coastal campaign: The National Fishworker's Forum began a two-month campaign in Gujarat to draw public attention to the centre's move to dilute Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991, and

According to an Assocham study, the lethal fake drugs market is growing at 25% annually.

A paracetamol tablet that fails to bring the fever down or, more seriously, a capsule for a heart condition that has no curative effect

The unabated illegal felling of valuable trees is threatening the existence of Dibru Saikhowa, a biosphere reserve in Tinsukia district. Sources said that mediapersons yesterday recovered 25 logs which have been illegally felled and kept hidden in Kaliapani ghat of river Guijan near Natun gaon under Guijan PS some 10 kms away from Tinsukia. The local people have alleged that the logs are illegally brought from Dibru Saikhowa and Dangari and have been kept concealed under water hyacinth.

The illegal international trade in environmentally sensitive items such as ozone depleting substances, toxic chemicals, hazardous waste, and endangered species is a serious problem with global impact. This scourge which affects all countries threatens human health, deteriorates the environment, and results in revenue loss for governments in some cases. In fact the illegal trade in wildlife can be as profitable as dealing in narcotics.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government's clean slate denying any reported case of illegal possession of shahtoosh items has come under tough scrutiny before the Supreme Court. At pains to implement a State law banning trade in shahtoosh items for the past five years, the Court took the State's assertion with a pinch of salt and instead asked the State machinery to come up with the true facts before July this year.