For dumping garbage in the lake despite an interim order

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Bench, on Thursday directed the Pallavaram Municipal Commissioner to appear before it and explain why the civic body continues to dump waste in ‘Periya Eri’ (lake) in spite of an interim order against it. Following an application from S.P. Surendranath Karthik, Madipakkam, the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, in September last, granted an interim injunction restraining the municipality from dumping waste in the lake.

Paradip: Legally speaking, the state government cannot acquire lands for the Posco project, nor can construction work be started at the designated site as the project has no environment clearance in hand, official sources said.

"The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, forbids activity of any nature at the site without environmental clearance," a senior official in the industry department said on Wednesday, quoting the existing law. He described the latest episode of the state government demolishing betel vines of farmers in the proposed plant site as 'highly illegal' and 'unconstitutional'.

Yet hazardous waste remains in Plot No L-2

MARGAO: The South Goa district authorities on Thursday unsealed one of the two plots owned by The Axis in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, but there seems no urgency on the part of the authorities to either treat or remove the tons of hazardous waste stored in the second plot. A team headed by Deputy Collector, Margao Surendra Naik descended at the industrial estate around noon and removed the seal from plot No L-3. Plot No L-2 owned by The Axis, which is playing host to tons of hazardous waste, will remain sealed.

Setting Up Saw Mills, Industries May Soon Be Banned

Pune: Activities such as commercial mining and setting up saw mills, large hydroelectric projects and pollution-causing industries may soon be banned in the eco-sensitive zones around the main sanctuaries in the state, including the Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserve, Melghat tiger reserve and Sanjay Gandhi national park in Mumbai.

Lack of action from TNPCB encouraged industrial units to dump effluents

Officials are making tall claims that they have controlled pollution levels in the district. But the water carrying channels here tell a different, shocking story. The Kalingarayan canal, lifeline of more than 30,000 farmers in the district, carried huge amount of light blue colour liquid near Karungalpalayam and the area was enveloped in an acrid smell. In Bhavani and most other places, the colour of the water was dark green and in a few places, the canal carried dark red-coloured water.

MARGAO: A month after the Collector sealed two plots of The Axis at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, the Goa State Pollution Control Board has asked the District Collector to unseal one of the plots as per the order of the Administrative Tribunal.

The unsealing of L-3 plot at the industrial estate is likely to be carried out on Thursday as per the eight-day time frame set by the Administrative Tribunal. It was on January 7 that the revenue authorities complied with GSPCB directions and sealed two plots, L-2 and L-3, vis-à-vis the handling of 25,000 tons of hazardous waste.

50% DROP IN OLIVE RIDLEY NESTS ALONG KONKAN COASTLINE

Pune: Industrial activity around coastal areas has cast its shadow on the nesting season of the endangered Olive Ridley turtle this year. There has been a disturbing 50 % drop in the total number of nests along the coastline in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts and experts hope the activity would pick up before the nesting season ends in March. Those working in this region and in the field of turtle conservation have counted 36 Olive Ridley nests along the coastline of the three districts. They say that large scale development in the vicinity of ecologically critical coastal areas and sea pollution are largely responsible for the drop in numbers this year.

Industrial units in Punjab continue to discharge untreated effluents in open drains and water channels even though the state government has been campaigning for a greener Punjab.

The lackadaisical approach of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in taking stern action against the industrial units flouting the norms is one of the major reasons behind the non-compliance of the norms.

The river Ganga is the cultural heritage and identity of the country and every effort should be made to free it from pollution.

As summer sets in the next few weeks and many districts are staring at a severe drought, the slogan for World Wetlands Day this year -- Wetlands take care of water -- is a portent for the future.