Latest news with #MadhavGadgil
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Contesting the future of forest governance
Recently, the Chhattisgarh forest department issued a letter designating itself as the nodal agency for implementing community forest resource rights (CFRR) under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. CFRR, a transformative provision of the FRA, recognises the right of gram sabhas to manage their customary forests. It seeks to rectify the injustices of colonial forest consolidation which dispossessed local communities and supplanted their traditional management institutions with centralised state control. Not only was this usurpation of the nodal role contrary to the FRA, but the letter violated gram sabhas' statutory authority to implement locally developed management plans in their community forest resource (CFR) areas by insisting on a model plan from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA). This is not required by law. It also prohibited other departments or NGOs from supporting gram sabhas in CFRR management planning. The letter was withdrawn after a spirited grassroots mobilisation by gram sabhas, local elected representatives, and Adivasi rights groups. Still, the persistent attack on gram sabhas' autonomy in managing their forests demands a closer look at how forests should be managed under the FRA. Forest management Historically, forests under government control (excluding wildlife sanctuaries or national parks) have been managed through forest departments' working plans. These plans are rooted in the colonial misnomer of 'scientific forestry', i.e., planning and harvesting to maximise timber production. Ecologists, starting with Madhav Gadgil, questioned this approach, especially since early working plans even included clearfelling natural forests and replacing them with single-species plantations. The decline in India's forests, evidenced by the spread of invasive species and the increase in degraded forest areas, has fuelled doubts about the appropriateness of working plans. But for forest departments, they remain an article of faith to structure their operations and mobilise financial resources. In forest-rich central India, the continuing emphasis of working plans on timber extraction, which restricts communities' access and alters the composition of forests, was met with resistance even before Independence. While working plans have begun to consider restoration and wildlife conservation objectives, they remain products of bureaucratic writ, largely detached from local livelihoods and closed to independent scientific scrutiny. The FRA's radically different vision recognises the integral role of local communities in the 'very survival and sustainability' of forests. CFR management plans are to be developed by gram sabhas to prioritise local needs and address current problems. These plans shall be 'integrated' with working plans by the gram sabha. In other words, working plans will no longer apply in CFR areas, because communities will manage forests with a different objective and at much finer scales. Over 10,000 gram sabhas have received CFRR titles in India, but perhaps less than 1,000 have prepared their CFR management plans. Even their implementation is constrained by the refusal of forest departments to recognise their legitimacy and support gram sabhas. Instead, they have pursued a strategy of attrition, delaying or rejecting CFRR claims, attempting to revoke CFRR titles, and denying funds to CFRR-holding gram sabhas. Their aim to retain colonial power is concealed under arguments that communities lack the ability to manage forests scientifically. MoTA's vacillating responses have not helped. In 2015, it issued guidelines that gram sabhas can use simple formats for their plans, but later came under pressure to alter its stand. A 2024 joint letter with the Environment Ministry required CFR management plans to conform to the National Working Plan Code (NWPC) and even suggested the involvement of foresters in their preparation. This violates the FRA's letter and spirit. Addressing the bogeyman Even according to the NWPC, a working plan should outline 'the purpose with which a forest should be managed so as to best meet the interests and wishes of the owner, and indicate the means by which the purpose may be accomplished.' Yet, the lengthy processes and data-intensive formats that the NWPC prescribes carry the hangover of maximising timber yield. In contrast, forest management by gram sabhas will likely pursue multiple livelihood needs, for which the NWPC provides little guidance. Significant portions of working plans are devoted to cataloguing local conditions, but they abstract their complexities to focus on the forest crop (not ecosystem). A gram sabha's plan need not do the same because these insights are part of their lived experience. The variable impacts of climate change also challenge the linear trajectories of working plans, which need more adaptive responses that gram sabhas offer. CFRR demands shedding historical baggage and embracing new possibilities. The path forward is evident. The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, launched by the Central government last year, introduced an indicative framework for CFR management plans. While the framework can be improved, it can be achieved through flexible and iterative practice by gram sabhas. MoTA must reject any attempt to derail CFR management through the red herring of NWPC compliance. And forest departments must provide funds and protection when required and discard a timber-oriented science in favour of a different science of a people-friendly forest management. Gautam Aredath, policy analyst at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment; Sharachchandra Lele, distinguished fellow at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Views are personal
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGT asks MoEF to expedite publication of final notification on ESZs
The National Green Tribunal has asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to expedite the process and publish the final notifications of the Ecologically Sensitive Areas and Zones, particularly in States where urgent action is warranted. The Southern Bench of the tribunal issued the directive while considering the suo motu case on the massive Wayanad landslides on July 30, 2024. The tribunal has asked the Ministry to rely upon the comprehensive studies on Western Ghats conservation undertaken by ecologist Madhav Gadgil, and the late space scientist K. Kasturirangan. 'The learned counsel appearing for the MoEF&CC states that the final notification regarding Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs) will be filed before August. It is noted with concern that nearly a year has passed since the Wayanad disaster in Kerala,' pointed out an order dated June 20 issued by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial Member, and Dr. Satyagopal Korlapati, Expert Member. Stating that comprehensive studies have already been undertaken by Dr. Madhav Gadgil and Dr. K. Kasturirangan, the Bench asked the Ministry to prioritise the States where urgent action is required with regard to the ESZs and ensure early publication of the final notifications of Ecologically Sensitive Areas and Zones. The Bench had earlier expressed its displeasure over the failure of the authorities to file the reports giving the correct picture on the reasons for the devastating Wayanad landslides. In an order issued on March 28, 2025, the tribunal had warned that it may summon the Chief Secretary of Kerala over the poor response of the authorities. 'We only express our displeasure in the way in which the government authorities are responding to this issue, where hundreds of people have lost their lives, either being killed or missed, in the Wayanad hill station,' it said.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Expedite final ESA, ESZ notifications for Western Ghats, NGT tells Centre
