-Down to Earth The families depended on forest produce but have been moved far away from forest land The eviction of residents from 222 villages on the Godavari river basin for the Polavaram dam project tells the story of India’s tribal families fighting a losing battle for their land and forest rights.  On March 27, 2021, Bariya Nagaraj’s was among 72 families forcefully shifted from their home in Agraharam village in East Godavari...

-The Hindu MLA, Collector, SP, ITDA PO, Irrigation SE reach the spot, bund strengthened. POLAVARAM (WEST GODAVARI DISTRICT): Tension gripped Polavaram and Patha Polavaram villages as the Necklace Bund, constructed to protect the low-lying villages, became weak due to heavy flooding along Godavari River. As the water level continued at a dangerous level in the past week, the bund was damaged and looked likely to be breached at any moment, the villagers said. Godavari...

-The Hindu A little used provision in the Constitution may hold the key to protecting the interests of Scheduled Tribes as they fight to hold on to their traditional lands Even 67 years after Independence, the problems of Adivasi communities are about access to basic needs. These include, but are not restricted to, elementary education, community healthcare, sustainable livelihood support, the public distribution system, food security, drinking water and sanitation, debt, and...

-IPS News CHINTOOR, India- Laxman, a 10-year-old Koya tribal boy, looks admiringly at a fenced-in vegetable patch behind his home in southern India's Andhra Pradesh state. Velvety-green and laden with vegetables, the half-acre patch is where Laxman's family gets their daily quota of nutritious food. But one day soon it will disappear under several feet of water, thanks to the Polavaram multipurpose project - a 45-metre-high, 2.32-km-long mega dam currently under construction...

-Outlook     Bhubaneswar: Advocating zero displacement and zero harm to environment while setting up projects, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram today said he would present his views on the proposed iron ore mining at Khandadhar hill in Odisha's Sundargarh district to the Centre. "My stand on mining in Khandadhar remains unchanged... I am against any project that can harm natural environment or cause displacement of people," Oram told reporters here during a...