Wildlife Lovers and forest officials in Orissa are of the view that the missile tests by the
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) off the Orissa coast have affected the mass nesting of the Olive Ridley sea turtles.

The draft Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) notification published recently by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for public comments will replace the existing Costal Regulation Zone (CRZ) when it is finalised. Attempts to protect the coastal stretch started in 1991 when developments were regulated with respect to the high tide line. In 2004, the MoEF set up a committee under the Chairmanship of M.S. Swaminathan to review the existing rules and recommend changes and if ne cessary recast the coastal regulatory framework.

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The Supreme Court has ordered the union government to "explore the possibility' of an alternative alignment (a route) for the Sethusamudram project and asked the Archaeological Survey of India to

A day-long awareness program on biodiversity and its conservation was held at Swahid Akshyendra High School premises recently. The program was sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, as a part of National Enviroment Awareness campaign and organized by Survival, an NGO in association with Assam Science Society. The program began with art and slogan writing competition among the students.

The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has just two day ago given its in principle clearance for the Rs 4,000-crore Navi Mumbai international airport. MoEF, in March, had deferred environment clearance for the project on the grounds that the airport would involve reclamation of low-lying areas in an ecologically fragile zone as well as destruction of several hectares of mangroves.

A scientific team from Ministry of Forest and Environment will conduct a study tour of the lakes of Sikkim later this month to prepare wetland conservation protection action plan. Scientists from Ministry of Forest and Environment are scheduled to arrive in Sikkim on May 24 to visit the lakes and for preparation of wetland conservation action plan, said C.Lachungpa, Conservator of Forests, State Forest Department.