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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/environmental-politics/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>Maharashtra formally recognises women farmers regardless of land ownership [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/maharashtra-formally-recognises-women-farmers-regardless-of-land-ownership-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/maharashtra-formally-recognises-women-farmers-regardless-of-land-ownership-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Oct 2026 12:25:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Soumya Swaminathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/01002543/IMG_20260924_221913_Mahesh-Maske-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41235</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Food, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On October 2, Maharashtra is set to begin issuing the Women Farmers Certificates (WFCs) under the newly enacted Women Farmer’s Empowerment Act 2026. The certificates will formally recognise women engaged in agriculture or allied activities as farmers, even when they do not own the land. The WFC will open doors for lakhs of women who [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On October 2, Maharashtra is set to begin issuing the Women Farmers Certificates (WFCs) under the newly enacted Women Farmer’s Empowerment Act 2026. The certificates will formally recognise women engaged in agriculture or allied activities as farmers, even when they do not own the land. The WFC will open doors for lakhs of women who sow, tend, harvest and manage our agri-foods systems, as well as livestock, poultry and fisheries, but are often left out of the formal definition of a farmer. Maharashtra has shown political will and a clear sense of urgency in bringing women farmers’ needs into the spotlight and leading by example. Feminisation of agriculture  We have been witnessing feminisation of agriculture for some time now. As men move to non-farm jobs, women have increasingly taken up the role of managing and maintaining the agricultural lands. But this has often meant more responsibility without a corresponding rise in control, assets or decision-making power. Without land titles, they also struggle to access critical resources such as credit, water, technology and extension services, reducing them to labourers in a sector they largely sustain. Nationally, women make up close to 60% of the agricultural workforce as reported by the Periodic Labour Force Survey and shared by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Ramnath Thakur recently in Parliament, but they hold less than 15% of land titles. In Maharashtra, 82% of the rural female workforce is engaged in agriculture, yet women hold only about 15.5% of operational farmland. Empowering women&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/maharashtra-formally-recognises-women-farmers-regardless-of-land-ownership-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Indus Waters Treaty needs modernisation, experts say amid deadlock</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Sep 2026 17:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hydroelectric Power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Water conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/17161710/AP6804011606-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40983</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Dams, Environmental Politics, Politics, Rivers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On August 31, the Permanent Court of Arbitration — an intergovernmental body headquartered in The Hague — passed an order that said India could not unilaterally retreat from or cast aside the Indus Waters Treaty, a 66-year-old pact governing water sharing between India and Pakistan. India rejected the court’s decision shortly after, prolonging the deadlock [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On August 31, the Permanent Court of Arbitration — an intergovernmental body headquartered in The Hague — passed an order that said India could not unilaterally retreat from or cast aside the Indus Waters Treaty, a 66-year-old pact governing water sharing between India and Pakistan. India rejected the court’s decision shortly after, prolonging the deadlock between both countries and throwing the Treaty’s future into a state of flux. The PCA’s order was issued more than a year after India placed the agreement in “abeyance” following attacks by militants that India said were linked to Pakistan-based groups. “India&#8217;s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent. The IWT stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan&#8217;s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably abjure its support for cross-border terrorism,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told the press in July. The PCA said it contemplated the meaning of India’s decision, since the word “abeyance” finds no recognition in the Treaty. It concluded that none of the grounds publicly cited by India “could justify suspension or termination of the Treaty,” and that it “remains fully in force, and India must observe its obligations.” Though famously having remained intact through three wars, the ongoing suspension has reinforced the need to modernise the agreement, experts say, so it can account for geopolitical differences, climate impacts, and changing water consumption habits. “If rights under an agreement cannot be exercised within a period of time without uncertainty, then it means that process isn’t&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/indus-water-treaty-needs-modernisation-experts-say-amid-deadlock/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>People and the politics of contest, construction and compensation</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Sep 2026 16:34:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Satish Bhartiya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ken-betwa river linking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[River Interlinking]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/16154553/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B5-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%BC%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95-%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%B0-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Rivers, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard from beneath the nearby bridge. A large number of slippers lie scattered near the bridge, left behind during police interventions on July 19. Bhagwati Saur, 60, who lives 30 km away in Mainari village in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, arrived on July 4 at the protest site in Kupi village and returned home after the police cleared the site. She lives with her husband and six children in a five-room house. The family owns approximately five acres of agricultural land, where they grow mango, mahua and guava trees. She says that despite being affected by the project, she has, so far, received neither compensation