<p>A record 212 people who defend our land and environment were killed last year, reports Global Witness - an international NGO dedicated to preventing extractive industries from infringing on human rights.
WGEEP Had Sought Ban In Eco-Sensitive Zones Thiruvanathapuram: Green activists in the state have expressed their shock over the government’s response to the recommendations of the Western Ghats Expert Ecology Panel (WGEEP) that seek a ban on mining activities in the ecosensitive zones (ESZ) in Kerala. The government, in its response, said that a complete ban of mining in ESZs would put lakhs of migrant labourers from other states at the receiving end and would create unpredictable and adverse consequences in the industrial, economic, labour and social sectors in the state.
Corporation has opted for burning of garbage on streets Sanitation workers with bamboo-brooms and kerosene cans roaming around the city and burning garbage heaps at street corners is a regular scene at nights in Thrissur these days. As garbage removal to Lalur, where the city corporation’s garbage disposal site is located, has been blocked for more than a year due to local people’s opposition, the corporation has opted for the burning of garbage on streets, as an easy solution.
NEW DELHI: Seeking to draw the line on litigation against power projects, the Supreme Court expressed unhappiness over resulting delays and cost escalations while dismissing a plea challenging a hydro-electric project on the Alaknanda river in Uttarakhand. The court observed that it is ironical that while power projects face opposition from the moment they appear on a drawing board, every citizen wants uninterrupted power supply.
PANJIM: Claiming that inclusion of Goa region of Western Ghat in the World Heritage Site of UNESCO will put the place on par with other unique sites across the World, the State Government has given its green signal to the proposal to include State’s 755 sq kms protected area on the heritage list. The proposal has been forwarded to the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which is the nodal agency appointed by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to coordinate with UNESCO on the proposal of including the Western Ghats as a natural heritage site.
Severe drought conditions have led to drying up of the river The Bharathapuzha is a trickle. Severe drought conditions and drying up of the river have virtually brought it under the control of the sand-mining lobby. Hundreds of truckloads of sand are collected from the river bed in blatant violation of rules. The authorities have so far failed to initiate any action to stop the indiscriminate mining of sand. A few officials who had sought to take action against the ‘sand mafia’ had been physically attacked. The government took no action to provide protection to them.
In November 2012, when the city was in the throes of its worst smog spell in recent years, PM2.5 levels were consistently over 500 mg/cu m over several places. “Beijing undertook several measures to control its air pollution levels during the Beijing Olympics in 2008 but the city is still prone to smog. More recently, it has decided to implement a lottery system for private cars which it hopes will keep a check on the rising number of vehicles,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, associate director at the Centre for Science and Environment.
The four-member National Green Tribunal headed by Justice VR Kingaonkar barred the Environment and Forests Ministry from granting any environment clearance to Goa's iron ore mines without its approval, even as it ordered stoppage of all mining at mines whose initial clearance of five years had expired. But the Tribunal's order has no immediate effect as all mining operations in Goa are already stayed by the Supreme Court since October on a petition filed by Goa Foundation.
NEW DELHI: Beijing's air pollution made international news over the weekend when fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the city air rose to an 'out-of-index' level of 755 mg/cu m. Pictures showed Beijing residents wearing masks amid advisories that they should stay indoors. Meanwhile, it was business as usual in Delhi on Monday when despite a clear windy day, the PM2.5 levels ranged from 130 to 565 mg/cu m. According to World Health Organization, the safe level of PM2.5 is 20 mg/cu m. The Indian standard for this pollutant — that can cause respiratory illnesses and worsen heart ailments — is 60 mg/cu m.
PANJIM: In a decision that has set the alarm bells ringing, the Department of Mines and Geology has issued an NOC to a trading company, Prime Minerals, effectively owned by Timblo–run Fomento group to transport and export ore through Goa, officials said, opening up a debate on whether this circumvents the total ban orders on transport and export issued by the Supreme Court and whether it effectively amounts to contempt of court. The decision has raised a furor among activists and members of civil society, who termed the decision as contempt of court and questioned the hurry in not waiting for the Apex court decision. They also expressed fears that the mining illegalities and pollution would come to haunt Goa, as the State would return to square one.
For the first time in its modern history, river activists are trying to utilise the occasion of Kumbh for what it was originally meant for a ‘manthan’ to differentiate the good from the evil, ‘devtas’ from ‘asuras’, the ‘amrit’ from the ‘vish’. The plan is to use the occasion of Maha Kumbh, the biggest religious congregation on earth which begins in Allahabad on the occasion of Makar Sakranti next week, to help people differentiate between well wishers of rivers and their enemies and spread awareness about India’s gasping lifelines.
