Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item titled "Nayar river is vanishing - a yatra reveals conservation goes beyond science and policy" appearing in ‘The Down To Earth’ dated 03.06.2025. The original application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled "Nayar …
in the vast stretches of shimmering deserts of Rajasthan exist religious traditions deeply rooted in reverence for the environment. The forest-based religious system of Oran is one such tradition which has prevailed for centuries. Unfortunately, this self-reliant culture is fast disappearing as the desert economy tries to catch up with …
To mark World Environment Day, Greenpeace launched a campaign to save the Amazon rainforest with the cooperation of the government of Brazil ( Down To Earth , Vol 8, No 2). Thilo Bode, executive director of Greenpeace International said, "The fight against the destruction of the Amazon rainforest will be …
fifty years ago, Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh was covered with dense forests. People were rich and prosperous. All was well till a famine ravaged the district and forced the people to go hungry. Forests became their only source of livelihood. Fifty years later, Anantapur stands bare. Its parched land …
The much-awaited rain arrived too late in the hills of Uttarakhand in Uttar Pradesh. Forest fires had already gutted more than 40,000 hectares of the 3,446,655-hectare forests in the region, mainly affecting pine forests. Three people died and several were injured in fighting fires in the Garhwal region in the …
Environmentalists have consistently raised the demand that urgent steps are needed to protect the Amazon rainforests in Brazil. The significance of their demand is reinforced by a recent study that shows that the forests are being damaged at twice the speed as normally believed. This was revealed in a study …
It was a unique way of celebrating Women's Day. Women in the Uttarakhand region of Uttar Pradesh dedicated March 8, 1999, to "Save the Forests'. Chanting slogans such as " jungle bachyega, desh bachyega, gaon kushal rehyega ' (we will save the forests, the country and make the village prosperous), …
Forest fires raging in many parts of northern India have claimed many lives and destroyed property worth crores of rupees. The worst affected areas are Tehri Garhwal, Almora and Pithoragarh in Uttar Pradesh; Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan and Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh; the Bihar plateau; Mount Abu and the surrounding …
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 …
foresters of the British Columbia province have waged a long battle with environmental groups, but the industry has been warned it must accept independent certification of their environmental practices or lose markets. Greenpeace and other environmentalist have demanded that producers use an independent non-profit organisation, the Forest Stewardship Council ( …
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 …
marriages in Gwaldam, a small town in Uttar Pradesh's Chamoli district, are not only about tying wedding knots. When a girl leaves home after marriage, she leaves behind something valuable for her parents. In Gwaldam, it's a tree for them to nurture in the way she had been until her …
The Sri Lanka government plans to establish a Mangrove Park, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, to promote conservation of mangrove forests in the country. The 10-hectare park is to be situated at the land-sea interface in Kadolkele, Negombo. It is being promoted by the National Aquatic Resources …
THE Russian branch of Greenpeace has launched a campaign for a more rational use of forests, Russia's greatest assets. The former Soviet Union occupies one sixth of the world's land surface, much of which is covered by evergreen trees. Yet the plumpest, best-shaped firs at the Moscow market are imported …
Brazil has slashed funds which it had promised to contribute towards a pilot project aimed at preserving the Amazon forests. The US $250-million-project was backed by seven leading industrial nations. At an agreement signed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De Janerio, Brazil had agreed to contribute 10 per …
chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu has recently warned that if found guilty for destruction of forests, the offending forest officials would be booked under the Prevention Detention Act. He was addressing a state-level conference of presidents and secretaries of Vana Samrakshana Samiti's (vss) in the state capital …
IT HAS been made patently clear that government designed and implemented conservation projects flounder if local communities are not included in the decisionmaking process. It is the indigenous people who live close to natural resources, and who directly depend on them for meeting their daily requirements. Therefore, it is they …
Although the Chipko movement is practically non-existent in its region of origin it remains one of the most frequently deployed examples of an environmental and/or a women's movement in the South. A small but growing number of commentators are now critiquing much neopopulist theorising on Chipko, and this paper provides …
BAN on commercial felling of trees in Himachal Pradesh is yielding results. The forest cover has increased and there has been a rise in the population of endangered species like the snow leopard. The state government, which had banned tree felling for commercial purposes, is now permitting felling by farmers …
A division bench of the Kerala high court has directed the state government to issue guidelines on felling of trees from the forests. The bench noted that loss of trees in the forests would permanently damage the eco-system and, hence, could not be compensated in terms of money. The court …
THIS century's biggest - and worst - contribution to environmental degradation has definitely been global warming: the much-debated and discussed phenomenon arising from build-up of "greenhouse" gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). These gases trap heat and consequently lead to an increase in global temperatures. So far, those concerned by …
