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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/land-rights/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>Centre says tribal leaders are not ‘necessary’ parties to Great Nicobar forest rights dispute</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Oct 2026 17:03:23 +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/30/2026/10/27160248/pexels-nabilnaidu-10671403-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41895</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forest Rights Act, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Islands, Land Rights, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that Nicobarese leaders seeking to join a petition challenging the settlement of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island are “neither necessary nor proper parties,” in the case, court documents show. The Nicobarese are one of two major tribes affected by the development of the Island, and primary claimants [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry has said that Nicobarese leaders seeking to join a petition challenging the settlement of forest rights on Great Nicobar Island are “neither necessary nor proper parties,” in the case, court documents show. The Nicobarese are one of two major tribes affected by the development of the Island, and primary claimants to forest rights in the area. An ongoing petition in the Calcutta High Court, filed by former IAS officer Meena Gupta, has challenged the Union government’s claim that rights under the Forest Rights Act (2005) (FRA) were settled on the Island. The FRA recognises the historical rights of tribal and other forest dwelling communities over forest resources, and makes compliance with its statutes necessary in clearing forest land for diversion. On July 9, 2026, four Nicobarese residents sought to join Gupta’s plea, arguing that government certifications claiming the settlement of forest rights was based on gram sabha consent from non-tribal settler communities. Apart from the Nicobarese and Shompen — a particularly vulnerable and largely uncontacted tribe — the Island is inhabited by families of ex-servicemen from the mainland who were settled on the remote Island from 1969 onwards as part of a state-sponsored scheme. “This certificate falsely states that the concerned Gram Sabhas have consented to the diversion of forest lands and cites meetings of the Gram Sabhas of the settler community in which no Nicobarese were present,” the impleadment document submitted to the court, seen by Mongabay-India, says. “No Gram Sabha meeting of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/centre-says-tribal-leaders-are-not-necessary-parties-to-great-nicobar-forest-rights-dispute/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40947</guid>

											<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>
														</item>
						<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>
														</item>
						<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>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>As elephants venture to higher altitudes researchers track possibilities of conflict</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2026 15:55:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant Movement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife corridors]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/03141812/Picture2_Camera-trap-capture-of-an-elephant-herd-above-3200-m-the-highest-known-altitude-of-elephant-presence.-C-WWF-IndiaArunachal-Pradesh-Forest-Department-e1783069319919-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38962</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Conservation, Elephants, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Human Wildlife Conflict, Land Rights, Mammals, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the highest recorded presence of Asian elephants in the world. The highest known record of an elephant (African elephant) is at around 4,000 metres, on Mount Kenya. Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh were previously known to be present primarily in the lower reaches and Himalayan foothills occasionally moving up to an altitude of 2,000 meters. However, this assessment found their presence at altitudes going up to 3,266 metres. The new action plan, released in May 2026, was jointly developed by the Arunachal Pradesh Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WWF-India, to address human-elephant conflict in the state, threats to habitats and analyse whether elephant corridors are well-protected. Data was collected between December 2024 and March 2026. Officials examined elephant habitats where conflict was reported, and where crop or property damage had occurred. Why the altitude record matters According to Aritra Kshettry, who works with WWF-India’s Elephant Conservation Programme (ECP), elephants are not typically found at such high altitudes. The records of elephants at these altitudes gives clues about their movement outside of protected areas which helps predict potential interactions between elephants and humans. According to the action plan, elephant presence and crop damage have been&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Climate change and tourism are reshaping farming in the Himalayas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 May 2026 12:20:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rozita Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erratic weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Weather patterns]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/14112402/AP19130602267775-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38167</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Food, Himalayas, Impacts of Climate Change, Land Rights, Mountains, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[​For generations, farmers in Bir village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district have relied on seasonal rhythms to guide when to sow and harvest crops. Today, many residents say those patterns no longer hold. ​“Earlier, the rains came at the right time. Now, when crops need sunshine, it rains