Bihar deputy CM stirs up a storm with remarks on asbestos

Bihar’s deputy chief minister, Sushil Modi, who also holds the portfolio of forest and environment ministry, has been accused of misleading the state Assembly on the health hazards of asbestos. MLA Sanjay Singh (Tiger) had posed a question regarding health hazards of asbestos factories during the Assembly session that concluded last week. In his reply given on March 25, Modi cited a Supreme Court judgement and added, “So far there has been no study in the country to establish this fact in a credible manner.”

Delhi High Court orders shifting of biomedical waste incinerator from Okhla

The Delhi High Court has questioned the setting up of waste incineration plants in residential neighbourhoods. It has directed the civic authorities to shift the bio-medical waste incinerator at Okhla in south Delhi to a place outside residential limits following health concerns expressed by residents of the neighbouring locality of Sukhdev Vihar. The residents hope the court verdict will pave the way for shifting another  incinerator in the vicinity, Jindal's waste-to-energy plant, when the court hears their case on January 23.

People protest setting up of asbestos plant in Hajipur

SC allows dismantling of Exxon Valdez at Alang

After denying entry to the toxic-laden ship from the US, Oriental Nicety, the Supreme Court has allowed the dismantling of the ship at the Alang ship-breaking yard of Gujarat. The court in its order on July 30 also said that in future ships that violate the Basel Convention--an international treaty that bans transboundary movement of hazardous wastes--will not be allowed to be dismantled in India. Environmental activists said that court allowed the dismantling of the ship, formerly known as Exxon Valdez, because the Gujarat government presented it with a fait accompli.

Supreme Court reserves verdict on Exxon Valdez for July 30

The Supreme Court has reserved its judgement on allowing the dismantling of the hazardous ship Exxon Valdez on Indian shores. It will pronounce its verdict on July 30. The bench of justices Altamas Kabir and J Chelameswar heard the arguments for and against allowing the former US ship Exxon Valdez, also known as Oriental Nicety, to beach at the ship-breaking yards of Alang in Gujarat.

Odisha village wins case against Visaka Industries' asbestos plant

Residents of a village in Sambalpur district who have been fighting the setting up of an asbestos plant in their neighbourhood emerged victorious on July 12 when the additional district magistrate approved their decision to cancel the no objection certificate (NOC) given to the plant.

Attempts to allow toxic ship to beach at Alang

The controversial US vessel, Oriental Nicety, is still anchored off Mumbai's shore after being denied entry into Indian territorial waters by the Supreme Court of India over a month ago. The government agencies, meanwhile, seem to be keen to let the dead ship beach on Gujarat's coast for dismantling.

Health ministry invites bids for plastic-wrapped mosquito nets

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has invited bids for supply of about 10 million mosquito nets under its National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. Environmentalists are protesting a requirement specified in the tender: the nets are to be wrapped in plastic sheets at the time of supply.

Pressure mounts on UN body to withdraw support to 'dirty' CDM projects

The CDM Executive Board that works under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is under great pressure to deliver on its promise to review support to waste incineration technologies. The international environmentalists' community is demanding that the board withdraw “dirty technologies” from the list of enterprises certified to receive carbon credits. The UN board supervises Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM) and issues carbon credits to certified projects.  

Oriental Nicety denied entry into India

Environmentalists protesting the entry of the toxics-laden ship, Oriental Nicety, into Indian territorial waters got a shot in the arm on May 7 when the Supreme Court ordered that the vessel should not be allowed to dock in India. The ship was to reach Alang on May 9 for ship-breaking. The vessel has a dubious history—it was responsible for the infamous Alaska oil spill of 1989, which reportedly damaged over 1,700 sq km of coastline.