prerna singh bindra šŸ˜šŸ…šŸ¾ Profile picture
PhD Scholar, Cambridge; Fierce protector of the wild. Author of 'The Vanishing'; @home in the wilderness, misfit on twitter. A dog's best friend
May 17 ā€¢ 14 tweets ā€¢ 5 min read
In this šŸ§µ, meet Sheeba Padmanabhan, a courageous, inspirational lady. Educated till 4th std, Sheeba has published a #book through self-learning, sheer grit & passion. She grew up in Kurchiyad, a small village nestled inside the core of #Wayanad #Wildlife #Sanctuary, #Kerala, which is a satellite site for my #PhD #research on relocation of people from #ProtectedAreas. 1/13
#fieldwork #PhdLife #research #womenheroes #womenpower #relocation #ProtectedAreasImage Nestled in the #WesternGhats, #Wayanad WLS is part of @UNESCO World Heritage Site & an important, contiguous #tiger & #elephant landscape. The 344 sqkm Wayanad WLS is one of the most densely populated PAs in #India with ~10.5K people sharing space with ~70 tigers & and elephants (density of 1.35/sqkm) and severe #HumanWildlifeConflict 2/13a tiger within Wayaand WLS; an elephant carcass we came across on the 1st day of my fieldwork, it was - poisoned; a representative image of  a harvest flatenned by elephants
Image
Image
Mar 1 ā€¢ 9 tweets ā€¢ 5 min read
šŸ§µ#Thread on yet another disastrous missive aka the #GreenCreditRules2024 SO 884(E) from the @MoEFCC on 22/02. It asks state #ForestDepartments to 'identify degraded land parcels, including open #forest, #scrub land, wasteland and catchment areas, under their administrative control & mgt which will be made available for #tree #plantation. This order is a lethal combo of 2 earlier orders which followed the #ForestConservationAmendmentAct: Green Credit Programme (2/10/2023) & the FCAA 2023 Rule GSR 869-E (29/11/24) 1/9

#Environment #Forest #Wildlife #Conservation #Grasslands #GreenCredit #RepealForestLaw2023 #SaveIndianForests #ActOnClimate #SixthExtinction #BiodiversityCrisis #EnvironmentLaw #Law #ClimateChange #CarbonCredits #ClimateCrisisPic: Prakriti Srivastava The Formula: Kill a #forest. Plant a #Tree. Earn #CarbonCredits and use this for diversion of forest lands for mining, roads, etc
The Agency: #ForestDepartment plants the #trees on behalf of a user agency who pay for the services
The Rate: One green credit per tree grown with a minimum of 1100 trees per hectare (BUT, dear @MoEFCC, a forest is not merely a sum of #trees, nor is it a mere carbon generator).
The Objective: The #GreenCredit generated will earn the user agency compliance of compensatory #afforestation in case of diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes under the FCAA 2023
Implication: Facilitate & keep ready a landbank for the quick & easy diversion of our notified, natural forests and facilitate user agencies. 2/9
Feb 21 ā€¢ 13 tweets ā€¢ 7 min read
In a landmark (interim) judgement by #CJIDYChandrachud in our case challenging the amendment to the #ForestConservationAmendmentAct & asking for its repeal, the #SupremeCourt asks the govt to "go back" and uphold the ā€œall-encompassingā€ dictionary meaning of forests as per the 202/1996 #Godavarman case, undermined and practically obliterated by the #FCAA. It ordered the @MoEFCC to issue a circular to this effect to States & UTā€™s. 1/n

#Environment #Forest #Wildlife #Conservation #RepealForestLaw2023 #SaveIndianForests #ActOnClimate #SixthExtinction #BiodiversityCrisisImage This was in response to our plea that the @MoEFCC had violated in multiple ways its assurance to the #SC that no precipitative action will be taken by the ministry with regard to forests as per the Godavarman order. Our plea to the #SC was to ask for a) stay on the rules of the #FCAA; b) to uphold the dictionary meaning of #forest as per 202/1996 order & c) for the SEC reports to be called and examined by the Court. 2/n

