IN NEWS

Claims of growth in India's forests 'misleading'


The country's native forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, says a new study.

Natasha Gilbert

Native forests in India are disappearing at a rate of up to 2.7% per year. The figures, published in an analysis of the country's forest cover, stand in stark contrast to those of a 2009 survey by an Indian governmental organization, which said that forests have expanded by 5% over the past decade.

India is among the most densely forested countries in the world, and in 2008 the government announced goals to increase forest cover by nearly 10% by 2012. The India State of Forest Report 2009 by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) indicated that the outlook was good.

But William Laurance, a conservation biologist at James Cook University in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and one of the authors of the analysis, to be published in the journal Conservation Letters1, says that while the figures showing that forest cover in India has grown are "technically correct", they are also "misleading".

"We found a very real and serious loss of native forest," he says, adding that it could put India ahead of most other countries in terms of deforestation…………….

Read more: http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100824/full/news.2010.421.html


August 24, 2010

RELEASE/VICTORY: Vedanta Mine Plan on Sacred Tribal Mountain Halted by Indian Government

Vedanta's controversial bauxite mine on the Dongria Kondh’s tribal land has been stopped, after four years of protests by local peoples supported by Survival International and a wide range of affinity campaigns, including most recently by EI’s Earth Action Network.

By Earth's Newsdesk, a project of Ecological Internet (EI)

CONTACT: Dr. Glen Barry, glenbarry@ecologicalinternet.org

Controversial plans to develop a bauxite mine on sacred tribal land in India [search] have been cancelled by India's environment ministry. The Dongria Kondh’s – an indigenous tribe who have lived since time immemorial around the mountain Niyamgiri in the Indian state of Orissa – demands have been met, and the area will remain wild, lush and sacred. Multi-national company Vedanta’s existing aluminum refinery in the area had polluted local rivers, damaged crops and disrupted the lives of the local tribe; and will now not be able to expand six-fold. This is a Dongria Kondh victory first and foremost.

The project has been delayed by four years because of the Dongria Kondh’s intense opposition locally – including the brandishing of bows and arrows – as well as from environmental and tribal rights group. Globally ……………………………………

Read more: http://forests.org/blog/2010/08/releasevictory-vedanta-mine-pl.asp


Planners come to the rescue of Coal India

JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY

New Delhi, Aug. 23: The Planning Commission has proposed that coal mining be allowed in phases in all blocks allotted till the end of last fiscal, with tree cover restored once mining was over.Earlier this year, the environment ministry had divided forests into “go” and “no go” areas on the basis of forest cover, which would severely limit production of miners, particularly Coal India Limited.

Recently, the Prime Minister’s Office had reviewed the environment ministry’s position. However, the Planning Commission, in a note, has observed that going by the environment ministry’s directive Coal India’s mining area will be reduced by 30 per cent…………………………………

Read more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100824/jsp/business/story_12846719.jsp


District GDP of India

August 24th, 2010
Author:http://www.forestryonthegrow.com/district-gdp-of-india/ - #

For all the districts of India Its hard enough to get GDP statistics by sector at state level. We go a step further. We provide GDP by sector and sub sectors for every district in India. Our methodology, based on the CSO model has been appreciated and the product has been endorsed by organisations such as The RBI…………………………………..

Read more: http://www.forestryonthegrow.com/district-gdp-of-india/


Geer set to become lion's new home

TNN, Aug 24, 2010, 06.38am IST

AHMEDABAD: The roar of lions will soon be heard at the Indroda Nature Park in Gandhinagar. The Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI) has approved a master plan for the park and authorities are set to start looking for lions and sloth bears for the sprawling forest-like campus.

Recently the park got a pair of tigers. Managed by Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation, the park officials will now approach various zoos in the country for a pair of lions and the bear.

The park has one leopard, tigers, wolves, jackals, foxes, wild asses, sambar, nilgai, swamp deer, Thamin deer, chinkara, marsh crocodile, reptiles, flamingos, pelican storks, spoonbill, Ibis among other………………………………

Read more: Geer set to become lion's new home - Ahmedabad - City - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Geer-set-to-become-lions-new-home-/articleshow/6424179.cms#ixzz0xXiZktyE