Madurai Collector instructs officials to remove encroachments
Responding to the queries raised by the farmers with regard to identifying and removing the encroachments, the Collector said the types of encroachments were being categorised.
They were identified and removed. He instructed the officials to ensure that there were no fresh encroachments on the water channels. He emphasised the need to sensitise the people in this regard.
Another issue raised by the farmers was with regard to destruction of crops by wild animals, particularly by wild boars. The Collector instructed the Forest and the Horticulture Department officials to come up with plans and use natural repellents to chase the wild animals and protect the crops. They were also asked to conduct camps in this regard.
Responding to a query on the auctioning of fishing rights in waterbodies, the Collector told the farmers and the officials that the first priority was to use water for irrigation purposes. The Collector also instructed the officials to remove the Seemai Karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora) trees from waterbodies and to auction them.
The farmers sought the reopening of the National Co-operative Sugar Mills in Alanganallur. The farmers also sought the better implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme which guarantees 100 days of employment with wages. The farmers urged the authorities to come up with plans to implement the scheme in a better manner so that all are benefited.
The Horticulture Department officials distributed vegetable seed packets to the farmers. The farmers were also told about the importance and benefits of beekeeping during the meeting.
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New Indian Express
17 hours ago
- New Indian Express
SC agrees to hear plea against proposed constructions in Satkosia Tiger Reserve
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News18
17 hours ago
- News18
SC agrees to hear plea against proposed constructions in Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea raising concerns over the alleged proposed constructions inside the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi was urged by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal to hear the plea. The bench said it would hear the matter next week. Bansal raised concerns over reported permission granted by the local administration for eco-tourism related constructions within the protected area. 'The district collector has issued such permissions for construction of an eco-tourism spot. How can this be permitted?" Bansal said. 'I am just fighting for forests," he added. The Satkosia Tiger Reserve, spread across the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh in Odisha, is a crucial habitat for tigers, elephants, and several endangered species. The plea sought quashing of provisional no objection certificates (NOC) issued by district collectors of Angul, Nayagarh, Boudh and Cuttack for development works inside and around the Satkosia Tiger Reserve. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the plea said, in April 2018 directed all states for mandatory delineation of eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) around tiger reserves. The plea said these directions clearly stipulated where a protected area formed part of the buffer, a minimum one kilometer ESZ must be demarcated around it. 'There are multiple large-scale and systemic issues affecting the ecological and legal integrity of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, which require independent attention and urgent consideration of this court," it said. In line with the NTCA's April 2018 direction, the petitioner said, the Odisha government recently submitted a draft proposal for declaration of ESZ around Satkosia Tiger Reserve to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for final notification. 'However, the said draft, if approved in its current form, will seriously compromise the ecological integrity and conservation dignity of the tiger reserve," it alleged. The proposed tourism-centric development activities in and around the tiger reserve, including the construction of high-impact infrastructure and grant of arbitrary NOCs, were said to be contrary to the precautionary principle and violate the statutory framework under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 'The zero-kilometre ESZ boundary proposed in parts of Satkosia Tiger Reserve violates NTCA's 2018 directive, which mandates a minimum 1 km buffer from core tiger habitat wherever the buffer is absent or disjunct," the plea added. It claimed the issuance of no objection certificates by district collectors and non-forest authorities for tourism infrastructure within and around a notified tiger reserve constituted an unlawful usurpation of statutory powers reserved for designated authorities under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and violates the binding directives of the apex court. The plea alleged the actions of state government and its agencies exhibited a deliberate pattern of undermining central environmental regulations through procedural shortcuts and executive overreach, including attempts to modify ESZ notifications to dilute their protective scope for commercial tourism purposes. It also sought a direction to the state to withdraw the draft ESZ proposal relating to Satkosia Tiger Reserve. PTI SJK ABA ABA AMK AMK view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 13:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Phone Tapping: BRS leaders to knock at Guv's door to complain against CM
Hyderabad: Leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) announced plans to approach Governor Jishnu Dev Varma to highlight alleged phone tapping activities within Telangana. The party claims that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, with assistance from the central BJP leadership, is not only tapping the phones of BRS leaders but also those of his own cabinet colleagues. During a press conference at the party's Telangana Bhavan office, BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar and others demanded an inquiry into the allegations by a sitting judge of the High Court. Praveen Kumar specifically accused Revanth Reddy of tapping the phones of key BRS figures and members of his own cabinet. He cited an instance where Revanth Reddy reportedly knew about a casual conversation between two ministers through tapping, subsequently questioning one of them about it. Praveen Kumar noted that as Chief Minister and Home Minister, all alleged phone tapping falls under Revanth Reddy's purview. He further alleged that the BJP at the Centre was also involved in tapping the phones of BRS and Congress leaders in the state, claiming Revanth Reddy's actions are supported by the BJP. The BRS leader further alleged that the Chief Minister reprimanded a journalist stationed in New Delhi for speaking to party leader T Harish Rao over the phone. Praveen Kumar questioned how Revanth Reddy could have known about the conversation if phone tapping was not involved. He also raised concerns about the ongoing phone tapping case (Panjagutta PS 243 case), stating he received a notice on 14 July, yet a Telugu newspaper reported it on 7 July. This, he argued, suggests premature leaking of investigation details. Praveen Kumar also voiced suspicions about the involvement of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in Revanth Reddy's alleged phone tapping, and suggested that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's phone might also be under surveillance by Revanth Reddy. The BRS demanded that the government submit a sealed list to the High Court detailing whose phones are being tapped. They also called for a committee, comprising the Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, a High Court judge, and relevant officials, to monitor phone tapping in accordance with the Telegraph Act. Praveen Kumar highlighted Section 5 of the Telegraph Act, which permits phone tapping only if unavoidable in the interest of national security. Praveen Kumar reiterated the BRS's demand for an investigation by a sitting High Court judge into the phone tapping allegations.