In addition to the aftermath of Bhopal's catastrophic gas leak of 1984, severe contamination of water and soil has taken its own toll on citizens. At a Greenpeace organized November 2004 symposium, experts put the cost of cleanup in the range of Rs.135 crores. K Rajani Priya looks at the possibilities.

Governments in India have been using key provisions in environmental regulations to create and protect 'Ecologically Sensitive Areas'. Recently, the Supreme Court also pressed a state government on an ESA commitment. Kanchi Kohli reports on the practice and challenges.

The boom in construction has not been accompanied by a higher level of environmental awareness among builders, architects, developers and planners. But green buildings can be profitable and also demand less from the natural world, notes Ramesh Menon.

Declared 'protected' by the central government way back in 1984, the Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala has suffered from emboldened poachers who have met with little resistance from authorities. But with community involvement, a local development committee holds some hope of restoring protection, reports Deepa A.

Forests are a critical repository of India's biodiversity, but widespread habitat destruction is hurting. Attitudes need change too. "Compensatory forestation does not really compensate - it only replaces trees, not biodiversity", says one former top forests official. Ramesh Menon reports.

On 20 May, the National Environment Appellate Authority refused to admit two appeals cases where citizens and panchayat representatives in Uttaranchal had challenged Central government clearances to two hydro-electric power projects, on grounds of failure in due process. Kanchi Kohli was at the hearings.

On 7 June, the Kerala government-constituted K John Mathew Commission greenlighted mineral sand mining on a narrow strip of beach and the adjacent sea basin in Alapuzha district. M Suchitra and P N Venugopal note that the report has irked the local communities as well as environmentalists.

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. is seeking environmental clearance for a proposed Rs 2000 crore expansion project in Chhatisgarh. A public hearing this January witnessed plenty of local opposition. The 17 July visit of a Ministry of Environment expert committee has not inspired faith in due process, writes Kanchi Kohli.

What we do know is that the temperatures are rising and that weather patterns throughout the globe are being disrupted as a consequence, says Fred Pearce, one of the best-known environmental journalists and the author of Global Warming. Pearce recently spoke in Mumbai. Darryl D'Monte chaired the discussion.

Environment and forest clearances for Jindal Power's proposed thermal power plant in Tamnar have followed the predictably poor course of regulation set by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in recent years. Kanchi Kohli reports on the latest irregularity from the ministry, as a public hearing for the project looms.

Predictions of dire consequences from climate change are not new. For some communities, however, it is already too late to ward off the changes, and their only hope lies in adapting. Darryl D'Monte reports on a conference at which scientists and NGOs discussed such adaptations.

Predictions of dire consequences from climate change are not new. For some communities, however, it is already too late to ward off the changes, and their only hope lies in adapting. Darryl D'Monte reports on a conference at which scientists and NGOs discussed such adaptations.

The Nalwa Sponge Iron Limited's plans to further expand its operations at a plant in Chhatisgarh run into opposition from locals and NGOs, who point to the company's history as well as irregularities in the environment clearance process. Kanchi Kohli reports on recent developments.

First, a ship with dubious credentials leaves the shores of Denmark. Then a month later, India allows it to beach at Alang, Gujarat's massive shipbreaking yard, for scrapping. In between, it gets a new name and rules are flouted to let it in. Gopal Krishna chronicles how Riky, unlike Clemenceau, sailed through the law.

Unmindful of evidence that Nalwa Sponge Iron Limited had started civil works for its expansion without environmental clearance, officials rush through a public hearing to review the new project. An operation that is already violating regulations is given the merit of due process for its expansion under the same law, notes Kanchi Kohli.

The governing body meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Brazil in March. Since being one of the most pro-active countries in the formulation of the CBD, India has been gradually losing its leadership role in the last few years. Kanchi Kohli elaborates.

What happens when a company's mining permit or forest clearance expires before its renewal application is approved? After a year of arguments in the Supreme Court showed conclusively that there were no uniform guidelines, the court has now acted to set this right. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Keeping in mind the characteristics of Indian municipal solid waste, a Supreme Court committee had recommended composting and recycling. Still, in our cities and towns, on an average, only 60 per cent of solid wastes are even collected. Gopal Krishna on what is holding better waste management back.

Despite rejecting yet another appeal brought before it, the newly reconstituted Environment Appellate Authority accepts that the rules for environment clearances and project monitoring must be strengthened. Kanchi Kohli reports that this may mark a welcome new direction for the organisation.

An expert working group established to create a roadmap for the state's new independent Department of Environment has made recommendations to strengthen environmental conservation and protection. A number of state agencies, especially the Pollution Control Board, have come in for strong criticism. P N Venugopal reports.

In the first few years since the passage of the Biodiversity Act, it has become evident that rather than promote conservation, the law merely establishes procedures for access and commercial use. Communities are waking up to the actual wording of the law, and they don't like what they see. Kanchi Kohli reports.

