Environment

A recent seizure of methamphetamine in the district of Solan has sparked fears that, following the introduction of adulterated heroin "chitta," this recreational substance is also making inroads in Himachal Pradesh. Police say this is the first time the substance has been seized in the state, despite the modest amount recovered. The seizure of meth is a significant issue because the introduction of high-end drugs into Himachal indicates that the availability of 'chitta' has transformed the state into a drug-consuming market, and now new drugs are being introduced,'' SP Virender Sharma of Solan told PTI. Three individuals, including two from Kharar in Punjab, were detained in Parwanoo last week with 1.56 grams of methamphetamine or meth and 22 grams of chitta. The trio had ...

A record 71.1 million people were forced from their homes last year owing to wars like the one in Ukraine and natural disasters like the monsoon floods in Pakistan, according to figures released on Thursday. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), located in Geneva, reported a 20% increase in that number since 2021, with a record number of persons seeking refuge. According to IDMC, ten countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ukraine, and Sudan, are home to about three-quarters of the world's displaced people as a result of hostilities that triggered considerable displacement in 2022. In 2017, IDMC reported around 17 million Ukrainian conflict-related displacements. There were "28.3 million internal displacements worl...