Govt asks AP guv to use powers in Scheduled Areas to cancel bauxite lease in Maoist area
For the first time, the Centre has urged the governor to use his special powers in Scheduled Areas to cancel bauxite mining leases given in Andhra Pradesh’s Vishakhapatnam district.

The 3,000MW NTPC-Kaniha power station which consumes about 55,000 tonne of coal per day has introduced various environment friendly steps to control both water and air pollution strictly as per the norms of state pollution control board.

According to the plant authorities, this ultra modern plant is equipped with electro static precipitator having efficiency of more than 99% for controlling air pollution. The details of emission and environment related data of the plant are scrutinized by government authorities from time to time.

BERHAMPUR: Emu, the flightless bird from Australia, is gradually changing the trend of poultry farming in south Odisha. Considered to be the second largest bird in the world after ostrich, though these amazing birds weigh 50 kg and run at 40 miles per hour, emus are far from being intimidating. This is the prime reason why emus are proving to be a boon to farmers in the State.

Kendrapada: The World Bank authorities have expressed displeasure over the inordinate delay in handover of the roadside land required for widening of the 106-KM long Cuttack-Chandballi State Highway in state, official sources said. The funding agency has refused to start road widening work for the Rs 800 crore worth State Highway project as the state government agencies have failed to make the transfer of the 30 per cent of roadside land to the executing agency, sources said.

Coastal towns of Machilipatnam, Surya Lanka, Kavali and Gudur in Andhra Pradesh are sensitive regions with high return levels of sea surge in case of cyclones or tidal waves in the Bay of Bengal. Sea scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, conducted studies to estimate the return periods of extreme sea level events along the East coast of India for as many as 26 coastal cities and towns. The research concentrated on five-year and 50-year return levels, which will help design marine structures for the protection of coastal areas.

BHUBANESWAR: With patience running thin after a long wait to see its greenfield projects in Odisha and Jharkhand take off, ArcelorMittal seems to have learnt it the hard way that the wait has to be much longer. And hours after a ‘harsh’ statement from the company spokesperson in New Delhi, the State Government said it would review the project’s progress.

India-shy L N Mittal, the company CEO, had told his shareholders at a meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday that Indian projects may not see the light for the next five to 10 years.

BHUBANESWAR: With many areas in the Capital city facing water crisis during summer, renovation of ponds and other water bodies has become a necessity. To address the issue, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has earmarked Rs 5 crore for renovation and beautification of ponds in the city this year. Altogether, 20 ponds in the Capital city are being maintained by the BMC.

After deciding to integrate railway freight data with the Integrated Mines and Mineral Management System (i3MS), the online data verification and permit generation software for mineral transports, the steel and mines department now plans to integrate the software with the commercial tax department.

“By June 1, the integration with the Railways will be completed wherein information on mineral transported from Odisha will be cross verified in real-time. Efforts are now being taken to integrate i3MS with the commercial tax department on verification of sale value of the mineral,”

GMDC has put on hold its plans to set up indigenous coal-based thermal power plants with an estimated investment of Rs 20,000 crore to generate 4,000 MW.

Uncertainties over the coal blocks allocated to the state PSU appears to be a key reason for the decision.

Five years ago, the Ministry of Coal had allocated the Morga coal block in Chhattisgarh and the Naini block near Angul in Odisha to GMDC, which prompted it to put in place pit-head power generation plans.