We have grossly under-estimated the true cost of urban infrastructure in our country. 20-odd committees have considered this over several decades, and so have the Planning Commission and several Finance Commissions. But we don't really have a legitimate figure for our urban infrastructure needs, says Ramesh Ramanathan.

Rajnandgaon's location along a national highway has helped it to grow. It is also not cash-strapped. But its problem is the absence of good governance, writes Kalpana Sharma.

Careful planning, adequate budgeting and close cooperation of government and NGOs will be needed this summer in Barmer and nearby Thar desert areas of Rajasthan, says Bharat Dogra

Rashida Bee and Champa Devi are the winners of the prestigious Goldman Prize this year. Tarun Jain reports on a definite filip for the campaign to hold Dow Chemicals accountable for the 1984 Union Carbide gas tragedy in Bhopal.

The rules notified in April to operationalise biodiversity legislation appear to exclude those opposed to treating public biological resources as private intellectual property. Kanchi Kohli reports.

Except a standout municipality in AP, none of the other towns and cities in India are complying with a Supreme Court directive on waste management. Surekha Sule reports.

Vermicomposting to convert household waste into manure is widely used worldwide, but using it to treat toxic waste is relatively recent and yet to gain acceptance. Surekha Sule reports on the work of Dr.Suneet Dabke.

Increasingly, cities around the world are reshaping themselves to be centres of culture and commerce in ways that are more global than related to their home nations. As Indian cities too move in that direction, Darryl D'Monte catches up with a scholar of the evolution of cities, and finds much for Indian planners and city leaders to think about.

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.

"Why are the Expert Committees of Ministry of Environment and Forests dominated by ex-bureaucrats, politicians and engineers?" asked over 60 non-profit organizations earlier this month in an open letter. Kanchi Kohli was one of the drafters of the letter to Ministry that has asked for a reconstitution of the flawed committees.

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.

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.

In biological diversity, India is one of the richest countries in the world. But widespread destruction has already taken place and this is continuing. Urgent measures to reverse the damage are both necessary and possible. Ramesh Menon sounds the wake-up call.

Polyvinyl chloride or PVC is all around us. It is one of most versatile of plastic materials and its global production is at 40 million tonnes a year. Yet, PVC products are being phased around the world, and India may need to follow. Rasika Dhavse has more.

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.

Bureaucratic control of river flow by a single agency is responsible for recurring disasters. The management of ageing dams is driven by fear as much as anything else, and this in turn causes other risks. Himanshu Upadhyaya reports.

Biological matter drawn from animals and plants in India could be transforming into biofuels in the labs of foreign corporations. Kanchi Kohli reads between the lines.

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.

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.

Notwithstanding the IPCC's error about glacier melting, there is consensus among scientists that the earth is warming. Those who deny it should offer proof, to the same standard that they demand of others, writes Darryl D'Monte.

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.

The denouement at Cancun wasn't all that different from Copenhagen. India agreed to take on binding emission cuts, while industrial countries did no more than make sympathetic noises. Darryl D'Monte reports.

The UNDP is correct to observe that despite the different histories of developed and developing countries, we cannot ignore the fact that it is still one planet. Darryl D'Monte reports.

An expert committee set up by the MoEF to study the impact of hydropower projects in the Alaknanda-Bhagirathi basin raises hope, but can it break the mould of the past to bring about the measures so critically needed? Shripad Dharmadhikary explores.

A group of committed individuals in Alappuzha, Kerala are battling odds to revive cultivation of the unique Pokkali variety of paddy that had given way to the more lucrative business of shrimp farming. P N Venugopal reports.

Initiatives that do not factor in climate resilience and related gender concerns cannot address development challenges, but the manner in which state-level climate action plans are being implemented shows these are yet to become electoral planks. Aditi Kapoor reports.

Indian cities have been identified as among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Shrimoyee Bhattacharya and Sujaya Rathi explore how the envisioned plan for Bangalore can build in increased resilience to climatic variations and impact.

Could India’s inflexible and rather aggressive attitude in global climate negotiations jeopardise its domestic mitigation of the real threats from climate change? Darryl D’Monte summarises the key take-aways from a TISS conference that dwelled upon this and related issues.

As the draft agreement is getting ready at the Climate Change Conference in Paris, Darryl D’Monte gives a final round-up on how countries are changing their alliances keeping their own interests in mind, and if it will be possible for a developing nation like India to work towards a low-carbon future.

From the paints in our homes to the discarded CFL tubes, the sources of toxic chemicals that pose a serious threat to our health and safety are omnipresent. Darryl D’Monte highlights why it is imperative for India to move faster and more determinedly in tackling this problem.

Per Biological Diversity Act, 2002 before using any Indian biological material for commercial or R&D purposes, public consultation is needed via the local Biodiversity Management Committees, which the National Biodiversity Authority wants to do away with. Kanchi Kohli and Shalini Bhutani ask why.

