BEATING DRUMS and fireworks underline the jubilation in 45 villages of Raigad district in Maharashtra. The occasion: the denotification of the Maha Mumbai special economic zone (SEZ).
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (mmrda) is rushing ahead with its multi-crore metro rail and monorail projects. But its proposal to build the less expensive Bus Rapid Transit System (brts) has been delayed. Reason: the development authority, charged with planning for Mumbai, transferred the project to the municipality in February last week.
Metro projects can ease congestion in Indian cities. But lack of integrated planning is undoing the benefits of this mass transport system. This special Down To Earth report demands integration of Metro with buses and pedestrian paths.
an expert panel of the Union environment ministry has justified the setting up of coal-fired power plants in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. It has said the thermal power plants may prove beneficial for mango plantations as the trees could draw sustenance from the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen emitted by them.
This analytical report published in Down To Earth questions the role and authority of state environment regulatory bodies formed under the 2006 Environment Impact Assessment Notification.
