The government says area under forests has been increasing for the last 13 years. ET finds this is the outcome of statistical jugglery and the use of flawed definitions by India's forest bureaucracy. The bald truth is India's forests are in serious decline, both in numbers and in health. In February, the latest instalment of a little environmental kabuki played out when the Forest Survey of India released its biennial report...

The Sariska Tiger reserve remained closed for the second day on Thursday following protests by local farmers residing in the periphery of the reserve. Even resorts around the reserve were closed to further bookings from foreign tourists. Many tourists who were disallowed entry by the protestors remained stuck in their respective hotels throughout the day. Hundreds of the farmers who were protesting against the relocation of their villages started a sit-in...

While pressure is mounting on the state government to declare the Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve, there is mounting resentment among tribals living on the forest fringes, against attempts of the forest department to curb access to the jungles to collect forest produce and graze cattle. Forest officials have already directed them to sell their cattle and look for alternative means of livelihood.  Irked by the move, over 10,000...

Tribals who are opposed to the proposed tiger reserve in Kawal wildlife sanctuaryin Adilabad district have decided to move court to seek protection of their Adivasi rights. Interestingly, there is no confirmation of the presence of Tigers in the sanctuary although officials claim that the forest has seven big cats.  Sources said that the movement of the Tigers has not been recorded by cameras in the forest. An expert recently came...

-The Times of India   Fifty-one Tigers have died in different states of India between January and December 5, 2011, according to statistics collated by a prominent wildlife NGO. A tigress shot dead outside Kaziranga Park in Assam on Monday is the latest in that list. Figures provided by Wildlife Protection Society of India show that 14 Tigers perished in Uttarakhand, the highest in a single state. Karnataka takes the second place with...