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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/oil/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>A new book documents voices from the Baghjan disaster</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-new-book-documents-voices-from-the-baghjan-disaster/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-new-book-documents-voices-from-the-baghjan-disaster/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Feb 2026 14:29:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[disaster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fuel leak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural gas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/19122343/AP20162465039212-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36971</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Energy, Environment, Environmental Crime, Fossil Fuels, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health impacts, Industry, and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“&#8230;Neither a fleeting joy, nor an unbidden laughter remains. In a moment, OIL took it all, stripping me of everything.” This stanza is from a poem written by Papul Gogoi, a resident of Baghjan, Assam, from the point of view of a (fictional) woman who lost everything in the Baghjan blowout, a 2020 industrial disaster [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“&#8230;Neither a fleeting joy, nor an unbidden laughter remains. In a moment, OIL took it all, stripping me of everything.” This stanza is from a poem written by Papul Gogoi, a resident of Baghjan, Assam, from the point of view of a (fictional) woman who lost everything in the Baghjan blowout, a 2020 industrial disaster that had widespread impacts on people and the environment. The poem, expressing grief and despair about the blowout, is part of a book Our Burden of Grief published in October 2025. On May 27, 2020, there was a leak in Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Well No. 5 in Baghjan Oil Field, Tinsukia, Assam, resulting in the uncontrollable flow of the natural gas (methane gas), crude oil and condensate droplets. People living nearby had to be evacuated. A subsequent blast on June 9, 2020, completely burned down 12 houses and more than 10,000 residents from nearly a dozen villages within a three-kilometre radius of the rig were affected and displaced. The fire engulfed adjacent wetlands, killing endangered birds and animals. The fire lasted for almost six months, and OIL only succeeded in extinguishing it entirely on November 15, 2020. The impact of the incident, one of the worst industrial disasters in modern India, has been captured in the book Our Burden of Grief. The book, co-authored by Sanjay Barbora, who teaches sociology and social anthropology, and Dolly Kikon, who teaches anthropology, both at the University of California, along with Noihrit Gogoi, a PhD student in sociology&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/a-new-book-documents-voices-from-the-baghjan-disaster/" 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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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Hydrocarbon exploration sparks protest over livelihood and environmental concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/hydrocarbon-exploration-sparks-protest-over-livelihood-and-environmental-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/hydrocarbon-exploration-sparks-protest-over-livelihood-and-environmental-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Oct 2025 17:19:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oil exploration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/24110039/affected-agri-land-at-Keelasiruputhu-near-Ramanathapuram-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35197</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Carbon emissions, Energy, Fish, Fishing, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Industry, Oil, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When the early morning sun glinted off the nets drying along Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram coast in late September, it illuminated a sight both familiar and defiant in the state’s environmental history: fishers and farmers standing shoulder to shoulder, holding placards against the latest attempt to drill beneath their land and sea. They were protesting against [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When the early morning sun glinted off the nets drying along Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram coast in late September, it illuminated a sight both familiar and defiant in the state’s environmental history: fishers and farmers standing shoulder to shoulder, holding placards against the latest attempt to drill beneath their land and sea. They were protesting against an environmental clearance issued by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), which authorised the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to drill 20 exploratory wells in an offshore block, a designated area in the water, near Ramanathapuram district. In the wake of the protests, the state government has asked the SEIAA to withdraw the clearance and the next course of action is awaited. The clearance to ONGC was issued in March. As per usual practice, the project documents are supposed to be accessible to the public on platforms such as the Parivesh portal which displays environmental clearances for projects. But the documents for this project were not accessible say local activists and environmentalists. A few months later, in August, SEIAA formally posted the approval online which then drew immediate attention, leading to mass protests across Ramanathapuram and surrounding areas. For the government, it was a technical approval. For the people of Ramanathapuram, it was a move against their soil, water, and survival as their livelihoods depend on the landscape. From Keezhakarai in the east to Mudukulathur in the west, fishers, farmers, priests, and students gathered in small but resolute assemblies. “Oil-free Tamil Nadu is our&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/hydrocarbon-exploration-sparks-protest-over-livelihood-and-environmental-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Gas leak in Assam oil rig under control but has affected hundreds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/gas-leak-in-assam-oil-rig-under-control-but-has-affected-hundreds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/gas-leak-in-assam-oil-rig-under-control-but-has-affected-hundreds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2025 14:15:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/07/03114011/A-medical-camp-at-a-school-in-Rudrasagar-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33473</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Oil and Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On June 27, the gas leak in a rig in Rudrasagar was finally capped