Stay updated with the latest Other news, articles, and insights from trusted sources. Explore in-depth coverage and expert analysis on Other topics.
Hyderabad: By redeveloping the botanical garden on the campus, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) aims to create a gene bank of local varieties of wild fruits and flowers. Officials said they are planting many local varieties, including 'jitregi' (Bombay blackwood), 'bandaru' (hop bush tree), 'somi' ('Prosopis cineraria'), 'kanuka' (Indian beech or pongamia), which are close to extinction or not easily available even in the forests of Telangana. They said the project has been taken up to ensure that all these seeds will be available at one place even after hundreds of years."Many of these forest plants are not easily available. Further, it is very difficult to grow these plants in nurseries. So, there is a chance that seeds of these plants, which are already close to extinction, might not be available at all in the future. To make sure that such a situation does not arise, we are creating a gene bank or germplasm bank," Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), director (urban forestry) VSNV Prasad told TOI.He said that once a gene bank is created, they would be able to propagate a plant either by using its seed or through tissue culture after 10, 15 or even a 100 years down the line.On Monday, as part of the inaugural of Vana Mahotsavam at PJTSAU campus, 2,200 trees were planted on five acres at the botanical garden of the agriculture university. While the chief minister, who inaugurated the programme, planted a rudraksha tree, 'marri' (banyan), 'raavi' (peepul or sacred fig), 'juvvi' (white fig tree), and 'pogada' (Spanish cherry tree) among other saplings were planted on the campus.Officials said HMDA would be planting local saplings in 150 acres on the campus. The project would be carried out throughout the year."The varsity has already given a contract to cut down eucalyptus and subabul trees on campus, spread over 150 acres of land. As and when they hand over a parcel of land to us, we will be planting saplings. However, we have to start planting from interiors to peripheral land so that saplings are not disturbed by the movement of trucks or other vehicles once they are planted," Prasad added.PJTSAU vice-chancellor Aldas Janaiah said that efforts were on to give a new lease of life to the botanical garden on the campus, which has been neglected in the last 10 to 15 years.
Bhimavaram: West Godavari district collector Chadalawada Nagarani said that in addition to planting trees to improve greenery, efforts are being made to control plastic pollution. On Thursday, to celebrate World Environment Day, a large-scale programme was taken up in the district to plant saplings and remove plastic waste from canals and drains under 'Vanam-Manam.' As part of this, collector Nagarani, District Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi, district Joint Collector T Rahul Kumar Reddy, DRO Mogili Venkateswarlu, and district officials from various departments enthusiastically pa ...Read More >
Lucknow: UP is set to celebrate Van Mahotsav from July 1 to 7 under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wherein the forest and wildlife department plans to plant a record 35 crore saplings across Uttar Pradesh, the highest in country.The department, working in close coordination with various other departments, has gathered 52.33 crore saplings and completed advance soil work on 72,912 hectares of land.A review meeting led by forest and environment minister Arun Kumar Saxena was held fo ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jun 28 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a high-level review meeting here on Saturday and directed officials to transform the plantation campaign into a statewide people's movement. The chief minister's remarks come ahead of the upcoming Van Mahotsav in July. Launching the logo of 'Vriksharopan Maha Abhiyan 2025', Adityanath announced an ambitious goal of planting more saplings on a single day than the total population of Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement. "The campaign, themed 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam', represents a collective push ...Read More >
Gurgaon: National Green Tribunal (NGT) took note of the illegal felling of heritage peepal trees by Faridabad Animal Husbandry department on its office premises, which violated tree-cutting conditions that required transplantation.In a hearing on July 16, the principal bench, headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, noted that while felling permission was granted with conditions, the department cut down at least eight ficus trees -- including five peepal trees -- without fulfilling the requirement to transplant them. The order came in response to a petition filed by Viyana Berwal and others, who ...Read More >
The new garden is expected to be thrown open for people in the next few days. In the fall, it's a riot of colours and blooming flowers decorating the landscape in the lap of the Zabarwan hills in Srinagar. The chrysanthemum garden, locally known as Gul-e-Dawood or David's flower, is the second theme garden in Kashmir, and it transforms the Valley's autumn. When everything else starts turning grey, chrysanthemums or mums are offering a spectacular splash of colours and fragrance. There are 50 ex ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 16 (ANS) Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced on Tuesday that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will not be allowed to refuel at petrol pumps in Delhi from December 18. Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, Sirsa said, "To control vehicular tail pipe emissions, all the dealers of the petrol/ diesel/CNG pumps are directed to dispense/sell the petrol/ diesel/ CNG to motor vehicles only on production of a valid Pollution under Control Certificate (PUCC)." He also highlighted that over 8.66 lakh vehicles hav ...Read More >
