The government also said the society should not have constructed 31 floors

In a setback for the Adarsh housing society, the Maharashtra government has told the two-member judicial commission probing the scam that it did not have the necessary environmental clearance even as the panel wrapped up the proceedings. The judicial commission of inquiry, which concluded the hearing yesterday, is expected to submit its final report to Maharashtra government next month, sources in the panel told PTI today.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has invited bids for construction of the stalled Pedder Road flyover but resistance from a local residents association to the project continues.

Pedder Road Residents Association has sought a meeting with the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), which recently gave environmental clearance to the project. The residents want MoEF to consider options for decongesting traffic on the narrow road.

The company plans to switch from gas to coal to fuel its 500 MW unit in Trombay

The public hearing called by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on Monday to discuss the environmental impact of Tata Power Company’s plan to switch from gas to coal to fuel its 500 MW unit in the Trombay Thermal Power Station was disrupted by activists of all the major political parties in the State. The officials wrapped up the hearing, claiming it was impossible to conduct the proceedings.

‘Need To Regulate Use Of Multi-Tone Horns That Pose A Health Hazard’

Mumbai: Sirens and multitone horns in vehicles that flout the prescribed decibel levels are a serious hazard to citizens, said the national green tribunal in its judgment. The tribunal has directed the police not to allow private vehicles to use such devices in residential areas, silence zones and in the vicinity of educational institutes, hospitals and sensitive areas. It also wants the police not to allow such vehicles during nighttime, except for emergencies.

Shot in arm: Total FSI for saleable residential projects increased up to 1.7

Over six years after it introduced the Special Township Project (STP) scheme to promote self-sustainable micro-economic hubs in and around urban centres in Maharashtra, the state government on Sunday finalised several modifications to the existing policy. While the total FSI for saleable residential projects has been increased from 1 to a maximum of 1.7, the government has also increased the component of low-cost housing and the area that has to be reserved for economic activities within the township.

GAIL (India) has announced the successful commissioning of the Dabhol LNG terminal located at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, around 340 km south of Mumbai.

This 5 million tonnes capacity LNG terminal has been set up with an investment of Rs.4,000 crore and will go a long way in meeting the demand of user industries in Maharashtra. Gas from this terminal would be supplied to southern states through a pipeline that would be commissioned by the end of this month, GAIL (India) Chairman and Managing Director B. C. Tripathi told journalists in Mumbai after commissioning the LNG termina

The high-level committee for central assistance to states affected by natural calamities has approved Rs 778 crore for Maharashtra, to combat drought in a number of districts. Meeting in Delhi on Thursday under the chairmanship of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, it also approved Rs 526 crore in drought aid to Karnataka.

The Congress-NCP government here is struggling to tackle drought conditions in 145 of the state’s 353 talukas. Scarcity has been announced in 6,250 villages due to low rainfall. The government has launched multiple programmes, such as animal camps, drinking water supply through tankers and works under the state’s Employment Guarantee Scheme. It has also asked neighbouring Karnataka to release some water for relief to border districts.

Residential or commercial premises seeking permission to chop more than 100 trees in their vicinity will get a personal visit from the municipal commissioner, as per a proposal mooted in the civic body’s Tree Authority Committee meeting Wednesday.

Members requested Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte to premises where there is a proposal to chop more than 100 trees. “We sent a request to the municipal commissioner and are waiting his opinion and approval,” said Niranjan Shetty, committee member.

'This year, due to drought conditions, the production estimate was lowered to 520 mn litres. Nearly 500,000 litres of water is required per distillery per day'

Distilleries in Maharashtra face a severe cutback in operations and ethanol output due to the state’s severe water shortage. Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, president of the All India Ethanol Manufacturers Association, told Business Standard: “Of the 90 distilleries, a large number are located in drought-hit Sangli, Satara, Ahmad-nagar, Pune and Solapur districts. Maharashtra’s ethanol production during the current fiscal year is estimated at 52 crore litres, compared to 54 crore in 2011-12 and 68 crore in 2010-11.”

In a prescription to tackle the drought situation in Maharashtra, state Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil has urged Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to stop water supply to the real estate sector and other water-intensive industries such as soft drink units, until the situation improves.

Vikhe-Patil said, “The first priority should be water for drinking, the second for agriculture and the third for industries.” In the last one week, almost 50 MLAs across parties had urged the CM to take immediate steps to restrict use of water in industries. Even some NCP MLAs had asked Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare to prevent industrial units in their districts from drawing backwaters from dams.