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Centre may leave it for the Supreme Court to decide on CBI probe into Odisha illegal mining
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 28, 2014, 04.58AM IST 
The MB Shah Commission has indicted both the Centre and Odisha government for various acts of omission and commission that led to illegal mining worth around Rs 60,000 crore.
NEW DELHI: The Centre, which is working on the action taken report on findings of the Shah Commission on multi-crore illegal mining in Odisha, may leave it for the Supreme Court to decide whether the scam can be probed by the CBI.
Though it will accept Shah Commission's recommendation asking the state government to cancel mining lease of erring companies and recover over Rs 59,203 crore from private firms that violated rules while mining iron and manganese ore during 2000-10, its action taken report (ATR) is likely to be subdued on the matter of probe by central agency citing pending court cases and state's ongoing police/vigilance action against offenders.
"The Centre may, at the most, refer the issue to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) for more clarity on the matter," said an official privy to deliberation of the committee of secretaries (CoS) which has been finalizing the ATR.
The Justice (retired) MB Shah Commission has recommended that the government hand over all cases to the CBI "where the FIRs were registered by police, vigilance, mines, revenue, forests and other departments" from 2008-2011.
Government sources said the action would, however, include decisions on a range of amendments in existing rules and laws pertaining to mines and environment.
"Idea is to amend the laws by including strict penal provisions so that it can act as a major deterrent", said an official, adding mining in forest area without approval would be made a "congnizable offence" as part of such measures.
The ATR, which will be tabled along with the commission's report in Parliament during the session next month, will also pitch for stringent punishment for violation under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 which may include imprisonment for a period not less than six months that can be extended to seven years and liable to pay fines proportionate to the amount of illegal mining.
At present, offences under the Act are non-congnizable. Police do not initiate investigation in such crime except with magisterial permission. Besides, the existing law provides for the punishment of imprisonment, extendable to only fifteen days for the contravention of the provisions of the Act. Although it has provision to impose heavy fine on illegal miners, it lacks clarity on the amount - making it to be quite 'soft'.
The commission, which submitted its five-volume report on illegal mining in Odisha to the government last year, has indicted both the Centre and the state government for various acts of omission and commission that led to illegal mining worth around Rs 60,000 crore.
The Union Cabinet had on January 2 referred the report to the CoS for suggesting action based on the commission's recommendation.
"Once the ATR is finalized by the CoS, it will again go to Cabinet for its approval before being tabled in the Parliament", said an official.
Other suggestions which may find place in the ATR include independent third party evaluation of compensatory afforestation - an obligation of the agencies which divert forest for industries, mining or other activities.
Sources also said that the ministry of environment and forest was in favour of taking action against the companies by issuing show-cause notices to cancel mining lease along Baitarni river in Odisha. The suggestion would find place in the ATR.
"If the Cabinet accepts the suggestion, it will hit operations of many big steel and mining companies in the mineral rich state. Such companies will have to once again get environment and forest clearances", said an official.
Extracts of the report which found place in media show that 130 out of 192 mining lessees were allegedly doing production without lawful authority in violation of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notifications 1994 and 2006.
Ninety-four mines were found to be operating without environment clearance (EC) while 96 obtained delayed ECs. The panel has also traced freight evasion cases by iron ore exporters, who moved the mineral under domestic movement category by showing false excise certificates and recommended that the Railways should ask CBI to investigate the cases...............http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTQvMDEvMjgjQXIwMTYwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 24, 2014, 10.04PM IST
The Posco project was marred in controversies over issues concerning land acquisition and delay in clearances since its announcement over eight years ago.
NEW DELHI: Days after getting crucial green nod from the Centre, the South Korean steel giant Posco is now set to clear its last 'procedural hurdle' with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday asking it to get final forest clearance for its multi-crore project in Odisha from the state government.
Though the tribunal in its order asked the company not to cut any tree at the project site unless it gets the forest clearance (FC) from the Odisha government, the direction would eventually help Posco in getting the actual construction work in motion.
The state — which has been in favour of setting up the steel plant — will now have to formally issue its FC order soon. The Odisha government's counsel apprised the Tribunal on Friday that appropriate orders will be passed.
