Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.
Articles by Joydeep Thakur
Didi faces Oppn, families’ ire over Birbhum killings
The eight people – most of whom were women and children – were burnt to death in a house on Monday night in Bogtui village, hours after a local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader was killed in a bomb attack in public.
Updated on Mar 25, 2022 01:08 AM IST
Tanmay Chatterjee and Joydeep Thakur, Birbhum/kolkata
To protect Bengal’s coastline from cyclones, forest staff to create bio-shield
In May 2021, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had set up a committee headed by river expert and chairman of the state pollution control board Kalyan Rudra, to suggest how plants could be used to protect coastal areas. The committee, however, has warned against using Vetiver.
Published on Mar 17, 2022 05:23 PM IST
Pair of endangered turtles helps India, Bangladesh plan joint conservation program
In January this year, 10 Northern River Terrapins (Batagur Baska) - one of the most endangered species of turtles in the world - were released into the wild from a breeding centre in the Sunderbans. By February end, four of them had crossed the international boundary and swum hundreds of kilometres into Bangladeshi waters.
Published on Mar 12, 2022 11:25 PM IST
Cyclone Amphan was largest source of displacement in 2020, says IPCC report
The cyclone intensified from a category 1 cyclonic storm to a category 5 super cyclone in less than 36 hours, before finally hitting the West Bengal coast on May 20, 2020. The IPCC report also hints that the lockdown, prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, may have played a role behind the formation and intensification of the cyclone.
Updated on Mar 03, 2022 08:35 PM IST
Overnight celebrities of West Bengal
Bhuban Badyakar’s song changed his life when it was filmed and shared on a video-sharing platform in November 2021
Published on Mar 02, 2022 10:44 AM IST
I’m here for Samajwadi Party’s victory, BJP’s defeat, says Mamata in Lucknow
This is not the first time Banerjee has visited Lucknow for the SP. Ahead of the 2017 UP assembly polls, she had come to support the SP when she held an anti-demonetisation public meeting at the 1090 crossing in Lucknow. Akhilesh was the UP chief minister then.
Published on Feb 07, 2022 11:40 PM IST
Pankaj Jaiswal & Joydeep Thakur
UP polls: Mamata Banerjee in Lucknow, says she is here for SP’s win, BJP’s defeat
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will hold joint events with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow on Tuesday for the UP polls
Updated on Feb 08, 2022 12:31 AM IST
Pankaj Jaiswal and Joydeep Thakur, Lucknow/kolkata
Fishing cats: Is Bengal doing enough to protect its state animal?
It is included as a Schedule I species in Wildlife (Protection) Act and hence enjoys the highest level of protection equal to that of tigers, lions and elephants
Updated on Jan 28, 2022 03:11 PM IST
Palanquins carry women to hospital from remote, hilly Bengal villages
District magistrate Surendra Kumar Meena said every time a pregnant woman needed to reach the hospital for delivery, the locals would prepare a makeshift stretcher
Updated on Jan 19, 2022 12:38 PM IST
Spectre of child marriage, trafficking looms large in Sunderbans
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of six people, including prime suspect Nur Alam Khan, and a couple from the village of the two girls.
Updated on Jan 17, 2022 11:51 PM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Gosaba (sunderbans)
West Bengal biodiversity board attempts to bring back traditional crop varieties
The West Bengal Biodiversity Board (WBBB) has prepared People’s Biodiversity Registers containing comprehensive account of local bio-resources along with related traditional knowledge and practices of the area. Efforts are now on to come up with at least five ‘seed banks’ across the state.
Published on Jan 17, 2022 10:38 AM IST
Sunderbans losing its dense mangrove cover: Govt report
This is worrying because the mangrove forests acts a green buffer against cyclones, protecting Kolkata from bearing the direct brunt of storms that originate in the Bay of Bengal.
Updated on Jan 14, 2022 12:36 AM IST
Sunderbans losing dense mangrove cover, reveals key government report
It comes as a concern because the mangrove cover acts a barrier against cyclones while protecting Bengal’s capital city of Kolkata from directly bearing the brunt of storms that originate in the Bay of Bengal
Published on Jan 13, 2022 03:24 PM IST
The growing rift between the BJP and its Matua leaders
The quest to control the Matua vote, a scheduled caste group, largely hinges on the issue of identity and rights
Updated on Jan 06, 2022 07:29 PM IST
No direct flights from the UK to land in Kolkata from Monday, orders West Bengal
West Bengal has reported 11 Omicron cases so far, and the new Covid-19 cases being reported every day have doubled over the past week. On Wednesday, the state government crossed the 1,000-mark.
