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	<channel>
		<title>Mongabay India</title>
		<atom:link href="https://india.mongabay.com/feed/?location=gujarat&#038;type=post" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/gujarat/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:09:38 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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				<item>
					<title>The carbon market bets on an invasive tree</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-carbon-market-bets-on-an-invasive-tree/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-carbon-market-bets-on-an-invasive-tree/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Aug 2026 16:21:08 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Yash Sadhak Shrivastava]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prosopis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/12135149/IMG_8312-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40072</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biofuels, Carbon emissions, Carbon Finance, Carbon Offset, Carbon Trading, Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Ecosystem services, Energy, Grasslands, Green Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Industry, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Decades ago, in the Banni grasslands of Kachchh, an invasive tree was planted to solve one environmental crisis. Today, big companies are paying to convert the same trees into a charcoal-like substance to solve another problem. In January 2025, Google announced one of the largest biochar carbon removal deals to date, agreeing to purchase 1,00,000 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Decades ago, in the Banni grasslands of Kachchh, an invasive tree was planted to solve one environmental crisis. Today, big companies are paying to convert the same trees into a charcoal-like substance to solve another problem. In January 2025, Google announced one of the largest biochar carbon removal deals to date, agreeing to purchase 1,00,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide removal credits from Varaha ClimateAg Private Limited, a Gurugram-based climate tech startup. Biochar is a carbon-rich charcoal produced by heating organic matter in low-oxygen conditions, which can store carbon in soil for hundreds of years. By January 2026, Varaha had added Microsoft to its roster of corporate buyers, with Lufthansa, Swiss Re, and Capgemini also signing offtake agreements. Among Varaha&#8217;s initiatives is a project in Kachchh, Gujarat, combining carbon sequestration with ecosystem restoration. The problem the credits are meant to solve Prosopis juliflora was introduced to Kachchh around the 1960s to arrest desertification. The Banni grassland now has around 50% of its area dominated by this single invasive species, according to Khyati Thacker, a botanist who has spent over five years working on community-led ecosystem restoration in Kachchh and Saurashtra. Research shows the grassland produced up to 4,000 kg of fodder per hectare in the 1960s; by 1999, that had fallen to around 620 kg. &#8220;This Prosopis juliflora has destroyed the jungle, the native trees (such as Vachellia nilotica, Prosopis cineraria, Senegalia senegal) and the grazing grass,&#8221; said Kaiyan Rabari, a herdsman from Sangnara village, Kachchh. Around late 2022, a private&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-carbon-market-bets-on-an-invasive-tree/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/the-carbon-market-bets-on-an-invasive-tree/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Proposed solar project in India&#8217;s largest grassland sparks conservation concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jul 2026 16:27:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ronak Gajjar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ramsar site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ramsar sites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/08102058/009-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39076</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Community based conservation, Conservation, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Lakes, Renewable Energy, Thar Desert, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands of Kachchh represent one of the most unique, complex, and fragile ecological mosaics in the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, this vast expanse in the western state of Gujarat has been shaped by the harmonious coexistence of diverse wildlife and the Maldharis, a traditional pastoralist community. The region gained greater conservation recognition earlier [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands of Kachchh represent one of the most unique, complex, and fragile ecological mosaics in the Indian subcontinent. For centuries, this vast expanse in the western state of Gujarat has been shaped by the harmonious coexistence of diverse wildlife and the Maldharis, a traditional pastoralist community. The region gained greater conservation recognition earlier this year when its Chhari Dhandh wetland was designated as a Ramsar site in January, making it Kachchh&#8217;s first and Gujarat&#8217;s fifth Ramsar site, highlighting the wetland&#8217;s critical biodiversity. However, a proposed solar power plant near the wetland has sparked concerns over its ecological impact and triggered opposition from local communities. The solar power plant, proposed by the NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, will be spread over 4,500-acres as per the claim in the notice published by the Fulay Juth (group) gram panchayat in the newspaper on May 12. Documents accessed by Mongabay-India reveal that the timeline for securing the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) was initiated in 2024. According to local conservationists and a forest official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity as they have been instructed to not speak to the media, the project has now begun active groundwork, with site surveys, fencing installation, and the management of Prosopis juliflora underway. However, conservationists, ecologists, wildlife photographers, and local pastoralists fear that the project will cause irreversible damage to the ecology of Chhari Dhandh wetland. A herder with camels in the lush grasslands bordering the Chhari Dhandh wetland in Kachchh, Gujarat, which received&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/proposed-solar-project-in-indias-largest-grassland-sparks-conservation-concerns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Biodiversity and pastoral traditions lose shine with time in these grass preserves</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jun 2026 14:03:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/12122455/AP23167518472753-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38617</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Environment, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Nasibi Shermamad Jat, 55, remembers how, as a child, she would walk to the rakhal near her village with her mother to take their buffaloes for grazing. “I plucked imli (tamarind) from the trees and collected grass during drought,” she recalls. After she got married, her visits to the rakhal continued with her husband and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Nasibi Shermamad Jat, 55, remembers how, as a child, she would walk to the rakhal near her village with her mother to take their buffaloes for grazing. “I plucked imli (tamarind) from the trees