Odisha plans to restore coastal green cover
Uprooted trees in Puri. Nearly 22 lakh trees have been destroyed in the cyclone in Odisha.Biswaranjan Rout Cyclone Fani-hit State aims at planting over 1.3 crore saplings as per a five-year scheme
Uprooted trees in Puri. Nearly 22 lakh trees have been destroyed in the cyclone in Odisha.Biswaranjan Rout Cyclone Fani-hit State aims at planting over 1.3 crore saplings as per a five-year scheme
Even as National Aluminium Company (Nalco) awaits anxiously for the nod of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) for grant of temporary work permit (TWP) to reopen its lapsed bauxite mine, the non-inclusion of the matter in the agenda of the next meeting of FAC has emerged as a matter of concern. Any delay in the FAC, which is crucial for grant of TWP, may jeopardise the future operation of the company’s 2.1 million tonne alumina refinery at Damanjodi, on the foot of Panchpatmali bauxite deposit in Koraput district.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated probe into the contentious joint venture pact between the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Delhi-based Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd (SMASL) for coal mining in the state. Both companies had formed a JV named Kalinga Coal Mining (Private) Ltd for raising coal from Utkal D block in Angul district, allotted to OMC, with an estimated coal reserve of 138 million.
Bhubaneswa rEven as the National Aluminium Company refinery is facing closure due to want of bauxite, the company chairman-cum-managing director, Ansuman Das, on Monday assured that there would be no problem in meeting the export commitments besides the demand of the smelter. Stating that the company has commitments for dispatch of two more consignments off Vizag port this month, the CMD said that these two would be met with. According to him, the nominated vessels for the cargo has already started for Vizag port. “We would reschedule the date for other commitments after we come to know the status of the mines by this month end”. He also clarified that there is alumina stock to meet the demand of its smelter at Angul.
The second category included steel, cement and other specified end users including captive power producers who will get coal at prices to be notified separately Clearing the air over the role of Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) to acquire land for mining projects when its primary responsibility is to buy land for industries, the state government has said, there is nothing wrong in land buying for coal mining as mineral excavation is also an industrial activity.
The joint field verification of mines, which are excavating beyond their leasehold area, by the officials of the Odisha government and Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) is expected to start from November 21. “The Shah commission had pointed out some cases of mining beyond leasehold area and has asked us to take up field verification of such leases. The field visit is set to start from November 21”, said a senior mining department official in the know of the matter.
Company hopes to get permit to re-operate mine by December National Aluminium Company (Nalco) has stopped production at its Panchpatmali North-Central block bauxite mines after its lease deed for the area expired on Saturday. The company, which is awaiting renewal of the lease, said it is expecting a temporary working permit to operate the mine by December. “We have applied for a temporary working permit (TWP) for a period of one year. The status of the application will be clear by the end of this month,” said a senior official of Nalco.
Bhubaneswar The Society of Geoscientists and Allied Technologists (SGAT) has submitted a memorandum to the Orissa government pointing out that the penalty notices served on 104 mine owners for recovery of Rs 70,000 crore is incorrect. The 734-member strong apex body of geoscientists and mining engineers has said in its memorandum that there is a flaw in the recovery notice and it would not stand in the court of law. “The department of steel & mines has issued missives by way of resolution and letter, which we have held to be incorrect and misconceived and do not remotely serve the interest of the mineral development”, the SGAT has mentioned in the memorandum. A high-level SGAT team had met the chief secretary BK Patnaik and steel & mines secretary Rajesh Verma and submitted the 24-page memorandum, copies of which are with FE.
Bhubaneswar The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status of Posco-India’s steel project in Orissa is in trouble. The SEZ development commissioner is unlikely to recommend further extension of in-principle approval
Electronic sale of minerals from odisha likely to begin from Jan 2013 The Odisha government will enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kolkata-based MSTC Ltd for selling of key bulk minerals like iron ore, manganese and chrome ore on the e-auction platform. The MoU would outline the roles, responsibilities, scope of work and remuneration for MSTC. A suitable government order will be issued, making e-auction compulsory.
Bhubaneswar The worst fear of Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), state government-owned company, has come true. The company has lost iron ore worth R34 crore in rains. Sources in OMC say iron ore fines dumped at Gandhamardan mines and Kumitar mines have been lost due to rains. A huge stock of iron ore were lost as it could not take adequate storage measures to protect minerals, sources said, adding the company is now trying to recover the washed out fines.