in a joint operation carried out by the Crisis Management Team of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC) and Texas-based Crudd Pressure Control where they removed the damaged Blowout Preventer (BOP) from the oil wellhead. Gushes of gas [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On June 27, the gas leak in a rig in Rudrasagar was finally capped in a joint operation carried out by the Crisis Management Team of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC) and Texas-based Crudd Pressure Control where they removed the damaged Blowout Preventer (BOP) from the oil wellhead. Gushes of gas were first observed on June 12, around 11.45 am, during servicing operations at well no RDS-147 A, an oil well in the Rudrasagar oil field, in Sivasagar district in Assam, one of the oldest oil fields of ONGC, the largest state-owned oil and natural gas company of India. Upon detection, ONGC activated standard safety protocol, and the site was promptly secured. A fortnight later, gas continued to leak at the Rudrasagar oil field. However, following the arrival of a three-member team of oil well control experts from Crudd Pressure Control on the evening of June 20, there was progress in controlling the blowout with flow rate of gas reducing substantially. The team finally brought the gas flow under control on June 27. &#8220;After removing the BOP, the pre-positioned capping start, prepared at the staging area, was carefully and accurately placed onto the wellhead. This redirected the gas flow securely to the top of the capping stack, ensuring containment and control. The capping stack was firmly installed and secured, following which the BOP was successfully closed, effectively bringing an end to the gas discharge,&#8221; the ONGC statement said. Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA)&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/gas-leak-in-assam-oil-rig-under-control-but-has-affected-hundreds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Plans to explore oil and gas in biodiversity-rich Wadge Bank raises concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/plans-to-explore-oil-and-gas-in-biodiversity-rich-wadge-bank-raises-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/plans-to-explore-oil-and-gas-in-biodiversity-rich-wadge-bank-raises-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 May 2024 14:54:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oil exploration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/29133251/Sea-off-the-coast-Kanyakumari-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27966</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coral Reefs, Fishing, Oil, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Indian government’s decision, earlier this year, to allow the exploration and development of three oil and gas blocks off the Kanniyakumari coast, under the provisions of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licencing Policy (HELP) of 2016, has left fish workers in the districts of Kanniyakumari and Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Indian government’s decision, earlier this year, to allow the exploration and development of three oil and gas blocks off the Kanniyakumari coast, under the provisions of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licencing Policy (HELP) of 2016, has left fish workers in the districts of Kanniyakumari and Thirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in Kerala, concerned about their livelihoods. Experts who have studied the sensitive marine region have confirmed that the proposed mega-oil exploration could have a detrimental effect on the ecosystem of Wadge Bank. Industrial activity and pollution from oil exploration could have unpredictable consequences for the ocean ecosystem. According to the Notice Inviting Offers (NIO) issued by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gases, three blocks with a total area of 27,154 square kilometres on the Kanniyakumari coast would be brought under the programme. Fishers wait for the boats carrying the day&#8217;s catch at Vizhinjam, Kerala. Oil exploration could impact the Wadge Bank, a vital ecosystem for the livelihood of the fishing community in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Image by K.A.Shaji. M.G. Devasahayam, a retired civil service officer and an environmental activist in Tamil Nadu has noted that the Wadge Bank is vital to livelihoods and a source of nutrient-rich food and oil exploration could destroy the fragile ecosystem, pushing the fishing community into extreme poverty. Devasahayam has written to the Union Fisheries Department and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, requesting they withdraw the exploration bids. Wadge Bank rich in biodiversity, abundant fishery resource&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/plans-to-explore-oil-and-gas-in-biodiversity-rich-wadge-bank-raises-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Walls come down to make way for elephants</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/walls-come-down-to-make-way-for-elephants/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/walls-come-down-to-make-way-for-elephants/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Apr 2024 17:19:27 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gauhati]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Numligarh Refinery Ltd]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/03171427/Asian_Elephants_at_Kaziranga_National_Park_Assam_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27172</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, Oil, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In a landmark moment for environmental activism in India, on March 17, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL) began demolishing its 2.2-kilometre boundary wall in its township that had been restricting the movement of wild animals in Deopahar&#8217;s reserve forest in Golaghat district, Assam. NRL is a public sector oil company, and a joint venture with Bharat [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In a landmark moment for environmental activism in India, on March 17, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL) began demolishing its 2.2-kilometre boundary wall in its township that had been restricting the movement of wild animals in Deopahar&#8217;s reserve forest in Golaghat district, Assam. NRL is a public sector oil company, and a joint venture with Bharat Petroleum, Oil India Ltd (OIL) and the Government of Assam as the parties. The demolition of the wall reportedly started after the Gauhati High Court upheld the original decision of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT in August 2016 had ordered the demolition of the wall, in response to the applications filed by conservationist and RTI activist Rohit Choudhury. Elephants trying to push the Numaligarh Refinery wall which falls in their corridor. Photo by Rohit Choudhury. On February 8, an order passed by Justice Devashis Baruah