Forestmaker

the Dropadi Naari Niketan Shantikunj, spread over 300 hectares near the township of Didihat in Pithoragarh district of Uttar Pradesh's Kumaon region, is a repository of 120-odd species of plants, ranging from tall trees to small shrubs.

For a greener turf

the book is called Earth in the Balance . But it remains to be seen whether this environmental treatise can actually tilt the balance in favour of its author, the Democrat us vice president Al Gore who will defend his seat against the Republican nominee, Governor George W Bush of Texas.

Awarded : Bhaonta-Kolyala

it was an event the villagers of Alwar district will not forget in a hurry. Four helicopters, numerous vehicles, a posse of policemen and 30,000-odd villagers had gathered in Hamirpura village in Thanagazi block of Alwar to welcome India's first citizen. And savour the fruits of their hard labour. The first citizen, on his part, was to felicitate the villagers for their work in the field of environment.

Working women

Hamlets reborn

A tale of two villages There are about 600,000 villages in India. And perhaps as many kinds of environmental problems they face. It is easy to accept defeat. But Bhaonta-Kolyala did not

Above All Differences

"The forest was dense till the 1960s," recalls Suryabhan Khorbade of Sayagata village in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district. During the British rule, people were allowed to enter the forests at their own will. But after Independence, when the forest department stepped in, there was a ban on access to the forests.

Solo Performances

Obensao Kikon (63) belongs to Wokha district in Nagaland. An 'ardent jungle burner' at one time, his stint as the chairperson of the Market Federation of Nagaland changed his outlook. Thereafter, there has been no looking back. His 615-ha land in Wokha is full of teak and bamboo trees. He encourages plantation of short-rotation species to help the local people meet their fuelwood demands. Besides, he also heads the Kimpvur Valley Multipurpose Cooperative Project Society comprising three villages. His aim: to enhance the living standards of poor people.

Born Again

It is an oft-repeated story of dense forests being reduced to shrubs and coppice. In the case of Melaghar village in Sonmara subdivision, the 1971 Bangladesh war responsible for the wanton felling of the then abundant sal, teak and bamboo forests.

Joseph C John: The Man With A Mission

Joseph C John, founder of India's first environmental society 'Friends of the Trees', died on April 3, 2000 at the age of 99. Recently the President of India presented the first Down To Earth - Joseph C John Award, named after him, for the most outstanding environmental community to Rajasthan's Bhaonta-Kolyala village. Trees were his passion and even his last years were spent fighting the rich and powerful to save the environment.

A vital book

" this is a vital book. It will have far-reaching influence on Indian and global thinking. I am privileged in receiving it.