and collected grass during drought,” she recalls. After she got married, her visits to the rakhal continued with her husband and their camels. A protected area, a rakhal is typically characterised by sparse tree cover, shrubs, and grass in a savannah-like landscape, found in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kachchh, Gujarat. Nasibi’s village is one among the many villages across the parched region of Kachchh, where shades of white, beige and sandy brown dominate the landscape. Belonging to the pastoralist Maldhari community in Dhragavandh, a village near the India-Pakistan border, Nasibi’s family of eight owns 30 camels and six buffaloes. There are four rakhals surrounding her village located inside the Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary. “The kings gave us rakhals to graze our animals,” says Nasibi. Rakhals began as grass preserves in the 1880s, with the purpose of supplying fodder for animals and for hunting by the rulers of the princely state of Kachchh. Cutting trees was banned even then. The royal court earned revenue from some rakhals by allowing Maldharis to graze their herds in these areas. After Independence, the rakhals were taken over by the state forest department. In present times, rakhals are facing several pressures in the form of urbanisation, industrialisation, the fading away of traditional ecological knowledge, invasive species, renewable energy expansion, and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/biodiversity-and-pastoral-traditions-lose-shine-with-time-in-these-grass-preserves/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A salt marsh through time [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 May 2026 16:41:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[C.P. Rajendran]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[salt pans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/14125046/Asiatic_Wild_Ass_at_sunset-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38174</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Ecology, Marshlands, Oceans, Rivers, Thar Desert, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Have you ever heard of a desert that disappears every year, only to return? Rann of Kutch is a landscape where a shallow sea floods the land for a few months each monsoon. During the monsoons, tidal currents from the Gulf of Kutch flow onto this white desert, transforming it into an inland sea. As [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Have you ever heard of a desert that disappears every year, only to return? Rann of Kutch is a landscape where a shallow sea floods the land for a few months each monsoon. During the monsoons, tidal currents from the Gulf of Kutch flow onto this white desert, transforming it into an inland sea. As the monsoon retreats, the waters recede, leaving behind an endless stretch of snowy flats. Migratory birds like flamingos descend upon the newly formed lake, where they feed on fish and hatch their young on the fringes of the marshes, which then turn green. But this doesn’t last forever. Come summer, the water recedes, the earth dries, and you see a land that stretches to the horizon — snow white, with shiny crystals of salt. This is the Rann of Kutch in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where a desert changes its appearance with the seasons, year after year. The features are not permanent; they come and go. Derived from Hindi, rann means salt marsh, and Kutch refers to an alternately wet and dry place. This large area of salt marshes, called the Rann of Kutch (also spelt Kachchh), stretches across the border between India and Pakistan. Much of it lies in the Kutch district of Gujarat and extends into Sindh in Pakistan. Occupying around 26,000 square kilometres and extending east to west, the Rann of Kutch is divided into the Great Rann and the Little Rann. This &#8220;marsh of alluvium&#8221; is home to India&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/a-salt-marsh-through-time-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Sloth bears den between a rock and a safe place</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sloth-bears-den-between-a-rock-and-a-safe-place/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sloth-bears-den-between-a-rock-and-a-safe-place/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Mar 2026 13:29:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera traps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dryland conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest guards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sloth bear]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/25010338/MelursusUrsinusFemaleCub-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37445</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Ecology, Forestry, Grasslands, Mammals, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the dry forests of eastern Gujarat, sloth bears disappear into the landscape every day. Naturally occurring caves on rocky hillocks provide hidden shelters that offer shade, safety and, for some, a place to raise cubs. A recent study takes a closer look at these refuges to understand how sloth bears choose these sites, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the dry forests of eastern Gujarat, sloth bears disappear into the landscape every day. Naturally occurring caves on rocky hillocks provide hidden shelters that offer shade, safety and, for some, a place to raise cubs. A recent study takes a closer look at these refuges to understand how sloth bears choose these sites, and why certain aspects of the landscape matter more than others. “Denning behaviour is a really important part of sloth bear ecology, but surprisingly it has not been studied as much as other aspects like diet or habitat use. Like other bears, sloth bears depend on dens as safe places for resting and for raising their cubs. These sites also provide protection from environmental stress, disturbance and potential threats, especially when cubs are very young,” says Ashish Kumar Jangid, principal project associate at Wildlife Institute of India, and a sloth bear expert. Finding sloth bears dens The study was conducted between May 2022 and November 2023 in forests connecting Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary and Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat. The landscape stretches across Dahod, Chhota Udepur and Panchmahal districts and covers roughly 324 square kilometres. The terrain is rugged and hilly. Rocky outcrops rise through dry deciduous forest dominated by teak, crocodile bark, mahua, tendu and dhak trees. Although the sanctuaries themselves are protected areas, the corridor linking them is a mosaic of forest and human use. Sloth bears move through this landscape alongside species such as leopards, rusty-spotted cats, Indian giant flying squirrels, striped hyenas, golden&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/sloth-bears-den-between-a-rock-and-a-safe-place/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Majority of Asiatic lions are found outside Gir protected areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/majority-of-asiatic-lions-are-found-outside-gir-protected-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/majority-of-asiatic-lions-are-found-outside-gir-protected-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jan 2026 17:30:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gir]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lions]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/07155423/Asiatic_lion_04-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36375</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Cats, Mammals, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Asiatic lions in Gujarat are increasingly occupying a variety of different landscapes as their population grows, a census exercise by the Gujarat Forest Department found. