Environment / Mizoram

Silchar, June 24: The Mizoram government’s failure to rope in funding agencies has affected hydel power projects in the state. The hydel plant at Bairabi has received a setback because of lack of funds. Another project, a dam across the Tuivai river, continues to be mired in uncertainties though its implementing agency, the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (Neepco), has already initiated techno-economic and environment clearances.

The hydel project at Tuirial in north Mizoram, capable of generating 60 MW of power, may not be commissioned before 2006. According to sources in the...

Aizawl, May 11: Experts have expressed reservations about the Mizoram government’s announcement on using organic manure for all agricultural and horticultural produce in the state. They believe that the government, which made the announcement last week, has set itself an impossible task. Speaking about the government’s ambitious plan, a state agriculture officer said it was foolhardy to use only organic manure in the entire state as it had proved to be a failure in the past.

“Instead of announcing the use of organic manure statewide, the government should have started in a small way by...

New Delhi, Feb. 15: Mizoram has approached the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund the Bairabi hydel project. The 80-MW project is expected to help the state become self-sufficient in power. The Bairabi project, likely to cost Rs 570 crore, was cleared by the Union ministries of power and environment last year.

Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga said the state had approached the bank, as it was the fastest and easiest way to get the money. The entire amount of power generated can be utilised by the state. Zoramthanga said the ADB?s response has been positive and the Union ministry of finance...

Aizawl, May 28: The Mizoram forest department today downplayed the case against state excise minister K. K. Vanlalauva?s, indicted for having killed and feasted on a barking deer, saying it was a ?minor one?.

Though government officials refused to comment, an assistant conservator of forests said the offence for which Vanlalauva has been indicted was ?minor and punishable at most by a fine of Rs 2,000?.

Chief minister Zoramthanga, also an invitee to the feast at Vanlalauva?s home in which the venison was served, said he had no comment on the court directive.

?Since I have not been...

GUWAHATI, May 27 ? The ghost of a ?Barking deer?, a protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1986, may sound the political death knell of Mizoram Excise Minister, Pu K Vanlalauva. The Gauhati High Court disposed of a PIL, yesterday and directed the Mizoram Chief Secretary to take appropriate action within a month, as the Division Bench opined that prima facie offences have been committed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the rules.

The Chief Justice, P P Naolekar and Justice I A Ansari were hearing a PIL field by C Thangmura and supported by P Vanlalthlana of the PUCL,...

New Delhi, May 23: Incredible as it may seem, only eight forest personnel man the 500-square km Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram.

Located in the western part of the state and skirting the Indo-Bangladesh border, the sanctuary is a treasure-trove of biodiversity. But in a move that could have serious consequences, the Mizoram government recently terminated the services of the entire temporary staff employed by the forest department.

Forest departments across the states are heavily dependent on temporary staff. The strength of the forest department contingent at the Dampa reserve was 38 as on...

GUWAHATI, June 12 ? Internationally reputed experts on forest resources and scientists have recommended some urgent steps to be taken by North Eastern States to mitigate the ?catastrophic famine? that is likely to hit the region subsequent to ?gregarious flowering of bamboo? predicted to occur during 2005-2007. Scientists have predicted that gregarious flowering of bamboo will occur in an estimated area of 18,000 square kilometre in the States of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and parts of Assam and Meghalaya during 2005-2007. The epicentre of bamboo flowering will be Mizoram. It is calculated that...

THENZAWL (Mizoram), April 17 ? Altogether 15 deer and a newborn fawn are kept in one hectare forest near Thenzawl village, about 130 km south of the capital city of Aizawl. The ?Deer Park? established by the State Government and forest department in 1993, was originally the home of six deer out of which three died due to undiagnosed disease. The forest guard said now the mortality rate of the new borns had come down. The park receives many visitors from all over the State and experts from outside frequent the park, said Lalengliana, divisional forest officer, Thenzawl forest division...

AIZAWL, March 29 ? Audit Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said that the Mizoram Pollution Control Board (MPCB) since its inception in 1989 did not make any headway in controlling pollution and the expenditure of Rs 58.25 lakh incurred during the past 11 years was unproductive, reports PTI. The report, which was tabled in the state Assembly here Tuesday by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, said that the MPCB has not been able to plan, control, study and prevent the effects of environmental pollution. ?This was mainly due to non-utilisation of funds, lack of scientific manpower...

SILCHAR, February 17: Another hurdle in the way of the 1500-MW Tipaimukh hydel power project has been removed with tribal leaders spearheading a movement against it agreeing to the project. The Rs 3,200-crore project is the largest ever multipurpose scheme in the Northeast. Tribal leaders of a vigilante group named the Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Power Project Affected Villages Welfare Association, who had earlier opposed the project, have now veered round to put their seal of approval on it. Association president Chaltonlien Amo and association secretary S.L. Gangte, in a letter to Prime...