"It is now between them (Posco) and the state," a bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar said, noting that the project has been granted environment clearance and as per the Forest (Conservation) Act permission to cut trees is to be given by the Odisha government.
"Environmental clearance has already been granted to them. The state government has to pass order for forest clearance. It is for the state government to pass an order.
"We dispose of the petition. The project proponent (Posco) is at liberty to approach the state government for appropriate orders. Till such orders are passed by the state, no trees be cut by the project proponent," the bench said.
The order came on the plea of an environment activist Prafulla Samantara, who had challenged the FC granted to the project by the Centre, on the ground that the ministry of environment and forest only had power to give approval for FC and the final order in that regard has to be passed by the state.
Odisha government had, in fact, been resisting issuing such order as it did not want anyone to go in for appeal before the Tribunal once the forest clearance is notified in an official gazette. The project is to be come up in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha,
"Once the Odisha government notifies its final forest clearance order to the Posco, anyone can go in for appeal against the order under Section 16 of the NGT Act", said advocate Ritwick Dutta who represented the applicant before the NGT.
He told the TOI that even if anyone goes in for appeal, it would not affect the Posco's work at the project site unless the court issues a stay order.
"The tribunal's order on Friday makes it clear that the Posco is now set to cross all procedural hurdles as state will not take time in issuing FC", Dutta said.
The NGT, while disposing of his petition, concurred with Samantara's view and said, "Once the Central government accords its approval, it is to be followed by appropriate orders by the state government".
The Friday's order clearly indicates that the project is delayed for nearly two years due to the stand of the state government which could have easily issued forest clearance once the Centre had given its nod for the same two years ago.
The Tribunal also made it clear it is not examining any other aspects of the case like whether the FC is to be granted prior to EC or vice versa. The ministry of environment and forest had given its environmental clearance to this Rs 51,000 crore project for setting up a 4 million tones per annum capacity of integrated steel plant on January 7.
The Posco project, the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) to India, was marred in controversies over issues concerning land acquisition and delay in clearances since its announcement over eight years ago.
The original plan of the company in 2007 was to set up 12 MTPA integrated steel plant on 4,004 acres of land.
Giving its green nod, the MoEF order on January 7 said, "Presently, Posco's intermediate plan (2012) is to set up 4 MTPA integrated steel plant (Phase-I) with in-built provision for another 4 MTPA (Phase-II) on 2,700 acres of land. Accordingly, the revised lay out plan was submitted. However, the original plan of setting up of 12 MTPA steel plant has remained unchanged and intact".
The company will have to take fresh clearance in case of any change in the scope of the project at a later stage.................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAxNC8wMS8yNSNBcjAxNDAz&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 23, 2014, 04.44AM IST
NEW DELHI: Faced with criticism that it had rushed through green clearances to many projects by ignoring environmental concerns, the government may next week clear Rs 13,000 crore for its much awaited 'Green India Mission' which aims to enhance carbon sinks through large-scale forestry across the country.
"Final draft of the Green India Mission (GIM) and proposal to get funds for it are ready. It will go to the Cabinet soon, possibly next week," environment and forests minister M Veerappa Moily said.
Moily told TOI that the finance ministry has given its nod for the required funds.
The government intends to increase forest cover by 10 million hectares in the next 10 years at a cost of Rs 46,000 crore. It has two components - quality improvement of forest cover and creating new forest cover - which are to be implemented through various measures including decentralization of forest governance.
It is learnt that the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has proposed convergence of GIM projects with schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
Whenever forest land is to be diverted for non-forestry purpose, user agencies have to provide equivalent "non-forest land" as per availability and "funds" (prescribed estimated amount) for carrying out compensatory afforestation. The money contributed by these agencies for planting trees goes to the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF).
The GIM may benefit from the convergence as CAF during 2006-12 grew from Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 23,608 crore.
The fund for the mission is also expected to be derived from the 'corporate social responsibility' kitty which may get money from private companies that are expected to share a certain percentage of the total cost of projects for different social works.
Though the mission got 'in-principle' approval of the government over two years ago, it could not take off due to paucity of funds.
Rs 13,000 crore amount for the GIM, which is to get Cabinet nod, is meant for the 12th five-year plan period (2012-17). Since two years of the current plan period are almost over, the proposed fund has the provision of one year spillover in the 13th plan period.