instead. Summers have become hotter too,” says [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[​For generations, farmers in Bir village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district have relied on seasonal rhythms to guide when to sow and harvest crops. Today, many residents say those patterns no longer hold. ​“Earlier, the rains came at the right time. Now, when crops need sunshine, it rains instead. Summers have become hotter too,” says Sarla Devi, 60, a farmer and cattle rearer from Bir. ​Situated in the mid-Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, the Bir-Billing area has long supported small farms growing grains, vegetables, and fodder crops. Bir village lies at roughly 1,525 metres above sea level. But residents say erratic rainfall, warmer winters, and sudden weather shifts are affecting crop cycles and making agriculture less predictable. ​Scientific findings echo these concerns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report notes that mountain regions, including the Hindu Kush Himalaya, are experiencing increasing temperatures and changing seasonal weather patterns, while shifts in temperature and precipitation are affecting the timing and availability of water for agricultural activities. ​At the same time, climate pressures are unfolding alongside rapid land-use change. Bir and nearby Billing, internationally known as a paragliding destination, have seen steady growth in guesthouses, cafés, and tourism infrastructure over the past decade. Residents say agricultural land is increasingly being sold or repurposed for construction. Rain clouds seen over Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. Representative image. ​Residents say erratic rainfall, warmer winters, and sudden weather shifts are affecting crop cycles and making agriculture less predictable. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia) ​Older residents&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/climate-change-and-tourism-are-reshaping-farming-in-the-himalayas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>The fading climate shields</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 May 2026 13:38:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Amir Bin Rafi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sacred groves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tradition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/05124934/Temple-Chachogi-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38032</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Conservation, Forests, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Mountains, Tribes, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In Himachal Pradesh, the influence of traditional beliefs, religion and cultural practices continues to shape the conservation of forest land. Dev Vans, or sacred groves, are forest patches revered as the domain of local deities (devtas). Village customs strictly prohibit tree-felling, leaf collection, and the entry of alcohol or meat within its boundaries. Known as [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In Himachal Pradesh, the influence of traditional beliefs, religion and cultural practices continues to shape the conservation of forest land. Dev Vans, or sacred groves, are forest patches revered as the domain of local deities (devtas). Village customs strictly prohibit tree-felling, leaf collection, and the entry of alcohol or meat within its boundaries. Known as the “Land of Unknown Gods”, Himachal Pradesh spans 55,673 sq km and contains 514 documented sacred groves, often found across valleys and slopes, near settlements, temples and water sources. For generations, in Himachal Pradesh, it was faith, not legislation, that determined which forests would remain untouched. &#8220;Nobody wants to anger the god,&#8221; says Anurita Saxena, Principal at Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shimla, who has spent decades researching the state&#8217;s cultural practices. &#8220;The customs allow certain forests to remain untouched, hence conserving nature.” The sacred groves continue to remain at the centre of community life, where rituals and festivals reinforce connections between people and nature, particularly in Himachal&#8217;s remote and elevated zones. Ceremonies unfold under their canopies, and community gatherings celebrate their presence tightening the bond between inhabitants and terrain. In numerous villages, sacred forests adjoin temples and fall under the watch of kardars or caretakers, governing access and rules. These belief-based practices have also helped preserve forest patches across generations, outside of formal conservation efforts. Sacred landscapes, not empty forests Cultural researcher Rahul Bhushan, who studies Himalayan communities, says sacred groves reflect an earlier worldview where forests were looked at as living, inhabited spaces rather than unclaimed&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-fading-climate-shields/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<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>The unaccounted ecological costs of a conflict [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-unaccounted-ecological-costs-of-a-conflict-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-unaccounted-ecological-costs-of-a-conflict-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Mar 2026 11:50:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gojesh Konsam]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land conflict]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/30110057/AP23201234357358-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37507</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Manipur]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Deforestation, Ecology, Environment, Governance, Himalayas, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Land Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Across Manipur, in folktales such as Kabok ki Nong, Gakripu, and Chhinlung, traditional communities share a common message that the land sustains life and often warns before it breaks. Recognising this relationship between the people and their land helps frame Manipur’s ecological