In response to requests received from various state governments, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Planning Commission, the MoE&F has decided to permit state governments to clear projects of upto 50 hectares of forest land for critical public utility infrastructure projects in 60 left-wing extremist affected districts without reference to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

Ministry of Environment and Forests has ordered the lifting of the stop work order on the construction of the last five spillway gates  of the controversial Maheshwar Hydel Project being constructed on  river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh by the S. Kumars Group of Companies.

MoEF has accepted these recommendations of the Expert Committee on the controversial cement plant of Nirma Industries in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Says that the plant is situated in an environmentally sensitive wetland area and the construction must stop.

This draft implementation protocol by the environment ministry details procedures for determining critical wildlife babitats within National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries as required by the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

This MoEF order dated May 2, 2011 has granted final approval to Orissa for diversion of 1,253 hectares of forest land for Posco's steel project. It says that the steel firm should not export raw material from the proposed project.

See Also

Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary as eco-sensitive zone - Draft notification.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has notified various acts and rules for environmental governance. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 elaborates the procedure for seeking environmental clearance and preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports and Environment Management Plans.

Letter from Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Environment & Forests to Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra on whether access to and collection of bamboo in the reserve forest amounts to a forest offence under the Indian Forest Year 1927.

Draft rules on plastic waste (management and handling) amendment rules, 2011.

http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/drft-rls-plstc-wst-mgmt-...

India has submitted the National Implementation Plan of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). MoEF will coordinate its implementation & the activities will spread over a period of 12 years from 2011-2022.