Delhi's ground water contaminated
More than one-third of Delhi's groundwater supply has been found to be contaminated with fluoride and nitrate, which can cause gastroenteritis, fluorosis and skin diseases. Groundwater is used to augment drinking water supply to the Capital's burgeoning population. The presence of these harmful chemicals has been discovered in groundwater sources …
Indian zoologist renews search for life in Antarctic
He had a scientific team to achance discovery of a rare breed of polar insencts and joined international counterparts in chalking out survival blueprints for dying ANtarctic penguins. With a world of research work up his sleeve, Dr Ashis Hazra, the country's lone polar zoologists, has renewed search for life …
Aravalli's success spurs EC to green more waste lands
Impressed by the grand success of the Aravalli afforestation Project in South Haryana, the European Community has consented to participate in the Haryana Forest Department's Community Forestry Project, estimated to cost about Rs 126 cr. According to the Minister of Forest, Mr Jagdish Yadav, the European Community has committed a …
Rs 38 crore spent on social forestry
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Miniter M C Nanaiah today told the Legislative Council that the forest department had spent a total of Rs 38 crore on social forestry schemes in various parts of Bangalore till September this year.
EU to fund 126-cr forestry project
The European Union has sanctioned a Rs 126 crore project to bring more Haryana land under green cover, according to the state's Minister for Forest, Mr Jagdish Yadav. Mr Yadav said that a high powered committee under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor of the Hisar Agriculture University (HAU), and with …
Anubhav's compromise scheme
Anubhav Plantations Ltd. has proposed a compromise scheme with its investors, to whom it has been defaulting on interim payments, and has filed the scheme in the High Court. Envisaging a staggered schedule of repayment or agricultural land in lieu of it, a copy of the scheme has been sent …
Mortuary for deodar trees?
A thick green forest in the heart of the town is gradually being converted into a morturary for deodar trees. This is the site of the ropeway which is being constructed in the so far- protected deodar forest within the town. One by one many trees have been cut to …
Illegal felling denudes greens
The Kokrajhar district administration has suggested dereservation of certain reserve forests to enable resettling of relief camp inmates there. There are reserved forests which hardly have trees left due to illegal felling over the past several years, Mr Kathar said, the district deputy commissioner said.
Russia for renewed participation in Tehri project
Indian and Russian officials ended a detailed consultation on Collaboration in the power sector with the Russians showing keen interest in renewing their participaiton in the Tehri dam project. A Russian consortium is likely to bid for the Koteshwar hydro-power project, the second phase of the Tehri scheme in the …
HC orders issue of notice to forest dept
The Karnataka High Court today ordered issue of notice to the forest department on a public interest petition seeking clearance of encroachments from a part of the Muthodi Reserve Forest in Chikmaglur district.
Uncertainty prevails about ban on forest cutting
Uncertainty prevails among official circles and people in Peshawar involved in forest business about the status of ban on forest harvesting in the Frontier province. Ban on forest cutting had been introduced six year back by the last Nawaz Sharif government following devastating flash floods hit Hazara division in 1992. …
Plywood units close down as N-E tries to stay green
Even though no one would entirely disagree that illegal fellling is prevalent in the lush green forests of Arunachal Pradesh and other north-eastern states, the 'blanket ban' on felling (which will complete two years in December this year)has brought with it a host of associated hitches.The inordinate delays at different …
One third of timber markets shut down in Chongqing
Chongqing muncipality on the upper reaches of Yangtze River has shut down 26 timber markets since the city announced to ban logging of natural forests in early September. The number is almost one third of the city's total timber markets, and most of the closed markets, with a combined timber …
Coconut fuel for diesel engines
Car drivers in the tropics could one day be filling up with coconut oil instead of diesel and petrol after a breakthrough discovery by a Fijian student in Britain. Mikaele Dreu, an engineering student at Bolton Institute in northwest England, has developed a way of making coconut oil, long-used for …
Fire on the mountain
Someone had set Vail Mountain, Colo., ablaze. Seven fires spread along a mile-long ridge overlooking the ski village. And the responsiblity behind the act was claimed by the Earth Liberation Front. A fax purporting to be from the ELF said the group had sponsored what was probably history's costliest ecoterrorist …
Timber smuggling goes on despite tall official claims
The illegal smuggling of timber from the lower parts of Buner to Swabi and Mardan districts of Pakistan has once again gained momentum and officials of the law-enforcement agencies and high-ups of the Forest Department are also involved in the activity. A survey conducted by Dawn revealed that under the …
Nagaland grabs 30000 hec of Assam forest land
The Border Area Development Minister, Sri Binod Gowala informed that Nagaland had encroached upon about 30,000 hectares of land out of the total 85,000 hectares covering the four reserved forests of Rengma, Doyang, Diphu and Nambor in Golaghat District.Moreover, people from Nagaland have illegally grabbed another 19,648 hectares area in …
Bastar timber scam to figure in MP poll campaign
Alongside political parties, a group of non-political organisations is also preparing to "campaign" for the November 25 Assembly elections. Their campaign, confined to the Bastar region, will try to impress upon voters the need to defeat those associated with illgal tree felling in the past.Both Congress and BJP candidates will …
Online data base of State forest wealth soon
The Karnataka Forest department has embarked on a Rs 4-crore project to bring its entire forest resource data base online through the development of a Geographical Information System(GIS).
Central Africa moves to look after its forest
The countries that share the world's second largest tropical rainforest have decided to come together and face up to the challenges posed by economic globalisation. Decision makers and nature conservation specialists from six of the nine ecosystems of Central Africa have decided to draw up a common legal framework to …
