Government dilutes its stand on requiring consent from tribals before handing over their forestlands for projects. The changed policy states that consent would be required only in exceptional cases, making it easier for hundreds of projects to come up, which earlier required formal consent from tribals, who have rights over forestlands under the Forest Rights Act. The environment ministry also exempts certain projects where linear diversion of forest land in several villages are involved, from obtaining the consent of the gram sabhas concerned.
China’s latest dam building exercise