Saving Mali Parbat from Bauxite Mine: Villagers resist project as Odisha govt extends Hindalco’s mining lease
In Odisha’s Koraput district, disquiet looms over the vast, picturesque expanse of lush green paddy, ginger and vegetable fields that separate Mali Hill from Pakajhola village.
A proposed mining project in the hill has made the villagers, most of whom are from the Paraja tribe, apprehensive. They fear the scenic hill will be denuded and disfigured with thousands of roaring tipper trucks trudging up and down, and the lush greenery stretching from its foothills will be ruined.
The hill has dense forests, wildlife and most importantly, 36 perennial streams that feed the Kolab river. The tribals’ opposition to mining in Mali Hill dates back to 2003 when a public hearing was organised by the Odisha SPCB for environmental clearance. Villagers said that an overwhelming majority of the affected people present in the hearing opposed mining but their protests were ignored in the final report to the MoEF&CC.
👉DTE
‘Encyclopedia of forest’ Tulsi Gowda receives Padma Shri
Tulsi Gowda, an environmentalist, received the Padma Shri award from the President of India on Monday. She is one of the 119 Padma awardees for the year 2020.
Gowda, who is from Honnali village in Karnataka, had planted more than 30,000 saplings and takes care of the nurseries of the forest department. The official Twitter handle of the President of India tweeted, “President Kovind presents Padma Shri to Smt Tulsi Gowda for Social Work. She is an environmentalist from Karnataka who has planted more than 30,000 saplings and has been involved in environmental conservation activities for the past six decades.”
Gowda belongs to Halakki Tribal in Karnataka and is also known as the Encyclopedia of Forest due to her vast knowledge of diverse species of plants and herbs.
Maharashtra becomes only Indian state to win award at COP26
Maharashtra has won the Inspiring Regional Leadership Award from Under2 Coalition for Climate Action. By winning this award, Maharashtra became the only Indian state to win an award at COP26. Aditya Thackeray, Maharashtra’s Environment Minister, received the award on behalf of the state.
Speaking in Glasgow, the minister said, “This state wants to lead the way in India to tackle climate change. The Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) is a passionate wildlife enthusiast and conservationist, and he has given us the opportunity to dream of a better future, a greener future. We have started with a movement called Majhi Vasundhara, which means My Planet. We are focussing on the traditional five elements of nature.”
Maharashtra’s efforts towards saving climate at a subnational level were recognised by the Under2 Coalition, the largest global network of states and regions committed to climate action. The other two awards were won by British Columbia (Canada) for Creative Climate Solutions and Quebec (Canada) for Climate Partnerships.
👉NDTV
BSF rescues exotic wild birds from smugglers in West Bengal
The Border Security Force (BSF) in West Bengal on Monday rescued nine exotic wild swans which were being smuggled into India from Bangladesh.
The BSF troops rescued birds of nine exotic species after receiving information about a smuggling attempt in the border area of Nadia district’s Matiari area. According to the BSF, the troops at BOP Banpur and Matiyari noticed five suspected smugglers with plastic bags.
The smugglers tried to flee and were chased down by the BSF troops till the International Border (IB). The smugglers then dropped the plastics bags, which contained the nine exotic wild swans, and fled towards Bangladesh, the BSF said.
Supported By UNEP, Northeast Green Summit To Discuss Climate Change
The 6th Northeast Green Summit (NGS), supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), will be held in Assams Silchar, where Forest Ministers of eight northeastern states will meet to discuss climate change and conservation issues in the region, officials said on Monday.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey and delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar are expected to attend the three-day summit from November 16 in a bid to effectively brainstorm on common sustainable development and conservation strategies for not just northeast India but also its contiguous biodiversity zones.
The NGS advisory board member and a senior Indian Forest Service officer from Meghalaya C.P. Marak said that in the Forest Ministers’ Round Table meet during the summit would focus matters of common concerns — climate change, animal migration, movement of forest produce, management of natural resources on interstate and international borders, forest and wildlife offence with ramifications across each other’s territory among many other issues.
Environment India 