A new study from the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC) has revealed that 81 rivers have either dried up or become critically silted during the dry season, posing what experts are calling an ecological emergency.
The centre has sounded an alarm over the likely impact of El Niño on India's 2026 southwest monsoon, warning that 315 districts across 12 states could face significant rainfall deficits during the crucial kharif cropping season.