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Asiatic lions increased from 674 individuals to 891, the census, published as a paper in the Global Ecology and Conservation journal, says. However, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Asiatic lions in Gujarat are increasingly occupying a variety of different landscapes as their population grows, a census exercise by the Gujarat Forest Department found. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Asiatic lions increased from 674 individuals to 891, the census, published as a paper in the Global Ecology and Conservation journal, says. However, of these, only 394 were found in the core areas comprising the Gir National Park, Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, and its adjoining areas. A majority of lions formed satellite populations in several other regions outside the core zone. Asiatic lions are found in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, which is a semi-arid landscape hosting six protected areas and a diverse range of habitats, including grasslands, dry deciduous forest, and coastal ecosystems. As the population grew, the spatial distribution range of lions also increased, from 30,000 square kilometres in 2020 to 35,000 sq km in 2025, marking a 16.67% increase. “What we&#8217;re seeing is lions reclaiming their original habitats,&#8221; said Mohan Ram, a senior forest officer with the Gujarat Forest Department, and lead author of the study. The growth of satellite populations parallels the recovery of other large carnivores from other parts of the world, such as wolves in Europe and cougars in North America, the paper notes. However, the implications of a growing lion population in India are different, particularly in the rapidly developing Saurashtra region. Emerging habitats &#8220;require a holistic management approach encompassing community engagement, conflict-safe cropping systems, awareness programs, and beneficiary-oriented schemes to foster coexistence,” says&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/majority-of-asiatic-lions-are-found-outside-gir-protected-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Concerted efforts save an Indigenous donkey from oblivion</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/concerted-efforts-save-an-indigenous-donkey-from-oblivion/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/concerted-efforts-save-an-indigenous-donkey-from-oblivion/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Dec 2025 09:27:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Azera Parveen Rahman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pastoralists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/25004622/Ranabhai-Bharwad-is-a-Maldhari-or-pastoralist-who-rears-Halari-donkeys-e1766605076342-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36234</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, People, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An all-white coat is what makes Gujarat’s Halari donkey stand out from other donkeys. An Indigenous breed named after the erstwhile Halar region of Gujarat where it is found, the Halari donkey has long been an age-old companion of the local pastoralist community, which migrates seasonally, and of potters — both of whom use the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An all-white coat is what makes Gujarat’s Halari donkey stand out from other donkeys. An Indigenous breed named after the erstwhile Halar region of Gujarat where it is found, the Halari donkey has long been an age-old companion of the local pastoralist community, which migrates seasonally, and of potters — both of whom use the donkey to transport their belongings and wares. With changing times, however, the Halari donkey began losing its relevance, and as a consequence, its population started to dwindle. Concerted efforts to save the animal from vanishing have, however, borne fruit. The Halari donkey is slowly walking towards recovery, and for the first time, the breed has received official recognition for its Indigenous status. The Halari donkey is one of the four Indigenous donkey breeds in India, the other three being the Kachchhi donkey, also from Gujarat, the Spiti breed from Himachal Pradesh, and the Ladakhi from Ladakh. However, it was not registered as a distinct breed until as late as 2015. “Even after that, it was not counted as a separate breed in the 20th Livestock Census in 2019, so its numbers remained hidden within the broader category of donkeys,” says Ramesh Bhati of the Centre for Pastoralism (CfP), which has been working on the conservation of the Halari donkey for more than a decade. The Centre is an initiative of Gujarat-based non-profit Sahjeevan, formed to focus primarily on research and pastoralists’ livelihoods. The declining numbers of the species were first brought to light when Sahjeevan,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/concerted-efforts-save-an-indigenous-donkey-from-oblivion/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Residential rooftop solar grows under government scheme, but gaps persist [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/residential-rooftop-solar-grows-under-pm-surya-ghar-yojana-but-gaps-persist-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/residential-rooftop-solar-grows-under-pm-surya-ghar-yojana-but-gaps-persist-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Dec 2025 12:35:38 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gaurav UpadhyayPrabhakar Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decentralised energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Decentralised renewable energy (DRE)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decentralised solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PMSGY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rooftop solar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Rooftop]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/15121734/AP24052670530069-cropped-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36058</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat, India, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s rooftops are increasingly dotted with solar panels, marking a new chapter in the country’s clean energy story. The central government scheme, Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGY), launched in February 2024, has brought residential rooftop solar into the mainstream after years of slow uptake. As of July 2025, India had installed about [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s rooftops are increasingly dotted with solar panels, marking a new chapter in the country’s clean energy story. The central government scheme, Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGY), launched in February 2024, has brought residential rooftop solar into the mainstream after years of slow uptake. As of July 2025, India had installed about 11 gigawatts (GW) of residential rooftop solar capacity, of which, about half, 4.9 GW, has been added under the PMSGY. For a country that depends heavily on imported fossil fuels, the idea of turning every roof into a small power plant carries both economic and environmental value. The scheme aims to make rooftop solar more affordable and accessible for households across