Coinciding with the second death anniversary of the Swami, he is on fast-unto-death for the fifth time

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed an agreement for a $150 million loan that will help build a strong and reliable bulk power evacuation system in Uttarakhand.

Despite the Centre's recent clarification the eco-sensitive zone along Bhagirathi river in Uttarkashi district will not affect development, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today asked it to review the decision.

The Centre had recently issued a gazette notification declaring a 100-km stretch between Gomukh and Uttarkashi along the Bhagirathi river as an eco-sensitive zone. But the measure triggered widespread protests in the region over the development issue. The chief minister had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calling for review of the measure, with a plea that it would affect hydel projects with a capacity of 1,743 Mw.

Bahuguna complains that ministry is delaying clearance to power projects

The environment ministry has come under fire, this time from a Congress state government, once again reopening the development vs environment debate within UPA. The chief minister of Uttarakhand has complained about the Union environment ministry to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi, accusing it of delaying clearances to hydel power projects in the state.

Seven tigers have been reported dead in Uttarakhand this year, three of them in the renowned Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) and its adjoining areas just in the last one week.

Hundreds of villagers from 15 gram panchayats assembled at Charba village near here on Wednesday and vowed not to allow the establishment of a Coca Cola unit there.

The Chharba village panchayat had passed a resolution declaring it won't allow the set-up of the Coke bottling plant

Amid heightened environmental concerns over the proposed Coke plant at Chharba, near here, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Wednesday said the bottling facility would be equipped with all the safeguards. "We understand that there are some environmental concerns regarding the proposed Coca-Cola plant. But I want to make clear the proposed plant will be equipped with all environmental safeguards," said Bahuguna.

They fear developmental activity will come to a halt

Notwithstanding the Prime Minister’s assurance, activists of the all-party Uttarkashi Bachao Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti on Tuesday staged a dharna at Uttarkashi and said they would launch a Statewide agitation if the Centre did not immediately cancel a gazette notification on an eco-sensitive zone between Gomukh and Uttarkashi.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and opposed the new 4,179.59 sq km eco-sensitive zone in the Bhagirathi Valley, which put tough restrictions on tourism and hydel projects in the hill state.

Bahuguna, leading a delegation comprising the party's state MPs and Congress general secretary Birendra Singh at Parliament house, told Singh there should be a review of the eco-sensitive zone where the area has been increased from 40 sq km to 4179.59 sq km, without taking the consent of the state. Bahuguna also met the minister for state for environment and forest, Jayanthi Natarajan, separately on the issue and urged the centre to set up a high-powered committee to review the eco sensitive zone.