for the house and land nor any related notice. “We pleaded for fair compensation, taking our appeal from Chhatarpur to Bhopal. When we were not heard, we had to raise our voices through the protest,” says Bhagwati. She is not the only one. In the affected villages, some families have been written off the compensation list, while others are awaiting payment. Many families are questioning the compensation rates and survey process. The April and July protests prompted the administration to order a reassessment of the families that had been left&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/people-and-the-politics-of-contest-construction-and-compensation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Centre tightens grip over mineral taxation, states cry foul</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2026 12:49:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vishal Kumar Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minerals]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/11112041/Alok-Putul-Hasdeo-coal-block-4-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40861</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Energy, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, and Mining]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Among the 12 bills passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded in August, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (MMDR Amendment Bill) has drawn the most opposition. The bill — which has far-reaching implications for Centre-State relations and the federal structure — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Among the 12 bills passed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded in August, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 (MMDR Amendment Bill) has drawn the most opposition. The bill — which has far-reaching implications for Centre-State relations and the federal structure — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 10 and passed by a voice vote within two minutes on August 12. The statement of objects and reasons accompanying the Bill states that centre has assumed control over the regulation of mines and the development of minerals under Section 2 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “in view of the larger public interest.” These amendments significantly alter the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, shifting authority over mineral-bearing land from states to the Union Government. States can no longer impose any tax, cess or levy on such land, whether based on mineral quantity, prices, royalty or any other basis, other than the terms or restrictions prescribed by the Centre. States had won this right to levy taxes following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling, which also ordered them to recover outstanding dues in 12 installments starting April 1, 2025. However, states will not be required to return the amounts already collected. Opposition parties allege that mining-rich states will suffer a revenue loss following the amendment to the MMDR Act. A bauxite yard in Lohardaga, Jharkhand. Image by Vishal Kumar Jain/Mongabay. The Ministry of Mines maintains that the amendment will&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/centre-tightens-grip-over-mineral-taxation-states-cry-foul/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Supreme court upholds centre&#8217;s power to notify post-facto clearance</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Aug 2026 16:28:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest clearance]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/07135307/AP22207426732440-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39949</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environomy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Conservation, Deforestation, Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Industry, Land Rights, Law Enforcement, National Parks, Natural Resources, Protected Areas, Sustainability, and Wildlife Protection Act]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has struck down the centre&#8217;s 2021 Office Memorandum (OM) that created a mechanism for granting post facto environmental clearances to projects that violated prior environmental clearance norms. At the same time, it stated that the central government has the power to frame statutory amnesty schemes for specified categories of such violations under [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has struck down the centre&#8217;s 2021 Office Memorandum (OM) that created a mechanism for granting post facto environmental clearances to projects that violated prior environmental clearance norms. At the same time, it stated that the central government has the power to frame statutory amnesty schemes for specified categories of such violations under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. On July 29, the Supreme Court decided three connected writ petitions questioning the centre&#8217;s two amnesty schemes introduced in 2017 and 2021 to regularise projects that had started construction or operations without obtaining prior environmental clearance. The first scheme came through a notification issued in 2017, which gave projects that had violated prior environmental clearance requirements a one-time six-month window to seek clearance. In 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued an OM prescribing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for granting post facto environmental clearances to such projects. Delivering the judgment, the three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi said, “…the OM does not satisfy the test of proportionality and reasonableness and is violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution”. The Court quashed the OM, although the ruling will operate only prospectively, the judgement said. However, the bench also stated that the central government could exercise its powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to issue statutory notifications framing amnesty schemes for specified categories of non-compliant projects. Environmental experts said this leaves open&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/supreme-court-upholds-centres-power-to-notify-post-facto-clearance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Bihar&#8217;s green budget expands, but environmental indicators show little progress</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/bihars-green-budget-expands-but-environmental-indicators-show-little-progress/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/bihars-green-budget-expands-but-environmental-indicators-show-little-progress/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Jul 2026 14:22:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Umesh Kumar Ray]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/31125413/NTPC_Kantin_Muzaffarpur-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39756</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Bihar]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Cities and Towns, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Environmental