The mission plan is designed in such a way that it could respond to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures. Besides increasing the forest cover, it will also be meant for improving entire ecosystem and increasing forest-based livelihood income for 30 lakh forest dependent households in different parts of the country.
"Creating a new cadre of community youth as foresters from scheduled tribes and other forest dwelling communities is also one of the key areas of the Mission", said an official from the MoEF.........................................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDE0LzAxLzIzI0FyMDEwMDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 22, 2014, 05.11AM IST
NEW DELHI: Amid all-round criticism from environmentalists for ignoring sensitive green issues under new environment minister M Veerappa Moily, the government has approved a pending Rs 290 crore scheme to build capacity at both central and state levels to assess impact of climate change in vulnerable areas and associated risks.
Besides, it also cleared a proposal to set up an institute on climate change studies in the name of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
"Both these proposals were cleared by the Union Cabinet on Monday," said Moily, seeking to give an impression that his ministry was equally concerned of green cause and climate change.
Moily told TOI that the finance ministry had agreed to release funds for the scheme which is to be implemented beginning next fiscal.
As far as setting up the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Climate Change Studies and Actions is concerned, the minister said a committee of secretaries (CoS) would soon take a call on structure of the institute and the timeline for its completion.
The CoS will comprise of secretaries in the ministries of environment and forest, finance, renewable energy, agriculture, water resources and earth science.
The Rajiv Gandhi Institute - which is to be set up here as an autonomous body — will have four key functional areas related to environmental-scientific assessments and modeling; economic and legal analysis, monitoring and policy making; training, capacity building and advocacy and database, documentation and inventory management.
The capacity building scheme - which got the Cabinet's nod on Monday - is designed to undertake and augment various activities including Coordination of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State Action Plan on Climate Change.
The NAPCC, comprising eight government-backed missions, was launched by the Centre in 2008. It includes government's priority area to work in the field of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, conserving water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, a "Green India" mission, sustainable agriculture and strategic knowledge platform for Climate Change.....http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTQvMDEvMjIjQXIwMTgwMA==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 20, 2014, 06.15AM IST
NEW DELHI: Taking the lead in heeding the Centre's advice backed by concerns expressed by environmentalists and a court order, the Odisha government has issued directions to district authorities to ensure that no plastic tri-colour is used during celebration of Republic Day, Independence Day or other important days in the state.
Though other states including Maharashtra and Karnataka had also issued similar directions in the past, such an order could not be implemented due to lack of monitoring mechanism at local level.
Unlike other states, Odisha has asked district civil and police authorities to depute officers specifically for this job so that the state high court order was followed and the national flag was used, made and distributed as per the national flag code.
Acting on a writ petition, the HC had in August last year directed the state government to take steps to prevent sale and distribution of the tri-colour made of any other material barring those permitted under the Flag Code of India, 2002.
The code specifies that the national flag should be made of cotton, wool, silk or paper. It also has penal provision under the Prevention of Insults to National Hounor (Amendment) Act, 2003 in case of any violation.
The law provides for imprisonment for a term up to three years for anyone who "in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, trample upon or otherwise shows disrespect or bring into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian national flag".
Months before the court order, the Centre too had advised all states and Union Territories to issue directions for not using national flags made of plastic.
Referring to concerns expressed by environmentalists, the Union home ministry had in 2012 issued an advisory insisting the use of only paper in making flags which are waved by common people during important national, cultural and sports events. It also advised that such flags, as far as possible, should be disposed of in private, consistent with the dignity of the flag.
Noting that plastic was harmful to the environment, the ministry in its note said plastic flags were not biodegradable like paper flags and did not get destroyed for a long time (making it vulnerable to be left on ground at venues of cultural and sports events).
"This affects the dignity of the flag", said the ministry, taking note of the concerns expressed by the green activists who complained that flags made of plastic - specifically miniature ones which are often waved during national, cultural and sports events - could often end up on the ground and tampered (even un-intentionally) under feet of passers-by..................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTQvMDEvMjAjQXIwMTMwMw==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 17, 2014, 03.05AM IST
After holding talks with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that Posco steel plant will be operational soon.
