Farmers of Bihaband and Danatoli villages of Rajgangpur block in Sundargarh district are a worried lot despite bumper crop.

Jaipur: A division bench of Rajasthan high court on Monday issued notices to the state and Central governments seeking their response to a PIL seeking to nullify the first-come-first-serve rule adopted for allotment of mining leases for precious minor minerals in the state.

The order came on a PIL filed by one Battulal Meena who challenged the rules framed under Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1986. The PIL claims that the lease for extracting minor minerals like limestone, marble, granite etc, are being allotted under firstcome-first-serve basis while low quality and less priced mineral stones like chezza stone is being awarded through public auction which is highly arbitrary and whimsical.

Total of 108 lessees in the dock for producing ore in excess of the quantum approved under Act

Continuing its crackdown on excess ore extracted by mine owners, the Odisha government has initiated prosecution against 11 mine owners for raising ore beyond the approved limits of Environment (Protection) EP Act-1986. A total of 108 lessees are in dock for producing ore in excess of the quantum approved under EP Act. For the balance 97 lessees, collectors of respective districts have been asked to initiate prosecution. The violations have been recorded in case of iron ore, manganese, chromite, limestone, dolomite and quartzite mines.

SHILLONG: The fear of witnessing further environmental hazard made a young and educated lady to voice her opinion against the powerful traditional leaders of Umlong village, East Jaintia Hills district during a public hearing to decide the fate of another proposed cement plant in the limestone rich belt.

This public hearing was organised by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) in order to get the public opinion on the setting up of a new cement plant in Umlong village by Nilanchaal Cement Pvt. Ltd., Noida.

SHILLONG: Notwithstanding widespread opposition from various corners, Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary has advocated the need for Uranium mining which according to him would benefit the State immensely in terms of power generation.

“Uranium is an important natural resource since it is a critical source for generation of power,” Mooshahary said while addressing a national seminar on ‘Mining: impact assessment on the economy, ecology, technology, polity and society’ organised by Sankardev College and BBS College here on Thursday

Gandhinagar: A high-level official report, prepared by the Gujarat Ecology Commission, has taken strong exception to unprecedented mining activities bordering the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.

Environmentalists warn judges that damaging precedent will be set if large-scale limestone mining is permitted in Ojnare forest

Violation forest rules by cement cos in Jaintia Hills

Shillong: The Shillong bench of the Guahati High Court has directed the State Government to submit a report on whether provisions of the Forest Conservation Act 1980 has been complied while granting permission of establishment of cement plants and limestone mines in Jaintia Hills. Initiating a suo-moto public interest Litigation petition, the court on July 27 directed the government to submit the report in the form of an affidavit within four weeks time.

A ruling by Supreme Court, which would have drastically curtailed the notorious ‘human safaris’ in the Andaman Islands is being ignored by the islands’ authorities.

Earlier this month, Supreme Court imposed a 5-kilometer buffer zone around the Jarawa Reserve, to help reduce the exploitation of the tribe by tourists. The ruling puts an end to tourist resorts near the Reserve, and closes other commercial attractions such as the Islands’ mud volcano and limestone caves. However, at the time of going to press, more than two weeks on, the volcano and caves remain open.