Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues.
Articles by Joydeep Thakur
In restive Bengal village, an outpouring of anger, grief
Villagers said that once a Left stronghold, the people of Sandeshkhali voted for Trinamool Congress in large numbers in 2011
Updated on Feb 14, 2024 04:50 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Sandeshkhali
In WB’s elephant zone, the forest department escorts students to exam centres
At least 240 people have been killed in West Bengal in elephant attacks between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022.
Published on Feb 07, 2024 04:50 PM IST
MP with 13 cases against him, including murder, gets relief in one from SC
An explainer on the five-year-old attempted murder case against MP Nisith Pramanik. The top court granted protection from arrest to the lawmaker
Published on Jan 18, 2024 08:20 AM IST
Once symbolic of old Calcutta, trams may halt in their tracks
Kolkata's iconic trams, which have been part of the city's landscape for 150 years, may be phased out in 2024, with plans to confine them to a heritage joyride
Updated on Jan 06, 2024 06:04 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
3 years after Bangladeshi ship sank in Hoogly, siltation puts Gangasagar festival under cloud
A sunken Bangladeshi cargo ship has resurfaced in the Ganges delta, threatening the Gangasagar Mela religious festival and causing siltation in the Muriganga river. The ship, which sank during the pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020, has created a riverine island that is blocking the waterway for boats ferrying pilgrims. Experts warn that if the ship is not removed, the river will become choked with silt, affecting its flow and navigation. Efforts are underway to create alternate channels for the festival, but the ship's removal may not be possible before the event.
Updated on Jan 06, 2024 05:54 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Silt around sunk Bangladeshi ship could impact tourist flow to Gangasagar fair
Siltation around the capsized vessel over the past three years has blocked channels used by boats to ferry pilgrims and tourists to Sagar island
Updated on Jan 05, 2024 03:40 PM IST
What it takes to protect a porous border
According to the Centre, West Bengal’s land purchase policy is slowing down its fencing work along the Indo-Bangla border. Here’s what they mean by that
Published on Jan 02, 2024 07:05 PM IST
At least 241 invasive plants mapped in 7 South Asian countries; India tops list
India, with its largest land area in the group of seven countries in South Asia, tops the list with 185 invasive alien plants
Published on Dec 06, 2023 11:05 AM IST
ED grills WB minister after arrest in connection with alleged ration scam
West Bengal minister Jyoti Priya Mallick has been grilled by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged ration distribution scam. He had been admitted to hospital after falling in court on the day of his arrest. Mallick is accused of involvement in the scam, which saw rice and wheat intended for ration distributors sold on the open market. Businessman Bakibur Rahaman has already been arrested in relation to the case.
Updated on Oct 31, 2023 07:31 PM IST
Buried explosives in River Teesta hinders restoration; Army steps up combing op
A flash flood triggered by a glacial lake outburst in north Sikkim had washed away an ammunition depot of the army
Updated on Oct 21, 2023 07:35 PM IST
Sikkim: Lhonak Lake early warning system failed, says official
Lhonak Lake is one of the largest and fastest growing proglacial lakes in Sikkim and is among the 11 large glacial lakes monitored by the Central Water Commission
Published on Oct 11, 2023 04:07 PM IST
165 more airlifted as rescue ops continue in Sikkim
Most of the tourists in Sikkim are stranded at Lachen and Lachung, popular destinations in Mangan district
Updated on Oct 11, 2023 12:43 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Gangtok
Stranded for six days in Sikkim, tourist families recall trauma before rescue
A flash flood, triggered by an outburst of a glacial lake, had barrelled through the Teesta river gobbling up everything in its path
Published on Oct 10, 2023 04:57 PM IST
Sikkim: Phones haven’t stopped ringing at the disaster control room in Gangtok
Sikkim government officials said it could take days to compile detailed data on the loss and damage, and rehabilitation work has only just begun