Politics, Green Business, Green Energy, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It has been seven years since Bihar introduced a green budget. However, even now, data from various sources suggests little to no improvement in key environmental indicators such as renewable energy, air pollution, biodiversity and waste management, among others. The Bihar government presented its first green budget in 2020-21; this year, 2026, it presented its [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It has been seven years since Bihar introduced a green budget. However, even now, data from various sources suggests little to no improvement in key environmental indicators such as renewable energy, air pollution, biodiversity and waste management, among others. The Bihar government presented its first green budget in 2020-21; this year, 2026, it presented its seventh, amounting to approximately ₹158 billion which is roughly three times the amount of the initial ₹56 billion budget. However, on key environmental indicators, the state&#8217;s performance remains poor. For example, the energy sector accounts for roughly 65% of Bihar&#8217;s total greenhouse gas emissions, driven by coal-based power plants. The shift to renewable energy has been low, with renewable energy capacity for 2025-26 standing at 651 MW, up from 376 MW in 2020. The amount is significantly behind the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) call for increasing renewable capacity to 10,000 MW (10 GW) by 2030 and 28,000 MW (28 GW) by 2050 to achieve a &#8216;net zero&#8217; pathway, as stated in its 2024 report. At the current pace, Bihar will reach around 900 MW, just about a tenth of that 2030 target. Biodiversity data shows a similar trend. In 2019, Bihar had 4,550 wetlands spread across 389,713 hectares. By 2025, the number of wetlands reduced by 24 to 4,526 wetlands. As per the latest green budget data, in this period, the total area of natural water bodies has shrunk by 16,843 hectares, that&#8217;s about 70% the size of Patna, Bihar&#8217;s capital. In waste&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/bihars-green-budget-expands-but-environmental-indicators-show-little-progress/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Government proposes increasing clearance validity for ports and harbours</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Jul 2026 15:44:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ship]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/15125227/AP25160345655791-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39305</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Environment, Environmental Politics, Industry, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Union Environment Ministry has proposed “rationalising” the validity of environmental clearances for port and harbour projects in India, increasing it from the current 10 year period to a 15 year period. In addition to increasing the validity of the environmental clearance, the draft notification also proposes increasing the renewal period upon the completion of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Union Environment Ministry has proposed “rationalising” the validity of environmental clearances for port and harbour projects in India, increasing it from the current 10 year period to a 15 year period. In addition to increasing the validity of the environmental clearance, the draft notification also proposes increasing the renewal period upon the completion of the clearance’s tenure, from one year to five years. The proposal was made in a draft notification issued on May 20. According to the draft notification, the reason for increasing the clearance validity is because of the “high gestation period due to various issues, which are often beyond the control of the project proponent.” Ports and harbours can take over a decade from construction to commercial or full-scale operation. India has 12 major ports and 217 non-major ports. In the 2025-2026 financial year, India’s ports collectively handled 915 million tonnes of cargo, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. “Often long gestation is symptomatic of unaddressed local grievances. Instead of addressing the problem by letting the locals air their grievances, and letting the project owners offer satisfactory solutions, the ministry of proposing a blanket extension,” said Meenakshi Kapoor, an independent researcher who tracks changes to India’s environmental clearance process. A 2010 report on major and non major ports along India’s coastline found that out of 181 notified non major ports at the time, at least 41 (23%) had reported environmental concerns and 32 (18%) reported protests on social grounds. “A reapplication for EC&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/government-proposes-increasing-clearance-validity-for-ports-and-harbours/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Petition accuses Wildlife Board Committee of rubber-stamping diversions with &#8216;no application of mind’</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jul 2026 17:01:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/10134024/AP22207426672059-scaled-e1783671210988-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Deforestation, Environment, Environmental Politics, Forests, Habitat Loss, Industry, Logging, Natural Resources, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A group of former forest officials, conservationists, and researchers have censured the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and a statutory body under it for approving development projects within protected areas with “scant ecological and scientific evidence” and “no application of mind.” A public interest litigation filed by the group in the Delhi High Court says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A group of former forest officials, conservationists, and researchers have censured the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and a statutory body under it for approving development projects within protected areas with “scant ecological and scientific evidence” and “no application of mind.” A public interest litigation filed by the group in the Delhi High Court says the Standing Committee under the NBWL approved 97% of projects between 2014 and 2026, indicating a lack of “processual rigour” which led to the diversion of at least 95,724 hectares of forest land. The allegation comes amid a spate of changes made to national environmental norms to favour the “ease of doing business” — a stated goal of the incumbent BJP government. The petitioners include four retired Indian Forest Service officers, led by Prakriti Srivastava as well as eminent conservationists like M.K. Ranjitsinh, who played an instrumental role in drafting the Wildlife Protection Act, India’s primary wildlife protection law. The petition alleges the National Board for Wildlife — chaired by the Prime Minister — and its Standing Committee — chaired by the Union Environment Minister — acted with “total disregard of its (sic) constitutional duties and in violation of the very intent and purpose for which they were statutorily created.” A representative