Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News Item titled "2 killed in blast at illegal cracker unit in Thanjavur appearing in The Hindu dated 19.05.2025". The application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled 2 killed in blast at illegal cracker unit …
A large scale timber-smuggling racket operating from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu has come to light with the seizure of 180 tonnes of red sander wood by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (dri) recently. Export of Rakt chandan or red sandalwood is prohibited by the Indian Exim Policy 2002-2007. It …
India has emerged as one of the biggest consumers of tropical timber in the world, with sizeable imports from Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, New Zealand, and lately from Africa and Latin America. The resurgent economy, expanding middle class and burgeoning infrastructure, spurred by lucrative housing schemes, commercial constructions and rapid urbanisation …
While the neighbouring Philippines battles a major storm, believed to have been caused by illegal logging, Indonesia and Malaysia have struck a deal to fight the menace. During a recent state visit of Malaysian deputy prime minister Najib Razak to Indonesia, the two countries agreed to establish designated sea ports …
Major countries producing and consuming tropical timber have failed to arrive at an agreement to ensure the wood traded came from sustainably managed forests. Before it could even broach the issue, the July 26-30, 2004 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, got caught in a logjam over the very scope of the …
India is one of the major users of wood in the Asia-Pacific region and till recently had the privilege of having abundance quantity of timber from several tropical hardwoods. Despite industrial and technological advancement for development of many new generation materials and products , wood continues to be an indispensable …
a new timber tax has hit the coffee growers of Karnataka's Coorg district. Faced with a sharp drop in coffee prices since 1999, they depend on timber felling, mainly of the silver oak tree. It is now feared that the new tax would make them resort to increased felling, harming …
seeking to strike a balance between the surging demand for timber and sustainable development methods, Bhutan adopted a forest management code on January 15. The comprehensive document is entitled the Code of Best Practices (cbp). It lays down the roadmap for the country's national forest policy and would be binding …
the Union government is reconsidering its decision to curtail central support to states for projects under the Integrated Forest Protection Scheme (ifps). The new arrangement, which requires the centre to provide 75 per cent of the ventures' cost instead of bearing the entire expenses, has caused a lot of resentment …
from being a net exporter of timber, India has turned into its net importer. The reversal stems from the country's soaring demand for industrial roundwood. This was highlighted at the 35th session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ittc-35) in Tokyo from November 3-8. Moreover, sensitive issues such as labour …
on december 3, us President George W Bush gave the green light to the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, declaring that it would "help to prevent catastrophic wildfires'. But the legislation, requiring us $760 million to be spent annually, is described by environmental groups as a giveaway to the timber industry. …
on august 1, 2003, Madhya Pradesh (mp) made a plea in the Supreme Court (sc) seeking a fund-generating mechanism for forest protection. Earlier, in June, Himachal Pradesh (hp) and Arunachal Pradesh (ap) asked the Union government to provide them annual reimbursement amounting to Rs 200 crore and Rs 250 crore, …
the Tamil Nadu (tn) government has lifted the ban on the inter-state movement of timber. The decision will facilitate the transport of timber from tn to other states. Further, even teak, rosewood and silver oak
The us house of representatives has passed a controversial bill that will increase forest thinning on eight million hectares of federal lands. The step has been taken on the pretext of better management of federal lands to reduce the threat of wildfires. Critics argue this is a million-dollar giveaway to …
Legally, Paras Nath doesn’t exist. At the age of 52 he is still clueless about where he hails from. Nath was barely five years old when he began toiling hard to grow sal trees in the forest. “Even my parents were not able to trace their antecedents, but they too …
In a strange twist to the raging lumber dispute between the us and Canada, both nations have interpreted a recent World Trade Organisation (wto) ruling on the issue as a vindication of their respective stands. While the us contends that it has scored a "technical point', Canada says the body …
In one fell swoop the us has dealt a crippling blow to the Canadian lumber industry, slapping a 27 per cent duty on softwood timber imports from the country. The us salvo is the latest move in a protracted dispute spanning almost 20 years. Its significance for Canada can be …
on what is being seen as a red-letter day for the greens, the Supreme Court (sc) banned the felling of trees in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The apex court finally delivered its verdict earlier this month after a protracted legal battle that spawned a writ petition filed by environmental organisations. …
according to a report of the comptroller and auditor general of India pertaining to the year 2000-2001, the forest department of Assam incurred a loss of Rs 15.14 crore in 72 cases. Revenue amounting to Rs 9.07 crore was lost due to damage of timber, Rs 1.6 crore for delay …
Unquiet woods With the ban and without access to forest revenue, Northeast economy is in doldrums THERE is an unusual quietness in the forests of India's northeast, arguably the country's best timberlands and one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Brought about by the Supreme Court's blanket ban on tree felling …
