Relies on Lokayukta report while filing reply in Supreme Court

The State government has washed its hands of a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged role of three former chief ministers — S M Krishna, N Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy —in illegal mining, and decided to leave it to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to take an appropriate decision in this regard.

Union minister of state for forests Jayanthi Natarajan on Wednesday announced a recovery programme for saving critically endangered species and their habitats.

Under the initiative, 16 species have been identified for support. This includes snow leopard, bustards (including floricans), dolphin, hangul, Nilgiri tahr, marine turtles, dugongs and coral reefs, edible nest swiftlet, Asian wild buffalo, Nicobar megapode, Manipur brow-antlered deer, vultures, Malabar civet, Indian rhinoceros, asiatic lion, swamp deer and jerdon’s courser.

JAIPUR: A division bench of Rajasthan high court has observed that the mining mafia is at its peak in the state and there is no effort to check them. The court made this remark while hearing a PIL filed by a Bharatpur-based advocate.

The petitioner, Battu Singh, has moved the court alleging that four politically powerful persons have been doing illegal mining in forest area in Bayan tehsil of Bharatpur. The case is being heard by Chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra and Justice N K Jain (senior).

Dharwad-based non-government organisation, Samaj Parivartan Samudaya (SPS), which is the main petitioner in the public interest litigation (writ petition No. 562 of 2009) on illegal mining in Karnataka at the Supreme Court, has alleged that D K Shivakumar, former Karnataka minister, was involved in illegal mining activity.

The NGO is filing an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court on serious illegalities, irregularities and criminalities indulged in during the period 2000-2005 by Shivakumar and eight iron ore trading companies.

A western Indian state has declared war on animal poaching, allowing forest guards to shoot hunters on sight to curb attacks on tigers, elephants and other wildlife.

The government in Maharashtra says injuring or killing suspected poachers will no longer be considered a crime.

On the 20th anniversary of the saola's discovery, conservationists say the population of the reclusive species has dropped dramatically

Wild saola caught on a camera-trapped in Bolikhamxay Province, central Laos
An 'Asian unicorn' or saola caught on a camera-trapped in Bolikhamxay Province, central Laos in 1999. Photograph: William Robichaud/WWF International

Poaching in Vietnam and Laos may be driving the "Asian unicorn" to extinction, warns the WWF on the twentieth anniversary of its discovery.

JAIPUR: As heat is mounting on the state government about its failure in checking rampant illegal mining, chief minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues on Sunday. However, the meeting ended up with a few customary words of "strong action" against officials responsible for the menace.

"Take action against the collector or district police chief where illegal mining is taking place and ensure that safety measures for workers are in place in the recognized mines," the chief minister instructed chief secretary CK Mathew after meeting was over.

Mining in Aravalli continues unabated despite a Supreme Court ban on it.

The consequent price in terms of human casualty is huge - on Thursday, at least 10 labourers were feared killed when a stone mine collapsed due to blasting in the forest land near Bhiwadi in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

Five bodies were found, including two, on Friday. An operation was on to recover more bodies.

With this, the total toll related to mining activities in the district has risen to 48 in the past two years.

The State Government will take stringent action against illegal sand mining, said the Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa.

Illegal mining of sand and smuggling it to neighbouring States has largely been brought under control. Over the last one year 4,173 cases of illegal sand mining have been filed, 5,033 persons arrested, 5,501 vehicles seized, a dozen persons taken into preventive custody and Rs 14 crore collected as penalty.

CHENNAI: Pointing out that illegal sand mining has been reduced to a great extent after the government headed by her assumed office in May 2011, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday handed out a stern warning to those involved in the activity. “My government, at no point of time, will allow anti-socials to exploit river basins which are nature’s boon for agriculture and drinking water requirements. Whatever be their status, the government will deal with those involved in illegal sand mining with an iron hand”, the CM said in a statement here.