maharashtra forest rules

Matheran, India's unique vehicle-free hill station near Mumbai, offers a tranquil escape with its eco-sensitive status. Travelers reach this serene plateau via foot, horse, or a charming toy train. Despite recent introductions of e-rickshaws and the phasing out of hand-pulled rickshaws, Matheran preserves its quiet, unpolluted charm, making it a distinct destination.

With IndiGo’s operational collapse in December, Air India’s fatal crash in Ahmedabad and SpiceJet’s engineering and salary-payment issues, US aviation regulator FAA has once again become concerned about oversight standards in Indian aviation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has achieved a historic victory in West Bengal, securing a landslide win and ending Mamata Banerjee's 15-year reign. The BJP claimed every seat in nine districts, including Purba Medinipur and the northern hills, signaling a significant shift in the state's political landscape. This triumph marks the BJP's first time in power in West Bengal.

India stands on the cusp of eradicating Naxalism, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah declaring the movement effectively dismantled. Decades of development and security operations have significantly shrunk the Red Corridor, pushing the insurgency into isolated pockets. While armed rebellion may be over, securing lasting peace through governance remains crucial.

The state government has decided to amend rules under the Indian Forest Act 1927 to make them more adaptable and people-friendly besides ensuring effective conservation of forests.

Even as five lakh citizens wait with uncertainly to know whether their homes will remain intact, the state government and the BMC have not moved to initiate any action against officials responsible for their plight.

Our growing dependence on technology is creating a hidden challenge: e-waste. According to Press Information Bureau, India generated around 14 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste in 2024–25*. As cities like Pune grapple with rising electronic waste, initiatives like E-Revive are encouraging responsible disposal and citizen participation.

The state government has issued a notification amending the Maharashtra Contingent Amendment Rule, to make financial provisions in the form of grants and rewards, for informers who give vital information for protection of forest and wild life.

Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has refuted the claims made by senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Mani Shankar Aiyar in a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi

The union ministry of environment and forests and climate change (MoEFCC) has ordered the state government to identify land banks for compensatory afforestation on a war footing. The state has many upcoming infrastructure projects for which forest land has been proposed to be diverted under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

Forest minister Patangrao Kadam on Wednesday said he will recall the services of all Indian Forest Service officials who are on non-IFS assignments in violation of rules.

A state-level committee (SLC) headed by PCCF (HoFF) N Rambabu on Thursday admitted that the decision to grant additional horizontal band saws (AHBS) licences to 50 timber units was wrong, but did not take any call on cancelling these permits.