Bhubaneshwar So many threats... and so much money to be made – the trade off is tragically tilted against the Indian tigers.

Coal mining for electricity generation is the biggest threat to India's tigers, a report by environmental activists Greenpeace warned, demanding a moratorium on clearances for new mines just days after massive blackouts highlighted power shortages. A hot-button issue in India, tiger conservation pits the need to preserve wildlife against the development needs of a country that witnessed the slowest economic growth in nine years in March and where hundreds of millions continue to live below poverty line.

Vinod Khobragade, the village official ( talathi ) of Baranj village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra who imposed a fine of Rs. 32 crore on the Karnataka Emta Coal Mines Limited (KECML) for alleged illegal mining, was suspended on Monday.

He had also accused the top district officials, including the District Collector, of involvement in the scam. “I have been suspended from service without even a show cause notice. They have suspended me for providing information to the media about the illegal mining scam in Chandrapur,” Mr. Khobragade told The Hindu over phone.

A talathi (village official) of a village in Chandrapur district has accused top district administrative officers, including the District Collector, of alleged involvement in an illegal mining scam worth Rs. 587 crore.

Vinod Khobragade, the talathi of Baranj village has complained to the State Revenue Minister, accusing the District Collector Vijay Waghmare and three other officers of being involved in the scam illegal mining.

Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre on Wednesday evening ended his hunger strike that he began on July 2, demanding effective steps for protection of tigers in the Vidarbha region, after the Maharashtra government agreed to accept almost all his demands.

“Chandrapur will be declared as a ‘tiger district’ and tigers in the non- protected areas will also be protected,” said Swanand Soni, who participated in the negotiations.

Of the deceased, seven were boys and six girls. “The clinical presentation of the cases suggest that these are cases of Chandipura virus. Encephalitis syndrome, sudden fever with convulsions and the affected age group of 1-15 years are strong indicators of Chandipura virus,” Assistant Director (Malaria), Health Services, V R Zare told The Indian Express. “Of course, we have sent about 75 serums for test to the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the results are expected soon,” he added.

June 11: Large parts of the state reeled under prolonged power cuts today after six units of DVC-operated thermal power plants at Bokaro and Chandrapura tripped as a result of technical snags.

It is time we called for zero-tolerance, not just on poaching, but also on trade in all tiger parts. Why does it always take a tragedy for the system to get rolling?

MUMBAI: For 480-odd farmers of Virur village in Chandrapur district, it was a pleasant surprise and a big relief when Coal India Ltd hiked the compensation for land acquisition from Rs 44,000 to Rs

Alarmed by the rise in poaching incidents, the Maharashtra government has said its forest staff would be empowered to shoot at poachers on sight while the National Tiger Conservation Authority dire

In an ambitious plan, the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco) is planning to commission 280 MW solar power capacity by July 2013.