Perennial Jamni river will be linked to nearby lakes to assist in irrigation The Madhya Pradesh government claims to have launched the country's first ever river-lake linking project in the water-scarce Bundelkhand region. The Harpura irrigation and river-lake link project, launched in the Tikamgarh district, will be implemented under the Centre's Rs.7266 crore Bundelkhand package. It will link the perennial Jamni river to the nearby lakes and water bodies built during the...

If the environment ministry's draft proposal for 'inviolate forest areas' is accepted, large swathes of healthy forests, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, Tiger Reserves and wildlife corridors, would be out of bounds for all mining activities, and not just coal excavation. The ministry's draft lists criteria for identifying forest patches where mining should be banned following the GoM on coal's decision to junk the no-go policy of the environment ministry. The...

COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu forest department's push to get Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary declared a Tiger Reserve suffered a setback on Wednesday when grama sabhas in all 19 tribal-majority panchayats in the region passed separate resolutions against the move. The resolutions said the department had not consulted the local communities on the project, though Section 38 V of the Wildlife Protection Act makes it mandatory. The Wildlife Protection Act stipulates that approval from...

-The Times of India DALTONGANJ: For the 22-odd tribal families living on the Jaigeer hill area, 3,133 feet above sea level and surrounded by hills from four sides - life means total confinement. This village is bereft of roads and electricity as well as drinking water and irrigation. There is only one school. Deprived of basic infrastructure, these families have been asked to relocate since their village and several others fall under...

-The Deccan Chronicle Adivasis of 40 villages in and around the Kawal wildlife sanctuary, which was recently notified as a Tiger Reserve by the state government, have started passing unanimous resolutions against the reserve. Adivasi leaders argue that notifying a Tiger Reserve without the consent of local Adivasis was unilateral and against the Panchayat Raj Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA). They are also demanding, in their resolutions, that state government cancel...