Interim report by board could not identify the source of around one-fifth of Calcutta’s PM2.5 pollution Environmentalists have raised questions about an ongoing study ordered by the state pollution
The GNLF-controlled Darjeeling municipality has decided to stop supplying drinking water and clearing garbage in the town from tomorrow. In Calcutta, home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the situation in the hills was "worrisome' but tourists were safe. "Those feeling unsafe would be brought down to the plains,' he added. Although a lean season for tourism, there would be several hundred tourists in the Darjeeling hills now. The peak period will begin in March.
Nayachar: The six-member expert committee constituted by the state government to see the technical and economic feasibility of a chemical industry on Nayachar liked what it saw on the first visit to the island today. Led by former ONGC chairman and the Hinduja group vice-chairman in India, Subir Raha, the team (see box) of scientists that included oceanographers and chemical engineers spent over two hours criss-crossing the island. "Prima facie, it looks good. The initial drilling suggests that the soil has load-bearing capacity. However, we will look into more than 10 areas
A phuchkawallah in apron and gloves dishing out lip-smacking fare in clean plates. The utensils in which the ingredients are kept are covered with a plastic sheet. Even the tamarind solution is being made from bottled water. A man wears a cap, apron and gloves while making and handing out rolls. The sauces he is using are branded, and not of the cheap variety, laced with unhealthy preservatives and colours. Too good to be true? Not at Boi Mela 2008. Snacking has taken a hygienic turn at the Salt Lake stadium grounds, thanks to a pilot project by Bidhannagar Municipality. "A health food consultant recently approached us, offering to monitor the quality of street food in Salt Lake as part of a public-private partnership. It wanted to make changes to roadside stalls to enable them to serve healthy fare,' said Biswajiban Majumder, the chairman of the municipality. "The organisation gave us a demonstration in the last board meeting. We asked them to undertake a pilot project at the book fair,' added Majumder. Under the project, 55 food stalls have been set up at Boi Mela, serving jhalmuri to ice cream. "There are hundreds of stalls dishing out unhealthy food in Salt Lake. We are trying to develop a hygienic format for the stalls,' said Subha Bose, the owner of Bose & Bose Consultancy, which is monitoring the food being sold at Boi Mela. Visitors at the fair are happy with the change. "Street food invariably used to be unhealthy. Which is why I often avoided it so that my children did not fall ill. I love the food at the book fair,' said Aparna Nandi, a resident of Behala Chowrasta, who had come to the fair with her 12-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter. "We are strictly monitoring the ingredients in the food,' said Joydeb Bose, who is in charge of controlling the quality of the food at the fair on behalf of Bose & Bose. The stall-holders, too, are learning to live with the changes. "The measures seemed troublesome at first, but we understood that they are necessary as people have became health-conscious. However, the cost of the items will go up marginally, as we have to use quality ingredients,' said Arup Ghosh, who is running a kachuri stall at the book fair.
The Central Zoo Authority of India has adjudged Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling as the best zoo in the country.
The Centre could give its consent to the proposed Nayachar chemical hub in two to three months. Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said an expert panel was examining the proposal sent by Bengal.
The next time you see an injured dog or bird and want to nurse it, just call Animal Link at 9932170235.
Kurseong, March 23: Some residents of Ambootia Tea Estate, 6km from here, have formed a farmers' club and tied up with Nabard in a bid to solve the unemployment problem that is plaguing the hills.
The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started supplying drinking water to five of its 14 added wards, with a promise of covering the remaining ones by the end of this year.
A century ago, the feudal species made a fetish of tiger shooting.
Work at government hospitals in West Bengal was hit following an agitation by special duty attendants (SDA), who had been asked to vacate the hospital premises. The government, by an official order,
