Industries to pay for pollution study

The Madras High Court, in a recent order, instructed industries in the SIPCOT industrial estate of Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu to pay Rs one lakh each to measure the pollution levels in the estate. At the court’s behest, the study is to be conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). The order came after NEERI told the court that the study would cost about Rs 25 lakh and take three months to complete. The estate consists of about 20 functioning pharmaceutical and chemical industries.    

Let forests be mined: coal ministry

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 exercise, the environment and coal ministries identified 35 per cent area of nine coalfields as no-go zones.

Realising low carbon infrastructure dream

India would need major policy and regulatory changes including standards, taxation of pollution and tailored incentives to ensure infrastructure development follows a low carbon route.

Big numbers

Chhattisgarh is industrialising fast: within 10 years of its creation, the state has 200 large industrial units and scores of small ones. More than 700 are on their way. A handful of units existed when this largely agricultural state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. Known as central India's rice bowl, Chhattisgarh is speeding towards industrialisation.

The top two

JANJGIR-CHAMPA Where power kills Located on the banks of the Mahanadi, a predominantely agricultural district, Janjgir-Champa is poised to become a industrial hub as several mega projects are planned there. Four thermal power plants have got clearance and 13 are under process. Two biomass-based thermal power plants are also planned.

Coal blocked

THE Ministry of Coal has decided to deallocate the captive coal block in Agarzari, Maharashtra, following the notification of the buffer zone around Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district.

Attention, environment minister

Letter triggers action  

Jindal pays for flouting law

JINDAL Power Limited (JPL), the power bigwig of the private arena in India, is making news.

‘Coal emissions nourish trees’

An expert  panel of the Union environment ministry has justified the setting up of coal-fired power plants in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. It has said the thermal power plants may prove beneficial for mango plantations as the trees could draw sustenance from the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen emitted by them. Ratnagiri is famous for its Alphonso mangoes and farmers here export their produce to Europe.

Tussle over coal blocks in forests

THE coal and power ministries are engaged in a tug of war with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) over mining rights in forest areas.