After humans, Kullu now turns to count the tall trees lost
Now that the search of bodies of those who fell victims to the flash floods caused by the cloudburst in Shilagarh village, located on the Pulia Nalla in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, has been given up. But alongside, the Kullu district administration has started assessing the vast damage flood …
Arunachal govt seeks PM`s intervention
The Arunachal Pradesh Government has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to get Environment Ministry clearance for implementation of the Upper and Middle Basin Subansiri mega power projects.
Encroachers cock a snook at Govt steps on forest cover in Sonitpur
The Assam State Government has alerted the Forest Department to stop encroachment on forests. It has imposed a ban on deforestation and is evicting encroachers state-wide. But very little has been achieved in checking encroachment, smuggling and depletion of forest cover. The thin green cover remaining in the reserve forests …
Vanishing forests
Newly released satellite imaging data has revealed a 40 per cent jump in deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rain forests. The massive leap is the worst acceleration in the loss of the tropical jungle since 1995 and is in sharp contrast to the drive to preserve the continuous rain forest.
Environmentalist attacked
Noted Environmentalist who won the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshmitra Award, Vishweshwari Saklani, was attacked for protesting against the cutting of trees. The attackers also uprooted more than 200 trees.
MTC buses being tested for smoke opacity
Riding down Anna Salai, Tamil Nadu in the sweltering heat with teeming vehicles radiating heat can be a tough experience. But difficult still is the smoky assault from the tailpipes of lorries, autorickshaws, cars and Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses.
Forest land: Digvijay gets Baalu promise
With the intervention of the Prime Minister, Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh has gone back from Delhi with the first major assurance on an issue pending since 1994. The Minister of Environment and Forests, T.R. Baalu, committed to turning 925 forest villages into revenue villages. He also agreed to jointly …
TN accused of encroaching land
Legislators in the Assembly have alleged that the Tamil Nadu Government had encroached nearly one kilometre of land belonging to Karnataka in the Punajur forest area in Chamarajanagar.
Minister alleges move to scuttle forest inspection
Kerala Forest Minister K.Sudhakaran told the Assembly that some forces were trying to scuttle the joint inspections in forest. He said that the Government was under pressure from various quarters for its actions against forest encroachments. It was the politicians that help the encroachers the most, he said. Moves were …
Now civic officials hack two trees for ads
Yet more trees have been horribly mutilated. But this time it's hack happy civic officials in Mumbai who are at fault, not hoarding agencies. Two wild, 30 year old fig trees, located close to the new Internet kiosks at Churchgate, were mercilessly chopped by officials of 'A' ward, reducing them …
Tree planting scam unearthed
A junior engineer of the Horticulture Department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi Government for allegedly making money in the name of planting trees on the roadside.
Half of forest area fire prone: report
Altogether, 1.45 million hectares of forests half the forest area of the country is fire prone causing a financial loss of Rs 4,400 millions annually. Almost all forest fires are, intentionally or unintentionally man made. A report "Forest Fires in India" brought out by the World Wide Fund for Nature …
Thousands evacuated in Arizona wildfire
Some five thousand residents of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation were evacuated from their homes when a wildfire burning out of control quadrupled in size in mountains in eastern Arizona, fire officials said. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano declared a state of emergency for two counties worst affected by the fire, …
Plant trees, get jobs
The thought behind the scheme announced by the Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to give the government jobs on a priority basis to those unemployed youth who plant 1,000 trees is laudable, but he will have to guard against its misuse.....Editorial
A few thousand saplings for Panipat
While 4.5 crore saplings will be planted in Haryana in 2003-04, Panipat district, the most polluted in the state, will derive satisfaction by planting only 0.2 per cent of the total number of saplings.
ITC, HLL mull joint water initiative
FMCG major Hindustan Lever Ltd and tobacco giant ITC are in discussions for joint initiatives on water harnessing and conservation to ensure its better management both for industrial and agricultural purposes. ITC was interested in the idea as use of irrigated water at the farmer level was critical to us, …
Bushfires were `worst disaster`
Bushfires in Australia over the past year have caused the country's worst ever environmental disaster, a parliamentary inquiry heard. The smoke released during the southern summer was equivalent to a year's vehicle emissions, the inquiry heard. "This wasn't just another bushfire. This was the worst environmental disaster in the written …
Trees may be gone before the axe falls
The Hikggaha area in Bulathsinhala (Sri Lanka) is likely to be declared a forest reserve soon but racketeers are reportedly felling most of the trees there while the police look the other way and the Forest Department says it is on a gum tree. An official of the Society for …
Environmentalists go to courts seeking legal remedy
The Court of Appeal last week issued notice returnable on August 1 in an application filed by the Environmental Foundation Limited against the Director General of Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation and four other respondents asking court for a writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to take action against activities prohibited …
