Moily makes project clearance easy: Delinks power plants and captive mines for clearance

Environment Ministry delinks clearance of power plants from captive mines

The new Environment Minister Veerappa Moily has delinked the green clearance process for a thermal power plant and its source of fuel, a captive coal mine. This will make it easier for the project proponents to get clearance and begin project work sooner.

Garbage dump to be turned into wildlife park in Chennai

The Tamil Nadu government has announced that the Pallikarnai marshlands will be turned into a wildlife park.  Once a biodiveristy hotspot, the a major chunk of the marshland was being used as a dumpyard for the city's garbage.

Clean drinking water project in 2500 Andhra schools

An NGO has launched water health centres to supply clean drinking water in about 2500 schools in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh. A women's self help group will run these centres, thereby generating employment for women.

HC bans fruit tree cutting in UP

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has banned cutting of mango trees for road expansion and other construction activities in the State. Rampant tree-cutting in the 'fruit belt area' of UP triggered this Order.

Conditional clearance for Vizhinjam port in Kerala

The Environment Ministry has granted clearance to Vizhinjam port in Kerala under both Environment Impact Assessment and Coastal Zone Regulation Act,  albeit with 29 specific and 14 general conditions.

Assam NGO stop survey work for proposed dam

An NGO stopped an environment impact assessment agency from carrying out a survey in Tinsukia district for a dam proposed on the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh. They argued that no more work on hydel projects should be allowed unless the issues related to the 2000-MW Subansiri Lower project were resolved.

Tanker mafia creates artificial water crisis

Water mafia running tankers in Delhi created an artificial water crisis in the Capital and sold water from tankers at an unusually hiked price- to the tune of Rs 800-1500 for a 1000 litres tanker.

Centre rejects Mining Commission's report on Odisha

The Central government has rejected Justice Shah Commission's key recommendation to cancel mining licenses of firms encroaching forestland in Odisha. The Commission is probing illegal mining all over the country.

CCEA approves drinking water scheme for four states

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a World Bank assisted scheme on drinking water and sanitation in the four states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

NEERI to study mining impact in Goa

The National Environment Engineering Research Institute will study the impact of mining on flora and fauna and on people in Goa. The study is meant to find out further scope of fresh mining in the State.

This is a roundup of important news from January 3 and 4, 2014.