dismissed two writ petitions filed by NRL that challenged NGT&#8217;s 2016 order. NRL had begun the demolition activity once in March 2018, and demolished 289 metres of the wall, before abandoning the project. When contacted, Kajal Saikia, General Manager (HR) of NRL told Mongabay-India, “We respect the order of the Hon’ble High Court and will comply with the court’s order.” The demolition will be entirely carried out by NRL and the district administration of Golaghat will not be involved. Uday Praveen, Deputy Commissioner, Golaghat told Mongabay-India, “The district administration has not been made party to the order by the Hon’ble Court. So, the demolition of the wall will&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/walls-come-down-to-make-way-for-elephants/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Oil spill in Ennore brings fishing to a standstill</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/oil-spill-in-ennore-brings-fishing-to-a-standstill/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/oil-spill-in-ennore-brings-fishing-to-a-standstill/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Dec 2023 14:20:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Laasya Shekhar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil spill]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/29132746/for-pic-8-1-scaled-e1703836692177-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25863</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Fishing, Industry, Oil, People, and Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On the evening of December 21, 2023, in the wintry chill, 38-year-old fisherman M Santhosh Kumar faced the Kosasthalaiyar river with a steady gaze. The river flows north of Chennai city, drains into the Bay of Bengal, and is the most important source of livelihood for Kumar. It now bears the scars of a large-scale [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On the evening of December 21, 2023, in the wintry chill, 38-year-old fisherman M Santhosh Kumar faced the Kosasthalaiyar river with a steady gaze. The river flows north of Chennai city, drains into the Bay of Bengal, and is the most important source of livelihood for Kumar. It now bears the scars of a large-scale oil spill mixed with floodwater in the aftermath of cyclone Michaung that battered Chennai, in early December. Kumar and more than 2,000 fishermen from the nine fishing villages of Ennore (a neighbourhood in north Chennai), have not ventured into the Kosasthalaiyar river, the Ennore Creek, and the Bay of Bengal since the beginning of December, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert ahead of Cyclone Michaung. Cyclone Michaung ravaged Chennai with unprecedented rainfall of 45 cm in 36 hours on December 3 and December 4, leaving the city inundated. While the cyclone prevented fishermen from accessing the waters for one week, the oil spill that happened after the cyclone passed, has rendered the waters unfit for fishing, bringing the lives of fishermen in Ennore to a complete standstill. On December 4, crude oil from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), a public sector refining company, reportedly leaked into the Kosasthalaiyar river, Ennore Creek, and the sea. This was exacerbated by floods because it resulted in a quick spread of the oil, confirms an expert (on condition of anonymity) from the Indian Institute of Technology &#8211; Madras (IIT-M), to Mongabay-India. A film of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/oil-spill-in-ennore-brings-fishing-to-a-standstill/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/oil-spill-in-ennore-brings-fishing-to-a-standstill/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Three years after an oil well blowout, this Assam wetland is slowly coping</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/three-years-after-an-oil-well-blowout-this-assam-lake-is-slowly-coping/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/three-years-after-an-oil-well-blowout-this-assam-lake-is-slowly-coping/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Dec 2023 15:05:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bondita Baruah]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/27225517/IMG_2119-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25854</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Oil, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On May 27, 2020, an oil field owned by Oil India Limited in Baghjan, located near the wetland Maguri Motapung Beel in Assam, experienced a gas leak which led to a blowout on June 9, 2020. It took over 173 days to &#8216;kill&#8217; the blowout, which led to great environmental damage in the region. Three [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On May 27, 2020, an oil field owned by Oil India Limited in Baghjan, located near the wetland Maguri Motapung Beel in Assam, experienced a gas leak which led to a blowout on June 9, 2020. It took over 173 days to &#8216;kill&#8217; the blowout, which led to great environmental damage in the region. Three years since the blowout, there are mixed opinions on the recovery of the ecosystem. While some say that the monsoons have helped wash away some of the pollutants, local communities observe long-lasting effects to their livelihoods and reduced species diversity.  The Maguri Motapung beel (lake) is a floodplain wetland in the Tinsukia district of northeastern India, covering an approximate area of 9.6 square kilometres. Located within the Brahmaputra floodplains, fed by Lohit and Dibru rivers in the north and south, the wetland connects Dibru Saikhowa National Park (south of the beel) and Nampada National Park in Arunachal Pradesh, forming an important wildlife corridor in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot region. Like other wetlands, this beel too supports a diversity of wildlife and provides plentiful resources. It is considered an important habitat for over 110 bird species including several threatened species such as the white-winged wood duck. Its rich fish diversity supports the livelihoods of a large population of local fishers. A ruddy shelduck at Maguri Motapung Beel, with OIL operations in the background in close proximity. Photo by Bondita Baruah/Mongabay. After-effects of the blowout An expert committee report submitted to the Supreme Court on December 31,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/three-years-after-an-oil-well-blowout-this-assam-lake-is-slowly-coping/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/three-years-after-an-oil-well-blowout-this-assam-lake-is-slowly-coping/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Big oil leaning on carbon capture may fracture consensus on ditching fossil fuels</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/big-oil-leaning-on-carbon-capture-may-fracture-consensus-on-ditching-fossil-fuels/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/big-oil-leaning-on-carbon-capture-may-fracture-consensus-on-ditching-fossil-fuels/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Dec 