NEWS

Environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh on Aug 4, 2009 said the government had identified 24 critically-polluted areas in the country and was trying to focus on these “critical environment hotspots”. These hotspots are Angul Talcher in Orissa, Ankleshwar in Gujarat, Bhadravati in Karnataka, Chembur in Maharashtra, Dhanbad in Jharkhand, Digboi in Assam, Durgapur in West Bengal, Greater Cochin, Howrah, Jodhpur, Korba, Manali, Govindgarh, Najafgarh (Delhi), Nagda, North Arcot, Pali, Parwanoo, Singrauli, Tarapur, Vapi, Visakhapatnam and Vellore.