NEW DELHI: The much-awaited green nod given to Posco will help it to start its Odisha project in the coming weeks but the fine print of the clearance shows that the South Korean steel giant will not have a smooth ride in setting up its plant as per its 'original' plan.
The order, giving environmental clearance to the company, makes it clear that the final nod of the environment and forests ministry is meant only for the capacity of four million tones per annum (MTPA) integrated iron and steel plant with captive power plant (4x100 mw) as against Posco's original plan of setting up a 12 MTPA steel plant.
The order, signed on January 7, says, "The company shall obtain fresh environmental clearance in case of any change in the scope of the project."
The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) made this order public on Thursday, the day Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Posco's steel plant was set to be operational in the coming weeks.
Referring to the green nod given to the project last week, Singh made this announcement after holding talks with visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
Though the company is yet to get licence for the captive source of iron ore (Kandahar mine in Sundargarh district) for the project, the government removed the obstacle by allowing it to make long-term agreement with Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and other private mine owners.
The grant of environmental clearance was made possible as the ministry delinked it from the captive port project which required a different set of clearances. Posco is, meanwhile, in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gail for supply of liquefied natural gas.
Besides earmarking 5% of the total cost of the project for "enterprise social commitment" based on local needs, Posco under various conditions of the environmental clearance will have to develop a green belt (25% of its area) and keep water and air pollution level under check through various in-house measures.
Although the PM on Thursday said that grant of mining concession for the project was at an advanced stage of processing, the final outcome would depend on the pending forest clearance.
The Posco project, the biggest foreign direct investment to India, was marred in controversies over issues concerning land acquisition and delay in clearances since its announcement over eight years ago. The original plan of the company in 2007 was to set up a 12 MTPA integrated steel plant on 4,004 acres of land.
The MoEF order says, "Presently, Posco's intermediate plan (2012) is to set up 4 MTPA integrated steel plant (Phase-I) with in-built provision for another 4 MTPA (Phase-II) on 2,700 acres of land. Accordingly, the revised layout plan was submitted. However, the original plan of setting up of 12 MTPA steel plant has remained unchanged and intact."
The order makes it clear that the revalidation of the environmental clearance -- which was first granted on July 19, 2007 -- will be valid for a period of five years with effect from July 18, 2012. It means the steel giant has merely left with around three-and-a-half years before getting into the cumbersome process of yet another round of clearances depending on its revised proposal at that time under the 'original' plan...................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JS00vMjAxNC8wMS8xNyNBcjAwODAy&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 15, 2014, 10.31PM IST
NEW DELHI: Striking a deal to release each other's fishermen under a practical arrangement, India and Sri Lanka on Wednesday decided to "complete the process" of releasing all bona fide fishermen from both sides in the next two weeks.
It was also decided to set up a joint committee comprising three members each from both sides to look into this contentious issue so that fishermen, who might have inadvertently crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line, are released in a time-bound manner in future.
The decisions were taken in a meeting between Sri Lanka's minister of fisheries Rajitha Senaratne and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. Officials from external affairs ministry also attended the meeting which took up the issue of releasing fishermen on a priority basis.
"We have decided to set up an institutional arrangement to look into the fishermen arrested on both sides and to expedite the matter (of their release)," Pawar said.
India and Sri Lanka on Monday released 52 fishermen each. At present, 240 Indian fishermen are in Sri Lankan custody whereas 160 Sri Lankan fishermen are in Indian jails.
"Process of releasing all these fishermen and their fishing vessels will be completed in the next two weeks", said Raja Sekhar Vundru, joint secretary (fisheries) in the agriculture ministry.
Speaking about the outcome of Pawar-Senaratne meeting, Vundru said the joint committee would be set up soon. This mechanism will work keeping in mind the humanitarian and livelihood dimensions of the fishermen's issue, he added.
Besides looking into the issue of releasing fishermen, the panel would also look into the issue of cooperation in the filed of fisheries and aquatic resource development in both the countries.
"The committee will meet at a regular interval and share information relating to all these issues", said Vundru, adding the Centre here has been in touch with the state governments of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh where Sri Lankan fishermen are currently in custody.
The move comes ahead of the meeting between the fishermen's associations of the two countries over the issue on January 20.
