Panchayats Used Inferior Bleach For Treatment

Pune: An analysis of the drinking water quality from 17,000 water sources in Pune district by the health department of the Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) has revealed contamination.

The forest department will send fresh proposals to the state government for planning two more tiger reserves to boost the population of big cats in the state.

Maharashtra, which currently has four tiger reserves in Melghat, Pench, Tadoba-Andhari and Sahyadri, is among the few states directed by the NTCA to send proposals for new reserves to ensure a strong breeding population and growth of the big cat.

As many as 1.5 million freshwater fish of India belonging to 30 threatened species were exported from the country between 2005 and 2012.

It Has Led To Several Man-Animal Conflicts And Forest Fragmentation

Pune: Around 72,463 hectares of forest land in the state has been encroached upon, that has led to several man-animal conflicts over the last few years and also forest fragmentation.

Over 2,000 Fires Reported, Many Were Deliberate, Says State Forest Department

As many as 2,420 fires spread through 24,000 hectares of the state’s forest area in 2012-13, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 19 lakh, the latest statistics available with the state forest department showed. In the previous year, they consumed 72,247 hectares. On an average over 42,000 hectares caught fire annually between 2005 and 2013, and the burning, in many cases, was intentional, officials said.

Pune: Religious tourism in the state is set to receive a major boost as the Union tourism ministry has sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 44 crore for the development of the Solapur mega circuit, which includes the pilgrimage spots of Pandharpur, Akkalkot, Tuljapur and Solapur.

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has received around Rs 92 crore from the ministry for the current fiscal to develop tourism projects in the state. Though a large chunk of the allocation is for the Solapur mega circuit, other tourism projects to be undertaken using the funds include development of the Aurangabad and Satara circuits, setting up chain-link fencing, a watch tower and a parking facility at Kas plateau, and a boat club and adventure sports facility at Panshet.

Pune: Aerosol density, which cuts down solar radiation from reaching the earth’s surface, was found to be four times higher during Diwali last year as compared to a clear day.

To Devise Strategies For Diseases Caused By Air Pollutants, Harmful Ultraviolet Radiation

Pune: City-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) plans to devise mitigation strategies for respiratory and skin diseases caused by air pollutants and harmful ultraviolet radiation, with help from medical institutions in the city. The institute plans to use the data generated by its system of air quality forecasting and research (SAFAR) for the purpose.

Will Set Up Demo Projects In Pune, Mumbai To Study Technical Feasibility Of Power Generation

Pune: The Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) will install two grid-connected solar rooftop photovoltaic systems as demo projects in two government buildings, one each in Pune and Mumbai, in a bid to study the technical feasibility of these projects. The study is necessary to help kick-start large-scale implementation of grid-connected solar rooftop photovoltaic systems in the state, which, said MEDA officials, is a viable option since these systems help generate power through solar energy and do not require land for installation.

Pune: A recent study by citybased Ela Foundation and MES Abasaheb Garware College, to assess the impact of wind farms on birds at the Bhambarwadi Plateau in the northern Western Ghats, found 27 bird species out of 89 at the risk of collision with the rotor blades of the wind turbines.

Out of the 12 birds (belonging to seven species) that were found dead, five were raptors belonging to three different species. Also, out of five Indian endemic bird species observed in the study area, the Malabar Crested Lark (endemic to the Western Ghats) was recorded in the risk zone. The study also reported a reduction in the birds in the study area due to the increasing wind farm construction and associated infrastructure development. But the drop in the number of birds in the region is gradually reducing.