India. And in its first year itself, it is clear the scheme has sparked widespread interest. However, in our recent analysis, we find that while early results are encouraging, the programme’s on-ground implementation faces several hurdles, including financing bottlenecks, supply chain gaps, limited awareness and procedural delays. Early successes but uneven progress Before PMSGY, rooftop solar uptake in India was largely limited to commercial and industrial consumers. For households, factors such as high upfront costs, complex processes, and low awareness acted as barriers. The government sought to change this by standardising capital incentives and simplifying procedures to bring solar energy within the reach of regular families. Numbers reflect the scheme&#8217;s transformative impact. With a financial outlay of around $8 billion, the scheme targets 30 GW of residential rooftop solar capacity and coverage of 10&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/residential-rooftop-solar-grows-under-pm-surya-ghar-yojana-but-gaps-persist-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/residential-rooftop-solar-grows-under-pm-surya-ghar-yojana-but-gaps-persist-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Asia’s largest grassland is a surprisingly effective carbon sink, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/asias-largest-grassland-is-a-surprisingly-effective-carbon-sink-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/asias-largest-grassland-is-a-surprisingly-effective-carbon-sink-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Aug 2025 17:55:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carbon sink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grassland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grasslands]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/08163307/8420219048_b5d4bd2250_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34040</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon Sequestration and Grasslands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands in Gujarat have long captivated scientists for their variety of flora and fauna, including types of grass not commonly seen elsewhere. At 2,300 square kilometers, it is Asia’s largest tropical grassland and one of India’s most unique saline grassland-wetland ecosystems. Beneath this vast expanse lies a wealth of soil organic carbon (SOC), [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Banni grasslands in Gujarat have long captivated scientists for their variety of flora and fauna, including types of grass not commonly seen elsewhere. At 2,300 square kilometers, it is Asia’s largest tropical grassland and one of India’s most unique saline grassland-wetland ecosystems. Beneath this vast expanse lies a wealth of soil organic carbon (SOC), adding yet another dimension to the ecosystem’s complexity, a new study finds. Unlike most other arid, semi-arid, or seasonally flooded savannas, the Banni grasslands have emerged from soils that are inherently saline. “The Banni grasslands are a relatively new land formation, and the texture of the soil has to do with the deposition of sand from rivers across millennia,” said Chetan Misher, co-author of the study and a wildlife ecologist at the Wildlife Conservation Trust. The texture of the soil is fine, resembling the silt and clay in some parts, making it very dense. “The silt is compact, and for a long time was undisturbed,” he added. The nature of soil in the Banni grasslands makes it ideal to store carbon – it was found to store 27.69 million tonnes of carbon, according to the study. For perspective, all of Gujarat was reported to have a soil organic carbon stock of 67 million tonnes, as per the India State of Forest Report 2023. &#8220;Such research can shine a lens on the importance of below-ground carbon stocks and restoration, rather than merely tree planting, as an ecologically sensible means to create long-term, sustainable carbon sinks that&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/asias-largest-grassland-is-a-surprisingly-effective-carbon-sink-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>How Gir lions are using scent to communicate</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/how-gir-lions-are-using-scent-to-communicate/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/how-gir-lions-are-using-scent-to-communicate/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jul 2025 10:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animal behaviour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gir]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/15162413/It-found-that-among-all-observed-behaviours-sniffing-was-the-most-common-accounting-for-nearly-40-of-the-recorded-actions.-Photo-Credit-Mohan-Ram-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33139</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Mammals, most prominently carnivorous species, use scent-marking as a crucial form of communication. Lions, for example, use urine, faeces, and secretions from scent glands to leave behind long-lasting chemical signals on trees and trails. While these are invisible to the human eye, they carry a meaning for other lions in that area. A study conducted [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Mammals, most prominently carnivorous species, use scent-marking as a crucial form of communication. Lions, for example, use urine, faeces, and secretions from scent glands to leave behind long-lasting chemical signals on trees and trails. While these are invisible to the human eye, they carry a meaning for other lions in that area. A study conducted in Gujarat’s Gir Forest focussed on decoding some of this hidden communication. “This is the first detailed scientific study of scent-marking in free-ranging Asiatic lions, and it reveals how scent is a powerful tool for territory defence, mate attraction, and social interaction,” says Mohan Ram, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Division, Sasan-Gir, Gir National Park and Sanctuary, and one of the lead researchers. Leaving a mark Gir Forest, which includes a national park and sanctuary, is spread across nearly 1,900 square kilometres in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region. It is home to over 40 species of mammals, including leopards, hyenas, and jackals, but the lion is its undisputed icon. To understand how the big cats use scent to communicate, researchers collaborated with Gir’s seasoned field trackers. These experts helped identify trees that showed signs of regular scratching and are favoured spots for lion scent-marking. At 36 such locations, the team installed motion-triggered infrared cameras between March 2022 and April 2024. “Across three seasons, we faced all kinds of challenges, from sensor triggers caused by birds or wind to monsoon rains that washed away scent marks. Reaching camera trap locations during heavy rain was a task in itself. Plus,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/how-gir-lions-are-using-scent-to-communicate/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Looking at invasives beyond the ecological lens [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/looking-at-invasives-beyond-the-ecological-lens-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/looking-at-invasives-beyond-the-ecological-lens-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jun 2025 09:53:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Divyajyoti