Conflicting reports shade forest fire debate
The U.S. Forest Service released a report this week charging that lawsuits from environmentalists are preventing the agency from effectively managing forests to reduce wildfire risk. Environmentalists counter that the agency report ignores a number of fire management tools that the conservation community supports, and warn that the Forest Service …
Quebec wildfires spread smoke, smog over wide area
About 600 firefighters battled dozens of forest fires in northern Quebec this week as a 200-kilometre (125-mile) wide pall of smoke crept eastward, with traces of the haze felt as far away as Washington, D.C. Using 18 aircraft and 50 helicopters under conditions so dry that water can evaporate before …
Encroachers convince official to clear forest near Sohan Burj
It is the massacre of the ridge and that too at the hands of the forest Department. At least 68 neem and kikar trees in the vicinity of Sohan Burj in Mehrauli are to be axed as per the Department's orders and the land be sold for residential plots. And …
N-E states ignore eviction order
The Directives of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on a time-bound eviction of families which have encroached into the forest lands in the northeast is facing a roadblock with several northeastern states linking the issue of rehabilitation of the displaced families with the drive. In a review …
Water tankers do a roaring business
Private water tankers did a roaring business and charged between Rs 500 and 600 from residents of water-starved localities of the Karachi city (Pakistan). A heavy movement of private water tankers was seen on busy thoroughfares of the city, including Sharae Quaideen, Shah Faisal, Fareed Bukhari Road, Jehangir Road, Tipu …
No water released to TN, says CM
Chief Minister S M Krishna today spiked rumours that the State had released water to Tamil Nadu from Kambini reservoir and categorically stated that water had never been released either from Kabini or any other reservoirs in the Cauvery basin to the neighbourning State. Expressing concern that water level in …
Rampant misuse of forest development fund shrinks forest land
Total mismanagement and corruption prevalent in the forest department in Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh have reduced the forest area by at least fifty per cent. Funds worth thousands of rupees sanctioned to promote forest development activities have gone down the drain due to the wide spread corruption prevalent in this …
70 eucalyptus trees felled to widen road
The Jalandhar city has lost one of its few green belts with the felling of about 70 eucalyptus trees along the BSF chowk and Khalsa College level crossing. The city is already bereft of green patches. The green belt at the Punjab Agricultural University run cane farm vanished after the …
Set up Tree Authority, say Thiruvanmiyur residents
Residents and traders of Thiruvanmiyur, Tamil Nadu joined by environmental activists staged a protest at the spot where trees were cut on Tiruvalluvar Salai, and demanded the government set up a Tree Authority to "stop wanton felling". They sought the intervention of the Chief Minister to set up a mechanism …
People resent Govt. inaction over construction of Gangmouthan dam
The people of Gangmouthan have criticized the step motherly attitude of the Assam Government regarding the construction of a permanent dam at the Gangmouthan under Behali constituency in Assam to protect the area from the extinction threat caused by mighty Brahmaputra as well as the Bongang rivers. People also alleged …
DM instructions on Jal Nidhi scheme work
Lucknow DM Navneet Sehgal has issued instructions for the work being carried out under the Jal Nidhi scheme to be death with speedily. The DM has asked for dry wells to be made productive again and for at least one hand pump to be set up in each village in …
Reserving the world's forests and global trading deals
Preserving the world's forests is important to the preservation of biodiversity. But the preservation of the world's remaining forests is an area where trading deals are a serious threat. Taking the situation of Japan as example we see that the once thriving tradition of family forestry is today all but …
Largest Arizona fire contained - 400 homes lost
Fire officials declared the largest wildfire in Arizona history fully contained on the weekend, ending nearly three weeks of battles to save towns and Ponderosa pine forests from wind-driven walls of flame. Damage tallies showed that the Rodeo-Chediski fire charred 468,638 acres (187,445 hectares) in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and …
Wind shifts south, as does smoke from dozens of Canadian blazes
About 45 forest fires burning simultaneously in northern Quebec, fanned from winds out of the north, have spread a milky haze across New England and New York State, meteorologists said. Satellite tracking showed clouds of smoke stretching even as far south as Washington, said John Quinlan, a meteorologist with the …
Larji project to be completed by 2004
Mr. B.K. Mahajan, Chief Engineer, Larji hydroelectric project, disclosed toady that the 126 MW Larji hydroelectric project now under progress, would be completed by June, 2004.
Hope for green Delhi
A wildlife sanctuary, spread over an area of 6800 acres, is being developed by the Delhi government in Asola Bhatti in South Delhi. Speaking at a function to inaugurate a van mahotsav in Hauz Rani City Forest in south Delhi last week, the Delhi environment minister, Mr Deep Chand Bandhu …
Delhi gets greener than Bangalore
Despite increasing urban congestion, Delhi has emerged as one of the greenest cities of the country, with 19 per cent of its area under green cover. With this, the national Capital has got greener, than even Bangalore, the City of Gardens, which has 13.5 per cent of its area under …
Rs 10 lakh promised for afforestation
Union Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Ananth Kumar has announced Rs 10 lakh from his (MP's) fund for the afforestation programme in Karnataka led by Vanasamvardhana Trust.
Demolition day
The forest cover in Assam s less than 20 per cent of the total area. The Supreme Court decision to save whatever is left of the 20,270 sq. km forest cover in the state has soothed Assam's Forest Minister Pradyut Bordoloi's frazzled nerves. An estimated 15 lakh people have illegally …
Trees smuggled to India
Sisou trees Sarlahi district (Nepal) worth more than two billion rupees, have been illegally cut down and sold to India with the consent of local administration for the past two months of the emergency, the government officials alleged.
