SC notices to Centre, States on green belt
The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre and the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on a petition apprehending damage to the green belt around Chandigarh by change of land use of areas reserved for agriculture and afforestation.
Bamboo to fit the forest cover bill
Bamboo plantations and medicinal plants top the forest department's priorities to meet the near-impossible target of national tree cover of 33 per cent by 2012. Following recommendations of various research institutes, the centre has asked all state and Central departments, involved in tree plantations, to earmark at least 10 per …
4 forest officials suspended
The state Forest Department has suspended four of its officials, including a range officer, for their involvement in transportation of autioned chir timber from Udhampur district to Jammu.
Court moves to foreclose on Asia Pulp
Asia Pulp & Paper, Asia's biggest paper company outside Japan, risks losing control of some of its mills after an Indonesian court started foreclosure proceedings against one of its units, two of the company's creditors said Tuesday.
River-linking: State seeks expert voice
The Karnataka State Government has sought the opinion of experts on the position to be taken by it wit regard to linking of inter-state rivers, Karnataka Water Resources Minister H.K. Patil said on Monday.
Bid to pilfer oleum gas may have caused leak
The attempt by miscreants to pilfer oleum from the closed Jivan Chemicals factory may have caused gas leakage which created scare in Nandesari and its surrounding areas on Friday night.
It took 90 minutes to plug Nandesari gas leak
The ideal reponse in such an emergency is half an hour. But it took the Vadodara disaster management team almost one and half hours to plug Friday's oleum gas leak at Nandesari GIDC.
Supply pure water: HC
The Kerala High Court directed the authorities concerned to take all possible steps to ensure that the water supplied by tanker lorry operators in Kochi city is taken from an approved source and transported in proper tankers. Disposing of a writ petition in this regard, an HC Bench consisting of …
Rs 100 crore package for degraded catchments
The Centre has approved a special package of Rs 100 crore for the restoration of the degraded catchments of the Jhelum and Chenab basins in Jammu and Kashmir. The project will last five years. According to Mr Mohiuddin Sofi, Minister for Forests and Environment, of this a sum of Rs …
Himalayan nut of rare variety is under threat of vanishing
If humans have their way, the delicious Himalayan nut, better known as chilgoza, may be inching towards extinction. It grows in the wild and tribals enjoy traditional rights of collection and marketing of the nuts extracted once every year. But relentless lopping has now seriously threatened the nut. Unlike other …
Want a private forest? Try AP
In a significant move to increase forest cover in Andhra Pradesh, the Department of Environment and Forests has mooted the concept of "private forests,' in which one can own and develop forests in the state. The department put forth a detailed proposal to this effect to a delegation of the …
IIMC makes homes `cutting` JNU trees
A Rs 3-crore construction project of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is struck after its host the JAwaharlal Nehru University (JNU) accused it of cutting trees.
Is BSF targeting forests?
The BSF firing ranges at Kharkan, 10kms from Hoshiarpur on Una road, are allegedly in violation of Forest Conservation Act, 1980; Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900; and Supreme Court orders. Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) Kharkan has two tupes of firing ranges - long-ranges rifles and two-inch mortars - with a …
Once a Van Vihar, now a `dead house` of uprooted deodars in Manali
Once a picturesque Van Vihar, owing to the apathy of those at the helm of affairs and the fury of mother nature, has turned into a 'dead house' of uprooted tall deodar trees.Inordinate delay on the pat of HP State Forest Corporation in cutting, sawing and then conversing the uprooted …
Himachal`s Katha industry hit hard by imported substitute
A large number of Himachal Pradesh's katha bhattis (catechu units) have been forced to wind up, while three big units have scaled down their production due to the large scale and unrestricted import of gambier, a substitute for Katha.
Drive against forest land encroachers
In a bold step to save the forest areas from the cluthes of encroachers, the forets officials of Darrang forest division, assisted by the police and army personel, conducted an eviction drive in Jeengabeel block in Rowta Reserve Forest under Mazbat range on October 30 and 31 last and eviction …
Senate Passes Forest -Thinning Bill
- Backed by lawmakers from California, where hundreds of thousands of acres have been burned in deadly wildfires, the U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a forestry bill that would ease environmental rules and allow more tree-thinning to prevent fires. The bipartisan Senate bill would protect old growth forests on 20 …
