BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to expedite the completion of alternate projects based on non-conventional energy sources.

Minister of State for Science and Technology Ramesh Majhi reviewed the situation at a highlevel meeting today.

The State Government has approved 14 biomass power plants for generation of 173 MW power.

DHENKANAL: The Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee (RPDAC) yesterday rejected the request of Bhusan Steel Limited (BSL) to construct an ash pond in Nimidha village and asked it to go for afforestation around BSL to check pollution.

BHUBANESWAR: Forget about remote tribal pockets and Naxal-hit areas, this gram panchayat in Bhadrak district is going without power even after six decades of Independence.

BHUBANESWAR: With more and more industries setting up shop in the State and environmental pollution monitoring becoming a tough task, the State Government is looking to introduce a self-regulation system soon.

The proposed system will put the onus on industries to adhere to the norms.

BHUBANESWAR: While the State faces acute shortage of power, the aggregated technical and commercial (AT&C) loss is more than 41 per cent as against sustainable level of 15 per cent.

BHUBANESWAR: After launching a series of welfare and infrastructure development projects under the State scheme, the Government is going to launch another infrastructure programme called Biju Saharanchal Bidyut Yojana.

ANGUL: The rapid loading system at Bharatpur coal mine at Talcher, which was damaged in a fire was made operational last evening. It started functioning after one of the two sets of the damaged conveyor belts was replaced at a cost of Rs 2.50 lakh. This restored normal supply of coal to Nalco. A huge fire broke out at the loading system on December 29 damaging the merry-go-round system.

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Government has resorted to load-shedding across the State to get over the energy shortfall, the forecast of the annual load generation balance report of the Central Electricity Authority on the energy situation does not bode well for the next year.

ANGUL: Coal supply to Nalco captive power plant was hit on Tuesday following a fire mishap at the rapid loading system in linked Bharatapur coal mine at Talcher coalfield. The fire destroyed the conveyer of the rapid loading system of Nalco at the mine.

ROURKELA: Hearing a petition filed against the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), the Supreme Court in a recent order took the management to task and snubbed the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for not adequately utilising its statutory powers to check environmental pollution.