Sudarsan Maharana

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to give a push to eco-tourism and local livelihoods, the state government is set to introduce regulated trekking inside forests, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.

BHUBANESWAR: Around 12 lakh voters have remained unmapped while discrepancies and mismatches were found in the particulars of another 46.36 lakh voters in the first phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll carried out across Odisha for a month from May 30 to June 28.

BHUBANESWAR: The state government will mobilise 5,000 college students, primarily NSS volunteers, to conduct anthropometric screening of children in anganwadi centres under the ‘Suposhit Odisha Mission'.

BALASORE: As 53-year-old Balaram Patra walks through the mangrove plantation near Bichitrapur, a coastal village in Balasore, his face lights up. The stretch that once brought floodwaters into his village has now started growing into a thriving mangrove forest. The degraded land now protects nearby settlements from cyclones and tidal surges and has given employment to dozens of locals, especially women.

BHUBANESWAR: The Higher Education department will soon impart skill training to graduate and postgraduate students in the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector to facilitate their employment in the industry.

BHUBANESWAR: Amid push for dismantling old unfit vehicles in the state, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has directed producers, registered vehicle scrapping facilities (RVSFs) and bulk consumers to register on the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) online Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal within three months.

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a public notice of starting a crackdown against unauthorised constructions and the illegal commercial use of residential premises in the city soon.

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) under the Mission Shakti department is set to roll out a special incubation programme to help self-help group (SHG)-led rural enterprises grow and expand their businesses, increase sales, access new markets and obtain financial support.

BHUBANESWAR: The Tourism department has urged the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department to expedite the notification of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around key protected areas, including Similipal and Satkosia tiger reserves, for facilitating sustainable tourism planning.

BHUBANESWAR: A five-year-old female pseudo-melanistic tiger was found dead in the core area of Similipal Tiger Reserve on Thursday evening, putting wildlife officials on alert.