BHAREH, INDIA: For many centuries, it was a curse that saved the river.

It was a series of curses, actually, a centuries-long string of unrelenting bad news in this rugged, hidden corner of northern India's industrial belt. There was an actual curse at first, a longheld belief that the Chambal river was unholy. There was the
land itself, and the more earthly curse of its poor-quality soil. And above all there were the bandits, hiding in the badlands and causing countless eruptions of violence and fear

Today, tucked in a hidden corner of what is now a deeply polluted region, where the stench of industrial fumes fills the air in dozens of towns and tons of raw sewage is dumped every day into many rivers, the Chambal has remained essentially wild.

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UDAIPUR: In a historic verdict, the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday imposed a ban on all activities including bathing and washing of clothes in lakes in Udaipur to curtail pollution.

Issuing directions to the collector to ensure compliance of the decision, the court even warned cancellation of license of hotels and restaurants situated on lake banks if they continue to discharge waste in to water bodies. The order has been applauded
by the civil society and NGOs which were striving hard for years to check the high level of pollution in the lakes which are considered the lifeline of the city.

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SAMBALPUR: Barakhandia eco-tourism site, located inside thick forest of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, recorded a rise in tourist footfalls during the ongoing tourism season.

The site has six cottages and each has all the facilities to accommodate a family. Sources said in 2014-15 tourism season (October to February), 374 tourists had stayed in the cottages till December last year. While, the number of tourists, who stayed
in the cottages in the last two months, is yet to be recorded, sources said it may increase by three times when the tourism season ends.

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GURGAON: The HUDA chief administrator's office on Monday issued directions to administrators of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rohtak, Hisar and Panchkula to establish special task forces to check burning of waste, including leaves, in the open.

This follows National Green Tribunal's January 19 directive that also emphasized creation of a website to enable the public to upload pictures and reports of such incidents and register complaints, on which fines ranging between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1 lakh
may be imposed on the offender. Similar orders sent out to MCG, HSIIDC, district administration and HUDA follows the recommendations, submitted on February 12, by a special committee formed by NGT to study air pollution in NCR cities, in which samples from
36 locations were use.

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