To ensure sharper focus on wildlife-related issues and the Forest Conservation Act, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the setting up of a separate department for wildlife and forests.
Official sources said Kawadias, devotees of Lord Shiva, have been thronging Gangotri area during the last decade. On a single day in the annual Kanwad season (July-August), nearly 2,000 to 3,000 Kawadias visit the area, causing ecological concerns. Besides restricting the number of tourists to 150, the entry of mules and horses has also been banned in Gangotri area, Barfal said. To discourage tourists from visiting Gangotri regularly, the entry fee is also being hiked.
Dr Singh also wanted the management of water resources to be addressed, saying it was the "most important challenge facing mankind."
The court also observed that the focus of the authorities has shifted from ensuring the safety of the endangered animal to a number of hugely-funded projects.
Aamir Khan had asked for a chinkara for a scene in Lagaan.
'The projects that the government started to bring within Goa were totally anti-Goa and anti-people.' 'Can anyone describe a project as development when it is going to cause wanton destruction of people's houses, their surroundings and livelihoods and destruction of forests?'
Realising the importance of sustainable development, Indian companies are increasingly taking into account the environmental impact of businesses while taking decisions, industry body Confederation of Indian Industry said on Wednesday.
'Tiger reserves were created to protect areas from developmental activities.' 'If we go ahead with these projects, then it is a complete mockery of our institutions and our laws, it is against everything we have stood for, our Forest Conservation Act, our Wildlife Biodiversity Act.'
According to new ministry guidelines, the permission to chop down forests will be given only after all the compensatory levies are provided
India has long struggled to find a suitable definition; activists hope that this case changes norms, reports Geetika Srivastava.
He also said his opponents may hate him, call him 'Pappu' but he has no anger, hatred against the PM and the BJP.
At a press conference, the NBCC CMD defended the move, saying it is a sacrifice that one has to make for development and they would be compensating by increasing the green cover 15 times.
There is a proposal to term forests as areas so notified and not include plantations on private land.
The government may claim planted trees compensate for forests lost, but that does not mean complex flora and fauna destroyed have been restored, points out Himadri Ghosh.
We found that there have been violations not only by Sharma, but 50-60 other flat owners also," Assistant Forest Conservator Makarand Ghodke said.
British royal couple Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton on Thursday visited the Kaziranga National Park in a jeep safari.
Growing and harvesting trees for productive and economic uses are once again dead in the water, says Sunita Narain.
The proposed changes, as per the draft, could continue some of the existing conflict between wildlife protection regulations with the implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006, which gives rights to tribals in all kinds of traditional forest lands -- including the wildlife zones, such as national parks. The new proposed law, just as the original one from 1972, does not explicitly recognise these rights in all wildlife areas.
As per revised rules every four tribals is likely to be displaced or affected by projects, as their habitations were rich in natural resources
Fires are blazing across Jammu and Kashmir, the state of Uttarakhand and have reached the doorstep of Himachal Pradesh's capital city Shimla.
'Fearlessness, courtesy, humour, wide interests and wisdom, deep commitment to science and technology, passion for the environment, objectivity and the ability to see many things through not only a national but also an international prism.'
India loses 333 acres of prime forest every day. Instead of working to conserve India's forests and water resources, the environment minister has set up a committee to 'dismantle' the five key laws that provide environmental protection.
By refusing permission for the proposed ship-breaking facility, India can send a categorical message to the foreign ship owning countries that they should keep their own waste and recycle
'It was almost as though there was widespread relief that the defence bureaucracy, and the minister, could find someone willing to shoulder the blame for everything that had gone wrong with the services under Antony's charge -- the poor preparedness of the forces, slow acquisitions caused by indecision, cancellation of contracts and whimsical blacklisting of defence contractors over the tiniest suspicion that they may have paid speed money or kickbacks.'
'We are rushing to 'develop' without carefully valuing natural areas.' 'With careful land use planning and scientific zonation at least 5 to 10 per cent of the country's land can be secured for tigers and other such species, and another 5 to 15 per cent kept under low-impact uses to support biodiversity that can coexist with human uses.'
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