Jaisalmer: An earthquake measuring 5.3 on Richter scale at Mokla near Indo-Pak border on Thursday gave a blow to the 853-year-old Jaisalmer Fort, the only fort in the country with people living in it. The walls of the fort were damaged, raising concerns about the architectural marvel

environment Jaipur halts limestone mining The Rajasthan government has denotified the region in and around Jaisalmer for limestone mining. Though the reason behind denotification is not clear, the move comes days after the government rejected applications by leading cement companies for mining lease in the region. Companies such as Mangalam Cement, Sanghi Industries, Birla Cement

The Rajasthan Government has sanctioned Rs.88 crore for a new lift scheme to supply drinking water to rural areas in the desert districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer. The lift scheme will carry waters from the Indira Gandhi Canal to 177 villages in Jaisalmer district and 403 in Barmer.The scheme, originating at Pokhran, would get 90 cusecs of water from the canal head in Nachna. A pumping station at Tota village will lift the water and it will flow ahead by natural gravity. According to an official release here, the scheme's route has been set through Phalsoond and Balotra to reach Siwana.

The Rajasthan Government on Thursday declared 2,381 villages in 10 districts as scarcity-hit following extensive damage to rabi crops caused by frost and cold wave earlier this year. The maximum number of 1,722 such villages are in Jaipur, followed by 249 in Sriganganagar, 178 in Jhalawar, 103 in Tonk, 43 in Nagaur, 29 in Jodhpur, 25 in Sawai Madhopur, 14 in Bikaner, 13 in Sikar and five in Jaisalmer.

THE Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's Golden Jubilee Museum located in Dehra Dun is a big hit with schoolchildren and tourists.

The Rajasthan Cabinet has decided to amend the State's laws on exporting/transporting cattle in order to facilitate export and migration of the high quality Nagauri calves to other parts of the country. However, there is a catch: the bovines would be allowed to be transported to the States where a ban on cow slaughter already exists. Conceding the long-time demand of farmers from Nagaur district, the Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje decided to carry out amendments to the Rajasthan Cow Slaughter, Prohibition and Regulation of Temporary Migration and Export of Bovine Elements Act, 1955. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore, who briefed journalists later, said the Government had acted on the recommendations of a Cabinet committee headed by Home Minister G. C. Kataria in this regard. The amendments would allow export of Nagauri calves above the age of 2 years for agricultural and dairy purposes, he pointed out. Nagauri bulls are know for their quality and resilience and even in the current Assembly there has been an outcry from the MLAs from Nagaur district for lifting the ban on the sale and transport of calves. The ban made it unviable for the farmer to breed the Nagauri variety, which eventually was leading to its extinction, they had pointed out. More autonomy In another decision the Cabinet resolved to accept the recommendations of the A. K. Vaidhyanathan Committee to provide more autonomy to the cooperative bodies in the State. The State would carry out about a dozen amendments and insert Section 47 A in the Rajasthan Cooperative Act to facilitate the increased autonomy. The Cabinet also decided to launch urban development projects in 15 towns of the State with financial assistance totalling 273 million US dollars from the Asian Development Bank. The project, with a funding format of 70:30 (70 percent from ADB and the rest from the State Government and local bodies) would carry out schemes on drinking water, sewerage, drainage, road, flyovers, development of slums and heritage properties besides garbage management and improving fire-fighting. The beneficiary towns would include Alwar, Bharatpur, Sikar, Churu, Sawai Madhopur, Barmer, Jaisalmer and Jhalrapatan. Mr. Rathore said the Government proposes to amend the Rajasthan Financial Act, 2006, to relax conditions for filing petitions in the case of disputes over land tax assessment.

Jaisalmer fort and the rest of the of the city was built for heat, with wind corridors and the architecture providing built-in comfort for its denizens. Jaisalmer is not unique. Cherrapunji, the

In the nearby villages kids are seen sleeping peacefully in their chanwra a round hutin the hot afternoon. The people in Jaithwai village have kuttcha houses with ceilings of kheenpa locally available bush. A mix of dung and mud makes the walls of the houses, and occasionally a few rocks; and the holes in the walls keep the huts less hot.

According to an assessment by the international Water Management Institute, out of Rajasthan's total geographical area of 342,226 sq km, the potential aquifer area for groundwater is 217,947sq km.

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