Political parties pledge to reduce pollution in manifestos Promises to fight the world’s most toxic air have made it to the manifestos of major political parties for the first time in Indian elections. Major political parties such as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the opposition Indian National Congress and the …
The state government has eased some regulations to lure prospective investors into the state by announcing a new Rajasthan Solar Energy Policy and a Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme. From incentives and subsidies to fast-track clearances - the new measures are aimed at developing the state into a major solar energy …
It could take a year or more for redistribution of the coal blocks if environment and forest clearances are made mandatory The Supreme Court's (SC) decision to cancel allocated coal blocks is the break the government required to reset how green clearances are given for coal mining. The SC cancelled …
The high level committee (HLC) constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) will engage with institutions and individuals in New Delhi on October 7 and 8 in the course of its review of five environment-related laws. The joint secretary of the Ministry of Environment Biswajit Sinha has sent …
Minister for environment, forest, and ecology B Ramanath Rai on Tuesday directed the three coastal district administrations to adopt a uniform sand mining and distribution policy. Chairing a meeting here on Tuesday in which deputy commissioners of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts were present, Rai said the policy …
Activists in Dakshina Kannada urged that the review of environmental laws must never be done in haste. Activists expressed their views before the High Level Committee of Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) headed by former Union Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian during its meet to receive suggestions and objections …
The Union environment ministry is set to ease clearance norms for townships and building and construction projects in or close to wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and eco-sensitive zones. Soon, for projects such as residential and commercial buildings, townships, hotels, hospitals and information technology parks, one will have to approach only …
The Wild Orissa, an organisation working in the field of wildlife conservation, has submitted a memorandum to the High-Level Committee (HLC) formed by the Union Government to review certain environmental laws, appealing to it to ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance, including atmospheric equilibrium which is vital for …
Three years after Kozhikode was declared the state's first plastic-waste free district, the city corporation is now planning to impose a total ban on plastic carry bags, effective from October 2. The move is to make the corporation limits free of plastic waste. A final decision on the ban would …
The NDA government, in the Supreme Court, blamed the Congress-led UPA regime for the delay in setting up of an independent environmental regulatory authority to monitor compliance of green laws while asking for three more months to take a final call. Even as the SC had on August 4 rejected …
One of the leading farmer activists of the land consolidation movement in the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand has criticised the State Government accusing it of not being serious about ensuring voluntary land consolidation in the State. Ganesh Singh ‘Garib’ says that the State Government should first make its intentions clear …
The Union Cabinet, at its meeting on Monday, gave its nod for launching the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) with “core and flexible components.” It is aimed at addressing the gaps in health services by supporting AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) care and education, particularly in vulnerable …
Claiming that he was “confused”, Union rural development minister Nitin Gadkari is seeking to build “consensus” to bring changes in the Land Acquisition Act to make it more investor-friendly. The minister stated that there were “contradictory views” within political parties, who want changes in the legislation. The minister had told …
With the rising price of river sand, the illegal sand-mining lobbies have started turning their attention once again to the poorly guarded coastlines in rural Kozhikode. People attached to a coastal vigilance committee from Chombal say that the entire coastline in their region is currently under the hold of illegal …
A high-level committee has been constituted by the government to review various environment laws in order to bring them in line with "current requirements", an official said Wednesday. The committee has been set up in the backdrop of the government taking serious measures to speed up the environmental clearance process …
The NDA government’s mantra as it prepares to usher in a new environmental regime in the country seems to be two-pronged — to make it easier for industries to set up new facilities but difficult for them to pollute. As one decision is unveiled after another, it is becoming increasingly …
The government on Thursday decided to institute a committee of four ministers to prepare a framework for creating an independent environmental regulatory authority to monitor the compliance of green laws in the country. Environment minister Prakash Javadekar, transport minister Nitin Gadkari, power minister Piyush Goyal, and chemicals and fertilisers minister …
The government on Thursday formed a panel of four ministers on setting up a national regulator for the environment. The four are Prakash Javadekar (environment and forests), Nitin Gadkari (road transport), Ananth Kumar (chemicals and fertilisers) and Piyush Goel (power, coal and renewable energy). The Supreme Court had on January …
E-rickshaws won’t be allowed to go faster than 15 km/h or carry more than four passengers as the municipal corporations are working to regulate all aspects of the battery-operated three-wheelers. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee passed its e-rickshaw policy on Wednesday. The document includes a speed limit, a …
After labour law reforms, the Narendra Modi Government plans to fast-track changes in key environment laws and has set up a high-level committee to draft the proposed amendments within two months. The committee, to be headed by former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanain, will review the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the …
Punjab Agriculture Minister Tota Singh (SAD) and Industries Minister Madan Mohan Mittal (BJP) were reportedly at daggers drawn while the new mining policy was being discussed during the Cabinet meeting today. The verbal duel between the two ministers ended only after the intervention of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who …