story. The Jewel of India, Manipur, is situated 700-900 kilometres beyond the Siliguri [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Across Manipur, in folktales such as Kabok ki Nong, Gakripu, and Chhinlung, traditional communities share a common message that the land sustains life and often warns before it breaks. Recognising this relationship between the people and their land helps frame Manipur’s ecological story. The Jewel of India, Manipur, is situated 700-900 kilometres beyond the Siliguri Corridor, the &#8216;chicken neck&#8216; that connects the northeastern region of India to the rest. The state hosts ecological marvels that are severely endangered, such as Loktak Lake, along with its floating phumdis and the endangered sangai deer. For generations, communities here shaped their lives around their relationships with nature. However, what now overshadows the state’s landscapes and culture is its consistent political and ethnic turmoil, shaped by decades of distrust, contested land rights, unequal development, and contested claims of belonging and chronic governance challenges. In May 2023, as tensions escalated in the state due to conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, more than 60,000 people were displaced, with thousands of homes destroyed. Even when the close-knit society was still intact, signs of instability were already beginning to surface. The state&#8217;s relationship with its environment and natural resources was weakening, drifting away from the ecological sensibilities of Sanamahism or other structured naturalism practices of the natives in the state through ancient religion, with its focus on harmony with land, forests and water. The forests degraded, springs dried, jhum periods became shorter, and degrading commons had destroyed ecological stability both in the hills and in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-unaccounted-ecological-costs-of-a-conflict-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Reading the Aravallis through maps and law [Analysis]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/reading-the-aravallis-through-maps-and-law-analysis/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/reading-the-aravallis-through-maps-and-law-analysis/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Feb 2026 15:38:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abi T. VanakKripa M.K.Milind BunyanSachin Pernacca Sashidhar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aravallis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land management]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/09110022/AP22350157934244-scaled-e1770615046628-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36794</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Climate Change, Ecology, Environment, Grasslands, Industry, Land Rights, Mountains, Pollution, Villages, Water, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Across western and northern India, the Aravallis appear in fragments: a rocky ridge at a town’s edge, a grazed grassland, a seasonal stream, a low dune system holding the desert in place. Individually perhaps unremarkable, but together they form one of India’s most important ecological systems: open natural ecosystems (ONEs). Many of these landscapes are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Across western and northern India, the Aravallis appear in fragments: a rocky ridge at a town’s edge, a grazed grassland, a seasonal stream, a low dune system holding the desert in place. Individually perhaps unremarkable, but together they form one of India’s most important ecological systems: open natural ecosystems (ONEs). Many of these landscapes are also embedded in cultural and religious traditions, encompassing orans, sacred groves, and Vedic river systems such as the holy Saraswati. Yet, this vital geography recently faced an existential threat. On November 20, 2025, the Supreme Court of India adopted a definition proposed by the Central Government that limited the Aravalli ‘Hills’ to those rising more than 100 meters above the surrounding land and the ‘Range’ to two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other. Though framed as a technical clarification, the rule redraws the landscape by excluding significant terrain from protection. However, the legal tide has since turned. After staying its own order in December 2025, the Court on January 21, 2026 extended the stay further. The Bench directed the Additional Solicitor General and the amicus curiae to suggest names of environmentalists and scientists with expertise in mining and related fields. This would result in a court-supervised expert committee to assist it with ongoing proceedings. The immediate danger may have been put on hold, but the question of implications of the definition remains. A spatial analysis by researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/reading-the-aravallis-through-maps-and-law-analysis/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Government opens up forest plantation to private sector, critics question its conservation value</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Jan 2026 17:33:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restoration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/28165013/18963522564_1e12625071_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36652</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forest Rights Act, Forests, Indigenous Rights, Land Rights, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In early January, the Union Environment Ministry issued a letter to all states and union territories informing them that private entities could lease forest land and carry out plantations for commercial benefit without paying any penalties, marking a shift in how India’s forests have been traditionally managed. Forestry activities, including plantations, have typically been carried [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In early January, the Union Environment Ministry issued a letter to all states and union territories informing them that private entities could lease forest land and carry out plantations for commercial benefit without paying any penalties, marking a shift in how India’s forests