Gangtok, July 12: Trekking enthusiasts who litter mountain trails with disposables in Sikkim now have to cough up a fine of Rs 5,000.

The fine will be imposed on tourists travelling along the famed Geochala and Dzongri high altitude trails of the Kanchenjungha National Park in West and North districts of the state.

Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), the virgin pockets of the forests, in the Sikkim Himalaya, was known earlier as National Park since 1977 covering 1,784 km. The vascular plant diversity of KBR is remarkable having 1580 vascular plants.

Students and young people are at the forefront of a protest against hydel projects that are being planned in Sikkim. AT THE VENUE of the relay fast that has continued in Gangtok since June 2007. The Affected Citizens of Teesta comprises students, professionals and former politicians. DAWA LEPCHA has a tube stuck up his nose. It goes right down to his stomach. Sometimes, while he is asleep, it moves and chokes him. But the tube is his only sustenance. The juices poured through it are the only nourishment that keeps him alive.

Around the world, the old paradigm,

The boundary of Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in Nepal is being expanded. This will make the whole belt of northeastern Nepal a protected area for flora and fauna. At present the area covers 1,650

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