Forest fire forces 11,000 people out of Los Alamos
A raging wildfire drove all 11,000 residents from the town of Los Alamos on Wednesday and briefly set fire to a building inside the biggest US nuclear weapons laboratory, where high explosives and plutonium are bunkered in disaster-proof shelters.
Forest Development Bank soon
A Forest Development Bank will soon come into existence in the country to attract funds for various projects of the forest departments, including afforestation, social forestry and joint forest management programmes. The Union governemnt will take a final decision in this regard tomorrow at a meeting of the officials of …
Alarming decline in groundwater level
The entire central zone of Banaskantha district of Gujarat faces the grim prospect of losing its ground water since the present level has touched rock bottom, making any future digging of wells impossible.
End Veerappan case pleadings in 10 days
SC: Responding to the Karnataka Government's submission for fixing an early date for hearing of the special leave petition (SLP) filed by Mr Abdul Karim, father of slain police officer Shakil Ahmed, against the release of forest brigand Veerappan's associates, the Supreme Court today directed the parties to complete pleadings …
Rajkumar seeks pardon for captor Veerappan
Dr Rajkumar has sought pardon and rehabilitation for his abductor Veerappan.The Kannada mega star is being held hostage, along with three others, in the forests near Sathiyamangalam since Sunday night.
Potential seen in European forests
Europe's forest area is expanding by 500,000 hectares a year and only 60 per cent of annual timber growth is harvested, according to an exhaustive United Nations report on temperate forest resources. The report, compiled by the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, covers …
'Forest trespass' case against TMC MLA
The Injikadavu estate eviction episode took a different turn with the Kanyakumari district Forest Department registering trespass case against six persons including a TMC MLA and tahsildar for 'deceitfully' entering into reserved forest territory and videographing the forest area without prior written permission from the District Forest Officer.
Forest scheme launched
In a unique effort, three organisations, including Army Service Corps (ASC) have joined together to convert 400 acres of wasteland owned by the Defence Ministry into urban forest.
'Need to evaluate country's forests'
Union minister of state for environment and forests Babulal Marandi, emphasised the need for sustainable forests which could provide the people dependent on forests, for their livelihood, apart from their major ecological role. Addressing a two-day workshop on 'National Level Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in India' in …
Unicef to draft white paper on Gujarat water scarcity
The Unicef water management expert team will prepare a white paper on water situation in Gujarat in the beginning of the next year, this was indicated by head of the Unicef team Gauri Shankar Ghosh at the conclusion of the visit.
Illegal felling in Manipur continues despite SC order
Felling of trees, movement of timber out of the state and sawmilling continue unabated in Manipur despite a Supreme Court ruling restraining log movement from north-eastern states. The Supreme Court hads in 1995 banned felling of trees in Arunachal Pradesh and movement of logs from any north-eastern state.
Come summer, forest fires follow
With the coming of summer and a drought-like situation in Himachal, fires have started breaking out in many forests. A fire broke out in the Longwood area of the town at Shimla on Tuesday evening taking toll of many green trees. Men of the Fire Brigade fought flames for many …
A project that endangers M.P. forests
The forests in Madhya pradesh are getting denuded, degraded and devastated by mounting biotic pressure caused by an ever increasing population. What would now be adding further to this threat is the Madhya Pradesh Government's latest bid to pave the way for unhindered exploitation of the privately owned forests throught …
Drought-hit Rajasthan towns welcome water wagons
An unprecedented heat wave, which had led high temperatures ranging between 40 degree to 43 degree celsius, has also dried up the wells in most of Rajasthan. At Vijainagar, near Ajmer, the government is supplying water once a week for thirty minutes. Compounding the misery, a strange disease has affected …
Firms to control Jakarta forests
Indonesia, long criticised over the plundering of tis forests, will shift control of foresty concessions from private loggers to state companies, forestry and plantations minister Nur Mahmudi Isma'il said on Thursday.The private companies will continue to operate the concesssions as sub-contractors to the state timber firms.
Social forestry project at Bangabandhu Bridge site to be implemented
Bangladesh's Ministry of Environment and Forest will implement a social forestry project at the dam of the western bank of the Bangabandhu Jamuna Mulipurpose Bridge to conserve and develop the soil as well as to improve the longivity of the western side Guide Dam of the bridge.
Ban on felling of trees soon
The Bangladesh government will soon impose a ban on felling of trees till 2005 to save the bio-diversity and conserve the forest resources of the country. The ban gives effect to the Forest Conservation Treaty which was signed during the recent visit of United States President Bill Clinton.
Rs 1,860 cr needed for forest rehabilitation
The twin steps of rehabilitation and plantation of degraded forest lands will require an annual investment of Rs 1,860 crore, stated the Union minister for environment and forests, T R Baalu. Baalu who was addressing members of the parliamentary consultative committee attached to his ministry in the Capital on Tuesday …
Condition of fasting Medha, two others stable
The condition of fasting Narmada Bachao andolan leader Medha Patkar and two of her colleagues, who wer rushed to a civil hospital at Dhule on Monday, was stable and 'satisfactory', official sources at Nashik said. They were given liquid diet.
