Panipat, February 5
In a step to check the increasing pollution levels in this industrial city, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board has initiated a sealing drive to close down units which have failed to comply with the provisions of the Water Act of 1974.

S.S. NEGI

Its good news for bird lovers, Haryana's Sultanpur sanctuary is on its way to become a permanent abode for several colourful winged migratory species with the Centre soon notifying the area spread over 143 sq kilometres as a no construction zone.

Chandigarh:The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice of motion to state of Haryana and other respondents on a PIL claiming efforts were not being made for generating awareness on environment.

The petitioner, a Hissar-based NGO Green Earth, stated the SC had issued directions on November 22, 1991, that environment would be a compulsory subject at college and school level.

The water-bearing capacity of Sukhna Lake has come down from 1074.4 hectare metre to 513.28 hectare metre in 47 years (from 1958 to 2005). This was submitted by the Chandigarh Administration in a detailed reply to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has banned use of polythene bags made of virgin or recycled plastic with a thickness of less than 40 microns and size less than 12 x 18 inches, State Forests Minister Ajay Singh Yadav announced on Wednesday.

He disclosed that earlier the thickness and size of banned plastic bags was less than 30 microns and 8 x 12 inches respectively.

Waste liquid material from chemical and pesticide factories in Mandhor village, close to the city, has started polluting the village handpumps.

A few villagers met officials of the Haryana pollution Control Board at Panchayat Bhawan today. The chairman of the board addressed a meeting of panches and sarpanches on the precautions to be taken to check pollution in their villages.

Gurgaon: Gurgaon may have to follow in the footsteps of parched Delhi and depend on other states for water. A report by Ground Water Cell says that water level has gone down by 7.6 meters in the city and has been depleting at an average rate of 2 meter per year since the past three years.

CHANDGARH: All the households in Kaluana village of Sirsa district have access to sanitation facilities as it has managed to get rid of the practice of open defecation. And thanks to the plantation drive, it now wears a green cap. The village school has clean and functional toilets and has a pick-up van too. Kaluana generates electricity from its own biogas plant.

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has released 2,444 acres of land belonging to 1,952 farmers under its policy of releasing excess land mortgaged by the loanee farmers with cooperative banks.

An official spokesman said here on Monday that the scheme for release of excess land had been implemented in the State from December 2009.