Firewood shortage fuels problems
A week ago, when the residents of Raichur, Karnataka, searched for firewood to perform the last rites of a person who died in an accident in Shaktinagar, Even as little as seven quintals of firewood was not available when Shaktinagar, Devasuguru and the surrounding areas including Andhra Pradesh's Maktal were …
GMDA, GMC unaware of Green Belt Zone encroachments: survey
The one-man committee headed by Mr T L Baruah has recommended a resurvey and fresh assessment of the Green Belt Zone before the next Master Plan is finalised for the Guwahati city. The committee maintained that unauthorized and unplanned residential and commercial complexes have mushroomed in the Green Belt Zone.
Rs553m water project for Karachi
The Karachi District Government Karachi has finalized a Rs552.98 million plan "Dry Land Management & Water Conservation in Karachi District" to conserve rainwater for meeting the water needs of its suburban areas. The plan, part of National Environment Action Plan and Support programme (NEAP-SP), would mainly focus on Keamari, Bin …
75 illegal water hydrants in city
Adviser to Sindh (Pakistan) chief minister on local government Wasim Akhtar was informed by the KWSB officials that 75 illegal water hydrants are operating in the city. The adviser, who was given a briefing on various issues by the KWSB officials, asked the board to ensure supply of clean drinking …
Environment grabs Australian election focus
The fate of Australia's virgin forestland recious water resources won the attnetion of politicl leaders today as the environment emerged as a central issue ahead of the 9 October election. The conservative government and centre-left opposition Labor, running neck-and-neck in opinion polls, are both considering how to strike a balance …
Rajasthan encroachment
The Rajasthan High Court issued notices to the state government on a petition seeking removal of encroachment on over 48,748 hectares of forest land across the state. A Division Bench comprising Justice S K Keshote and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari issued the notices to the Chief Secretary and the Principal Chief …
250,000 people to plant trees for peace
Some 250,000 people in about 7,500 villages in Sri Lanka are being mobilised to take part in Universal Peace Day activities, organisers said. This programme organised by the Sarvodaya movement would include the lighting of candles and oil lamps between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm, sharing of vegetarian meals, avoiding …
Rs 25,000 cr for reclaiming degraded land
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti today met union environment and forest minister A Raja and asked for special assistance of Rs 25,000 crore for reclaiming the degraded land under the Forest Conservation Act.
Shrinking woods ring warning bells
The woods are neither lovely nor deep in Karnataka State. Unfortunately, the State's forest wealth is diminishing by the day. Contradictory policies and lack of a comprehensive approach towards forest conservation are slowly turning the forests brown. Only a small portion of forests (protected areas such as national parks and …
Greed felled the trees, say Vile Parle residents
A week after 32 trees were felled at Vidyanidhi Marg, Vile Pare (W), in Mumbai, no one still knows who did it and why. However, residents alleged that greed was the prime motive behind the felling of the trees, which were in a precious afforested plot.
YZA irked over forest law changes
The proposed amendments to the Forest Ordinance, which would endanger nearly 200 proposed forest reserves, came under protest from the Young Zoologist Association (YZA) recently. The Association alleged a direct connection between the proposed amendment and government's reconsideration of the American Tropical Forest Act (ATFA). President of the YZA, Pubudu …
Joint forest management programme launched
In a bid to ensure people's participation in protection of forests, the Assam State Forest Department formally launched the joint forest management (JFM) programme. The JFM, which is part of the new forest policy, seeks to involve the local people living in and around the fringe areas of the forests …
Assam kicks off plan to save forests
The Assam Forest Department launched the joint forest management programme with the formation of 28 Forest Development Agencies in the State. The main objective of this new forest policy is conservation of eco-diversity on the one hand, and to create means of livelihood by maintaining an ecological balance. Inaugurating a …
Delhi protects green cover, Punjabs record dismal
Just having good forest wealth is not sufficient. What a state or a union territory is doing to protect it will determine how rich it will be in terms of green wealth in future.A report by independent researchers, based on data interpolated from the government statistics, shows that the green …
Prime forest land falls to encroachers
More than 50 influential persons of this area have constructed dhabas on the prime forest land of Malikpur and Madhopur on the outskirts of the town, allegedly with connivance of officials of the Forest Department and the Irrigation Department.Some of them have even encroached upon nearly 40 feet of space …
17 booked for chopping tree
A case was registered against seventeen people, including the SDO irrigation, Priyaloi sub-division (Pakistan), for cutting trees along waterways. The executive engineer of the irrigation west division lodged an FIR with the B-section police against the SDO irrigation, Mohammad Bux Memon and Darogho Imam Dino Shaikh. The complainant stated in …
State green cover
In the backdrop of the present ecological condition of Assam, there have been quite a few initiatives, which have sought to enhance the quantity and quality of forest cover in the State. These are efforts which need to be encouraged and if possible replicated, because the State that has a …
Forest lands can`t be diverted: Centre to HC
The Central Government informed the Kerala High Court that forest lands forming part of Periyar Tiger Reserve cannot be diverted for the development of Sabarimala pilgrim centre without the prior permission of the Supreme Court, as well as that of the Central Government, as it is a non-forest purpose. The …
Forest-related cases: Ecologue-2003 calls for probe
The sixth edition of Kerala's green summit, Ecologue-2003, concluded with a plea to the State Government to order a comprehensive inquiry into the conduct of forest cases against the backdrop of the widespread allegations of connivance between government advocates and forest mafia. In a resolution, the Ecologue pointed out that …
