SC order upsets Himachal's green felling plan
A decision of the Supreme Court making the Centre's appoval of forest working plans mandatory, has upset Himachal's plan of carrying out green fellings. The HP Forest Corporation had floated bonds to raise financial resources for which the government had approved a proposal for carrying out green fellings. However, with …
Fire destroys vast resources in CHT
There is now phenomenal spate of forest fires and poaching in the vast forest areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) despite the vigilance of Bangladesh forest department officials. The CHT hills range with more than 4,000 square miles of forest areas and a protected forest cover of 1,000 square miles, …
Kerala to map forests using remote-sensing satellites
The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has embarked on an ambitious project: Preparing an atlas of forests in the state using remote sensing satellites. Touted as the first exercise of its kind in the country, the project will collate range-wise information in maps having a 1:25,000 scale, says Dr A.R.R. …
Gujarat minister raises stink over felling of trees
Gujarat Food and Civil Supplies Minister Jaspal Singh has taken serious exception to the yet-to-be constructed Infocity here, since thousands of trees will reportedly have to be cut down for the project. Singh summoned the district collector and senior officials of the Forest Department today to discuss the issue and …
Tall claims on teak yields
Study : Based on the all-India yield tables and projected internal rate of returns, a recent paper prepared at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has questioned the economic viability of private sector teak plantations to generate the high returns promised to its investors. Taking the case study of two …
Creator of Dolly seeks partners in cloning work
The Scottish scientist who created Dolly the sheep plans to apply his research to cloning human embryos, though scientific and regulatory hurdles could thwart significant progress for months or years. Dr. Ian Wilmut, the scientist credited with the Dolly breakthrough, is in talks with several biotechnology companies and universities to …
SC raps Nagaland on tree-felling
The Supreme Court today pulled up the chief secretary of Nagaland for filing an unsatisfactory affidavit on the implementationof a Court directive to set up compact wood-based industrial estates to curb large-scale felling of trees in the state. The order was passed during the hearing of a public interest litigation …
Forest development showing positive impact
The community forest development programme run by District Forest Office has been showing positive impact on the conservation and utilisation of forest in Surkhet district of Nepal. Forest users are directly bearing the responsibility to protect and conserve forest areas.
Tribals up in arms over MP afforestation plan
Afforestation under the World Bank-funded eco-developmental project is threatening the existence of tribals living in the buffer zone of the Pench national park. In a petition to the forest officers at Chhindwara, the tribals living in some of the affected villages like Deori, Deonara, Kunhargaon, Chhedia and Ghatkampta have alleged …
JNU gets show-cause notice for felling trees
The forest department has issued a show-cause notice to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) authorities alleging indiscriminate felling of trees on the campus to facilitate construction of hostels.
Threats force Centre's survey team to leave Chikmagalur
Survey of forest land in Chikmaglur district has come to an abrupt end after the Survey of India team members received threats to their lives. A section of encroachers - who include powerful coffee planters and politicians - is believed to have threatened the surveyors with dire consequences if they …
NGOs object to construction on the Ridge
Environment organisations have strongly reacted to the construction of a building on the northern Ridge by the Delhi Forest Department. In a letter addressed to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and Environment Minister A K Walia, NGOs have taken exception to the construction, which according to them, violates the Supreme …
Govenment urged to rationalise duty on paper
The Indian Agro Paper Mills Association (IAPMA) has urged the Government to rationalise import duty and evolve ways to check waste paper import. It also wants the definition of import to be reworked to save the industry which is facing difficult times.
Smugglers stripping forests for khair
Smugglers are systematically plundering the forests in this district for the khari (acacia catechu) tree, used by kattha manufacturing units all over the country. The wood lost annually is worth Rs 5 crore. Even as the forest department claims to be doing its best to counter the smugglers, who are …
PWD felling deodar trees ?
The green cover in this picturesque Himachal Pradesh town is under serious threat, especially within its muncipal limits. Over the past few years various government departments have taken forest laws lightly and a number of deodar trees have either been chopped off without the valid permisssion from the authorities . …
Centre allows MoU route
The decision of the Centre to allow the memorandum of understanding (MoU) route for assigning hydroelectric power projects up to 100 MW capacity will enable Himachal Pradesh to exploit its vast hydroelectric power potential expeditiously. The state's effort to get projects executed speedily in the private sector had received a …
Projects eating up forests
Insecurity haunts wildlife in Himachal Pradesh with new cement plants and hydro-electric projects eating up the forest area in the state. Wildlife sanctuaries are one by one falling prey to such development projects which are being constructed by influential business houses.
Assam may not seek forests' dereservation
The Assam government is unlikely to ask the Centre for dereservation of certain forests to enable settlement of the riot-affected people in Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon districts. The Kokrajhar district acdministration had suggested such a measure to the Union Home ministry when its officials visited the district for an on-the-spot assessment …
Dicaprio vows to protect Maya beach
Titanic film star Leonardo Dicaprio tried to calm an environmental row raging over his new movie on Monday, insisting he loved Thailand and would not tolerate any damage being done to a picturesque beach used in filming. Environmental campaigners claim alterations made to Maya beach in southern Phi Phi Island …
DMRC seeks permission for felling trees
Six thousand trees or two rail tracks? A tough choice for the choking Delhi'ite, but not for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is out to meet deadlines. Announcing "compensatory plantation" for felling trees in its wake has not helped the DMRC in obtaining permisssion to clear a particularly dense …
