Letters

Tensions that continue

While launching this newsmagazine, our founder-editor Anil Agarwal had said that in the years ahead, India will have to seize every possible …

How many Indians are pastoralists? No official data, but report says 13 mln

A figure of 35 million is often quoted, but without a source, claims report  

Madhya Pradesh village protests for right to vote

There is no village, says collector

Maharashtra forest department backtracks on forest fire guidelines

To relax rules to lure tendu contractors

Political economy of welfare

The BJP-led government's change of heart for big-ticket rural programmes says a lot about its dwindling political fortune

Kalahandi MP denied bamboo passage

He is not allowed to cart away bamboo poles purchased from village conferred community rights under Forest Rights Act   

Roundtable on Minor Forest Produce: Introduction

Sunita Narain, Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, discusses the confusion surrounding the Forest Rights Act and forest management.

Bamboo rights: Maharashtra gives priority to paper mill over Forest Rights Act

Chief Minister Prithvi Raj Chavan says agreement with Ballarpur Industries predates the Act

Community forest rights for Gondia's tribal villages

Improved claim formats; no unfair caveats

Coal mining to be allowed in non-forest areas after Stage I of forest clearance: Government

Environment ministry takes decision after coal ministry complains of delay in projects due to mining ban in these areas

Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (July 30, 2020)

Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal

How can India overcome policy and institutional gaps in forest management

We need to recognise the Gram Sabha as empowered by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment 

How tribal leadership in Chhattisgarh is helping people access rights

The civil society’s intervention in the tribal regions began in early 1980s on two issues-sustainable livelihood, particularly in forest …

Low tiger population haunts newly notified Navegaon-Bandh Nagzira reserve

Activists say notification of reserve may intensify conflict between forest department and locals

The new votaries of Forest Rights Act

Is it the upcoming elections that are prompting states to focus on FRA and win hearts of the tribal people? wonders Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava

Maldharis demand FRA titles over grasslands

Gujarat forest department's working plan denies pastoral community their customary grazing rights over Banni

Mendha Lekha gets record bamboo rate

Earns 2.5 times more than what the highest rate received by the forest department last year

State V Dongria Kondhs

Mahan coal block gets clearance

Forest rights of Baigas scuttled to clear way to mine dense forest

Kalahandi Gram Sabhas write to NCST, invoke atrocities act against Jharkhand DFO

DFO illegally seized consignment of kendu leaves being transported from Odisha to West Bengal, federation of Gram Sabhas alleges

Uprooted for the sake of compensatory afforestation

To compensate for forest land diversion for Parsa coal block, Chhattisgarh government identifies 16 villages without approval from gram sabhas

Indigenous people in India and the web of indifference

On the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we bring together the stories of exclusion, oppression, and at times, recognition

Green tribunal questions two-stage forest clearance for POSCO

Raises hope of residents, activists who have been opposing the clearance given to the project

Forest title claims of over 50% tribals, forest dwellers rejected: report

Where titles have been granted, average size of land holdings much smaller than what the Forest Rights Act provides for, says status report on …