Updated on Dec 30, 2021 07:38 PM IST
Of those languishing in West Bengal jails for years without trial
According to Prisoners Statistics of India, 2019, 7,394 inmates in Indian jails are suffering from mental health issues and 1.5% of them are undertrials
Updated on Dec 19, 2021 04:14 PM IST
Rising CO2 level taking toll on marine organisms in Sunderbans, say scientists
The rising carbon dioxide (CO2) level in the air is turning the water in the Sunderbans estuary more acidic and taking a toll on marine fish and animals, particularly those having shells such as oysters, clams, crabs and lobsters, say scientists
Published on Nov 25, 2021 04:22 PM IST
4,000 cyber-attacks on India’s Botanical Survey website in 2 months
Botanical Survey of India director AA Mao said most of the 4,000 cyber-attacks on its website appeared to originate from China.
Updated on Nov 18, 2021 03:08 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, Kolkata
Heroes of our time: Meet Indians making a difference
You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve heard the names. Read on to see what some of the winners who have largely remained away from the spotlight achieved and how
Updated on Nov 15, 2021 06:27 AM IST
Megha SoodSrinivasa Rao ApparasuManasi DeshpandeShruti TomarUtpal ParasharSharan PoovannaArun DevJoydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Kolkata, Bhopal, Hyderabad
Sunderban bears climate change brunt as world leaders negotiate at COP
In its latest state of the climate report, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said that sea levels between 2013 and 2021 had risen by a factor of two, meaning sea level rises have doubled in this period.
Updated on Nov 08, 2021 02:01 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Centre may allow private funding for wildlife conservation
A proposal for private and corporate funding for India’s wildlife conservation efforts is under consideration since the available budget is insufficient
Published on Oct 19, 2021 04:34 PM IST
Alleged post-poll violence: HC pulls up Bengal govt for not compensating victims
The Calcutta high court bench also objected to the state government’s move to appoint 10 Indian Police Service officers to assist the special investigation team probing the post poll violence in West Bengal
Published on Oct 04, 2021 04:45 PM IST
Ex-Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro expected to join TMC today
After sweeping the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, TMC lawmaker Abhishek Banerjee in June announced they plan to expand their base to other states ahead of the 2024 national polls to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party
Published on Sep 29, 2021 09:02 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Calcutta HC refuses to interfere with Bhabanipur bypoll schedule
Advocate Sayan Banerjee on September 8 filed a public interest litigation, soon after the ECI published the gazette notification for the by-election, seeking to quash the ECI memo.
Updated on Sep 29, 2021 02:32 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Bengal teacher arranges for ‘vaccine rath’, gets 500 tribal women vaccinated with 1st dose
Deep Narayan Nayak counselled the women, got them registered on the CoWin app and took the responsibility of their commute to and from the nearest vaccination centre.
Updated on Sep 24, 2021 01:47 PM IST
Bengal ramps up vaccine drive in rural areas ahead of festive season
“The focus has shifted over the last one month or so. At present 60%-70% of the daily doses are being given in peri-urban and rural areas, while only around 30%-40% are being given in urban areas,” said an official of the state health department
Published on Sep 22, 2021 11:43 AM IST
Mystery of snake venom smuggling persists: Red Dragon Code 6097
One of the theories considered by investigators suggests that the venom originates from snake farms in Thailand and smuggled through Bangladesh, India and Nepal for its final destination either in China or in European countries
Updated on Sep 15, 2021 04:37 PM IST
Rain, floods killed 6,800 people in India in last 3 yrs; Bengal tops list
West Bengal topped the list of states with at least 964 such deaths, revealing the state’s vulnerability to climate change. This means one in every seven such deaths were reported from the state between April 2018 and March 21, according to data placed in the Lok Sabha in August this year
Published on Sep 14, 2021 08:48 AM IST
Centuries old textile designs, natural dyes archived digitally
BSI director said that paintings of plants, textile designs from various countries and even natural dyes that have remained hidden for centuries are now accessible with a single click in its digital repository
Updated on Sep 06, 2021 05:17 PM IST
Assembly bypolls to Mamata’s home seat, 3 others to be held on Sept 30
Apart from Bhabanipur, the bypolls will be held to Jangipur, Samerganj (West Bengal), and Pipli (Odisha) assembly seats.
Published on Sep 05, 2021 02:21 AM IST
Deeksha BhardwajJoydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, New Delhi/kolkata