-The Business Standard Way back in 1986, Rajiv Gandhi launched the Ganga Action Plan. But years later, after much water (sewage) and money have flowed down the river, it is as bad as it could get. Why are we failing, and what needs to be done differently to clean this and many other rivers? According to recent estimates by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), faecal coliform levels in the mainstream of...

-Frontline Two draft Bills on the Tribal Sub-Plan and the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan raise hopes of granting these decades-old schemes statutory status and ensuring allocation of funds in the Central and State budgets for their implementation. IN a significant legislative move, the Union government's Ministry of Tribal Affairs released a draft Bill for the implementation of the long-neglected Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), a special programme mandated by the Planning Commission to benefit the...

-The Hindu Farmers in this Rajasthan block blame the drastic fall in groundwater table on the bottling plant, saying it draws out far more water than can be naturally recharged KALADERA (GOVINDGARH): Till the late 1990s, Bansi Aheer, like all other farmers around Kaladera, used to irrigate his seven-bigha farm, drawing water from a well. "Water was easily available at about 40 feet. But it dropped annually by one or two feet...

-Deccan Herald The National Biodiversity Authority has recognised 30 villages in Zaheerabad of Medak district of Andhra Pradesh that grow traditional and fast-disappearing millets as Agricultural Biodiversity Heritage Site (ABHS). The Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB), which finally gave green signal for the rare recognition, has sent its recommendation to the National Biodiversity Board, which has approved the proposal making these villages to become first villages in India...

-ANI     The move will benefit about eight lakh people in the states like Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. Ministry of Rural Development has issued a directive to provide 150 days of wage employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for Scheduled Tribe households living in forest areas. The move will benefit about eight lakh people in the states like Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. The additional 50 days of...