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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/roads/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:34:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>Bengaluru’s Hebbal tunnel raises concerns about groundwater and flooding</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/bengalurus-hebbal-tunnel-raises-concerns-about-groundwater-and-flooding/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/bengalurus-hebbal-tunnel-raises-concerns-about-groundwater-and-flooding/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2026 15:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sohel Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bengaluru]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/11125937/Construction-underway-for-Hebbal-short-tunnel-Oppostite-Veterinary-College-Campus-1_Photo-hy-author-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40874</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Environment, Floods, Lakes, Roads, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The proposed three-lane, bidirectional tunnel road in north Bengaluru, intended to ease congestion at Hebbal Junction — a major interchange connecting the airport with the rest of the city — has run into rough weather. At an estimated ₹1,385 crores (₹13.85 billion), the tunnel will cost about ₹622 crore (₹6.22 billion) per kilometre. The tunnel’s [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The proposed three-lane, bidirectional tunnel road in north Bengaluru, intended to ease congestion at Hebbal Junction — a major interchange connecting the airport with the rest of the city — has run into rough weather. At an estimated ₹1,385 crores (₹13.85 billion), the tunnel will cost about ₹622 crore (₹6.22 billion) per kilometre. The tunnel’s long-term benefits in terms of easing traffic congestion are, however, unclear. A recent analysis by the Sustainable Transportation Lab of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc ) points out that the tunnel is a “highly localised improvement” that “merely shifts the congestion point”, leaving bottlenecks at its entry and exit. The detailed project report or DPR shows that by 2047, the tunnel will operate at or beyond capacity in all scenarios modelled. According to urban mobility expert Satya Arikutharam, apart from creating more chaos at these bottlenecks, the tunnel “will also worsen the local traffic, the very problem it intends to solve. Faster arrival rate at these local road intersections due to the new short  tunnel capacity means quicker accumulation of traffic, queuing pile-ups and traffic jams,” he says. Groundwater and flooding concerns A bigger concern the citizens and environmental experts are raising is about the risks it could pose to groundwater and flooding. The little over two-kilometre tunnel will run from the Hebbal flyover junction in north Bengaluru — about 30 km by road from Kempegowda International Airport — through the Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/bengalurus-hebbal-tunnel-raises-concerns-about-groundwater-and-flooding/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Roads a risk to the world&#8217;s smallest wild cat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/roads-a-risk-to-the-worlds-smallest-wild-cat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/roads-a-risk-to-the-worlds-smallest-wild-cat/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jul 2026 15:16:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[roadkill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rusty spotted cat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small cats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small wild cats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/27131148/Rusty_spotted_cat_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39631</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Conservation, Human Wildlife Conflict, Protected Areas, Roads, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have reported two roadkill incidents of the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) at the National Chambal Sanctuary in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. The two records are the first documented occurrence of the small carnivore in southern Uttar Pradesh, according to the research paper published in the Journal of Threatened [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have reported two roadkill incidents of the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) at the National Chambal Sanctuary in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. The two records are the first documented occurrence of the small carnivore in southern Uttar Pradesh, according to the research paper published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa in May. Roadkill data for small carnivores is heavily underreported, and these records were “a matter of chance”, according to Vishnupriya Kolipakam, a WII scientist and one of the paper’s authors. While they add a new locality to the small cat’s known range, the wildlife sanctuary falls within its distribution range, Kolipakam said. “The wild cat has been reported from areas all around Chambal, including Kuno, Rangarh-Vishdhar, Ranthambhore, and Dholpur,” she said. However, this follows a pattern, as seen in recent papers that have curated sighting reports of the strictly nocturnal cat. There were nine records of roadkill from the Saurashtra Peninsula in Gujarat between 2016 and 2024, and four records from Rajasthan between 2000 and 2020. In Nepal, too, where the cat was discovered as recently as 2016, there has been a record of a roadkill. For an elusive small cat that has been rarely observed in the wild, these roadkill records add up to a significant number. There are also not enough studies looking at the effects of roads on small carnivores, noted Shomita Mukherjee, a senior principal scientist at the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON). “Whatever is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/roads-a-risk-to-the-worlds-smallest-wild-cat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The environmental costs of replacing mangroves with a road</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-environmental-costs-of-replacing-mangroves-with-a-road/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-environmental-costs-of-replacing-mangroves-with-a-road/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jan 2026 15:51:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compensatory afforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mumbai]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/21135608/Coastal_road_under_construction_Mumbai-e1768984031234-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36569</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Coast, Coastal erosion, Ecology, Environment, Habitat Loss, Mangroves, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Dipti Dheeraj Bhandari, a fisherwoman from Mumbai’s Charkop village, has been worried for weeks. In mid-December 2025, the Bombay High Court granted permission for the Versova-Bhayandar Development Plan (DP) road, an approximately 26 kilometre arterial corridor that will cut through western Mumbai and impact more than 45,000 mangrove trees. “My entire family depends on fishing [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Dipti Dheeraj Bhandari, a fisherwoman from Mumbai’s Charkop village, has been worried for weeks. In mid-December 2025, the Bombay High Court granted permission for the Versova-Bhayandar Development Plan (DP) road, an approximately 26 kilometre arterial corridor that will cut through western Mumbai and impact more than 45,000 mangrove trees. “My entire family depends on fishing in these mangroves,” she says. “Without them, our life comes to a standstill.” The proposed road, which will run from Versova through the city’s western suburbs to Mira Bhayandar, is planned as the northern extension of Mumbai’s coastal road network, which currently runs from Marine Lines in South Mumbai to Worli. