‘Ministry says villagers were already provided rehabilitation’
A complete U-turn in a matter of one month by the Union Ministry for Tribal Affairs (MOTA) on the application of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) now promises to remove hurdles before the controversial Mapithel Multipurpose Project in Manipur, which has been under construction without mandatory green clearances for eight years.
The Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Odisha has been placed before a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) to finalise an action taken report (ATR) in order to submit the two together before Pa
Top forest official asks State to challenge MoEF report
The Congress government in Haryana is contemplating taking the Centre to court for recommending CBI investigation against officials and politicians named in an Environment Ministry inquiry report on forestry scams highlighted by whistleblower-IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi.
On the day that Veerappa Moily took over reins, the Environment Ministry eased environmental clearance norms for select industries, including brick kiln owners and river sand miners.
On December 24, the Ministry took a decision to exempt a slew of different types of industrial and mining projects from either providing environmental impact assessment reports or holding public hearings when they are approved by the state government.
They used a legal loophole to violate environmental norms
Ninety-four of the 192 iron ore mining leases in Odisha do not have the mandatory environmental clearances. And of the 96 that did have them, 75 have mined far beyond their permitted levels over the past several years, the Justice M.B. Shah Commission report on illegal iron and manganese ore mining has said.
It demands the iron ore miner’s right to mine in land that MoEF says is a tiger corridor
The National Green Tribunal’s powers to take up cases about wildlife have been challenged. The question of the tribunal’s jurisdiction has cropped up in a petition filed by an iron ore miner in Kohlapur, Maharashtra, asking for renewing his right to mine in a piece of land the government has said is a tiger corridor.
Strict timelines being forced for every step taken in the State or Central government
The forest clearance process for industry and projects is likely to be overhauled and eased soon, with strict timelines being forced for every step taken in the State or Central government to deal with proposals to use forestland.
Environment ministers and officials at the United Nations climate change talk straining through 24 hours of non-stop negotiations in Warsaw stared at the limited choices before them – either a comp
It says developing countries should also contribute to it
In a late night manoeuvre on Thursday, the U States reneged on its obligation to a $100-billion fund, which the industrialised nations promised the poor countries by 2020 to help them cut emissions and adapt themselves to a changing climate.
