Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.
Articles by Joydeep Thakur
50 tumultuous days of Mamata Banerjee’s government 3.0
While the battle for the state witnessed a high-pitched election campaign, the first six weeks following the TMC’s victory were as turbulent politically, with allegations of post-poll violence, arrest of TMC ministers in Narada scam, the controversy around cyclone Yaas and the retirement of chief secretary
Updated on Jun 23, 2021 05:18 PM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, Kolkata
Bengal forms 10-member expert committee to tackle possible third Covid wave
The committee would supervise and monitor the evolving situation and suggest suitable interventions for effective management
Published on Jun 23, 2021 10:32 AM IST
Centre trying to bulldoze Twitter, my govt as it failed to control them: Mamata
The BJP and TMC have been continued to target each other since Mamata Banerjee swept back to power last month after a bitter campaign during the assembly polls in March and April
Published on Jun 17, 2021 06:18 PM IST
Bengal gears up for 3rd Covid wave; earmarks 10k hospital beds for kids, moms
A senior official said that as children, with mild to moderate symptoms, may have their mothers accompanying them, around 10,000 general beds will be earmarked for women and pediatric cases
Updated on Jun 16, 2021 11:26 AM IST
Bengal witnessed worst post-poll violence since Independence: Dhankhar
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s letter to the CM came a day after Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, and 50 other BJP legislators, met him and lodged a complaint on post-poll violence
Published on Jun 15, 2021 06:20 PM IST
Former TMC leader sends legal notice to Suvendu Adhikari over tweets
The notice by former Trinamool leader Vinay Mishra alleges that the remarks in the BJP leader’s posts were false, malicious, and slanderous
Updated on Jun 15, 2021 01:51 PM IST
As cases drop, Bengal gears up for possible third wave
An official said they are expecting the numbers to touch the baseline level by June-end or early July and that they do not know when exactly the third wave would come
Updated on Jun 10, 2021 02:47 PM IST
Bengal to evacuate 20k people ahead of new moon, full moon tides
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has directed the district administration of South 24 Parganas to carry out the evacuations from the low-lying areas of Mousuni and Sagar islands before the tides hit on June 11 and June 25 respectively
Published on Jun 09, 2021 12:44 PM IST
There should not be any report of carcass meat getting sold: Mamata Banerjee
Officials said a few thousand cattle and poultry birds died due to the cyclone. Even though the cyclone made landfall in Odisha, the storm surge it had triggered flooded multiple villages in West Bengal
Updated on Jun 08, 2021 10:47 AM IST
Central teams visit Yaas-hit Bengal, Odisha
In Odisha, an interministerial team led by joint secretary, home affairs, Sunil Kumar Barnwal toured Bhadrak and Balasore for on-the-spot assessment of damages.
Updated on Jun 08, 2021 12:19 AM IST
Debabrata MohantyJoydeep Thakur, Kolkata/bhubaneswar, Hindustan Times
Breached embankments, spring tide and monsoon: Bengal braces for another crisis
“Two more tides are coming. While one is expected to hit around June 11, a second one, which would be bigger, is expected to hit around June 26. If these tides hit during heavy rains, then the water level would increase further,” said CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday
Published on Jun 03, 2021 11:38 AM IST
Bengal Guv calls Mamata’s reasons for skipping PM’s review a ‘false narrative’
In a tweet early on Tuesday, Dhankhar claimed that Banerjee had messaged him on Thursday, on the eve of the meeting, and hinted that she may boycott it if Suvendu Adhikari was also going to be present
Updated on Jun 01, 2021 11:59 AM IST
In Bengal, a political battle over cyclone relief erupts, again
With three coastal districts and more than 100 islands in the Sunderban delta, the state is prone to cyclones that originate over the Bay of Bengal. West Bengal has been hit by at least four such cyclones in the recent past – Aila (2009), Bulbul (2019), Amphan (2020) and Yaas (2021)
Updated on May 31, 2021 01:00 PM IST
Drama as Didi hands report at PM meet, leaves
Centre has also asked Bengal chief secy to report to Delhi, a move called ‘vindictive’ by TMC.
