Mining exploration: Not an easy task
Ranchi, Feb. 12: The mines and geology department had taken upon itself the task of exploring the actual quantum of mineral reserves available in the state with much elan. But ironically, the venture has bared several shortcomings of the department itself.

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought status reports from the Central Ground Water Authority, the Delhi Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on alleged illegal construction on the Ridge in Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar and Delhi Cantonment by the DDA and private construction companies.

Visakhapatnam, Nov. 9: Coastal erosion caused by rising sea levels is making the beaches in Vizag more dangerous, says a GSI study. Sand along the beaches are being washed away every year. Last year, three lamp posts went down and a 100-metre stretch of sand at Ramakrishna Beach went missing.

Ruhi Kandhari NEW DELHI

APPREHENDING a major calamity like the 1993 Latur quake after the recent tremors that rattled parts of western Maharashtra, the state government has decided to approach national agencies and commission studies in the Koyna region.

BY VENKAT PARSA
NEW DELHI

A transparent mines regulatory regime is on the cards. The Union mines ministry plans to develop a Mining Tenement System, which will help in creating a transparent regulatory regime for prospecting and mining licences in collaboration with the state governments. Several states are already experimenting with similar systems and a sharing of experience as well as data will be in the overall interest of the mineral sector.

By VINODHINI

New Delhi,July 30: The Centre has formed a second expert committee on the Sethu-samudram project, asking it to examine an alternative alignment to avoid damage to "Ram Sethu". It will be headed by Dr R.K. Pachauri, Nobel Prize-winning head of the UN climate change committee and director-general of the New Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Will help accelerate indigenous research on country's mineral wealth Will avoid re-drilling of already explored areas Fulfil the need to revaluate sub-surface lithological and structural data Jaipur: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has established a "core library' of minerals at Akwali village in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan to systematically preserve the samples and obviate the need to re-drill the areas which have already been explored.

The Centre has asked the Ministry of Mines to prepare a Techno-Economic Feasibility Report in consultation with the Assam Government to exploit the huge reserves of silica sand reserves at Jiajuri in Nagaon district. Following encouraging exploration reports it has been decided that a glass industry would be set up in the region using the silica sand either by Government of Assam or in joint venture with private participation, sources said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has set at rest all speculations regarding the cracks appearing on the crust of the earth in some districts of the state. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, UP chief secretary Atul Gupta said that the government had consulted groundwater experts and scientists from the Geological Survey of India which had also sent teams to the affected areas. "This phenomenon has been taking place since the last three years and there is nothing to worry about," the chief secretary said.