Green cover of many Indian states rises but carbon stock declines
In December 2019, the Indian government released its biennial state of forest report highlighting how the country’s forest and tree cover is rising. But a fact that got lost amidst…
Articles by Kanchan Srivastava
I am independent Journalist who writes on Environment, Policy and Politics.
Most forest fires in India on account of human activity
The fires raging across Australia from September 2019 and the ones in California in 2018 have brought global attention to wildfires in the recent years. Around 6.3 million hectares of…
Will the latest amendment to U.P.’s tree act help the state’s green cover?
Reacting to the outrage over a proposal to cut more than 64,000 trees for a Defence Expo in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh government has issued new norms to protect trees…
Survival, not elections, on the agenda in this Maharashtra village
On September 17, 2019, when Gujarat’s Sardar Sarovar Dam reservoir was filled to its highest level of 138.68 metres to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday at the dam site,…
Protesting against neglect, Manibeli village in the Narmada valley decides to boycott Maharashtra polls
At a time when election fervour is at its peak in Maharashtra and political parties are sweating it out to lure voters with tall promises, residents of the Manibeli village…
Aarey “forest” has fired-up Mumbai’s poll scene
In a relief for green crusaders in India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, the Supreme Court, on October 7, ordered a status quo in the Aarey tree-felling case and directed the Bharatiya…
Western Maharashtra floods: A man-made disaster?
Chandrabhaga Varote, a sculptor from Arey village in Karvir Taluka of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra, used to make idols of deities for a living, till the first week of August…
Keeping the Mahatma’s light shining
This October, while India hosts grand celebrations to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, over a million students from over 100 countries across five continents will pay tribute…
Dam mismanagement worsens impact of extreme rainfall in Maharashtra
In July, when many parts of India were bracing for yet another year of drought, the situation changed dramatically with episodes of extreme rainfall in the latter part of the…
Does the National Capital Region need another airport – at the cost of the environment?
The months preceding the Lok Sabha election this year was a season of sops. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled several projects and announced more. But a sit-in protest of 200-odd farmers…
A year on, plastic waste returns to U.P. despite ban
On May 21 this year, Bada Mangal, the Hindu festival to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the monkey god, was celebrated across Uttar Pradesh (UP). To mark the occasion, feasts…
Toxic debate rages on over cultivation ban on ‘poor man’s pulse’
Ravi Shankar Rai (35), a farmer in Joga Musahib village of Mohammadabad tehsil in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh, owns eight hectares of rain-fed agricultural land. He cultivates wheat, potato…
Indo-Nepal Border Road rides roughshod on Uttar Pradesh wildlife habitat
Development projects across the country continue to disturb natural habitats, ecosystems and wildlife, leaving areas vulnerable. Tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries are under threat along the upcoming 1,715-kilometres long Indo-Nepal…
Jal Sahelis quench the thirst of parched villages in Bundelkhand
It is just the onset of summer and mercury is already touching 42 degrees Celsius in Bundelkhand. Water has evaporated from most rivers and ponds. Tube wells and handpumps have…
Politics muddies waters in parched Bundelkhand
It is just the beginning of summer. The mercury in Lalitpur — one of the drought-prone districts of Bundelkhand, a region divided between the two states of Uttar Pradesh (UP)…
Bathing in Ganga during Kumbh may wash away sins, but what about diseases?
On February 24, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on the banks of River Ganga in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. He was among the millions of people from India and…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Marine plastic pollution is not just a waste problem; reducing production is needed too
- Stitching sustainability amidst climate change challenges
- Gujarat bans exotic Conocarpus tree amid health and environment hazard
- Malaria-carrying mosquitoes shift homes from forests to rice fields
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Majuli’s shrinking wetlands and their fight for survival
- Saving India’s wild ‘unicorns’
- Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
Beyond Protected Areas
- Pathogens find new pathways as agriculture, deforestation intensify
- Measuring the scavenging value of vultures
- New rules spell giant troubles for jumbos
- Climate litigation has entered the room. But could great Indian bustards be inched out?
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
- [Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management
- Millet tradition loses flavour among Madhya Pradesh’s tribals
- A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
Just Transitions
- How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
- Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
- Conflict over critical mineral prospecting in Odisha signals need for better community involvement
- Fuel leak in Manipur raises concerns over water contamination
