By Sivasish Thakur
GUWAHATI, July 29

SANGUEM, JULY 27

Students and young people are at the forefront of a protest against hydel projects that are being planned in Sikkim. AT THE VENUE of the relay fast that has continued in Gangtok since June 2007. The Affected Citizens of Teesta comprises students, professionals and former politicians. DAWA LEPCHA has a tube stuck up his nose. It goes right down to his stomach. Sometimes, while he is asleep, it moves and chokes him. But the tube is his only sustenance. The juices poured through it are the only nourishment that keeps him alive.

ON the World Environment Day on Thursday, green activists in Nilgiris demanded the conservation of Nilgiri Hills to save it from destruction. Nilgiris is the first biosphere reserve in the country and is the district where the forest coverage is around 55 percent.

Tuticorin: The Department of Forests will carry out a Centre-sponsored project for conservation and management of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve on an estimated outlay of Rs.50 lakh during this financial year. Speaking to The Hindu, L. Nadhan, District Forest Officer, said that the project was aimed at augmenting the infrastructure and income generation activities along the coastal villages of the district thereby reduce the dependency of fishermen on the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere for their livelihood.

The unabated illegal felling of valuable trees is threatening the existence of Dibru Saikhowa, a biosphere reserve in Tinsukia district. Sources said that mediapersons yesterday recovered 25 logs which have been illegally felled and kept hidden in Kaliapani ghat of river Guijan near Natun gaon under Guijan PS some 10 kms away from Tinsukia. The local people have alleged that the logs are illegally brought from Dibru Saikhowa and Dangari and have been kept concealed under water hyacinth.

Madhya Pradesh has the largest recorded forest area in the country. Forests constitute nearly 31 per cent of its geographical area. Forests are largely distributed in central, southern and eastern parts of the state. Teak and Sal are the two most important forest formations of the state.