Faith and healing in the sacred groves of Madhya Pradesh
At least twice, the staid kalam tree (Mitragyna parvifolia), standing tall on a mound surrounded by farms in a nondescript village in the hilly areas of western Madhya Pradesh has…
Mongabay series: The Indian Forest Story
The futility of the teak forest in Kandhamal
With a yellow towel wrapped around his shoulders, Ganesh Majhi, 54, of Deogada village, in Belghar gram panchayat of Odisha’s Kandhamal district, is angry about the teak trees in the…
The story of a restored forest that restored lives
Jamini Mohan Mahanty is out for a morning walk every day. At 91, he is hale and hearty. A resident of Jharbagda village in Purulia district, West Bengal, Mahanty thanks…
Satellite data uncovers health decline in 25 percent of Sundarbans mangroves
While the Sundarbans forest in India and Bangladesh is resilient to cyclone events, the long-term degrading effects of climate change could critically hamper its ability to spring back, a satellite…
Forest-dependent communities of Odisha find LPG an unnecessary, unaffordable luxury
Cooking gas is an unnecessary luxury, said Simaru Kandi from Musapada village in Odisha’s Puri district. “Nature has given us all resources to lead a bountiful life,” explained Simaru. “Whenever…
The curious case of India’s missing forest policy
How do you define a ‘forest’? What are the rules regarding inviolate forests? And when will India get its new national forest policy? Many questions loom even as India pursues…
Are states being rewarded enough for protecting forests?
When the 14th Finance Commission incentivised forest cover in states, with the aim of balancing ecology and economic development, the move was welcomed by civil society. The 14th Commission's recommendations,…
