Infrastructure Projects In and Around Protected Areas Need to Be Held Financially Accountable
This is Part Two of #FinancingDevelopment, a series analysing the finances behind India’s development journey, in collaboration with the Centre for Financial Accountability. Read...
Caste, Class, and Awareness—Makers and Breakers of Common Land Dispute Resolution in Rajasthan
The second half of this investigative series on Rajasthan’s Public Land Protection Cells (PLPCs) finds evidence via RTIs and interviews with locals that explain why the district administration has not been effective in spreading awareness about the Cell's functions. Implementing final orders from the PLPC seems to be largely shaped by class and caste dynamics.
In Rajasthan, a Public Land Protection Cell is Removing Encroachments, But Challenges Abound
A 2019 order passed by the Rajasthan High Court called for the formation of a Public Land Protection Cell, a district-level conflict resolution institution to investigate cases of encroachments on common lands. In this two-part series, The Bastion investigates the efficiency of these unique Public Land Protection Cells through interviews and information received via Right to Information applications. Part 1 uncovers the types of conflicts that occur on these “commons”, and how a delayed start to these cells and slow disposals might be plaguing their functioning.
Food, Festivals, and Heritage: The Climate Crisis is Erasing our Culture
In the temperate regions of North America, there is a small tree called the shadbush. Its name originates from the synchronisation of its flowering...
Trails of Environmental Jurisprudence in India: National Green Tribunal v/s Urban Air Pollution
A study of cases before the National Green Tribunal revealed poor representation of air pollution cases being heard. What do civil society, the government, and the Tribunals need to do to ensure better resolution of air-pollution-related conflicts?
How India’s Private Infrastructure Projects Risk Economic Stability, Environment, and Public Welfare
This article is the first of #FinancingDevelopment, a series analysing the finances behind India's development journey, in collaboration with the Centre for Financial Accountability.
In India,...
Profits, Protection, and People: Is Legalising Sand Mining in MP’s Chambal Sanctuary Worth it?
The Madhya Pradesh government has justified denotifying 350 hectares of the Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary for legal sand mining as a way of preventing wasteful expenditure from monitoring, while also improving local livelihoods and protecting the environment. How valid is this reasoning?
Who is Benefitting in Indore District from Expensive Water Piped from the Narmada?
This is Part Two of a series on the Narmada Water Project in Madhya Pradesh. Read Part One: What Makes Indore’s Narmada Water Project...
What Makes Indore’s Narmada Water Project One of the Costliest in the Country?
As the Indore Municipal Corporation gears up to launch Phase 4 of the Narmada Project, Part 1 of The Bastion’s series highlights why the financial viability of the project begs inspection and an overall rethinking of Indore’s water supply channels.
Catching Environmental Crime
Environmental justice movements and institutions face hard questions when it comes to accountability: who is actually responsible for environmental crimes? How should they be...
