Bangalore: Ministers for Information and BWSSB Katta Subramanyam Naidu and Medical Education Ramachandra Gowda on Wednesday assured members in the Upper House that the government would not privatise lakes in and around Bangalore City. During the debate on the issue, the Ministers also promised that they would take steps to take back those lakes which have already been handed over to private parties.

Hyderabad, June. 24: A promise made by the former Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, to local villagers is hampering the Kolleru lake restoration. He had assured them that the boundary will be reduced to the third contour and this has prompted them to oppose the moves by forest officials the fix the boundary at fifth contour.

Karunanidhi lays foundation for a barrage across the Cauvery at Kattalai "We continue to suffer and have to struggle, fight legal battles or plead with the Centre to get our share of water.' PRESSING THE BUTTON: Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi laying the foundation stone for the flood prevention and Mayanur bed regulator in Tiruchi on Tuesday. (From left) Transport Minister K.N. Nehru, Law and PWD Minister Durai Murugan are in the picture.

Divya Gandhi PCCF's status report submitted to High Court In an assessment of the impact of privatisation on Bangalore's lakes, the State Forest Department has described the Lake Development Authority's programme of leasing out lakes to private developers as one that "seems to be taking all the ills of modern, built-up and paved-over, urban life into these hitherto natural spaces'. It has recommended that the lakes be declared as "nature or bird preserves'.

The Khulna City Corporation along with the district administration launches a drive on June 29 to pull down unauthorised structures along a river and 21 canals in and around the city. The corporation and the district administration issued notices on June 18 and 19 asking the encroachers to shift their structures by June 28, corporation sources said adding that many of the structures were built hindering the flows of the river and canals

Kolleru lake would be developed at a cost of nearly Rs 860 crore over five years as the international non-governmental agency, Wetland International South Asia, has prepared proposals to that effect at the behest of the state government. Of the total cost proposed for development, a whopping Rs 500 crore has been allocated for water management works.

Environmentalists and social activists led by G D Aggarwal are headed for Delhi to continue with their campaign against construction of power projects between Gangotri and Uttarkashi. After the Uttarakhand Government decided to halt work on the Pala Maneri and Bhiron Ghati projects, the campaigners are now targeting the 600-mw Lohari Nagpala project being executed by the National Thermal Power Corporation. Aggarwal's fast unto death entered its 10th day on Sunday when he left the Manikarnika ghats of Uttarkashi to shift base to Delhi.

Those opposing it are anti-Tamil, says Union Minister Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu (second from left) releasing a book on Sethusamudram project, written by Congress leader A. Gopanna (left) in Chennai on Friday. Also in the picture are Union Minister G.K. Vasan, Congress leader S.R. Balasubramoniyan and D. Sudarssanam, Congress Legislature Party leader. CHENNAI: The Centre will cross all hurdles in implementing the Sethusamudram project, a 150-year-old dream of Tamil Nadu, Union Minister for Shipping and Road Transport T.R. Baalu said on Friday.