National Green Tribunal stays thermal power plant in Gujarat

The National Green Tribunal has put on hold the Bhadreshwar thermal power plant at Mundra in Gujarat. It has asked the project proponent, OPG Power Gujarat Pvt Ltd, to stop all works at its 300 MW power plant till it gets the requisite environmental clearance. "We have no hesitation to hold that until OPG Power Gujarat Pvt Ltd obtains clearance to use reserve forest land and clearance from the Coastal Regulation Zone Authorities, it cannot go ahead with the project," said a bench comprising chairperson A S Naidu and Vijai Sharma on February 14.

Bombay HC halts work at Mulund-Thane SEZ

The Bombay High Court has put a spanner in the land reclamation work currently on at the Mulund-Thane Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project site in the ecologically sensitive coastal area in northeastern Mumbai. It has asked the project proponent, Zeus Infrastructure, to stop dumping solid waste in the area immediately. The company was using construction debris and municipal garbage to reclaim land.

RTI uncovers environment ministry flip-flop on Mulund-Thane SEZ

POSCO gets green signal

IN DHINKIA village in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, residents gathered around fragile bamboo gates, armed with sticks, brooms and lathis. The gates and improvised weapons were meant to keep government officials out. The residents expected a visit from them any day after the Union environment ministry gave environmental clearance to South Korea’s Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) to build its steel plant along with a captive power plant and a port in Jagatsinghpur.