The recent Presidential directive that makes it mandatory for Coal India Ltd to enter into fuel supply agreements (FSAs) with new power plants seems all set to address their concerns. But it is doubtful whether any available stocks will be given to the old power plants, particularly in the public …
Mineral resources are non-renewable. Every effort should be made to mine both high-and low-grade ores and utilise those precious resources fully, scientists and mineral experts who participated at a recently held three-day symposium here recommended. “At every mine site, the low-grade ores and minerals, which are many times more than …
Are environment and forest clearances a hindrance to development in the country? No, says a study by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment. The study analyses the environment and forest clearances granted during the 11th Five Year Plan, from April 2007 till August 2011. The pace of such clearances …
Eight months ago the Centre constituted a group of ministers (GoM) to look into the increasing perception that delay in acquiring forest clearance was hurting the country’s coal and power production. The GoM’s terms of reference comprised suggesting measures on “efficacy and legality of forest clearance norms” and for ensuring …
NEWS Bad for people, bad for environment Claims by the government and industry that environmental regulations are throttling India's economic growth are belied by the latest study by Delhi-based non-profit, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Read more OVERVIEW Growth at what cost? The diversion of forestland for development projects …
Claims by the government and industry that environmental regulations are throttling India's economic growth are belied by the latest study by Delhi-based non-profit, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The assessment which comprehensively analysed forest clearances granted by the Indian government in the 11th Five-Year-Plan—2007 to 2011—shows that rate of …
A bill that promises direct benefit to people from the minerals underneath their land is ready to be tabled in Parliament this monsoon session. The Group of Ministers gave it a nod on July 7 after minor changes in the contentious profit-sharing provision, which requires mining companies to shell out …
For green cause: Bangalore, Brikesh Singh knows all about scaling great heights to protect environment. Be it the UK Parliament or trees on the sides of Sankey Tank Bund Road – thankfully spared by the axes of the city corporation – he had used his skill to climb buildings and …
New Delhi Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold a meeting to resolve inter-ministerial differences relating to environment clearances for coal and power projects after the Group of Ministers meet on July 14.
In December 2009, just before the disastrous climate conference at Copenhagen, environment minister Jairam Ramesh announced a voluntary and unilateral emissions reduction target for the country. He committed a 20-25 per cent reduction in the emissions intensity of the country’s GDP by 2020 below the 2005 levels. A month later, …
New Delhi Backtracking on his decision to clear only one power plant in Orissa, environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday gave the green nod to three projects in the state
Blocks not actually within the biodiversity-rich region, he says The bastion of Hasdeo-Arand has finally been broken. One year after saying that the coalfields of this heavily-forested, mineral rich region of Chhattisgarh would never be open to miners, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has finally granted a stage-I forest clearance to …
The Indian economy is growing at a fast pace. That calls for a commensurate increase in electricity consumption. But a stumbling domestic coal sector threatens to derail the power sector growth. India will have to overhaul its coal mining policy if it is to ensure its long-term energy security and …
New Delhi With the uncertainty over assured coal supply from domestic sources rising, private power companies have started pushing for changes in existing tariff bidding guidelines so that they can pass on any increase in fuel costs to electricity buyers. Currently, developers cannot pass on any increase in coal prices …
Srinagar The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to develop a new coal mine in Rajouri district as part of efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in the state.
Kolkata For each wagon of coal that Sajjan Jindal sends to his steel plant in the Bellary belt of Karnataka, it takes four layers of committees at the central government to clear the consignment. But he can consider himself lucky. Had he bought the coal from the market, as hundreds …
A new documentary from the Centre for Investigative Journalism in Berkeley debunks the myth of “clean coal”. Dirty Business, which opened on January 14, shows scarred mountains, abandoned homes on remote hillsides, toxic water streams, respiratory fatalities and children with birth defects as side effects of coal extraction and power …
Why a song on mining? I am a trained environmental engineer, so I always wanted to write a song on environmental degradation caused by mining in Australia. I am not sure why I did not write it before, but it is an opportune time as mining is expanding in the …
CHOOSING economic growth over protection of rich forests, the ministry of coal has written to the Cabinet secretary against demarcation of coal-bearing mines as “go” and “no-go” zones. In June, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) had set rich forests as out of bounds for mining. As a preliminary …