have been traditionally managed. Forestry activities, including plantations, have typically been carried out by the forest department, since forests are considered to be publicly owned. But the letter makes the application of India’s primary forest conservation law more flexible, by allowing non-government entities to lease forest land — with permission — for the purposes of restoration or silviculture, and reclassifying it as “forestry activity.” “This step would lead to partnerships between government and non-government entities to undertake afforestation on degraded forest lands and therefore will help increase India’s green cover,” an FAQ document regarding the provision, provided to Mongabay-India by a Ministry spokesperson in response to a series of questions, says. However, forest restoration experts have raised concerns about the conservation objectives of this change, as well as its implications for forest-dwelling communities who depend on forest resources. The amendment was brought in to “sustainably harness” forest resources with the possibility of profit-sharing, but also to “harmonise” existing laws with the newly launched Green Credit programme – a controversial scheme that allows private entities to generate credits from tree planting to meet legal compliances. “Planting trees is not the same as ecological restoration. Commercial tree plantation in natural ecosystems can actually be ecologically harmful. The documents in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/government-opens-up-forest-plantation-to-private-sector-critics-question-its-conservation-value/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A Lakshadweep island’s strategic value worries conservationists and fishers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2026 21:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27120512/A_catch_of_groupers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36636</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of over 3,600 fish in over four hectares — an area roughly the size of five football fields. “This was between two and six times higher than any density previously recorded across south-east Asia,” recalled Karkarey, who is now a senior research associate at Lancaster University, U.K. Geographically, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, and five submerged banks. Out of a total of 36 islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago, with a total area of 32 sq km, only ten are inhabited. Among them Bitra is a tiny shark-fin-shaped strip of sand that is home to just about 271 people. The island is 570 metres in length and 280 m at its widest point, with an area of 0.105 sq km. The smallest inhabited island of the archipelago with its ecologically-sensitive marine landscape, Bitra is now under spotlight. The Lakshadweep administration is planning to take over the island, because of its strategic location, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation. The islanders however, say this is “land-grabbing” for tourism, trade and development, especially in the post-COVID-19 tourism boom. “The islanders have been fishing here for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Tribal leaders allege pressure to surrender land for the Great Nicobar project</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/asked-to-surrender-land-for-the-great-nicobar-project-tribal-leaders-say-no/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/asked-to-surrender-land-for-the-great-nicobar-project-tribal-leaders-say-no/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jan 2026 15:56:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Nicobar Island]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/23134353/AP25097301865042-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36599</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Habitat Loss, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Industry, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Tribal council chiefs in Great Nicobar allege they were asked to sign certificates surrendering their ancestral land on the island’s west coast to allow for the development of the Great Nicobar island project. During a press conference on January 22, chiefs of tribal committees on the island said they were invited for a meeting by [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Tribal council chiefs in Great Nicobar allege they were asked to sign certificates surrendering their ancestral land on the island’s west coast to allow for the development of the Great Nicobar island project. During a press conference on January 22, chiefs of tribal committees on the island said they were invited for a meeting by the district administration on January 7, and then asked to sign surrender certificates in order to show support for the island’s development, which they have opposed since 2022. The Great Nicobar island project involves the construction of a transshipment container port, a large township, a greenfield airport, and a gas and solar power plant at a cost of ₹81,000 crores (₹810 billion). The land used to be occupied by the Nicobarese across 27 villages until the 2004 tsunami, after which they were relocated to settlements in Rajiv Nagar and New Chingenh, near Campbell Bay on the upper east coast. “When we were resettled, we were promised that we could return to our land after some time, but that never happened. The areas we have been relocated to are too small to do any fishing, cultivation, or even celebrate our festivals properly,” said Titus Peter, first captain of the Pulo Bhabi village, adding, “We want our lands to be returned to us, not asked to surrender the land. If we sign such a certificate, we can lose our land forever and nothing will be left for future generations.” A fisherman at work in Port Blair in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/asked-to-surrender-land-for-the-great-nicobar-project-tribal-leaders-say-no/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<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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					<title>Scientists warn of land sinking beneath India’s