Aims to unseat Maharashtra from second spot in country

The State would soon dislodge Maharashtra from the second spot in biofuel production in the country, by increasing its production to 200 million litres by this year end, said Y B Ramakrishna, executive chairman of Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board (KSBDB) on Thursday. Presently, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra occupy the top two slots.

River water to meet drinking water needs of Chikkaballapur, Tumkur

The State government on Friday finally gave administrative approval for the Yettinahole project that proposes to draw water from the Yettinahole River in Sakaleshpur to meet the drinking water demands of Chikkaballapur and Tumkur districts and some parts of Bangalore Urban. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishveshvara Hegde Kageri said the project proposes to harness 24 tmc ft from Yettinahole in Hassan district for the drought-prone regions of the three districts at a cost of Rs 8,323 crore.

Modern stations and facilities to open at B’lore and Mysore

Home and Transport Minister R Ashoka said on Friday that 13,000 BMTC buses will be operating in Bangalore city within the next decade. Ashoka was speaking after laying the foundation for a new bus station in Yelahanka old town, and for bus depots in Sadenahalli and Nagadevanahalli. “Our aim is to bring the best buses from different parts of the world to Bangalore and thereby making public transport popular,” he said. “Currently, the number of buses plying in Bangalore is around 6,500. The number will touch 13,000 in the next 10 years.”

The National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR) founder-president S R Hiremath, on Thursday urged the State government to immediately implement the Supreme Court direction on transfer of village community land.

On February 1, 2011, the Supreme Court had declared transfer of village community land for private and commercial use as illegal and directed the states to take immediate steps to evict encroachers.

Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said on Thursday that the mining industry can survive only if it adopts sustainable mining practices while paying special attention to the conservation of the environment.

Speaking on ‘Rebuilding Karnataka: Investors’ Angle, Logistical Issues and Sustainability’, at a two-day annual conference organised by Ore Team, Justice Hegde, known for his previous efforts in exposing illegal mining in the State, reiterated that iron ore exports should be banned and that mining leases should be allotted to only those who have steel plants.

Standing crops wither; drinking water crisis aggravates, The agriculture fields in the district would have been green with the sprouting green gram, soyabean, bajra and jowar crops had it rained as per convention. But then, with the showers eluding this part of the earth, there is still the shadow of drought over the district.

However, the crop that is the hardest hit is sugarcane. Cane grown on 25,605 hectares, out of the total 88,500 hectares in 428 villages has withered, leaving the farmers high and dry. The district administration has put the loss at Rs 1.26 crore.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is planning to regularise illegal water connections in the City.

The BWSSB has relaxed existing rules to regularise water connections and has directed officers to collect documents and to issue RR (Revenue Register) number as a proof. Consumers with unauthori­sed connections have been told to submit documents like sale de­ed of the property, general power of attorney, telephone bill, electricity bill, ration card along with an affidavit on stamp paper of Rs 20 from the owner/occupant to get their water connections regularised.

Rehabilitation, reclamation plan cleared

After receiving brickbats for long, the troubled mining industry has finally got some reprieve. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court has given its nod to eight mining firms located in Bellary and Chitradurga districts to resume their operations. Speaking at a seminar on “Rebuilding Iron Ore Mining and Steel Making Capabilities”, H R Srinivasa, director of Mines and Geology, said the CEC had informed the State government that it had cleared the Rehabilitation and Reclamation plan of the eight ‘A’ category mines,

The State government is in no mood to give the Western Ghats-Unesco tag matter a rest.

It has raised serious contentions against the Centre for taking the matter into its own hands and renominating the Ghats in this year’s Unesco Convention at St Petersberg, Russia, ignoring the ‘stiff opposition’ by the State government. Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara said on Wednesday the State government would oppose the tag conferred on the Western Ghats by the Unesco’s World Heritage Committee.

In a bid to deal with the dipping water level in almost all reservoirs across the State, the government on Wednesday decided to release Rs 176 crore for drought and flood-related works. Rs one crore has been earmarked for each of the 123 drought-affected taluks.

Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda, as instructed by the party high command, held a meeting to review the prevailing drought situation. Surprisingly, his detractors Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti and Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai were present. Minor Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol too attended the meeting.