How did two major operators in the POPs manufacturing-sector become part of India's official delegation to a conference which aims to eliminate their production and use? P N Venugopal reports on the embarassing, but unabashed capture of officialdom by a manufacturer.

By every rule in the book, this ship, carrying asbestos waste and radioactive elements, should not be in Indian waters, let alone be beached. And yet, despite well-premised objections, the central government persuaded the Supreme Court to rule that Blue Lady be dismantled at Alang. Gopal Krishna was a petitioner in the litigation.

A new book by authors based at the Thiruvananthapuram-based Centre for Development Studies (CDS) attempts to make the case that the rain-gods, farmers and public institutions were the culprits for Plachimada's water scarcity, and not the beverage major Coca Cola. P N Venugopal analyses the findings.

The climate system is a global, inter-locking one, and its many facets cannot be considered in isolation. However, this is precisely what the National Action Plan on Climate Change has done, writes Sudhirendar Sharma.

Kerala’s Left-dominated 141-member legislative assembly adopted a resolution on 11 July urging New Delhi to withdraw the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification of 2006. The resolution says the notification is “against the interest of Kerala State, nature, environment and people.” M Suchitra reports.

Twenty-one families were relocated from the core area of Sariska Tiger Reserve to a newly built township last year. The signs are that this has gone off well both for the people and the forests, reports Malini Shankar.

As Indian companies look to resources in other countries, some of the issues that have become familiar at home are surfacing elsewhere too. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.

Impact assessment studies to understand the consequences of large dam projects have been de-linked from the actual implementation of the projects, thus diluting their value, writes Shripad Dharmadhikary.

Over 170 organisations and individuals came together to highlight Vedanta's history of environmental irregularities to the Golden Peacock jury members, prompting a second look. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Many of the institutions or departments who have sent in applications for IPR consideration to the NBA are also represented on the committee which evaluates the applications, reports Kanchi Kohli.

While the Biological Diversity Act is touted by the government as a conservation legislation, its application does not show much evidence of this intent. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Kerala's biodiversity board has asked Chief Minister V S Achutanandan to reject single window clearance for the 'High Tech City' project at the exhilarating Valanthakad island in the backwaters outside Kochi. P N Venugopal reports.

Are glaciers in the Himalayas retreating? India depends greatly on these water sources, and we should therefore be more cautious in assessing this risk, writes Darryl D'Monte.

The contrast between the stand taken by India at Copenhagen and at the earlier UN Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 couldn't have been starker, writes Darryl D'Monte.

Want to build a power plant in an ecologically sensitive area? No problem. Just ask the ministry. Its permissions have become routine, and processes are merely paperwork to facilitate the outcome. Kanchi Kohli reports.

One of the great biodiversity hotspots of the country comes under threat from a proposed power plant, and environment regulators can't seem to make up their mind whether the area should be protected or not. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Gold mining wreaks havoc on the environment and humans alike, but some precautionary measures and fair practices can help minimize the damage. Mahazareen Dastur concludes this two-part series.

Extracting enough gold to forge a wedding band leaves behind at least 20-30 tons of waste and environmental devastation. Mahazareen Dastur writes about the costs of gold mining in the first of a two-part series.

In North Sikkim, a familiar tale of subverting environment regulation is playing out, as plans to dam the Teesta river push past local opposition and ecological considerations. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The Chair of the EAC should necessarily have an overarching environmental perspective, as s/he is supposed to ensure the environmental sustainability of projects that come to the committee. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.

Eco-pioneer Mohammed Dilawar’s nest boxes, specially designed to bring back sparrows and other birds into urban areas, are a hit among bird-lovers in many Indian metros and of course, the target group – the birds – themselves, writes Savita Hiremath.

With the formation of the Green Tribunal, its predecessor, the NEAA has ceased to exist. But the NGT is not fully ready to hear cases, and this has put the regulatory environment off-course. Kanchi Kohli reports.

What happens if you decide to expand your industrial project without getting fresh environment clearances? In Jindal Steel's case, it appears, you get to go on scot free. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The new coastal zone regulation reads as a compendium of the myriad exceptions to the few rules - a move away from managing the coastal natural resources based on principles to one based on discretion. Kannan Kasturi reports.

Man-animal conflict in India is taking a heavy toll on habitat and thereby the survival of wildlife. Malini Shankar writes that there is no option but to relocate forest-dwellers out of protected areas.

The OPG group's plans to build a massive thermal power plant on the ecologically sensitive coast have been dealt a setback by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. But a final decision is still to be made. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The government ignored many chances to protect people's lvelihoods in an ecologically sensitive area. But a hail of police firing on protestors forces a rethink. Kanchi Kohli reports.

The replacement of CFCs by more benign HCFCs and HFCs has removed the risks linked to ozone depletion, but these gases continue to contribute to global warming. Darryl D'Monte reports.

A new study stirs up an old debate - whether the melting of the Himalayan glaciers is only evident at lower reaches, and the higher altitudes are in fact adding snow. Darryl D'Monte reports.