For context on rules and guidelines see links at the end of šŸ§µ.
Jan 10 ā€¢ 15 tweets ā€¢ 8 min read
What follows below is a šŸ§µ on Part IV of the rules & guidelines of the
#ForestConservationAmendmentAct2023/the Van (Samrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules
2023 analysed by #PrakritiSrivastava (thanks!). These guidelines deal with leasing of #forestlands including for #mining (Links for context at the end of šŸ§µ) 1/n
#ProtectOurForerst #environment #RepealForestLaw2023 #SaveForests #Wildlife #India
#ClimateEmergency #FCAA2023 #climate #planetearth #Conservation #SaveHasdeo
#SaveMollem #SaveNicobar #SaveEnnoreCreekImage The rules say: ā€œforest land assigned for mining does not allow breaking of forest land.ā€ But one would imagine that for mining ā€˜breaking the landā€™ is essential? Koi samjhaye zara ke yeh chamatkar kaise hota hai? 2/n
#RepealForestLaw2023
Dec 21, 2023 ā€¢ 14 tweets ā€¢ 7 min read
Ok, people, be ready for anotheršŸ§µon the Horror Story that is the#ForestConservationAmendmentAct2023 and its rules & guidelines-links on earlier analysis at the end ofšŸ§µ
Long, complex reading, BUT if you care about #Indiaā€™s #forests #wildlife #tiger, and actually a future with #cleanair to breathe, #rivers that run, a stable #climate basically a functional #planet read on and SPEAK UP.
This one is on Part II of the guidelines the Van (Samrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules 2023:

