Greens up in arms against MP forest minister
Several leading social and environmental organisations are up in arms against the Madhya Pradesh forest minister, Mr. Ratnesh Solomon, over his alleged involvement in illegal felling of teak and timber trees worth crores in his home district, Damoh.
Salinity fears as tree felling rate reaches fifth highest in the world
Australia leads the developed world in tree felling and environmentalists have called for a national summit on the resulting increase in salinity. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has asked Australia's Prime Minister and State Premiers to hold a national meeting on the issue of land clearing. The organisation argues that …
SC tree order
A green blow in Dhumal's face: The Supreme Court order restraining the Himachal Pradesh Government from implementing its controversial decision to allow felling of trees has come as a big embarrassment for the Dhumal ministry. While environmentalists had raised a storm over the decision, which, they pointed out, would spell …
DDA claims highest per capita green space
The Delhi Development Authority(DDA) Vice-Chairman P K Ghosh has claimed that the per capita open or green space in Delhi was highest in the country.He was speaking at the inaugural function of the annual garden festival at Pitampura district park.
State dragging feet on forest dispute
Thousands of hectares of forest cover in Madhya Pradesh has been rendered 'no man's land', an issue that has become a thorn between the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and the State Government. After many reminders by the Union Government, the State Government has agreed to constitute a …
SC overrules moves on tree felling
Taking a serious note of the decision of the Himachal Pradesh Government to allow the cutting of green trees, the Supreme Court has ordered it not to go ahead with the implementation of any such decision and has also sought an explanation from the state government. Sources said the court …
Timber trade ban puts tribals in trouble
At least 50 people have died of starvation in Meghalaya as thousands of tribes people were left jobless following a closure of the timber industry. Closure of the timber trade meant a loss of jobs for an estimated 250,000 tribespeople in Meghalaya, directly or indirectly involved in the forest business.
Closure of timber trade renders tribals jobless, hungry and into penury
At least 50 people have died to starvation in Meghalaya as thousands of tribes people were left jobless following the closure of the timber industry. Closure of the timber trade meant a loss of jobs for an estimated 250,000 tribespeople in Meghalaya, directly or indirectly involved in the forest business.
Timber seizure
NE govts in the dock over slow inquiry: The recent seizure of timber worth Rs 20 crore, ilegally felled and transported from the North-East in two separate incidents, is likely to snowball with people complaining tht the probe is progressing at a very slow pace. The forest departmetns of Assam, …
Bank aid sought for forest project
The Madhya Pradesh government has sought an assistance of Rs 700 crore from the World Bank(WB) for implementation of the second phase of state forestry project. Stating this, the chief conservator of forests and project director, Amiya Kumar datta told reporters here yesterday that the first phase of the project …
Algae to provide ideal fuel
Scientists have discovered a "metabolic switch" that triggers algae to convert water and sunlight into hydrogen. Energy specialists see hydrogen as the ideal fuel because it burns without causing pollution.Tasios Melis, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, announced the "enormously exciting" discovery at an American Association for the …
World Bank team lauds forestry scheme
The World Bank is carrying out an appraisal of the first phase of joint forestry management project in Madhya Pradesh which it funded before considering sanction of the second phase.
French cos to set up water recycling plants
French corporates Degremont and OTV will put up two waste water recycling plants totally costing Rs. 52.8 crores at Bangalore. The recycled water will be sold to industries at competitive tariffs, according to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board Chairman, Mr. Sanjay Kaul.
Australia is destroying trees faster than any other developed country
Australia is destroying trees faster than any other developed nation and has cleared more than one million hectares of trees in three years. The Australian Conservation Foundation said that Australia, one of the world's driest nations and where rising salinity threatens its agricultural belt, had cleared 529,000 hectares in 1999.
Fresh initiative for rain-water harvesting
Raising concern over the steep decline in the groundwater table, Union Water Resources Minister Ramchandra Singhdeo has written a letter to Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Jag Mohan to implement 'Rain-Water Harvesting' scheme floated by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) in All Central Government buildings in the urban …
Urban afforestation scheme from June
A massive urban-based afforestation programme is to be launched in Chennai, covering five corporations and 102 municipalities, in coordination with the Central Government and non-governmental organisations.Mr. M. Devaraj, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, said while the Centre wold be associated with the programme in all corporations, excluding Tiruchi, NGOs, …
Rally against role of State govt, dist councils today
A state-level public rally called in Shillong tomorrow by the timber lobby is expected to target the State government and the autonomous district councils in Meghalaya for their alleged failure to find a way out to solve the hardships faced by over 2.5 lakh people for the last three years …
Severe dearth of wood in State
The Supreme Court ban on felling of trees and transport of wood has created a severe dearth of wood in Madhya Pradesh. The decision and consequent paucity of wood has hit even the cremation of the dead. The traders who have old stock of wood are selling it off at …
Processing of minor forest produce begins
As many as 80 management schemes have been chalked out under social forestry so far in Madhya Pradesh to facilitate scientific utilization of the trees standing on agricultural fields of villagers. The mission has been launched to ensure scientific exploitation and management of the trees standing on agricultural fields of …
