Forest Rights Act community trainings at Lahaul and Sirmour

In October the Himachal Van Adhikar Manch (a platform for civil society groups working on Forest Rights Act in Himachal Pradesh) conducted training sessions under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights), Act 2006 (FRA) in Sirmour and Lahaul districts. These meetings were organised by People Action for People in […]

The Tribune : Speed up Forest Act implementation: NGOs

Twenty-three NGOs, under the banner of Himachal Van Adhikar Manch, today sought Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s intervention in speeding up the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. “We observed that the Act has been misconceived and the matter should be tabled before the Cabinet to give justice to the people of the state,” […]

Himachal undoes a pro-people Central law : The Tribune Op-ed

An article published in The Tribune by Prakash Bhandari & Manshi Asher, members of Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective A radical act was passed in the Parliament in 2006 which promised to undo the “historical injustice” that was committed on India’s forest dwellers by the non-recognition of their rights on the country’s forests. Himachal […]

Discussion on Forest Rights Act at Patlikuhl in District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

19th March 2014 Him Dhara, Environment Research and Action Collective in collaboration with Jan Jangran evam Vikas Sangathan The Schedule Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is an act meant to recognise and vest rights of forest dwelling communities over forest land. These rights include the right to continue […]

APPEAL FOR ENDORSEMENTS

PETITION DEMANDING IMMEDIATE DROPPING OF CHARGES AGAINST TRIBAL WOMEN On 25th March 2014, 31 women from the remote Holi village in District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh belonging to the Gaddi Scheduled Tribe were detained/arrested by the police and taken 70 kms away to the district headquarter at Chamba for protesting against the illegal felling of trees […]

Discussion on Forest Rights Act at Nakthan, Parvati Valley

A meeting on Forest Rights Act (FRA) and forest diversion in the context of the proposed 520 MW Nakthan hydro-electricity project was conducted by Himdhara on December 28, 2013 in Nakthan Village in Parbati Valley. A valley which already houses the giant 800 MW Parbati II HEP is now making way for 520 MW Nakthan […]

Himachal Pradesh government flunks forest rights subject

Manshi Asher, Tehelka, May 22 2013 Close to 30 percent of forests have been converted to Chir Pine monocultures displacing grazing rights of several communities like the Gaddis and Gujjars. There is no quantitative assessment of the impact of loss on people’s lives The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, or Recognition of […]

Activists write to Ministry of Environment on Luhri Project:Change in size, not the solution

Himdhara, Environment Research and Action Collective along with the Satluj Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti have raised serious issues with the random change in the capacity of the 775 MW Luhri Hydro-electric Project. The Ministry of Environment’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley Projects had directed the SJVN to maintain higher environment releases from Luhri […]