The Delhi High Court, on October 14, criticized the National Environment Appellate Authority (neaa) for not having the necessary expertise to look into complaints against environmental clearances to projects given by the government.
contract labourers working at the Banduhurang mines in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand went on strike last month demanding health facilities and minimum wages. The protesting workers said the mine operator, Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (ucil), had turned down their demand to give information about radiation levels in the open cast mines.
Without doubt, climate change will affect us all but the most vulnerable are women who could actually play a large role in curbing the effects of climate change. Yet they remain invisible in any decision-making effort. In every society women and men have gender roles but with climate change the gender inequality is magnified.
Rich countries led by the US were determined to bury the Kyoto Protocol and sought framing a new declaration. The US said it would not ratify Kyoto Protocol; the European Union suggested parts of Kyoto Protocol could be accommodated in a new legal instrument. Japan, the other major party to Kyoto Protocol, too expressed reservations about continuing under the Kyoto regime.
the Union ministries for power and environment have locked horns over new hydroelectric and thermal power projects. In a meeting held in the first week of September, officials of the power ministry demanded speedy clearances for their projects. Environment ministry officials refused this, saying the projects will not be cleared if their environmental impact assessments (eias ) are faulty.
The Union ministry of coal has made it mandatory for mining companies to submit a mine closure plan to obtain lease rights. Coal mining companies will now have to submit a stage-wise mine closure plan initially and a final closure plan a year prior to the closure of the mine, as per the guidelines issued on September 28.