of Bhupender Yadav, Union Environment Minister and chairperson of the NBWL Standing Committee, declined to comment. The National Board for Wildlife was created in 2003 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to advise central and state governments on issues pertaining to wildlife. These&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/petition-accuses-wildlife-board-committee-of-rubber-stamping-diversions-with-no-application-of-mind/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Landslide survivors wait for a place to call home</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/landslide-survivors-wait-for-a-place-to-call-home/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/landslide-survivors-wait-for-a-place-to-call-home/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jun 2026 17:42:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landslide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landslides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relocation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/17143127/DSC4519-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38614</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Almost two years after a massive landslide ripped through her home, Bushara Mujeeb still feels at sea. Between the grief of losing two dozen family members in the disaster and the struggle of supporting those of them who survived, she knows that things will never quite be the same again. But there is something to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Almost two years after a massive landslide ripped through her home, Bushara Mujeeb still feels at sea. Between the grief of losing two dozen family members in the disaster and the struggle of supporting those of them who survived, she knows that things will never quite be the same again. But there is something to look forward to. She’s been counting down the days till she moves into her new home, built specifically for survivors of the 2024 Wayanad landslide in Kerala. “Since the landslide, organising food, shelter, and clothing has been my biggest preoccupation. We’ve just been living moment to moment, trying to get past that trauma,” she told Mongabay-India in April, sitting in the district headquarters&#8217; community centre. On July 30, 2024, the three wards of Chooralmala, Punchirimattam, and Mundakkai were washed away within minutes when, upstream of the Punnapuzha river, a cascade of rocks and soil came crashing down after days of relentlessly heavy rain. The landslide destroyed 1,500 homes and killed 266 people. It also wiped away 25 hectares of forest and 600 hectares of agricultural land with coffee, tea, and cardamom plantations, destroying a major source of livelihood for affected families. Soon after the disaster struck, the erstwhile Left Democratic Front government-led by Pinarayi Vijayan made plans to build a state-of-the-art township to rehabilitate survivors who lost their homes. More than 100 families were handed keys and titles to their new homes in early April this year. “Moving into the new home will be a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/landslide-survivors-wait-for-a-place-to-call-home/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A bauxite mining project, contested consent and growing tensions</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Jun 2026 17:40:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashwini Kumar Shukla]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bauxite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Right Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gram sabha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PESA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribal communities]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/01131630/IMG_1202-scaled-e1780300022815-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38444</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Environmental Crime, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, Mining, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was past 2:30 in the morning on April 7, 2026, when the banging on the doors began, locals of Kantamal village narrate. Kantamal is one of over 44 villages nestled in the foothills of Sijimali range in Odisha&#8217;s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. More than 200 police personnel had encircled the village, say the residents. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It was past 2:30 in the morning on April 7, 2026, when the banging on the doors began, locals of Kantamal village narrate. Kantamal is one of over 44 villages nestled in the foothills of Sijimali range in Odisha&#8217;s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. More than 200 police personnel had encircled the village, say the residents. The power was out. “We had no idea what was happening,” says Subash Singh Majhi, a 32-year-old who heads Maa Mati Mali Suraksha Manch, a collective of affected villagers opposing a proposed bauxite mine in the area. “Before we could understand anything, they (police) had dragged people out of their homes in the dark and begun beating them,” he alleges. Eighty-six-year-old Gaseb Dei Majhi remembers the night in fragments. “They fired tear gas. They beat us,” she says, holding up an empty shell, police fired that night. As per the locals, the immediate trigger was a protest against a 3-kilometre access road near Sagabari village, a road that, if completed, would connect state highway 44 to the Sijimali hilltop, and, which residents feared, would open the final path to the contested bauxite mine. Kantamal is one of over 44 villages nestled in the foothills of the Sijimali range in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. In the early hours of April 7, 2026, residents narrate how police personnel raided their homes and attacked them. Image by Ashwini Kumar Shukla. Ram Chandra Naik, a resident of Kantamal, alleged that police stripped him naked and dragged him during the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-bauxite-mining-project-contested-consent-and-growing-tensions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Biomedical waste crosses borders, polluting farmlands</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/biomedical-waste-crosses-borders-polluting-farmlands/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/biomedical-waste-crosses-borders-polluting-farmlands/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 May 2026 17:23:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Prasanth Shanmugasundaram]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biomedical waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment and health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/28131114/Kerala-Bio-medical-waste-dumped-near-Tirunelveli-Source-Thinakaran-Rajamani-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38407</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Cities and Towns, Environmental Politics, Health impacts, Human Rights, Industry, and Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Reports of Kerala’s biomedical waste being dumped