Bengal will form team to check timber smuggling
Involvement of a section of its officers in illegal felling of trees in North Bengal forests has become a source of major concern for the State Government. Some of its officers, who are hand in globes with the local timber smugglers in North Bengal, are out to thwart plan to …
Bhoj Wetland project period extended
The Japan Bank for International Co-operation has consented to extend the Bhoj Wetland Project implementation period upto March 2003. This was informed here at a meeting held for Bhopal on Saturday to review progress of implementation of the Bhoj Wetland project.
Terai forest shrienking
Several reasons are behind the depletion of the Terai forest. Government's policy is the main cause of decline in forest areas. In past, resettlement program through Punarbash Company, and Sukumbasi Asyog were responsible for clearing vast tracts of valuable forests in the Terai. A total of 103,968 ha of forests …
Forest fires causing huge losses
Nearly three million hectares of forest land are estimated to be affected by fires every year, resulting in loss of Rs. 440 crores to Rs. 500 crores by way of the cost of replacement of seedlings alone.
Forest land encroachment goes up by 427 per cent in 10 years
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Karnataka has passed serious remarks against the Forest Department for its lapses in forest management, implementation of forestry schemes and for the Department's failure to prevent encroachment of forest area. In its latest sixth report submitted to the Government, it has recommended the State …
Forest dept acquired 216 acres of park land
The five member committee, constituted by the Mumbai state government to look into allegations that the forest department had illegally acquired land bordering the Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Borivli, said of the 1.064 acres of land, the forest department had acquired 848 acres of land. This means the department …
State mulls steps to regulate water use
Maharashtra is planning to regulate water use. The state government has drafted a bill to set up a regulatory authority that would oversee the drawing and distribution of water, officials said.
Forests on Govt land?
Thousands of acres of acquired land in Delhi is lying unutilised and can be used for forestation, solicitor-general Harish N Slave has told the Supreme Court. The court has asked the Bhure Lal committee to examine the possibility of developing forests in the city.
One lakh saplings to be planted in City
A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the State Government and the Karnataka Vana Samvardhana Trust in Bangalore on Thursday for a project aimed at creating environmental awareness among people and to preserve the environment.
SC on encroachment of forest land to be carried out
The Congress Government in Assam is determined to prevent any future encroachment of forest land, stated G C Langthasa, Minister of forest land,,stated G C Langthasa, Minister of Forest, Social Forestry, Hill Areas Development Mines and Minerals. In an official release on the status of forest land in the Stet …
40% of Assam forests encroached
More than forty per cent of the forest cover of Assam has been encroached, and increasing political pressure was threatening the remaining sixty per cent also. The Forest Department had launched an al out drive in Lower Assam to free at least some portion of the forest land form the …
Tendu leaf collection in full swing
Tendu leaf collection is in full swing in Madhya Pradesh and about four lakh standard bags of Tendu leaf has been collected so far. A sum of Rs 26 crore has been distributed as collection wages to the pluckers. the quality of Tendu leaf is very good this year due …
SC bans tree felling in Andamans
The Supreme Court has banned felling of trees in Andaman and Nicobar Island and ordered the administration to remove all encroachments in forest within three months.
Plan outlay for Forest Ministry enhanced
The Planning Commission has substantially enhanced the outlay for the Union Environment and Forest Ministry for the Tenth Plan period, fixing it at Rs. 5700 crores, as against Rs 3013.84 crores for the Ninth Plan Period.
Save forest areas from encroachment: HC to state govt.
Reacting to a Public Interest Litigation, the Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the State government to take appropriate measures so that the areas where forest cover was recently destroyed in devastating fire may not be encroached upon for residential purposes.
Ecuador reinstates OCP's environmental license
Ecuador's Environment Ministry said it reinstated a license for OCP Ecuador SA to build an oil pipeline near a protected forest after area damage was mitigated. This Andean nation is counting on a new $1.1 billion pipeline to boost its crude transport capacity from 400,000 to 850,000 barrels per day …
Dual control over Mathikettan goes
The Kerala State Cabinet today ratified the Revenue Minister, K M Mani's request to relieve the Revenue Department of the control over the Mathikettan Shola, the recent scene of illegal encroachment. This was stated by the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, after the first half of the Cabinet meeting, which held …
Forest fires cost crores of rupees
Forest fires have caused loss of crores of rupees in terms of forest wealth and played havoc with flora and fauna in different forests of Chamba district in the past week though the authorities are busy in assessing the losses.
Fire continues to engulf forests in Jammu region
Setting aside the government's claims of having controlled the forest fires, the huge flames are still engulfing the green gold in their length and breadth. Extensive forest fires have engulfed the Kalidhar forests causing loss of Crores of rupees and posing a serious environmental threat. Fire has caused extensive damage …
Chipko won the war, but lost the battle
The popular 'Chipko' movement that focussed worldwide attention on people protecting their forests won the war against the timber contractors but has lost the battle with the government. The forests have been converted into a biosphere reserve, barring them from collecting their daily requirement and thus alienating them from their …
