Coral - Rekindling Venus by Australian filmmaker Lynette Wallworth, released at the Nehru Planetarium here on Wednesday, throws light on the coral ecosystem and its role in combating global warming.

The film was released in full dome planetariums worldwide, including Mumbai, to mark the Transit of Venus and World Environment Day. It depicts the life cycle of a coral through vivid footage of fluorescent coral reefs as well as bioluminiscent sea creatures and other rare marine life most threatened by climate change due to warming sea temperatures.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stopped authorities from taking any final decision to begin work on the country's longest sea link from Sewri in Mumbai to Nhava in Navi Mumbai, saying the project entails questions on environment.

It said "substantial questions relating to environment are involved" in the over Rs 8,000 crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link Project (MTHLP) for building 22-km bridge on public-private partnership model.

Keeping in mind the rising incidents of oil spills around Mumbai, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) has now invited global bids to outsource the work of oil spill response facilities for a period of five years. The oil spill response facilities will help the Mumbai Port Trust and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) manage a spill of maximum volume of 700 tonnes.

“All ports are required to maintain Tier-I (up to 700 tonnes) oil spill response facilities. Accordingly, the MbPT and JNPT have to set up and manage facilities in Mumbai and JNPT harbour in coordination with oil companies operating at these ports,”

The National Green Tribunal has agreed to hear a plea challenging the November 9, 2012 environment clearance (EC) granted to Lavasa Corporation Ltd for its $ 31 billion hillside township project in Pune district of Maharashtra.

The Tribunal directed Lavasa, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to file their replies to the petition of a project-hit Pune native before July 24.

After repeated squabbles with the civic administration over desilting of the Mithi river, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has now sent an ultimatum to the BMC that it will be doing the desilting work this year for the last time.

Both agencies have been at loggerheads for the past seven years over the desilting of a six-km stretch of the Mithi river, resulting in a delay in desilting and waterlogging in areas around that patch.

Hearing a petition against transportation of effluents from industries manufacturing H-acid, the Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to specify particulars about such industrial units and details of sale price of their products.

The MPCB has also been asked to furnish information on whether such industries are located within the limits of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) or not.

The Environment Ministry on Wednesday finally made public the controversial report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel prepared by ecologist Madhav Gadgil and submitted almost a year ago.

The Central government has sanctioned Rs. 588 crore as drought relief for Maharashtra, which is reeling under the crisis, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Patangrao Kadam announced on Tuesday.

The State whose 15 districts have been declared drought-affected, had appealed to the Centre for relief recently. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and representatives of all parties had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a proposal for Rs. 2,700 crore.

Taking a stern stand against poachers, Maharashtra Government on Tuesday decided that action taken by forest authorities against those caught while hunting down tigers will not be considered a crime.

Talking to reporters here, Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam said if the forest officials fire upon the poachers injuring or killing them, the action will not be considered a crime

The civic administration will soon visit residential societies to urge residents to implement rainwater harvesting technology. With the slow progress of the rainwater harvesting technology, the civic body will also plan hoardings, advertisements and awareness campaigns to advocate residents regarding the project.

A senior official said ward level officials would be asked to visit residential societies to explain and urge citizens to implement the rainwater harvesting scheme in their colonies.