Kochi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to expedite the process and publish the final notifications of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) and zones (ESZs) in the Western Ghats, particularly in states such as Kerala and Karnataka, where urgent action is warranted. The southern bench of NGT, while hearing a suo motu case on the 2024 Wayanad landslides, expressed concern that nearly a year had passed since the disaster, but little progress had been made on the notifications. Landslides in the Meppadi hills on July 30, 2024had buried entire villages — Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha — under massive debris, claiming 298 lives and causing extensive damage to property. The counsel for the environment ministry submitted that the final ESZ notification would be issued before August. The case has been posted for further hearing on Aug 11. Kerala govt has demarcated 8,711.98 sq km as ESA across 98 villages and submitted the details to the Centre. Idukki district accounts for the highest number of such villages (28), followed by Palakkad (13), Wayanad (12) and Malappuram (10). During the hearing, the NGT observed that the Western Ghats is a significant geological formation along India's west coast. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Birla Evara 3 and 4 BHK from ₹ 1.75 Crore* Birla Estates Learn More Undo As the cradle of biological evolution, the Ghats support a population of around 50 million people, with high population density in some areas. It emphasised the need to conserve and protect the region's unique biodiversity, while allowing for sustainable and inclusive development, especially in areas prone to or highly susceptible to landslides. The NGT noted that comprehensive studies conducted by Madhav Gadgil and K Kasturirangan may be relied upon. It urged the MoEF&CC to prioritise states such as Kerala and Karnataka and to ensure the early publication of the final ESA and ESZ notifications. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Revamped Green India Mission: A matter of vulnerable ecosystems and livelihoods
The government's decision to revise the Green India Mission (GIM) and focus on restoring vulnerable landscapes, such as those in the Aravalli range, the Western Ghats and the Himalaya, is welcome. Framed in 2014 during the last days of the UPA government, the mission is not only crucial to meeting India's climate commitments, it is also important for biodiversity conservation and food and water security. The initiative has resulted in an appreciable increase in the country's tree cover. However, it has been criticised for taking a plantation-centred approach and not doing justice to the mission's broader goal of ecological revival. The GIM's revised document attempts to course correct. Especially salient is its emphasis on zeroing in on micro-climatic zones through 'regionally conducive best practices'. This initiative should be combined with addressing another concern of the original GIM, which has largely remained on paper — creating income-generating opportunities for people who rely on these ecosystems. The Western Ghats, the Aravalli range and the Himalayan region face various challenges including deforestation, human-wildlife conflicts and changing rainfall patterns. Infrastructure development and unregulated tourism have added to their vulnerabilities. Last year, the catastrophic landslide in Wayanad underlined that the depletion of green cover and erratic rainfall had made the area susceptible to disasters. The new GIM document also notes that the Western Ghats ecosystem has degraded due to the felling of trees and illegal mining. Similarly, several studies have shown that the destruction of large chunks of the Aravalli ecosystem — especially its hills — has brought the Thar Desert close to the National Capital Region and this desertification has aggravated the area's pollution problem. The restoration of most ecological hotspots in the country has been trapped in the environment-development binary. In 2011, a panel chaired by ecologist Madhav Gadgil underlined the need to regulate developmental activities in the entire 1,60,000 sq km stretch of the Western Ghats. Its recommendations were met with resistance across the political spectrum. The suggestions of the K Kasturirangan panel have also remained on paper. Similarly, illegal quarrying has persisted in the Aravalli range despite several SC orders, including as late as May 29. The problem is also that green initiatives have rarely taken people along. The challenge for the revamped GIM will, therefore, be to find ways to sustain and improve people's livelihoods while enhancing ecological security.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Tamil translation of Madhav Gadgil's autobiography A Walk Up the Hill launched
The Tamil translation of eminent ecologist Prof. Madhav Gadgil's autobiography A Walk Up the Hill: Living with Peopleand Nature was launched in Chennai on Thursday. Published in 2023, the book was written in the form of a memoir that included stories and episodes that Prof. Gadgil encountered during his long years of field surveys in different biodiversity hotspots across India, including the Western Ghats. Prof. Gadgil, who spoke to the audience through videoconferencing from Pune, recalled his long association with Tamil Nadu that began in 1973 when he started work in the Nilgiris and subsequently in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. He was also tasked with preparing a report on the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve following this. He expressed happiness that the book has been translated in Tamil after being made available in Marathi, Konkani, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Bengali languages. He said this would enable a deeper penetration of his ideas and thoughts among people across these States. The Tamil translation, brought out by the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation, was done by N. Manoharan, a professor of Tamil who retired from Chittur Government College, Palakkad. V. Arivudai Nambi, independent biodiversity expert, who did the scientific editing of the publication, said the book had several chapters on different topics, in which a large number of his scientific publications were available in open source. The content of the book should be viewed as a starting point for deeper dive into the issues and topics. Giving examples, he said that the book had chapters on sacred groves, forms of nomadism and pastorals, and bamboo management, which the author wrote extensively in the form of scientific papers. A. Sathish, Associate Professor of Tamil, International Institute of Tamil Studies, who did the language editing for the publication, said that the book dwelt upon the fundamental question of development that included community participation. He said policymaking in conservation should be preceded by pilot studies to check for feasibility before scaling up. Shankara Saravanan, Joint Director, Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation and R.J. Ranjit Daniels, Founder Trustee, CareEarth Trust also spoke at the occasion.
