The government will set up an official committee to monitor adherence to environmental laws by factories and industries in the State.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment B. Ramanath Rai said the proposed committee, comprising officials of the department, would visit industrial areas and conduct inspections of small, medium and large-scale industries in the private and public sector.

The State Cabinet on Thursday allowed stone quarrying within 100 metres of forest borders.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said different interpretations of Section 42(2) of the Karnataka Forest Act made the Mines and Geology department issue circulars banning stone quarrying within 100 metres of forest borders. A large number of crushing units had consequently shut shop, resulting in a severe shortage of jelly stones, he said.

Illegal mining is continuing unabated in various parts of the state despite a complete ban on it by the National Green Tribunal.

Sources said stone-crusher owners were deceptively indulging in illegal mining in the guise of the permission given to them by the state government for stock clearance.

Officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board on Monday descended on the Cuncolim Industrial Estate to probe into the discharge of effluents in an abandoned stone quarry by some food processin

Despite repeated strike by officials against the mining mafia in the bordering areas of the state, illegal mining continues unabated with several cases coming to the fore almost every day.

The lax attitude of the authorities in the Nalagarh sub-division of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area has led to an increase in illegal mining on the Nalagarh-Ropar State Highway close

The Cabinet today gave nod to the new policy for scientific exploitation of minor minerals, short-term permits to private land owners, regulate use of machinery deployed for mining and providing re