Has the absence of the world leaders, including US President Barrack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, undermined the Rio+Earth Summit kick starting at Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday?

The UN under secretary-general for economic and social affairs Sha Zukang, who is responsible for the summit, has issued a statement that the absence of these leaders will not affect the meet, especially since the points of view of these nations will be represented in the political document currently under negotiation

To compensate any adverse impact of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) on the ecology along the alignment, the development agency in charge will implement a list of measures, including construction of a flamingo park, a mangrove park and environment education centres.

A Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) official said the agency would implement all the measures suggested by the consultants with the help of local non-governmental organisations. The agency will spend Rs 200-300 crore to monitor and improve the ecology of the mudflats, water quality, air quality, noise pollution and solid waste management.

Veteran water conservationist Rajinder Singh, better known as Waterman, on Monday called upon the Union Government to put a ban on building of dams across the Ganga and take effective steps to restore its sanctity.

Addressing spiritual leaders and civil society members at Raj Ghat here, Mr. Singh, who heads Ganga Mukti Sangram, said the campaign will continue till the Union Government stops the proposed building of 39 dams across the sacred ancient river which is revered by all Indians. He said it was not a one-day event but a long journey.

“The Prime Minister should consider the development and aspirations of the deprived people of Uttarakhand and not give in to pressure tactics of anti-India forces that staged a drama at Rajghat and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today,” said Jan Manch convenor Rajendra Todaria.

Senior Uttarakhand State activist and journalist Jai Prakash Uttarakhandi addressing media persons in Mussoorie threatened renewal of “Uttarakhand-type agitation” if the Centre does not immediately order resumption of work on all the suspended power projects.

DEHRA DUN, 17 JUNE: Ahead of the seers' protest in New Delhi tomorrow over the conservation of River Ganga, a three-member Central team today made an assessment of the controversial 330 Megawatt Al

Four lakh carrybags are used in Thrissur every day

It took school children to show what the elders failed to do in the city. Alarmed by the increasing environmental threat posed by plastic, students of Devamatha CMI Public School in the city launched an anti-plastic drive by distributing 1,700 paper carrybags at the Sakthan Thampuran market on Friday.

BICHOLIM: Accusing a mining company of violating the North Goa District Magistrate's order, environmentalist Ramesh Gawas on Tuesday demanded that the company demolish a compound wall on the road.

It may be recalled that the district magistrate had banned public transport along the old road between Bicholim to Sarmanas passing through mining zone at Dhabdhaba-Bicholim. The notification dated October 25, 2011, was issued under Section 115 of Motor Vehicles Act 1988.

A seminar on ‘effective waste treatment measures' jointly organised by the district chapter of the Institution of Engineers and the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) here on Thursday called upon the city Corporation to take up a public campaign for solid-waste treatment by mobilising the support of all residents' associations, merchant forums, and commercial establishments.

The seminar, which pinpointed the futility of hunting for superior technologies for waste treatment, also urged the Corporation to promote the setting up of maximum number of vermicompost units and biogas plants at households to address the waste management crisis.

Pollution Control Board steps up drive on e-waste

The next time you go to buy a laptop or a hard disk at one of those swanky showrooms, chances are that the salesperson would, besides telling you the features of the device, also give you detailed instructions on how to discard the equipment and the contact details of their collection centres. If she does not do so, you might have to ask for them, because according to the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011,

PANJIM: Environmentalist Madhav Gadgil who heads Western Ghats Ecological Expert Panel (WGEEP) refused to specify the exact length of buffer zone for Goa wildlife sanctuaries but said that ‘it should be in several kilometers.’

On Thursday, Gadgil, made a presentation of his report, which has been lying with the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) for over last five months. The Ministry has now invited suggestions and objections on the report from stakeholders and state government.