Rohan Chakravarty's Blog, page 59

Compensatory Afforestation BTS

Ever wondered how the Indian government registers an increase in forest cover despite its environmentally destructive policies? Simple: by changing the definitions of forest cover. 'Compensatory afforestation' and 'forest diversion' are terms thrown in frequently by the government and its supporters in arguments pertaining to environmental concerns. Here's a quick look at what really happens behind the scenes of compensatory afforestation.
Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. Also, a reminder to register your objections to the Draft EIA 2020  on Let India Breathe or on Jhatkaa here.

Gaps in the Western Ghats and Evolution

Gaps in the Western Ghats, such as the Palghat Gap, have resulted in some remarkable evolutionary marvels, as a result of geographical isolation. While the sensational discovery of the birds in the comic was led by VV Robin in 2010, the recent discovery of the Anamalai Wood Snake is by Sandeep Das, KP Rajkumar and Deepak V. Comic from my column with The Hindu.  

Mishmi Takin and Dibang Dam

If you are convinced that dams in Dibang Valley are a bad idea, please consider signing the petition against the Etalin Dam in Dibang Valley here , and write an email to adgfc-mef@nic.in, dgfindia@nic.in and igfc-mef@nic.in voicing your objection (email me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com for a letter template if needed).
Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Reed Warbler

Enroll for the Reed Warbler's pole-dance classes now! Comic from my column with RoundGlass Sustain.

Draft EIA Notification 2020

Clearance Man is back, and this time he is more powerful than ever before! The draft EIA 2020 takes various steps to ensure that environmental violations by corporations and industries are legitimized, some of which are listed in this comic. The policy is being pushed during the lockdown period so as to minimize questioning and opposition.
Read the Draft EIA here. An article on the notification by Mongabay can be read here. You may also follow the Twitter account by environment lawyers Kritika Dinesh and Meenakshi Kapoor, called Redraft EIA 2020 (@ReDraftEIA2020) for simplified tweets that explain the environmental impacts of the various points of the policy. If you are convinced that the draft EIA should be withdrawn, you may voice your objection to the policy on Let India Breathe here, and on Jhatkaa here.
This comic has been as a purely voluntary effort and is exempted from any copyright contracts that most of my other comics are under with their respective publishers. In case you would like to use higher resolutions of the comic, email me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com. 
My thanks to Krithika, Meenakshi and Sushant Bali for their inputs.

Wildlife Quarantine Webinar Recommendations

Some wildlife skill-sharing webinar recommendations for you during quarantine, from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. 

MoEFCC Demonstration

A few weeks ago, MoEFCC Chairman Prakash Javadekar demonstrated how to make your own mask. Here he demonstrates how to make your own blinders!
At a time when epidemics are being traced back and linked to environmental destruction worldwide, one would expect world leaders to make conservation central to governance. The Indian government unfortunately, has been doing quite the contrary. The exploitation of the country's natural reserves is being intensified. The draft EIA notification that the MoEF put out last month seeks to do away with public hearings for projects like dams, mines, airports etc., and legitimizes environmental violations by such projects (details here). Moreover, the government has also been using the lockdown period to host video conferences to grant environment clearance to projects in the pipeline, without any scope of questioning or objection. If this is the government we have chosen, it is also our responsibility to ensure responsibility and accountability from it. What we must demand is that environmentally sensitive projects may not be cleared over virtual meetings without following due process , and that projects for which there is strong opposition from resident communities (for example the Dibang Etalin Dam) be scrapped for greener alternatives.  Yet another such project is the proposal to mine in Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve in Assam. 
Sign the petition to save Dibang Valley on Conservation India here. If you represent an institute, university or organization, get your board to email the ministry voicing objection to the draft EIA notification. The MoEF has a website dedicated to forest clearance. Let us stay vigilant, check this website regularly for the status of such projects, and write letters and emails to the ministry to keep it on its toes. Let us not wear the blinders that the government wants us to wear. 
Comic from my column with The Hindu's Sunday Magazine.

Dibang Etalin Dam

A Forest Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for today via video conferencing has in its agenda to make way for several forest clearances, one of which is for the the disastrous Etalin/Dibang Dam project. A simple Google search on the environmental impacts of Dibang Dam will lead you to numerous articles about why tribes and communities in Arunachal have been opposing this project tooth and nail. Other agenda of the meeting can be accessed on forestclearance.nic.in.

Earth Day with Underground Weirdos

Happy Earth Day from some underground weirdos from my column with RoundGlass Sustain.

We all have that Capped Langur Friend

We all have that Capped Langur friend. Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.