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) says the ₹18,000-crore project (₹1,802 billion), will relieve traffic on the Western Express Highway and significantly reduce travel time. However, the court’s clearance has triggered opposition from environmentalists, fisherfolk and citizens, who say that the loss of mangroves will severely affect the environment, their livelihoods and increase climate risks in one of India’s busiest cities. In its submission to the court, the BMC said that 103 hectares of forest land, mostly mangroves, will be affected by the project. Of the 60,000 mangrove trees in the area, the civic body proposed diverting more than 45,000 mangrove trees and the felling of 9,000 mangrove trees. Diversion means that land classified as forest land for mangroves will open up for non-forest use such as road construction which could lead to cutting of the trees in the area that intend to be compensated&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/the-environmental-costs-of-replacing-mangroves-with-a-road/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Ministry changes land acquisition requirements for select projects seeking clearance</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/ministry-changes-land-acquisition-requirements-for-select-projects-seeking-clearance/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/ministry-changes-land-acquisition-requirements-for-select-projects-seeking-clearance/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jan 2026 15:13:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Impact Assessment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land acquisition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national parks]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/12130706/AP23105336045202-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36433</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coal, Energy, Environment, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Rights, Mining, Oil, Protected Areas, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Developers of select non-coal mining projects no longer need to show proof or intent of land acquisition before obtaining environmental clearance, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has said. The announcement changes earlier norms which required developers of such projects to show proof that land acquisition had been initiated when seeking environmental clearance. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Developers of select non-coal mining projects no longer need to show proof or intent of land acquisition before obtaining environmental clearance, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has said. The announcement changes earlier norms which required developers of such projects to show proof that land acquisition had been initiated when seeking environmental clearance. The change was made after industrial bodies requested the government to do away with the provision, a letter published by the Ministry says. The change now exempts highways, mineral mining, slurry pipeline, and offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration projects from obtaining consent for land acquisition, if they pass through national parks and other eco-sensitive areas. Oil and gas transportation pipeline projects are also excluded. In other words, environmental clearance for these projects – running through national parks, coral reefs, sanctuaries, and eco-sensitive areas – can be granted before land acquisition, or consent for land acquisition, is obtained. “It is very difficult to understand how a meaningful environmental impact assessment can be made without full knowledge of the area that is going to be covered by the non-coal mining project in the first place,” Jairam Ramesh, former Union Environment Minister and a leader in the Opposition Congress Party, said in response to the change in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The change puts these non-coal mining projects on an almost equal footing with exceptions for coal mining projects. A mining engineer points to a chromium ore vein in a mine in Jajpur district,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/ministry-changes-land-acquisition-requirements-for-select-projects-seeking-clearance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Study maps the most unstable slopes along an important Himalayan highway</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-maps-the-most-unstable-slopes-along-an-important-himalayan-highway/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-maps-the-most-unstable-slopes-along-an-important-himalayan-highway/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Sep 2025 15:58:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme rainfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[highways]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landslide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/23144100/WhatsApp-Image-2025-08-31-at-2.59.22-PM-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34747</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Earth Science, Himalayas, Mountains, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), the region’s main arterial road which runs from Jawahar Tunnel Banihal to Ramban in the Kashmir Himalayas, is among the most landslide-prone roads in the Himalayas. Weak rocks and steep slopes that crumble easily under heavy rainfall make the highway particularly fragile. A new study assesses the slope stability of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), the region’s main arterial road which runs from Jawahar Tunnel Banihal to Ramban in the Kashmir Himalayas, is among the most landslide-prone roads in the Himalayas. Weak rocks and steep slopes that crumble easily under heavy rainfall make the highway particularly fragile. A new study assesses the slope stability of various road cut slopes along NH-44 and identifies slopes ranging from moderately stable to unstable, which are prone to instability and collapse. Cutting across the Pir Panjal range of the North-Western Himalayas, the NH-44 passes through mountains that are “young, fragile, and highly fractured,” says Mahjoor Lone, an earth scientist at Northumbria University. “The rocks are weak, full of cracks, and often oriented in ways that make large blocks prone to sliding out once the slopes are cut. Road construction has further left behind steep walls, and when heavy rainfall seeps into the cracks, the rocks lose strength and collapse. This natural fragility makes the highway highly prone to landslides.” Lone explains. The study also notes that the region lies within a tectonically active zone, making the slopes inherently unstable. Data shows that between 1990 and 2020, around 960 landslide events were recorded along NH-44, killing 1,000 people and injuring 267 others. Moreover, of the region’s 20 districts, 16 face relatively high landslide risk and suffer related social and economic damage. The new study