Ganguly]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[communities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasives]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prosopis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/22213724/IMG_20240627_103358-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33271</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Ecology, Grasslands, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For centuries, plants and animals have been translocated from their native lands and introduced elsewhere by humans — sometimes for ornamentation, sometimes to change the nature of unfamiliar ecosystems in their favour. Subsequently, some species became invasive, spreading uncontrollably, disrupting biodiversity and altering essential ecosystem processes. The dominant conservation narrative has long been to eradicate [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For centuries, plants and animals have been translocated from their native lands and introduced elsewhere by humans — sometimes for ornamentation, sometimes to change the nature of unfamiliar ecosystems in their favour. Subsequently, some species became invasive, spreading uncontrollably, disrupting biodiversity and altering essential ecosystem processes. The dominant conservation narrative has long been to eradicate invasive species entirely. More recently, a debate has emerged, calling for these species to be viewed not only through an ecological lens but also in the context of how they impact the lives and livelihoods of human communities. Today, over 4,300 species are classified as invasive with biological invasion ranking among the most urgent conservation concerns of our time. Yet their management remains a persistent challenge. A rich body of literature describes how these species drive extinctions, diminish biodiversity, and erode ecological resilience in the face of climate change. While some studies explore the possible benefits of invasive species, this area of inquiry remains underrepresented and relatively recent. To address the complexity of the challenges posed by invasive species, a broader and more inclusive approach is long overdue. One such story is that of the Wadha Kolis — a socio-economically marginalised community — who live in and around the Banni grasslands of Kachchh, Gujarat where the invasive plant Prosopis juliflora is widespread. The Banni was once among the largest open grasslands in Asia, spreading over approximately 2,600 km², home to rich biodiversity and a tapestry of pastoral cultures. North of Banni lies the vast White&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/looking-at-invasives-beyond-the-ecological-lens-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Trading emissions to help cut air pollution more effectively</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/trading-emissions-to-help-cut-air-pollution-more-effectively/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/trading-emissions-to-help-cut-air-pollution-more-effectively/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Apr 2025 13:27:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air Pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carbon Emission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carbon Trading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trade]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/04/28115252/Banas_Dairy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32353</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Carbon emissions, Industry, and Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The industrial city of Surat succeeded in reducing its air pollution loads — by experimenting with the rules. India is among the most polluted countries in the world, with transport, industrial emissions, and biomass burning as some of the leading causes. The responsibility of enforcing air pollution norms falls on the state and central pollution [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The industrial city of Surat succeeded in reducing its air pollution loads — by experimenting with the rules. India is among the most polluted countries in the world, with transport, industrial emissions, and biomass burning as some of the leading causes. The responsibility of enforcing air pollution norms falls on the state and central pollution control boards (PCBs), who have the power to set emission and effluent standards and test them. In Surat, an experiment with changing the regulatory framework yielded better results in controlling air pollution than before. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board collaborated with researchers affiliated with the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago’s India program (EPIC) to set up an emissions trading system (ETS), giving polluting industries the chance to buy and sell permits to pollute, with the aim of driving down pollution. “An emissions trading system replaces a fixed limit on emissions per plant with a cap on the total amount of pollution reaching the atmosphere by a group of factories, while allowing them to reallocate and redistribute that pollution amongst themselves, by trading permits,” explained Anant Sudarshan, a faculty member at the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick and a co-author of the study. “The benefit of this is it can bring costs down significantly, because it creates an incentive to over achieve. So, plants that are able to over achieve have an incentive to do that because they can then sell permits to plants for whom it is very difficult&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/trading-emissions-to-help-cut-air-pollution-more-effectively/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>As castor fields expand, a traditional mixed farming system shrinks</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/as-castor-fields-expand-a-traditional-mixed-farming-system-shrinks/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/as-castor-fields-expand-a-traditional-mixed-farming-system-shrinks/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Apr 2025 13:36:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Azera Parveen Rahman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[castor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm produce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/04/07094246/Devsi-Parmar-R-in-a-castor-field-with-another-farmer-in-Adesar-Kachchh-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32090</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[There is a Gujarati saying that goes, &#8220;Ujjad Pradesh ma eranda pradhan,&#8221; which means, “castor rules in the arid/semi-arid land.” The saying certainly holds true in Gujarat’s Kachchh, which is characterised by dry conditions and is the highest castor producing district in the state. “These sayings are based on years of experience. Castor has traditionally [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[There is a Gujarati saying that goes, &#8220;Ujjad Pradesh ma eranda pradhan,&#8221; which means, “castor rules in the arid/semi-arid land.” The saying certainly holds true in Gujarat’s Kachchh, which is characterised by dry conditions and is the highest castor producing district in the state. “These sayings are based on years of experience. Castor has traditionally been one of the crops in the mixed farming system practiced in this region. But it was not considered a major crop like pearl millet or green gram which are a part of the staple diet,” said Praveen Muchhadiya of the non-governmental organisation Satvik: Promoting Ecological Farming. However, gradually, a rising demand for castor globally has led to farmers growing more castor. As more agricultural land is being dedicated