All three victims are contract workers; compensation ordered

Three persons were killed in the fire that broke out in a storage tank of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) terminal at Hazira, near here, on Saturday. The fire was contained after a 21-hour operation, officials said on Sunday. “The body of one more person was recovered this afternoon [Sunday]. While two persons, whose bodies were recovered earlier, have been identified, we are trying to identify the third,” Surat Collector Jayprakash Shivhare told PTI. “All the three persons… are not regular, but contractual employees.”

Vadodara: The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has issued a closure notice to a chemical manufacturing firm based in Nandesari on the outskirts of the city for discharging effluent in Mini river last month.

The environment watchdog of the state issued a closure notice to Unit-II and Unit-III of Panoli Intermediates (India) Pvt Ltd, which manufactures dye intermediate and other chemicals, on Wednesday.

True to his style of functioning, in less than a week after assuming office starting his fourth innings, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has initiated move to implement his most important elec

However, experts from the oil and gas industry feel that the move by company would not bring much relief in the present high price situation

City gas distribution major Gujarat Gas Company Ltd (GGCL) has decided to focus on domestic suppliers for procurement of LNG after its supply contract with BG gorup subsidiary, BG India Energy Solutions Private Limited (BGIES) expired last month. GGCL used to source re-gasified LNG (RLNG) from BGIES. After British Gas Group sold its stake in GGCL in October, 2012, the company has decided to give preference to domestic suppliers. GGCL has PNG customer base of over 350,000 in three cities of Surat, Ankleshwar and Bharuch. It also has close to 200,000 CNG consumers.

The joint venture companies are yet to decide on the quantum of the bond or external commercial borrowings

NPCIL-Nalco Power Company Limited — a joint venture between Nalco and NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) to set up nuclear plants —will raise a term loan of up to Rs 1,500 crore over the next three months to fund the construction of power generation capacities. The joint venture’s board met in Mumbai last week to take stock of the progress of the plant’s construction. B L Bagra, director (finance), Nalco said, “Initially, we are looking for Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 crore funding from various banks. We are in talks with the banks and hope to complete the process in the next two-three months.”

AHMEDABAD: In its guidelines "for taking non-forestry activities in wildlife habitats", the Union ministry of environment and forests has stated that each project - which will be cleared by the National Board of Wildlife - will have to secure the final approval from the apex court.

The guidelines, which were issued earlier this week, have made it clear that according to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, no construction of commercial tourist lodges, hotels, zoos, and safari parks can be undertaken inside a national park except with the prior approval of the standing committee of National Board of Wildlife. In effect, the guidelines add another step to the approval process.

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat high court sought an explanation from AMC, the Centre and Gujarat Pollution Control Board on the sale of plastic bags in malls and supermarkets.

Alwar: Paucity of funds has stalled the relocation of villages from the Sariska tiger reserve.

According to sources, the relocation of at least seven villages in the Sariska tiger reserve has been stalled since the state forest department is experiencing fund crunch. Not just this, there are several hundred families who have already been relocated from the reserve but have not got the second and third installments of their compensation package.

135 Dams In Region Have Just Nine Per Cent Of Water Left

Rajkot: Tempers are running high in the pilgrim town of Virpur. Without drinking water for the last 25 days, residents have called for a bandh on Thursday to vent their anger. The bandh call comes barely 10 days after a group of women ransacked the municipality office in Jetpur town to protest against the scarcity of water.

Faces Hurdles In Environment Clearance In Andhra Pradesh

There seems to be no end to the trouble of the state PSU, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC). Under fire from activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal for an alleged scam of Rs 20,000 crores for its offshore gas exploration in KG Basin, off Andhra coast, the premier bluechip company is now facing the ire of the Andhra Pradesh government for failing to take forest and wildlife clearance.

It has asked GSPC executives to “stop work” of laying down a crucial submarine pipeline to take gas from KG Basin to its onshore gas terminal (OGT) via an area which is 10 km of the Corianga sanctuary without necessary clearances. It asks them to explain “why action shouldn’t be taken” for violating forest and wildlife laws.