Intensive cleaning drive carried out by volunteers in Sabarimala goes in vain - Roundup of the week's news ( November 26 –December 2, 2012)

Intensive cleaning drive carried out by volunteers in Sabarimala goes in vain

Volunteers remove waste and clothes in large quantities from Sabarimala and Pampa in Kerala, during the cleaning drive. Authorities who were supposed to ensure prompt disposal of the waste collected, did not complete the arrangement, and the waste lies accumulated on the banks of the river,  even a month after the cleaning drive.

Not to restrict mining beyond water table: Goa government writes to Supreme Court

State government writes to the Supreme Court-appointed central empowered committee (CEC) that restricting Goan mining from digging beyond the water table would be unfair to the state,  an impossible condition and would amount to indirectly banning all mining there.

Karnataka High Court makes waste-segregation at source mandatory

 Government and civic authorities fail to tackle a recurring ‘waste’ problem, forcing judicial intervention to avert a major crisis. High Court  suggests a slew of measures to rid the city of its garbage woes.Mayor also suggests setting up of garbage segregation units in the space available under the flyovers in the city.

Government moves ahead with controversial proposal to open plant gene bank to private companies for commercial exploitation

The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has moved a proposal to make available genetic material of various agriculture crops to seed companies. The gene bank, houses lakhs of seeds of 3,000 crops in underground vaults, which is a national heritage will be made available to private companies 

Bear conservation plans to get a boost

Central government may bear the medical expenses of those injured by bears straying into human habitation, thereby triggering man-animal conflict. Reduction of human conflict with bears will be a priority scientists who drafted the national bear conservation and welfare action plan. The bear hasn’t received the focus it deserves, says Jayanthi Natarajan, at the 21st International Conference on Bear Research and Management in New Delhi.