Over 10,000 acres grabbed by 25,000 families from other areas: Numerous trees stolen by loggers Jasim Majumder, back from Bagaihat, Rangamati A scene from fast depleting Baghaichhari Reserve Forest in Rangamati, where outsiders often clear off trees to set up dwelling houses. Photo: STAR Bagaihat Reserve Forest in Rangamati is threaten with extinction due to grabbing and illegal felling of trees by loggers and timber traders.

The preliminary data of a tree census conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is bound to give nature lovers in the city a cause for celebration. According to the data there are over 18 lakh trees in Mumbai. The civic body has said that the figure indicates an increase in the green cover over the last five years. However, the figures could also be attributed to the new parameter of measurement which categorizes a 4 feet high sapling with a diameter of 4 meter as a tree. The civic body will provide cash incentives to citizens to increase the green cover of the city.

The countdown has begun for chopping three more trees on the ITO - Delhi Gate stretch in order to facilitate the expansion of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. The "massacre of the greens" on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg would add to the 10,000 trees felled earlier. Cocking a snook at the Government's order stalling further expansion of the corridor, construction work continues unabated.

91.9 FM Radio Indigo, the country's first and only international hit music station, went green for Earth Day 2008 by teaming up with Mr Farmer, Guirim, to add new varieties of trees to people's gardens. They recently visited different houses across Goa

Portugal is struggling to contain a new outbreak of nematodes, microscopic worm-like organisms that are killing wild pine trees and threaten to spread abroad despite drastic measures to stop their advance. The government cut a 430 km (265 mile) corridor through Portugal's southern forests last year to contain the Pine Wilt Nematode within a 1 million hectare (2.47 million acres) area, about one ninth of Portugal's forested land.

Authorities of the horticulture and forest departments dealing with survey and compensation payment for the evacuees of the three-decade-old Somasila project have reportedly siphoned off compensation funds, meant for those who lost their trees along with their lands. Farmers said officials had created false records, mentioning the presence of hundreds of trees and thereby sharing the compensation amount.

The water body signifying the Indian ocean which was earlier designed to run through the zoo has been excluded from the plan The Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, Byculla, presented its altered zoo makeover map on Monday, while announcing that tenders would be floated in just two months for the same and the work will kick off soon. The new plan has now been "designed around the trees, without harming any vegetation more than 4 ft in height', according to Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Gardens) V B Pawar.