Dehradun, Jun 6 (PTI) The Centre and Uttarakhand government are committed to making the state a national hub of horticulture, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday. Interacting with farmers at a Kisan Chaupal in Pavwala Sauda village under Doiwala block of Dehradun, the agriculture minister said, "The quality of fruits, grains and vegetables grown in Uttarakhand is unique and they have full potential to make a mark at the global level." "The Centre and the state government together will make Uttarakhand a national hub of horticulture," he said. During his visit, the ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: Telangana continues to be among the states with the highest number of forest fire incidents in the country, with most fires attributed to human activities rather than natural causes. Negligence and, in some cases, deliberate acts have led to repeated and widespread fires, even within critical tiger reserves. Between November 2023 and January 2024, Telangana reported 13,479 forest fire incidents, including large and recurring fires. The numbers are consistent with previous years -- 13,737 in 2021-22 and 13,117 in 2022-23. According to the EnviStats India 2025, a survey by the Forest ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday staged a protest against the Maharashtra government's decision to allot Mother Dairy's land in Kurla for rehabilitating ineligible slum-dwellers who will be displaced by the Dharavi redevelopment project. City Congress president Varsha Gaikwad, who led the demonstration, targeted the state government's decision with a "surrender" barb, alleging that the opposition by local people was ignored. "The market value of this land is in the hundreds of crores, but it is being handed over to Adani at a nominal price," she alleged. The Maharashtra cabinet la ...Read More >
To boost agroforestry and double farmers' income, the Centre has introduced model rules for tree felling on agricultural land. These rules aim to simplify permissions, promote sustainable land use, and align with climate goals. By registering on the National Timber Management System (NTMS), farmers can gain transparency and access better market prices for their timber, including international markets.The Centre has issued model rules for the felling of trees on agricultural land in a bid to promo ...Read More >
Krishna Janmashtami 2025 will be celebrated with devotion and joy on Friday, 15 August 2025 across India. According to the Hindu Panchang, this sacred festival marks the divine birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, born to Devaki and Vasudeva in Mathura. This year will mark the 5,252nd birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. For devotees in different parts of the country, the auspicious Nishita Puja hours vary slightly: The Nishita Puja is believed to be the precise moment of ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) Over 225 acres of forest land in the national capital has been made encroachment-free across multiple forest divisions, according to official data, with the bulk of the clearance reported from the southern parts of the city. Data compiled by the forest department shows that around 91.15 hectares of land, roughly 225 acres, has been cleared of encroachments since 2019-20, primarily in the South and West forest divisions, while several other areas are still in the process of reconciliation with land-owning agencies. In the South Forest Division, the highest removal was r ...Read More >
Andhra Pradesh government launched a massive greening campaign on World Environment Day, initiating "Vana Mahotsav" and an "End Plastic Pollution" drive. The goal is to increase the state's green cover from 29 to 50 percent by planting one crore saplings statewide. The initiative includes advanced monitoring and aims to achieve 37 percent green cover by 2029.The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday launched a massive greening campaign to mark World Environment Day, aiming to increase the state's ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Lucknow: In another record-breaking feat, a total of 37.21 crore saplings were planted during a 12-hour plantation drive in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. It broke the last year's record of 36.50 crore saplings planted in a day. The final figure went above the target of 37 crore saplings in a day set by UP govt.The campaign under the theme of 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' was carried out from 6 am till 6 pm. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath kicked off the campaign by planting saplings in Ayodhya and later planted saplings of Harishankari (Peepal, Pakar, and Banyan) in Azamgarh and Gorakhpur. Governor Anandi ...Read More >
Varanasi: A massive drive was organised in Varanasi as part of the statewide campaign to plant a record 37 crore saplings across the state on a single day on Wednesday.Varanasi was assigned a target of planting over 18 lakh saplings under the campaign.UP minister Ravindra Jaiswal, district panchayat president Poonam Maurya, and MLC Dharmendra Singh inaugurated the event by planting sacred Triveni trees (Peepal, Banyan, Neem) at the STP Ramna premises. Following this, all public representatives, officials, and school children planted trees. District magistrate Satyendra Kumar said that over 18 ...Read More >
NEW DELHI : The idiom advising one not to compare apples and oranges is a cliché -- a figurative expression that a fruit lover can safely ignore. But anyone with an interest in the origin, spread, popularity, and market dynamics of a fruit or a vegetable can and must draw comparisons. In that spirit of enquiry, one may compare apples and mangoes, more so as they appear to be headed in different directions. Apples are vying for eternal glory, while mangoes are in tatters. Sample these numbers: In 2024-25, India's mango exports, including fresh fruit and pulp, were valued at just ₹1,150 crore. ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Between 2020 and mid-2025, over 8 lakh saplings were planted across the city and over 19,904 fully grown trees were axed, largely to make way for development work such as roads and Namma Metro expansion.In 2020-21, the city experienced its most ambitious annual afforestation drive, with 2.6 lakh saplings planted and only 615 trees were felled.There is no record of any plantation drive during the following year, 2021-22, but 425 trees were removed, mostly for branch clearances and limited infrastructure work. "We don't have the records because it was a pandemic and there were not man ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) on Wednesday cleared multiple encroachments in Rajendranagar mandal of Rangareddy district, reclaiming valuable public land, estimated to be worth 139 crore.The operation focused on four parks in the Janachaitanya layout phases I and II, spread across Badvel and Upparapally villages. In total, HYDRAA recovered 19,878 square yards of land from encroachers.The Janachaitanya layout, covering around 120 acres and developed with HUDA (now HMDA) approval, witnessed illegal occupation of several designated park areas. Followi ...Read More >
