Three states will have to pay for water: Punjab House

Punjab assembly has passed a resolution against sharing of river waters with other states. It has also decided to notify the land for the SYL canal and has demanded charges for river waters flowing to the three states of Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, even as Haryana asked Punjab to compensate for the losses of farmers estimated to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh has called the resolution pointless, claiming that the state doesn't have enough water.

First coastal economic corridor to cover Odisha

The country’s first coastal economic corridor covering 1,700 km of the coastline and stretching from Visakhapatnam to Chennai will cover Odisha. This ADB funded project will connect the mineral-rich hinterland with six major ports and three deep draught ports.

Heavy metals, pesticides in Ganga: CPCB tells NGT

Following Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) submissions that the water of the Ganga river, between Haridwar and Kanpur, contains heavy metals and pesticides, the National Green Tribunal asked the Centre to submit a note detailing the state of the river and how it has deteriorated. It also warned the Centre not to spend a single penny more on cleaning up operations between Haridwar and Unnao till their next order. It further directed the UP government and tanneries located on the banks of river Ganga at Kanpur to clear their stand and shift to some other place. Matra Sadan Ashram founder Swami Shivanand has demanded a ban on riverbed quarrying failing which, he will stage a fast unto death.

Delhi-Meerut Expressway may be allowed: Expert panel tells NGT 

An expert committee told the National Green Tribunal to grant permission to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to build a bridge and its approach roads across the Yamuna river for the Delhi- Meerut Expressway. Along with this, it also recommended that the project proponent should save "as many trees" as possible and no wetland area on the floodplains should be disturbed during the construction phase. 

NGT says no to farming on polluted Yamuna land 

The National Green Tribunal has prohibited farming on Yamuna banks citing heavy pollution in the river. Prohibiting the cultivation of edible crops and vegetables on the floodplains of Yamuna, the green panel said no activity can be permitted in that area till the time Yamuna is restored and made pollution-free. 

This is a roundup of important policy matters from November  14-21, 2016. Also read news this week.