The Electronics Division of State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has commissioned 13 MW of solar power plants across the country under its solar photovoltaic business in 2011-2012. The company aims to commission 20 MW of PV projects during the current year.

The projects include a 3-MW grid-connected solar power plant at Raichur, in Karnataka; a 5-MW Plant in Rajasthan; two plants of 2-MW each in Maharashtra and 1 MW in the Lakshadweep Islands.

The country recorded a decrease of 367 square km in forest cover last year, compared with 2009, according to India State of Forest Report 2011, released here on Tuesday.

The forest and tree cover of the country stands at 78.29 million hectare, which is 23.81 per cent of the country's geographical area, said the report. “Compared with the 2009 assessment, after taking into account the interpretational changes, there is a decrease of 367 square km in the country's forest cover,” the report said.

The Lakshadweep administration on Saturday night started to dump 300 tonnes of damaged rice off Minicoy coast, without clearance from the Environment and Forest Ministry.

The rice had been kept at the Co-operative Supply and Marketing Society at Minicoy Island since 2005 after it was found not good for consumption. Social and environmental activists fear that the dumping of rice which was found to have excess urea content would lead to destruction of marine life.

Setting a precedent, the tiny island of Lakshadweep is all set to become the first town in the country to install nearly 12,000 ecofriendly toilets in its buildings

With the country

The Environment Ministry is considering the idea of developing bioshields comprising mangrove and non-mangrove species in coastal areas adjoining critical infrastructure projects such as power plants and oil storage depots.

The idea of promoting mangroves and other biological shields to provide a

In the wake of the massive tsunami devastating Japan, the Environment Ministry is mulling to make its norms more stringent by giving approval to only those new or expansion projects, particularly in coastal areas, which promise sufficient safeguards during such disasters.

The Ministry has asked its four Expert Appraisal Committees (EAC) relating to industry, infrastructure, thermal power and nu

New Delhi: For the second year in a row, Puducherry is the number one state in terms of Educational Development Index (EDI) at the elementary level (class I to VII/VIII), followed by Lakshadweep and Kerala.

Kerala has made remarkable progress in primary education