-Down to Earth Persisting with the current institutional arrangement will do more harm than good The manner in which the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has agreed to divert 4,578 hectares (ha) of prime forestland to construct the 3,000 MW Dibang multipurpose project (DMP) has yet again convinced me of the need to replace the present system of granting forest clearances. FAC, in its...

-The Guardian The 3,000MW Dibang dam, rejected twice as it would submerge vast tracts of biologically rich forests, is to get Environmental Clearance - but huge local opposition could stall the project Six years ago, former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the 3,000MW Dibang multipurpose dam project. The dam, to be built across the Dibang river, in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, will be the...

-The Hindu India must recapture its capacity to proactively provide both intellectual and political leadership on climate change The United Nations Climate Summit just concluded in New York. Such a conclave was taking place after a gap of five years. Expectations were low even though public rallies took place before the summit. The usual brave speeches were made but there were no dramatic announcements. U.S. President Barack Obama outlined the country's plans...

-The Business Standard Forest Rights Act being reinterpreted to avoid amendment Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is discussing possible ways to do away with the mandatory requirement of securing consent from tribal gram sabhas (village councils) before cutting down their forests for industrial purposes. The deliberations, on among various ministries, are for zeroing in on such a way that the requirement is removed without...

-The Hindu Police lathi-charge agitators after group clash Bhubaneswar: It was people's resistance that forced the administration to put off a public hearing on Environmental Clearance for coal mining at Machhakata in Chhendipada Block of Odisha's Angul district on Thursday. The State Pollution Control Board along with the local administration had made arrangements to conduct the public hearing despite strong opposition to mining in the coal block allotted to Mahaguj Collieries Limited, an...