
Nihi Sharma
Nihi Sharma is a Principal Correspondent based in Dehradun. She has been working with Hindustan Times since 2008. Her focus areas are wildlife and environment. Besides, she also covers politics, health and education.
Articles by Nihi Sharma

Highest tiger density makes Corbett too cramped for the big cat
By Nihi Sharma | Dehradun
UPDATED ON JUL 30, 2019 12:43 AM IST
The focus now needs to be on using the surrounding areas to accommodate the rising number of big cats, said experts.

Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019: BJP’s Pokhriyal retains Haridwar, Congress distant second
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON MAY 24, 2019 05:56 PM IST
Former Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank defeated Congress’ Ambrish Kumar by over 2.5 lakh votes in the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat.

Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019: Former CM Harish Rawat loses in Naintal by over 3 lakh votes
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON MAY 24, 2019 05:45 PM IST
Despite Rawat’s defeat in 2017 assembly polls from two seats Haridwar Rural and Kiccha, the central leadership gave him ticket to contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar seat.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: BJP leading with heavy margin in all five seats in Uttarakhand
By Nihi Sharma, Dehradun
UPDATED ON MAY 23, 2019 05:55 PM IST
Lok Sabha Election 2019: The party swept the 2014 general election winning all five seats. The overall vote percentage of BJP was 34.1 followed by Congress with 21, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) at 2.9, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 1.0 while others bagged 41.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: BJP wins one seat, leads with heavy margin in four others in Uttarakhand
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON MAY 23, 2019 10:03 PM IST
Poll analysts said, unlike the last polls, the vote share of the BJP will cross at least the 50% mark this year.

No proof to back army’s Yeti footprints claim, say experts
By Nihi Sharma | Dehradun
UPDATED ON MAY 07, 2020 06:11 PM IST
The army tweeted late on Monday to say that one of its mountaineering expedition had come across the footprints of the Yeti, or the abominable snowman as it is known in legends, near the Makalu Base Camp earlier in April.

Uttarakhand’s ailing elephant with capped toe has experts, activists divided
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON MAR 30, 2019 05:46 PM IST
Veterinarians who treat the animal at the Ramnagar forest division say Lakshmi is under a lot of pain and distress, due to infection in one of her front toe nails, sustained after an injury.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 | Congress’ Tehri Garhwal candidate Pritam Singh aims to restore road connectivity
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Tehri Garhwal
UPDATED ON MAR 25, 2019 04:38 PM IST
Congress’ Tehri Garhwal candidate Pritam Singh says, not just in Tehri but the entire state is facing problem due to lack of doctors, staff, technicians and others.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019| ‘People will witness change in few years’:BJP candidate Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Tehri Garhwal
UPDATED ON MAR 25, 2019 04:20 PM IST
Sitting MP of Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, will once again contest the election from here. The BJP leader spoke to HT.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Voters rue lack of toilets, poor healthcare in Tehri Garhwal constituency
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Tehri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal
UPDATED ON MAR 25, 2019 03:41 PM IST
In Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency, suspension of Lakhwar multipurpose project in upper Yamuna basin has hit farming, adding to water woes of the local; while Mussoorie cries for parking facilities.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Joining Congress was not an easy decision, says Manish Khanduri
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON MAR 20, 2019 03:45 PM IST
Former Uttarakhand chief minister and senior BJP leader BC Khanduri’s son Manish joined the Congress in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun on March 16. Manish says it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

‘Vote for Modi’ message on wedding card invites EC notice for Uttarakhand man
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON MAR 17, 2019 09:52 AM IST
Jagdish Chandra Joshi, who runs a cow shelter in Joshikhola village in Garud block, had printed an appeal on the wedding invitation of his son seeking votes for Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP says winnability only criterion for LS poll nominations
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON MAR 14, 2019 03:57 PM IST
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Union minister and BJP Uttarakhand in-charge Thawar Chand Gehlot said the central election committee of the BJP would hold its first meet on March 16 followed by another on March 18.

Uttarakhand Congress claims a BJP leader to soon join it ahead of Lok Sabha elections
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON MAR 12, 2019 05:19 PM IST
With Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the dates of Lok Sabha election for Uttarakhand on April 11, the national parties have become active.

SP, BSP to jointly fight Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand
By Pankaj Jaiswal, Ranjan and Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Lucknow/Bhopal/Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2019 12:08 AM IST
The SP will contest Balaghat, Tikamgarh and Khajuraho Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh. The BSP will contest the remaining 26 of the 29 seats. In Uttarakhand, SP will get Pauri Garhwal seat while BSP will contest Tehri Garhwal, Haridwar, Uddamsingh Nagar and Nainital seats.

