Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Neeru Garg convened a meeting with the representatives of Wedding Points’ Association to discuss measures to control noise pollution in Dehradun on Monday. She said that the police will take all possible steps to control noise pollution in the district. No one will be allowed to use loudspeakers between 10 pm and 6 am, as has been directed by the High Court. During the meeting held on Monday, the association members were asked to suggest measures for implementing the High Court’s direction regarding noise pollution.

Anyone violating the orders of Supreme Court on noise pollution by using loudspeakers in parties or other events after the fixed time in the State capital will face legal action. Dehradun SSP Neeru Garg said this while talking to The Pioneer. However, as citizens across the city have experienced, the police has completely failed to prevent such noise pollution after 10 pm as stipulated by the Supreme Court.

Today is World Heritage Day and this is the apt occasion to deliberate upon the need for making India’s holy river, Ganga, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Many organisations have been requesting the State and Central Governments to prepare a scientific report on the basis of which the Ganga can be declared a world heritage site.

A special Tiger Protection Force (TPF) will be set up in the Rajaji National Park soon. The force will focus on the protection and security of tigers in the National Park and will be dedicated in solving cases of wildlife offenses, including those against tigers in the park, officials said. The State Forest Department had already sent a proposal about the TPF to the Central Government and is waiting for a nod. Senior officials said that the TPF will be set up as soon as the Central Government gives its go ahead for the same.

The government does. It says area under forests has been increasing for the last 13 years. M Rajshekhar finds this is the outcome of statistical jugglery and the use of flawed definitions by India’s forest bureaucracy. The bald truth is India’s forests are in serious decline, both in numbers and in health. In February, the latest instalment of a little environmental kabuki played out when the Forest Survey of India released its biennial report card of forests. It declared India’s forests were in fine fettle, with a net addition of 1,128 sq km, or 0.16%, in the last two years.

Residents living across the capital city are facing the brunt of the department due to non-functioning tubewells which has affected supply of potable water.

The amended draft of the Dehradun Master Plan is replete with the mistakes which were expected to be corrected. In the amended draft, the land use of residential areas in different parts of the city has been shown as used for Government offices. Anomalies in the land use shown in the Master Plan have remained uncorrected for more than three years which has raised the level of dissatisfaction among the citizens of Dehradun.

Hundreds of young and old eco-activists turned up at the Yamuna ghats in this Taj city on Sunday morning to pick up trash, mostly polythene bags, to mark the start of World Water Week March 18-25.

Programme coordinator Shravan Kumar Singh said: "UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is known for his love for environmental and nature conservation programme. Through our clean up exercise today (Sunday) we have sent out a strong message - that we want the cleaning up of Yamuna to be taken up at the earliest and on war-footing."

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has termed the Railway Budget as anti-people and anti-poor stating that the increase in railway fares will hit every section. He said the Railway Minister had also hinted at an increase in freight charges, which would have a cascading effect on prices, leading to a higher rate of inflation. The UPA had no moral right to voice the concerns of the common man as its policies and programmes had always been directed towards benefiting rich sections of society.

The GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, has bagged ‘Mahindra Samraddhi India Agri Award-2012’ in recognition of its services in the field of agriculture education. The vice-chancellor of the GBPUT, BS Bisht, received this award from the Union Minister for Agriculture, Sharad Pawar, at a function recently held in New Delhi, the communication department of the GBUAT informed. The award carries a citation certificate, Rs 2.11 lakh cash, the communication department officials added.