A smoker spends nearly Rs 384.10 a month on cigarettes on an average (a beedi smoker shells out Rs 126.5), according to the figures furnished by Global Adult Tobacco Survey of Karnataka for the year 2009-10.

The survey was officially released by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday. It reveals that 28.3 per cent of adults — 39.8 per cent males and 16.3 per cent females — in the State use tobacco in some form.

Will two ministers be able to check it? ask public With the delay in introducing new sand mining policy in the district, the illegal sand filtering business on the banks of river, lake, streams are thriving day-by-day.

This surely does not require any proof because everyone is well aware of the ongoing sand mining in banks of almost every major river in the district. With the illegal sand mining being carried out unabated, the common man is finding it difficult to get sand at an affordable price to carry out the construction work.

Poverty, delays in release of funds hamper ‘Total Sanitation Campaign’

Efforts to make the ‘Total Sanitation Campaign’ a success in the district appear to have lost momentum. Even after the State government has planned to increase the allocation of funds from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 per toilet, the rate of work has not increased. Officers blame residents for the delays. Members of the public, however, who have to put up the money for the construction before they can reimbursed by the government, complained of not having enough funds.

Packing of groceries, food items and other products in polythene bags, which is harmful to the environment, is a common scene.

Neither the people are ready to use conventional bags nor the City Municipal Council is creating awareness among the people about avoiding use of plastic, resulting in plastic garbage dumps along roads and in vacant sites in residential areas. Although the use of plastic products lesser than 40 microns have been banned in district, the CMC is least bothered about its implementation.

Maruthi Power Gen diverted from original plan, says PCCF report

The Maruthi Power Gen (India) Private Limited which is setting up a mini hydel project near Hongadahalla in Sakaleshpur has tried to mislead the High Court on the extent of the project site, according to a report of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. The High Court on June 18 directed the Forest Department to take a decision on cancelling the land lease of the private agency for alleged violation of green norms.

In what may be termed a blatant disregard for law, it has come to light that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) surreptitiously allowed felling of 34 trees without a work order at Koramangala.

To cover up its act, BDA issued the work order three days after the ‘job’ was done. The alleged illegality has come as a shock for the residents of Koramangala who have been fighting tooth and nail against the controversial Sirsi Circle-Agara Junction signal-free corridor.

A protest against the National Water Policy 2012, organised by the People’s Campaign for Right to Water-Karnataka, a community-based organisation in the City on Friday, received an overwhelming response with a total of 3,090 people taking part in it.

Similar protests were held in 22 other districts of the State. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Kshithij Urs, a member of the organisation, said the new National Water Policy, 2012 sets a dangerous precedent by promoting anti-people practices which would be detrimental even to the future generations. The policy snatches away the people’s right to water.

The High Court on Thursday ordered issue of notice to the Energy Secretary and managing director, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company in connection with the electrocution of an elephant at Alur in Hassan district.

Hearing a suo motu PIL on elephant deaths, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Aravind Kumar has directed the power authorities to be present before the Court.

Rlys game for 2 of 3 proposals to minimise green damage

The Hubli-Ankola railway project has cleared another hurdle with the Railways accepting two of the three recommendations of a committee comprising engineers of the Indian Institute of Science. The committee had been set up to suggest alternative routes for the project in the wake of severe opposition from greens to the construction of the key railway line as it would harm the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. It had submitted its report on December 9, 2011 to the central empowered committee.

The contamination in Mavallipura has reached such an extent that the Karnataka Milk Federation refuses to procure milk from the farmers here, alleged residents of Mavallipura.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, the Mavallipura residents, under the aegis of Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (DSS) and Environment Support Group (ESG), hailed the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) order to close landfill. The residents said that the high toxic levels in the soil, water and air had made their lives miserable.