along the Tamil Nadu border, along with incidents of meat waste and plastic waste being buried in pits across Tamil Nadu’s rural landscapes, have, over the years, become a disturbing routine in news reports. What once appeared as isolated violations has evolved into a pattern. In the last [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Reports of Kerala’s biomedical waste being dumped along the Tamil Nadu border, along with incidents of meat waste and plastic waste being buried in pits across Tamil Nadu’s rural landscapes, have, over the years, become a disturbing routine in news reports. What once appeared as isolated violations has evolved into a pattern. In the last decade, environmentalists estimate that hundreds of mixed waste dumping incidents along the state borders have been recorded, with many more likely unreported. Some of this waste being dumped includes biomedical waste. In certain instances, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognisance, initiating proceedings against the Kerala government. In one such case, biomedical waste from a cancer centre in Kerala that had been dumped in Tamil Nadu was ordered to be collected and transported back to Kerala. Yet a critical question remains: why does Kerala’s biomedical waste continue to cross into Tamil Nadu? Kerala’s biomedical waste is being dumped along the Tamil Nadu border. Hundreds of mixed waste dumping incidents have been recorded in the last decade, with many more likely unreported, and that a subset of them contain biomedical waste. Image by Thinakaran Rajamani. Biomedical waste, including syringes and plastic materials, found dumped in Tirunelveli district. Image by Thinakaran Rajamani. In conversations with farmers and residents in affected areas along Tamil Nadu’s border as well as a visit to Kerala’s primary biomedical waste treatment facility, IMAGE, in Palakkad, Mongabay-India found out that the issue is rooted in structural gaps, and not only&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/biomedical-waste-crosses-borders-polluting-farmlands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Assured paddy prices reshape farms</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 May 2026 12:38:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ayushi Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional grains]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/15114005/paddy-purchasing-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38193</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Politics, Food, Organic Farming, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sukhdev Sahu, a farmer from Kurud block in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, is standing on the edge of his field. Around him, paddy cultivation stretches as far as the eye can see. &#8220;In the past, we used to grow a variety of crops here, including kodo, kutki, ragi, pulses, and oilseeds. Now, there is nothing but [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sukhdev Sahu, a farmer from Kurud block in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, is standing on the edge of his field. Around him, paddy cultivation stretches as far as the eye can see. &#8220;In the past, we used to grow a variety of crops here, including kodo, kutki, ragi, pulses, and oilseeds. Now, there is nothing but paddy,&#8221; Sahu says. Now in his sixties, Sahu remembers a time when he practiced organic farming in the early 2000s. He used to make manure from cow dung on his farm and saved seeds for the next season. He then had 20 cattle. But things changed when paddy started getting better prices. Today, on his 11 acres of land, he grows only paddy. When asked for the reason, he answers, “It is because of the price of paddy. No matter the variety, the government buys it at ₹3,100 per quintal.” This trend is not unique to Sahu. Recent data highlights a broader transformation in agricultural practices across the state. Over the past five years, the certified area under organic cultivation in the state has shrunk sharply. The area under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) certification was around 23,209 hectares in 2020–21, but by 2024–25, it had fallen to just about 6,822 hectares. This represents a decline of nearly 70%. The area under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), another Indian government scheme launched in 2015-16 to promote sustainable, chemical-free organic farming, has increased from 25,000 ha to more than one lakh ha in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Better urban services require citizen participation [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/better-urban-services-require-citizen-participation-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/better-urban-services-require-citizen-participation-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 May 2026 15:49:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Katie PyleNeha Malhotra Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/04101813/AP22139488745156-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38001</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Environmental Politics, Governance, Human Rights, Land Rights, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Across India’s cities, the consequences of poor urban services are all too familiar: overflowing garbage, erratic water supply, potholed roads, and flooded streets, to name but a few. These chronic issues are symptoms of deeper, systemic problems. In particular, there is an absence of well-functioning, inclusive platforms that enable citizens to meaningfully participate in shaping [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Across India’s cities, the consequences of poor urban services are all too familiar: overflowing garbage, erratic water supply, potholed roads, and flooded streets, to name but a few. These chronic issues are symptoms of deeper, systemic problems. In particular, there is an absence of well-functioning, inclusive platforms that enable citizens to meaningfully participate in shaping the services that affect the quality of their lives. Despite growing evidence that participatory governance can improve service delivery, India’s cities remain strikingly underdeveloped in terms of formal citizen engagement. Janaagraha&#8217;s study on citizens and governance in urban India draws on a representative sample of 14,000 citizens across 7 cities and reveals just how low citizen participation levels are across the country today. Moreover, it also shows how, in pockets where participation does occur, it can positively impact services and infrastructure. This is particularly true for the most underserved communities. If we are to build more liveable and equitable cities, we must invest in institutionalising and activating platforms that allow people to be part of the solution. This approach also benefits the state by enabling more effective allocation of its limited financial and human resources to achieve improved outcomes. Service gaps hit the urban poor hardest Basic services continue to fall short, particularly in low-income settlements. The Basic Services, Delivery, and Infrastructure Index (BSDII), developed as part of the Janaagraha study of citizens and governance in urban India, highlights these shortcomings. The index, which ranges between 0 and 1, captures five key dimensions, namely: water,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/better-urban-services-require-citizen-participation-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rules for forest conservation may facilitate diversions [Analysis]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rules-for-forest-conservation-may-facilitate-diversions-analysis/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rules-for-forest-conservation-may-facilitate-diversions-analysis/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Apr 2026 17:02:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Meenakshi Kapoor]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compensatory afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest clearance]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/30151517/Image-1_-Sub-tropical-pine-forest-of-Himachal-Pradesh.