Mumbai is closer to finalising its 20-year development plan, from 2014 to 2034. The plan might be hiding more than it reveals, writes Darryl D'Monte.

Darryl D’Monte reviews Indira Gandhi – A Life in Nature , a new book focussing on Indira Gandhi as a naturalist.

It’s not the crop burning, stupid. It’s vehicles that create smog and the media should educate the public. Anup Kumar explains.

The ongoing Syrian and Mediterranean refugee crisis makes us look into our nation's as well as South Asian region's refugee policies in this edition. We also take a look at the widespread malnutrition amongst Indian children, why the proposed National Waterways Bill in its curent form is not a good idea, how Ladakh's cultural heritage and natural resources are deteriorating, the six-decades long suffering of Manipuri women under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts, a panel discussion on Nehru’s India: Essays on the Maker of a Nation a book by Nayantara Sahgal, a review of a newly released movie on the challenges faced by the Parsi community, and much more.

The ongoing Syrian and Mediterranean refugee crisis makes us look into our nation's as well as South Asian region's refugee policies in this edition. We also take a look at the widespread malnutrition amongst Indian children, why the proposed National Waterways Bill in its curent form is not a good idea, how Ladakh's cultural heritage and natural resources are deteriorating, the six-decades long suffering of Manipuri women under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts, a panel discussion on Nehru’s India: Essays on the Maker of a Nation a book by Nayantara Sahgal, a review of a newly released movie on the challenges faced by the Parsi community, and much more.

In this edition we look at the recently concluded India-Africa Forum Summit, how the original habitants and workers of Mumbai Port are being ignored in the port redevelopment plans, how the RTE Act faring in the State of Tamil Nadu, the rights of the Indian domestic workers, the business of illegal sand mining, how a village is showing the way to sustainable living and much more.

In this edition we have reports on the recently concluded Paris Climate Change Conference by Darryl D'Monte who was in Paris. We also look at the shocking realities faced by AID patients and their families, how CAG is in trouble in Delhi for auditing three power distributors, will the Sustainable Development Goals of UN achieve what the Millennium Development Goals failed to do and much more.

In this edition, we look into the odd-even traffic experiment going on in Delhi to combat its air pollution, how poor people lost eye sight in botched up cataract surgeries performed in Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, the skill deficit in the emerging work force of our country, an interview with the well-known Tamil feminist writer C S Lakshmi, and more.

In this edition, we have a touching write-up on caste discrimination and how it very much exists in our society, the success story of the displaced forest dwellers of Ranthambhore, the protests by tribals against the mining companies in Odissa, how school going girls in West Bengal are saying no to child marriage, and more.

In this edition, we look into the reformation of our Public Distribution System, how Dalits are portrayed in Hindi cinema, emergence of grassroot movements in different parts of India for sustainable and equitable way of living, interesting stories from the state of Manipur, and more.

In this edition, we celebrate the International Women's Day by bringing out inspiring stories of Soni Sori and the girl footballers from Chennai. We also look into why India's solar mission is in dispute with WTO, the Good Samaritan guidelines that are made compulsory now, and more.

While the economy has strangled the livelihood of North Indian vendors in Mumbai, a politician has muffled their voice. And the media and policymakers are looking the other way, writes Kalpana Sharma.

Communities along the Shnongrim ridge are caught between the plans of mining companies and their own traditional livelihoods. Some are changing their minds, while others despair. Sonata Dkhar reports.

In an upper to middle income household a domestic help and her services are indispensable. Yet, she is not given the diginity, living wages and other benefits one gets in the organised sector. Pushpa Achanta talks to the activists working for the domestic workers' rights to find out more.

A few months of learning using the primers developed by Utthan have helped over 2000 women in the ravine regions of Bundelkhand so far; they no longer rely on the assistance of others for their daily reading needs. Freny Manecksha reports that crossing this threshold helps open the women many other doors too.

The recommendations of the committee constituted to look into the claims of endosulfan victims in Kasargod and decide on the need to set up a tribunal to settle those, appear to be largely sympathetic towards the Plantation Corporation and endosulfan manufacturers. P N Venugopal reports.

An alleged incident of molestation within campus premises at one of Calcutta’s most prestigious universities and the events following it have led to huge upheaval and student protests. But does the entire episode also signify a continuation of a disturbing trend? Shoma A Chatterji reports.

The finance minister’s dream of extending social security cover to all unorganised workers in the country is a lofty one undoubtedly, but Kathyayini Chamaraj identifies the many gaps in the existing law that need to be addressed for that dream to be realised.

Kerala lacks a system to rehabilitate migrant child labourers. Navya P K finds out how rescued children are sent off to their home districts, and then forgotten.