JAIPUR: Nearly 68 hectares of forest land in Tijara area in Alwar will be handed over to the state mining department for mining. The state mines department is preparing a fresh proposal for the same, which would be forwarded to the forests and environment department, which in turn would send it for clearance to the Centre. The final clearance would come from the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF).

"The proposal is being worked on and would be sent to forest department by month end,'' a senior officer of mining department said.

Court Had Directed JDA To Be Cautious About Green Belt

Jaipur: A division bench of Rajasthan High Court has asked the state government to submit details of all land use changes effected in the Master Plan of Jaipur region after March 2005. The order came on a contempt petition filed by one Prakash Shukla. In March 2005, while disposing of a PIL filed by one Yashwant Sharma, a division bench of Justice Shiv Kumar Sharma and Justice K S Rathore had asked the state government to earmark 200 bigha of land for ecological zone in Jaipur region as also to restrain from making wholesale and casual land use changes in the Master Plan of Jaipur in future.

Jaipur: Telecom operators shut down cell towers situated on school premises in the entire state from 9pm on Monday in compliance with the Rajasthan high court order of August 22.

“The shutting down of 199 towers would affect 35 lakh customers across the state. Among the towers which have been shut down, almost 100 are in state capital itself. In the state there are 40 cities which have single towers and will face complete coverage blackout,” said Sudipto Chowdhury, representative of Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI).

The Rajasthan High Court on Monday directed the state government to collect samples of potable water supplied by PHED department in the city and get them checked in laboratory and file the results in the court after two weeks.

The order came on a letter written by Navyug Samaj Samiti, which was admitted as a PIL by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice N K Jain (senior).

JAIPUR: The state government is again in the dock for allowing mining of bajri (riverbed sand) allegedly in violation of SC directives. On the basis of a public interest litigation filed in this regard, the Rajasthan High Court has sought a clarification from the government and its mining department within seven days.

An NGO, Nature Club of Rajasthan, has accused the government of continuing with the old system of bajri mining even though the rules governing sand quarries have been amended in accordance with the SC guidelines. It is alleged that the mining department's notification of June 21 this year has neutralized the amended rules in favour of the illegal bajri miners.

The recent heavy rain has gifted a fresh lease of life to Pushkar lake, which has both the locals and the tourists spellbound.

For the first time in many years, the lake is filled with water, which is also flowing to the surrounding ghats. Presently, the water level in the lake is 19 feet and the ghats make a beautiful sight. It is also for the first time that the water level has been recorded to be as high after the lake underwent a complete renovation four years ago. “I don’t remember the last time its water touched the steps of the ghats. Apart from the tourists, even the locals are thronging the lake because most have never seen the lake like it is now,’’ said Shravan Parasar, secretary of the Pushkar Purohit Association.

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on Jaipur Development Authority for allowing illegal constructions in the basin of Amanishah Nullah.

The high-rise buildings coming up in the basin of the nullah has forced one P L Mandola to file a PIL which was heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice N K Jain Senior on Tuesday.

Torrential rains continued to pound some parts of the state including Ajmer and Alwar on Tuesday, leaving at least nine people dead. Around two dozen villages in Alwar district faced a flood-like situation after a heavy downpour for the second day running. The Jaipur met office has forecasted heavy rainfall in 13 districts in the next 36 hours, including the capital.

ALWAR: Panic prevailed at a senior secondary school in Alwar's Mundawar area on Monday when over 250 students were taken ill after drinking water. Parents of some children have alleged that someone poisoned the water stored in a tank. The district administration has launched an inquiry and sent the samples of water for examination.

The incident took place at Vimal Senior Secondary School in Chiruki village around 9 am.

JAIPUR: Yet another river is dying, this time in the environment minister's constituency. Not long ago, river Bandi in Pali district was a seasonal river.

In absolute disregard to environment , three out of the four common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) don't have consent to operate since March 2011, he said. "Textile dyes are toxic, highly stable and do not degrade easily and are not removed by conventional wastewater treatment methods. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) staff took samples of water from several points, ranging from CETPs, drains from industries , wells and hand pumps in villages downstream.