-Credit-Meenakshi-Kapoor--scaled-e1777542538894-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37958</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Deforestation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Environmental Politics, Forestry, and Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Forest conservation goes beyond tree planting and requires preservation of the entire ecosystem,” said Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&#38;CC), on the occasion of World Forest Day at a national workshop at the Forest Research Institute Dehradun on March 21. While the minister expressed a pro conservation sentiment, certain [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“Forest conservation goes beyond tree planting and requires preservation of the entire ecosystem,” said Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC), on the occasion of World Forest Day at a national workshop at the Forest Research Institute Dehradun on March 21. While the minister expressed a pro conservation sentiment, certain legal changes made by the environment ministry do not follow the same sentiment. As per Indian environment law, forest clearance is required to divert land when a project of a non-forestry nature is planned in a forest area. The clearance process involves both the central and state governments. The proponent of the project submits an application to the state forest department, which examines the proposal and, if satisfied, forwards it to the central government with its observations. There, either the Forest Advisory Committee, the Empowered Committee at the regional office, or the head of the regional office of the environment ministry reviews the proposal, mainly to determine whether the project absolutely needs to be located on forest land or can be shifted elsewhere. If the committee agrees with the project&#8217;s need for forest land, the central government grants a Stage I, or in-principle, clearance. Stage I approval comes with certain conditions, including (but not limited to) the need for compensatory afforestation to make up for the loss of trees and payment of net present value to offset the loss of ecosystem services of the forest being lost. Once the project meets these conditions and the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rules-for-forest-conservation-may-facilitate-diversions-analysis/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>India’s farms do ecological work that no policy has accounted [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/indias-farms-do-ecological-work-that-no-policy-has-accounted-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/indias-farms-do-ecological-work-that-no-policy-has-accounted-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Apr 2026 17:40:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Deepanjana SahaG. RavikanthPrasanna N.S.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[groundwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollinators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/28165937/AP24094531201617-scaled-e1777375917659-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37919</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environmental Politics, Food, Insects, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A farm that rebuilds soil carbon, supports pollinators, and conserves groundwater is treated no differently from one that depletes all three. In India’s agricultural economy, this is not a failure of awareness. Rather, ecosystem services have entered the vocabulary of agricultural policy, as in the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), launched under the National [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A farm that rebuilds soil carbon, supports pollinators, and conserves groundwater is treated no differently from one that depletes all three. In India’s agricultural economy, this is not a failure of awareness. Rather, ecosystem services have entered the vocabulary of agricultural policy, as in the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, which explicitly frames soil health, water-use efficiency, and biodiversity conservation as agricultural priorities. The NITI Aayog’s strategy documents for doubling farmer income reference ecological sustainability. The PM-PRANAM scheme, introduced in 2023, acknowledges that chemical input reduction has landscape-level value worth incentivising. It is a failure of institutional design: the mechanisms that actually determine farm income have never been revised to reflect what policy language now routinely acknowledges. The MSP system began in 1966-67 during the Green Revolution, aiming to stabilise grain output when food was scarce. It worked. Over time, it grew to include 23 mandated crops. However, India built pricing around output and input costs only, so the system measures quantity produced, not how it is produced. To calculate MSP, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) uses A2 (direct cost borne by the farmer), A2+FL (family labour), or C2 (A2+FL+rented value of owned land). But it does not consider ecological outcomes, positive or negative. Ecological processes like soil formation, water regulation, pollination, and pest control support every harvest. They are not side effects of farming — they are its foundation. Yet, they are missing from MSP, procurement,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/indias-farms-do-ecological-work-that-no-policy-has-accounted-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Environmental issues underrepresented in West Bengal polls</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Apr 2026 14:54:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/27142625/AP141362749490-scaled-e1777280308770-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37882</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Environment, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Human Wildlife Conflict, Politics, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As phased polls continue across West Bengal’s 294 assembly constituencies, the election debate has