The timber mafia, in connivance with criminal elements in Swat and Malakand area, is cutting trees at "free will" to foster deforestation in the country.

Advocate Mostafizur Rahman, State Minister of Environment and Forest Ministry held legal complexity and weak manpower responsible for improper action against man made pollution to environment.

He said this yesterday while addressing a press conference on World Environment Day scheduled to be observed today.

Paribesh Bachao Andolan (PBA) yesterday urged the government to form a high-powered commission to save rivers from encroachment and pollution and to increase navigability across the country.

The demand rose at a PBA sit-in programme in front of Krishi Bank Bhaban in Motijheel. They also formed a human chain as a part of the programme.

MUMBAI: Environmentalists are up in arms after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) recently converted a pathway into a six-kilometre tarred road that cuts through 102 hectares of mangroves along Thane Creek. Greens fear that the pucca road will encourage trespassing into the mangrove zone and encroachment by builders.

The State government will set in motion its ambitious plan of rejuvenating 33 lakes in Bangalore, at a cost of Rs 294 crore, with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa launching development works at the Ullalu lake on Wednesday.

The registration of new houseboats on Srinagar

SAMBALPUR: Unbridled growth and unchecked encroachments have posed a serious threat to natural resources, particularly water bodies. And this assumes significance at a time when climate change, manifested in growing heat in the cities like Sambalpur, is taking a heavy toll.

Sambalpur is hardly left with any forest cover and the water bodies are dying a slow death.

The builders and strongmen do no bother about the rules and regulations in Kolar. Several years old drainage system is closed and constructed road over it. In several places buildings have been constructed over the drainage. It is not that the high officials are not aware of what are going on in their area. They do know what are going on but don't bother to raise a finger against the culprits.

The parliamentary standing committee on the planning ministry yesterday recommended that the government legislate against construction on arable land.

It asked the land ministry to draft a law and place it before parliament.

R. Sujatha and Deepa H Ramakrishnan

Measures sought to remove encroachments, provide parking lots and ease traffic congestion

CHOKE-A-BLOCK: An aerial view of a busy Usman Road near Panagal Park.

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