Shopian, Apr 06: A sudden hailstorm on Monday battered several apple-growing villages across south Kashmir's Shopian and Kulgam districts, damaging orchards at a crucial flowering stage and triggering fresh concerns over potential crop losses among thousands of farmers. The storm swept through more than half a dozen villages in Shopian, including Manduja, Kanjiullar, Saidpora Payeen, Sedow, Chek and Mirzapora, flattening delicate blossoms and disrupting the ongoing flowering phase. Farmers said ...Read More >
Hisar, Jun 5 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Thursday announced the establishment of natural and organic mandis in Gurugram and Hisar to promote natural farming on a large scale in the state. The Gurugram mandi will cater to produce such as wheat, paddy and pulses, while the Hisar mandi will focus on fruits and vegetables grown through natural and organic methods. Also Read | Delhi: High-Level US Team Arrives for Talks on Bilateral Trade Pact With India. In addition, a committee will be formed under the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran to determine fair pricing for produce gr ...Read More >
Mysuru: The forest department in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar has initiated a comprehensive drive to identify and reclaim encroached forest lands. Early this week, the Mysuru forest department reclaimed eight acres of forest land in Hunsur.The forest department is currently investigating encroachments of a minimum of three acres and above, and measures are being taken. They are either evacuating encroachments by individuals or cancelling illegal grants of land by the revenue department by producing records.About eight acres of land in Gagenahalli in Hunsur, which was granted to an individual in e ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
Ratnagiri, July 1 ( UNI) The first Artificial Intelligence-powered agricultural e-library in Maharashtra has been launched at Sharadchandraji Pawar College of Agriculture, Kharvate-Dahivali. The web portal of the library was inaugurated in the presence of Chiplun Sangameshwar MLA Shekhar Nikam and the college's principal Dr Sunitkumar Patil today. With a single click, the platform aims to provide detailed information about crops, ornamental plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables to students through mobile phones. The experiment was carried out through the concept of Prof Prashant Pawar and f ...Read More >
Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced to plant over 37 crore saplings on July 9 to bolster PM Modi's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative, stressing that "a sapling we nurture today will sustain our lives tomorrow"."If we plant flowering trees on the roads' median and give the responsibility of protecting them to NGOs or other organisations, it will give out a good message. We have to do it on expressways, highways, interstate connectivity or municipality roads... I appeal to everyone to join the campaign on July 9 from 7 am to 7 pm, and take a selfie after planting a tree," t ...Read More >
Lucknow: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) planted 1,37,312 saplings on Wednesday under the state-wide 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' campaign.The plantation drive was held at multiple locations, with the main event taking place in Amrapali Yojana, Dubagga.The campaign saw active participation from local residents. MLA Pankaj Singh, who led the drive planted a Red Sandalwood sapling, while mayor Sushma Kharkwal planted a Rudraksh sapling.The plantation was carried out under the supervision of additional municipal commissioner Arvind Kumar Rao.In Bharawan Kala, 14,314 saplings were planted. Jan ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Govardhan Puja, a festival deeply rooted in Indian tradition and spirituality, was celebrated across the country on Wednesday with immense fervour and unwavering faith. From the vibrant heartlands of Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh, the spirit of devotion united millions in celebration. In Rajasthan's Bundi, the festival coincided with the second day of the grand Deepotsav. Homes glowed not just with lamps but with faith, as families worshipped Govardhan, symbolising the mountain lifted by Lord Krishna to protect the people of Vrindavan from the wrath of Indra, t ...Read More >
Bengaluru: A delegation led by chief minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar and some cabinet colleagues met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday and sought central support for a wide range of proposals -- from setting up two defence industrial corridors and securing defence land for major infrastructure work in Bengaluru, to hosting an Indian Air Force (IAF) air show during this year's Mysuru Dasara celebrations.In a letter to Singh, Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to establish a defence industrial corridor each in North and South Karnataka, like those announced in Uttar Prade ...Read More >
Kolkata: The Kolkata Traffic Police is facing a new challenge in managing vehicle parking for the upcoming Shahid Diwas rally on Monday, as persistent rainfall threatens to render designated parking fields unusable. The fresh spell of rain on Friday, with more occasional rain predicted even on Saturday, has left cops worried as they believe the Maidan area can be filled with slush.The traffic department, which initially planned to utilise various fields across the city for parking buses and cars of parade attendees, is now frantically searching for alternative solutions on the main roads, stre ...Read More >
Patna: In remote Bhima village in Araria district, a silent revolution of sorts is taking place these days, with most of the farmers taking to natural farming and creating a healthy agro-ecology in the region.The seeds of this 'revolution' were sown five years ago by a 34-year-old villager, Harsh Vardahn Thakur, who after quitting his 10-year-old job of software engineer in an MNC, started natural farming on 45 acres of land in his village.At a place where most of the farmers relied on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to secure their harvests, he undertook the challenge of growing chemical- ...Read More >