Is Gandhinagar greenest of them all?
Some years ago when a worldwide survey adjudged Islamabad as the greenest national capital in the world, the authorities in Gandhinagar started counting the number of trees in Gujarat's capital city. Islamabad's record of 325 trees per hectare was a tall order to emulate. But when the count ended in …
Timber glut boon in disguise
The gult created in the domestic market due to unrestricted import of timber under the WTO agreement may prove a boon for the state's fast depleting forest reserves. With the prices of various species of timber coming down by 20 to 25 per cent over the past two years and …
Scientists suggest ways to protect Buddha tree
From a ban on burning oil lamps near it to regular use of pesticides, a team of scientists has suggested a slew of measures to protect the holy tree at Buddha's birthplace from a certain death. The team of scientists from Patna's Agricultural Research Centre, after a detailed study and …
Indiscriminate use of insecticides by farmers worries experts
The injudicious use of insecticides on vegetables and excessive application of fertilisers on wheat and paddy crops by the farmers is causing concern among the agriculture scientists, who fear that this was an open invitation to disease. According to an agriculture scientist of HAU, Dr Azad Singh Dahiya, the insecticides …
SMC promises paradise for nature lovers in Surat
The tulip garden at Keukenhoff in Holland or the rain forests in South-East Asia may no longer remain attractive destinations for the people of Gujarat by next year. As after zoo, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is now planning a nature park in the city that officials say will not …
BMC told to prevent tree-felling near hoardings
The Bombay high court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to ensure that no trees near hoardings were felled or mutilated. A division bench of Chief Justice C.K.Thakker and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud passed the order in response to a notice of motion moved by city doctor Anahita Pundole, who cited about …
Restoration of green cover only solution to waterlogging
Re-greening the denuded hill slopes surrounding the Guwahati city is the only lasting solution to its perennial waterlogging problem which is compounded by the large deposits of silt coming down along with the rain water. The ever-increasing population pressure on the hills is resulting in the city fast losing its …
Massive afforestation begins in city
The State Forest Department has undertaken a massive afforestation drive in and around the Guwahati city, especially on the hills and denuded areas of reserve forest lands. Under the project titled
Urgent steps urged to protect Sareswar beel from destruction
Sareswar beel is one of the unique eco-system of its kind not only in Dhubri district but the State of Assam as a whole. There are some revenue villages and five reserve forests surrounding the beel. Sareswar beel is playing an important role in maintaining the sewage system of the …
Japanese to the rescue
A loan assistance of Rs 442 crore has been advanced by the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation to protect the forest wealth in Rajasthan along with its wildlife. The figure includes 15 per cent as contribution of the state government.
From green to greener and better
Delhi is turning greener. Several years of extensive tree plantation drives across the Capital seem finally to have paid off with the forest cover increasing from 5.9 per cent in 1999 to 7.5 per cent in 2001 according to the latest available official figures. More, importantly, if one takes into …
Government in a fix over notification
The Himachal government has urged the Centre not to insist on the withdrawal of the notification vide which it had excluded certain categories of wasteland from the notified forest areas in contravention of the forest Act. The union ministry of Forest and Environment had in its letter dated Feb 27 …
Ram Bagh trees fall prey to garbage burning
Plants and trees in Ram Bagh, which was constructed on the pattern of Lahore's famous Gulmargh Bagh, are facing threat to their existance even as an ancient Pipal tree got damaged as garbage was being burnt beneath it everyday. The burning of the garbage is causing respiratory problems to newly …
Ombudsman directs laying of pipeline
The Karachi (Pakistan) Provincial Ombudsman, Justice Haziqul Khairi, has directed the EDO Water and Sanitation to take up work pertaining to laying of a pipeline in Orangi's Bilal Colony to ensure piped water to the area within two months. The Ombudsman also directed the EDO to take disciplinary action against …
Assam to protect its forests through peoples participation
The draft Assam Forest Policy 2002 was today submitted to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Minister of State for Forests Pradyut Bordoloi by the expert committee. The committee was constituted by the State Government on September 30, 2002 to draft the Assam Forest Policy 2002 consisting of experts on forestry …
Call to halt ground water exploitation
Former Project Officer of the UNICEF and former Sanitary Engineering adviser to the Assam State's Municipal Administration department, Dr Binoy Kumar Das, today called for a halt to the practice of ground water exploitation in ordinary situations. Dr Das, who was speaking at the open session of the fourth annual …
Shield for trees outside forests
Trees outisde forests in West Bengal still have no protection and there is no law to punish people who fell them at will. But if the government goes by a high court directive, that will a thing of past.The high court has asked the government to table the West Bengal …
Bill for the greens
The West Bengal Government through its counsel submitted a draft Bill, called the West Bengal Trees (Protection and Conservation in Non-forest Areas) Act 2003, before the Division Bench of the Chief Justice, Mr AK Mathur and Mr Justice K Biswas of Calcutta High Court.
1,000 Vana samrakshana samitis to be closed
Minister for forests Ch Ayyanna Patrudu has announced closure of 1,000-odd unviable Vana samrakshana samitis (VSSs0 since they failed to achieve targets. He also announced cancellation of licences of 24 saw-mills in the catchment areas of Krishna and Godavari rivers as they were found to be doing no business except …