Most of the Indian fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan authorities on charges of fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Similarly, Sri Lankan fishermen had also been apprehended by Indian authorities for straying into Indian waters.
Though the governments from both the sides had reached an understanding in October 2008 to put in place practical arrangements to deal with bona fide Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line, the setting up of a mechanism in this regard had been eluding due to one or the other reasons for the last over five years.
Pawar told reporters after the meeting that a draft memorandum of understanding has been prepared for fishery development/conservation and safety of fishermen. "We are expecting their views to finalize the draft soon," he added.......................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JQ0gvMjAxNC8wMS8xNiNBcjAxMjAx&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 15, 2014, 10.20PM IST
Union environment minister M Veerappa Moily will soon write to chief ministers of six states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala - asking them to send their suggestions on the controversial Kasturirangan committee report. (TOI photo)
NEW DELHI: Union environment minister M Veerappa Moily will soon write to chief ministers of six states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala - asking them to send their suggestions on the controversial Kasturirangan committee report which had recommended prohibiting certain activities like mining, setting up polluting industries and big constructions in around 60,000 sq km area across these states in Western Ghats.
Instead of setting up yet another committee at Centre, the minister is learnt to have decided to ask the states to set up their individual's expert committee at state level and submit their suggestions to the environment ministry after thoroughly examining the local issues.
The move, which is being taken on the request of the affected states, will certainly delay the implementation of the Kasturirangan panel's report as the entire process of taking states' suggestion is a time-consuming affairs. The environment ministry during Jayanthi Natarajan's tenure had in-principle decided to implement the panel's report from November last year. It was, however, vehemently resisted by villagers in states mainly in Kerala and Maharashtra.
Both the states' chief ministers had met Moily the day he took additional charge of the green ministry on December 24 last year. Moily had then promised them to review the decision taken by the ministry. Though the ministry had on December 20, 2013 clarified that the Centre's decision to treat 60,000 sq km area across six states as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) would not in any way affect normal activities like agriculture and plantation, it failed to convince the protesting states.
The ministry had in November, 2013 accepted "in principle" the recommendations of the panel which prohibited activities like mining, quarrying and setting up thermal power plants and other high polluting industries in those 60,000 sq km area across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Building and construction projects of 20,000 sq meters area and above and township and area development projects with an area of 50 hectare and above or with built up area of 1,50,000 sq meters and above were also prohibited in these areas.
The last year's order had, however, made it clear that it would not affect the hydro power and wind energy projects in those areas. These activities will be allowed subject to "stringent conditions" and "applicable regulations"................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTQvMDEvMTYjQXIwMjAwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 14, 2014, 08.13PM IST
Greenpeace India alleged that Moily cleared the Posco file "without obtaining forest clearance". (File Photo)
NEW DELHI: With activists questioning the manner in which the South Korean steel giant Posco got green ministry's nod for its project in Odisha, the Greenpeace India on Tuesday demanded resignation of M Veerappa Moily alleging that the new environment minister is ignoring concerns of all stakeholders, except corporate, in his pursuit to clear all pending files.
Demand came just a day before the beginning of four-day state visit of South Korean president Park Geun-hye to India. As activists have planned to protest before the visiting President, the Greenpeace India questioned how come Moily cleared the Posco file "without obtaining forest clearance".
The NGO also questioned Moily's move to grant green nods to over 70 projects worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the past three weeks without taking all stakeholders including affected villagers into confidence.
Even as Moily insisted that the green nod will not be given to a project unless it is supported by local panchayats like what he did in the case of Vedanta's Niyamgiri project, the green group noted that the minister ignored this aspect while giving clearance to the Posco.
In an open letter to Moily, its executive director Samit Aich said, "The law requires equal opportunity to all stakeholders when a project is cleared. You have given speedy clearance by ignoring all stakeholders, except the corporate". Aich pointed out that the Moily's action had failed to protect the rights of villagers and environmental groups working to protect forest, wildlife, bio-diversity and rivers in the affected areas.
Though Moily had signed on environment clearance to Posco last week, the project's forest clearance is currently pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) - raising a big question mark whether the project could actually pass the legal scrutiny before being taken off on the ground in Odisha.
