A study in northern West Bengal found elephants are selective with their diet, feeding on less than half the species of plants around them. This is contradictory to the prevalent view that elephants are generalist feeders. Nabarun Guha reports.
The Indian Giant Squirrel is an indicator species. Its declining numbers tell us that conservation needs a holistic approach where the focus is as much on the habitat as on the animals themselves.
Scientists examining satellite images find that cyclone-induced damage slows the recovery of mangroves and changes the forest composition in comparison to other regions that didn't witness many cyclones.
Global commitments and domestsic laws are driving afforestation. But conservationists argue that large scale tree plantations can do more harm than good if we overlook the nuances, and that all that is green is not forest.
The Aravali hills were used to nature's erosion, but the assault on them by those eyeing its rich resources was something else. Will the Supreme Court's recent intervention halt this?
In the past, the framework for assessing the environmental impact of projects merely facilitated them getting started. Revisions proposed recently don't contain any evidence of a new course either.
Media reports that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given clearance to Railways to approach the state government regarding the Hubli-Ankola rail link, which will pass through the dense Western Ghats in Karnataka. Kanchi Kohli writes on how the orders of NGT do not necessarily imply a complete go ahead for the railway line as the seems to suggest.
The green bench of the Supreme Court transferred several long-pending forest cases to expedite their disposal. This could influence forest governance in India.
Plantations or reforestation cannot replace natural forests, which provides an essential ecosystem. Unless policy makers realise this, our natural forests will continue to be used for various purposes shrinking the forest cover further, says Meenal Tatpati.
The central government is pushing state governments to give forest rights to tribals by the end of this year. Kanchi Kohli cautions that the intent behind settling these rights claims under the Forest Rights Act in such haste is not what it appears to be.
The women of Gunduribadi go out daily for thengapalli or forest patrolling. They are also members of their Forest Protection Committee which decides how to manage the forest and its resources.
Farming practices encouraged by existing forest policies have drastically reduced the sources of food for the Malabar Grey Hornbill, once abundant in the Palni Hills of Tamil Nadu. Madhu Ramnath explains what endangers the species and how they can be saved.
Abhijit Mohanty brings us the story of certain tribal villages in Koraput district of southern Odisha that have successfully overcome the challenges posed by denudation and inadequate irrigation and have etched out a path towards food security and well-being.
A letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs urges states to recognise the habitat rights of vulnerable tribal groups under the FRA. Meenal Tatpati, Rashi Misra and Subrat Kumar Nayak analyse the Dongria Kondh experience to underline what’s necessary to do so effectively.
The 2013 rejection of the bauxite mining plan in Odisha’s Niyamgiri Hills by the local tribal gram sabhas is hailed as the first successful environmental referendum in the country. Meenal Tatpati and Rashi Misra visit the region to find out what led the people to oppose the proposed ‘development’.
India Together is published with support from Oorvani Foundation.
