-The United Nations The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2012, continuing an upward trend which is driving climate change and which will shape the future of the planet for hundreds and thousands of years, according to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The agency's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin shows that between 1990 and 2012, there was a 32 per cent increase in radiative forcing...

-The Telegraph Bhubaneswar: The housing and urban development department of the Odisha government has submitted a proposal of Rs 559 crore to the Centre for construction of houses in the Phailin and flood-ravaged Berhampur city. While the department has sought assistance of Rs 313 crore under the Rajeev Awas Yojana for rebuilding houses for the 13 seriously affected localities inhabited by slum dwellers, Rs 246 crore has been sought to provide sewerage,...

-The Hindu     In Uttarakhand, women take the lead role in reviving and maintaining civil forests under Van Panchayats even in the face of several obstacles Munni Adhikari, a resident of Dhaura Gram Sabha in Lamgara block of Uttarakhand's Almora district, lives in an idyllic setting: green slopes covered with tall pine and oak trees, wild flowers in full bloom, neat little terrace farms... While this natural splendour can instantly captivate any...

-PTI Mining output fell 3.4% in April-August compared to a dip of 1.8% a year ago, due to SC ban on mining in Karnataka and Goa The Planning Commission has convened a meeting of ministries concerned next month to discuss the issues related to mining, including the ban on such activities in some states. "We have called a high-level meeting of the ministries concerned next month to discuss the issues related to mining...

-The Hindu Villages get infrastructure to conserve water and recharge wells Madurai: The district's dry pockets in the Usilampatti and Sedapatti blocks are alive with development activity aimed at mitigating the hardship faced by drought-hit farmers. Watershed and percolation ponds are being created in these regions. On the lines of initiatives taken by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and non-governmental organisations, the State government is establishing watershed projects to...