Environment

Fifty-three years after the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm Sweden, marked a landmark event of environmental activists, indigenous people, scientists and officialdom, World Environment Day, June 5, Bharat Dogra writes on how Indian local communities, especially women, are taking charge of seed conservation and rejuvenating efforts, defeating attempts by corporates to monopolise and monetise this traditional wisdom

There are several international and regional disputes over the...

Various indigenous (Adivasi) communities constitute about 8.6 per cent...

NGT rules coal source changes need fresh environmental clearances; criticises dilution of regulatory oversight through office memoranda.

The destruction of over 100 acres of forested land in Kancha Gachibowli, to allow an IT hub is a violation of the Congress party’s own manifesto say retired civil servants who have constituted themselves into the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG)

Public anger mounts as Telangana authorities bulldoze through Kancha Gachibowli’s tree cover, allegedly violating environmental norms and suppressing protests with detentions and police crackdowns; scrutiny by HC and SC to continue

Experiments with bunds and dohas to arrest rain water flow has rejuvenated lands making villages in Shivpuri district, MP, fit for agriculture and grazing

Messaging and communication are key and the Indian people’s lukewarm response to spiralling air pollution is because of this: Will campaigns such as “Wearing an N95 mask reduces your PM2.5 exposure by 95%” or “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%” change this making people speak out?

Amid heavy police crackdown and government indifference, fishermen in Kasarkod stage protests, risking their lives to halt the controversial port survey

The recent Bombay High Court judgment (23rd January 2025) addresses the contentious issue of the use of loudspeakers at places of worship and their legal standing under Article 25 of the Constitution. The case was initiated following complaints by residents about persistent noise pollution caused by loudspeakers from religious institutions (masjids), particularly during early morning and late-night hours. The court examined whether such practices constituted an essential religious function or merely a cultural practice subject to regulation under existing noise pollution laws. The court ruled that loudspeakers are not an essential part of religious practice and directed the Maharashtra government and police to take strict action against violations of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. This ruling aligns with past judicial pronouncements while also raising questions about unequal enforcement of noise regulations across different religious communities.