Chinese engineers are starting to make headway against lakes that have formed behind landslides, threatening yet more devastation on the earthquake-stricken valleys downstream. Last week's big tremor changed the landscape of northern Sichuan province, as mountainsides were obliterated along the Longmenshan fault. In Hongguang, in northeastern Sichuan, the earthquake caused both sides of a valley to slide, burying three villages and 900 people. The Qingzhu River is trapped behind. "The mountains merged," said Gao Xiao, who barely escaped a landslide that roared past her house.

The famous Samaguri lake, popularly known as Samaguri beel, covering an area of 64 hectares is to be converted into a scenic tourist spot. It has been learnt that the Government of Asom has sanctioned an amount of Rs 3 crore for the proposed project. To attract both local and foreign tourists, the Tourism Department has put a proposal to construct an ethnic village representing ethnic groups like Karbi, Dimasa, Missing, Tiwa et al depicting their traditional customs and culture within the ambit of the project.

A scientific team from Ministry of Forest and Environment will conduct a study tour of the lakes of Sikkim later this month to prepare wetland conservation protection action plan. Scientists from Ministry of Forest and Environment are scheduled to arrive in Sikkim on May 24 to visit the lakes and for preparation of wetland conservation action plan, said C.Lachungpa, Conservator of Forests, State Forest Department.

privatization of lakes in Bangalore is a sore point. Environment Support Group, an ngo in Bangalore, filed a petition regarding this in the Karnataka High Court in January this year. "It's

Officials prepare for the burial of birds. (Kundan Yolmo) Residents of Sukna army cantonment and visitors to Madhuban Park and Umrao Singh Lake situated inside the military area will no longer be able to have a glimpse of a major attraction thanks to the outbreak of bird flu. Over 200 ducks, swan and geese, which inhabited these recreational sites, have been culled as the deadly disease was detected just 500m from the cantonment.

In a rare victory to the residents, the BMC's tree authority has backtracked from hacking hundreds of trees for the Powai Lake beautification, settling to move just 30 trees in a new proposal. The authorities have also agreed to plant 300 more trees around the jogging track to make the area lush. In February, the tree authority had put notices on 150 trees that would be uprooted to lay a two km jogging track as part of the Rs 12-crore beautification project. However, after three months of incessant protests by residents, the tree authority last week reconsidered their proposal.

Kapla beel at Sarukshetri mouza in Barpeta district is the largest beel in Asom. This wetland filled with natural, geographical and historical resources and encompassing a huge area has the potential to be developed as a tourist destination or spot. But unfortunately this opportunity is lost amid a saga of differences between the State Government and the Fishery Department. The apathy and indifference of the authorities have denied the Kalpa beel its place of pride on the tourist map.