Chaos in the iron age

Also Cover Story:  Bellary to bleed again Goa next Bellary case file Infographics: function minesgraph() { var popurl="http://www.downtoearth.org.in/themes/DTE/htm/mines_20130515.htm" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=500,height=775,scrollbars=yes") } Mines produce more than permitted Photo Gallery: Burdened by mines Goa after mining ban  

Smaller eco zone irks ministry

MoEF opposes CEC’s recommendation on eco-sensitive zones

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has opposed the recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on the mechanism for notifying eco-sensitive zones around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, saying the advisory body to the Supreme Court wants to reduce the size of the zones.

Union Cabinet approves amendments in Wildlife (Protection) Act

The Union Cabinet has approved the amendments in the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. Under the new guidelines, state governments will have to consult the village council (gram sabha) while notifying wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country.

Tiger reserved

Business in Khatia village on the border of Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh starts as early as 2.30 am. Tour operators crowd the yet-to-open ticket counter at the entry gate. Gypsies carrying drowsy tourists start queuing up, jostling to be ahead of each other. Restaurants and shops open to serve the tourists. As soon as dawn breaks, Khatia resembles a crowded marketplace.

Who makes poachers?

“Ranthambore is like a leper’s pock mark on this district,” says a senior citizen of Sawai Madhopur, the town near which this important national park is located. The comment sums up the disdain in which many Sawai Madhopur residents hold the park. It also puts into doubt the government’s nature conservation strategy.

GOT IT!

In 2004-05, the department says that about 100,000 people visited and its receipts at the gate were Rs 1.67 crore. But this is a small proportion of the tourist earning.

Truth is more Slppery

Once the site of a famous victory of the Gallo tribe over the British, Gerukhamukh village today is the address of the biggest dam ever conceived in India. On the banks of river Sipai in Arunachal Pradesh's (ap ) West Siang district, the village is host to the Subansiri Lower Multipurpose Hydroelectric project (slp).

OFFICIALLY BANKRUPT

One stove, one pot What eco-development means to people in Nagarhole

High hopes

Tucked away between the Indian state of Sikkim on the east and the high mountains of the Makalu Barun range in the west, the Kanchenjunga area shares its northern boundary with that of Tibet. Hinduism and Buddhism, tropical and alpine, all meet and merge giving rise to a rich biodiversity and a variety of cultures of numerous ethnic groups and communities. This is an ancient land that cradles an ancient cultural heritage.