The name Abdul Khader Chaudhury does not strike a chord. But he and two others are allegedly responsible for the fast-dwindling tiger population in India. Chaudhury (69), along with two other notorious wildlife traders from Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, has reportedly smuggled around 600 tiger skins outside the country, in their association spanning more than two decades. He was arrested by the Karnataka State CID Forest Cell on Sunday, from his house in Hyderabad. He was wanted in Hubli and Haliyal cases.

Sudheendra Aithal of Udupi district was known as an animal lover. He was so fond of wild life that he had almost turned his house into a mini zoo. His dual face was exposed when the CID/Forest Cell of Karnataka police raided his house in October last year. "We were just shocked to see the rare animals he had caged in his house. It was a mini zoo where he had altogether 51 animals and birds, which according to the law cannot be caged or made pets,' says the IGP of CID, Forest, KSN Chikkerur.

Karnataka might soon have a wildlife crime bureau on the lines of the National Wildlife Crime Bureau, which was set up on the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. The threat to wildlife in the State is more from indigenous tribes than from outsiders. "We are convinced that the Hakki Pikki tribe is involved in the inter-state poaching racket in Karnataka forests. They have nexus with tribes in other states like the Bahelias in Madhya Pradesh and Pardis in Gujarat,' said Inspector General of Police (CID, Forest Cell) KSN Chikkerur.

The country's hottest tourist destination, Goa, will go green as gas utility GAIL has suggested extending its proposed Dabhol-Bangalore pipeline to the state for supplying the environment-friendly fuel. The state-owned firm also plans to start supplying piped gas in kitchens of Karnataka and help launch CNG (compressed natural gas) services for automotive use in the state, according to chairman U D Choubey.

Prolonged political instability in Karnataka leading up to the imposition of the Presidents rule last November appears to have adversely impacted the implementation of various welfare schemes in the State. According to an updated status report on the implementation of the UPA government's flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the State has dropped seventeen positions, from 2nd position last financial year to 19th position during the current fiscal year.

Budget 2008 may have rehab cess for stressed farmers

GAIL will supply gas to Bangalore If GAIL has its way, Maharashtra and Karnataka will have natural gas flowing by 2011. A 730-km pipeline will carry gas from Dabhol, where the Ratnagiri Gas & Power's LNG terminal is located, to Bangalore. The Rs 2,500 crore project, cleared in principle by the GAIL Board, is expected to spark off an economic boom in Karnataka's Tier-II cities and towns. GAIL hopes the supply of gas will benefit industries in the two states in a big way. It plans to design its pipelines in such a way as to transport 16 mn standards cubic metres per day, but that depends on the source and customer tie-up. The pipeline, as proposed, will pass through Ratnagiri & Kolhapur (Maharashtra) and Belgaum, Dharwad, Haveri, Davangere, Chitradurga and Tumkur (Karnataka). All these towns, a GAIL spokesman said, will see gas distribution projects coming up. KPMG Assistant Director Kumar Manish believes that natural gas will help industries that are currently using naphtha or diesel to save some costs. According to him, the pipeline will prod a large number of commercial consumers and small industries to switch from the liquid fuel to gas. The gas would work out cheaper than the commercial LPG. The Dabhol-Bangalore pipeline is among the five new pipelines GAIL has planned. Together, they form an integrated national gas grid.

the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently launched a national programme on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases

protest is building up against Kundil Sponge Iron Ltd's unit in Londa town in Belgaum district, Karnataka. People are planning to take to the streets to protest against the rising pollution in the