THE endangered lion-tailed macaque has become the mascot of the environmental agitation against the Sharavathy Tail Race Hydroelectric Project in Karnataka. Concerned about its negative impact on

Karnataka environmentalists have alleged that the state's pollution control board has not dealt firmly with highly polluting industries.

A proposal for a township near Bangalore as a lure to bring in huge investments from Japan is encountering opposition from farm and environmental groups.

Chidanandamurthy, a professor of Kannada and president of the Anti Japanese Township Forum, says the Japanese township project offers no advantages and will only exacerbate the state's problems.

Support for the model township has been coordinated mainly by N D Gangadhar, president of the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Assn.

The Bedti hydro-electric project in Karnataka is in the midst of another controversy. The project, which was scrapped in the early 1980s following protests from farmers and environmentalists, is

Over 2,500 hectares (ha) of forests in Kerala have been destroyed by fires this summer. Fires are reported to have destroyed extensive acreage in several of the 14 sanctuaries and national parks