2023 14:15:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Soumya Sarkar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carbon Capture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CCUS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP28]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/11105934/26326945331_d88c60ead2_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25635</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond the Hype and Clean Energy]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon emissions, Fossil Fuels, and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Positions on phasing out fossil fuels have hardened as climate negotiators race to reach a consensus at the Dubai summit this week. The crux of the discussions has boiled down to whether the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) will commit to phasing out fossil fuels within a time frame or agree to phase out unabated [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Positions on phasing out fossil fuels have hardened as climate negotiators race to reach a consensus at the Dubai summit this week. The crux of the discussions has boiled down to whether the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) will commit to phasing out fossil fuels within a time frame or agree to phase out unabated fossil fuels or even not make a mention of fossil fuels at all. In the hectic parleys over exact phrasing, an unlikely issue has emerged as a flashpoint: carbon capture and storage, indicated by the suddenly important word “unabated,” which made its first appearance in the 2021 Glasgow summit, when all countries agreed to speed up efforts towards a phasedown of “unabated” coal power. The term is usually used in reference to emissions to describe carbon pollution not being captured by new technologies such as carbon capture and storage. If efforts do infact land up being focussed on the phasedown of &#8220;unabated&#8221; emissions as is being discussed, it might allow nations to continue burning fossil fuels as long as they trap and bury the carbon dioxide emissions and stop the greenhouse gas from heating up the planet. The technologies required to do so are collectively called carbon capture, usage, and storage. Ways to capture carbon emissions have now become a proxy for the pitched battle on both diplomatic and political fronts that could set the pathway to how and by how much the world will produce planet-warming fossil fuels, including oil, gas, and coal, in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/big-oil-leaning-on-carbon-capture-may-fracture-consensus-on-ditching-fossil-fuels/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>With no primary data on impacts, government approves an oil extraction technique 500 m outside forests</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/with-no-primary-data-on-impacts-government-approves-an-oil-extraction-technique-500-m-outside-forests/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/with-no-primary-data-on-impacts-government-approves-an-oil-extraction-technique-500-m-outside-forests/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Sep 2023 14:53:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extended reach drilling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/09/28115147/Nature_Forests_Rivers_Cherrapunjee_Landscape_Meghalaya_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=24643</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree, Just Transitions, and The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environmental Law, Forests, and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Extracting oil and gas from reserves in forests no longer requires project developers to obtain forest clearance, as long as the digging process happens outside forest areas, new government regulation states. On September 12, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued a letter to all states saying that Extended Reach Drilling – a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Extracting oil and gas from reserves in forests no longer requires project developers to obtain forest clearance, as long as the digging process happens outside forest areas, new government regulation states. On September 12, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued a letter to all states saying that Extended Reach Drilling – a form of oil and gas extraction – would be exempt from the forest clearance process, and that detailed regional guidelines for the extraction process would be issued by the Wildlife Institute of India. Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) involves digging a horizontal well at an incline that is at least twice as long in its length as it is in depth, which allows extraction to take place at a distance from the point of digging. The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), an arm under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, has pushed for ERD to be exempt from the forest clearance process since 2020, arguing that the technology makes it possible to access reserves without entering forests or disturbing forest land. So far, no studies evaluating the impacts of ERD on forests have been conducted in India. According to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), it will take three years to collect data, prepare a report and make recommendations on the use of this technology within forest areas. The environment ministry – the final authority on making changes to forest clearance regulation – granted the exemption, nonetheless, basing its decision on a report by the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/with-no-primary-data-on-impacts-government-approves-an-oil-extraction-technique-500-m-outside-forests/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/09/with-no-primary-data-on-impacts-government-approves-an-oil-extraction-technique-500-m-outside-forests/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Tarballs dot India&#8217;s west coast annually, indicating continued oil spills, ship fuel discharge</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/tarballs-dot-indias-west-coast-annually-indicating-continued-oil-spills-ship-fuel-discharge/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/tarballs-dot-indias-west-coast-annually-indicating-continued-oil-spills-ship-fuel-discharge/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Nov 2022 16:49:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manjula Nair]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/11/21124854/IMG_4238-Juhu-2022-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20689</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa, Gujarat, India, Karnataka, and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Oceans, Oil, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Right after the monsoon spell, the coastlines of India’s western states, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa to Karnataka, are lined with