published in the journal Applied Geomatics in June this year, examined 27 road cut slopes for strength through rock mass rating&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/study-maps-the-most-unstable-slopes-along-an-important-himalayan-highway/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Roadkill study demonstrates urgent necessity for safeguards</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/roadkill-study-demonstrates-urgent-necessity-for-safeguards/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/roadkill-study-demonstrates-urgent-necessity-for-safeguards/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Sep 2025 11:20:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[roadkill]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/01195044/1024px-Beddomes_keelback_amphiesma_beddomei_Road_kill-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34423</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Reptiles, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When an animal crosses a road, what factors determine its path – and survival? Researchers from University of Mysore, the Zoo Outreach Organisation, and the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), among others, monitored a single road running through the Western Ghats for an entire year to understand where roadkill occurred the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When an animal crosses a road, what factors determine its path – and survival? Researchers from University of Mysore, the Zoo Outreach Organisation, and the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), among others, monitored a single road running through the Western Ghats for an entire year to understand where roadkill occurred the most, and why. “Most studies look at the frequency of roadkill. While doing my research, I realised there was a huge lacuna in the surrounding parameters that are affecting roadkill, so we chose to consider those as well,” said S. Sushanth, a Fellow at the Zoo Outreach Organisation and lead author of the study. Environmental factors such as plantations, water sources, terrain, and undergrowth were found to influence roadkill more than spatial and seasonal variation, the study found.  The Western Ghats are an ideal canvas to study how changing landscapes affect wildlife. Despite accounting for just 6% of the country’s landmass, the Western Ghats – stretching from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu – are home to 30% of the country’s plant, fish, reptile, amphibian, bird, and mammal species. Of these, 325 species are globally threatened. The conservation and protection of these species is increasingly challenged by deforestation, urbanisation, and an expanding network of roads and railways. Roads and railways – known as linear infrastructure – cut through forest habitats and fragment them. Changes in land use, such as the conversion of forest to agriculture or plantations, similarly transforms habitats, putting wildlife in closer proximity to human&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/roadkill-study-demonstrates-urgent-necessity-for-safeguards/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The road to road resilience is paved with mindful construction and design say experts</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/the-road-to-road-resilience-is-paved-with-mindful-construction-and-design-say-experts/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/the-road-to-road-resilience-is-paved-with-mindful-construction-and-design-say-experts/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Aug 2024 15:31:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/01135904/Burwa_Himachal_Pradesh_India_-_panoramio_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28846</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Flood and drought]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Extreme Weather Events and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Road networks play a pivotal role in the development of any country. But what happens when the roads themselves crumble under the pressures of a flood or landslide? India’s road and highway network increased by 59% from 2013-2014 to 2022-2023, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Much of this new infrastructure is [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Road networks play a pivotal role in the development of any country. But what happens when the roads themselves crumble under the pressures of a flood or landslide? India’s road and highway network increased by 59% from 2013-2014 to 2022-2023, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Much of this new infrastructure is exposed to hazards that are intensifying or becoming more frequent on account of climate change. The Himalayan states best exemplify these risks. Last year, torrential rain and floods led to the damage of at least 40 bridges in Himachal Pradesh. In Uttarakhand, pilgrims were left marooned after widespread damages to road infrastructure. Every year, these states are faced with worsening impacts, affecting both assets and livelihoods. Climate change isn’t the only factor to blame. Experts also point to the “unscientific” road cutting methods and poor construction that have added to slope instability. The unprecedented losses and damages from last year’s deluge have jolted state and central governments to action. “The government realises a lot of money is being spent on creating roads which are washed away and not serving their purpose,” said Anil K. Gupta, a professor at the National Institute of Disaster Management, adding, &#8220;They want to understand what measures need to be taken to improve road resilience.” Led by Gupta, the NIDM is in the midst of identifying vulnerable highways to formulate guidelines and better inform the planning and construction of highways in India. A stretch along NH22. Image by Biswarup Ganguly via&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/the-road-to-road-resilience-is-paved-with-mindful-construction-and-design-say-experts/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>A new handbook recommends how to avoid elephant deaths on roads, rail tracks</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/a-new-handbook-recommends-how-to-avoid-elephant-deaths-on-roads-rail-tracks/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/a-new-handbook-recommends-how-to-avoid-elephant-deaths-on-roads-rail-tracks/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 May 2024 11:14:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asian elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bridges]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crossing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flyovers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[linear trasport infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[underpasses]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/09064554/A-herd-of-elephants-crossing-a-road-at-Anamalai-Hills-India_Sreedhar-Vijayakrishnan_Nature-Conservation-Foundation-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27728</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Elephants, Roads, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Earlier this year, an elephant and its calf were struck by a train near Corbett National Park, resulting in the instant death of the animals. Just a few months prior, in November of last year, a herd of three, including a calf, met a similar fate on a railway track passing through Buxa Tiger Reserve [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Earlier this year, an elephant and its calf were struck by a train near Corbett National Park, resulting in the instant death of the animals. Just a few months prior, in November of last year, a herd of three, including a calf, met a similar fate on a railway track passing through Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. Tragic incidents like these highlight a growing concern of the escalating frequency of elephant deaths due to train collisions and road accidents across the country. According to a government estimate spanning from 2018 to 2023, a staggering 75 elephant deaths have been attributed to train collisions. A new set of guidelines titled Handbook to mitigate the impacts of roads and railways on Asian elephants provides eco-friendly engineering and technical solutions to poorly planned linear infrastructure that come in the way of elephant movement in Asia. It&#8217;s crucial to recognise the precarious status of Asian elephants. There are about 52,000 individuals remaining in the wild across 13 countries, around 30,000 of them in India. The handbook is prepared by two IUCN specialist groups — the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group and the Asian Elephant Specialist Group, in collaboration with the US-based The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC). An underpass for elephants on National Highway 54E in Assam. Elephant-friendly underpasses are one of the engineering suggestions listed in the handbook as a mitigation strategy against increasing cases of accidents involving Asian elephants. Photo by Rob Ament/CLLC. Referring to the increasing incidents of rail tracks&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/a-new-handbook-recommends-how-to-avoid-elephant-deaths-on-roads-rail-tracks/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Roadkill instances in Jammu and Kashmir increase as highways lengthen</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/roadkill-instances-in-jammu-and-kashmir-increase-as-highways-lengthen/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/roadkill-instances-in-jammu-and-kashmir-increase-as-highways-lengthen/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Apr 2023 12:49:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/04/24101748/Golden_jackal_Canis_aureus_crossing_the_road_in_keoladeo_national_park_JEG2629_a-e1682313991140-768x473.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=22566</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Habitat Fragmentation, Roads, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In September 2011, a team of researchers from the Institute of Mountain Environment (IME), University of Jammu, found a pair of jackals dead on the Jammu-Poonch national highway. “Sadly, the female was pregnant. The incident continues to haunt me. In the following years, we have observed a steady rise in such horrific road accidents involving [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[In September 2011, a team of researchers from the Institute of Mountain Environment (IME), University of Jammu, found a pair of jackals dead on the Jammu-Poonch national highway. “Sadly, the female was pregnant. The incident continues to haunt me. In the following years, we have observed a steady rise in such horrific road accidents involving wild animals such as monkeys, langurs, mongoose, squirrels, foxes, leopards, birds, reptiles etc.,” shares wildlife researcher Neeraj Sharma, who was part of the IME team that was out for a field survey on that day. Wildlife roadkill is a significant problem in the northwestern Himalayas in India, a global biodiversity hotspot that is home to the leopard, the critically endangered hangul or Kashmir stag, brown bear, the near threatened markhor and Himalayan griffon, among other species. As vehicular traffic increasingly chokes roads that pass through or near wildlife habitats, the number of animals killed or injured after collisions, has been on the rise. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police, Jammu and Kashmir had 6,68,445 vehicles in 2008, with the number rising in the following years. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, vehicle numbers increased by 10.34%, 11.92% and 11.98% respectively, with 2012 recording 9,16,898 vehicles. Around 14 lakh vehicles are registered in Jammu and Kashmir as of 2022, indicating 100% increase in the last 14 years. Simultaneously, the number of National Highways in the union territory has increased from seven in 2014 to 11 in 2021, after Rs. 40,900 crores worth of infrastructure projects&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/04/roadkill-instances-in-jammu-and-kashmir-increase-as-highways-lengthen/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>A road for a port cuts through the livelihoods of fisherwomen in Uttara Kannada</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/07/a-road-for-a-port-cuts-through-the-livelihoods-of-fisherwomen-in-uttar-kannada/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/07/a-road-for-a-port-cuts-through-the-livelihoods-of-fisherwomen-in-uttar-kannada/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jul 2022 18:08:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Supriya Vohra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/07/14164746/dry-fish-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=19112</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Environment, Environmental Economics, Fish, Fishing, Roads, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Read part 1 of this series to understand Karnataka&#8217;s port-based development spree and what it means for the people living on the coast. Part 3 looks at one such minor port project in Honnavar which is also the nesting site for the olive ridley turtle. On January 24, 2022, at about 6 a.m., a group [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Read part 1 of this series to understand Karnataka&#8217;s port-based development spree and what it means for the people living on the coast. Part 3 looks at one such minor port project in Honnavar which is also the nesting site for the olive ridley turtle. On January 24, 2022, at about 6 a.m., a group of approximately 70 men and women came together to protest the construction of a road on the beach at Kasarkod-Tonka, a coastal village in Honnavar, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. They stated that the road was being constructed illegally, without requisite clearances, threatening their livelihood, and impacting the biodiversity of an eco-sensitive area. By 8:30 a.m., there was a large police force, of about 600 people surrounding them, reveals a letter addressed to the National Human Rights Commission on May 6, by the Human Right Defenders&#8217; Alert. They were roughed up, pushed and forced into two tempos. They were taken to the district police station, where they were detained till 8 p.m. Several from the group sustained injuries. For the rest of the week, till January 30, the police imposed Section 144 on the residents of Kasarkod-Tonka, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people in an area. Work on the road construction, meanwhile, continued unabated. A day after the incident, on January 25, and then, more recently, on July 2, the fishing community along with LEAF (Living Earth Foundation), a non-profit that works on environmental advocacy and particularly with people affected&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/07/a-road-for-a-port-cuts-through-the-livelihoods-of-fisherwomen-in-uttar-kannada/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Nepal