Updated on May 29, 2021 02:21 AM IST
Joydeep ThakurDebabrata Mohanty, Hindustan Times, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar
Modi to meet Mamata today to take stock of damage caused by Cyclone Yaas
Modi is scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas of Odisha and land at Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal. Banerjee too would conduct an aerial survey of at least two districts before heading to Kalikunda
Published on May 28, 2021 09:38 AM IST
Narada sting: Calcutta HC to hear bail plea of 4 arrested leaders
The CBI had arrested the four leaders -- two Cabinet ministers, a legislator and a former mayor, on May 17 in connection with the case
Published on May 27, 2021 08:38 AM IST
Yaas fury lashes east coast
India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said “very severe cyclonic storm” Yaas made landfall near Barajadhauli village in Odisha’s Balasore district at 9am, and then moved north-west.
Published on May 27, 2021 05:34 AM IST
Debabrata MohantyJoydeep Thakur, Bhubaneswar/kolkata
Cyclone Yaas: 4 killed, mass evacuations minimise loss
West Bengal launched the biggest evacuation drive the state has ever undertaken before any calamity. More than 1.5 million people were evacuated since Monday and shifted to 14,000 cyclone shelters and relief camps.
Updated on May 27, 2021 03:26 AM IST
Debabrata MohantyJoydeep Thakur, Bhubaneshwar/kolkata
Homemaker, economist: Candidates from all walks of life in Bengal assembly
This term, the assembly will also see another ‘didi’ in the form of Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury who is known as Nirbhoy didi for the Nirbhoy Gram campaign
Published on May 05, 2021 03:31 PM IST
Bengal: 75 times spike in daily cases after poll announcement
Health experts blamed the exponential rise of Covid-19 cases on the mass gatherings at election rallies.
Published on Apr 28, 2021 02:04 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Bengal: 75 times spike in daily cases after poll announcement
Daily coronavirus infections have zoomed 75 times in West Bengal since the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced assembly elections on February 26, prompting health experts to link the surge in cases to maskless political rallies that violated Covid protocol
Updated on Apr 28, 2021 12:28 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Bengal’s Covid Warrior Club back in action as cases continue to soar
It was in June 2020, when the first wave of the pandemic had struck, that the West Bengal government started Covid Warrior Clubs which comprised mostly young people who had survived Covid-19
Updated on Apr 23, 2021 11:24 AM IST
All Bengal rallies flouting Covid-19 norms
HT visited three separate rallies organised by the BJP, TMC and Sanyukta Morcha (Left-Congress-Indian Secular Front alliance) on Tuesday and saw that while political leaders followed Covid-19 guidelines like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing to an extent, crowds did not obey any rules.
Updated on Apr 15, 2021 07:01 AM IST
Ahead of fifth phase, BJP sharpens attack on TMC over ‘anti-SC remarks’
BJP lawmaker Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato hit out at TMC’s Sujata Mondal for allegedly calling members of the SC community “beggars by nature” and chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her silence over the killing of an 18-year-old during the fourth phase of polling last Saturday
Published on Apr 14, 2021 02:52 PM IST
Banerjee hits out at BJP over NRC and for bringing outsiders in Bengal
Soon after the incident on Saturday, EC banned all political leaders from entering Cooch Behar district for 72 hours. Later, the poll watchdog banned Banerjee from campaigning for another 24 hours for her remarks against central forces
Updated on Apr 15, 2021 12:28 PM IST
Mamata Banerjee stages dharna against EC ban, targets BJP in rallies later
Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of making ‘ominous efforts’ to stop her from campaigning, says she will ‘stay in the battlefield’
Updated on Apr 14, 2021 12:43 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Fresh EC notice to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over remarks against CRPF
The notice came a day after Banerjee challenged EC over the first notice sent to her over her remark urging Muslims to guard against those splitting their votes.
Published on Apr 10, 2021 07:04 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Hindustan Times, Kolkata
Banerjee gets 2nd notice in two days over comments against central forces
The poll body has asked the Bengal CM to explain by 11am on Saturday her poll speeches in which she allegedly asked people to “gherao” central paramilitary forces on polling duty in the state
Updated on Apr 09, 2021 04:14 PM IST
Didi banks on Trinamool women brigade to stop BJP onslaught
Be it fighting the alleged outsider force of BJP or becoming polling agents and manning booths on election days, Banerjee has urged the party’s women workers and supporters to come forward.
Published on Apr 07, 2021 03:36 PM IST
PM mounts attack on rivals in battlegrounds Assam, Bengal
Modi alleged that the “obstructionist mindset” of chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress deprived East Bengal of industries and jobs.
Updated on Apr 04, 2021 12:53 AM IST