Global Eco Watch: Ice Age woolly rhino unearthed in Siberia

Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology

Rights overruled

States are making their own rules to reclaim the authority over forests from tribes, derailing community forest rights

Green tribunal halts Mapithel dam in Manipur

MoEF asked to ascertain if project violates Forest Rights Act. State may now need people's consent to go ahead with the project

Forestland diversion for roads, railway lines made easy

MoEF waives requirement of obtaining gram sabha certificates for linear projects. Will it dilute forest rights of people?

Forest dwellers march for their rights

State governments reject 50 per cent of the 3.15 million claims filed under Forest Rights Act

Letter

One in five voters in Odisha are tribals. But do they get their due?

Odisha's record in addressing forest rights is poorer than the national average, despite the Union Tribal Minister hailing from the state

Batudi rejects settlement of community forest claims in Niyamgiri

Sixth rejection in a row for proposed bauxite mining; tribal affairs ministry team to visit Odisha to assess claims beyond 12 villages

Land unrest set to increase in India: study

Enforcement and strengthening of laws that protect land rights of tribals and forest dwellers recommended

Ministries battle over applicability of Forest Rights Act

As development projects continue to receive Centre’s push, officials within the government fear that rights of tribal communities are …

Essar, Hindalco get final clearance to mine Mahan forests for coal

Opening Mahan for mining might speed up clearance to other coal-bearing forest areas in the district, fear activists

Proposed forest diversion rules may bind states to settle forest rights of tribal people first

Draft amendments to the Forest Conservation Act rules, however, do not make gram sabha consent mandatory for all projects

Supreme Court orders CBI inquiry into alleged kidnapping of minor girl by forest officials

Picking up women without observing proper procedures is common occurrence in Betul area of Madhya Pradesh

Forest Advisory Committee gets earnest about implementing forest diversion rules, finally

Clarifies that forest diversions will be allowed only if forest rights of affected people are settled and their consent obtained

Mendha Lekha's struggle for bamboo rights

As told to Parliament (December 22, 2022): Around 60% of India prone to earthquakes

Around 11% of India falls in Zone V, which is the most seismically active 

Inter-ministerial panel for FRA: A giant step backwards, say experts

Forest experts raise concern over the Union environment ministry assuming central role in matters originally meant for the tribal ministry 

The fortnight in brief

Himachal villages are first to claim forests rights, J&K's Russian poplars to be felled, Delhi's increasing appetite for power …

Green tribunal asks Odisha to pass order on tree-felling for POSCO

Says states must apply its mind and pass order in accordance with Forest Conservation Act

Letters

Rare takes on the year just passing by

Being a Down To Earth reporter entails merging the personal with the professional. The magazine you so dearly own has a fascinating world hidden …

Indian home ministry’s strictures on foreign funding

Greenpeace alleges the government is targeting the non-profit for its campaigns against proposed coal and power projects in central India. The non-…

Has government weakened its case against Vedanta?

Stand taken by environment ministry in Supreme Court affidavit gives opponents chance to press for mining in Niyamgiri hills

India has approved ratification of Nagoya Protocol

Environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan calls for partnership between developed and developing countries to meet the challenges of protecting …

“Women being denied forest claims’

Report by non-profits highlights gender disparity in Forest Rights Act implementation