'Despite a walkout by the opposition, protests by residents and multiple campaigns, the BJP government of Haryana has opened up thousands of acres of land for the real estate developers by amending the Punjab Land Preservation (Haryana Amendment) Act [PLPA] on Wednesday. As much as 60,000 acres of forests, which adds up to 50 per cent of the Aravali range in South Haryana in the districts of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Nuh, Mahendragarh and Rewari, is now open to commercial activities.
'According to a Parliamentary committee report, the Green India Mission (GIM), a programme that is aimed at protecting, restoring, and enhancing the country’s diminishing forest cover and at responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures, is “grossly underfunded.”... The Parliamentary committee has also raised concerns about the targets set by GIM. According to the NDC, India has a target to sequester 2.523 billion tonnes of carbon by 2020-2030.
'The controversial expansion of Vedanta’s 1,200 tonnes per day copper smelter in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu has been stayed by the high court on May 23 after at least 11 people protesting against the plant were shot dead by state police. The court has ordered that the company consult people before building the plant – something the company claimed it was legally not required to do. Vedanta claims it had legally got an environmental clearance from the Union government to expand the smelter to double the capacity without consulting people.
'New Delhi's negotiators in Paris say that Indians emit only 1.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year per capita. But that statistic doesn't tell the whole story... The per capita statistic has come under attack from many organisations in recent years. All Indians are not created equal: like everything else there is stark inequality between the carbon footprints of the richest and the poorest.
'...Virtually every one of the flood-hit areas can be linked to ill-planned construction. The Chennai Bypass connecting NH45 to NH4 blocks the east flowing drainage causing flooding in Anna Nagar, Porur, Vanagaram, Maduravoyal, Mugappair and Ambattur. The Maduravoyal lake has shrunk from 120 acres to 25. Ditto with Ambattur, Kodungaiyur and Adambakkam tanks. The Koyambedu drain and the surplus channels from Korattur and Ambattur tanks are missing. Sections of the Veerangal Odai connecting Adambakkam tank to Pallikaranai are missing.
'Human rights activists and environment campaigners have criticised the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying their efforts have led to harassment and other reprisals since it took power more than a year ago. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled Greenpeace's permit to operate in India on Friday, in the latest move against nongovernmental organisations.
'The Tamil Nadu Registrar of Societies has cancelled the registration of Greenpeace India, the environmental NGO that has been campaigning against air pollution and the unsustainable use of natural resources in India. Greenpeace India, registered as an NGO in India under the Tamil Nadu Registrar of Societies (RoS), got the order of cancellation of its registration on Friday, although the order was formally issued on Wednesday.
'I have been working for Greenpeace India for 14 years, and in that time I’ve been involved in dozens of campaigns to protect India’s environment and the rights of people. You can find many of those campaign stories on our histories page.
'...The last methodology, devised in association with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, calculated a Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index value based on pollution levels in ambient air, ground water and surface water. The 43 clusters that were declared critically polluted in January 2010 scored more than 70 (out of 100) on the CEPI. The suggested methodology does not change the formula to calculate CEPI, but it does amend the factors to be considered and the weightage attached to each factor.
