Text of the Supreme Court Judgement in matter of T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad Vs Union Of India & Others dated 12/03/2014 regarding the destruction of the tropical rain forest in the Gudalur and Nilgiri areas in violation of the Forest Act, 1927, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Tamil Nadu Hill Stations Preservation of Trees Act and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has released the first draft global standard for sustainable aluminium production focusing on environmental, social and governance aspects for public consultation. It is out for public consultation from 1 February until 29 March 2014. Read full text and send your comments.
See also "Responsible Aluminium Scoping Phase : Main report"
MANGALORE: A study done by researchers has revealed that there is morphological and genetic evidence to show the presence of multiple evolutionary distinct lineages in the endangered and commercial
Scientists of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) will join hands with their counterparts in other research institutions for long- term monitoring of the Western Ghats ecology to understand the impact of climate change and develop strategies for conservation and restoration of tropical forests.
The extremely fragile Western Ghats region is highly prone to natural calamities and chances of an Uttarakhand-like tragedy in the region cannot be ruled out if scientific conservation initiatives are not being implemented at the earliest, says a leading environmentalist.
Significantly, the foreboding has come at a time when the State is in a dilemma over implementing the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report drawn up by noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil.
Sacred groves have survived very long without human interference, and thus are of anthropological, cultural, economic, and ecological significance. In India, these groves are concentrated in the North-East and along the Western Ghats, both globally recognised hotspots of biodiversity. Unfortunately, their size and number are now shrinking at an alarming rate, and it is high time a workable solution is found to sustain them.
It was in July 2012, when the Western Ghats made it to the world heritage list and a cluster of 39 sites here were crowned among the world’s eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity. A year on, the prestigious tag seems to have had little impact on the way the state treats these ecologically sensitive areas.
PANJIM: The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has directed the Goa government to submit its proposal to declare Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as a ‘tiger reserve’. The demand has come at a time when wildlife enthusiasts~ particularly those working for tiger conservation~are up beat about the sighting of a tiger in the sanctuary, which appears to be a local predator.
Forest Department officials had clicked photographs of the tiger moving in the sanctuary, a fortnight ago. This is for the first time that direct and conclusive evidence has been found by the forest department officials about its presence.
The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has called for suggestions and comments from various stakeholders on the Kasturirangan review committee report that has classified 122 villages in the state as ecosensitive areas along the Western Ghats.
A high-level working group (HLWG) on Western Ghats, chaired by K Kasturirangan, had reviewed the Madhav Gadgil-chaired Western Ghats Experts Ecology Panel (WGEEP) report as all the five states along the Western Ghats had raised objections against the Gadgil report.
