Coming down heavily on the Uttarakhand government for the felling of trees and illegal construction in Jim Corbett National Park, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre to form a committee that will recommend steps to mitigate the damage and recover the cost from those responsible.

The bench of Justice BR Gavai, Justice PK Mishra and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition by environment activist and lawyer Gaurav Bansal. Mr Bansal had challenged the Uttarakhand government’s proposal for a tiger safari and a zoo with caged animals inside the national park. The matter brought under the spotlight illegal construction and deforestation inside the national park.

The bench started with a quote from the epic Mahabharata, which means that a forest protects the tiger and the tiger protects the forest.

A tiger safari in the core area, it said, will be contrary to the provisions of tiger conservation. The court allowed safari tours in the buffer zone of the popular national park, citing the employment it may generate. The court, however, noted that such a safari should follow the guidelines.

Pulling up then state minister Harak Singh Rawat and then divisional forest officer Kishan Chand, the court said this is a case where bureaucrats and politicians threw public trust doctrine in the waste bin.

“They have, in blatant disregard of the law and for commercial purposes, indulged in mass felling of trees to construct buildings on the pretext of promotion of tourism,” the bench said, adding that it was “amazed at the audacity” in giving rules a go-by.

Women in West Bengal are outraged and the storm that started in Sandeshkhali will not remain restricted to the island but reach every corner of West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

Firing barbs at the Mamata Banerjee government over what has emerged as the biggest talking point in Bengal politics, the Prime Minister said the Bengal government is using all its might to save a “culprit” – an apparent reference to Sandeshkhali strongman Sheikh Shahjahan.

Switching to Bengali, the Prime Minister gave the BJP’s war cry, “Ei baar, 400 paar, NDA sarkar, 400 paar” at the BJP rally in Barasat, in the same district as Sandeshkhali.

Karnataka is working on a war footing to address the crippling water crisis in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, adding that over 3,000 borewells in the city have dried up, including the one at his home.

“All the borewells are dry, including the one at my house,” the Deputy Chief Minister told reporters.

The state is working round the clock to identify all the points where water is available, he assured. “I am looking into this very, very, very seriously. I have had a meeting with all the officials. We are taking over all the tanks and are identifying the points where all water is available. Two hundred and seventeen tunnels have been tried. More than 3,000 borewells have dried up in Bangalore. Whatever water is coming from the Cauvery is coming…” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also blamed the Centre for not helping with the Mekedatu project. “We are facing a very difficult situation. That is why we walked for water, for the Mekedatu project. I hope the central government will at least come to our rescue now to see the Mekedatu problem is solved,” he said.

Last year, Mr Shivakumar had said that the proposed Mekedatu project, a balancing reservoir in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka, was the only solution to the water-sharing row with neighbouring states.

The escalating water crisis is forcing locals to pay exorbitant amounts for water tankers. A 5,000-litre water tanker that earlier cost Rs 500 in the city is now available for Rs 2,000.

“We will ensure we provide at a very reasonable rate to all the people,” Mr Shivakumar said.

On March 4, he had warned water tanker owners in the state that their tankers would be seized if they didn’t register with the authorities before the March 7 deadline.

“Of the total 3,500 water tankers in Bengaluru city, only 10%, or 219 tankers, have registered with the authorities. The government will seize them if they don’t register before the deadline,” he had said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said 223 of the state’s 236 talukas are reeling under drought. Among them, 219 are badly affected, he added.