In a significant softening of stance over the ‘go’ and ‘no-go’ mining policy, the environment ministry has agreed to discuss coal projects on a case-by-case basis.

The coal ministry will push for allowing mining in two densely forested coal areas, Mahan and Hasdeo Arand, at a meeting of the group of ministers on the “no-go/go” forest areas for mining.

The gradual softening of Environment Ministry’s tough stand on clearing coal blocks situated in densely forested areas, has given a ray of hope to corporate bigwigs like Essar and Hindalco as well

The Regional Officer of Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), Anupam Behera, has indicted aluminium major Hindalco for emission of fluoride from its Smelter Plant at Hirakud which resulted

An Environment Ministry panel has recommended clearance to Aditya Birla group flagship Hindalco Industries

New Delhi The new mining Bill cleared by a group of ministers last week envisaging direct benefit to people from the minerals underneath the land they own, also has a provision for setting up a clutch of ultra mega mining plants (UMMPs) in the country.

As per the proposal, state governments will identify locations for large mines with respect to specific minerals such as iron ore, bauxite, chro

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has refused to issue forest clearance to the Mahan coal block in the Singrauli field of Madhya Pradesh, meant for the use of Essar and Hindalco power plants. However, this is not the final rejection. Instead, Mr. Ramesh has merely washed his hands of on the issue and passed the buck to a Group of Ministers to take a final decision.

Hindalco Industries, the country's largest aluminium producer, has received the final forest clearance for its proposed 1.5-million-tonne, Rs 6,000-crore alumina refinery project in Orissa

The government is likely to give final forest clearance to 50 coal blocks soon, bringing relief to companies such as Jindal Steel & Power, Reliance Power, Monnet Ispat, SAIL, NTPC and Hindalco Industries.
The coal blocks, owned by thirtyodd companies, hold reserves of at least 6,700 million tonnes.

Last week, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told an inter-ministerial panel that he would cons