Gaza's only fresh source of water is too dangerous to drink because of contamination by fertiliser and human waste, a new report yesterday said.

Higher crude oil price was responsible for the pulling down the country’s GDP growth to 6.9 per cent last year from about eight per cent, petroleum minister Jaipal Reddy said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the fifth OPEC International Seminar in Vienna on Wednesday, Reddy said, “It is estimated that a sustained 10 dollar increase in oil prices lead to a 1.5 per cent reduction in the GDP of developing countries. We have seen evidence of this in our own country. India’s GDP grew at 6.9 per cent during the last financial year down from the eight per cent plus growth rate experienced in the past few years”.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to ensure that prices of fertilisers including DAP are not increased this year.

This year, World Environment Day comes at a time when India’s growth story has run into trouble.

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav presented his first budget in the state assembly on Friday morning. The budget 2012-13 is of Rs 2 lakh crore, which is 18% higher than 2011-12 budget.

In what may be termed as a clear indication of imminent slowdown in the economy, the growth rate of eight infrastructure decelerated sharply to 2.2 per cent in April as against 4.2 per cent growth

BHUBANESWAR: The Krushak Morcha of the BJP on Wednesday assailed the State Government for its failure to solve the farmers’ problems.

India on Wednesday signed the gas sale purchase agreement (GSPA) for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline, which upon completion would diversify its gas basket. With domestic gas output stagnating, the $7.6-billion Tapi gas project provides a ray of hope.

In five years, the country would have access to imported natural gas, in addition to imported liquefied natural gas and domestic sources, including coal bed methane gas.

Drought and disease have devastated life of coconut growers in the district. Rubbing salt into their wounds is the slump in price of copra and coconut.

Various diseases, including pest attack and stem bleeding, have ravaged crops on thousands of acres. Coconut trees in the rain-fed regions of Madhugiri, Pavagad, Sira and Koratagere have withered, leaving the distraught farmers in debt trap. The diseases have destroyed crop in and around 15 acres of plantation at Baragur in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk and scores of acres in Hosakere, Nittur, CS Pur hoblis in Gubbi taluk