Direct cash transfer of subsidies through Aadhaar card

Direct cash transfer of subsidies through the Aadhaar card would be rolled out in 51 districts across 15 States from January 1, 2013, Union Finance Minister announced . The scheme would aim to cover the entire country by the end of 2013.

No plan to dump Uranium waste from in at Kolar Gold Fields, Karnataka

The Centre on Saturday made it clear there was no plan to dump Uranium waste from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in defunct gold mines at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Karnataka. A bandh call had been given by various political parties to protest the Centre’s reported move.

Water table on the brink of depletion in Bangalore

Unscientific planning and over-dependence on water from Cauvery over the years  has resulted in severe drinking water shortage in the Bangalore and also left the water table on the brink of depletion.  The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has started exploring alternative sources of water as there seems to be no immediate solution to address the increasing water needs of the city.

Hospital waste directly emptied into the sewage system without any treatment

Several well-known private hospitals and government general hospitals in Chennai are releasing bio medical effluents from their operation theatres into the sewers, reveals  Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

Tamil Nadu seeks more water from Karnataka 

Tamil Nadu filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court for a direction to Karnataka to release 52.8 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water till February 2013 to save crops raised in 15 lakh acres.

High Court warns officials of contempt proceedings

Karnataka High Court warned of initiating contempt proceedings if the corporation and pollution authorities failed to come out with a plan for garbage crisis in Bangalore. For the first time ever dry and the wet waste generated in Bangalore city will be transported to different landfills instead of dumping them together. Only dry waste to be sent to Mandur and wet to be temporarily dumped in Sarjapur hobli.

Delhi to enforce a blanket ban on plastic bags from November 23

Delhi government to enforce a ban on the manufacture, import, sale, storage and use of plastic bags, sheets, films or tubs. Officials also plan to start an awareness campaign about the separation and recycling of waste, using social networking sites, and will hand out a limited number of jute and cloth shopping bags to select Resident Welfare Associations.