An elephant census released by the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change revealed an expansion in elephant areas, even while the jumbo population remained “stable” at 27,000.

The economic viability of any development project that involves diversion of forest land may now reduce with the environment ministry coming up with new cost benefit analysis guidelines.

The ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) has come up with draft rules to implement the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act 2016. The draft has stirred up a controversy with civil societies alleging that stakeholders have not been consulted while in the process.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has provided a six months window, as a one-time opportunityto the units, which have not obtained prior environmental clearance to apply for the same.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has published the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2016 via G.S.R. 200(E) on 06th March, 2017.

The Environment Ministry has for the third time notified the proposed ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats, despite Tamil Nadu’s continued opposition to the proposal. The draft notification was reissued on February 27 as the previous notification, issued on September 4, 2015, is set to expire within a month.

The Government has put in place a new framework and an institutional structure for streamlining the environmental clearance for building and construction sector.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), in its recent notification, has prohibited manufacture, trade, import as well as export of household and decorative paints containing lead or lead compounds in excess of 90 parts per million (ppm).

In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 6 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, namely: These rules may be called the Environment (Protection) Fifth Amendment Rules, 2016.

With littered plastic sachets posing environmental threat, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has directed 20 major Gutkha, Tobacco and Pan Masala manufacturers to stop using plastic material in any form.