In a first, greater flamingoes spotted in Himachal's Pong wetlands [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=88650]PONG DAM (HIMACHAL PRADESH): More than 125,000 birds of 93 species have been spotted in Himachal Pradesh's Pong Dam wetlands. Among them, greater flamingoes, a common migratory species in India's coastal areas, have been recorded for the first time here, an official said.

Flouting environmental laws, Trimulgherry lake becomes a dumpyard [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=88639]HYDERABAD: While a number of rules exist on paper with respect to environmental protection, laws on solid waste management and control of pollution in water bodies do not seem to apply to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board.

NGT pulls up UP Govt. over Ganga pollution [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=87279]Dec. 21 (ANI): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh Government and asked as to what initiatives it has taken so far to check Ganga pollution. The NGT also directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, UP Jal Nigam and Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation to furnish details of all the industrial cluster located in segment B including the industries situated in Tributaries of river Ganga.

Wildlife activists welcome HC's order to ban killing of wild cats [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=87267]DEHRADUN: Wildlife activists have welcomed the high court order banning killing of tigers, leopards and panthers after declaring them "man-eaters'. According to the HC order, since 2011 some 400 leopards have been killed, including 45 this year, all labelled man-eater. The court directed the government to opt for tranquillisation of the animals to leave them later in the forest safely.

Jim Corbett National Park: Uttarakhand HC bans construction in 10 km radius [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=87266]What can be called as a landmark decision, the Uttarakhand High Court (HC) have imposed ban on civil construction of any nature within 10 radius of the heritage site. This judgement comes a day after the HC passed the decision thereby imposing a total ban on labelling all carnivorous animals in the wild as ‘man eater’.

Crackdown on illegal electric fences after elephant deaths [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=87250]With the forest areas in Ramanagaram district witnessing four unnatural deaths of elephants in 12 days, the Forest Department will now start filing criminal cases against farmers who erect electric fences illegally to keep wild animals away from their crops.