Understanding zoonotic diseases: ‘How we interact with environment drives spillovers’

The scope and scale of deforestation and opening of new interfaces with forests and wildlife increases the chances of spillovers, says …

Panel looking into pastoral communities’ forest rights to visit J&K

The committee was constituted by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on February 21, 2020

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  

Most biodiversity panels now in place, National Biodiversity Authority to tell NGT

More than 243,000 committees formed as of January; target was to set up 252,709.

PM trains guns on ‘environmentalists’ during virtual meet with farmers

Says environmentalists who support farmers now, opposed killing animals raiding farms earlier  

Rajasthan Locust Attack: Pests plus lockdown leave farmers in a soup

Destruction of the cotton crop, unsold rabi crops like wheat and barley and lack of help from the government making things worse for farmers

Committee meets to reassess complete mining ban in Jharkhand district

Saranda, Chaibasa in Jharkhand had large reserves of iron ore, wrote Jharkhand's chief secretary

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

Worldwide legal wildlife trade increased by 2,000% since 1980

The trade has become highly unsustainable, a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services …

CAG flags community centre under FRA actually MP govt tourist lodge in Pench

CAG slams action as being tantamount to misuse of powers by forest department and against spirit of Forest (Conservation) Act

Opencast expansion at Chhattisgarh mine violates NGT order

The EAC recommended that the coal mine be expanded to 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) from 1 MTPA through opencast method

UPPCB chairman appointed in violation of NGT orders, claims activist

JPS Rathore — a former state BJP vice president — was also not qualified to hold the position of chairperson, the activist claimed

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

Understanding zoonotic diseases: ‘Humans are changing disease ecosystem’

Burden of neglected zoonotic diseases is vastly under-reported, says Bethan Purse, ecologist, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Locusts invade Delhi-NCR

Insects spotted in Delhi’s Aya Nagar and Vasant Kunj areas in addition to five places in Gurugram; expected to move deeper into Delhi

Narendra Modi flags off UN migratory species meet; brings up Joint Forest Management

PM skips any mention of Forest Rights Act in speech to CMS CoP13 at Gandhinagar

Bustard conservation: No agreement on underground power lines, ban on new projects 

Putting power lines underground not feasible; too late for new projects in Bustard habitat to be stopped, stakeholders said

Chhattisgarh village under demolition for Hindalco mine, villagers claim foul play

At least 50 families have been relocated, claims official. A house was razed on June 2  

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 

Will Chhattisgarh’s proposed elephant reserve have a smooth corridor

Two ministers of state cabinet at loggerheads as Union coal ministry eyes coal blocks inside proposed reserve

Adivasis account for 13% of total convicts, 10% of total under-trials, shows data

This number did reduce by a small margin, compared to data from 2001, but the disproportionate percentage of Adivasis in prison is just the tip …

Exclusive: Did a minister cite a non-existent study in her Parliament reply

Renuka Singh Saruta had attributed a study to IIT-Delhi on COVID-19 in tribal areas; but the institution does not have it

Rise in atrocities against forest-dwellers during COVID-19 crisis, flags report

Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs should create a COVID-19 response cell to monitor issues and provide support, it said

From tailors to paani poori sellers: MGNREGA lends a hand to migrant returnees

DTE visited village Dhamna in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district to see how life in rural India is being sustained by the biggest …

RTI reveals 13 of 14 operational coal mines allotted to PSUs being run by pvt contractors

Of the total 35 coal mines allotted to PSUs between 2015 and 2020, 21 have been given to mines developer and operator contractors