Centre gets notice over green belt
The Delhi high court has issued showcause notice to the Centre and the Delhi Development Authority on alleged encroachment of government land in at least 70 locations reserved for green belt in the city.
Schemes to promote forestry
Concerned over the decrease in forest area after creation of the new Uttaranchal state, the Uttar Pradesh Government has initiated several schemes to increase forestry in the State. The government has also amended the 63-year old Indian Forest Act, 1927 during the current session of the State Legislature for stringent …
Park service ready to set fires
Nearly six months after a prescribed fire burned out of control and incinerated hundreds of homes in New Mexico, the National Park Service is ready to start setting them again.Park Service officials have approved plans for seven tightly controlled prescribed fires-blazes set to reduce the possibility of wildfires-to clear underbrush …
DaimlerChrysler to produce gas-electric hybrid vehicle
The US giant will be the fourth car manufacturer to put a pollution-busting vehicle on the market. The Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler will offer a gas-electric hybrid car in the US in 2003, the company announced on 24 October. The hybrid Dodge Durango, like other planned or available hybrid models, …
Leasehold forestry project under cloud
Although the leasehold forestry project is showing signs of realising its objectives, it might not get extension due to "government's confusion and inaction". Hills Leasehold Forage and Forestry and Development Project (HLFFDP), is due to expire in July next year. The project underway in 10 districts of Nepal, started in …
3,800 Saurashtra-Kutch villages to face water shortage
GWSB : As many as 3,800 of the 5,100 villages of the Saurashtra-Kutch region will face acute water shortage in the near future, according to a Gujarat Water Supply Board estimate. The poor rainfall for the second year in a row has left ponds and reservoirs almost empty even as …
AP forest corpn turns a new leaf
The Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation Ltd (APFDCL) which had incurred losses for 17 years after its inception in 1975 turned the corner in 1993-94 and set out on the growth path since then, according to its Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mr S.K. Das.
Van Gujjars protest 'assault' by foresters
Hundreds of Van Gujjars and villagers living around Govind Pashy Vihar in Uttarkashi district - who till a few years ago were silent victims of the 'corrupt' forest and revenue department officials - today staged a protest march from Gandhi Park to the offices of the Chief Conservator of Forests …
Joint effort fruitful on leasehold forestry
A joint effort of the government and funding agencies has started bearing fruits, and literally too. The beneficiaries are visibly elated. The effort in question, Hills Leasehold Forestry and Development Project (HLFFDP), is currently underway in 10 districts of Nepal, started in 1993 with the objective of raising income of …
Statement on Raj Kumar crisis today, CM tells Opp
Chief Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday made a fervent appeal to Opposition parties no to raise "inconvenient" questions on the Raj Kumar kidnap crisis as any wrong move would threaten the superstar's release.
State blasted over low fees for water bottlers
The Victorian Government has been branded hypocritical over the amount charged to bottled water companies for what they take from springs and aquifers, with most firms paying between $1.10 and $1.40 for every million litres.A recent decision by a rural water authority will allow one company to extract 25 million …
Panel to be set up to protect forest tract
A committee will be set up to protect the 15.3-million-rai western forest tract, which includes 17 protected areas in six provinces of Thailand.The decision was reached on Saturday at a meeting in Mae Sot. Those taking part included Santi Wongtaweepipat, chief of the Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary, people from the …
Forest ministry's request for modern fire control method extinguished
The finance ministry has deferred the environment & forest ministry's request for Rs 40 crore, for the introduction of modern forest fire control methods. According to the official sources, the reports of forest fires in various parts of the country, especially in the Himalayan region, propmpted the environment ministry to …
NGOs want legal action against Medha, Arundhati
A group of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) active in Gujarat feel the leaders of the anti-Narmada movement shoud be hauled up for contempt of court and for the losses they caused to the state and the nation by delaying work on the controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam.
Preserving forests
Guarding wild life is a tough job. Tougher still if the forests are in remote areas like the Rani forests on the Assam-Meghalaya border. Straddling 160 sq kms, the Rani forests comprises three reserve forests namely the Rani Forest Reserve, the Jarasal Reserve Forest and the Kwasing Reserve Forest, which …
Dwindling forests
Environmentalists throughout the world have been expressing concern over the dangerously fast dwindling of forest resources in Nepal, northern India and Bangladesh for the last three decades. Notwithstanding the injection of special funds by international agencies like the UNEP, and launching of regular awareness campaigns the mindless destruction of trees …
Malaysia achieves new tree planting record
One hundred thousand trees were planted nationwide in just one minute, establishing a world record. Thousands of Malaysians, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir, simultaneously planted trees across the country on 15 October, from 9.35 to 9.36am, to mark 'World Habitat Day' on the same day, the national news …
New programme to rebuild Bosnian forests announced
A US charity has initiated a tree-building programme to combat the considerable risk of landslides to the capital, Sarajevo. The plan is to plant 300,000 slope-stabilising trees and over 3,000 street trees, the US Olympic Gold Medallist, Debbie Armstrong, announced on 18 October, thus restoring the devastated urban forest of …
