday, a team of 28 scientists set off for the region to assess whether the damage done in past years with excessive trekking and mountaineering has been repaired. This study tour is part of a decadal study of the area by a team of scientists, with funds from the Centre

Authorities dismantled an illegal structure built by Baba Chaitanya Akash near Devi Kund in the nanda devi biosphere Reserve after a strenuous two-day trek. The unauthorized construction sparked local outrage over environmental concerns, prompting a swift response from officials to uphold ecological protections.

In a state-level meeting of nanda devi biosphere, chief secretary Utpal Kumar approved Rs 24.50 crore for works to be executed in the next five years in the reserve

Glaciers in Rishikesh catchment area of world heritage site nanda devi biosphere Reserve are depleting fast due to climate change, with a reduction of almost 10 per cent in almost four decades, says a study by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

A high-altitude helipad being constructed in nanda devi biosphere Reserve's (NDBR) buffer zone, near the Hemkund Sahib gurdwara in Garhwal Himalayas, has begun to face sustained protests from villagers who say that plying of choppers to ferry pilgrims would disturb wildlife and harm the extremely sensitive topography of the region at 13,500ft. They have raised the issue with the Chamoli district administration and threatened a "massive protest" if the construction is not stopped.

Valley of Flowers, nestled at about 11,800 ft in the Garhwal Himalayas, was hit by a severe landslide triggered by rains on Saturday, as a result of which huge cracks developed on the trek route inside the valley.

A preliminary digital analysis of the Nanda Devi National Park revealed extensive damage to flora and fauna of the sanctuary, a Unesco World heritage site, caused by the Chamoli flash flood.

An unprecedented blaze had ravaged the state’s jungles last year leading to estimated losses of around 4,500 hectares of green cover and loss of over half a dozen lives

The Valley of Flowers situated ahead of Joshimath in Chamoli district of the Garhwal Himalayas will close for tourists on Thursday for the winter season.

In 2019, a village resident had filed a PIL in the Uttarakhand high court (HC) alleging unfair and environmentally hazardous practices by the private firm involved in the project. It was alleged that the firm was "using explosives and blasting the mountains for mining". The blasting, the petition said, had damaged the sensitive areas around the nanda devi biosphere Reserve.

The award-winning conservation and cleanliness drive in the nanda devi biosphere is becoming increasingly unsustainable as the forest department is facing financial constraints

Outsiders might wonder at the roads caving in at several places in Joshimath. Local people, however, just take the unsteady roads in their stride. A number of houses have developed cracks. The very mountain on which this town sits has faced a series of landslides. Soil erosion is a continuous problem.

The Rishiganga hydroelectric power project which was washed away after the glacier burst in Raini village and where several workers are still feared trapped had been red-flagged by local villagers as an “impending disaster”.

The other Indian biosphere reserves in the list include Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar, Sunderban, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Pachmarhi, Simlipal, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Great Nicobar and Agasthyamala.

Villagers of Raini village in Tapovan area of Chamoli have expressed concerns that Sunday’s flash floods may be the result of heat being produced by a radioactive device. The device was lost in 1965 during a secret expedition to Nanda Devi conducted by the CIA and IB.

A special committee announced that work is underway to recognise a biosphere reserve in Rajasthan at Desert National Park and related areas in Jaisalmer.