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.

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