A study on irrigation projects across the state has exposed corruption to the tune of Rs26,000 crore in the sector in the last decade.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has set up an 'emergency assistance committee' to tackle issues related to scarcity of water and fodder due to drought situation in the state.

Two major residential projects being planned under the slum rehabilitation scheme, with a combined value of over Rs330crore, were recently granted clearance by the State Expert Appraisal Committee

MUMBAI: Residents of housing societies in Worli expressed concern after noticing that part of the Arabian Sea near the Haji Ali dargah turned black.

The state government on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that close to 6,500 autorickshaws in the city have been fitted with electronic meters following a notification issued in February.

The statement was made in a compliance report filed before the court by joint transport commissioner Satish Sahasrabudhhe. The report states that 2,598 new autorickshaws have been fitted with e-meters. The figure for vehicles which have come forward for renewal of fitness certificates is 3,839.

With little assistance forthcoming, 41 of them have been threatening to push for merger with Karnataka

Malabai Solankar has been waiting since 6 a.m. on Saturday to collect fodder at a makeshift depot in Sordi village in Sangli's Jath taluka. Now well past noon, she is struggling to not to lose her patience, as are others gathered there. Located on the Maharashtra border, Sordi is part of 41 villages that have been threatening to push for merger with neighbouring Karnataka if the Maharashtra government fails to provide relief in view of the current drought.

MUMBAI: Almost a month after the Central Information Commission (CIC) directed the ministry of environment and forests to publish reports of all commissions and special panels on its website within

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday expressed reservations about the new Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, saying it would in particular pose hurdles in setting up industries and creating new dams.

The Bill was cleared by the Union cabinet in September and has now been sent to the joint legislative committee. Quoting provisions of the Bill, such as the promise to pay five times the market price of land acquired, returning 20 per cent developed land to the owner and job guarantee for next 20 years, Pawar said that the Bill would hamper development work in the country and state. The Bill also provides that there should be 70 per cent consent of land owners for the acquisition and the state can step in for the remaining 30 percent.

The Bombay High Court last week has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to give a fresh hearing to pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline involving a land dispute in Worli.

Ruling in favour of the company, a division bench of Justice S J Vazifdar and Justice A R Joshi questioned why the civic body passed a one-sided order against them.

Environment Ministry rejected forest clearance to Kalu dam in Thane district

While irregularities were surfacing in irrigation projects around Mumbai in early April, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) rejected forest clearance to the Kalu dam in Murbad taluka of Thane district, which would have submerged around 1,000 hectares of forest land. Work started last October without permission from the MOEF, and Indavi Tulpule of the Shramik Mukti Sanghatana said hundreds of trees were chopped, in blatant violation of the Forest Conservation Act. The dam didn't have approvals from the MoEF, there was no Environmental Impact