dark, sticky balls. These are tarballs, a “seasonal phenomena” surfacing on the west coast of India every year between April and September and cause worry to conservationists and researchers. Tarballs affect marine life and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Right after the monsoon spell, the coastlines of India’s western states, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa to Karnataka, are lined with dark, sticky balls. These are tarballs, a “seasonal phenomena” surfacing on the west coast of India every year between April and September and cause worry to conservationists and researchers. Tarballs affect marine life and flag concerns about oil spills from an offshore oil rig along the Maharashtra-Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea. These weathered oil blobs are often remnants of oil spills but can also be produced from natural seeps, places where oil slowly escapes from the earth&#8217;s surface above some petroleum reservoirs. Unpacking the chemical characteristics and fingerprints of tarballs, researchers at India’s National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) documented the sources of the 2010/11 tarballs that appeared in Goa to be from oil tanker wash, while the probable source for the tarballs on Gujarat’s coasts in 2012 was the crude oil spill from the Bombay High (BH) offshore oil rig. “We initiated the study on tarballs at NIO the way back in 2010. We started working on tarballs when there was huge tarball pollution along the Goa coast. And so far, based on our studies, majorly we have found only two sources. One is the oil spills that occur due to ships or shipping operations, and the second main reason is the oil spills that occur in the vicinity of the oil fields,&#8221; Suneel Vasimalla, senior scientist from NIO, told Mongabay-India, adding that tar balls are considered “marine&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/tarballs-dot-indias-west-coast-annually-indicating-continued-oil-spills-ship-fuel-discharge/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Oil refinery sparks protests over livelihood concerns in Ratnagiri</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/oil-refinery-sparks-protests-over-livelihood-concerns-in-ratnagiri/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/oil-refinery-sparks-protests-over-livelihood-concerns-in-ratnagiri/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Nov 2022 14:57:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abhijeet Gurjar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/11/17110313/A-huge-rock-art-of-a-eleohant_NisarygYatri-Org-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=20660</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Oil and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Refinery prakalp, yei Kokanat ho, kara virodh virodh, kara virodha.(The refinery project that’s arriving in Konkan, let’s oppose, let’s oppose.) This was the festive chant ringing door-to-door across villages in the Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district during the Ganpati festival this September. Each year, people from the district, working in Mumbai, make their way homeward [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Refinery prakalp, yei Kokanat ho, kara virodh virodh, kara virodha.(The refinery project that’s arriving in Konkan, let’s oppose, let’s oppose.) This was the festive chant ringing door-to-door across villages in the Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district during the Ganpati festival this September. Each year, people from the district, working in Mumbai, make their way homeward to Rajapur during the festive season. This year, the celebrations were flavoured with opposition to the proposed oil refinery, set to be the world’s largest single-location refinery complex. Many of the young people who had come home, together with the local residents, coordinated protests against the refinery. Each hamlet and wadi in the Rajapur taluka stood united, hoisting opposition banners and chanting protest slogans, alongside bhajans(devotional songs) throughout the five-day religious festival. This year, the Ganpati festival in the Rajapur taluka of the Ratnagiri district was different. Bhajans (devotional songs) were sung, but they were not just about god. A group of villagers sang bhajans specially written to create awareness about the oil refinery and expressing protest. Photo by Abhijeet Gurjar/Mongabay. The story so far Speaking at the Energy Technology Meet held at Mumbai on September 15, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri mentioned that the stalled oil refinery project in Ratnagiri will be revived, in a bid to make India energy independent. Since 2018, the stalled West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra has hit roadblocks due to land acquisition hurdles. &#8220;We sent out feelers to everyone, and the feedback has&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/oil-refinery-sparks-protests-over-livelihood-concerns-in-ratnagiri/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Oil palm farmers in Arunachal Pradesh lose hope in absence of processing mills, market, road linkage</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/in-arunachal-pradesh-oil-palm-farmers-lose-confidence-in-absence-of-processing-mills-market-road-linkage/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/in-arunachal-pradesh-oil-palm-farmers-lose-confidence-in-absence-of-processing-mills-market-road-linkage/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jun 2022 10:06:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bikash Kumar Bhattacharya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil Palm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palm oil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/06/06094802/Oilpalm_Mizoram_DSC6871-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=18489</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Over the past seven years, Takali Tamuk, a farmer and agro-entrepreneur from Pasighat in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, has attended several outreach programmes on oil palm cultivation. These were organised as part of the Indian government’s push to promote the crop in the state. Like many others in the region, he adopted [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Over the past seven years, Takali Tamuk, a farmer and agro-entrepreneur from Pasighat in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, has attended several outreach programmes on oil palm cultivation. These were organised as part of the Indian government’s push to promote the crop in the state. Like many others in the region, he adopted oil palm, but with studied caution: he planted the new crop only on a small plot of land to test its suitability to local soil and climate. While his palm trees grow promisingly, and some have even taken to fruiting, Tamuk doubts the crop’s successful introduction in the state and says he has “lost all hope that the crop will take