Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of In Re: News Item titled "Are missing palm trees causing more lighting deaths in Bihar appearing in ‘The Times of India’ dated 29.05.2025". The original application was registered suo-motu based on the news item titled "Are missing palm trees causing …
Though the government is patting its back for getting a 135 sq km area in the Chhota Bhangal area excluded from the Dhauladhar wildlife sanctuary, farmers of the area are still far from satisfied. The president of a farmers’ association from the area, Ajay Jasrotia, said farmers of Chhota and …
Raping the forest for ephemeral fashions The alleged rape in Brazil of an 18-year-old teacher by Paulinho Paiakan, chief of the Kayapo tribe, may be seen as symbolic of the rape of the Amazon rainforests using as a lure the theory that marketing forest produce is more economically beneficial and …
It could reduce the pressure on native forests but the rapid expansion in bamboo plantations is in danger of making it the latest in a long line of tarnished 'wonder crops'
The fresh cool forest breeze and the greenery appears to act as a magic wand on the residents of village Ghati. Middle-aged men and women who just a few minutes ago had been involved in hard-core legal talk suddenly speak like children. Forty-something Gyaneshwar Sahare, who had been pouring forth …
Gadchiroli in Maharashtra may have acquired the model district status for clearing a record number of community forest rights (CFR) claims, but its 298 villages are angry with the forest department for stripping them of the basic right to manage forest produce. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/forest-department-s-cheat-act
GADCHIROLI in Maharashtra may have acquired the model district status for clearing a record number of community forest rights (CFR) claims, but its 298 villages are angry with the forest department for stripping them of the basic right to manage forest produce. The department has also burdened them with conditions, …
This refers to the editorial “When business rules our kitchens” (June 16-30, 2011). Do we want to sensationalise the issue of poor food safety regulations and use big companies as a whipping boy or work on the solutions? How are we going to deal with the fundamental issue of feeding …
In 1964, the Madhya Pradesh government nationalised the tendu leaf used in bidi-making to stop exploitation of the tendu gathering tribals by private traders. Nearly five decades later, the tribals now get just Rs 65 for collecting, drying and packaging 1,000 leaves in a day, way less than the daily …
Forest dependency as a means of livelihood has dropped perceptibly in villages particularly near wet zone forests during the past few decades. The rate is much more after end the decades long conflict. Researchers believe this may be due to a shift towards cultivation of cash crops, despite many villagers …
Livelihood pattern of the people of an area is directly influenced by the local biodiversity. Biodiversity is essential for human survival and economic well-being, and for the ecosystem function and stability. Over exploitation and biodiversity loss affects livelihood and food security of the local. People change their livelihood strategies as …
Approach to conserve biodiversity for sustainable development should be targeted at different levels, from improving living standards to changing the attitude of people. If Himalayan medicinal plants are to continue to serve the needs of the people without being reduced to a dangerously unstable resource base, they have to be …
Commercially important bamboo, Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss is the abundantly occurring in the forests of Kerala state in India. The average growing stock of B. bambos per ha in different stand density classes in the forests of Kerala was estimated through a statistically designed field survey in natural forests.
The Policy of the Royal Government of Bhutan to provide goods and services on subsidized rate to the Bhutanese people started even before the Department of Forest was established. During those periods the system was implemented by the Civil Authorities. The marking of timber/trees was done by the guards from …
In April this year, Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra made history. One of its villages became the country’s first to win the right to sell and harvest bamboo. Down To Earth reports how India's largest paper manufacturing company Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT) is using most of the bamboo in Maharashtra, leaving …
In April this year, Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra made history. One of its villages became the country’s first to win the right to sell and harvest bamboo. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh handed over transit pass books to residents of Mendha Lekha village, allowing them to exercise community forest rights over …
In what could set a precedent for forest rights struggles, six villages in Madhya Pradesh have stalled a government plan to notify their forest as wildlife sanctuary. Gram sabhas of these villages have passed resolutions against the proposed Katthiwada wildlife sanctuary in Alirajpur district. While the government is yet to …
My position on the need to re-position forests in development (see ‘Rethink growth with forest capital’, Down To Earth, May 16-31) has brought me a huge response. On the one hand are those who argue that functions of forests already include conservation vital to life; they need to be valued …
Sustainable management of NTFPs requires precise scientific information which ultimately augments responsible management as well as responsible business practices, and more importantly enhance customary rights of indigenous people and local communities through increasing knowledge base existed. Unfortunately, lacking scientific information of majority of the prioritized NTFPs is a ground reality, …
Non timber forest products (NTFPs) play a vital role in sustaining rural communities, particularly those living adjacent to forest areas. In India, it is estimated that over 50 million people are dependent on NTFPs for their subsistence and derive their earnings from these products after consuming about 60% of NTFPs.
