For long, industrialised states were looked upon as the ones trading forest cover for development. However, a recent report by the Forest Survey of India showed five of the nine most industrialised states were able to increase their green cover in 2011, compared to 2009. Between 2001 and 2010, these nine states contributed 60 per cent towards the country’s gross domestic product output.

Data analysed by Business Standard showed the five states added 178 sq km of forests. The states were Tamil Nadu (74 sq km), Rajasthan (51 sq km), Orissa (48 sq km), Karnataka (four sq km) and West Bengal (one sq km).

New Delhi The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the petitions filed by Emaar MGF Land, Sandur Power Company and others seeking to stall the ongoing CBI probe into the land allotments made to these companies during the tenure of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. These allotments, made out of turn, had allegedly caused a loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

New Delhi India’s forest cover has shrunk marginally, says the latest government report. The reduction of 367 sq km (about the size of the Ranthambore National Park) means that the total forested land in the country is 23.81% of the geographical area.

The reduction implies the ministry of environment and forests will be even more uncomfortable with industrial projects in green areas. The ‘India State of Forest Report, 2011’ shows that while 12 states registered a fall in forest and tree cover, 15 states — led by Punjab – showed an increase.

India's forest cover shrank by 367sq km with the maximum 80 per cent loss recorded in Andhra Pradesh mainly due to Naxals felling trees in Warangal and Khammam districts, according to a new survey released on Tuesday.

Forest and tree cover of the country as per the biennial assessment report released by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) is 78.29 million hectares, which is 23.81 per cent of the geographical area. This includes 2.76 per cent tree cover.

‘Governments snatching lands without consent of gram sabhas'

Noted social activist Medha Patkar has alleged that indiscriminate acquisition of farm and forest lands by the governments in the name of development without the approval of the ‘gram sabhas' concerned amounted to snatching the livelihood of weaker sections, mainly Adivasis.

A fact-finding team representing a collective of 40 farmers' organisations, Raitu Swarajya Vedika, has found an alarming rise in the number of suicides by farmers — as many as 90 in the last month alone — in Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Medak, Mahbubnagar and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has called for fast tracking construction of rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Naxalite-affected districts. He said this will be the single most important rural development initiative that can significantly transform the ground-level situation in these districts.

AP Genco to add 500 MW at Kothagudam thermal power station
Hyderabad, Aug. 4:

The sixth unit of 39 MW of Priyadarshini Jurala hydro electric power station was commissioned today taking up the total installed capacity at the site up to 234 MW (6x39) and power generation at the sixth stage of Kothagudam thermal power station of 500 MW is set for commercial operation by the month-end.