Recent govt study proposed exclusion of about 2,900 MW of hydel projects in Uttarakhand as they may impact ecology of the state

Over Rs 17,000 crore worth of investments in Uttarakhand would be impacted if the proposals of a government study to stop work on various hydel projects in the state are implemented. A recent government study has proposed exclusion of about 2,900 MW of hydel projects in Uttarakhand as they may impact the ecology of the state, sources said.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to quantify the environmental damage caused by the sinking of the Panama-owned vessel MV Rak, which sank off the coast of Mumbai last year.

Not only did the sinking of MV Rak result in a massive oil spill but 60,000 metric tonnes of coal was dumped into the ocean following the sinking.The NGT has also issued notices to Mumbai Maritime Board, the Maharashtra state government and the ship’s owner Delta Shipping Maritime Services with the latter being asked to pay for the damages caused to the marine ecology due to the oil spill.

A meeting of environmentalists held here on Tuesday to discuss the Draft National Water Policy (2012) called for a campaign against moves to turn water into a commodity.

The meeting was organised by the Salim Ali Foundation, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishath, Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD) and the Chalakudy Puzha Samrakshana Samithy. The meeting called for a serious review of the draft policy. Former Water Resources Minister N. K. Premachandran said that water was described as a commodity at four places in the draft policy.

PANJIM: Despite raps from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Goa's State Forest Policy is yet to see the light of day, even after the process to finalise it began way back in April last year.

The draft which was put up for public scrutiny received tremendous response with a large segment of environmentalists and greens crying foul over the provision of mining in forest areas.

On World Environment Day, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said that not a single infrastructure project was delayed because of her ministry.

New Delhi: About five times a year, the world breaks into celebrations over planet earth.

Haryana Govt Cleared Plan But Didn’t Upload It For 15 Days For Suggestions

The Kudgi power plant, the foundation stone for which is set to be laid on Saturday, has kicked up a controversy with environmentalists opposing the project on the grounds that it would adversely affect health of the people in the region, besides harming the ecology.

M P Patil, a retired scientist from the Department of Atomic Energy, has filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal seeking that the permission granted on January 25 this year by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to the 2,400-MW power plant in the first phase should be withdrawn.

All hydroelectric projects on the Ganga could be asked to reduce their power generation — possibly up to 50 per cent of capacity — in an effort to provide a clean and continuous flow of the river's waters, if a proposal by Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan is found to be legally viable.

“We cannot shut down existing projects, but we are exploring the legality of reducing the capacity of operational hydroelectric plants,” she told The Hindu on Tuesday. “A clean Ganga is my top priority at present… we need to get extremely proactive.”

GOLAGHAT: Sparrows are disappearing from many parts of the country, especially in Assam, where electro-magnetic radiation from communication towers, use of leaded petrol in vehicles and overuse of chemicals and pesticides in agriculture have been cited as primary causes of their disappearance by scientists.

The chief scientist of the Regional Agriculture Research Centre in Lakhimpur, Dr Prabal Saikia, said, “It is a fact that sparrows are becoming scarce throughout Assam - both house and tree sparrows.