Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (August 26, 2020)

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

Locust fears haunt Bihar’s farmers, experts downplay potential threat

There is a likely threat, but the possibility of locusts reaching the state are very less, say experts

Serious flaws in the government’s population control policy

Women fall victim to failed sterilisation, while the government remains unaware of this missing link in population surge

Using tannery waste in fields turning soil toxic: study

Researchers studied soil and groundwater samples from farms irrigated by tannery effluents in and around Kanpur city in Uttar Pradesh

Meerut's air quality more threatening than Delhi; old vehicles, industries add to woes

Inner Meerut's PM 2.5 concentration peaked at 1470μg/m3 as against the safe limit of 60μg/m3

SC directs Gujarat, Rajasthan to decentralise food procurement under ICDS

Tells states to keep big contractors out of nutrition programme for children, and pregnant and lactating women

More bite, less to chew

The most controversial aspect of the food security law is the restructuring of the public distribution system to cover an unprecedented 67 per …

Orphaned by apathy

Hidden from the outside world, this is the plight of the Van Taungiyas. They were hired during the British rule as resident labourers to plant …

Chipko: an unfinished mission

In 20 years, Chipko has acquired many facets, primarily as a conservation endeavour by the poor, a struggle for local control of natural …

These 6 thermal power plants are polluting Indian rivers

In Short

Disconnect

Today, it is accepted that farm mechanisation is an unavoidable imperative. For productivity must be increased. But -- given the majority of …

Ayodhya airport expansion and discharge of water from Coca-Cola factory put villagers in a fix

Villages drowning after rains due to airport expansion while polluted water destroying fields, allege locals

North India Deluge 2023: Yamuna breaches evacuation mark in Delhi; expert calls flood policy ‘absolute failure’

The Yamuna inundates parts of Delhi even with very little rain as it is silted and is not dredged, according to Gourishankar Ghosh

Graft claims in MGNREGA squeezing poor workers, millions unpaid for months

Zero funds to Bengal, Lakshadweep this year, Centre admits in Parliament; activists ask to use pre-existing mechanisms to handle graft

Farm laws repeal: Agri unions welcome move. But here’s why they won’t call off protest

The unions want minimum support price guarantee and the announcement to take effect through “due parliamentary procedures”

Agencies working towards making Haiderpur wetland in west UP a Ramsar site

Haidepur is significant as it supports rich biodiversity, offers livelihood opportunities for locals

Peninsular India may get locusts after 46 years. Blame the wind

The pests are being carried into the region by the southern branch of winds entering India north of the Western Ghats

Power plants in Singrauli-Sonebhadra region fail to manage ash: Analysis

Incidents of fly-ash breaches points to serious, unaddressed issue of unutilised fly-ash piling up in the region

Ganga speaks volumes on flawed govt plan, yet makes no poll ripples

Uttar Pradesh's rivers find no mention in election discourse despite clean-up projects being the keystone of the Centre

Meat Matters

Why slaughterhouses have to be "illegal" to be sustainable and why farmers have to give up their cattle for survival

Lucknow’s waterbodies perish at the hands of unregulated construction

Land records of Lucknow Nagar Nigam state the city has 964 tanks and ponds, a majority of which are unidentifiable due to reclamation

Nepal earthquake: death toll crosses 3,600

The toll may further rise as bodies are still feared trapped under the rubble. US, UK and India offer financial aid to Nepal

Uttar Pradesh police opens fire on anti-Kanhar dam protestors

Tribal leader Akku Kharwar and eight others seriously injured in the firing in Sonbhadra district

Deadlocked in Aligarh

On the one hand: potholed roads, poor sewage systems, numerous small scale industries, nightmarish working conditions. On the other: clueless …