IN NEWS:

Dr Kalam kicks off environment campaign in Ahmedabad
Sunday, July 25, 2010 11:41 IST
Ahmedabad: India's missile man and former president DR APJ Abdul Kalam had the children and visitors mesemerised at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) on Saturday.
The scientist's sense of humour, one liners and inspirational speech had the audience asking for more. Dr Kalam was in the city for the launch of the campaign 'Paryavaran Mitra', an initiative by ministry of environment and forest, Arcellor Mittal and CEE.
The campaign aims to spread awareness about environment protection and the effects of climate change. As many as 250 people, including students and teachers of 12 schools were present for the launch of the campaign."I am very much delighted to address the school children of this city," said Kalam as he began his speech.
Sudhir Sinha, country head CSR, Arcellor Mittal, Dr MS Swaminathan, agriculture scientist, classical dancer Dr Mrinalini Sarabhai, Dr SK Pandey, principal secretary of department of forest and Kartikeya Sarabhai, director of CEE were also present on the occasion.
Emphasising on the need to protect the environment, Kalam said, "Humanity plays a great role in preservation of environment. I want you all to take an oath to plant trees, become a responsible protector of environment, take part in water conservation and use biodegradable products to the extent possible."
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_dr-kalam-kicks-off-environment-campaign-in-ahmedabad_1414275
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Relief for Posco opponents
KalingaTimes Correspondent
Jagatsinghpur, July 24: In a relief to displacement-weary villagers in the proposed posco areas in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district, a committee jointly constituted by union ministry of environment and forest and ministry of tribal welfare today gave three-month time-frame for settlers to press forth their claim over the occupied forestland.
The three-member committee comprising Ashis Kothari, R. Ravi and A.J.Saikia today extensively visited across Dhinkia, Patana, Gobindapur, Nuagaon and Gadakujang villages and heard grievances aired by the would-be-oustees.
It’s pertinent to note here that the union ministry of environment and forest on the basis of submitted reports by the state government had accorded conditional clearance to posco-India for use of forestland for non-forest purpose.
Inviting fresh applications for forest rights claims, the committee said any attempt to acquire forestland for Rs 51,000 crore steel project contravenes Forest rights act provisions. This is because acquisition is bereft of people’s consent, said the panel members.
The committee members had a patient hearing of the emotion-jerked settlers who ventilated their grievances and asserted their right over the forest land.
“We are of the view that process of diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose by posco-India is not complete in accordance with forest rights act, 2006.”, said panel member Ashis Kothari.
Taking into accounts the documents given to us by villagers, mandatory provision of villagers’ consent before diversion of forestland was not followed here in true letter and spirit. Thus villagers do have the legitimate right under FRA to reject the diversion proposal though palli sabha (village body) resolutions, said panel members much to the cheers of assembly of villagers.
Though there are no tribal settlers living in these villagers, we have found enough proof of traditional forest dwellers residing here for years together. Thus going by the act provisions, traditional forest dwellers are empowered with the right to reject forestland diversion proposal, said S Ravi another panel member.
Now the villagers have three months time left with them to raise objection to it by palli sabha. The palli sabha resolution should either be directly dispatched to the ministry or though the district collector, they said.
http://www.kalingatimes.com/odisha_news/news2010/20100724_Central_panel_relieves.htm

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Raika call for recognition of pastoralists' rights in India
On July 22nd in central Rajasthan, India, 1800 Raika herders delivered an appeal to the Forest Department to restore their traditional grazing rights in the surrounding forests. The Raika have been grazing their local breeds of sheep and camel in the forests for hundreds of years and have contributed to the conservation and sustainable use of the forest biodiversity. However, the Forest Department has imposed daily fines on the Raika's sheep and has restricted their access to the forest in contravention of the their rights under the national Forest Rights Act and under international law (particularly Articles 8(j) and 10(c) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity). Last year, with the support of Natural Justice and local NGO Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan, the Raika developed a bio-cultural community protocol and have since shared their concerns and priorities at UN working group meetings and with other pastoralist communities in India and around the world. They will also present at the upcoming CBD Conference of Parties in Nagoya and will host a preparatory meeting in India from August 13-15, which Kabir Bavikatte (Natural Justice) plans to attend. More information about the Raika can be found in an article about the July 22nd appeal and on Natural Justice's website.
http://natural-justice.blogspot.com/2010/07/raika-call-for-recognition-of.html