The Saaja, Arjun, and Saal trees, which are available plenty in the forests, will now be used for the production of tusser on them. To start with, 2000 hectare area of forests has been identified for tusser production this year.

Bhopal: Forest Minister Sartaj Singh held a meeting with Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in connection with their cooperation to provide employment to the people living in forest areas of the state. He made it clear that the work will be done through the forest committees.

Hoshanganbad: JN Kansotia, Commissioner of Narmadapuram division, today instructed the officials of Water Resources Department to prepare projects of irrigation schemes in backward areas with no irrigation facilities.

The whole of Madhya Pradesh is facing severe heat wave conditions. As a result the availability of potable water is on decline. This year the summer arrived a bit early and its severity has also been more. As a result there has been rapid vaporisation of water from different sources. Bhopal is blessed for having the upper lake which fulfils the drinking water needs of a part of the city.

The in-charge minister of Hoshangabad district Vijendra Pratap Singh today inaugurated the district level Jal Yatra and Jal Sammelan at village Viavara. On this occasion he exhorted the participants to make the Jalabhishek Abhiyan a mass movement. Public partnership should be ensured at a large scale for this purpose.

Taking preventive measures with an apprehension of outbreak of contagious disease cholera and stop the onset and spread of communicable disease, Collector Nishant Barvade declared Hoshangabad district as the notified area. This order would be effective for the next six months.

The procurement which began in the state since March 15, is going on in full swing. All the 1200 procurement centres have become active now. Five lakh 30 thousand metric tonnes of wheat has been procured by March 31.

Hoshangabad: Use of polythene bags has been banned in an area of 200 metres limit from banks of the river Narmada in Hoshangabad.

The second International River Festival at Bandra Bhan, near the confluence of Rivers Narmada and Tawa in Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh, would be held from March 21 to 23. About 600 environmentalists, social workers, economists, agriculture scientists, doctors, teachers and students are expected to join this event.

The biological water quality of Narmada river is under category B-C, which is below average. The reason for the degradation of water quality is mainly due to human activities, including religious, recreational and agricultural.