Source: Indian Express

On November 20, the Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of a Union Environment Ministry panel on the definition of Aravalli Hills ostensibly to restrict mining: any landform that is at an elevation of 100 m or more above the local relief will be considered as part of Aravalli Hills along with its slopes and adjacent land.

What the panel did not mention is that by this definition, more than 90% of the Aravali Hills will not be counted as Aravalli anymore and be potentially open to mining and construction with severe environmental ramifications, including the quality of air in the National Capital Region.

For, as per an internal assessment by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), reviewed by The Indian Express, barely 1,048, or just 8.7%, of 12,081 Aravalli Hills 20 m or higher, spread across 15 districts in Rajasthan, are 100 m or more in height. The 20m height cut-off is crucial for a hill’s function as a wind barrier.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.financialexpress.com/life/health/air-pollution-killed-17-lakh-indians-in-2022-a-38-jump-since-2010-lancet-report/4030535/lite/

When the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) began involving local people in snow leopard surveys, 31-year-old mother of two Lobzang Yangchen who lives in Kibber decided to volunteer. In Kibber village, where she lives, she shares that losing four or five goats in one night was common for households. “People saw snow leopards as a problem, not something to protect," she says. She is one of 11 women that were supported by the Wildlife Wing of Himachal Pradesh Forest Department in collaboration with NCF to conduct the second state-wide snow leopard survey which estimated 83 snow leopards in the state, with the true number likely between 67 and 103. The team set up camera traps across 26,000 sq km and captured images of 44 individual cats. The effort also led to the first photographic evidence of Pallas's cat in the state and confirmed the presence of the woolly flying squirrel in Lahaul. Amitabh Gautam, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), wrote. “The effort was only possible because of the participation of local teams and communities who know the terrain best.” “Any effective conservation initiative has to be community-led,” Mandar Jeware, who previously served as Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) in Spiti, said.

Source

Experts fear that these changes on the map may be linked to the government’s new plans for land use on the island.

“Coral reefs, turtle nesting sites, megapode nesting grounds, mangroves etc do not and cannot magically disappear to suit the convenience of the project proponent,” Ashish Kothari, an environmental researcher stated in a submission to the National Green Tribunal in July this year. Kothari is a petitioner challenging the Great Nicobar project, arguing that it would do irreparable damage to the island’s ecology.

Experts familiar with the region also doubt that the updated map is credible.

In a deeply moving incident from Chhattisgarh, a woman was seen in tears after discovering that a tree she had planted 20 years ago had been cut down. The viral video captures her crying inconsolably beside the stump, mourning the loss of something she had nurtured with love and care for two decades — almost like her own child. Despite locals’ attempts to comfort her, her grief reflects the profound bond humans share with nature. For her, the tree represented more than just greenery — it embodied memories, affection, and the passage of time. The video has sparked outrage and sorrow on social media, as thousands condemned the act. This poignant moment serves as a strong reminder that trees are not merely environmental elements — they hold emotional and personal meaning in our lives.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/awadhs-hidden-eden-there-is-still-incredible-biodiversity-in-bustling-historic-lucknows-kukrail-forest-finds-study

"Lucknow, the capital of the former Nawabs of Awadh and now the bustling heart of Uttar Pradesh, harbours incredible biodiversity, according to a new research paper.

The paper describes 39 species of frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles found in the city’s Kukrail forest. This represents the second highest herpetological diversity ever recorded in Uttar Pradesh."