off in the state, unless a robust supply chain is created”. Today, Arunachal Pradesh reportedly has over 3,000 hectares of standing oil palm cultivation. However, it still does not have a processing mill. The oil palm companies promoting the crop in Arunachal Pradesh refuse to ship the fruits to a crushing mill located outside the state, citing lack of produce to make the venture commercially viable. The oil palm fruit is highly perishable and has to be processed within 48 hours of harvesting, or it begins to deteriorate, with harmful fatty acids building up. Oil palm companies often leave the fruits on the farms after purchase, and according to the farmers, till date, no fruit from the state has been processed. An oil palm tree plantation in Abango village, Lower Dibang Valley. Photo by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/06/in-arunachal-pradesh-oil-palm-farmers-lose-confidence-in-absence-of-processing-mills-market-road-linkage/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>[Video] The future of palm oil production in Kerala</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/video-the-future-of-palm-oil-production-in-kerala/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/video-the-future-of-palm-oil-production-in-kerala/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Oct 2021 10:36:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Salim Joseph]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kartik Chandramouli]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil Palm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palm oil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/10/26163631/palm-oil-kerala-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=16001</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Environment, and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Kerala was the first Indian state to launch large-scale oil palm cultivation in 1971. The south Indian state is now planning to boost its palm oil plantation and production. India is the world’s top importer and the second-largest consumer of palm oil. It gets over 90% of its palm oil supply through imports from Indonesia [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Kerala was the first Indian state to launch large-scale oil palm cultivation in 1971. The south Indian state is now planning to boost its palm oil plantation and production. India is the world’s top importer and the second-largest consumer of palm oil. It gets over 90% of its palm oil supply through imports from Indonesia and Malaysia. To reduce dependency on imports, the Indian government has planned to expand oil palm plantations in the country and boost local palm oil production. Currently, there&#8217;s only one processing unit in Kerala which becomes a bottleneck in the palm oil processing infrastructure in the state. As palm oil plantations are set to expand, the plan also raises questions about forest cover, biodiversity, and the water security of the state. But palm oil fields are monoculture plantations that can impact biodiversity, groundwater levels and cause other environmental issues. &nbsp; Banner image: Palm oil nursery in Kollam, Kerala. Photo by S R Niranjan.This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/video-the-future-of-palm-oil-production-in-kerala/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Mizoram&#8217;s balancing act with palm oil&#8217;s ecological impact and economic benefits</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/09/mizorams-balancing-act-with-palm-oils-ecological-impact-and-economic-benefits/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/09/mizorams-balancing-act-with-palm-oils-ecological-impact-and-economic-benefits/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Sep 2021 13:41:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bikash Kumar BhattacharyaGaurab TalukdarNabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monoculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palm oil]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/09/13104556/mizoram-palm-oil-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=15504</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Mizoram]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Environment, Forests, Oil, Tigers, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Vanlaldika, a temporary forest guard in Dampa Tiger Reserve, one of the last remaining tiger habitats in Mizoram, has been cultivating oil palm for the past seven years. Vanlaldika, hails from Dampa Rengpui, a hamlet in the buffer zone of the tiger reserve and owns a field of 200 oil palm trees. He says, “Palm [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Vanlaldika, a temporary forest guard in Dampa Tiger Reserve, one of the last remaining tiger habitats in Mizoram, has been cultivating oil palm for the past seven years. Vanlaldika, hails from Dampa Rengpui, a hamlet in the buffer zone of the tiger reserve and owns a field of 200 oil palm trees. He says, “Palm oil fields dot the buffer zone as well as the core area of the Dampa Tiger Reserve. People in my village have been cultivating oil palm for the last ten years.” Vanlaldika said that forest guards do not get remunerated regularly and thus have to indulge in alternate occupations like cultivating palm oil, areca nuts, rearing animals, running shops, among others, to keep their families afloat. However, the lack of a collecting centre in the vicinity is a challenge for farmers like him. “To sell palm oil fruits, we have to drive 30 kilometres to West Phaileng in Mamit district, incurring heavy transportation charges. Because of this, many farmers have given up the cultivation of palm oil and switched to areca, pineapple and banana which are easier to sell. But for me, it is difficult to make the switch because I was so emotionally invested in this,” Vanlaldika told Mongabay India. The overwhelming consensus among environmentalists is that palm oil is detrimental to the local ecology of northeast India, which is rich in biodiversity and home to a number of endangered flora and fauna. Many experts believe that replacing the wildlife habitats with palm oil risks&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/09/mizorams-balancing-act-with-palm-oils-ecological-impact-and-economic-benefits/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Commentary] Cyclone, oil spill and tarballs: a trio of troubles for Mahim village</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/commentary-cyclone-oil-spill-and-tarballs-a-trio-of-troubles-for-mahim-village/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/commentary-cyclone-oil-spill-and-tarballs-a-trio-of-troubles-for-mahim-village/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Aug 2021 14:10:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dhwani Shah]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cyclone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme weather events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil