Although over 50 affluent canals once used to flow through the capital and added to its lifeline, most of the water channels have been fully or partially choked, while the rest are under serious threat thanks to unabated encroachment.

New Delhi: The lid is finally off the mega UP government project facing Sector 15A of Noida that irked residents because of its encroachment on the Yamuna riverbed and alleged destruction of green areas.

Zafar Futehally

Opinion In the light of the manifest failure of the authorities to protect lakes from encroachment, the expertise and resources of civil society should be utilised, writes Zafar Futehally

The district administration has finally woken up to the reality of the dying Harmu rivulet and has initiated steps to protect it from encroachers.

Today, officials from the administration started measuring the rivulet to identify the areas where it has been encroached on. The drive, led by sadar sub-divisional officer (SDO) Manoj Kumar, will continue for a few more days.

Nearly 50 per cent of the 55,292 acre Government-owned grazing land (Amruth Mahal Kaval) has been encroached upon, in the State.

Disclosing this to reporters on Wednesday, Animal Husbandry Minister Revu Nayak Belamagi said over 21,000 acre of grazing land spread across six districts of Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Hassan, Tumkur, Mandya and Davanagere are encroached.

The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the government to accurately demarcate Dhaka's river system conducting cadastral survey within four months, for protecting the boundaries of the city's major rivers.

At the same time, the government has been asked to form a committee to make recommendations to protect all navigable rivers cross the country.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revenue Minister K P Rajendran presented the Kerala Land Conservancy (Amendment) Bill, 2009, in the Assembly on Monday. The Bill seeks to add more stringent clauses to protect the Government land.

The amendment has been brought to the Kerala Land Conservancy Act, 1957, which prescribes severe punishment for unauthorisedly occupying the Government land.

Green Voice Environmental Technology Engineering, Dhaka Polytechnic Institute unit launched a weeklong signature campaign at the institute yesterday to press home their demands for making the rivers free from encroachment and pollution.

A total of 400 students and teachers of different departments at the institute participated in the campaign.

Green Voice, an organisation working for environment, demanded steps to free the rivers, including Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakkhya and Balu, from encroachers and making them pollution-free.

They placed the demand at a human chain formed in front of the National Press Club in the city yesterday.

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.