Counter affidavit by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in the matter of Pradeep Singh Shekhawat Vs State of Assam & Others dated 30/01/2025. The application complained about the illegal constructions, including the illegal construction of road to Bhuban Hill, within the Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary located …
healing power: An Indian research team has been granted the rights to develop the curative potential of jamun (black plum fruit). The team has obtained a US patent on a compound extracted from jamun, which reduces blood sugar levels. The compound will be developed to produce a "herbal therapeutic product …
The Wildlife (Protection) Act Amendment Bill 2002 (the Bill) makes for interesting reading. For one, there is recognition of the increasing incidence of wildlife crime and stringent provisions to deal with it. On the other hand, for the first time in wildlife protection law, there is mention of people's participation …
environmentalists are strongly opposed to a 75 megawatt (mw) windpower installation of 75 windmills on the hilltop ridge of Bababudangiri hills in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. This range forms the outer rim of the Lakkavalli and Muthodi areas where lies the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. The reserve has been identified as …
In a significant decision, the Orissa High Court has banned all construction activity within a one-kilometre radius of Nandankanan, the wildlife sanctuary-turned zoo. The high court gave the judgement while responding to a public interest litigation which alleged that builders were not only offering plots around the park but had …
In a move that may render nearly half a million families homeless, Thailand's senate recently withheld the passage of the much-awaited community forestry bill (cfb). The proposed legislation that has been blocked was meant to hand over control of forests to the people residing in them. Instead, the country's upper …
even as bird lovers are yet to come to grips with the Madhya Pradesh government's decision to close down the Shivpuri-based Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, a forest official's statement has sent confusing signals. The announcement to shut down the sanctuary was made by the state forest minister, Harvansh Singh, at …
two incidents of recent deer deaths have brought home the stark reality that so-called protected areas are no longer safe havens for these animals. Official apathy is to be blamed in both the incidents, though they took place in two ends of the country. The first incident occured in Jammu …
for now, the construction of the controversial Dalhousie-Chamba highway has been stalled. Recently, the Union ministry of environment and forests (MEF) ordered the Himachal Pradesh government to stop work on the highway which cuts across the Kalatop-Khajjiar wildlife sanctuary
A Brazilian judge, Julier Sebastio da Silva, has halted work on a major river transportation system, as it poses an environmental risk. Silva suspended environmental licenses for projects being undertaken along a waterway that joins the Parana and Paraguay rivers and runs through parts of central-western Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina …
a 500 square kilometre stretch of rain forest has been discovered in Assam. The discovery was made by Saumyadeep Dutta, an environmentalist. This was reported in The Times of India. According to Dutta, the forest which spills into Arunachal Pradesh, houses 32 species of mammals and 260 species of birds, …
A campaign to raise us $20,000 dollars to set up six sanctuaries for the giant sea turtle along the Atlantic coast of the West African country has been launched by the Ghana Wildlife Society. An estimate by wildlife activists states that at least two thirds of the giant sea turtles, …
The Wild Ass Sanctuary in Gujarat is perhaps the only one of its kind in the world, surviving as it does along with pockets of salt manufacturing units and an army firing range. In this
To study the environmental significance of the Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kutch, the Supreme Court has ordered the setting up of a 10-member independent experts committee. The state assembly had denotified the sanctuary to 444.23 sq km from the earlier 765.79 sq km in August 1995, permitting Sanghi Cement …
the Madhya Pradesh forest department's decision to pave the way for collection of minor forest produce ( mfp ) in all national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of the state has drawn flak from some conservationists. This is in gross violation of the Forest Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act, say …
ground fire of an unusual kind burnt to ashes full grown grass and small plants in over 1,000 hectares (ha) of the 20,000-ha Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary in Aurangabad's Kannad tehsil of Maharashtra. The fire ravaged the park for two days before it was brought under control. However, no loss of …
The forests and the environment minister of Bangladesh Sajeda Chowdhury, has urged the country's Jahangirnagar University authorities not to lease out its water bodies as it will disturb the habitat of migratory birds. Every year thousands of birds from Siberia and other parts of the world throng the varsity sanctuaries. …
The jungles of the Indian subcontinent, home to an amazing array of wildlife, attracted many hunters and naturalists, several of whom have recounted their encounters with animals in the wild. This anthology brings together a wide-ranging selection of writings, covering mainly the period of the British Raj, about the hunt …
The last century has witnessed a remarkable change in attitudes to wildlife, with the focus shifting from conquest for slaughter towards conservation. The new class of naturalists gives equal attention to smaller animals and trees, as evident in the pieces on the blackbuck, the wild dog, the turtle, the cobra, …
