To clarify its stand by July 31 on how to regulate them

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to clarify its plan of action for disposal of solid waste at six plots of land measuring about 18 acres provided by t

The Rajasthan Government’s Forest & Environment Department has submitted a proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority for relocation of two tigress sisters from Ranthambhore National Park to Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district in view of the big cats being unable to mark their territories after their mother’s death.

The two tigresses, now aged two years each, were orphaned when their mother, T-5, died after a fight with another tigress in Kachida area of Ranthambhore. The cubs, artificially fed for some time, have many times strayed near human habitations, giving rise to fears that they may come into conflict with humans.

A leading environmental group working for conservation of flora and fauna has sought intervention of the External Affairs Ministry to put pressure on Pakistan to ban hunting of rare birds, Houbara bustards, which has drastically reduced India's share of their annual winter migration and affected the desert eco-system.

The hunting of Houbara bustards, taxonomically classified as Clamydotis undulata , through falconry in Pakistan has led to an alarming decline in their numbers. The poaching mainly in Sindh province along the international border is not only a cause of serious concern for India but also in violation of wildlife protection laws and international conventions.

A series of multi-stakeholder dialogues on health care for women and children organised at five district headquarters in Rajasthan over the past month addressed the issues of “weak supply side” and lack of coordination among different government agencies for framing robust district-level health plans.

Demands raised by the village panchayats for quality health care services that could deal with the reproductive, maternal and child health issues as well as the problem of sex selection in the rural communities were highlighted at the dialogues organised in Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, Sirohi, Bharatpur and Jhalawar. The sixth dialogue in the series will be held in Dausa this Thursday.

The famous Ranthambore and Sariska national parks in Rajasthan were thrown open to tourists on October 17, a day after the Supreme Court lifted the interim ban on tourist activities in the core areas of tiger reserve forests in the country, following the notification of revised comprehensive guidelines for tourism in these zones.

The resumption of tourism activities brought cheer to hoteliers and tour operators, whose business had been hit hard by the cancellation of tiger safaris and bookings, following the impasse after the apex court’s July 24 order, which halted all tourism-related activities in the tiger reserve areas

Developed by BITS Pilani, it can be operated by any person

Scientists at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) in Pilani have developed a new bio-sensor device to detect arsenic content in drinking water. The device can be operated by a layman and is based on a rare combination of bio-engineering and electronics. The hand-held device, the size of a mobile phone and presently undergoing field testing, promises to be immensely useful for millions of people inhabiting the river basins of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna in India and Bangladesh reported to be affected by arsenic contamination.

“India's farmers need to change with the times to enhance their efficiency”

Experts taking part in a panel discussion on agricultural technology here over the weekend laid emphasis on giving a fillip to farm technology and underscored the need for adopting modern methods to boost farm productivity, even as the country's agro-based economy is stated to be on the threshold of a second green revolution.

The Rajasthan government has appointed a Group of Ministers to look into extending relief to farmers suffering heavy losses due to crops damaged by the harsh winter.

The disaster relief norms at present do not take into account cold wave and frost. Minister of State for Disaster Management Brajendra Singh Ola said in the Assembly on Tuesday that the GoM is considering a report submitted by a working group formed by it to study all aspects of disaster relief norms. “The GoM is expected to make some favourable recommendations to resolve the difficulties of agriculturists.”

Community initiative tackles perennial problem of groundwater salinity