Activists including members of the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti have already stated their intention to approach the court against Moily's move, pointing out that delinking clearance for the Posco's steel plant and its port is not in tune with the green tribunal's 2012 order which called for a single environment clearance through cumulative green assessment for all major and minor component of the project.
Referring to other projects which got clearance from the environment ministry in the past three weeks, Aich said, "The very idea behind existence of the ministry is not to give 'speedy' clearance to projects but to safeguard the environment and wildlife"....................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDE0LzAxLzE1I0FyMDE4MDI=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 14, 2014, 01.27AM IST
The clearance had been pending for long, stretching back to her predecessor Jairam Ramesh’s tenure.
NEW DELHI: Ex-environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan may have dismissed speculation that delay in green clearances for several high-value projects led to her ouster, but environment nods to over 70 projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the past three weeks after her exit contradict her contentions.
The projects cleared after she left the ministry shows that even the UPA government's high priority atomic power project, whose foundation was laid on Monday at Gorakhpur village in Fatehabad district of Haryana by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, got mandatory environment clearance only after her exit.
The nuclear power project of 2,800 mw, which got the government's in-principle approval in October 2009, got environment clearance only on December 27, 2013 - six days after Natarajan's exit.
The clearance had been pending for long, stretching back to her predecessor Jairam Ramesh's tenure. In the meantime, the project cost was revised from Rs 14,500 crore to Rs 23,502 crore.
Interestingly, the ministry took years to clear this public sector project despite the fact that there was no complication involved in terms of green concerns. "No forestland is involved in the project. No national park, wildlife sanctuary, elephant/tiger reserve or migratory birds' routes are present within 10-km radius of the site," the order clearing the project said.
The number of projects which got clearance under new environment minister M Veerappa Moily include a public sector thermal power plant in Natarajan's home state of Tamil Nadu.
Moily on January 7 cleared this 2x800 mw power plant of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. The project will be commissioned at Vayalur village in Ponneri taluk in Thiruvallur district.
Orders giving clearances to both these projects show that all necessary steps were completed during Natarajan's tenure. But the projects got final clearance only when Moily took charge of the ministry.
The projects which got environment clearance in the past three weeks include South Korean giant Posco's $12 billion steel plant in Odisha. Posco had to wait for nearly eight years to get the necessary green nod for the project.
The others which got environmental clearance under Moily include two coal mining projects - one of Central Coalfields Limited in Jharkhand and the other of Western Coalfields Limited in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.
A long-pending key infrastructure project of Kerala - Vizhinjam International Container Transshipment Terminal at Trivandrum - also got environmental clearance under Moily........................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JUFUvMjAxNC8wMS8xNCNBcjAxMDAy&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan & Dipak Kumar Dash,TNN | Jan 2, 2014, 01.15AM IST
SC had in Feb 2012 directed the Centre to effect river inter-linking project.
NEW DELHI: After almost a decade of political objections and green opposition, the cabinet on Thursday is likely to clear the ambitious inter-linking of rivers project, beginning with the process of connecting the Ken-Betwa rivers in Madhya Pradesh.
The Ken-Betwa river link is one of the 30 inter-linking projects to be green lighted by the Supreme Court following a tripartite memorandum of understanding signed between the water resources ministry and chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The apex court had in February, 2012 directed the Centre to implement the inter-linking of rivers (ILR) project in a time-bound manner and appointed a high-powered committee for its planning and implementation.
The proposal has been given a fresh thrust by water resources minister Harish Rawat and the government claims that on completion of all 30 projects, water will be available for irrigating 35 million hectares, generate hydro electricity to the tune of 34,000 MW and control floods in many states.
Though initially mooted in 1982, the proposal was actively taken by the NDA government but fell off the radar once UPA came to office. A section of environmentalists opposed the project on the grounds that it is unviable and the proposal also came to be seen as a NDA hobby horse.
Rawat, who has been keen on implementing the project at the earliest ever since the Supreme Court had given its nod to it in 2012, will bring the proposal before the Cabinet on Thursday.
"Since all the related matters including environmental issues have already been resolved for the Ken-Betwa and couple of more projects, the government's apex decision making body may not find it difficult to give its go ahead on Thursday," said an official who is privy to the details of the projects.
