Involving Local Participation: What the EIA 2020 Could Have Done
Part 1 of "Shrinking Negotiations" gave us a snapshot of a glaring gap in the Draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 notification. If passed,...
What’s in a name? The ‘Odia Kandha’, their OTFD status, and the Forest Rights...
Harbandhao Pradhan was 12 in 1952, which is when the first settlement process took place in his village of Sankhajodi, in Odisha’s Nayagarh district....
First Lions and Now Cheetahs: Kuno-Palpur National Park’s Communities Prepare to Relocate For Conservation
Non-implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 weighs heavily on Kuno-Palpur, leaving Adivasis with few options other than relocating for conservation.
The Endless Battles of Children with Breathing Difficulties in Bengaluru
The voices of patients and caregivers ring loud and clear: worsening air quality in parts of the city is directly affecting the quality of life that our children can enjoy.
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?
Reimagining Public Spaces for the Urban Poor Post COVID-19
For the poor and socially marginalized groups already living on the edge in India's cities, the pandemic has dealt a severe blow, isolating them physically, socially and economically. Access to public spaces can transform the lives they lead.
Mapping the Illegal Trade of Wildlife on Social Media
Co-authored by Avantika Bunga and Kartik Sundar
The internet’s capacity to enable anonymity has attracted a slew of users who use it for illicit gains....
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.
The Russia-Ukraine Crisis Exposes India’s Vulnerable Position in the Global Oil Trade
For countries reliant on oil imports like India, how has the Russia-Ukraine war impacted local markets and the pockets of consumers? What does this go to show about India’s precarious geopolitical position in the global oil trade and the way forward?
Shared Atmosphere, Equal Responsibility? Enter, Climate Debt
One of the greatest scientific discoveries was made in the 1700s. It was the realization that coal could be used to turn water into...
