India
The Union ministry of urban development has issued a notification stipulating that construction activities that create noise will not be allowed after 10 pm. However, construction of highways, roads, and other government undertakings has been excluded from the purview of the regulation.
At the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLCCP) in Lucknow, research is being conducted that seeks to eliminate the use of harsh chemicals to preserve art and replace them with environmentally friendly alternatives. So far, the NRLCCP has tested sulphur 30, anona (sitafal) seeds, and neem gold as part of their research. All three drugs combat viral and fungal growth as well as deter infestations of certain insects.
The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board has proposed a Rs 50-crore programme to install groundwater recharge structures throughout the state.
Two more cotton farmers in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh were forced to commit suicide after they fell into a debt trap due to crop failure. Over 50 cotton farmers in the district have taken their own lives since 2001.
Considering the serious impact of sand mining on water resources, a panel of eminent jurists recently said that the government should immediately stay all sand mining activities throughout Tamil Nadu.
Taking into account the spurt in forest fires in south Gujarat, a decision has been taken to combat the menace jointly by the official forest protection force and the newly formed Surat village forest fire protection committees. Last year, 413 cases of forest fires in south Gujarat affected around 300 hectares of forests causing a loss of approximately Rs 1.5 lakh.
With the home ministry ordering the withdrawal of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) teams from the Berbera- Dhuanali forests in Orissa, the forest department fears that the move will revive timber smuggling and poaching in the area. The CRPF had adopted the forests since 1994. It was with the help of local inhabitants that the jawans restored the lost greenery in the forest range.