Tribal rights head nowhere

While the group of ministers has started deliberations on the pros and cons of the proposed national tribal policy, activists have raised questions about its utility. The policy aims at social, economic, linguistic and cultural development of tribals so that they will be at par with rest of the population by 2020.

CEC to stay, says SC

the Supreme Court ordered the continuation of the Central Empowered Committee (cec) on September 7. In doing so, the court struck down the centre's appeal to scrap the cec. "The cec will continue until further orders and all facilities and infrastructure extended to it will continue," a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and also comprising justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia, ruled.

UP police withdraws charges against social activist

in what is seen as a vindication of the struggle for land rights, and a political victory, the police in Uttar Pradesh's Sonebhadra district withdrew nsa (National Security Act, 1980) charges against a social activist following orders from chief minister Mayawati on August 17. The district court of Sonebhadra has granted Roma bail in one case. There are, however, several charges against her. She is still in police custody.

Nitrogen emissions aid carbon absorption

human activities add loads of nitrogen to forests, posing threats. Scientists at the us Oregon State University, however, say this may be helpful; but only to some extent. They found that artificial nitrogen fixation through burning of fossil fuels and industrial activities leads to increased absorption of carbon by temperate and boreal forests. They call it 'carbon sequestration'.

Forest rights rules inconsonant with act

will the new forest rights rules empower forest communities? There are mixed responses to the recently released draft of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2007. Announced on June 19, the rules are meant to operationalise the parent act. The Union ministry of tribal affairs has sought comments. Activists say the rules are not in harmony with the act. The focus of the act is to empower the forest rights holders, but, they say, the rules just

MoEF writes off Army dues for using forestland for training

shifting its earlier stand, the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef ) has decided to write off heavy dues from the Indian Army for using forestland for training. The decision to waive the Rs 14,414 crore came in May 2007 after the defence ministry informed moef of its inability to clear the cost.

Rewa tribals suffer high handedness

Thousands of tribals in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district are on the run after they were allegedly attacked by the local administration and upper caste landlords. On April 19, 2007, tribals in Ghateha village, bordering Uttar Pradesh, were evicted from the over 400-hectare (ha) forestland by a large contingent of police and forest department personnel.

FAO report blames developing nations for deforestation

The seventh biennial issue of the 'State of the World's Forests 2007' (sofo 2007) by the un's Food and Agriculture Organization (fao) criticises poor countries for deforestation. Released in March 2007, the report does not acknowledge the role that rich countries play in wiping out the poor's forests. Weak on data, the report has been blamed by experts for wrongly defining forests. Vague criteria

SC subjects Forest Advisory Committee's role to judicial scrutiny

the Supreme Court has gained the upper hand in its dispute with the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef) over constituting the Forest Advisory Committee (fac). fac plays a crucial role because it governs large-scale transfer of forestland for non-forest purposes. But the court has diminished fac's role by making its decisions subject to judicial scrutiny.

Ecuador decides to forgo tapping major oil fields, seeks compensation

The Ecuadorian government has decided not to tap a major oil field in the Amazonian rainforest, and asked the international community to compensate it for the sacrifice. The government's demand is in response to opposition by environmental and indigenous groups against oil development in the rainforest's Yasuni National Park.