He said, "The move will see beginning of actual works on the ground for linking Ken and Betwa rivers in early 2014." Though nearly 8,650 hectare of forest land - including a part of the Panna National Park — in Madhya Pradesh is likely to be submerged if the Ken-Betwa river project is implemented, the MoU (signed in 2005) had factored in these issues.
The proposal is also meant for inter-linking of rivers in Bihar and Maharashtra which will be taken up for implementation during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.
So far, detailed project reports (DPR) comprising cost of three out of 30 river-linking projects have been prepared. Though total cost of all the river linking projects has been estimated at around Rs 5,60,000 crore, the actual cost will be known only after the DPRs of all the 30 rive link projects are drawn up.
The full ILR project has two components - the Peninsular and the Himalayan. The Peninsular component - involving the rivers in southern India - envisaged developing a 'Southern Water Grid' with 16 river linkages in different states. This component included diversion of the surplus waters of Mahanadi and Godavari to the Pennar, Krishna, Vaigai and Cauvery rivers.
The Himalayan component is finalized for building storage reservoirs on the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their main tributaries both in India and Nepal in order to conserve the waters during the monsoon for irrigation and generation of hydro-power, besides checking floods.
The Himalayan component is comprised of 14 links including Brahamputra-Ganga, Kosi-Ghagra, Kosi-Mech, Ghagra-Yamuna, Gandak-Ganga, Yamuna-Rajasthan, Rajasthan-Sabarmati, Sarda-Yamuna, Farakka-Sunderbans, Subernarekha-Mahanadi, and Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMTQvMDEvMDIjQXIwMDkwMQ==&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Jan 1, 2014, 02.53AM IST
NEW DELHI: The Union environment ministry has indicted ONGC for oil spill that was reported off the Uran coast near Mumbai in October. It has asked the petroleum ministry to take action against those responsible for not adhering to the crucial monitoring norms in the public sector oil major despite repeated directions issued to it expressing similar concerns in the past.
The ONGC, which comes under the petroleum ministry, was indicted on the basis of a report submitted by an inspection team comprising experts from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which found that the poor maintenance of pipelines and negligence shown by its handlers had led to the spill causing severe environmental damage to the coastal area.
Citing the team's findings, the then environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan had even written a note to petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily last month expressing her concerns over such negligence.
Natarajan had also urged Moily to direct quick installation of IT-based monitoring system to prevent such spills. Both the ministries now come under Moily who will have to unravel the 'systemic failure' that led to these incidents in many parts of the country.
The green ministry had last month also issued a 'direction' to the ONGC under Section 5 of the Environmental Protection Act, asking it why such pipeline can't be closed for repeatedly causing oil spill. Though the oil company responded to its direction, it failed to convince 'babus' in the green ministry about the sincerity of its action due to past record.
The 'direction' was issued on the basis of the report of the inspection team under CPCB member secretary J S Kamyotra that blamed the public sector firm for ignoring many similar directions in the past. The ministry had noted three such oil spills in the past one year.
Besides the oil spill at Mumbai-Uran Trunk oil pipeline following a rupture in ONGC's main pipeline in October, another spill had been reported in the coastal areas of Gulf of Khambhat following damage in the oil company's pipeline near Bhadbhut village of Bharuch district, Gujarat, in August.
In November 2012, a pipeline carrying crude oil for refining developed cracks and spilt oil in about 100 acres of farmland in a village in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district.
A senior official said, "The environment ministry had written to the petroleum ministry on all these occasions. Though the ONGC had replied to our notes, it did not take adequate action to prevent such incidents which has not only damaged local flora and fauna but also severely affected the aquatic life".
Details submitted by the team that inspected the oil spill site near Mumbai in October pointed out that the leaked oil along the Uran shoreline, from Mora to Karanja villages, had affected local fishermen and damaged the soil in large track of land.
The official said that though the petroleum ministry had set up an IT-based monitoring system, it failed to cover the entire stretch carrying underground oil pipeline.
"The environment ministry has consistently been raising the issue, but it does not seem to be a priority of the petroleum ministry. We will raise this issue to the new minister who may now, hopefully, appreciate our concerns," said the official.......................http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDE0LzAxLzAxI0FyMDAzMDc=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
