• The highly endangered bird kharmore ( lesser florican ) has been sighted in village Tarkhedi, about 70 kilometres from Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh.

• India has joined an international programme aimed at helping scientists, teachers and students to study and research the dynamics of the Earth's environment. The programme is coordinated by the us 's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

• The Rajasthan government is planning to completely ban the use of recycled plastic bags from November 1, 2000. According to a report, plastic bags are responsible for deaths of seventy-five per cent cows dying in the Jaipur. The city Municipal Corporation is spending Rs 25 lakh every year to clear sewer lines choked up with plastic bags.

• The Union labour ministry in collaboration with the governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra has mooted the idea of implementing a national action plan for maintaining good air and water quality in the country. This is being done to safeguard the health of people.

• The railway protection force has seized 1,420 olive ridley turtles from a train. The turtles were found in the Chennai-Howrah Coromondel Express at Howrah station.

• The latest assessment report on the state of forests in India shows that the forest cover has marginally increased, unlike the trend witnessed in 1980s.

• A website which will voice the concerns of people across the world about global warming has been launched by 16 environmental organisations. The website www.climatevoice.org is the first international website where people can mail their views regarding climate change.

• A new forest policy has been formulated by the Jammu and Kashmir government to preserve the green cover of the state. The policy will also help in decentralising the functioning of the various wings of the state forest department in order to improve their efficiency.

• Almost the entire city of Bhopal is getting contaminated water, which is unfit for consumption. The water gets contaminated due to poor maintenance of water supply lines.