centred on issues like citizenship, while largely sidelining environmental issues. In the first phase on April 23, the state witnessed record voting. The next phase is scheduled for April 29, and voting will be counted on May 4. Speaking about the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As phased polls continue across West Bengal’s 294 assembly constituencies, the election debate has centred on issues like citizenship, while largely sidelining environmental issues. In the first phase on April 23, the state witnessed record voting. The next phase is scheduled for April 29, and voting will be counted on May 4. Speaking about the representation of environment in elections, wildlife biologist and co-founder of The Fishing Cat Project, Tiasa Adhya told Mongabay-India, “The ecological and environmental problems in West Bengal are the conversion of wetlands, decreasing freshwater flow in Sundarbans, indiscriminate sand mining, mining for minerals and ores, and conflict with elephants in both north and south West Bengal. These agendas have consequences for both nature and society and should come up strongly in policy manifestos. These are unprecedented times that require a change in the way we understand &#8216;development&#8217; and an increase in ecological literacy that is linked to human health and well-being.” Negative interactions between humans and wildlife are also a major concern in the state, said environmentalist and co-founder of Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL), a non-profit based in Kolkata, Suvrajyoti Chatterjee “Negative interactions between humans and elephants cause a lot of fatalities in south West Bengal,&#8221; he told Mongabay-India. &#8220;Many places lack street lights, and the habit of open defecation among people causes fatalities. In north West Bengal districts also, deaths from elephant attacks are rising alarmingly. Those districts are also witnessing negative interaction with leopards. In Sundarbans, a lot of people die from&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Urban finance reforms gather pace, but key gaps persist [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/urban-finance-reforms-gather-pace-but-key-gaps-persist-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/urban-finance-reforms-gather-pace-but-key-gaps-persist-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Apr 2026 17:24:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ravikant Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban climate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Urban governance]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/21153931/AP23081265413428-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37788</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon Finance, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Environment, and Environmental Politics]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The finances of Urban Local Governments (ULGs) are constrained by multiple structural issues. Since the 74th Constitutional Amendment, the Central Finance Commission (FC) has been mandated to review urban finances and recommend devolution from the centre to ULGs through state governments. The funds and reforms proposed by successive FCs have shaped the evolution of municipal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The finances of Urban Local Governments (ULGs) are constrained by multiple structural issues. Since the 74th Constitutional Amendment, the Central Finance Commission (FC) has been mandated to review urban finances and recommend devolution from the centre to ULGs through state governments. The funds and reforms proposed by successive FCs have shaped the evolution of municipal finance in India — sometimes producing unintended outcomes. The XVI FC marks a decisive step toward strengthening ULG fiscal empowerment and accountability. Through systemic incentives — linking grants to own source revenue (OSR) performance, state co-financing, and transparent reporting — the Commission has internalised the logic of fiscal responsibility across tiers. By raising the share of ULGs to 45% that includes 40% grant (60% to rural area) and also special grants of ₹661 billion to urban sector, XVI FC restores balance between tied and untied grants. It supports rural — urban transition, and prioritises environmental infrastructure and sets a new benchmark for cooperative urban federalism. However, it has missed some reforms that could have added depth and dynamism. Enabling local bodies through incentives and reforms A persistent issue across FCs, reiterated by the XVI FC, is the inadequacy of OSR and the underutilisation of property tax, the mainstay of OSR. The Commission noted that heavy dependence on higher levels of government weakens local autonomy and accountability. Among available local tax sources, property tax has the greatest potential but remains severely underexploited. Building on this concern, the XVI FC introduced a major shift in the criteria&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/urban-finance-reforms-gather-pace-but-key-gaps-persist-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Why environmental policy must integrate behavioural change [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/why-environmental-policy-must-integrate-behavioural-change-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/why-environmental-policy-must-integrate-behavioural-change-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Apr 2026 10:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Balakrishna PisupatiFlavia Lopes]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renewable policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/06151400/AP22156245416883-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37619</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Energy, Environment, Environmental Politics, Plastic, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When rooftop solar subsidies were introduced across several Indian states, adoption did not rise gradually with awareness campaigns or climate messaging. It surged when upfront costs fell and application processes were simplified. Households that had long expressed interest in clean energy suddenly acted. In some states, capital subsidies and easier processes, such as single-window online [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When rooftop solar subsidies were introduced across several Indian states, adoption did not rise gradually with awareness campaigns or climate messaging. It surged when upfront costs fell and application processes were simplified. Households that had long expressed interest in clean energy suddenly acted. In some states, capital subsidies and easier processes, such as single-window online portals for applications, approvals, and subsidy disbursement, lowered both financial and procedural hurdles, allowing interest in rooftop solar to translate into visible uptake across residential areas. A similar pattern has been visible in the shift to electric mobility. For years, surveys (also here) showed strong public concern about air pollution and a stated willingness to consider electric vehicles. Yet meaningful uptake accelerated (here) only when incentives under schemes such as FAME reduced purchase costs, charging infrastructure expanded, and state-level tax exemptions made total ownership competitive with petrol vehicles. Concerns existed. Intention existed. What changed was affordability, convenience, and institutional design. And yet, much of environmental policy rests on a familiar assumption: that if people understand the problem, they will change their behaviour. It is an appealing idea, but also one that reality continues to challenge. Across sectors, the gap between what people say and what they do remains one of the most persistent features of environmental action. Behavioural science offers a more grounded explanation on why good intentions do not automatically translate into action. People do not make decisions in a consistent or a rational way. They respond to what is immediate, affordable and convenient.