to its cultivation in Kachchh, there is a decline in the traditional mixed farming system where up to seven mixed crops were grown together to optimise water usage, improve soil health and seed diversity. Growing demand for castor Globally, there is a rising demand for castor oil which is used across sectors such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and animal feed. India is the world’s largest producer of castor, accounting for 85.02% of the world’s castor seed production. It also leads the castor oil trade, producing 80% of the world’s castor oil supply. In a bid to further push domestic oilseed production, including castor, the government of India launched the National Mission on Edible Oils — Oilseeds this year, with a push on hybrid seeds. Gujarat and Rajasthan&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/as-castor-fields-expand-a-traditional-mixed-farming-system-shrinks/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Property tax revenue could help cities adapt to a hotter world</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/fairer-property-taxes-could-help-cities-adapt-to-a-hotter-world/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/fairer-property-taxes-could-help-cities-adapt-to-a-hotter-world/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Mar 2025 13:48:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Climate Action Plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Action Plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban Heat Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban Local Bodies]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/03/28100519/2-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31978</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bihar, Gujarat, India, and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, and Climate Change Mitigation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Pune&#8217;s summer has turned relentless, with daytime temperatures soaring past 40°C in March and nights offering little relief as the mercury refuses to dip below 20°C. But for some residents, the heat isn&#8217;t the only discomfort — unpaid property taxes have brought an unusual worry. Instead of offering an amnesty scheme like many other cities, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Pune&#8217;s summer has turned relentless, with daytime temperatures soaring past 40°C in March and nights offering little relief as the mercury refuses to dip below 20°C. But for some residents, the heat isn&#8217;t the only discomfort — unpaid property taxes have brought an unusual worry. Instead of offering an amnesty scheme like many other cities, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken a different route — from blaring musical bands outside homes to cutting water supply — to recover dues before the financial year ends. Meanwhile, cities and townships such as Ulhasnagar, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Kolhapur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and many others are choosing a softer approach, rolling out amnesty schemes to encourage property owners to clear their pending taxes, including a 100% waiver on interest. In Pune though, past amnesty schemes have been frequently misused, according to a response to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by Vivek Velankar, the president of Sajag Nagarik Manch, an NGO based in Pune. The RTI response from PMC shared with him in January highlights that in 2020-21, out of 149,683 taxpayers who benefited from the scheme, 63,518 defaulted again by 2024. Similarly, in 2021-22, 66,454 people availed of the scheme, but 44,685 became defaulters again in 2024. Velankar says that amnesty schemes reward habitual defaulters. This is an injustice to those who pay taxes on time. Velankar&#8217;s RTI query also reveals 685 major defaulters with dues exceeding Rs. 10 million each, totalling over Rs. 27.55 billion. For context, this amounts to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/03/fairer-property-taxes-could-help-cities-adapt-to-a-hotter-world/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Indian cities witness a growing momentum for climate action</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/indian-cities-witness-a-growing-momentum-for-climate-action/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/indian-cities-witness-a-growing-momentum-for-climate-action/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Sep 2024 14:04:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C40]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CAP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Action Plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate adaptation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate mitigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mitigation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Cities]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/09/06093056/Kolkata-768x509.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29338</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat, India, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, and Climate Change Mitigation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Latur, a city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra with a population of around 500,000, received heavy rains on September 1, with 68.3 millimetres of rainfall in just 24 hours, causing loss of life and property. Historically known for its severe droughts, which were so extreme that in 2016, drinking water had to be transported [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Latur, a city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra with a population of around 500,000, received heavy rains on September 1, with 68.3 millimetres of rainfall in just 24 hours, causing loss of life and property. Historically known for its severe droughts, which were so extreme that in 2016, drinking water had to be transported there by train, Latur is now taking steps to address its climate challenges. The city is developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP), a strategic roadmap for mitigating environmental impacts and tackling climate change. This initiative follows a directive from the state government in July, mandating that all 43 cities in Maharashtra prepare CAPs. Maharashtra has been leading in this area, with Mumbai, the wealthiest municipality in the country, introducing India’s first climate budget in June after launching its CAP earlier. This movement towards city-level climate planning is gaining momentum in the country. Kolkata has plans to create a CAP, while in March, Chennai committed to integrating its 2023 CAP into its Master Plan. Bengaluru launched its CAP in 2023 after completing its first-ever Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory, and in July, Leh’s administration organised a meeting to discuss a CAP for the city. Cities will play a crucial role in climate action in India, with forecasts suggesting that 53% of the population—about 416 million people—will live in urban areas by 2050. These cities are also highly exposed to climate risks. Between 2036 and 2060, 33 of 57 major urban locations are expected to see increased extreme&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/indian-cities-witness-a-growing-momentum-for-climate-action/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Commentary] A cruise on the Narmada river: Is it legal, just or justified?