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 …
Forests are the planet's largest and most important ecosystems. They exert a profound influence on the structure and function of the human habitat locally and globally
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement urged the international community to help it extinguish a huge fire raging in the eastern forests. Reports on what caused the fire in the Paich valley of Kunar province are sketchy, but several thousand families have fled their homes and international help is required to douse …
we travelled by jeep to Bamzar village in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. I had to meet a woman named Laxmi Bhau Bhilala and assess her work on forest protection and plantation. The ride was bumpy and I was told by my fellow passengers
tucked away in the northeastern part of India, the eastern Himalayan state of Meghalaya is witnessing an environmental regeneration of sorts. Environmental consciousness is also gaining popularity among the tribals in this state. According to Khasi folklore, the forests of Meghalaya are sacred because the spirit of U Ryngkew lives …
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 …
Forest issues often concern large amounts of money, long time frames, huge areas of land and diverse livelihoods. This report draws the main findings from a series of six country studies from Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe and from a review of international policy initiatives. …
