Nagpur: The proposal for an airport at Vihirgaon-Murti in Rajura tehsil of Chandrapur district, which has been rejected by the central governments Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) and Standing Committee (SC) of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), is being pushed again by Maharashtra forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.At the 22nd meeting of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) in Mumbai on October 16, 2023, the airport issue was not among the agenda items but was brought in with the permission of SBWL chairman and chief minister Eknath Shinde.The minutes of the meeting (a copy is with TOI) notes that the project was rejected by NBWL in its 74th meeting on August 29, 2023. However, forest minister Mungantiwar, who is also vice-chairman of the wildlife board, directed to send the airport proposal for reconsideration of the SC of NBWL and also to the FAC.The fresh proposal for reconsideration shall highlight the fact that the observation made by the FAC and the SC of NBWL did not take some vital issues that justify the project, said senior forest officials.Mungantiwar has asked officials to highlight, while resending the proposal, the factual position regarding the distance of the proposed airport from Nagpur airport, the infeasibility of the existing Morwa airport near Chandrapur, and the fact that the new airports airstrip does not pass through the tiger corridor.Sources said the forest minister also asked them to highlight the poor human development index (HDI) and left-wing extremism (LWE) problem and the need for accelerated growth as key factors in the new proposal.The FAC and SC NBWL had rejected the airport proposal despite all the above factors mentioned in detail in the earlier reports while seeking forest and wildlife clearances. The airport is not a site-specific activity and its allied infrastructure development like roads, hotels, and commercial activity will impact tiger movement, the FAC said.We also published the following articles recentlyForest authorities seek permission to tranquilise tiger in PilibhitOfficials in Pilibhit have requested permission to tranquilise a stray tigress that has been frequenting between Jamunia and Pipariya Santosh villages. The tiger was spotted in a wheat field near a sugarcane field. The authorities have deployed a team to monitor the tiger and prevent it from approaching human habitation. Camera traps have been installed to monitor the movement of another stray tiger that is suspected of killing a farmer. Pug marks have been found, suggesting that the tiger is a 3-year-old tigress.London mayor rejects proposal for Vegas-style giant sphereLondon mayor rejects Madison Square Garden Cos plans for an entertainment venue covered in LED panels due to potential harm from light pollution. The proposals were previously approved by the London Legacy Development Corp, but the mayor has the power to overrule. The plans included a 90-meter high dome for live music and entertainment events. Opposition came from AEG Presents, owner of the nearby O2 Arena. The decision can still be reversed by the government.Union education minister proposes local dialects for primary educationUnion Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan spoke at an event in Bhubaneshwar, stating that the National Education Policy recommends primary education in local dialects until class 8. Pradhan emphasized that learning and writing in the same language spoken in early childhood enhances logical thinking and analytical skills. He urged the implementation of the PM Schools for Rising India scheme in Odisha and proposed special programs to promote the Odia language. Pradhan inaugurated various facilities at the Eastern Regional Languages Centre and launched the PM-SHRI scheme in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas in the state.

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