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-a-cruise-on-the-narmada-river-is-it-legal-just-or-justified/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-a-cruise-on-the-narmada-river-is-it-legal-just-or-justified/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Aug 2024 12:12:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rachit Tiwari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Narmada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/29094920/Picture2-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29222</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat, India, and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Law, Rivers, Tourism, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department proposed to start cruise ship services for tourists on the Narmada River, in early 2022. The cruise ships, yet to become operational, will go from Badwani in Madhya Pradesh to the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat, covering a distance of approximately 135 km. Each ship will carry 70 passengers [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department proposed to start cruise ship services for tourists on the Narmada River, in early 2022. The cruise ships, yet to become operational, will go from Badwani in Madhya Pradesh to the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat, covering a distance of approximately 135 km. Each ship will carry 70 passengers in luxury and 56 passengers in the budget cruise vessels. These cruises will exclusively cater to tourists, providing facilities like bars, swimming pool, water sports and other leisure activities. Infrastructure for this project includes the construction of floating jetties and additional amenities to support tourists. Two additional sites, Hanfeshwar and Silarja, have been identified as stoppage points along the route. ​ This initiative is part of the government’s goal to develop luxury tourism in the region, with a 15-30% subsidy provided to attract investment in this sector. Periodically, the project was widely advertised in local newspapers and media, boasting about its economic benefits through potential tourism attraction and “foreign dollars” coming to the state. However, this project seemed to have violated significant environmental protection laws and ignored key social concerns related to the pollution of drinking water sources, impacts on fisheries and fisher workers, irrigation for farmers and the communities’ rights on water sources. The intention of attaining such benefits to ‘economy’ is a worrying trend of disregarding ecological balance and community well-being in pursuit of profiteering tourism activities as business. The Tourism Department of Madhya Pradesh enlisted WAPCOS Limited, a government-owned consultancy firm, to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-a-cruise-on-the-narmada-river-is-it-legal-just-or-justified/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Mugger crocodiles may be physiologically stressed in disturbed habitats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/mugger-crocodiles-may-be-physiologically-stressed-in-disturbed-habitats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/mugger-crocodiles-may-be-physiologically-stressed-in-disturbed-habitats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Aug 2024 16:35:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human-wildlife conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muggers]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/10023037/The-study-showed-that-Vadodaras-polluted-and-conflict-ridden-environment-leads-to-higher-stress-in-muggers-compared-to-the-more-serene-Charotar-region.-Photo-Credit-Tathagata-Bhowmik-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28952</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Conservation, Human Wildlife Conflict, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[New research in India reveals that mugger crocodiles in Vadodara, with high human-mugger conflict, exhibit chronic stress levels which could be harmful for the species. The study compared the stress levels of muggers in Vadodara with those in the more rural Charotar region, about 45 kilometres away, where there is high tolerance for the presence [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[New research in India reveals that mugger crocodiles in Vadodara, with high human-mugger conflict, exhibit chronic stress levels which could be harmful for the species. The study compared the stress levels of muggers in Vadodara with those in the more rural Charotar region, about 45 kilometres away, where there is high tolerance for the presence of muggers. The study demonstrated that physiological responses in muggers varied across habitats, and such variation could be because of ecological factors in the immediate, local environment. Vadodara, with its polluted Vishwamitri river and an urban-rural mix, contrasts sharply with the largely rural Charotar region, where muggers inhabit cleaner ponds and are revered as sacred animals. This contrast provided an ideal setting to study the physiological stress responses of muggers in varying environmental conditions. The study, by researchers from Ahmedabad University and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, highlights the impact of human activities and environmental conditions on wildlife, emphasising the need for tailored conservation strategies. Physiological stress can be detrimental to wildlife. Previous studies have shown that chronic stress can impact the reproductive and immune systems in species. Monitoring the stress provides an understanding of whether the species is at risk under a given condition and such research can then better inform conservation practices. “In India, many habitats suffer from threats such as pollution, habitat fragmentation, urbanisation, and increasing human-animal conflict. These challenges heavily impact the health and well-being of wildlife, making the environment highly unsustainable. Thus, assessing and implementing effective ecological and management strategies is crucial, especially for species&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/mugger-crocodiles-may-be-physiologically-stressed-in-disturbed-habitats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Agrivoltaics in India get a fresh boost from tech and design innovations</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/agrivoltaics-in-india-get-a-fresh-boost-from-tech-and-design-innovations/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/agrivoltaics-in-india-get-a-fresh-boost-from-tech-and-design-innovations/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Aug 2024 17:19:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Pallavi Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agrivoltaics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer producer organisations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Solar Energy Federation of India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Solar Energy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/02095750/Visitors-examine-green-capsicum-at-the-fully-elevated-Section-1-of-agrivoltaics-plant-near-Parbhani_Photo-credit_NSEFI_GIZ-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28857</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Innovations]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Delhi, Gujarat, India, and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Clean Energy, Renewable Energy, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Govind Rasave (25) was a contract farmer in Maharashtra’s Manmath village, until he joined an agrivoltaics site, where solar power production is integrated with crop cultivation, in Parbhani. Before he joined here as a farm manager in 2022, Rasave, as well as many farmers in his village, were apprehensive about solar installations in the region. