Maharashtra to propose five wetland sites for recognition as Ramsar sites
MoEF will screen the sites independently to decide whether they are eligible for nomination
Concrete invasion
Colombo’s marshes cannot avert floods the way they used to. Construction is to be blamed
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (August 31, 2020)
Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Earth has lost one-fifth of its wetlands since 1700 — but most could still be saved
People need to stop looking at wetlands as wastelands and draining them to make it ‘useful’
Mired in sewage
Temple town Guruvayur adamant on dumping its sewage in backwater villages despite stringent laws, opposition
Stay on land allotment for thermal power plant in Sompeta
Andhra Pradesh government had alloted 394 ha of wetlands terming it wasteland; farmers and fisherman were unhappy
Urban flooding may increase if wetlands not protected, says CSE
Centre for Science and Environment has recommended strong laws to protect urban lakes, their catchment and feeder channels
Chennai floods: Panel report highlights encroachments, faulty drainage system
The committee asked Tamil Nadu government to check real estate mafia involved in illegal construction and usurping of water bodies
Kerala regularises paddy field reclamation and conversion up to 2008
The government expects to make additional revenue of Rs 200 crore; activists say it has yielded to mafia pressure
Wasteland or wetland?
Three panels’ reports later, green tribunal wants re-evaluation of Nirma project site
As wetlands in Kenya dry up, locals opt for alternative livelihood options
Under Ramsar Convention, Kenya is obligated to ensure wise use of wetlands by including wetland conservation considerations in national …
'Kuwait could face serious climate change impacts over the next few decades'
Down To Earth speaks to Salman Zafar, founder of West Asian environmental group, EcoMENA on the green challenges facing the tiny Gulf nation of …
Court Digest: Major environment hearings of the week (June 6-12, 2020)
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (June 8, 2020)
India needs to protect its wetland flora
Wetland flora help maintain ecological balance and need to be conserved. However, only 68 wetlands are protected in India so far
CAG report shows how Karnataka's solid waste management is in disarray
Faultlines at urban bodies: Lack of segregation, no identification of dump sites, absence of GPS
Rice at risk
Growing paddy is not viable for small farmers of Kerala. Will the state be able to preserve the crop which delivers a number of ecological …
Resort to heritage
Bangladesh is betting big on its traditional form of farming: floating gardens. Can it help climate-proof the country?
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
Stink in the leather belt
Calcutta Leather Complex has shifted from the heart of the city to the outskirts on Supreme Court order, but it fails to treat toxic effluent and …
'Adopt decentralised, low-energy approach'
Manu Bhatnagar, an urban environmental planner, has been heading the natural heritage division of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural …
How an entrepreneur saved Kerala wetland ecosystem from real estate interest
The Supreme Court ordered Taurus Investment Holdings to not undertake reclamation or filling up of Veli-Akkulam wetlands on June 4
Restoring lakes not an engineering task: How some communities did the job
Local bodies and activists in Bengaluru, Pune are coming together to deal with lake pollution, de-silting, encroachment
Assam gas leak and fire: Yet another case of procedural lapse
A lack of standard operating procedures for handling hazardous materials, no proper training is prevalent in several industries
Why Chennai floods are a man-made disaster
An analysis shows that in just four decades, urbanisation in the city increased by almost 20 times