Villagers of Deussua-Chinchinim in one voice on Sunday opposed high rise housing projects in the village and have served a 21-day deadline on the panchayat to take steps to collect and dispose off the waste in the village jurisdiction.

The villages have also formed an Action Committee to pursue the demands and to chalk out an action plan.
Agitated villagers assembled near the St Anthony Chapel

Gosaba (Pathankhali island), 1 Feb: The villagers of Pathankhali island finally got electricity today. The Sunderban development minister Mr Kanti Ganguly inaugurated the programme. The estimated cost of the project of providing electricity to the village is Rs 22 crore. Work is underway to provide electricity to the 12 gram panchayats in Gosaba.

This report provides an overview of the joint Ministry of Power-UNDP project that seeks to improve access to clean energy and demonstrate mechanisms to manage more effectively, energy and electricity at district levels in Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Access to clean energy is an important ingredient of any energy and development policy.

Pollution and displacement increasingly threaten the life and livelihood-indeed the very existence - of several rural communities. Panchayati Raj can play a very important role in checking this, but this potential has not been adequately realised yet. A lot of work needs to be done to realise this potential of panchayat raj in checking pollution and displacement.

The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, which met here on Monday, approved a revised bid document for privatisation of all hydel projects above five megawatt capacity. It also gave a green signal to the power department to invite bids for 18 new hydel projects.

Bhopal: The Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran co ltd (MPKVV) has started preparations to supply needed electricity to the farmers for irrigation during the Rabi season. MPKVV is going to take effective measures to make arrangements to supply adequate electricity to the farmers and prevent as much as possible undeclared power-cuts during the Rabi season.

BHUBANESWAR: Forget about remote tribal pockets and Naxal-hit areas, this gram panchayat in Bhadrak district is going without power even after six decades of Independence.

Farmers of Mankulam village panchayat in Kerala

In the course of a visit to about 25 villages located in four districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, the author came across several examples of village communities coming together to fight pollution and displacement. In some cases a leading role has been played by elected village pradhans.

Joining issue with villagers of 10 panchayats, the Himalaya Niti Abhiyan has also lent support to the cause of villagers who are opposing the 30 MW captive thermal plant being set up at Bagheri by the JP Associates.

This organisation was a coalition of environment activists and community movement leaders from across Himachal.

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