Collective efforts by a group of individuals have brought a welcome change in the landscape of the holy city of Varanasi that once had abundant water bodies like ponds and pools or kunds.

These kunds, considered as sacred precincts, served as waters for ritual bathing in a religious city. In past few decades, these water bodies have been vanishing with some being completely depleted and encroached upon by vested interests.

It is estimated that the city has lost one-third of its green cover owing to encroachments, road widening and diverting forest lands for commercial purposes.

Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Akash Vashishtha & Anr. Vs Union of India & Ors regarding unauthorized and illegal constructions raised on the flood plain of river Yamuna dated 20/05/2013.

The need for achieving food security is felt significantly in the recent years due to enormous pressure from the ever increasing population in India. Owing to the change in preferences in crop production techniques over a period of time, several new challenges draw attention to food security. This article discusses various challenges to food security in India.

SHILLONG: UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh has questioned the State Government for failing to take concrete measures to arrest the problem of urban congestion in the State.

“Out of the total urban population in the State, 60 per cent of the population is concentrated in Shillong city. The increase in the population in Shillong is a result of huge floating population and also the large migration of people from the rural areas to the city,” Mawthoh said while moving a motion in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Pune: The municipal corporations of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad have been told to implement pay-and-park scheme in congested areas.

This is one of the 12-point action plan finalized at a high-level meeting convened by additional chief secretary (home) Amitabh Rajan for solving traffic problems of the city last week. The two corporations have also been asked to ensure there are no encroachments affecting movement of pedestrians and traffic.

NEW DELHI: North Delhi Municipal Corporation is finally ready with a redevelopment plan for special areas as directed by Master Plan 2021.

JAIPUR: All encroachments in BSF Amanishah Nullah, a dry river bed zigzagging through the city, will have to go by May 2013. The Rajasthan high court set the six-month deadline on Wednesday, though the state government requested nine months for the 'unpopular task' that it will now have to complete in an election year.

In another significant move, the court issued notices to 10 colonisers/societies allegedly responsible for the encroachments in the nullah and asked them to explain why they should not be made to pay the compensation. At the same time, the government has been told to probe the roles of its officers who connived with these colonisers/societies in settling people there.

Seeks Time Frame On Amanishah

Jaipur: The “selective approach” of the state government in removing encroachments in the Amanishah Nullah made the Rajasthan high court see red on Monday with the bench asking, “Are we in a jungle raj in Rajasthan?” Pulling up the state for tardy governance, a division bench of Rajasthan HC asked chief secretary C K Mathew to file an affidavit by Wednesday on a time frame to remove the remaining encroachments.

The dying lakes in the City have now become the dumping grounds for the mounting garbage in the metropolis.

A truck dumps garbage near Subramanyapura Lake in Bangalore on Wednesday. The trend, an apparent step towards eventual encroachment, has is hastening the demise of the lakes, and one example is the Subramanyapura Lake in Uttarahalli ward in Bangalore South constituency. Already choked due to sewage from the nearby apartments let directly into it and rampant encroachment by the slum-dwellers, the lake is now facing a new threat from garbage contractors.

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