The Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) is going to form a committee to create an inventory of e-wastes following frequent failure to collect these wastes in the state.

Death of infants in Malkangiri district due to preventable diseases has come under judicial scanner.

The city is all set to wear a greener look with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation indentifying at least six medians on major roads for a massive plantation drive.

The state government has decided to rope in Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, Ahmedabad, to prepare a fresh detailed project report (DPR) of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project in the capital aimed at improving the public transport system.

The CEPT will be the second agency to prepare DPR for the project. Earlier the DPR was prepared by RITES, a Central government enterprise under Railways. But the state government disengaged RITES after the French financial institution Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), which will fund the project, sought a revised DPR. The government announced the BRTS project in 2010, which is a dedicated bus corridor like railways.

The state government plans to irrigate more than 14 lakh hectare arable land by sinking deep tube-wells and setting up lift irrigation (LI) projects.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to introduce a solar-fuelled vehicle to lift garbage from the doorstep. At present, waste is being manually lifted.

Keonjhar: After Similipal sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district, poachers now seem to be making inroads into the Hadagarh sanctuary. The fact came to light after wildlife division forest officials seized the carcass of three elephants, allegedly killed by tusk smugglers from Hadagarh wildlife sanctuary near Chakratirtha biodiversity area.

The forest department seized the carcass after interrogating five persons for their alleged involvement in the smuggling of tuskers. The department has seized about 12 kg tusks worth about Rs nine lakh from a house in Purunia village under Hadagarh forest range area on April 22.

Soon you will be able to stop worrying about where to relieve yourself while you're out in the capital.

CUTTACK: Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), the premier rice research centre in the country, has developed six new high-yielding varieties of rice.

BHUBANESWAR: At least 30 industries in Jharsuguda-Sambalpur belt have been directed to launch a massive plantation drive before the onset of monsoon this year.

The direction came after a review meeting on Friday in Sambalpur, attended by forest and environment secretary, representatives of industries, forest officials and officials of Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). "The industries have been asked to undertake plantation work to make the industrial belt environment-friendly. It is part of their corporate social responsibility," said OSPCB member secretary L K Tewari.