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/why-environmental-policy-must-integrate-behavioural-change-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>No poll duty for forest staff, orders green tribunal</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/no-poll-duty-for-forest-staff-orders-green-tribunal/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/no-poll-duty-for-forest-staff-orders-green-tribunal/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Apr 2026 17:31:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest department]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/06153115/AP17323472728867-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37624</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment and Elections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Forests, Politics, Protected Areas, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The National Green Tribunal (NGT) stayed a recent Assam government order directing the deployment of about 1,600 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duty ahead of April 9 state assembly polls. On March 19, an order from the state&#8217;s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department directed forest personnel to assist the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The National Green Tribunal (NGT) stayed a recent Assam government order directing the deployment of about 1,600 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duty ahead of April 9 state assembly polls. On March 19, an order from the state&#8217;s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department directed forest personnel to assist the state police during the elections between April 3 and return by April 10. The issue garnered attention when a group of retired bureaucrats and conservationists across the country wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the chief secretary of Assam seeking immediate withdrawal of the order. Amid the criticisms, Delhi-based advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal filed a petition before the NGT on April 1 and argued that the order is against the provisions of a 2024 Supreme Court order against the use of forest staff for election duty. It also states that diverting forest personnel from their primary duties of protection and conservation of biological resources goes against the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, in letter and spirit. During the hearing of the matter on April 2, NGT’s Eastern Zone bench stayed the March 19 order till further orders. A polling official conducts a training for government employees ahead of the Assam legislative assembly election in Guwahati, Assam on March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Opposing the order Opposing the Assam government&#8217;s order, a group of retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers and conservationists sent a letter to the Chief&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/no-poll-duty-for-forest-staff-orders-green-tribunal/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>How banks continue to ignore climate disaster-induced debt [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/how-banks-continue-to-ignore-climate-disaster-induced-debt-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/how-banks-continue-to-ignore-climate-disaster-induced-debt-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Mar 2026 12:29:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Amitanshu Verma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptation finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Climate Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/31095424/AP24214316395503-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37526</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Finance]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Environmental Economics, Environmental Politics, and Extreme Weather Events]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As India is convulsed with industrial development-induced climate emergencies — heatwaves, pollution, heavy rains, floods, and more — not a day passes without a climate disaster. The country witnessed 99% of the disaster days in 2025, according to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). As people lose lives — 4,419 in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As India is convulsed with industrial development-induced climate emergencies — heatwaves, pollution, heavy rains, floods, and more — not a day passes without a climate disaster. The country witnessed 99% of the disaster days in 2025, according to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). As people lose lives — 4,419 in 2025 as per the CSE study — livelihoods, property, and health, each episode of disaster inevitably turns into a financial catastrophe. A major aspect of the financial aftermath is the debt obligations on small borrowers — personal, retail, or agricultural — which loom on those who have lost loved ones, assets, and sources of livelihood. What are our banks and financial institutions doing to relieve the financial stress of the disaster-affected? In the recently concluded winter session of parliament, the Ministry of Finance’s response to Congress MPs’ questions on loan relief provided to individual borrowers and small traders by scheduled commercial banks in the aftermath of floods, landslides, and intense rainfall-related damages from 2019 onwards paints a profoundly disappointing picture. This is at a time when India is beset with climate disasters. The report Mapping Climatic and Biological Disasters in India, co-published by the National Institute of Disaster Management, states that between 1995 and 2020, India was struck by 1,058 extreme weather events, including floods, cyclones, droughts, heatwaves, and cold waves. Flooding was the most frequent hazard, making up about one-third of all events. Heatwaves were the next most common at nearly a quarter, while droughts&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/how-banks-continue-to-ignore-climate-disaster-induced-debt-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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