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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.

Jayanthi Natarajan's tough stand ensures recognition abroad, but red-tapism & bureaucracy continue to delay approvals in India

Reticence can be a double-edged sword. For Jayanthi Natarajan, minister for environment and forests, her reserve has attracted much criticism from domestic detractors. Yet, on the high table of international climate diplomacy, it helped her ensure the voice of developing countries, particularly India, was heard at the global climate talks.

Mines in the western Indian state of Goa were ordered to close on Tuesday after a government-backed inquiry estimated illegal trade in iron ore had cost more than $6.0 billion in five years.

With the Goa government putting a blanket ban on mining, Vedanta group firm Sesa Goa on Tuesday said it has stopped extraction of iron ore from all its mines in the state, leading to 6 per cent fall in its stock price.

Following the suspension of works, all the mining operations of Sesa Goa, the largest private sector iron ore producer of the country, have come to a standstill. Sesa Goa’s operations in Karnataka have been closed for more than a year due to a Supreme Court imposed mining ban in the southern state. In December, 2010, it had discontinued operations in Odisha.

The five companies facing an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the coal allotment controversy might not face immediate de-allocation.

A high-level inter-ministerial group (IMG) is examining cases involving 28 blocks allotted to private companies and not the ones being probed by CBI, a senior government official said. After three months of preliminary enquiry, the CBI on September 4 registered cases against AMR Iron and Steel, JLD Yavatmal, Navbharat Power, Vini Iron and Steel and Jas Infrastructure under Sections 120B and 420 of the penal code, on criminal conspiracy and cheating.

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