JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court has given the state government till October 12 to remove all mobile towers from schools.

First Solar Inc, Mahindra Solar One Pvt. Ltd., and Kiran Energy Solar Power Pvt. Ltd., have signed an agreement for the supply of advanced, thin-film solar modules for two solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants of 50 MW to be set up in Rajasthan.

The two adjacent projects, which together will be one of India’s largest PV installations upon completion, are part of the second batch of utility-scale solar projects concluded under India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (NSM). The NSM aims to install 20,000 MW of new solar electricity generating capacity by 2022.

JAIPUR: The recommendation of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to increase safety zones (eco-sensitive zones) around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks from 100 meters to 2 km from the park's boundary has not come as a shock. Given the current scenario, this would not make any difference.

The note, prepared by CEC member secretary M K Jiwrajka, and submitted to the SC, has categorized Protected Areas (PAs) in four groups and the safety zone to be notified thereon. It suggests that parks above 500 sq km will be under Category-A and its safety zone will be 2 km from boundary. Similarly, for Category-B (between 200 sq km & 500 sq km) the safety zone may be 1km from boundary.

JAIPUR: As thousands of delegates gather in India for the 11th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad, from 8 - 19 October 2012, a new initiative will be unveiled to help countries meet some of their obligations under the legally-binding treaty whilst also reducing poverty.

It will show how the two seemingly disparate worlds of poverty eradication and biodiversity conservation are linked, and its launch comes ahead of the UN's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.

JAIPUR: The " Rozi Roti Adhikar Yatra" (rally for right to food and employment) that was flagged off from Udaipur district on September 30, reached Jaipur on Saturday after traversing through six districts where it created awareness among people to fight for food security for all without distinction on economic criteria.

Several other rallies in the state to demand an effective national food security legislation started from different directions in the state (Barmer, Hanumangarh, Bikaner and Alwar) also reached Jaipur and culminated in a public assembly at Statue Circle.

JAIPUR: The people's union for civil liberties (PUCL) has accused police and mine mafia of ganging up on those raising their voices against illegal mining at Dabla village in Sikar. The activists have demanded that all the false cases against the villagers including Kargil hero Jagram Singh should be withdrawn.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, PUCL said that in the last 18 months since villagers started raising voice against illegal mining in the region, the police have registered more than 12 FIRs against locals including Jairam Singh (Kargil hero), Sunil, Surendra and Moharchand.

Parks Were To Be Opened On Mon, Forest Dept Move Comes In View Of SC Postponing Decision

Jaipur: Tourism in the Ranthambore and Sariska tiger reserves will have to wait a while longer. The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed to October 3 its decision on the ban on tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves. Consequently, the state forest department also notified on its official website for tiger safari reservation that the park, which was supposed to open on October 1, will remain closed till October 3.

JAIPUR: As the Ranthambore National Park (RNP) gears up to open in two days time, the impasse over the Supreme Court verdict has forced tour operators to keep alternate arrangements in place.

JAIPUR: Officials, wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists are waiting with bated breath for Thursday's Supreme Court verdict on tourism in the core of areas of wildlife sanctuaries. With just three days to go for the Ranthambore and Sariska national parks to re-open (October 1), this would chart the way for the two thriving tiger reserves in the state.

The Centre on Wednesday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court requesting that the ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves be lifted. In the affidavit, the Centre has outlined the revised guidelines to protect the tiger population and requested the court to permit tourism activities in 20% of the core tiger habitat.

JAIPUR: The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on August 9 had issued advisory to states including Rajasthan to reduce number of mobile towers functional in eco-sensitive zones.

It had suggested that mobile towers should not be permitted within 1 km radius of the existing ones to check impact of electromagnetic radiation on birds. The state government, though, claims ignorance over the advisory.