Babus in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest can no longer deny information to applicants under the RTI Act on the pretext that the information has to be collected from different sources. The CIC has recently rescinded a circular by the ministry under which ministry officials denied information to people under RTI.

The Supreme Court Thursday held that no public will be entitled to file a public interest ligitation (PIL) in the matter concerning the sharing of water of any inter-state river and justified the construction of the hydro-electric project at Rajolibanda in Raichur district by the Karnataka government. While dismissing a PIL filed by Atma Linga Reddy and others from Andhra Pradesh, a bench headed by Justice C K Thakkar said, "The petition under Article 32 of the Constitution is not maintainable and is liable to be dismissed, no further action is called for.'' Party to disputes

J. Venkatesan New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday vacated the status quo order on construction work at Adani group's Rs. 7,400-crore multi-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near the Mundra port in Gujarat. A Bench comprising the Chief Justice, K.G. Balakrishnan, and Justices P. Sathasivam and J.M. Panchal vacated the interim order after hearing senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the Adani Group. As counsel for petitioners wanted to withdraw the petition, the Bench dismissed it as withdrawn. The Bench, however, asked the Adani Group not to fill the creeks.

Chennai THE GO dated September 3, 2007 of the Environment and Forest Department, which exempted 36 species of trees from the purview of Timber Transit Rules (TTRs) will not be implemented, the Madras High Court was told on Wednesday.

Chennai The Madras High Court has directed the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to issue notice to the stone crusher units in the cluster areas in Tirusoolam and Pallavaram near Chennai asking why their units should not be closed down if operated without the consent of the PCB and without complying with the norms laid down by the NEERI, irrespective of their distance from the residential area.

Residents of Maina, Cavrem, Pirla and adjoining villages of Quepem taluka on Saturday vehemently opposed the public hearing of two proposed mines and managed to get the public hearing of one proposed mine cancelled on technical grounds. The Goa Pollution Control Board (GPCB) had fixed three public hearings at the Chandreshwar temple hall at Cotta-Amona in Quepem taluka, to invite public opinion on the proposed renewal of mining leases at Maina and Pirla villages. The meetings were presided over by Additional Collector-II Y B Tavde and Assistant Env. Engineer (GSPCB) Sanjeev Joglekar.

The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has tied up with Pune-based Sharmik Sanitations to provide mobile sanitation facilities in the city of Panjim. The Commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Melwyn Vaz disclosed that the corporation proposes to hire mobile toilets to be stationed in public places for he purpose of providing basic sanitation facilities.

The Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday appointed National Enviornmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to conduct a survey to determine the consequences of mining activities on water resources and agriculture of Shirgao village in Bicholim taluka.

Amid pouring rain, about 500 residents of Versova