Opening up, but tread softly
April 2003 saw two diverse regions in India take a similar decision. Both partially opened the door to tourism in hitherto protected belts. One …
Violations, poor management threaten Gujarat sanctuaries: CAG
Poor spending of funds has led to mismanagement, leaving the forests open for encroachment, mining and deforestation
Caught between boars and bureaucracy
Authorities of a wildlife sanctuary propose to curb the menace of rampaging wild boars by providing affected villagers with, among other things, …
Out for political mileage
The recent events in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Kerala has had an impact on the state government. Why else would it crank up its …
Sanctuary saga
A recent investigation into the Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary lends support to the boundary reduction exercise by the state government
Khaki stripes
Should the police be put in charge of sanctuaries and the locals who live near these? Should India be made into a police state?
Road to ruin
The latest roadshow planned by the Delhi government may just wind up hitting the ridge and bifurcating a sanctuary
Fenced out
The Delhi administration's move to make the Asola and Bhatti sanctuaries exclusively protected areas ring alarm bells in the local villages
Deliverance by detention
Conservation strategy stands on a fork in the road: one leads to animal protection in their natural habitats, or sanctuaries; the other to …
Sharp acceleration in forestland diversion
The period between 1999 and 2003 has seen a sudden spurt in the diversion of forestland for non-forestry purposes. A recent collation of data of …
Fishing jetty docked
The Orissa high court has put the commissioning of a controversial jetty at the Bhitarkanika sanctuary on hold
Struggling to survive as
Marginalised by developmental processes, local people are fighting for their right to manage forests
Experts seek more protected areas in Sikkim
Sikkim harbours many endemic plant species and studies have predicted that about 17-18 per cent of endemic plants may get wiped out by 2050 …
Villagers allege illegal tree felling in Melghat; forest dept denies claims
Village Gram Sabha sent a letter to principal secretary, Maharashtra forest department, on Jan 27, seeking action
Tiger numbers fine but vegetation declining in tiger reserves, warns study
The findings could be considered as eye opening as they reveal a blind-spot in generic protected area management approach
Storm over fishing rights on lake
A Pakistani court will decide whether commercial fishing can be allowed on a protected lake that is also the haunt of migratory birds.
Time to change
Restrictions on use of natural resources in protected areas are driving the local communities dependent on forest produce for their survival to a …
A change for the worse
Is a state government notification an indication that Gujarat, once considered to be committed to wildlife protection, has now moved industry to …
Farsighted plea on Pakistan's sightless dolphins
Experts have asked for a second dolphin reserve in Pakistan to house the blind river dolphin in the wake of a study on the impact of a …
Conservation at what cost?
Human Conflict in Conservation: Protected Areas - The Indian Experience Himraj Dang Publisher: Development Alternatives Price: Rs 295
Compendium on natural history hooks reader
1000 Indian Wildlife Quiz & 1000 World Wildlife Quiz Deep Narayan Pandey Publisher: Rupa & Co, Delhi Price: Rs 30 each
Cochin needs to preserve its green lungs
Documentary Haritham Director Rajendra Prasad Producer Jaycee Foundation and Gothrabhumi films
Nearly 213 ha in protected areas diverted between April and July
Standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife approved 21 projects for diversion, deferred 7 for later
Nearly 500 ha forest land in protected areas diverted in 2019
Standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife gave nod to carry out 68 projects in protected areas
India continues to lose forest land to non-forestry projects
Central environment ministry reports diversion of 11,467 hectares forest land in 2019 (up to first week of November)
