Affidavit by the state of Goa in the matter of news item titled "India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000 global forest watch" appearing in the Indian Express dated April 13, 2024. As per the State of Forests Report of 2023, the total forest cover in Goa …
Picturesque Goa does not wish to lose its money-spinning charm as a tourist haven. The state government has issued a notice, under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, banning the sale and use of plastic bags and bottles on beaches and in wildlife sanctuaries. The ban comes into …
in what is turning out to be an annual ritual, trawler owners in Goa tried to water down the monsoon ban on fishing. But their efforts proved futile. The trawler owners, agitated over the ban which prohibits the use of mechanised vessels for fishing during the rainy season, had threatened …
after a series of agitations demanding the protection of rights of the traditional fisherfolk community of India, the National Fishworkers' Forum (nff) has finally been assured by Prime Minister (pm) Atal Bihari Vajpayee that its demands will soon be looked into. Even as the nff delegates were hopeful that their …
can one steer clear of pollution while commuting? Goa may soon have an answer to this poser if the state government's ambitious sky bus project takes off. A self-propelled vehicle, the sky bus is devised to work on suspended cables. As it is run on electricity, the bus promises to …
The persistent honking of a car stuck in a traffic jam. The blaring music playing at a wedding in the nearby community hall. The mind-numbing splutter of gensets every time power breaks down in the neighbourhood, or the noisome grating of gravel at a construction site next to your house. …
EVER since BJP's Manohar Parrikar became the chief minister (CM) of defection-prone Goa, he has managed to win over several potential critics - ranging from a section of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and one-time rivals, to former student radical groups. But his plan to get an apolitical environmental campaigner to approve …
in its apparent haste to avoid public debate, the Goa government pushed through its groundwater law recently. Now, doubts have arisen about how effectively the regulation would plug prevalent problems such as rampant commercial exploitation and inequitable distribution of water. The state's villagers have for some time now been complaining …
• The Supreme Court recently slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the Union environment ministry for showing laxity in probing the disappearance of huge quantity of hazardous waste oil from major ports. • The Sikkim Forest Department arrested a person on charges of smuggling medicinal plants from Borong recently. …
there's an old belief in the coastal fish-eating state of Goa: if you don't want to spoil your holiday, beware of what you eat. Now, the state health department has issued a similar warning. Goans, particularly those from the southernmost taluka of Canacona, have been cautioned not to consume any …
goa' s rivers criss-crossing the picturesque state lie neglected and almost forgotten today. And campaigners working to highlight the importance of the local riverine network say it's high time that these rivers are given a fresh lease of life. There are nine rivers in Goa namely Terekhol, Chapora, Baga, Mhadei, …
campaigners who waged a pitched battle against the proliferating plastic menace in this tourist state are left holding tonnes of plastic. They now pin their hopes on the changes in the law that could help tackle this problem. The government is planning to pass a law banning plastic bags below …
Thin is ugly. The people realised this when dealing with the scourge of plastic bags in the environment. But this realisation failed to be converted into concrete action. The Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules 1999 were supposed to do away with the menace of plastic bags, but on hindsight …
the Delhi assembly passed the Right to Information Bill 2001, which proposes to bring about more transparency in governance, on April 9. "The bill seeks to provide each citizen the right to information,' said Sheila Dixit, Delhi's chief minister. But this right is subjected to certain conditions
the Konkan Railways project was supposed to have been India's most ambitious railway project of the post-independence era. But we must ask ourselves how our democratic system allowed a massive fraud of Rs 4,000 crore to be perpetrated? How a few opportunistic technocrats, bureaucrats and politicians could take the people …
the Union government notified the Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999, in September last year. They were supposed to do away with the menace of plastics. But a year down the line, it is evident that the rules have fallen flat. In fact, they may have abetted the growth …
the Goa state authorities are making all possible efforts to ensure that the state's drive against plastic bags is successful. The state had banned plastic bags less than 20 microns thickness from August 15, 2000 in accordance with the Union government's recycled plastic manufacture and usage rules. Boards informing the …
the agitation against Meta Strips United factory at Sancoale, Goa, has intensified with the Anti-Meta Strips Citizens Action Committee ( amcac ) issuing an ultimatum to the government for closing down the controversial project. amcac has decided to launch a
The Goa High Court has passed important judgements aimed at protecting the state's coastal ecology. It has rejected the high tide line for the coastline in south Goa, which had been marked by the state government without consulting the Union government. Procedural functions have been formulated for the state officials …