NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over recent tiger deaths in the country, Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said her ministry is constantly looking into the reasons for it. "We will have to take a look at the reasons. 17 are natural deaths, and we will look into the other deaths. We are constantly looking at the reasons. Well, poaching, you know, is an important reason which we are actively considering. The other reasons if it is a man- animal conflict we are already addressing those causes," Natarajan told media.

The Tree Authority Committee has approved the hacking of more than 822 trees for various developmental projects. Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte also directed the civic officials to start a survey and prune weak and dangerous trees from Tuesday. Kunte announced his decision while chairing the Tree Authority Committee meeting on Monday.

While its Latin American neighbors move forward with national climate laws, Argentina is backsliding on actions to tackle its greenhouse gas emissions as the country struggles to meet energy demand from a fast-growing middle class.

Argentina's GDP grew 7.3 percent last year, driving demand for energy that is overwhelmingly derived from fossil fuels. According to Argentine Institute of Petroleum and Gas (IAPG), energy demand rose 5.1 percent in 2011.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 per tree on a private builder for cutting trees and has asked him to compensate the heavy loss to the environment by planting the same number of trees.

Earlier, Prime Minister’s Task force on Islamabad Chairman Faisal Sakhi Butt took serious notice of the chopping of 40-year-old trees by the builder and had directed the CDA to take stern action against him.

The area under forest cover in Karnataka has increased by four square kilometres, according to a latest report of the Forest Survey of India. It says the change has been noticed in the assessment year of 2009, compared to the survey carried out in 2008. The report was put in the public domain recently.

Sources in the State government told The Hindu that the change for the better was being seen for the first time in about a decade. What was noteworthy was that at a time when forests were being “plundered in terms of their flora and fauna and conservationists facing a tough challenge,” the increase, though negligible, marks a refreshing change.”

SHILLONG: With each passing day, the thick lush forest cover in West Khasi Hills district is fast thinning presenting a very worrisome sight. While the primary reason for the loss of forest cover points towards the rampant burning of firewood to generate charcoal, what is worrying is that even persons who own vast areas of forests do not seem to care or incline to protect their assets for the future generations.

Concerned over the dwindling forest cover especially in West Khasi Hills and the wanton burning of firewood for charcoal, Deputy Chief minister in charge of mining and geology Bindo M Lanong said,