Project launching ceremony of eco-tourism promotion, wetland conservation, drainage enhancement in Addu City and Fuahmulah has been held yesterday Traders Hotel.

The Autonomous Authority Will Regulate All Activities Affecting Vital Water Bodies

Gandhinagar: Waking up to the need for conserving the state’s wetlands and lakes, the Gujarat government has decided to constitute a first-of-its-kind Wetlands and Lakes Regulatory and Development Authority. An official associated with the formation of the new authority said, “Wetlands and lakes, both have great ecological and socio-economic importance but as of now they are encroached, damaged or heavily polluted. Hence there is a great need to protect these crucial water bodies.”

The Chinese capital implemented its strictest wetland-protection regulations on Wednesday, threatening violators with a top fine of 500,000 yuan ($81,000).

The architect of Western Ghats Expert Ecology Panel (WGEEP) report, Madhav Gadgil, on Tuesday said Kerala needs to take a lead in developing publicly accessible information on India's environment.

KOCHI: The Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday dismissed a petition which challenged decisions, including industrial area notification for the proposed Aranmula airport project

Chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) Madhav Gadgil has mooted a participatory movement using Web technologies to create an online database on the state of the environment in India.

In a message delivered in absentia at the inaugural session of the Kerala Vikasana Sangamam held here on Tuesday, to mark the 50{+t}{+h}anniversary of the Kerala Sasthra Sahitya Parishad, he said the pilot project could be implemented in Kerala with interested citizens working in tandem with a consortium of scientists to create an easily accessible database on biodiversity and environmental resources.

The number of swamp deer has increased in the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR) this year, officials said.

A large number of people participated in a protest chain organised by the Matsya Thozhilali Federation (AITUC) demanding abandoning of the sea plane project, in Muhamma near here on Wednesday.

The participants included fishermen and other workers and people's representatives. AITUC State general secretary Kanam Rajendran inaugurated the protest. He said that the government was trying to hand over wet lands and lakes to private companies by arranging infrastructure there by spending money from public exchequer.

State told not to treat eco protection as a soft subject

The State government has failed to implement various Centrally sponsored projects aimed at rejuvenating the Pampa, the Vembanad Lake, and the Kuttanad water system, N.K. Sukumaran Nair, Pampa Parirakshana Samiti (PPS) general secretary, has said. Mr. Nair told The Hindu that the government should stop treating environment protection and nature conservation as soft subjects.

The National Green Tribunal has stayed the construction of the Aranmula airport project in Kerala.