Suggests steps to curb pollution at MPT

VASCO, JULY 23

JOWAI: Concerned over the devastating effect of mining on environment and its components, the Jaintia Forum for Biodiversity and Cultural Heritage (JFBCH) has urged the Central and the State Government and all the concerned authorities to stop issuing the clearance certificates for expansion of all the existing cements plants in Jaintia Hills District.

Eight out of ten factories and industrial parks in Vietnam breach environmental regulations, state media reported, citing a government study in the rapidly-industrialising country.

The survey of more than 400 enterprises found many "lacked even the most basic awareness of environmental issues,' said the deputy head of the Environmental Protection Department, Nguyen Hoa Binh, according to the state-run Vietnam News daily.

The Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, threatened the state government with a mass agitation if the latter failed to initiate action against the industrial units discharging effluents in Budda Nullah.

BHUBANESWAR: With increasing clamp down on sponge iron units over pollution issues, the manufacturers in Orissa have pleaded for a little more time for adoption of proper practices and infrastructure.

The sponge iron industry in the State is only eight years old and is making gradual improvement in putting in place mandated systems, practice and equipment for control of pollution, they said.

Salem

AGITATED by the lack of transparency in the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), 100 people, mostly farmers, on Tuesday sought clarifications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the District Environmental Engineer's office.
"TNPCB has consistently treated citizens as trouble-makers and enemies, and has gone out of its way to support polluters,' they alleged.

Flowing with ample rainwater a month and a half ago, the seasonal Ghaggar now has little water to offer.

Unscheduled long power cuts offering little time to farmers to irrigate land, an abysmally low water table and erratic flow of water in the Ghaggar are giving sleepless nights to tillers. Farmers with land along the river in the district are more concerned.

A farmer of Khareka village, Baijnath, who cultivates nearly four acres located near the Ghaggar, says these days one notices water in the river, but the flow is less.

dead fish floated down two parallel canals, carrying water from the Sutlej river in western Punjab southwards to Rajasthan, for two-three days in mid-June. For a stretch of about 50 km, from Harike in Ferozepur to Faridkot, the water had turned dark and stank of sewage. The water sanitation department of Faridkot town stopped using canal water for two days. The canals also supply water to

SANGUEM, JULY 13