The much-publicised zoological park of international standards at Aarey Milk colony may finally see the light of day. State Forest minister Babanrao Pachpute said that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has given his approval to the project on June 5, following the state forest department seeking an approval from him.

In order to stop the damage to the environment by cutting trees during various festivals, Mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale on Wednesday said the civic administration would initiate action against those selling branches of trees in the city.

MUMBAI: Farmers affected by the Reliance group's Mumbai Special Economic Zone (MSEZ) blocked the Mumbai-Goa highway at Vashi Naka near Pen in Raigad district for over two hours on Tuesday alleging that the government went back on its assurances. The protesters led by senior Peasants and Workers Party leader N.D. Patil were later arrested.

Over 2000 saplings of rare medicinal species were planted at a program mme at Fort Jadhavgadh on Saturday. More than 200 volunteers of Senior Citizens Club, Lokmanya Nagar, Sadhana Vidyalaya, Hadapsar, employees of Fort Jadhavgadh Hotel took part in the project .

The proposed garbage depot on 57 acres of forest land at Punawale, which is facing severe opposition from all quarters, has put the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in a tight spot. As political parties are up in arms against the depot coming up near the Mumbai-Pune highway, there are a list of 14 conditions whose compliance is being sought by the forest department.

City incinerates 1 tonne bio-medical waste a day Nearly one tonne of bio-medical waste is generated and disposed of in Pune each day. While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has outsourced the activity to a private firm Sun Enviro Limited to collect the waste and dispose it at the incineration facility at Kailash crematorium, efforts are now underway to woo over 6,000 small dispensaries to join the scheme. According to Piyush Solanki, assistant general manager of Sun Enviro, "so far, only 250 dispensaries and clinics have been registered.'

MUMBAI: Union Minister for Petroleum Murli Deora on Monday approved a price increase for ethanol in Maharashtra which will now be sold at Rs 21.50 a litre. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has been pushing for an increase in the rate for ethanol after a demand from the State's sugar cooperatives and had met the Prime Minister in this regard last week. This decision was taken after a meeting between Mr. Deora and Mr. Deshmukh here on Monday. Proportion

As the head of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been caught like a doe between covert economics and overt populism. No surprise then that the Government chose to issue a press release with blank spaces, on the "marginal" hike effected on petrol, diesel and cooking gas. Clearly, the Government is finding it tough to do its math in a manner that it can convince consumers already hard hit by 8.1 per cent inflation. It has no qualms making the aam aadmi pay more for everything, rather than lose out on its own revenues.

The longevity of a banyan tree is often compared with at least seven life spans of a human being and hence women worship this tree for the well-being of their family, especially husband. These days, with more and more women working, there is no time to do the "pheras" around the banyan tree. Hence, small time vendors chop branches and sell them at the market which are bought by women and worshipped.

A week after fishermen complained of oil wastes polluting the Mahul creek and after the RPF police instructed Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) officials