Forests fast disappearing
Relentless pressure of population is taking its inevitable toll of the forest cover in Assam. The reserve forests account for 22 per cent for 17,684 sq.km. of the State's geographical area, but most of it is on paper only.In reality, many forests disappeared long ago with the forest land becoming …
Dolly will be stuffed for posterity, say scientists
Scientists think they've found the best way to pay tribute to Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned mammal. After her death, they're going to studd her. The Roslin Institute, which cloned Dolly from an adult sheep in 1996 using ground-breaking nuclear cell transfusion technology, on Saturday announced that it …
Anti-pollution prams coming out in Britain
British designers appear to have had India's pollution-ridden cities in mind for the launch of a revolutionary product that will foreover change the way babies travel: the world's first pollution-proof pram. A special battery-driven fan pumps 160 litres of cleaned air per minute into a protective plastic capsule. Pressurised air …
DDC approves water supply schemes
The District Development Committee (DDC), Rawalpindi (Pakistan), in its first meeting held here on Friday approved 32 drinking water supply schemes for the rural areas costing millions of rupees. These schemes will be completed upto June 30, 1999. Speaking on this occasion, the committee's chairman, Umer Farooq, said that the …
Fire burns 24,000 acres of Chile forest
Some 24,000 acres of forest have burned in a fire that started on Saturday near San Fernando, about 130 km south of Santiago, the Chilean police reported on Friday.
UNEP executive director appalled by Karura forest violence
Appalled by the treatment of environment protesters at Nairobi's Karura Forest, the United Nations Executive Director, Klau Toepfer, said that violence and intimidation was not the way to deal with sensitive enviornmental issues like Karura which, he said, must be handled by a process of dialogue and cooperation. Repeating his …
Success achieved in checking deforestation
Study : Despite alarm bells rung a few decades about Nepal's dwindling forest resources, a recent study shows that the nation has been largely successful in checking deforestation. The achievement is mainly due to community forestry which has been enthusiastically pursued in large parts of Nepal. Thanks to the concept, …
Mymensingh reserve forest timbers being pilfered
The government Reserved Forest of Mymensingh district with Gazari and other areas was once famous as one of the thickest forests of this region in Bangladesh is going to lose the past glory. Six thanas of Mymensingh district had 38,701 acres of forest during the post liberation period. At present …
Resin tapping and the environmental dilemma
Thirty one year-old Kota of Thangrong geog in Mongar made his hundredth trip, six hours downhill to the roadhead in Sherichu 36 kilometres from Trashigang (Bhutan), last week. It was his final trip for the year, his horse carrying the last two tins of resin he extracted from the Chirpine …
How green is the Capital
With Delhi being declared as one of the most polluted city in the world, the new government is gearing up to put a stop to the fast depleting forest cover. If the data on tree plantations gathered over the past few years is to be believed, Delhi should have been …
Hot air efficiency
Researchers in the US have developed technology for improving the efficiency of coal-fired power stations, which could help to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The high performance power system, developed by the United Technologies Research Centre, blows hot, pressurised air through a turbine to generate electricity.
Illegal logging crackdown
Cambodia's prime minister, Hun Sen, ordered a tough crarckdown on illegal logging. He ordered the police and military to use armed forces if necessary to wipe out what he called "anarchic" logging. "The armed forces must co-operate with the forestry authorities and other involved institutions... and use all means, including …
A losing battle against vanishing forest cover
The Assam forest department is fighting a "losing battle" against the fast depleting forest cover in the state. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Mr P Lahon, told the Statesman today that the state had lost 147 sq km of forest cover in the last two years. Assam has nearly …
Punjab drafts law to check timber theft, promote forestry
To eliminate timber theft and promote forestry in private sector, the Punjab government (Pakistan) has drafted a new Forest Bill which would be presented before the provincial assembly for approval in the coming session. This was disclosed by Provincial Minister for Forests, Wild Life and Fisheries, Malik Saleem Iqbal, at …
A 'losing battle ' against vanishing forests
The Assam Forest Department is fighting a 'losing battle' against the fast depleting forest cover in the state. The Principal Chief conservator of Forest, Mr P Lahon, told the Statesman that the state had lost 147 square Km of forest cover in the last two years. Assam has nearly 18,000 …
Forest Deptt charged with illegal felling
BJP Jhuggi-Jhopadi Mahasnagh has expressed serious concern over the illegal felling of thousand trees in TutaMana forest area and said Forest Department, north circle, is responsible for this situation.
Why our rivers no longer run wild
Few Australian rivers remain wild, with most suffering the ill effects of agriculture, industry and human settlement, according to researchers at the Australian National University. Only three regions could be said to contain rivers in pristine condition: south-west Tasmania, where conservationists fought a battle to save the Franklin River from …
Forest fire
govt seeks world help : The Pakistan government has called for international help to fight widespread fire in Neelum valley forests. "There is a dire need of international help to control this menace. This may be in the form of fire fighting planes with necessary chemicals to more conventional equipment …
Islamabad's green areas vanishing
Senate body : Standing Committee of the Senate on Environment and Urban Affairs in Pakistan has taken a serious view of the gradual elimination of the green areas in the Federal Capital of Islamabad and has observed that the cutting of trees and wilful deforestation must be handled as a …