and India&#8217;s infrastructure rules are &#8220;wildlife-friendly,&#8221; but not for birds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/nepal-and-indias-infrastructure-rules-are-wildlife-friendly-but-not-for-birds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/nepal-and-indias-infrastructure-rules-are-wildlife-friendly-but-not-for-birds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jun 2022 09:30:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhaya Raj Joshi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/06/07100356/Spiny_Babbler_Shivapuri_Nagarjun_NP_Nepal-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18584</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India, Nepal, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Conservation, Environment, Environmental Law, Roads, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Following pressure from conservationists and NGOs, Nepal&#8217;s government recently adopted guidelines to make infrastructure such as roads, dams and railway lines wildlife-friendly. But not all wildlife have been included, with birds, especially those living in dense forests, likely to still be negatively impacted despite the mitigation measures. The guidelines, issued in April, classify wildlife that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Following pressure from conservationists and NGOs, Nepal&#8217;s government recently adopted guidelines to make infrastructure such as roads, dams and railway lines wildlife-friendly. But not all wildlife have been included, with birds, especially those living in dense forests, likely to still be negatively impacted despite the mitigation measures. The guidelines, issued in April, classify wildlife that could be impacted by infrastructure into five categories: small (such as tortoise, snakes and other reptiles and amphibians); small mammals (squirrels, rabbits, porcupines and civets); medium-sized animals (wild cats, dholes, hyenas and monkeys); big animals (rhinos, tigers, bears, deer and buffalo); and mega animals (wild elephants). &#8220;Linear infrastructure such as roads and power lines severely impact birds, especially those that live in dense forests,” or forest specialist birds, said prominent Nepali ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral. &#8220;However, 90 out of 100 infrastructure projects in Nepal don&#8217;t take the potential impacts on birds into consideration,&#8221; he added. &#8220;As tigers and rhinos get killed in collision with vehicular traffic, authorities tend to focus on these mega faunas when designing wildlife-friendly infrastructure,&#8221; Baral said. &#8220;Birds, who also suffer, mainly due to the fragmentation of their habitat, get little attention.&#8221; Fragmentation of habitat is one of the key challenges facing forest birds in the region, according to a recent study conducted in the Mai Valley in eastern Nepal, designated by BirdLife International as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. The valley is home to birds such as the rufous-throated wren-babbler (Spelaeornis caudatus), the spiny babbler (Acanthoptila nipalensis), and the hoary-throated&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/nepal-and-indias-infrastructure-rules-are-wildlife-friendly-but-not-for-birds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Films that offer a space for discussion on complex environmental issues</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/11/films-that-offer-a-space-for-discussion-on-complex-environmental-issues/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/11/films-that-offer-a-space-for-discussion-on-complex-environmental-issues/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Nov 2021 14:47:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Films]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/11/02122723/A-still-from-dhivara%E1%B8%A5Way-of-life-banner-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=16055</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fishing, Human Wildlife Conflict, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A concrete mixer mixing construction materials for laying roads and the cattle grazing what’s left of the grass in a greying land, become co-authors in the ethnographic documentary Not Just Roads, directed by Nitin Bathla and Klearjos Eduardo Papanicolaou. Following the development of the Dwarka Expressway in Delhi, that was first conceptualised in 2007 to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A concrete mixer mixing construction materials for laying roads and the cattle grazing what’s left of the grass in a greying land, become co-authors in the ethnographic documentary Not Just Roads, directed by Nitin Bathla and Klearjos Eduardo Papanicolaou. Following the development of the Dwarka Expressway in Delhi, that was first conceptualised in 2007 to decongest traffic and ensure better connectivity, the 67-minute film uses a combination of aesthetics and ethnography to communicate the stories of humans and non-humans whose lives are intertwined with the big road being built. The Dwarka Expressway cuts through a land with many ecological commons originally inhabited by villagers, herders, and the working class. Now, real estate developments are sold to the middle class who invested in the high-rise buildings adjacent to the incomplete highway; those who invested in the projects hope that the road work gets completed soon. The documentary film was part of the 2021 edition of the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) that ran online between October 9 and 17, featured 44 environmental films from 31 countries. Among the vast curation that delved into different subjects like wildlife migration, poaching, conservation, toxic trash and more, were a variety of Indian films that premiered this year and brought to limelight the issues surrounding human-wildlife conflict, challenges in the lives of fisherfolk, and the nature of city expansions and its environmental and social implications. Questioning development that contributes to environmental and social violence Environmental films have become a mature visual genre&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/11/films-that-offer-a-space-for-discussion-on-complex-environmental-issues/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Path of destruction: Road to Anjaneri hilltop could threaten fragile rocky outcrop ecosystem</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/12/path-of-destruction-road-to-anjaneri-hilltop-could-threaten-fragile-rocky-outcrop-ecosystem/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/12/path-of-destruction-road-to-anjaneri-hilltop-could-threaten-fragile-rocky-outcrop-ecosystem/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Dec 2020 15:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vinaya Kurtkoti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/12/17133848/Banner-A-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=12656</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endangered species, Forests, Plants, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Merely 20-kilometres away from Maharashtra’s Nashik city, the Anjaneri plateau has a good forest patch and is home to at least 105 species of forest and grassland birds including those who have the highest protection under India’s wildlife laws. The plateau also has steep vertical cliffs where long-billed vultures nest in caves but this habitat [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Merely 20-kilometres away from Maharashtra’s Nashik city, the Anjaneri plateau has a good forest patch and is home to at least 105 species of forest and grassland birds including those who have the highest protection under India’s wildlife laws. The plateau also has steep vertical cliffs where long-billed vultures nest in caves but this habitat is now threatened by a road development project. Following opposition to the project, Maharashtra’s Minister of Tourism and Environment Aaditya Thackeray had recently assured that the road project will not be pursued. But the assurance did not translate into anything concrete and now the project is up for approval under the Forest Conservation Act 1980 seeking diversion of about 17.9 hectares of forest area for it. Currently, there is a road only up to the foot of the mountain through Anjaneri village. But the concrete road proposed by the Nashik’s public works department would approach the temple from the Mulegaon side of the cliff that goes up to the temple. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs. 200 million. Pankaj Garg, who is deputy conservator of forests, Nashik West, informed that the project is in progress. “The Anjaneri plateau has a conservation reserve … the public works department will have to procure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the state and central wildlife boards,” Garg told Mongabay-India. He explained that the deputy conservator’s office will inspect the site proposed for the road project after which it will be sent to the central government who&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/12/path-of-destruction-road-to-anjaneri-hilltop-could-threaten-fragile-rocky-outcrop-ecosystem/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Green Highways Mission remains halted despite a green light</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/green-highways-mission-remains-halted-despite-a-green-light/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/green-highways-mission-remains-halted-despite-a-green-light/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Sep 2020 14:50:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greening]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greenwashing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trees]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/09/23212754/A_view_of_Indian_highway_near_Delhi_2009-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=11546</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Green Business, Greenwashing, Roads, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[If the Ministry of Road Transport &#38; Highways’ (MoRTH) highly ambitious plan is to come to fruition, we will soon have tree-lined highways designed to not just please commuters aesthetically but to mitigate the biodiversity degradation caused from highway development. In 2015, the MoRTH launched the National Green Highways Mission with an aim to help [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[If the Ministry of Road Transport &amp; Highways’ (MoRTH) highly ambitious plan is to come to fruition, we will soon have tree-lined highways designed to not just please commuters aesthetically but to mitigate the biodiversity degradation caused from highway development. In 2015, the MoRTH launched the National Green Highways Mission with an aim to help the environment as well as the local communities by generating employment through tree planting along all highways in the country. With plantation, transplantation, beautification and maintenance as its mainstay, the Green Highways Mission (GHM) was considered a flagship project of the ministry, but is yet to take off fully. Highway development results in heavy loss of vegetation. The road development agencies try to mitigate the damage through median and avenue plantation which don’t often compensate for the loss of old, indigenous trees and greenery. Green Highways Policy proposes to engage professional plantation agencies for the development of uniform green corridors. Moreover, a participatory approach from private agencies, NGOs, civil society, forest department and other agencies are sought to execute it. The policy demands that one percent of the civil work cost of the NH that’s been greened will be set apart for highway plantation and its maintenance. While the initial target for the first year was to plant trees along 6,000 km of highways, according to a document received from the GHM, only 3060 km of roads have been greened at a cost of 121.09 cr from 2016-2019. During 2016-2020, 1,186,525 trees out of a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/green-highways-mission-remains-halted-despite-a-green-light/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Linear infrastructure severely affects large forest patches in India, finds study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/06/linear-infrastructure-severely-affects-large-forest-patches-in-india-finds-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/06/linear-infrastructure-severely-affects-large-forest-patches-in-india-finds-study/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Jun 2020 11:26:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/06/30000645/Elephant_roadside_Arvind_Ramamurthy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=10411</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Scientists have mapped how infrastructure projects in India, particularly linear infrastructures such as roads, railway lines, power transmission lines, canals and pipelines, affect forest fragmentation. Such infrastructure has led to a 6 percent rise in the number of small forest patches and a 71.5 percent fall in the number of large forest patches (&#62;10,000 square km), [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Scientists have mapped how infrastructure projects in India, particularly linear infrastructures such as roads, railway lines, power transmission lines, canals and pipelines, affect forest fragmentation. Such infrastructure has led to a 6 percent rise in the number of small forest patches and a 71.5 percent fall in the number of large forest patches (&gt;10,000 square km), found the researchers. One of the most diverse ecosystems, tropical forests cover only 6 percent of the Earth’s surface, yet they support 80 percent of the world’s species. However, these biodiversity hotspots are threatened by human activities that split large forested areas into multiple small patches, resulting in a loss of connectivity for wildlife and a host of other problems. One activity that causes increasing fragmentation, is infrastructure development. When forests become fragmented into smaller patches due to linear infrastructure, which acts as a barrier, habitat areas for wildlife become smaller and more isolated, hindering the movement of species such as big cats, and elevating the risk of extinction in some cases. The impacts adversely affect the entire ecosystem, which could ultimately harm humans. “These fragmented and isolated patches can serve as outbreak hotspots from which diseases such as COVID-19 can emerge, and enhance transmission between people and wildlife,” warned Krithi Karanth, chief conservation scientist at the Centre of Wildlife Studies. Past studies have shown that forest fragmentation and human encroachment are linked to a rise in diseases. Read more: Encroachment into forests increases risk of contracting diseases from animals The study enables policymakers to