LUCKNOW: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Friday demanded imposition of moratorium on new industrial or power projects in Sonbhadra district considering the alarming levels of mercur

District houses thermal power plants, coal mines, chemical factory

The Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh is precariously perched on the threshold of an environment disaster with a new study having found high levels of mercury in the environment as well as in the bodies of local residents. Sonbhadra, which is co-terminous to Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, is the second largest district in the State after Lakhimpur Kheri.

Uttar Pradesh, which has about 4,000 mines of coal, silica, bauxite and granite – mostly in Bundelkhand region, has mandated e-tendering for future allotment of mining leases in the state.

This step is aimed at preventing hitherto rampant illegal mining and ushering transparency in allotment of mining leases. Under the system, lease holder will have to get environment clearance for mining within 6 months if the land area is more than 5 hectares (ha), whereas, in case of lease for mining of area of less than 5 hectares, environment clearance will not be required.

Instead of ensuring effective implementation of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) schemes in Uttar Pradesh, both BSP and Congress are engaged in a battle of one-upmans

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has written a fresh letter to UP Chief Minister Mayawati over alleged irregularities in implementation of MNREGA in seven districts and demanded a CBI probe

Sonbhadra, a Naxal-hit district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has emerged as the top performer in initiating development projects under the Centre

Accepting the logics and rational of the state the Central Planning Commission has approved the annual plan of Rs 47000 crore for the 2011-12 on Monday in Delhi.

Ranchi, May 6: Jharkhand High Court today directed the water resource department secretaries of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to hold a meeting on Kanhar dam project in Garhwa, a project that has been hanging in balance since almost 40 years.

The division bench of Justices Prakash Tatia and Ramesh Kumar Merathia was hearing a PIL filed by former minister Hemendra Pratap Dehati who said that constr

A Central team which found glaring examples of MGNREGA violations in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, has asked the state administration to conduct a detailed probe in all the worksites in the district.

The financial misappropriation in this case could be to the tune of several hundred crores of rupees, according to sources who
said successful implementation of the MGNREGA is important to push develo