The Goa government on Wednesday announced the formation of a high-level committee to be headed by a retired high court judge to probe the irregularities pointed out by Justice M B Shah panel in its report on iron ore mining in the state.

“The Independent High Level Investigation Committee (IHLIC) will be headed by retired high court judge R M Khandeparkar, and will submit its report within two months,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters after the Cabinet approved setting up of the panel. Justice M B Shah commission in its report tabled in Parliament had pegged the iron ore scam at Rs 35,000 crore and indicted several private players besides public servants for their acts of omission and commission.

A proposal to classify river courses in the State into various eco-zones for their conservation and management is getting ready.

This forms part of the guidelines prepared by the Department of Environment and Climate Change for the conservation and protection of river systems in the State. The eco-zones, it is proposed, will be demarcated based on the climatic and geomorphic features of each course, the extent of its degradation, and the scope for its restoration. Permissible activities will be notified for each zone.

The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined six industrial groups and two brick fields Tk 1.1 crore on charges of polluting and grabbing rivers around the capital.

While turning a blind eye to the increasing number of encroachments along the Musi river bed, the GHMC has prepared grand plans to seek Rs 752 crore funding from the Centre for the river front deve

PANJIM: Though State Government had initiated a few steps, following disclosure of the magnitude of illegalities in mining by Shah Commission report last week, activists, however, do not seem to be satisfied.

Now that illegalities of mining companies have come in full public view, they expect that mining companies should be compelled to pay back illegal profits cornered by them during last few years.

It is not just the Mithi river that is susceptible to degradation due to encroachment and dumping. There are at least two more rivers and six natural drains in the city that are highly vulnerable and in need of immediate attention, as per a recent study funded by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

These are the Oshiwara river, Poisar river, Vikhroli nullah, Mogra nullah, Tilak Nagar nullah, Piramal Nagar nullah, Irla nullah and Safed Pul nullah and are part of the five rivers and 19 natural drains in the city. According to the study, the Dahisar river also needs attention but is not as critical as the others.

Madurai district police have registered over 20 cases and arrested 45 persons so far

The Tamil Nadu Government has posted John Louis as Special Officer, in the rank of District Revenue Officer, to oversee the survey and assessment of granite quarries, now under way, in Madurai district. District Collector Anshul Mishra, who is heading the revenue team in inspecting the quarries and monitoring the progress on a daily basis, said on Tuesday that Mr. Louis, who was earlier serving in Villupuram district, would primarily oversee the surveys being carried out in the granite quarries and the assessments being made by the team members.

It may lead to illegal grabbing of government land: communiqué

Governor H.R. Bhardwaj has returned the Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2012 to the State government on the grounds that the “policy of regularisation of encroachment of government land directly encouraged illegal occupation of government land.” According to a communiqué from the Raj Bhavan, the amendment to the Bill sought to substitute the existing section 94C of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 with certain modifications.

District Collector Anshul Mishra has submitted an interim report on the inspection of 175 quarries by 18 teams to the State government, officials said.

The volume, in terms of granite quarrying and monetary angle, which was allegedly carried out in an illegal way by many granite operators for the last one or two decades in Melur taluk, had been unravelled after former Madurai Collector U. Sagayam’s report got leaked to the media.

GUWAHATI, Aug 26 – Asking the State government to plan the rehabilitation of the landless people in such a manner as it does not have adverse impact on the water bodies and wetlands in and around t