The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has sought a response from the Karnataka government to the demand for a CBI probe into the entire gamut of mining activities that took place in the State since 2002.

Following a petition filed by T J Abraham, a resident of Bangalore, the CEC has written to the Karnataka chief secretary seeking a reply to the petitioner’s allegations. Abraham had pleaded before the CEC that mining activities, including dereserving of forests and granting of permission for mining by past governments headed by former chief ministers S M Krishna, Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy, should be probed.

Tension prevailed at some places in Haveri district on Tuesday, due to protests and stampede during distribution of Bt cotton seeds.

Farmers break barricades in a bid to collect seeds from an outlet of Bt cotton seeds company in Haveri district on Tuesday. The increase in demand for the ‘Kanaka’ variety of seeds and shortage of supply led to the rush. In Haveri city, police resorted to mild lathicharge as around 12,000 farmers fell over each other to collect the seeds.

Experts say a bigger area will help set up anti-poaching camps, aid patrolling

The delay in acquiring land on the northern fringes of the Nagarahole National Park has cost the tiger population dear. A view of the Devmachi Forest The demarcation boundary in Doddaharave, between Periyapatna and Kushalnagar range in the north of Nagarahole, has turned into a favourite destination for poachers. According to Forest Department statistics, eight instances of poaching had been reported from the area since January 2009.

The City’s biggest water body, Bellandur lake, faces the threat of extinction finds a study by the Energy and Wetland Research Centre (EWRC) and Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

slow death A view of the Bellandur lake. The lake is being dried up to pave the way for concrete structures (residential complexes). The day is not far when nearly one fourth of the people in the City are forced to consume highly contaminated water. A study by Dr T V Ramachandra - senior scientist, EWRC,

Input cost of agriculture has gone up considerably due to steep increase in price of fertilisers, in the past one year, said Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti on Monday.

Speaking to media, the minister said price of DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), which is widely used by farmers, has shot up to Rs 19,014 per tonne in 2012 from Rs 12,300 per tonne in 2011.

Water woes for Bangaloreans will continue with fresh government data demonstrating that the current level of water supply in India's IT capital is almost four thousand million cubic metre short of the requirement, exposing 22 lakh people to water scarcity every year.

Every drop countsThe shortfall is in the prevailing situation. If City aquifers become barren due to over-exploitation, an additional 24 lakh will have a tough time getting their daily water supply from civic authorities, geologists have forewarned. The warning is based on water data collected by the Karnataka government's mines and geology department from 10 deep wells in Bangalore, between April and December 2011.

There is a direct link between unabated mining and the floods which devastated the North Karnataka region in 2009, said environmentalist and High Court Lok Adalat member Y N Yellappa Reddy.

Speaking with mediapersons here on Friday, he said mining activities in the Western Ghats region - the main source of rivers and lakes - has led to the deterioration of environment. Constant mining activities had led to the destruction of grassland.

The State government has directed the Palike to ensure that tankers supplying drinking water are strictly monitored by the authorities in order to curb water mafia.

After a meeting with the officials of BWSSB, Transport, Mines and Geology and Minor Irrigation Departments on Friday, Urban Development Minister Suresh Kumar told reporters that details such as the quantity of water being carried and the price should be displayed on the water tankers.

At a time when the State is reeling under severe drought conditions, about 4,000 cusecs of water gets wasted everyday at the Basavasagara reservoir in Narayanapura due to the lack of maintenance of the reservoir.

The reservoir, which helps irrigate 10 lakh acres of land, has an inflow of about 10,000 cusec of water everyday. Of this, only 6,000 cusec reach the agricultural lands.

The Kempambudhi lake is all set to be a centre of tourist attraction after two months, if the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has its way.

Desiltation, cleaning of the lake and boating facilities, etc, will provide a new lease of life to the City’s oldest water body. Choked with weeds, hyacinth and sewage, the lake, at present, is an eyesore to the public. Constructed by the founder of Bangalore, Kempegowda, the water body served as a catchment area.