- No Jakarta excuse for forest fires will suffice this time
Singapore's leading newspaper said on Wednesday Southeast Asian governments should accept no excuses from Indonesia for fires threatening to engulf the region in smog. In a bluntly-worded editiorial the Straits Times; a pro-government daily, said surprise might have been a factor last year when fires in Indonesia smothered the region …
- Haze causes concern at Asean meet
Acknowledging that El Nino weather patterns would prolong the dry season in Southeast Asia, environment ministers on Wednesday urged Indonesia and Malaysia to quickly deal with haze from forest fires. "We need to be extra vigilant against the onset of more fires," Singapore's Environment Minister Yeow Cheow Tong told the …
Cloud-seeding starts in E. Kalimantan
Indonesia will begin cloud-seeding operations over East Kalimantan from today. They hope to douse the forest fires currently affecting some 4,000ha in the region.
- Paper firms seek to unlock timberland value
Pressured by shareholders fed up with lacklustre returns, USD paper and forest companies are scrambling to unlock the value of their timberlands but are skittish about giving up control.
- Tribals employed as forest watchers
With a view to protecting the sandalwood wealth in the State and involve the local tribals in the process, the State Forest Department has employed nearly 60 tribal men and women as watchers on a trial basis in the sandalwood growing areas.The tribals would assist the Forest Department staff in …
- Plantation companies in trouble again
After coming in for heavy criticism for financial irregularities, teak plantation companies are under fire from forestry experts who have dismissed their claims as being grossly exaggerated. A report just prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests(MEF), claims that most of the trees, given their present stage of development, …
- Sandalwood oil quota for exports raised to 16.5 mt
In a bid to appease the powerful sandalwood exporters lobby, the Union Government has more than tripled the quota of sandalwood oil for export from five metric tonnes(mt) in 1996-97 to 16.5 mt in 1997-98, say sources. They estimate that the loss to the Government from the illegal felling of …
Loggers move into scenic forest
In Dunedin, New Zealand, loggers have moved into an important and scenic block of Maori-owned native forest in the Catlins in south Otago and are trucking the wood to Dunedin for firewood. Department of Conservation staff in Owaka were the first to become aware that the logging was being done …
- New fires in Indonesia bring fresh haze fears
About 1,000 forest fires were burning in Indonesia's East Kalimanthan province on Tuesday, heightening fears that South-East Asia could be choked by a haze disaster as bad as last year. Environmentalists said the fires on the Indonesian side of Borneo island were mainly confined to East Kalimantan, while other blazes …
- Forest project
The Arunachal Pradesh government has formulated an ambitious forest based project with the outlay of Rs 300 crores, official sources said.The department of forest and environment would execute the plan, within the current calendar year. The World Bank has reportedly agreed to finance the plan, the sources said.
- Pilferage of timber from Madhupur forests rampant
The Madhupur forests once covered with valuable timber are wearing a deserted look due to unabated pilferage of trees by an organised gang of thieves in collusion with some dishonest staff of the Forest Department. The pilferage of trees is rampant in Rasulpur, Charaljani and Dukhala reserved range forests.
- SC gives 2 weeks to Centre to reply on forest decline
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed 'grave concern' over the alarming drop in dense forest cover in the country, to the extent of over 17,000 sq km , in two years , from 1995-97, and said the Centre and defaulting states had to explain the reasons for the decline in …
SC notice to MP Govt
The Supreme Court on Monday, during resumed hearing of the forest conservation case, issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh Government on a telegram-turned writ petition (habeas corpus) alleging that a social activist, Ratnagar, who had prepared the tree felling report, had been arrested.
- SC cracks whip to save green cover
The Supreme Court yesterday restrained all the state governments and their "functionaries" from allowing felling of trees in the reserved forests, even if they are diseased, until further orders. The order came in the wake of a report about the state of forests in different parts of the country which …
- 4 pvt firms awarded small hydel projects
The small hydro-power development programme for the Himalayan region is open to the private sector also. The general impression was that only local bodies, cooperatives, non-government organisations and citizen groups are eligible to take part in the scheme. Global Environmental facility(GEF) India chief Pradeep Monga says private entrepreneurs can also …
-Carcasses dumped in reserve forest
Carcasses are being dumped in the Thirupporur reserve forest on the city outskirts. Of late, in the first week of February, carcasses were dumped 1.5 km from the main road in the reserve forest, which is located close to Siruthavoor village, Forest officials say. Forest officials fear that chemical contamination …
- Indonesia has no money to fight forest fires
The financial turmoil enveloping Southeast Asia will severely limit Indonesia's ability to fight fires raging through part of the archipelago, the country's Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja was reported as saying on Saturday.
- How green are the Ghats?
Ten years after a historical 100-day march, a small group of environmentalists and green campaigners met recently in Goa's Ponda taluk to take stock . The outlook was anything but heartening. They felt that despite their efforts "environmental conditions were deteriorating fast in the Western Ghats."
- Singapore air thickens with Indonesian smoke
Singapore's air quality fell on Friday to the "moderate" from "healthy" level for the first time since November as bush and forest fires spread acros parts of Indonesia. Singapore's environment ministry said its 24-hour pollutant standards index stood at 54 at 8 am, compared with 50 at the same time …