Pulwama terror attack: Lone bread winner leaves behind a family of six
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
UPDATED ON FEB 16, 2019 10:32 AM IST
At the time of the incident, Raturi was not in the bus that the suicide bomber plowed in to. He was near the blast spot, in the security team monitoring the convoy.

At Dehradun airport for 4 hrs due to rain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Corbett
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON FEB 14, 2019 04:03 PM IST
The Prime Minister was scheduled to reach Rudrapur in Uddham Singh Nagar district at 3 pm to launch country’s first Integrated Cooperative Development Project (ICDP) worth Rs 3,400 crore.

PM Modi to launch schemes worth Rs 3,400 crores in Uttarakhand today
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON FEB 14, 2019 08:45 AM IST
According to party insiders, PM Modi will be officially launching the party's election campaign ahead of Lok Sabha election.

‘Clarify stand on Ram Temple,’ Amit Shah dares Rahul Gandhi
By Nihi Sharma and S Raju | Hindustan Times, Dehradun/Lucknow
UPDATED ON FEB 03, 2019 12:03 AM IST
Amit Shah accused the Congress os delaying the case in the court and insisted that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be built soon.

Tiger count report likely in May
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON JAN 20, 2019 03:02 PM IST
The previous census, conducted in 2014, had reported 2,226 tigers in the country, up from 1,706 in 2010.

Uttarakhand’s ‘Tree Man’ Vishweshwar Dutt Saklani dies at 96
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON JAN 18, 2019 11:59 AM IST
Vishweshwar Dutt Saklani single-handedly regenerated over a hundred-hectare area in his native Saklana village by planting rhododendron, guava and several other broad-leaved and fruiting trees during his lifetime. The land was barren when he started the initiative and now lush green forest stands tall today.

Rescue team saves cow stuck on River Alaknanda’s bank in 1-hour operation
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun
UPDATED ON JAN 15, 2019 02:05 PM IST
The SDRF team managed to save the bovine, which had strayed along the river in Gauchar of Karanprayag tehsil, just with the help of ropes. Rescuers said the animal drifted in the river a few kilometres near the upstream in the incident reported at 4.30pm.

Reconstruction of Kedarnath town, after 2013 floods, to be filmed
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON JAN 10, 2019 02:54 PM IST
On June 16, 2013, heavy rainfall coupled with fast melting of snow led to swelling of Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers resulting in an extensive damage in Kedarnath Valley in Rudraprayag district.

In a first, Australian Merino sheep to breed in Uttarakhand
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
UPDATED ON JAN 10, 2019 02:42 PM IST
Under the National Livestock Mission, the central government approved funds to three states -- Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir -- for transporting Merino breed of sheep from Australia.

Uttarakhand civic polls: BJP loses ground, Congress redeems itself
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON NOV 22, 2018 12:52 PM IST
Both the Congress and the ruling BJP in Uttarakhand have received major blow from independent candidates in the just-concluded urban local bodies polls that could change political equation of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Uttarakhand urban body polls: Independents spoil the day for BJP, Congress
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
UPDATED ON NOV 21, 2018 03:59 PM IST
As per the state election commission (SEC) data, results of 54 seats of mayor/chairman had been declared until 6pm, of which the BJP had won 25 and the Congress 15. The independents had won 17 seats.

Uttarakhand civic polls 2018: Counting begins for 84 urban local bodies
By Nihi Sharma | Dehradun
UPDATED ON NOV 20, 2018 02:46 PM IST
Uttarakhand civic polls 2018: Udham Singh Nagar has the highest number of counting tables at 226 and more than 1,000 personnel will count the votes. Dehradun follows with 166 tables and nearly 8.08 lakh voters, highest in the state.

Polling begins in 84 urban local bodies in Uttarakhand, BJP and Congress fight it out
By Nihi Sharma | Dehradun
UPDATED ON NOV 18, 2018 11:38 AM IST
Polling has begun in Uttarakhand for the 84 urban local bodies (ULB) across the state. A total of 23.53 lakh voters — 12.20 lakh male and 11.33 lakh female — will seal the fate of 4,978 candidates contesting the polls.

BJP’s Manoj Tiwari slams Rahul Gandhi on Rafale criticism
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
UPDATED ON NOV 15, 2018 02:56 PM IST
BJP lawmaker Manoj Tiwari was in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun on Wednesday to campaign for the upcoming urban local body elections in the state.

BJP accepts resignation of Uttarakhand general secretary accused of sexual harassment by party worker
By Nihi Sharma | Hindustan Times, Dehradun, Dehradun
PUBLISHED ON NOV 09, 2018 03:35 PM IST
A BJP worker from Dehradun had accused Sanjay Kumar, general secretary of the party in Uttarakhand, of sexually harassing her for past several years. The party has accepted Kumar’s resignation.