The Maharashtra government tabled a legislation in the state assembly on Wednesday to bring the much-needed transparency and discipline in the realty sector, and protect the interests of flat buyers. The Maharashtra Housing (Regulation and Development) Bill also proposes to repeal the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, 1963, envisaging establishment of a housing regulatory authority that will also be an appellate tribunal so as to promote planned development of flats and other residential buildings, besides their construction, management, sale and transfer.

The Maharashtra Government will announce a new policy for mining of sand and minor minerals next month, said Mr Sachin Ahir, Minister of State for Environment, in the Legislative Assembly on Monday

MUMBAI: At this restaurant, tables are reserved only for the unique and rare white-rumped vultures (Gyps Bengalensis).

MUMBAI: The civic body has proposed an environment protection agency, in a move that could change the way environment in the city is protected.

MUMBAI: Governor K Sankaranarayanan on Monday asked the Congress-NCP government to set up village or tehsil level monitoring committees to tackle the worst-ever drought across the state.

The fast-dwindling water stock reflects the grim water situation in the state ahead of summer, irrigation minister Sunil Tatkare said in the legislative assembly on Monday.

There is good news for electricity consumers from the south of Mumbai as they will now get to choose their power supplier. Instead of simply relying on the BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), an arm of the local civic authority BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, for power supply, they can now approach Tata Power.

While the government recently said that the state mangrove cover has been shrinking over the past few years, the mangrove cell of the forest department revealed that no reduction in overall cover occurred from 2009 to 2011.

N Vasudevan, head of the newly-created mangrove cell of the forest department, said both 2009 and 2011 reports on state mangrove cover put the figure at 186 sq km. “Although there may have been sporadic incidents of destruction, overall there has been no reduction or increase in the cover during this period,” he said.

The growing demand for power generation equipment in view of growing number of power projects in Vidarbha has led Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) to acquire 200 acres for a proposed Rs 1,000-crore fabrication unit near Sakoli in Bhandara district. BHEL is in the process of acquiring the land, stated by K S Mathur, Head, Power Sector, Western Division of BHEL, at a press conference here on Friday.

The growth of water hyacinth-like plants in Mithi river near the international airport in Andheri has turned the stretch into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, complain civic activists.