Environment / Northeast

GUWAHATI, April 6? Noted USA-based bio-technologist Dr C S Prakash today stated that economic development of the region was a must for preservation of bio-diversity hotspots in North East India. The professor from Tuskegee University of the USA who is on a visit to the State under the aegis of United States Information Services (USIS), said bio-diversity preservation was directly related to economic development as it was observed that in economically underdeveloped areas human beings became extremely dependent on forest resources for their livelihood, leading to wanton destruction of forest...

NEW DELHI, March 13 ? Claiming that the Central Government has adopted an overall comprehensive strategy to develop the power sector in the North-east, Union Power Minister, Suresh Prabhu has outlined plans to set up 10 new power projects and to evacuate surplus power outside the region. The reason for the minister?s confidence in the ability to generate surplus, power in the region, currently reeling under acute power surplus, was North-east?s untapped hydro electric power (HEP) assessed at 58,971 MW, which accounts for 38 per cent of the country?s total assessed potential. As of now, however...

GOLAGHAT, March 1 ? The wildlife parks of North East India are sanctuaries for some of the world?s most exotic plants and animals including one-horned rhino which is still struggling for existence owing to poaching, climatic changes and human encroachment on their natural habitats. In the past 20 years, the world?s rhino population has already shown a remarkable decline from 1,50,000 to 41,000 presenting a grim picture about this wildlife resource. In the Kaziranga National Park which provides sanctuary to an estimated 1,400 Indian rhinos, animals are lost every year due to poaching. In 1985...

NEW DELHI, Feb 11 — Remote sensing and geospatial modelling have shown that forest and related ecosystems in North-east India are under severe pressure from biotic and abiotic factors with Sonitpur region in Assam being the most affected, a scientist has said. The images received from satellite remote sensing in conjunction with geospatial modeling showed that large-scale deforestation had taken place in the foothill region of eastern Himalayas, Dr P S Roy from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (NRSA) told the Fifth Map India International Conference here Thursday. “Sonitpur district has...

SHILLONG, Feb 13 —Union Minister of State for Development of Northeastern region Arun Shourie on Saturday asked its chief ministers to think of development in an innovative way and safeguard natural resources. Development does not mean implementing new schemes only if the respective states ignore the protection of the natural resources, he said and specially referred to the wanton destruction of forests in the name of development. Shourie, who was addressing the conference of chief ministers of the north-east said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had directed all the departments to monitor...

GUWAHATI, Jan 19 – Participants of a seminar on man and elephant conflict in North East India, organised by the Co-ordinating Organisation of the Non-Governmental Organisations involved in Conservation of Forest, Wildlife and Environment (CONGOFORM) at the Pensioners’ Bhawan auditorium here today, called for a strong political will on the part of the State Governments of the region to protect the pachyderm. “These animals constitute a part of our heritage, they should be protected”, the participants observed. The participants also expressed their unambiguous agreement with the 10-point...

NEW DELHI, Jan 17 — In what could go a long way in better flood management in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, China has agreed to share information on a real-time basis. The information on flow of water in Brahmaputra would be provided to India twice daily. Describing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs with China on flood fore casting as a big step, the Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, Bijoya Chakraborty said that it would have direct impact in Assam and its neighbouring States. According to the terms of the MoU, the China would be providing India with real-time...

NEW DELHI, Jan 15 – In a development having wider ramifications for Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, India and China on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share hydrological data on the rivers including Brahmapu-tra and Siang, flowing through China into the country to aid flood forecasting. The MoU was among number of agreements signed between the two countries to mark the visit of Chinese Premier, Zhu Rongji. The MoU on making available to India hydrological data has a special bearing on the North-East and is expected to go a long way in better flood management in Assam and...

ITANAGAR, Jan 13– Dr Suraj Bhan, Commissioner, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operation has assured the State governments of the Northeast to extend all possible help in effectively arresting the menace of jhum cultivation in the region. State Government must come forward with a mega project to tackle this Herculean problem for which the Union Ministry would extend bilateral support,” Dr Bhan said. Dr Bhan was speaking at a workshop on ‘watershed management’ jointly organised by State agriculture department and the Union Ministry of Agriculture here on Saturday. He, however, insisted...

GUWAHATI, April 15: Bamboo and cane are integrated to the culture and economics of Northeast, and with two-thirds of the 80.4 million tonne of the growing stock in this region, they have been recognised as an eco-friendly industrial material of the future, reports PTI. Experts have pointed out that cane and bamboo are easy to work with, requiring basic tools and simple machines giving craftspersons and entrepreneurs exceptional opportunities to realise incremental employment and income with little capital and investment in infrastructure. "The development of the sector would promote eco...