These ā€˜guidelines are meant for some of the many exemptions from #forest #environment scrutiny under the #FCAA. 1/ndrive.google.com/file/d/1_lCP40ā€¦Image Exemption 1:
A big one: Only two categories are given legal protection under #FCAA:
A.) Notified forests & those in govt. record as forest as on, or after, 25.10.1980. This undermines, practically nullifies, the honā€™ble #SupremeCourtā€™s #Godavarman order. So under the #FCAA huge tracts #Aravalis are no longer #forest, or another eg. unrecorded montane #rainforests #Kerala or #TN.
B.) If a private person possesses say 500 acres of #forests, they can be diverted, cleared without any legal scrutiny.
There is Nothing about how these lands will be identified, protocol for their identification. As I have said before, and will again: This #forest lands should have been identified by the 'State Expert Committee' reports way back in 1997 post #Godavarman SC order but are missing in action; despite a rap on the knuckles by the SC in 2011 #Lafargecase order.
Forget the citizens of #India, how does the officer on the ground KNOW which #forests have legal protection? 2/nImage
Dec 8, 2023 ā€¢ 25 tweets ā€¢ 4 min read
šŸ§µ In our petition challenging the constitutionality of the #ForestConservationAmendmentAct2023 (we appeal for a stay). In the hearing on 30th Nov, the advocate for the @MoEFCC assured the Honā€™ble #SupremeCourt that, 1/n
#StopFCA2023 #ProtectForests a)the ministry had no intention to dilute the scope of #forest as defined by the #SupremeCourt in its #Godavarman order. b) that @MoEFCC would ensure that the order is observed in letter and spirit. 2/n
Nov 6, 2023 ā€¢ 21 tweets ā€¢ 4 min read
šŸ§µThe #Forest (#Conservation) Aamendment Act comes into force on Dec 1. There is nothing ā€˜conservationā€™ in the amended Act, it is blatantly, unapologetically a law that facilitates diversion of #forest lands & into private hands 1/n
onmanorama.com/news/kerala/20ā€¦ It changes the definition of #forests, it nullifies the Supreme Courtā€™s 1996 Godavarman judgement, removing vast swathes of forest from protective legal cover, leaving every patch of #forest vulnerable for diversion, destruction. Read this for details sanctuarynaturefoundation.org/article/a-deatā€¦
Aug 14, 2023 ā€¢ 14 tweets ā€¢ 3 min read
Thread on how the Forest #Conservation (HAHA) Amendment Act is unfolding,unleashing potential destruction of HUGE tracts of #forests. Leading the charge is #Odisha,the Addl Chief Secretary,top official in charge of state forests has issued a letter to all forest officials 1/n Image ...Asking for all forest diversion proposals b treated & submitted as per provisions of Amended Act.Note that letter specifies that the concept of deemed forest is REMOVED,in direct contradiction to the JPC report where the @moefcc assures the JPC that the amended FCA 2/n Image
Jul 9, 2023 ā€¢ 5 tweets ā€¢ 2 min read
Deathknell for #India's #forests - foundational to our survival, growth. watersheds, rain makers, #climate buffers, refuge for #wildlife, interwined with our culture, livlihood for milllions. Our national, natural #heritage
to be sold for a song 1/5
thehindu.com/sci-tech/energā€¦ The bill limits the scope & ambit of the original FCA (1980), removing crucial safeguards from a vast majority of India's #biodiverse rich #forests, opens the floodgates for diversion for other uses.
my #twitter thread on it here: 2/5
May 15, 2023 ā€¢ 17 tweets ā€¢ 12 min read
"In March 2023 the #Forest #Conservation Amendment bill was plaed before the LokSabha. Ms Prakriti Srivastava,IFS (PCCF #Kerala) & I jointly wrote a submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, link provided at the end of the (long) thread. 1/n highlighting the imp pts:
Fundamental changes in the proposed bill:
a)Limits the scope & ambit of the original FCA (1980), removing crucial safeguards from a vast majority of India's #biodiverse rich #forests, thereby opens the floodgates for diversion for other uses
2/n
May 13, 2023 ā€¢ 4 tweets ā€¢ 7 min read
Speaking at the #PhD 3rd Year Forum @CamUniGeography @Cambridge_Uni. Main focus is #governance of #conservation related relocation in
@mytadoba #Tiger Reserve tho it considers socio-economic (v brfly #ecological) outcomes) #Wayanad #Wildlife #Sanctuary is a satellite site Image Grateful to my co #travellers @Krithikasampath
@SamirTadoba who made it easier & FUN! Also
@jituramgaokar @nandkishorkale1 and his incredible team @PrajaktaDH #PoonamDhanwatey. the generosity of the villagersšŸ™ @bhask286 for his support
Apr 13, 2023 ā€¢ 9 tweets ā€¢ 9 min read
With the cacophony over #Elephant #Arikomban, lets understand how such #elephants are 'made', and #conflict created. As per a #Kerala cabinet decision taken in August 2002, 559 families of landless tribals were settled on 276 ha land in #Chinnakanal during 2003. The then 1/9 Image DFO (#Munnar) #PrakritiSrivastava objected: it was prime #elephant habitat & corridor, the consequences would be disasterous. Within a year, human-elephant conflict had escalated. Giving pattas wily-nily w/o w/o #forest dept inputs #wildlife consideration is best avoided 2/9 representative image from t...
Mar 7, 2023 ā€¢ 6 tweets ā€¢ 5 min read
I have been researching relocation of people from #ProtectedAreas - v contentious ā€“ and also v nuanced. There r many issues/problems related to it, which I hope to discuss/address in my #PhD but here I share some good practices in #Wayanad #Kerala of people moving out from 1/6 #forests outside PAs. The people apply & then are funded. Conflict with #elephants is acute. Most-not all-people esp the younger generation have aspirations for better #education, jobs etc when they move out but find themselves disadvantaged as they lived in remote #forests 2/6
Oct 11, 2021 ā€¢ 8 tweets ā€¢ 4 min read
So here is my @iamsrk story. As a journalist working with @TheDailyPioneer I was trying desperately to get in touch with #ShahRukhKhan for an indepth interview. It was IMPOSSIBLE and his agent/PR lady who would either not respond or kept putting me off with barely contained 1/n exasperation (i am being polite)
After patiently,politely following up for days,I lost it. as it is,doing films & running after stars wasn't my thing,I got hold of SRK's no(no guys, I don't have it now-honest.I failed to transfer it to a new phonešŸ™„). My first few msgs went -2/n
Aug 29, 2020 ā€¢ 23 tweets ā€¢ 15 min read
Thread
My piece in @MongabayIndia on relocation from #Wayanad #Wildlife Sanctuary based on my @MPhilCL @Cambridge_Uni research supervised by @EliaApos Ialso drew on my yrs of experience.Resettlement from #ProtectedAreas (PA) is contentious @csandbrook 1/22
bit.ly/3bjo3V7 & I discuss a largely ignored narrative:of people seeking support for relocation.Historically,resettlements have been poorly recorded; there have been evictions from PAs that have led to penury, isolation, further impoverishment, which I strongly condemn.There is NO room 2/22
Aug 12, 2020 ā€¢ 9 tweets ā€¢ 8 min read
On #WorldElephantDay horrified to see this regressive unempathetic report from @MoEFCCĀ  that fails to recognize the ecology & nature of #elephants, seeks to block their #RightOfPassage confine them to tiny slivers of #ProtectedAreas 1/n It speaks of 'restricting #elephants in their natural habitat- Restricted by way of trenches , railway fences , cement structures and this is what such 'best management' practices do . 2/n
May 10, 2020 ā€¢ 9 tweets ā€¢ 14 min read
This #leopard with a snare cutting into its flesh & bones was camera trapped on 24 Mar in Rajak, #Surhi Range, core of Achanakmar #TigerReserve #Chhattisgarh Also caught in a camtrap were #poachers 1/n
#WildlifeCrime @ntca_india ā¦@bhupeshbaghel
ā© ā¦@CG_Police @WCCBHQ
ā©
ā© 4 villagers armed with bows,arrows. 2nd May: Surhi Ranger Sandeep Singh went with staff & #dog squad to Niwaskhar Village. Weaponsā€”bows, arrows, wire trap etc with blood found, accused arrested 2/n
@ntca_india @WCCBHQ @bhupeshbaghel @WCCBHQ

ā©