megacities</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-warn-of-land-sinking-beneath-indias-megacities/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-warn-of-land-sinking-beneath-indias-megacities/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Nov 2025 13:13:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aquifer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[groundwater recharge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land subsidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water consumption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water crisis]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/13123610/AP23007393804454-scaled-e1763017756308-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35550</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Flood and drought and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Floods, Groundwater, Land Rights, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new study published in Nature Sustainability warns that India’s largest cities are slowly sinking. Using eight years of satellite radar data, researchers found that parts of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru are subsiding due to groundwater extraction and soil compaction, a process where the ground compresses as water is drawn out from underground [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new study published in Nature Sustainability warns that India’s largest cities are slowly sinking. Using eight years of satellite radar data, researchers found that parts of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru are subsiding due to groundwater extraction and soil compaction, a process where the ground compresses as water is drawn out from underground layers. Land subsidence, or the gradual sinking of the ground, occurs when underground water is pumped faster than it can be naturally replenished, causing soil and rock layers to compress. The study mapped 878 square kilometres of land showing signs of subsidence and found that nearly 1.9 million people are exposed to areas where the ground is sinking faster than 4 millimetres each year. More than 2,400 buildings across Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai are at high risk of structural damage from ongoing land subsidence. City-level projections show that Chennai and Delhi could be the worst affected, followed by Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The paper projects that more than 23,000 buildings could face a very high risk of structural damage within the next 50 years if current trends continue. Although less than five percent of urban areas fall under high-risk zones, these tend to be densely populated neighbourhoods, making the potential damage disproportionate. “Our motivation to study land subsidence and building damage risk in Indian megacities stems from the absence of prior research that explicitly investigates land subsidence and links differential settlement with observed structural damage,” Nitheshnirmal Sadhasivam, a Ph.D. researcher in geosciences at Virginia Tech&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/scientists-warn-of-land-sinking-beneath-indias-megacities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Governing land, landscapes and infrastructure for a just energy transition [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/governing-land-landscapes-and-infrastructures-for-a-just-energy-transition-in-india-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/governing-land-landscapes-and-infrastructures-for-a-just-energy-transition-in-india-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Aug 2025 14:35:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sarthak ShuklaSiddharth Sareen]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental justice]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/08/12133826/AP22122614134849-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34075</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Clean Energy, Climate Change, Energy, Green Energy, Land Rights, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s tryst with transitioning away from fossil fuels and powering through renewables is at an intriguing moment. Energy statistics indicate that May 2025 marked the steepest year-on-year decline in coal and gas fired power generation since the COVID-19 pandemic, despite reports of increased push for coal, oil and gas extraction, a push which also meets [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s tryst with transitioning away from fossil fuels and powering through renewables is at an intriguing moment. Energy statistics indicate that May 2025 marked the steepest year-on-year decline in coal and gas fired power generation since the COVID-19 pandemic, despite reports of increased push for coal, oil and gas extraction, a push which also meets increasing instances of social conflicts and protests. Investments in renewable energy are rising by the day, well-supported by governments offering lucrative incentives and subsidies as well as simplified licensing mechanisms to potential green energy investors at frequent global investor summits that have risen to prominence. India’s draft Sustainable Finance Taxonomy released by the national government mid-2025 marks another development to further entice investors in ‘green’ economic sectors including energy. As energy transitions gain momentum, questions of ‘accelerating’ and ‘enhancing pace and scale’ preoccupy policymakers, development organisations and philanthropic institutions. Governing land for energy futures is a contested topic — some want relaxed laws that facilitate land acquisition, while others oppose unchecked, often forceful, acquisition that can dispossess local inhabitants of their property, livelihoods and socio-cultural identity. Amidst this backdrop, questions of just, equitable and fair green energy futures are also circulating in policy circles. These questions concern not only land, but altered landscapes, infrastructural changes, control, and ownership over time. With multiple actors, interests and aspirations pitted against each other on critical concerns around governing land, landscapes and infrastructures for energy transition, linear, isolated, myopic and technocratic approaches will result in winners and