Amended noise action plan of Goa
Goa government has notified the ‘Amended Noise Action Plan’ to purportedly streamline the processes related to curbing noise pollution in the state, as specified before the High Court on April 30. The
Goa
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Alina warns against illegal felling of trees
VASCO: Environment Minister Alina Saldanha has warned that those involved in illegal felling of trees are severely penalised to serve as a deterrent to others. At a tree plantation drive at Fishery Survey of India, Mormugao, on Thursday, Saldanha was informed that culprits generally go scot-free with a paltry fine for illegal felling of trees. She assured to bring it to the notice of the forest department and ensure that those involved in illegal felling of trees are fined heavily to serve as a deterrent to others.
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Stop using plastic bags or pay fine of Rs 5,000, Ponda traders warned
Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) has warned traders to refrain from using plastic bags, failing which they could attract a fine of upto Rs 5,000. It may be recalled Chief Officer Pradip Naik had issued orders banning plastic bags in Ponda municipality from August 16. However, the ban was postponed for a few days after PMC councillors felt that traders should be given sufficient time before implementing the ban. Since August 20, PMC started conducting surprise checks and traders found using plastic carry bags were fined Rs 100. So far, over Rs 3,000 has been collected through fines.
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Waste treatment: Fomento Green asks MMC to pay first installment
MARGAO: Fomento Green has finally asked the Margao Municipal Council to pay the first installment amounting to Rs 1.30 crore, even as the company is bracing up to conduct trial runs of waste treatment plant at Sonsodo by month end. The company has dashed off a letter reminding the Civic body to make the payments, which was supposed to be made at the time of signing of the Concession agreement.
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Moratorium on mining to be reviewed on Dec 31
PANJIM: In what can be seen as good news for the mine owners in the state, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has declared that the moratorium on renewal and granting of new mining leases in Goa would be reviewed on December 31, 2012. Union Minister for MoEF, Jayanthi Natarajan in a written reply during the ongoing parliament session, has said that for the purpose of ensuring protection of biodiversity of Western Ghats, there are some restrictions for setting up of industries in certain ecologically significant areas of the region up to December 31, 2012, including mining projects in Goa.
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Panel to study report on Western Ghats
Environment Ministry has constituted a high-level Working Group headed by eminent space scientist and Planning Commission member K Kasturirangan to examine the Western Ghats ecology expert panel report
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Cutbona boat owners oppose land acquisition for jetty expansion
MARGAO: In a development that will give further boost to the Velim anti-land Acquisition movement, boat owners from Cutbona ward on Sunday came out strongly against the government’s move to acquire 30,000 square meters of land for the fishing jetty expansion. At a meeting held at Carxetta-Velim on Sunday evening, all the eight boat owners owning around 15 fishing vessels told the ward people that they are against the government’s plans to expand the jetty by acquiring additional land.
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Stamp duty: A third of mines on the verge of closure in Goa
Over a third of operating mines in Goa are set to be closed due to a recent decision by the state government to levy a 15 per cent upfront stamp duty on the royalty paid by them. There are only 97 mines currently in operation out of 337 registered with the state government. Hence, around 70 per cent of registered mines are closed due to restrictions imposed by the state government following investigations by the M B Shah Commission inquiring into the legality of mines with required necessary permissions.
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Shah Commission asks for info on 29 more mines
The illegal mining investigator Justice MB Shah Commission has asked the state government to provide the survey and demarcation maps of 29 more iron ore and manganese mines in the state. “Out of 195 mines, the Commission has received the survey and demarcation of 148 mines. As mentioned in the group plan of existing mining leases of Keonjhar and Sundrgarh districts map this Commission has not received survey and demarcation of 29 leases,” Sudhir S Shah, registrar of the commission, said in a letter to the state steel and mines department.
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House panel to study issue of CRZ notices to traditional dwellers
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar led House Committee, constituted to look into the issues pertaining to the traditional inhabitants, who were served demolition notices by local panchayats as per Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification 2011, will be having its first seating next week. Environment Minister Alina Saldanha said that the committee will identify the number of houses under CRZ and also study the issue of the dwellings which had received demolition notices for being in the zone.
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IT to rescue Goa from illegal mining
Plagued with rampant illegal mining, the Goa government has decided to implement an information technology-based system to prevent its valuable resource being exported illegally and evading royalty. The draft mining policy, tabled on the floor of the House during the recently concluded state Assembly session, has assured a 'Mines Management System' in place, which has been made to arrest the illegal iron ore exports.