Scrutiny reveals plenty of alleged violations

At least five water bodies appear to have been destroyed by granite quarry operators. This is the finding from the teams which are in the process of inspecting the granite quarries for alleged violations in Madurai district till Wednesday. Based on the former Collector U. Sagayam’s report on the deviations allegedly committed by granite companies in mining activities, the officials got into the act of carrying out an inspection.

Having exhausted most of its land bank, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) is planning to take up joint ventures with private land owners in the city, as well as in other parts of the State.

According to sources in TNHB, the proposal has been initiated as there is a paucity of land availability in and around the city. Moreover, the Board is facing difficulties in acquiring land for housing development.

JAIPUR: The state government's report on the initial action plan in dealing with encroachments and other unplanned and illegal construction activities in the Ramgarh dam's catchment area submitted to Rajasthan High Court has exposed its own flaws.

Admitting that the encroachments exist, the government report mentioned that in the Ramgarh dam area there is rampant illegal mining, illegal borewells, encroachment of forest land and reduction in size of catchment area resulting in depletion of both surface water and underground water table.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress unit has expressed serious concern over the gradual destruction or total disappearance of many lakes and ponds in different parts of the state and announced that a campa

JAIPUR: Implementing the order of the high court, the state government has issued directions that all allotments made in the catchment area of water bodies in the state since 1955 shall be cancelled and constructions in such places be demolished.

This was stated in the high court by additional advocate general R P Singh before Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari after submitting a detailed Action Taken Report where it has been said that a reference has been made to the Board of Revenue to cancel all such allotments.

GUWAHATI: Dispur is not taking the Assam’s inter-State boundary problem with Meghalaya seriously and has left the villagers living along the Meghalaya border at the mercy of the neighbouring State. This was alleged by the Greater Baisistha Development Coordination Committee.

According to the Greater Baisistha Development Coordination Committee, several acres of land in the Baisistha locality under Dispur Revenue Circle had been encroached upon by Meghalaya in the last few years. The encroachment by Meghalaya was also rampant at the Boko area in Kamrup district, said the Committee.

The Revolutionary Youth Front has called upon the State government to implement the recommendations of the Assembly Committee on Environment to protect wetlands and paddy fields in Aranmula.

In a statement here on Wednesday, Saleem P. Chacko, secretary of the organisation’s State unit, alleged that the promoters of a private airport project proposed in the locality had managed to obtain various clearances for the project through the backdoor, violating the laws of the land.

During the season of water regattas a river here has almost dried up. The water level in the Varattar which links the Pampa and the Manimalayar has been going down for the past 25 years. Even during the monsoon there is no water flow in the 9.5-kilometre-long river.

The sand mining has deepened the river bed level at the originating point near Arattupuzha. Instead of a bridge a short bund was constructed there 30 years ago which prevents the natural flow of water. Moreover, encroachments are rampant on either side of the river. On the encroached part of the river people have planted coconut trees and other plants.

Former Collector entrusted with the task

Acquiring land for the Kochi metro-rail project is all set to get an impetus, with former District Collector A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish being appointed as the Special Officer for land acquisition. He will continue to be the MD of Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala. The State government has entrusted Mr. Hanish with the task of hastening the pace of land acquisition.