South Korean steel major Posco’s troubles are likely to continue till the near future, as a high-level committee of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has sought a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impact encompassing all the components of the project — steel plant, captive power plant, port and infrastructure. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) is slated to meet next week to review approval given to the port. The EAC at...

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Friday requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to defer issuing the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification till the apprehensions of fisherfolk and environmentalists are allayed. In a letter, Mr. Karunanidhi said there was a strong apprehension among the coastal communities that the draft notification would cause widespread destruction to the livelihood of fishing communities and other poor communities in the coastal areas, resulting in damage to coastal...

The government must stop dilly-dallying over the project and apply the law regardless of the fact that it is India's single largest foreign investment proposal. TWO giant metallurgical projects, both in Orissa. Both promoted by big multinational corporations with tremendous influence. Both opposed by environmental and tribal rights activists because they would displace vulnerable people and destroy fragile ecosystems. Both backed strongly by State-level and national lobbies that claim they...

Bina Agarwal , director and professor of economics, Institute of Economic Growth, has written a pioneering new book, Gender and Green Governance, that explores a central question: If women had adequate representation in forestry institutions, would it make a difference to them, their communities and forests as a national resource? Pamela Philipose spoke to Agarwal: Why has access to forests been such a conflict-ridden issue? This is not surprising. Forests constitute not...

When India’s Forest Rights Act was passed in 2006, it was criticized by environmentalists who were concerned that it would undo the country’s wildlife reserves. On the flip side, tribal rights advocates were concerned that the people the law was really meant to help wouldn’t benefit. Since it came into effect in January 2008, India has blocked at least one megaproject – Vedanta’s bauxite mine in Orissa – on the grounds...