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Govind Rasave (25) was a contract farmer in Maharashtra’s Manmath village, until he joined an agrivoltaics site, where solar power production is integrated with crop cultivation, in Parbhani. Before he joined here as a farm manager in 2022, Rasave, as well as many farmers in his village, were apprehensive about solar installations in the region. They were particularly concerned about losing farming land to ground-mounted solar installations, with little room between or below the panels for cultivation. Conventional utility-scale solar projects are usually fenced off, says Rasave, and don’t allow any agricultural activity within their premises. “This loss of land to a solar power plant became a sore point for many farmers and agricultural workers who started viewing solar projects with skepticism,” he adds. This apprehension about solar installations, reflects the conflict between food security and energy access in India. Both the crucial sectors &#8211; agriculture and solar energy generation &#8211; require significant land area. A study, for example, predicts that India will require around 311 million tonnes of food grains by 2030 and 350 million tonnes by 2050 &#8211; all of which will require extensive land for farming. Meanwhile, the amount of solar and onshore wind power needed for India to achieve its target of net zero by 2050 would require between 55,500 and 77,000 km² of land. Rasave’s perspective changed when he came across the 1.4 MW agrivoltaics project in Parbhani, about three kilometres from his village, where crops are harvested while solar panels generate energy. The agrivoltaics, also&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/agrivoltaics-in-india-get-a-fresh-boost-from-tech-and-design-innovations/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Banni’s edible local grasses threatened by the spread of Prosopis</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/bannis-edible-local-grasses-threatened-by-the-spread-of-prosopis/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/bannis-edible-local-grasses-threatened-by-the-spread-of-prosopis/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Apr 2024 11:39:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Azera Parveen Rahman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grasslands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/03113843/bannni-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27068</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Grasslands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the Banni grasslands of Kachchh in Gujarat, Rasool bhai remembers the time his grandparents would narrate stories of how they would forage for local species of edible grass. The seeds of Sau (Echinochloa species), a local grass species, for instance, was commonly used to make rotla, akin to a millet roti. “This practice has [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the Banni grasslands of Kachchh in Gujarat, Rasool bhai remembers the time his grandparents would narrate stories of how they would forage for local species of edible grass. The seeds of Sau (Echinochloa species), a local grass species, for instance, was commonly used to make rotla, akin to a millet roti. “This practice has now become rarer, because local edible species of grasses and plants are not as easily found,” Rasool bhai, who also works as a field assistant at RAMBLE (Research and Monitoring in the Banni Landscape), says. Conversations with several other locals reveal a similar observation—the degradation of one of Asia’s biggest and finest grasslands, Banni, is also impacting the local people’s diet. Ironically, Prosopis juliflora, an invasive species that has contributed to Banni’s degradation, has also become a source of livelihood for some locals. Indigenous edible grasses Hunting and gathering food from one’s local environment is closely intertwined with human evolution. It was not until 12,000 years ago that humans began domesticating plants and animals. The local communities of Banni—there are 19 Gram Panchayats here—too often source their food from the grassland they live around. Isa bhai Mutwa, coordinator of the Banni Breeders Association, says that they consume the seeds of local grasses like Khevai (Sporobolus species) and Chichni (Eragrostis japonica) in grounded form. “The seeds of Khevai, Chichni, Sau, are ground to make chapatti,” Isa bhai says. He also mentions Morad, a plant that is eaten as a sabji or vegetable preparation, “was easily found&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/bannis-edible-local-grasses-threatened-by-the-spread-of-prosopis/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Uncertain weather makes that pinch of salt dearer</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/uncertain-weather-makes-that-pinch-of-salt-dearer/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/uncertain-weather-makes-that-pinch-of-salt-dearer/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Mar 2024 17:42:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ravleen Kaur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme weather events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salt]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/03/27123244/karkach-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27091</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change and Coast]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Ashadi Beej, the Kutchi new year, marks the beginning of monsoon in the Kachchh region of Gujarat. The festival, which falls at the end of June, also signals a break from salt production, one of the primary livelihoods in the region. This break ends at the end of August or in September, marked by the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Ashadi Beej, the Kutchi new year, marks the beginning of monsoon in the Kachchh region of Gujarat. The festival, which falls at the end of June, also signals a break from salt production, one of the primary livelihoods in the region. This break ends at the end of August or in September, marked by the occasion of Janamashtmi, celebrated as the birthday of the Hindu god, Krishna. This is when the new salt production season begins. This was the norm till about five years ago. But unpredictable weather, over the past five years, has disrupted this schedule, said Shamji Kangad, owner of Neelkanth Salt and Supply Private Ltd, which operates marine salt works in the Kachchh and Bharuch districts of Gujarat. The salt production is mainly done by people who belong to the Agariya community, the salt farmers of Kachchh. &#8220;All Agariyas go back to their villages on Ashadi Beej. But lately, the monsoon has been delayed, sometimes even by up to a month. The rain that usually ends around September earlier, now extends up to November sometimes. We are still adjusting to this shift,” said Kangad. Cyclones, Tauktae in May 2021 and Biparjoy in June 2023, also terminated the salt production season early. “Although the cyclone warning is only for ten days, it ends up disrupting the production cycle for 30 days as the salt pans have to be emptied and then repair work has to be taken up. By then, the monsoon starts. So, we lose the peak summer season&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/uncertain-weather-makes-that-pinch-of-salt-dearer/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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