spill]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/08/17174620/4_Tarballs-spread-around-the-entire-beach-and-mangroves-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=15207</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Fish, Fishing, Oil, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Purnima Meher, a 76-year-old resident, dodges big black lumps on the sand. She then stands by the mangroves on the shore of Mahim village in Maharashtra, looking at a stranded barge and says in agony, “For almost 10 years, these mangroves are growing here. I have never seen them in such a poor condition.” Cyclone [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Purnima Meher, a 76-year-old resident, dodges big black lumps on the sand. She then stands by the mangroves on the shore of Mahim village in Maharashtra, looking at a stranded barge and says in agony, “For almost 10 years, these mangroves are growing here. I have never seen them in such a poor condition.” Cyclone Tauktae, in mid-May this year, passed very close to the western coast of India. It had an impact on parts of the region, injuring and killing people, destroying property and crops and causing power disruptions in several districts of Maharashtra. One such place to feel the impact of the cyclone was Mahim village in Palghar district, north of Mumbai city. During the cyclone, the Gal Constructor, a cargo barge drifted to a part of the coast of Mahim, the rocky Wadarai coast, and was stranded there. This caused damage to the barge which led to an oil spill and further, large quantities of tarballs were deposited along the shore of the village. The impact of the cyclone clubbed with the oil spill and tarballs, has adversely affected the lives and livelihoods of Mahim’s village&#8217;s coastal community. Mangrove leaves covered in oil after the oil spill. Photo by Dhwani Shah. Meher, lovingly called “tai” by the youngsters in the village, is a resident of Mahim village. She is an active member of the National Fishworkers Forum and Maharashtra Machchimar Kruti Samiti. Walking along the beach, tai said “I have seen tarballs wash on the coast every&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/commentary-cyclone-oil-spill-and-tarballs-a-trio-of-troubles-for-mahim-village/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/commentary-cyclone-oil-spill-and-tarballs-a-trio-of-troubles-for-mahim-village/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Palm oil cultivation in India can be expanded while sparing biodiversity, says study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/07/palm-oil-cultivation-in-india-can-be-expanded-while-sparing-biodiversity-says-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/07/palm-oil-cultivation-in-india-can-be-expanded-while-sparing-biodiversity-says-study/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jul 2021 12:04:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rupsy Khurana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/07/27103743/Banner-PO-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14968</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Environment, Forests, Oil, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India, which is the world’s largest consumer and importer of palm oil, has the potential to produce it with socio-economic benefits without threatening natural landscapes, a latest study has said. It emphasised that meticulous land-use planning and implementing fine-scale local strategies for palm oil cultivation can reduce the pressure on high biodiversity landscapes. It noted [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India, which is the world’s largest consumer and importer of palm oil, has the potential to produce it with socio-economic benefits without threatening natural landscapes, a latest study has said. It emphasised that meticulous land-use planning and implementing fine-scale local strategies for palm oil cultivation can reduce the pressure on high biodiversity landscapes. It noted that “India appears to have viable options to satisfy its projected national demand for palm oil without compromising either its biodiversity or its food security.” The study led by Umesh Srinivasan of Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, investigated potential landscapes for palm oil cultivation and their overlap with biodiversity-rich landscapes and croplands in India. It said that in an aggressive push towards self-sufficiency in vegetable oils, the Indian government is prioritising the rapid expansion of domestic palm oil plantations to meet an expected doubling in palm oil consumption in the next 15 years but noted that the current expansion of palm oil in India is occurring at the expense of biodiversity-rich landscapes. The study, which included researchers from India, Singapore, Italy and the United States, was published in Nature journal in June 2021. The researchers explored the combination of present and future scenarios of climate change, irrigation facilities and agriculture to map the areas that will be suitable for palm oil production. It highlights that an anticipated increase in temperature due to global warming and augmented artificial irrigation suggest that India has an area varying 7.86 million hectares (Mha)&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/07/palm-oil-cultivation-in-india-can-be-expanded-while-sparing-biodiversity-says-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>As India eyes domestic palm oil growth environmental concerns take a backseat</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/03/as-india-eyes-domestic-palm-oil-growth-environmental-concerns-take-a-backseat/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/03/as-india-eyes-domestic-palm-oil-growth-environmental-concerns-take-a-backseat/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Mar 2021 15:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan PandeyMayank Aggarwal]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oil Palm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oil seed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palm oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water-dependent agriculture system]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/03/24135456/sabah_1164-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=13654</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Deforestation, Groundwater, and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every year, India, one of the biggest consumers of palm oil in the world, imports billions of rupees worth of this commodity. Over the past few years though, it has been working towards ramping up its own production to save foreign exchange and reduce dependence on import. This, in turn, could also reduce India’s environmental [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Every year, India, one of the biggest consumers of palm oil in the world, imports billions of rupees worth of this commodity. Over the past few years though, it has been working towards ramping