Issue Date: Mar 29, 2012 Large swathes of forests in Maharashtra
risk being destroyed by forest fires allegedly started by tendu
contractors. Large forest areas have been gutted in fires at
different places in Vidarbha over the past fortnight. Sources in
the forest department say these are not natural forest fires, a
frequent phenomenon during summer. The tussle between state
forest department and tendu leaf contractors is said to be the
root cause of the forest fires. Recent Supreme Court order in
Vedanta case holds hope for tribal community life Butterflies on
the roof of the world is a vivid and engaging narrative of the
author's rendezvous with the butterflies and moths in
particular, and nature in general