After the job guarantee scheme played a crucial role in UPA’s reelection the government is working on a plan to reach out to 100 mil lion tribals to ensure remun eration for minor forest pro duce.

INDORE: Known for its green cover, Madhya Pradesh now has a share of threatened species. If one goes by a study by forest department, of 2,300 listed plant species around 45 plant species are threatened and 36 near threatened in state.

For tribals and villagers residing on the periphery of forests, these species have religious, medical, agricultural and economic value and are in need of conservation.

Plantation Land Conversion Only For Improving Economic Conditions

The revenue department has come up with an order plugging the loopholes in the amendment of the Kerala Land Reforms Act 1963, which allowed conversion of 5% plantation land for other purposes. In an order issued on March 7, the department has clarified that the exemption is allowed only for improving the economic conditions of plantations that cannot be changed hands.

Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) on Wednesday agreed to provide a loan assistance of Rs 655 crore for developing and enhancing non-timber forest products (NTFP) in Uttarakhand.

This was decided at a meeting at the secretariat here where a 5-member delegation from JICA met state chief secretary Alok Kumar Jain. "Jica has agreed to work on the non-timber forest products in the Himalayan region," said an official statement said.

SHILLONG: Majority of the MDCs have expressed serious concern over the rapid depletion of the forest cover in the Council forest area even as suggesting on the need to encourage plantation of trees with the support of the traditional institutions like Hima, Raid and Dorbar Shnong.

While moving a motion on the issue of rapid depletion of forest cover, Laitkroh MDC Carmel Sohtun said that it is really painful to see the less number of trees in majority of the forest under the Council.

Security mechanisms in Sindhupalchok, Ramechhap and Dolakha districts have been mobilised along the Gaurishankar Conservation Area to control rising cases of wildlife and vegetation smuggling.

New Delhi: A formal tree census protocol was released on Thursday which indicates various measurements and observations to be made while carrying out the tree count in Delhi. The exercise will be taken up by 11 schools, two colleges and four resident welfare associations in February.

At a workshop organized by the Green Circle of Delhi, S D Singh, CEO of Delhi Parks and Gardens Society explained the mechanism for carrying out a tree census. The list was compiled in collaboration with activists working on tree preservation issues in the city.

In a first of its kind experiment to identify specific trait from country's huge genetic resources, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) has characterised more than 5000 varieties of wheat germplasms for development of better seed varieties which could withstand climate change issues.

The national seed bank which operates under NBPGR, has more than four lakh accessions out of which around 1.2 lakh belongs to only rice and wheat varieties.