SHILLONG: The bio-diversity hotspots in the State are vanishing at a faster rate, cautioned State Principal Secretary of the Department of Forest and Environment MS Rao.

Giving an overview of the bio-diversity of the State during an official programme to mark the International Bio-diversity Day in Shillong, Rao said today, “Our State has bio-diversity hotspots to talk about but their richness is under threat.”

New species of native succulent plants appear to have been discovered at the site of a planned uranium mine in Western Australia, the state's independent environment watchdog says.

Environmental Protection Authority chairman Paul Vogel said it appeared new species of tecticornia were present at Toro Energy's Wiluna uranium project in the Mid-West region.

The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined a power plant in Chittagong Tk 10 lakh for polluting and hampering the biodiversity of Halda river through discharging furnace oil into the river.

DoE Director (Enforcement) Mohammed Munir Chowdhury gave the sentence to the project director of a 100 megawatt Peaking Power Plant in Hathazari.

On April 11 this year, around 1,600 litres of furnace oil went into Halda river through Changkhali canal for the negligence of the power plant authorities, said a DoE press release.

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.

CANNING, 22 MAY: Demanding their right to the forest, Sunderbans fishermen here today said it is forest department officials who flout rules in the biosphere reserve, not villagers. "We want immediate implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006, in the islands so that high-handedness of the forest officials stops," said Sunderbans Fishworkers Joint Action Committee member Pabitra Mondal.

SHILLONG: Biodiversity in the State is under threat due to deforestation, habitat destruction, mining and encroachment of forest areas, said Minister of Forests and Environment, Prestone Tynsong.

Tynsong was speaking during a function organized to mark the International Biodiversity Day at the U Soso Tham Audotorium here on Tuesday. This was the first that Meghalaya joined the Biodiversity Day celebrations.

Bhubaneswar: Forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra on Tuesday said that a legislation on biodiversity is soon to be considered by the State Legislative Assembly. Addressing a workshop on ‘Biodiversity conservation in Odisha: Challenges and Opportunities’ organised by the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC), Bhubaneswar to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity-2012, Mishra said that biodiversity is important for our survival. Maintaining the equilibrium of biodiversity should get priority.