Jalahalli residents’ protest against officials enters third day

The indefinite protest by the residents of Jalahalli, a village in Deodurg taluk, outside the office of the Jalahalli Gram Panchayat, entered the third day on Wednesday.

Giving itself discretionary powers on release funds to States under various Central schemes, the Planning Commission has decided to restructure 16 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) into Additional Central Assistance (ACA) Schemes. The new funding pattern will be effective from 2013-14.

While restructuring the CSSs will give more flexibility to the States to utilise the funds, it will also give the Planning Commission absolute control over the quantity of money to be released. CSS funds are routed through the Ministries, but once the new system is in place as many as 11 ministries will lose monetary control over their ambitious schemes.

Power producer NTPC's 7 million tons per annum (mtpa) coal mining project in Orissa has been recommended for green clearance, but with certain riders, by a committee of Environment Ministry.

"The Committee (Expert Appraisal) recommended the project for environmental clearance subject to... Conditions and subject to grant of Stage-I FC (Forestry Clearance) for the forestland found within the ML (Mining Licence)," sources said.

Government blamed for poor planning in implementing drinking water schemes

ROING: According to the North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management (NERIWLM), six districts of the State have arsenic contamination in their water sources causing concern for the

Distillation, reverse osmosis can help purify water
Water samples were found with undesirable levels of nitrate in Bangalore rural areas. Borewells in Bangalore Urban and Rural areas have shown the presence of high levels of nitrate, total hardness, pH and fluoride content, according to a recent study conducted by the Department of Mines and Geology.

BEHRAMPORE, 6 FEB: Hundreds of community tube-wells that serve as a source of drinking water are lying defunct for years leading to a drinking water crisis in the drought-hit areas of Murshidabad where the alternative water points also run dry during summer months.

In Mewat