New Delhi: The government’s plan to detach tribal rights from clearances to projects requiring forestlands partially boomeranged after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that the gram sabha shou

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Vedanta Group's bauxite mining project in the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa will have to get the gram sabha's clearance on whether it affects the cultural a

The environment ministry is likely to decide on a second set of key changes in green norms meant for SEZs, roads and the real estate sector, especially multi-storey buildings, next week.

Governors can repeal or amend any law when peace is disturbed: Kishore Chandra Deo

Unrelenting in his battle against destruction of tribal habitations for exploitation of forestland and resources, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs V. Kishore Chandra Deo has written letters to Governors of various States asking them to cancel mining leases in the Agency areas.
Noting with alarm the growth of extremism in Schedule V areas, the Union Minister said that this was due to the neglect of these areas by the people in power, who are mostly from urban areas.

Mineral ores will be made available in a fair and equitable manner through the state mine PSU OMC and other mining lessees

An inter-ministerial committee of the Odisha government constituted to formulate a long-term ore linkage policy for local industries expects to submit its report soon. "The ministerial panel has heard the views of all stakeholders. We have discussed the pros and cons of the suggestions given by them. Our report will focus on a wide range of factors like availability of ore and its pricing. By the end of this month, we hope to submit the report," said Prasanna Acharya, finance minister and chairman of the inter-ministerial panel.

In 2002, the company had surrendered 1,288 hectare as it did not find bauxite deposit in those areas, out of original 4,692 ha land allotted to it

National Aluminium Company (Nalco) expects its partial surrender of mining land at its key Panchpatmali (north central block) bauxite deposit will soon be cleared by the state mines department. Nalco intends to surrender 2,087 ha of its 3,404 ha mining lease area where no bauxite deposit was found after exploration.

Rs 15,000-crore aluminium park stuck as both parties ponder setting up of smelter

Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC)’s ambitious Rs 15,000-crore aluminium park in Kutch, Gujarat, is again staring at hurdles. GMDC wants to set up a one-million-tonne alumina refinery and a 50,00,000-tonne aluminium smelter. However, its partner, National Aluminium Company (Nalco), is wary of the smelter, as converting alumina into aluminium requires mega power generation.

Union minister says it only leads to increased Maoist activity in the areas

Arguing that mining in tribal areas would lead to increased Maoist activity, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has called for a 20-year moratorium on mining projects that affect the livelihood sources of the tribal communities in Andhra Pradesh. “Nowhere in the country has mining benefited the tribals. Only a few outsiders became rich while the locals remained poor,” Ramesh said while addressing a public meeting at GK Veedhi, a remote tribal hamlet in the coastal Andhra district of Visakhapatnam.

The company's order for forest clearance to transport around 1.6 lakh tonnes of bauxite mined from Kolhapur district

The National Green Tribunal has dismissed Hindalco's plea challenging the Maharashtra government's refusal to grant it three more months, after expiry of its forest clearance, to transport around 1.6 lakh tonnes of bauxite mined from Kolhapur district. A bench headed by Justice V R Kingaonkar also declined to direct the state government to forward the company's proposal, for more time, to the Centre for grant of approval.