Judgment of the Supreme Court in the matter of In Re: Zudpi Jungle Lands. A batch of applications involved a peculiar issue concerning the situation prevailing in the six districts of eastern Vidarbha region namely Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. The issue pertains to the status of the …
Everybody knows one hand of the government does not know what the other is up to. But it does make a difference when a proposed programme of the government contradicts and, perhaps, even fatally undermines a flagship initiative. This is the case with the proposed programme of the Union ministry …
The purpose of this report is to identify, based on economic principles, the parameters required for NPV calculation for diversion of forest land for mining purposes, while taking due consideration of cost and benefit factors, the methodological foundations, differences between mining and other nonforest uses of forest land, the prevailing …
Should the business of forestry be centralised under the Union government once again or should states manage their forests better? The formation of the Supreme Court (sc) mandated Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (campa) has become a test case to settle this debate in government circles. The prime minister's …
It is not just China’s economy that is growing phenomenally. An aggressive afforestation policy, put in place in 2000, has seen large tracts being covered by trees every year. But afforestation efforts are no match for China’s growing demand for wood
A new report of the uk's forestry research programme (frp) has stirred a hornet's nest. Called From the mountain to the tap , the report uses evidence from 12 countries to incriminate trees and forests for water shortages. Large scale afforestation and big irrigation schemes result in land use changes, …
Since the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (fca) came into force, the Centre has been in charge of sanctioning approvals of forestland diversion, the objective being to keep deforestation minimal. Yet, between 1980 and 2005, about 11 thousand projects have been cleared
The moef (Union ministry of environment and forests) is a gross under-performer, and way off its targets for the tenth Five Year Plan. This is what the Planning Commission has concluded, in its mid-term appraisal of the ministry’s work “Disappointing” and “inadequate” are the themes that run through the commission’s …
over 70 per cent of cedar trees, also known as deodar, have vanished from the forests of Jammu and Kashmir following the ban imposed on timber exports by states like Himachal Pradesh way back in 1977. To meet the demand for wood, mass destruction of the state's forests has taken …
When the new president of the Confederation of Indian Industry took charge last fortnight, he reportedly made the following observation: "While the flow of direct foreign investment is important, what is more important is that employment generation must be ensured in the country". Then - and this is even more …
The new policy initiatives of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests aim at improving the forest cover in such a way as to benefit all the stakeholders - the forest departments, local communities and investors. The world over sustainable forest management has become a buzz word, thanks to the …
The Bangladesh government is considering reviving a US $70 million biodiversity project in the country. Efforts are on to increase conservation efforts at various places, including Sundarbans, St Martin Island and Cox's Bazar, forest and environment minister Tariqul Islam announced recently. The government is also undertaking a mega programme of …
delegates from across the world recently discussed the nitty-gritty of afforestation and reforestation projects that might be executed under the Kyoto Protocol
Letter to secretary (forests) Govt of Gujarat to Asstt Inspector General of Forests on diversion of forest land for Salt Washery and Desalination Plant near Dhrub village in favour of M/s. Adani Chemicals Ltd., in District Kutch, Gujarat dated 13th May 2004.
Letter to secretary (forests) Govt of Gujarat to Asstt Inspector General of Forests on diversion of 1850 ha (approved area 1840 ha.) of forest land for high purity salt in favour of M/s. Adani Chemicals Ltd., in Kutch Distt., Gujarat dated 13th May 2004.
resentment is brewing among the landholders of Karnataka's Kodagu (Coorg) district over who gets to have the final word with regard to trees growing on their tracts. In order to acquire absolute ownership of these trees, they have formed a joint struggle committee. At the root of the matter is …
orissa's forest authorities and forest management groups are at loggerheads. The cause of the dispute: the state government's decision to constitute forest development agencies (fdas) in 27 forest divisions. fdas, created under the National Afforestation Programme for monitoring plantations, are headed by the state conservator of forests. The agencies are …
How can one conserve a wildlife sanctuary better? By flagrantly trespassing on one part of it. Then picking up the tab for planting trees on another in recompense. This is precisely the logic underlying a petition filed by Essar Oil Limited in the Supreme Court (sc). The case, scheduled to …
The involvement of local communities in protecting and conserving forests has become a priority concern with aid agencies, governmental departments, NGO's and others concerned with biodiversity conservation, to the extent that participatory forest conservation has become a buzzword in conservation circles. This article documents the fourteen-year process of organising a …
The Center proposes to consolidate all watershed programmes under a single ministry. The aim of the new programme, called Hariyali, is to streamline work and avoid duplication. "I am totally in favour of the move,' says N C Saxena, former secretary, planning commission. At present, three ministries run programmes related …
