Jorhat, May 22: A team of experts from Dibrugarh University and Assam Medical College will visit Sadiya sub-division of Tinsukia district on Thursday, to find out the truth about reports of two deaths caused allegedly by spider bite in the past couple of days. The district administration has, however, denied that the two persons, including a high school student near Chapakhowa, died of spider bite. Deputy commissioner S.S. Meenakshi Sundaram told The Telegraph today over phone that panic has gripped Sadiya over rumours of a poisonous spider species being found.

Guwahati, May 22: Assam plans to prepare a people’s bio-diversity register, which will document the biological resources in the state, their medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them. Assam forest and environment minister Rakibul Hussain announced this during a function organised here today on International Day for Biological Diversity.

Dispur has moved the Centre through the DoNER ministry for setting up a centre to collect hydrological data with German help to ensure effective planning and execution of anti-flood and erosion projects in the state. State water resources minister Rajiv Lochan Pegu disclosed this to The Telegraph on the sidelines of a daylong seminar on low-cost technology for mitigation of flood and riverbank erosion of the river Brahmaputra at the secretariat.

Assam is likely to be the first state in the country to expand the central anti-tobacco campaign to all its districts, with Jorhat as the role model. Satisfied with the performance of the National Tobacco Control Programme in Jorhat, the Centre has asked the state government to start the drive in other districts, propping the Jorhat district cell as a role model.

Jorhat, May 20: A forest guard, Ananta Dev Sarma, in-charge of the Pichhla anti-poaching camp in Orang National park, was suspended today for alleged dereliction of duty after an adult female rhino was killed by poachers last night and its horn and tail taken away.

Sohra, May 18: Nimbus may be liberal while showering blessings on Meghalaya, which is deemed to be the “home of the storm cloud.” But when it comes to Sohra (Cherrapunjee), the generosity gets lavish. But the lavishness, which can be converted into “wealth” by way of attracting tourists, can also turn out to be a “bane” especially for struggling farmers as agricultural production has been severely hit in the past several years.

Imphal, May 17: Three departments of the Manipur government — public health engineering (PHE), irrigation and flood control and forest — are about to join forces under one policy, set to be initiated by the PHE to conserve the state’s water resources. “A joint meeting of the three departments will be held soon at the chief ministerial level to chalk out a strategy to conserve water resources,” PHE minister Irengbam Hemochandra Singh said today.

Guwahati; May 17: A resident of Majuli has sought Assam governor J.B. Patnaik’s intervention to protect the life and property of the people on the river island and rehabilitation of the families displaced during floods. Manoj Kumar Borah had approached Gauhati High Court two years ago to find a way to resolve these problems. Borahmet Patnaik yesterday for 45 minutes and held a discussion on the problems of the river island.

Cement manufacturing giant Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd today said it was adopting a standardised approach to sustainable development by adhering to various environmental norms in its operations across the world, including the one at Nongtrai village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district. Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd (LUMPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd., has been engaging in mining limestone from Nongtrai village under Shella in an area covering over 100 hectares since March 2003.

Guwahati, May 16: Assam power minister Pradyut Bordoloi today said the state would go for second generation reforms to help improve the power scenario.
The first phase of reforms, carried out since 2005, saw the unbundling of the loss-making ASEB into five companies to enhance efficiency and encourage competition. This was subsequently trimmed to three entities — Assam Power Distribution Company limited, Assam Power Generation Company Limited and Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited.