The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank, will support Gujarat in the replication in five cities of the rooftop solar project, completed last month in Gandhinagar, in order to improve access to power and reduce air pollution from the burning of wood and fossil fuels.

The two pilot projects of 2.5 MW each demonstrated the viability of generating solar power through a grid-interactive system on rooftops, and will serve as a model for roll-out in the cities of Bhavnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara.

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday agreed to hear a body of farmers and villagers in the case filed by Nirma Ltd against Union environment ministry’s decision to revoke the green nod for its Bhavnagar cement plant in Gujarat, rejecting the company’s opposition.

Nirma had moved the tribunal challenging the December 1 order of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) revoking the environmental clearance granted to it on December 11, 2008 for its 1.91 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity cement plant, 1.5 MTPA coke oven plant and 50 MW captive power plant at Bhavnagar.

MAHUVA: Have poachers become active near Gir National Park again? Missing claws of a lion that died a year ago and a cub that has been missing for nearly 50 days indicate that all is not well in the lion's abode.

A 10-month-old lion cub in this range has been missing since March 5 and the forest department has no clue about its disappearance. K S Randhawa, deputy conservator of forests, Bhavnagar, denied that a cub has been missing but senior forest officials confirmed to TOI that the cub has indeed been traceless.

AHMEDABAD: At least nine leopards have been killed by villagers in Saurashtra, Banaskantha and Dang in the last five years. Of these, five were killed in Saurashtra region alone.

"Leopards are being killed in the region where people take care of another big cat - the Asiatic lions. Even if a farmer sees his cattle being attacked by a lion, he would not interfere, but if a leopard is involved, they will attack it," said a senior forest officer.

Government Tells Assembly That Birds’ Numbers Dropped By 25%

Ahmedabad: Vulture population in Gujarat has dropped to a new low of 1,065 during the last five years. The count recorded in 2007 was 2,539 and ever since then, a sharp decline is seen. The count further dropped to 1,431 in 2008 and the May 2010 count showed that there are just 1,065 vultures in the state. The state government in a reply to a question posed by Karjan MLA Chandu Dabhi said that the vulture count in May 2010 was 1,065,

GANDHINAGAR: The last abode of Asiatic Lions, Gir Sanctuary, lost 25 lions in the year 2011-12 till December, the Gujarat assembly was informed.
Total of 86 lion deaths were reported in the last three years in Gir. As per the 2010 census, there were around 297 lions in Gir Sanctuary (59 males, 121 females, lions in teens 35, 61 cubs and 21 whose age could not be ascertained).

AHMEDABAD: The state government's ambitious Kalpasar dam project, which is estimated to cost Rs 30,000 crore, could lead to earthquakes in the state. This was pointed out by senior scientists taking part in a workshop at the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR), Gandhinagar.