Projects steel demand at 202-233 MT

The draft National Steel Policy has pegged the country's steel making capacity in the range of 244-281 million tonne by 2025-26. The policy seeks to replace the existing one that was formulated in 2005, and suggest ways to create an environment conducive for the growth of the industry that is plagued by issues such as land acquisition and raw material scarcity.

VASCO: The environmental public hearing on coal and iron dust pollution in Vasco witnessed noisy scenes, even as the meeting had to be postponed as Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) failed to serve 30 days notice.

The GSPCB in a notification dated August 31 had fixed the public hearing in the Mormugao Municipal Council hall, Vasco, on Sunday. The public hearing was convened as part of the public consultation process in grant of environmental clearance for the development of 7.2 million metric tonnes per annum (MMPTA) iron-ore export terminal west of breakwater on DBFOT basis at Mormugao Port.

A public interest litigation (PIL) seeking cancellation of lease and environmental clearance granted to Ambuja Cement Ltd for mining in Verval region of Junagadh district has been filed in the Gujarat Hgih court. The PIL also seeks stay on mining activities of the company while the case was pending with the court.

The petitioner Paryavaran Bachav Samiti (PBS) has also alleged that the cement company had indulging in theft of minerals worth over Rs 5 crore from government owned land and sought penal actions against Ambjua Cement Ltd under the India Penal Code (IPC).

The committee is expected to give its report in mid-October

Ahead of the B K Chaturvedi committee's assessment on the impact of hydel projects on the Ganga river, the Uttarakhand government is expecting a positive report on the issue. It has also started lobbying for the allocation of coal blocks. During the past three years, a series of hydel projects had either been scrapped or suspended on environmental and religious grounds in the hill state, with the Centre setting up the Chaturvedi Committee to examine the impact of hydel projects on the biodiversity in the state. The committee is expected to give its report in mid-October.

Less than a week after the Justice M B Shah Commission submitted its report on Goa’s illegal mining of iron ore and manganese indicating that mining leases got green clearances based on wrong facts

Most clearances are learnt to have been granted during 2007-09, when PM Manmohan Singh held the environment portfolio

In a major crackdown on illegal mining in mineral-rich Goa, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) on Wednesday suspended the environment clearances of all 93 leases in the state, asking the mine owners to file their documents. Some of the projects came under attack for illegal mining belong to Dempo Mining Corp, Emco Goa, Mineira National, Sesa Goa, V M Salgaocar & Bro and Chowgule & Co. Many of these clearances are learnt to have been granted during 2007-09, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the environment portfolio.

Monsoon Anyway Halts Ore Extraction; Exports Allowed

New Delhi In a move that might speed up environmental clearances for mining firms, the Centre may ask the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) to independently verify compliance of norms suggested by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) for all mining projects.

This is being done to ensure constant monitoring of projects during the execution and completion stages. The MoEF has already proposed the need for evolving an independent monitoring system to get a fair assessment of the project and also reduce chances of conflict between the ministry and project proponents.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is investigating a complaint that Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) has sunk almost 400 borewells to source water for its mega steel and power plant in Angul, Odisha, instead of drawing water from the Brahmani river, as stipulated in its environment clearance. The company admits it has not yet completed its pipeline to the river, but claims that it is running a 135 MW power plant using collected rainwater instead.