up its own production to save foreign exchange and reduce dependence on import. This, in turn, could also reduce India’s environmental footprint in southeast Asia as India’s growing demand for palm oil is linked to large scale deforestation for oil palm agriculture in Indonesia and Malaysia However, factors including water-dependent agriculture system, water shortage, small landholdings, and long gestation period required for palm oil are plaguing its efforts. The concerns against India&#8217;s push for palm oil cultivation is that it will add to the already existing issues of water scarcity as well as trigger the conversion of forests being turned into palm oil plantations. For an economy like India, where the majority of people are dependent on agriculture, the large-scale adoption of palm oil cultivation, which has a long gestation period, can have a huge impact on the economic security of farmers who are already facing water shortage and erratic monsoon. For instance, G. Rohith, a 30-year-old graduate from Andhra Pradesh, said his grandfather had sown the palm oil crop three years ago but since then his family was consistently losing money. His family’s 6.5-acre farm is in village Pothureddypally in Krishna District, about 50 kilometres from Vijayawada, which is one of Andhra Pradesh’s major cities. “Thus we decided to pull out. It is better late&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/03/as-india-eyes-domestic-palm-oil-growth-environmental-concerns-take-a-backseat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Palm oil muscles in on coconut farmers in southeast Asia</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/11/palm-oil-muscles-in-on-coconut-farmers-in-southeast-asia/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/11/palm-oil-muscles-in-on-coconut-farmers-in-southeast-asia/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Nov 2020 00:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nithin Coca]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/11/08234253/coconut-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=12158</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Connected Environments]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture and Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Lucio Tena, 64, has been growing coconuts on his 20-hectare (49-acre) farm in General Nakar, in the southeast Asian country of Philippines, for more than four decades. But the situation facing farmers like him today is the worst he’s experienced in his lifetime. “The price is dead low at present,” Tena said in a conversation [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Lucio Tena, 64, has been growing coconuts on his 20-hectare (49-acre) farm in General Nakar, in the southeast Asian country of Philippines, for more than four decades. But the situation facing farmers like him today is the worst he’s experienced in his lifetime. “The price is dead low at present,” Tena said in a conversation last year, in the entryway of the three-room wooden home he shares with his wife. “It’s not enough to meet our daily needs.” Tena is not alone. Coconut farmers are facing serious challenges across Southeast Asia, primarily due to low prices. Coconut oil, the most widely produced coconut byproduct, was selling for $836 a ton last November, less than half of what it was two years earlier. In General Nakar, that means less than 15 Philippine pesos (30 U.S. cents) for a kilogram of copra, the dried kernel of the coconut from which coconut oil is made, or 7 pesos for a whole nut, the price Tena has been selling his coconuts. “A lot of people in the Philippines depend on coconut farming as a livelihood,” he said. “We are all hoping for a better future, to lift ourselves from poverty.” Lucio Tena waits for a middleman buying his coconuts in General Nakar. Image by Jervis Gonzalez for Mongabay. There are more than 3.5 million smallholder coconut farmers like Tena in the Philippines, the world’s top exporter of coconuts, and an additional 4 million in Indonesia, which ranks second. The two countries account for nearly&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/11/palm-oil-muscles-in-on-coconut-farmers-in-southeast-asia/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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					<title>[Photos] Navigating a world built on palm oil in southern Papua</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/11/photos-navigating-a-world-built-on-palm-oil-in-southern-papua/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/11/photos-navigating-a-world-built-on-palm-oil-in-southern-papua/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Nov 2020 11:21:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Albertus Vembrianto]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/10/30113513/oilpalmplanting-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=12041</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Connected Environments]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Oil]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This article was co-published with The Gecko Project. Paskalina called to me by waving her hand and asked me to come to her house in a whisper. It was my third day staying at the family bivouac of an Auyu tribal chief in Boven Digoel, a heavily forested district in southern Papua. Indigenous Papuans like [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This article was co-published with The Gecko Project. Paskalina called to me by waving her hand and asked me to come to her house in a whisper. It was my third day staying at the family bivouac of an Auyu tribal chief in Boven Digoel, a heavily forested district in southern Papua. Indigenous Papuans like Paskalina usually stay in these temporary shelters when hunting in the forest and harvesting sago, their staple starch that grows wild in groves. In the past four years, however, the area around this bivouac had been converted into an oil palm plantation. Paskalina, who was 38, didn’t want her story to offend the chief of the clan, one of the traditional elders, who had decided to sell the forest to a palm oil company. But for the past year, after the forest was cleared, she had often felt dizzy and taken vitamins. “The doctor said I am stressed,” she told me. “I have to take medicine.” Paskalina never knew when, exactly, the forest had been sold. Women are not involved in such decisions. She only knows when it was demolished and replaced with a sea of oil palms. To make a living, Paskalina sells products that she grows in her garden. To get to the market, she has to take the dirt road through an oil palm plantation, the hot sun blazing now the forest is gone. Sometimes her child takes her by motorcycle, but more often she walks. The trip takes her two hours&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/11/photos-navigating-a-world-built-on-palm-oil-in-southern-papua/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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