decide&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/06/linear-infrastructure-severely-affects-large-forest-patches-in-india-finds-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/06/linear-infrastructure-severely-affects-large-forest-patches-in-india-finds-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Karnataka government okays rail line in the Western Ghats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/karnataka-government-okays-rail-line-in-the-western-ghats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/karnataka-government-okays-rail-line-in-the-western-ghats/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>06 May 2020 11:32:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kapil Kajal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/04/01112334/Dandeli_River-Kali-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=9636</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Roads, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On March 20, the controversial Hubballi-Ankola railway line project was cleared at the Karnataka State Wildlife Board (KSWB) meeting in Bengaluru amid protests from members. The proposed 164.44 km Hubballi-Ankola railway line passes through the Western Ghats, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. The project will see felling of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On March 20, the controversial Hubballi-Ankola railway line project was cleared at the Karnataka State Wildlife Board (KSWB) meeting in Bengaluru amid protests from members. The proposed 164.44 km Hubballi-Ankola railway line passes through the Western Ghats, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. The project will see felling of 2.2 lakh trees, a move that has been opposed even by the members of the KSWB. According to a site inspection report submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), nearly 80% of the proposed railway line passes through the dense forest lands. The total land required is 995.64 hectares, including 595.64 hectares of forest land, 184.6 hectares of wetland, and 190 hectares of dry land, says the report. Sanjay Mohan, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests with Karnataka forest department and a member of the KSWB, told Mongabay-India that the people of North Karnataka want development and jobs in their area, and this project will ensure both. This railway line was primarily planned to serve the freight traffic and to link the west coast to the Karnataka hinterland for socio-economic development of northern and Hyderabad-Karnataka region as the present mode of road transport is seasonal and is inaccessible for five months during monsoons. As per the project layout, the main reason for proposing a new broad-gauge line was for the transportation of iron and manganese ore from Bellary to Hospet region to the upcoming ports at Tadri (near Ankola) and Karwar&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/karnataka-government-okays-rail-line-in-the-western-ghats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>India&#8217;s proposed overhaul of environment clearance rules could dilute existing regulations</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/indias-proposed-overhaul-of-environment-clearance-rules-could-dilute-existing-regulations/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/indias-proposed-overhaul-of-environment-clearance-rules-could-dilute-existing-regulations/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Mar 2020 13:19:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment clearance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment ministry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental law]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/03/18065407/Banner-4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=9050</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environomy and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Environmental Economics, Environmental Law, Mining, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The national government’s environment ministry has proposed a new set of environment clearance rules which seem to be heavily loaded in favour of the industry.  The draft of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 proposes a mechanism to legitimise some actions currently listed as violations, like projects starting construction without a valid clearance, dilutes [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The national government’s environment ministry has proposed a new set of environment clearance rules which seem to be heavily loaded in favour of the industry.  The draft of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 proposes a mechanism to legitimise some actions currently listed as violations, like projects starting construction without a valid clearance, dilutes rules by expanding the list of projects exempted from public consultation, and does not prescribe a robust post environment clearance monitoring system.   The draft EIA notification 2020, which is going to replace the EIA notification 2006, was put in the public domain on March 12 and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC) has sought views and comments from all stakeholders on it within the next 60 days. The EIA notification 2006 regulates the environment clearance given by the national government for projects such as dams, mining, thermal power plants, infrastructure projects like highways, ports, airport and big construction projects.   Environment lawyer Ritwick Dutta told Mongabay-India that the predominant thrust of the draft EIA notification 2020 is completely contrary to the principles of environment protection.  “Instead of focusing on ensuring the protection of the environment, the draft EIA 2020 undermines the orders of the National Green Tribunal which had ruled against post-facto approvals. The purpose of this notification is to legitimise illegalities done by industries. It seems to be emphasizing that an industrial project that has violated environmental rules will have a right to seek approval for it as long as that project&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/03/indias-proposed-overhaul-of-environment-clearance-rules-could-dilute-existing-regulations/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>81</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Forest land identified for development after reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/01/is-reorganisation-hastening-land-use-change-in-jammu-and-kashmir/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/01/is-reorganisation-hastening-land-use-change-in-jammu-and-kashmir/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Jan 2020 14:47:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Athar Parvaiz]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/01/03193554/Kashmiris-are-concerned-about-their-sensitive-ecology-Photo-credit-Athar-Parvaiz-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=8146</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Rivers, Roads, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[After August 6, 2019, when the Government of India scrapped the semi-autonomous status of the former Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territories, recent news and statements about the imminent land-use changes in the region have caused consternation among common people and environmental activists. They argue that it would [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[After August 6, 2019, when the Government of India scrapped the