AHMEDABAD: Not just humans, even animals prefer flowing water. The drought-like situation in the Gir area has shown that water holes filled by wind or solar powered pumps attract more animals than those artificially filled by tankers.

Officials said stagnant water is less preferred. At a watering spot with flowing water, not just Asiatic lions, even chital, sambar and other wild animals are seen more frequently.

AHMEDABAD: The rate at which the swine flu virus has been engulfing a restricted number of districts in Saurashtra has been worrying state health department.

AHMEDABAD: The H1N1 virus's new avatar has just got deadlier than its initial version in 2009.

300 Families In Amreli Have Shifted To Coastal Areas With 8,000 Cattle

Rajkot: Dhandha nesh (traditional dwellings of maldharis) near Dhari, some 55 km from Amreli town, usually bustles with activity. People of this pastoral community sell milk to near-by dairies. In fact, this nesh is famous for its mava (milk solids used to make sweets), which is brought by large number of sweet shop owners.

GANDHINAGAR: Having successfully established a solar power generation park in north Gujarat and a series of wind power plants with private companies, Gujarat government is now focusing on tapping offshore wind power generation potential along its coastline.

Following a positive study report prepared by UK based Atlantis Resources Corporation, the government is now drafting an offshore wind power generation policy that will be announced soon. A senior official with the state energy and petrochemical department said, "The state government expects around Rs 1,000 crore in investments in the sector over the next few years. It has allocated Rs 20 crore in the recent budget to give equity in a first of its kind pilot project."

But Has It Worked Out The Future Economics?

Ahmedabad: There is a dazzling field of mirrors that you can find near the vast saltpans of the Little Rann. It is like a sparkling oasis in the desert — much like a gleaming silver screen covering the vast desolate white sand around. This is Charanka village in Patan, where over 2,965 acres, rows of photovoltaic cells or solar panels have been laid out to harness the sun. They are generating 214 MW of electricity every day—more than China’s 200 MW Golmund Solar park.

Ahmedabad: The state government has admitted that the water crisis looms large over Saurashtra region. Even in January, a total of 74 villages in three talukas of Junagadh faced severe crisis. The government said that atotal of 216 dams in Rajkot and Kutch have gone dry.

In written reply to a question from Somnath MLA Jasa Barad, the state government said that Junagadh city was being given an additional 50 lakh litres of water every day. In far off villages in Sutrapada, Junagadh and Veraval, the water was being supplied through water tankers. In Junagadh, the number of villages where water was supplied with tankers was 42, followed by 26 in Sutrapada and six in Veraval taluka.

Rajkot: Thousands of farmers walked out from a public hearing in Nana Navagam organized by Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) for the proposed 6000 MW nuclear power plant at Mithi Virdi in Bhav

Large number of farmers and environmentalists will gather at a mega congregation in Mithi Virdi village of Bhavnagar district on Monday to oppose tooth and nail the 6,000 MW nuclear power plant proposed at this coastal site.

The congregation comes just a day before the crucial public hearing to be conducted by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) at Navagam (nava) village. On March 5, NPCIL has organized the public hearing on the environment assessment report (EIA) on the first-phase 1,000 MW project that involves setting up of six light water reactors. The report has been prepared by Engineers India Limited (EIL).

With the Union urban ministry emphasizing the funding of major transportation projects in the country, Gujarat's cities have readied teams to lobby for multi-crore BRTS projects to be taken up on priority basis in the coming JNNURM committee meeting. The Union budget has made provisions for almost Rs 14,873 crore - a major portion of which will be directed at buying 10,000 buses across the country.

Gujarat cities like Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara which are either at key points in their BRTS projects, or have yet to start work, would be visiting Delhi in the coming few weeks.