Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava

India, others get UN rules on tribal rights diluted

India has opposed international guidelines that require free or uninfluenced consent of tribal communities for commercially using their traditional knowledge at the global biodiversity negotiations in Cancun, Mexico.

India third-largest importer of illegally logged wood: Study

India is the third largest importer of the illegally logged timber in the world, shows a study by the International Union of Forest Research Organisations, a world-wide collaboration of scientists and research institutions working on forestry sciences.

Rich nations block biodiversity negotiations in Cancun

The 17 major biodiversity-rich countries of the world, including India, have blocked the move of developed countries to continue the commercial use of digitally available genetic sequence data of plants and animals from developing nations without sharing the benefits with the source countries.

City lacks plan to check industrial pollution

India gets more time than China to phase out HFCs

India wrests longer time frame than China for phasing out HFC in climate deal

India has succeeded in extracting a longer time frame for phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) gases to allow the transition of its refrigeration industry to cleaner options than the timelines agreed by developed countries and China.

India turns the heat on China over emissions

Distancing itself from China for the first time in climate talks, India has decided to put pressure on Beijing to take the lead in phasing down use of Hydrofluorocarbons

Bureau of Indian Standards raises the bar for cities to get ‘smart’ tag

Some of the indicators that the draft standards, released by BIS on September 30, seek to incorporate to assess services and quality of life are air pollution, carbon emission, renewable energy consumption, per capita GDP, unemployment rate and girl child enrolment in schools.

Delhi haze: When farm fires poison the capital’s air

Whether Delhi breaths less toxic air this winter will depend on how effectively policies put in place over the past one year are implemented

India ratifies Paris climate treaty: Here’s all you need to know

India, the world’s fourth-largest carbon emitter with its population of 1.3 billion people, ratified the Paris agreement on climate change on Sunday to become the 62nd nation to join the deal.

Tigers vulnerable to poaching: 30% of illegal trade export from India

India seized the highest numbers of tigers and tiger products between 2000 and 2015, indicating that the country’s national animal is the most vulnerable to poaching for international trade.

Paris deal ratification not linked with NSG membership: Environment minister

India’s membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is not linked to ratifying Paris climate agreement, said environment, forest and climate change minister Anil Madhav Dave, a day before India ratifies the pact.

Govt will need 32 years to build 2.3 lakh toilets in Varanasi: Study

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi will need 32 more years to build the 2.3 lakh toilets planned by the Centre for October 2019, a study on the rate of building toilets, by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), has shown.

Himachal govt withdraws SC petition against NGT order on Kashang hydro project

The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday withdrew its petition challenging a recent National Green Tribunal order that stopped a hydropower project in the state until affected gram sabhas cleared it, within a week of filing it in the Supreme Court.

HP slams order to get gram sabha nod for hydro project

In what could come as an embarrassment to the Congress that has been accusing the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of “diluting” the Forest Rights Act (FRA), the Himachal Pradesh government has opposed an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which asked it to place a hydroelectric project proposal before the affected gram sabhas for approval under the tribal rights law. The Himachal government said the NGT order cannot be followed as the gram sabhas members are unskilled.

Javadekar withdrew 2% cess on industrial projects near sanctuaries, national parks

Environment ministry issued an advisory to states last October charging 2% cess on projects coming up near wildlife areas for implementing the ‘Impact Mitigation Plan’, but withdrew it within a month.

Biodiversity law crippled at the grassroots

Less than 3% of local bodies spread in 15 states have prepared the people’s biodiversity registers (PBRs) — a mandatory requirement under the Biological Diversity Act. The PB Rs are record sofa region’ s biological resources—plants, animals and the traditional knowledge of the locals.

Forests valued at Rs 115 trillion but settlers left in the lurch

India’s forests valued at Rs 115 trillion, but tribals unlikely to get a share

India’s forests are worth as much as the Bombay Stock Exchange with a notional value of Rs 115 trillion but the money collected from diverting parts of this land for industries won’t go to communities that live in and are dependent on the jungles.

State governments slam door on forest rights claimants

States rejected 8 out of every 10 claims for land by tribals last year

Eight out of 10 claims for land title by forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act were rejected last year, tribal affairs ministry data shows.

Govt exempts big realty from green assessment

Govt exempts big realty from obtaining environmental clearance

Going against its own orders, issued six months ago, the environment ministry has decided to exempt big buildings and real estate projects from taking environment clearance, a mandatory requirement under the law for the past more than a decade.

Plantation projects on an overdrive but green cover shows little increase

Massive plantation drives by states over the past decade have not translated into any significant increase in India’s green cover, an analysis of government data shows, raising concerns over the efficacy of money-guzzling schemes.

Govt makes a U-turn on move to amend forest policy

Govt makes a U-turn on move to amend national forest policy

Ten days after issuing an office memorandum (OM) inviting comments on the Draft National Forest Policy, 2016, the Union environment ministry has backtracked on its decision, saying what it had “inadvertently” uploaded on its website as the draft policy was just a “study”.

NDA cleared more projects in wildlife habitats in 2 yrs than UPA did in 5 yrs

The National Board of Wildlife has cleared more industrial projects in and around wildlife habitats in past two years of NDA rule than what its predecessor UPA-II did in its tenure of five years, accordint to data compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment.

Regulator sat on decision to ban cancer-causing ingredient in bread for 4 years

A recent study found 85% of bread and bakery samples tested in Delhi contained potassium bromate, a known carcinogen. An HT investigation has now revealed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had made up its mind to ban the chemical’s use as a food additive four years ago but never implemented its decision.

‘SC hiked relief in 6 out of 10 cases of land acquisition’

The Supreme Court (SC) has increased the compensation amount in every six out of 10 cases of land acquisition where the compensation awarded for land by the government was challenged by the landowners.

Have made Rs 10L crore investment by clearing projects: Javadekar

In the two years of NDA government, the Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change has been constantly in news for bringing policy changes that affect business and environment.