The municipal corporation (MC) has mooted a Rs 290 crore project under the centrally-funded Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) to augment water supply network in the city, which will n

Inviting industrialists to invest in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed Punjab would be power surplus by the end of this year with the commissioning of three thermal plants in the near future.

Speaking at the “Samridhi” conference here today, Sukhbir said: “We are giving finishing touches to a new energy policy of the state aimed at meeting the increasing power demands of every sector for at least next 25 years”.

People taking hight protein diets, alcohol at risk
Punjabis are fond of eating high-calorie food and many of them also love to have alcohol along with it. The protein rich diet, which they take affects their health. This is the reason that indiscipline dietary habits of Punjabis are giving Punjab the tag of "Uric Acid Belt".

A city-based ayurvedacharya, Dr Ravinder Vatsayan, ''It is a challenge since ayurveda times and in old texts of ayurveda it has been mentioned as adhiyavad's disease which means richman's disease. When one gets indiscipline in eating habits, one suffers from diseases. When a person takes high protein food, the rate of metabolism gets disturbed and one falls an easy prey to uric acid."

A long judicial stay on the sand mining has caused an increase in the cases of illegal sand mining and has also increased the rates of sand in the market. The police had registered many cases of illegal sand mining and seized loaded trucks and trolleys.

To check the illegal sand mining, the state government and later the High Court had imposed a ban on sand mining over an year ago. However, sometime ago, the High Court had removed the ban, but due to the lack of environmental clearance from the concerned departments, most of the mining sites were lying without auction. During this period, illegal sand mining was encouraged in the Ghaggar river and some other small rivers in this area. On the other hand, customers are bound to purchase sand at higher rates for construction works.

In a significant development, the UT Administration today agreed to reduce the stretch of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary to less than 2.5 km.

The UT has to declare and submit the report on the ESZ to the Ministry of Environment and Forests before May 15. Today, in the meeting chaired by UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil, the UT officials discussed as to in how much area around the sanctuary developmental activities should be prohibited. Initially, the officials were of the view that the developmental activities in the 3-km area around the sanctuary should be regulated, but today the officials agreed to declare less than 2.5-km area as the eco-sensitive zone.

The sewage disposal system maintained by the local municipal council seems to be on the verge of a breakdown as only one of the five motors installed is working.

Form strategy to reduce water use, Montek Singh Ahluwalia tells Chief Minister

The Annual Plan for 2013-14 for Punjab has been finalised at Rs 16,125 crore, a jump of 15 per cent over last year. The Plan size was finalised at a meeting between the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today.

Says Punjab, Haryana have failed to cut down on use of pesticides

In Punjab, one person succumbs to cancer every minute-and-a-half. On an average, 18 persons die of cancer everyday. But these statistics may soon change. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for remedial measures after taking cognisance of Punjab and Haryana Governments’ failure to prune the use of pesticides.

Can approach purchasers, receive payments directly as govt prunes their role

Arhtiyas or commission agents in Punjab will not be able to reap the healthy benefits of a good harvest. Pruning the role played by arhtiyas in procurement, the Punjab Government has decided to provide farmers an option of directly receiving payments for their produce after holding negotiations with the purchasers.