losers —&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/governing-land-landscapes-and-infrastructures-for-a-just-energy-transition-in-india-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Book Review] Who are the true stewards of the forests? Decoding forest laws and community rights</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/book-review-who-are-the-true-stewards-of-the-forests-decoding-forest-laws-and-community-rights/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/book-review-who-are-the-true-stewards-of-the-forests-decoding-forest-laws-and-community-rights/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2024 12:53:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vandana K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/07/03110932/4123023-Large-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28379</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Law, Indigenous Rights, and Land Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Unless you&#8217;re a scholar or an expert in forest governance in India, it is hard to understand how forest laws work and whether they effectively protect forests and those who have lived in them for generations. Arpitha Kodiveri’s recently published book Governing Forests: State, Law, and Citizenship in India’s Forests (Melbourne University Publishing, 2024, soon to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Unless you&#8217;re a scholar or an expert in forest governance in India, it is hard to understand how forest laws work and whether they effectively protect forests and those who have lived in them for generations. Arpitha Kodiveri’s recently published book Governing Forests: State, Law, and Citizenship in India’s Forests (Melbourne University Publishing, 2024, soon to be published by Yoda Press in India) makes an attempt to answer this question and many more. Kodiveri, an environmental law and justice scholar and an assistant professor of political science at Vassar College in the U.S., used to work as an environmental lawyer in India. Her book builds on years of fieldwork and research in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, and Karnataka with forest-dwelling communities, featuring interviews with activists and members of Adivasi and Dalit communities. Kodiveri describes what she has learned from working with forest-dwelling communities such as the Gujjars and Bawariyas in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, Soligas in Biligiriranga Hills in Karnataka, and Dongria Kondhs in Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha, among others. The book examines India&#8217;s forest laws, showing how the state uses them to deny forest-dwelling communities&#8217; rights to their land and resources. Image courtesy of Arpitha Kodiveri. Addressing key questions of control The book sets out to answer three questions: how have existing environmental laws shaped forest governance in a way that allows the state to exercise absolute control over forests? How can the relationship between state and forest-dwelling communities, which has always been tense, be repaired? What kind&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/07/book-review-who-are-the-true-stewards-of-the-forests-decoding-forest-laws-and-community-rights/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Unchecked shrimp farming transforms land use in the Sundarbans</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/caught-in-the-net-unchecked-shrimp-farming-transforms-sundarbans/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/caught-in-the-net-unchecked-shrimp-farming-transforms-sundarbans/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jun 2024 10:05:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Niladry Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aquaculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shrimp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shrimp farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sundarbans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/06/17180450/IMG_8246-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28173</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fishing, Industry, Land Rights, and Mangroves]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the village of Nagendrapur, located in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in West Bengal, a narrow, six-foot-wide lane separates a large wetland used for aquaculture from a cluster of shanties. One of these shanties is home to Roshanara Piyada, her husband, Saidulla Piyada, and their three children. “Every time it rains, saline water from [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the village of Nagendrapur, located in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in West Bengal, a narrow, six-foot-wide lane separates a large wetland used for aquaculture from a cluster of shanties. One of these shanties is home to Roshanara Piyada, her husband, Saidulla Piyada, and their three children. “Every time it rains, saline water from the fishery overflows and floods our home,” said 31-year-old Roshanara while washing dishes at a freshwater pond next to the fishery. “We used to work as agricultural labourers before aquaculture started on this land. Now it has become tough to make ends meet,” said Saidulla, pointing to the aquaculture ponds with a thin line of greenery at the other end, some 600-700 metres (1,970-2,300 feet) away. “That is mangroves. They were closer, but these aquaculture people keep destroying them every year.” The land where they once worked was converted into a fishery a decade ago, an increasing trend in the region. The landowners leased the land to an aquaculture operator who now employs his own workers, leaving Saidulla, Roshanara and their neighbours out of a job. “We are called to either till the land or build embankments before they refill the water in the fisheries at the beginning of each season,” said 48-year-old Saidulla. “But even that work is drying up now as the fishery people use heavy machinery,” Roshanara added. Their neighbours in the village and across other parts of the Sundarbans in the state share similar stories. The SBR, spread across West