A `Green Delhi` too far
Far from adding to the Capital's green belt, the Delhi Government's Greening Delhi Action Plan is running behind schedule. While the monsoon -- the most active season for plantation -- is "officially" over as of today, most of the Capital's greening agencies are nowhere close to meeting their targets. A …
Denudation of Manas National Park resented
The northern part of Barpeta district in Assam has become a safe haven for timber smugglers. It has been alleged that large-scale timber smuggling is going on unabated specially after the recent floods which had washed away the embankment of the Beki river at Narayanguri, adjacent to the Manas National …
Denudation of Goalpara forests continues, Government silent
Even though the Assam State Government has been spending a huge amount of money to increase the forest cover of the state, a section of local political leaders, with the alleged active support from the higher officials of the State Forest Department in Goalpara, have embarked on an intensified drive …
Environment grabs Australian election focus
The fate of Australia's virgin forests and precious water resources won the attention of political leaders recently, as the environment emerged as a central issue ahead of the Oct. 9 federal election. The conservative government and center-left opposition Labor, running neck-and-neck in the polls, are both mulling how to strike …
Encroachment threatens Jonai reserve forest
Rising incidents of encroachment in the reserve forests of Jonai subdivision under Dhemaji Forest Division (T) have threatened the existence of forest land in the district in Assam. Conscious sections of people here feel that immediate attention of the Forest Department is the need of the hour to check encroachment. …
De-notification of forest land demanded
Newly elected MLA Archana Chitnis from Nepa Nagar has demanded denotification of forest land around Nepa Paper Mill. The MLA called on Chief Minister Ms Uma Bharati and apprised her about the pending demand.
Rohinis green lung becomes the new hotspot for residents
The Swarn Jayanti Park, also known as the Japanese Park in Rohini, in New Delhi, is perhaps one of the best example's of man's enterprise. What used to be a wasteland strewn with refuse today is a wonder with floating fountains, waterfalls and an enviable landscaping. Spread over an area …
llegal logging a threat to prized timber, group says
Trade in a valuable tropical timber used in everything from picture frames to billiard cues needs greater control to limit habitat destruction and prevent overharvesting, an environment group said. TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, said illegal harvesting of Ramin trees was threatening the future trade of the species and …
Ecuadorean lawsuit Vs Texaco boils down to science
After a decade of court battles, lawyers this week took a lawsuit by Ecuadorean Indians accusing U.S. oil firm ChevronTexaco Inc. of polluting the Amazon jungle into the field. Scientists started taking soil samples from the Amazon, hoping to prove, or disprove, that a Texaco subsidiary contaminated groundwater supplies during …
Bamboo can revive States plywood industry
Bamboo, which is fast emerging as the most viable wood alternative the world over, can be effectively used to revive the closed down plywood units of Assam and the North-East. "It is possible to use bamboo for majority of applications of wood, particularly in larger volumes like paper, plywood, construction …
Harnessing bamboo resources
Bamboo, now branded as the timber of the 21st century, is fast emerging as a potent tool for ushering in development and prosperity, especially in the developing countries. Also called the "Green Gold' for its immense scope for diverse uses as also for its strength, durability and environment-friendly nature, the …
Landgrabbers sitting pretty on Munnar`s forest wealth
The Kerala State Government's decision to inquire into allegations of landgrabbing in the hilly terrain of Munnar would remain a mere obituary of about 18,000 acres of pristine forest if the initiative fails to find support of the Revenue Department and the Forest Department.
Malaysian authorities make efforts to get rid of haze in Borneo
Authorities in Sarawak on Borneo have ordered 1 million pollution filtering masks and are taking measures to encourage rainfall in efforts to reduce the effects of haze triggered by fires in neighboring Indonesia, a news report said. Air quality in Seri Aman district in Sarawak state has been rated "unhealthy" …
Alaska wildfires grow to record 5 million acres
Wildfires have scorched more than 5 million acres in Alaska, forestry officials said, a new record that signals possible changes in climate conditions and the composition of the vast forests. "We will definitely not have the same kind of forest and landscape that we're familiar with today if this keeps …
Alaska wildfires grow to record 5 million acres
Wildfires have scorched over 5 million acres in Alaska, forestry officials said, a new record that signals possible changes in climate conditions and the composition of the vast forests. "We will definitely not have the same kind of forest and landscape that we're familiar with today if this keeps up," …
Pitfalls for the pachyderm in forests too
Forest department officials in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary near here rescued a wild elephant from a pit after a four-hour 'operation' yesterday. They are now investigating the circumstances that landed the eight-year-old pachyderm in a near-death situation. The Wildlife Warden of the Nilgiris, Ashok Upreti, said the staff found the …
Malaysia to spend $13bn on overhaul of water, sewage services
The brown water that sometimes flows from taps in Kuala Lumpur is one sign that Malaysia needs to improve its water management. Officials are warning that the densely populated capital could also face water shortages within three years. In response, the government is preparing to launch what is expected to …
Survivors of the ax are being loved to death
A generation ago, a battle was successfully waged on this rugged island to preserve what was left of its premeval forests, the home to giant trees, many more than a thousand yeard old. Now tourism spawned by this natural heritage is threatening its survival. Tessei Shiba, spawned by this natural …