Published on Oct 09, 2023 07:49 PM IST
Airborne rescue operations begin for those stranded in Sikkim’s Lachen, Lachung
Lachen is the base for tourists going to Gurudongmar Lake, a high-altitude lake situated at an altitude of 17,000 feet while Lachung is the stopover for tourists heading to Yumthang valley
Updated on Oct 09, 2023 01:10 PM IST
Stories of loss and despair echo at Sikkim relief camps
The flash floods tore through India’s northeastern state Sikkim on Wednesday leaving 82 dead, and 105 missing
Updated on Oct 09, 2023 04:47 AM IST
Army launches search operation as Teesta river turns into potential minefield
A senior police official of Jalpaiguri district in north Bengal said that it would take at least a week to sanitize the Teesta’s banks in the district. The explosives may include mortar shells, mines and other weapons used by the army
Updated on Oct 08, 2023 05:55 PM IST
Sikkim’s aboriginal inhabitants suffer major damage in flash flood
Located more than 75 km from the state’s capital Gangtok, the region in north Sikkim’s Mangan district – one of the worst-hit districts, is bounded by the River Teesta and River Tholung Chu on two sides and by the mountains on one side
Updated on Oct 08, 2023 11:13 AM IST
Sikkim floods: A long wait for survivors as bad weather halts rescue operation
A few cars and an earth-moving machine, buried under the silt with just their roofs visible, gave an inkling of what was underneath the debris
Updated on Oct 08, 2023 05:29 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Rangpo
‘Darkness and chaos’: Sikkim flood victims share ordeal; rescue op halted
The Sikkim government has warned people that explosives and ammunition may be found along the banks of the Teesta River after an ammunition depot of the army in north Sikkim was affected due to flash floods
Published on Oct 07, 2023 06:07 PM IST
Sikkim floods: Weather hinders rescue operations as death toll rises to 27
The known number of casualties rose to 27 and the number of missing increased to 143, officials said
Updated on Oct 07, 2023 06:50 AM IST
Residents pick up pieces after Sikkim floods leave behind trail of destruction
A glacial lake overflowed in Sikkim following torrential rains and triggered flash floods down the Teesta River.
Updated on Oct 06, 2023 06:09 PM IST
Sikkim: Choppers expected to evacuate stranded people, drop relief material
Officials said airlifting stranded people particularly those old and infirm and in need of immediate medical assistance will be the priority
Published on Oct 06, 2023 08:44 AM IST
Sikkim town that bore the brunt of flood fury
According to the 2011 census the population of Chungthang was around 10,038, as compared to 3,766 in 2001
Updated on Oct 06, 2023 07:04 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Siliguri
Frantic rescue operation on as Sikkim counts the cost
The SSDMA in a bulletin on Thursday said that the disaster had affected 22,034 people, and that over the last 24 hours, 2011 people had been rescued
Updated on Oct 06, 2023 01:05 AM IST
Sikkim: Satellite pics show how lake Lhonak rapidly grew in Sept before outburst
The India Meteorological Department in Gangtok said the lake had rapidly increased in size in just 11 days between September 17 and September 28
Published on Oct 05, 2023 09:31 AM IST
Ignored red flags triggered flash floods in Sikkim
Multiple government agencies and scientific expeditions red-flagged the vulnerability of Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim to a glacial lake outburst flood.
Updated on Oct 05, 2023 07:09 AM IST
Joydeep Thakur, Kolkata
Scores feared dead in flash floods in Sikkim
Sikkim declared the floods a disaster and authorities warned that the toll is expected to mount dramatically, with the possibility of missing people being found alive remote
Updated on Oct 05, 2023 06:40 AM IST
Jadavpur probe details horrific sexual humiliation of freshman
The 46-page report, compiled after questioning 85 people, throws light on rampant ragging and abuse in the university's hostels.
Published on Sep 24, 2023 04:39 AM IST
Loss, denial, mourning: Inside West Bengal’s village of explosives
A village in West Bengal, India, has been in mourning multiple times due to explosions at illegal firecracker factories that have killed many people
Updated on Sep 15, 2023 01:45 AM IST
Joydeep ThakurSreyasi Pal, Suti (west Bengal)