Bengal&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/caught-in-the-net-unchecked-shrimp-farming-transforms-sundarbans/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Many state reports documenting “unclassed forests” are incomplete</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/many-state-reports-documenting-unclassed-forests-are-incomplete/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/many-state-reports-documenting-unclassed-forests-are-incomplete/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 May 2024 15:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/23123805/Living_Root_Bridge_Meghalaya_India-scaled-e1716456822247-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27890</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forests and Land Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Decades-old state government reports documenting unclassed forests were made public for the first time last month, revealing several gaps. The central government seeks to use these reports to regulate activity and grant protection to forests which are not already notified under Indian laws. Many state governments have said, however, that the reports do not capture [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Decades-old state government reports documenting unclassed forests were made public for the first time last month, revealing several gaps. The central government seeks to use these reports to regulate activity and grant protection to forests which are not already notified under Indian laws. Many state governments have said, however, that the reports do not capture the full extent of unclassed forests within their jurisdiction, and that the information they have provided is incomplete. Experts have raised concerns about using incomplete state government records to decide the level of protection meted out to forests, which could have wide ranging impacts on forest cover and the rights of forest-dwelling communities. “If forests are not properly identified, there’s a possibility that open natural grassland ecosystems will be misidentified and opened up for afforestation activity,” said Debadityo Sinha, lead of climate and ecosystems at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. Grassland at Eravikulam National Park, Kerala. Experts have raised concerns that if forests are not properly identified, there’s a possibility that open natural grassland ecosystems will be misidentified and opened up for afforestation activity. Image by Harikrishnan S via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED). The reports were made public as part of an ongoing case challenging the central government’s amendment to the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, which is intended to limit infrastructure development activity within forest areas. In 1996, the Supreme Court ruled that the Act would apply to all forests, including land parcels that resembled the dictionary meaning of the word “forest,” regardless&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/many-state-reports-documenting-unclassed-forests-are-incomplete/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>More than 15 years on, implementation of Forest Right Act is lagging, new report finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/more-than-15-years-on-implementation-of-forest-right-act-is-lagging-new-report-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/more-than-15-years-on-implementation-of-forest-right-act-is-lagging-new-report-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Apr 2024 16:45:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Forest Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest Rights]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/04104956/Gram_sabha_meeting_at_Mendha_Lekha-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27183</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam, India, Karnataka, and Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, and Land Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The implementation of the Forest Rights Act has largely overlooked claims for community forest rights and is fraught with exclusionary practices due to misconceptions about its applicability, according to a new report. The report was published in March and conducted by Delhi-based NGO Call for Justice, with a committee chaired by former high court judge [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The implementation of the Forest Rights Act has largely overlooked claims for community forest rights and is fraught with exclusionary practices due to misconceptions about its applicability, according to a new report. The report was published in March and conducted by Delhi-based NGO Call for Justice, with a committee chaired by former high court judge S.N. Dhingra. The Forest Rights Act of 2006 (FRA), which came into force in 2008, recognises the historical rights that forest dwellers and scheduled tribes have over forest resources. However, despite being in force for over 15 years, strong implementation is still lacking due to knowledge gaps or conflicts of interest, says the report. Conducted by an independent fact finding committee, the report was submitted to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs last week. Conducted across five different states representing diverse regions of the country, the report sought to identify “key issues and concerns” in the implementation of the law, which has seen a high rate of rejection among claims. It found that claims for individual forest rights were accepted more often than claims for community forest rights, and that district and forest officials continued to wield more decision-making power over the gram sabhas. In a meeting on March 30, the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda, told the fact finding committee that the Ministry would examine the key recommendations of the report. The FRA presents forest dwellers with the opportunity to claim community forest rights over 40 million hectares of land, according to some&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/more-than-15-years-on-implementation-of-forest-right-act-is-lagging-new-report-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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