Sikkim is toilet state of India

Sikkim only state in the country with 100% sanitation

All 6,10,577 rural and urban families in Sikkim have latrines with high sanitation and hygiene standard. It's mandatory for gram sabhas in the state to take up sanitation at top priority

Land near Tehri reservoir sinking

As many as 80 villages exposed to danger of frequent landslips; Differences over place of rehabilitation between the Uttarakhand administration and the dam company delays relocation.

UP threatens to cut water supply to Delhi over Yamuna pollution

Demands treatment of waste water before release into the river. Uttar Pradesh provides 400 cusecs of clean drinking water to Delhi but gets only polluted water in return, leading to water scarcity in Agra and Mathura

Three more rivers to be linked with Narmada

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to link Gambhir, Kalisindh and Parvati rivers with Narmada after succesful trial run of Narmada and Kshipra river interlinking

Hydel projects in Uttarakhand cleared despite SC order

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests clears the 300 mega watt Lakhwar project in Dehradun despite Supreme Court's order of August 2013 against granting any clearance. Ministry says project not new

Goa pollution control board to take up remediation of contaminated Sal river

Japanese International Cooperation Agency to help with reversal of environmental damage and groundwater monitoring

$500 mn World Bank loan for water supply and sanitation

Will support the ongoing National Rural Drinking Water Programme and Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan in Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Meghalaya's story of toilets

Rural Meghalaya's achieves toilet coverage went up to 71% from almost nil in 2004-05 by focussing on change in habit at community level than individual houses. 

Plastic trap for turtles

Green sea turtle, an endangered species, was found trapped in a mesh of plastic threads, bags and other garbage near Thiruvananthapuram.

Solar energy to draw out water in Ranchi villages

A pilot project will supply power to houses and help run submersible pumps to draw groundwater in Madar block of the district

Sops for hydel projects in Himachal

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh announces relief from entry tax for plants and machinery, reduction in VAT and NOC exemption for small projects from Irrigation and Public Health, PWD, Revenue and fisheries departments.. 

This is a news roundup of February 8 and 9, 2014