JAIPUR: The hunting of Houbara bustards through falconry in Pakistani areas close to the Indian border is a violation of international bird conservation legislation. Though Houbara is not endangered but it is considered vulnerable according to International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN. These birds are hunted by members of Arab royal families with permission from the government of Pakistan.

A Jaipur-based environmental group, Tourism and Wildlife Society of India (TWSI), has now sought the intervention of Union external affairs ministry to put pressure on Pakistan to ban hunting of rare Houbara bustards, which has drastically reduced India's share of its annual winter migrants and affected the desert eco-system.

JAIPUR: One tablet a week could decrease the prevalence of anaemia among adolescents in the state. These tablets would soon be distributed to school children from Class 6 to 12 in government schools.

Medical health and family welfare department is likely to introduce the weekly iron and folic acid supplementation (WIFS) national programme for adolescents within seven days. The preparation for its launch is already complete. A meeting of all reproduction and child health officers was held in this regard on Friday.

JAIPUR: The United Nations (UN) Human Rights report - 2012 gives an account of the unhealthy and exploitative conditions of mine workers in the state. Published by the working group on Human Rights in India and the UN (WGHR) for India's review at UN suggests that minimal wages, poor working conditions and lack of training are rampant in the mining sector in the state.

In its study WGHR found that more than 95% of mining activities in the state fall in the domain of unorganized sector. Out of the total miners almost 37% are women and most of them are dalits or tribals. The most concerning revelation is about the health status of the mineworkers.

‘40% Of Smokers Want To Quit The Habit’

Jaipur: Alarmed over several deaths reported in the state due to cancer caused by tobacco consumption, the medical, health and family welfare department has launched a massive anti-tobacco awareness campaign in rural Rajasthan, which is one of the biggest campaign in the country covering over 9,000 gram panchayats. It is an apparent move of the health department to capitalize on the state’s machinery for the noble cause by clubbing the anti-tobacco campaign with the state government’s “Prashasan gaon ke sang” campaign, which was launched on Thursday.

JAIPUR: Residents of Pink City woke up to the coldest morning of the season on Monday when the city recorded a minimum temperature of 2.3 degrees Celsius, almost 5 degrees below the normal minimum. In most places of the state, shivering cold conditions threw life out of normal gear with Churu recording minus 2.7 degrees and Mount Abu recording minus 0.5 degrees - the two most coldest places in the state.

The two places were followed by Pilani which recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, Karauli 0, Sriganganagar 0.4, Vanasthali 0.8, Dausa and Rajsamand 1.5, Bharatpur 1.9, Fatehpur 2.1, Bikaner 2.6, Chittorgarh and Sawai Madhopur 2.8, Bundi 3, Udaipur 3.2, Pali 3.6, Sikar 3.8, Jaisalmer 4, Kota 6.2 and Jodhpur 6.9 degrees Celsius.

Jodhpur: The vulture population at two most important congregation sites of the bird (which is now endangered) in the state is going down. One site is in Jodhpur, where vultures, especially migratory ones, are decreasing due to unavailability of carcasses; while the second site is in Bikaner where these birds die after being crushed under trains.

Jodhpur’s Keru was once a favourite spot for both resident and migratory vultures, since it was a dumping ground for carcasses on which the vultures could feed.

Jaipur: For the wildlife lover who cannot travel to Ranthambore or Sariska every now and then, the Jhalana forest area is proving to be a great alternative. The panther spotting at the forest makes up for the lack of tigers.

And, if the proposal to declare the forest area as a sanctuary comes through, it would be another feather in the cap for Jaipur, a much sought-after tourist destination in the country.

JAIPUR: Temperatures continue to plummet across Rajasthan and on Sunday two places recorded a minimum temperature of below 0 degree Celsius, while at least six places in the state recorded below 1 degree Celsius even as two people died in Bundi due to the severe cold.

Churu in the plains and Mount Abu in the hills remained the coldest areas in the state, recording a minimum temperature of -2.2 and 0 degrees Celsius respectively, the Met said on Sunday. In Churu, where the minimum temperature was 2.2 degrees below freezing point, normal life was badly affected.

JAIPUR: Workers and villagers went on the rampage on Friday at Hindustan Zinc Limited's Dariba plant in Rajsamand after two of their colleagues died of severe burns and suffocation following leak of carbon monoxide from a boiler.

At least nine other workers were injured in the incident. They are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Udaipur. Angry labourers and villagers set ablaze parts of the administrative block on the plant's premises, a police van and two private vehicles besides hurling stones at the police force and the company's staffers. Some policemen also sustained minor injuries.

Cold wave conditions intensified across the state on Saturday, especially in the border districts. Many stations registered a dip of 4-6 degrees in both day and night temperatures.