The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) today pulled up the environment ministry for failing to implement its ambitious projects of afforestation, conservation of biodiversity, pollution control and spreading awareness among the people besides lack of monitoring and manpower.

The CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament, found that money allotted under various environmental schemes had been

New Delhi: The environment ministry will not remain a regulatory hurdle in the process of economic growth, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday while outlining his agenda on the day he took over office.

Apartment owners in several plush areas of the suburbs including Mulund, Bhandup, Kandivali, Borivali and Goregaon

a conference organized by the Union environment ministry on February 12 in the national capital came out with the Tiger Census 2008 and the State of India’s Forests Report 2005. Both came out with dismal figures: a little more than 1,400 tigers are left in the county; and over 725 sq km of forests have vanished between 2002 and 2004.

Under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, if a project requires diversion of forestland for non-forest use, prior approval of the Centre is imperative. For this, one needs to apply to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) through the state forest department. A Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) at MoEF scrutinizes the proposal and based on certain criteria either grants or rejects clearance. The approval depends on the achievements of the state government concerned to guarantee land for compensatory afforestation.

The Cabinet decision last week to bring the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2008, before Parliament is a step that should have been taken at least six years ago.

Kolkata, March 10 ITC Ltd, according to the company's just released 4th Sustainability Report, under its Social and Farm Forestry initiative has greened over 77,0000 hectares, creating an estimated

Following the initiative by two banks to increase forest cover in Titwala, two companies have now offered to contribute in a similar manner in Kausa near Mumbra and in Kalwa. Mahindra Life Space Developer Limited of the Mahindra Group and Sandoz Pvt Lt have approached the Forest department in Thane requesting it to lease out a 250-hectare plot in Kausa and a 5-hectare plot in Kalwa respectively in order to turn the patches green. Forest land can be leased out for a period of time for such purposes. According to a Forest official, the two banks have leased out 25 acres each on the banks of Kalu River in Titwala and work is in progress. Deputy Conservator of Forest (Thane) Bhaskarao Walimbe said that the proposal is pending with the Forest department and the agreement should be signed between the two parties in a couple of months' time so that the work can start in the monsoon. However, the task for the companies on both the plots will be daunting because of rocky terrain and encroachment. "In case of Kausa, the plot which is to be handed over to Mahindra Life Space Developer Limited, was an encroached plot,' said Walimbe. The Forest department with help from the police and TMC officials had cleared off the encroachment a few days ago