Stories written by
Peter Smetacek
Peter Smetacek is a regular Scroll.in contributor
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The biggest threats to wildlife in India: Forest fires and an ‘unhealthy’ plantation model
All that is needed to restore Indian ecosystems is protection, not plantation.
Peter Smetacek
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India is ‘planting forests’ to forestall the impending water crisis. It is a fool's errand
Instead, for a start, we should allow forests to regrow naturally. Planting trees creates a plantation, not a forest.
Peter Smetacek
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In India, a move to put a monetary value to forests could spell disaster for protected landscapes
It allows policymakers to shrug their shoulders and de-notify protected areas for short-term economic benefits.
Peter Smetacek
Trending
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Over 17,400 citizens write to EC seeking action against PM Narendra Modi for hate speech
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Australian journalist leaves country amid visa troubles, says ‘too difficult to do my job in India’
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Dubai: How a high-altitude jet stream, not cloud seeding, created a storm ‘the size of France’
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The Jammu and Kashmir voter who is fighting corruption in job recruitments
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How Guwahati became the second-most polluted city in the world
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Damage control: Why Uttarakhand saw few wildfires this year
Almost all fires that did start were swiftly put out with nothing more than green boughs and leaf rakes.
Peter Smetacek
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Fighting floods: India needs to emphasise disaster prevention, not disaster management
It's time for a new approach.
Peter Smetacek
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What the culling of wild animals in some states can tell us about future water wars in India
We can reduce the pressure of wild animals on cultivation if we permit our forests, wildlands and sub-surface water systems to restore themselves.
Peter Smetacek
Video
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Watch: Doordarshan newsreader faints on live TV in Kolkata owing to severe heat
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Watch: Spice Girls sing ‘Stop’ as bandmates reunite to celebrate Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday
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Watch: Over 350 ballerinas come together to break the world record for standing on tip toes
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Eco India: How can India deal with its mounting tyre waste?
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Eco India, Episode 258: Is repurposing waste saving the environment from further degradation?
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How a patch of forest land in Uttarakhand was quietly converted to commercial land
The process of urbanising Bhimtal’s catchment area has been steadily progressing, with commercial properties coming up on what was forest land.
Peter Smetacek
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So what's wrong in asking who set the forests on fire in Uttarakhand?
Why are there loud and vehement protests when one questions the 'naturalness' of the fires that are set to subvert the law or destroy evidence?
Peter Smetacek
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Missing the woods for the trees: How India's forests have been lost in translation – in plantations
The fact that a German and not an Englishman set up the Indian Forest Service had unintended but far-reaching consequences for India – and today's forest fires.
Peter Smetacek
The Reel
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Watch: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ trailer
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Start the week with a film: A legend returns in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’
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In Cannes-bound ‘In Retreat’, a Ladakh that has rarely been seen before
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‘Trap’ trailer: M Night Shyamalan’s thriller stars Josh Hartnett as a serial killer
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Watch: Five directors shoot on iPhones for MAMI Mumbai Film Festival initiative