semi-autonomous status of the former Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territories, recent news and statements about the imminent land-use changes in the region have caused consternation among common people and environmental activists. They argue that it would result in “environmental degradation in the name of development.” As part of abolishing Jammu &amp; Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status, the union government passed the Jammu &amp; Kashmir Reorganization Act in the parliament, which came to effect on October 31, 2019 with the appointment of a new government in Jammu and Kashmir. A review of official data reveals that the new regional government, in a massive land-hunt exercise, has so far identified 120,000 kanals (15,000 acres) of land from 203,020 acres of state-owned land in Kashmir region for industrial infrastructure development. Most of this land is ecologically sensitive because it is either part of or close to rivers, streams and other water bodies according to the officials. In Jammu, 42,000 acres of state land has been identified for development, though concerns about environmental degradation have not so far been expressed explicitly by the people of that region. Birds taking off at Kashmir&#8217;s Hokersar wetland. Photo by Athar Parvaiz. Forest land for development In another series of decisions on diversion of forest land and approval for felling forest trees and trees in urban forests, the Jammu and Kashmir government’s  Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), which was authorised to make&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/01/is-reorganisation-hastening-land-use-change-in-jammu-and-kashmir/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>High rate of green clearances continue, puts forests and wildlife at risk</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/12/high-rate-of-green-clearances-continue-puts-forests-and-wildlife-at-risk/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/12/high-rate-of-green-clearances-continue-puts-forests-and-wildlife-at-risk/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Dec 2019 13:26:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/12/11014836/Banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=7858</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forest Rights Act, Forests, Roads, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A latest analysis of the forest and wildlife clearances recommended by expert panels of the environment ministry, in the first six months of 2019, has found that most projects seeking diversion of land from forests, wildlife reserves and similar eco-sensitive areas were given a green light by the experts. However, the high rate of clearances [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A latest analysis of the forest and wildlife clearances recommended by expert panels of the environment ministry, in the first six months of 2019, has found that most projects seeking diversion of land from forests, wildlife reserves and similar eco-sensitive areas were given a green light by the experts. However, the high rate of clearances for projects is not in sync with the core purpose of the wildlife and forest acts, meant to protect animals and forests from human activity and disturbance, the analysis has found.  The analysis by the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE), an organisation working on environmental law, has revealed that the panels recommended clearance for diversion of land from forests, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and tiger reserves in the majority of the cases it considered without considering the impact of such projects on forests and wildlife.   Mridhu Tandon, an associate analyst at LIFE who conducted the study, explained to Mongabay-India that a “major concern is the fact that while considering non-site specific projects on forest lands, no effort is made to analyse if there are any alternatives available.” “Clearances were meant to regulate the diversion of forest land and wildlife habitats from ecologically destructive projects such as mining, railways and roads. However, from the analysis of the minutes of the meetings (of the expert panels), we found that critical aspects such as habitat fragmentation, species conservation are rarely looked into,” said Tandon. According to the various environmental rules and regulations in India, environment, forest&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/12/high-rate-of-green-clearances-continue-puts-forests-and-wildlife-at-risk/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Much ado about a highway</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/bandipur-much-ado-about-a-highway/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/bandipur-much-ado-about-a-highway/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Nov 2019 09:19:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human-wildlife conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karnataka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kerala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/11/08082259/NH766-banner-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=7466</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka and Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Conservation, Protected Areas, and Roads]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[T. Balachandra, Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Project Tiger, Bandipur, is a worried man. Close on the heels of a massive protest in neighbouring Kerala, over the rumoured closure of the highway that connects it with Karnataka through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, he had to oversee the capture of a tiger that had strayed [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[T. Balachandra, Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Project Tiger, Bandipur, is a worried man. Close on the heels of a massive protest in neighbouring Kerala, over the rumoured closure of the highway that connects it with Karnataka through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, he had to oversee the capture of a tiger that had strayed into a village in the Gopalaswamy Betta range of the Bandipur reserve and killed a dozen cattle and two men, causing panic all around. He does not see both these cases as mutually exclusive. “A highway through the park is a linear intrusion and a huge stressor for the animals. There are ecological impacts to it. It’s not just about roadkills,” he says, adding that human-animal conflict was on the rise in the villages on the peripheries of the reserve. “The department has paid Rs 1.5 crore (Rs. 15 million) as compensation for the crop damaged by the animals apart from the ex-gratia paid for deaths from the conflict,” he added. The highway in question here is NH 766 (previously NH 212) that connects Kollegal in Karnataka and Kozhikode in Kerala via Mysore and Gundlupet in Karnataka and Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta in the Wayanad district of Kerala. It bifurcates at Gundlupet with NH 766 proceeding to Kerala and NH 67 connecting Gundlupet to Ooty in Tamil Nadu. About 19.7 km of this highway, which stretches to a total of 272 km, slices through the core of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, which, according to wildlife&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/bandipur-much-ado-about-a-highway/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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