Budget 2013: the path remains the same

There is little budget allocation to steer the country towards ecologically sustainable development Finance minister P Chidambaram said in his budget presentation that “higher growth leading to inclusive and sustainable development” was the mool mantra of budget 2013-14. Since growth so phrased is also the theme of the 12th Five Year Plan, he reiterated that development must be sustainable both economically and ecologically. In short, he must mean what he says. So how sustainable is the budget he laid before Parliament on Thursday?

CBI recovers Rs 1 crore from deputy director of environment ministry

A deputy director of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Neeraj Kumar Khatri, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday night after he was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 7 lakh for allegedly helping a Bhubaneswar-based mining firm obtain environment clearance. CBI officers later recovered over Rs 1 crore and documents relating to properties he owns during search raids carried out at his premises in Delhi, Gurgaon and Rohtak.

Elephants unsafe in Odisha

Five elephants, including a calf, were mowed down by a speeding Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express near Rambha railway station in Ganjam district of Odisha soon after midnight of Saturday. The accident is a grim reminder of how unsafe the animal is in Odisha.

India Biodiversity Awards 2012 go to six pioneers in biodiversity governance

Recognising the models of biodiversity governance for the first time, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, in collaboration with Government of India and United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has awarded six pioneers in the field with India Biodiversity Awards 2012. 

Delegates attending biodiversity meet swing to Bollywood tunes

“You can’t ignore Bollywood if you are in India,” exclaimed the lady playing host on stage. Soon there were glamorous artistes in glittery costumes dancing to Bollywood hit tunes. They imitated the moves of the 1960’s dancing queen Helen and actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. A “Journey of fifty years of Indian cinema” was showcased as the foreign delegates had their first official dinner on the opening day of CoP 11 in Hyderabad. The magic seemed to have worked on some. Many delegates couldn’t resist dancing to the songs.

Biodiversity meet begins; India takes over presidency of CBD

Kudankulam plant can withstand Fukushima-like disaster: Centre to SC

Expressing concern over public and environmental safety of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, the Supreme Court has told the Centre that it will not allow the plant to function if the safety conditions are not met.

Andhra Pradesh introduces lottery system for allotting sand mining leases

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced its much-awaited new sand mining policy. It has decided to do away with the existing system of public auction of sand reaches based on tenders. Instead, a new system of drawing lots for granting the sand leases will be introduced. As with the earlier policy, the new policy too bans inter-state transportation of sand and using machinery for sand mining.

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board revises its consent order to Kudankulam plant

National Green Tribunal to hear all environmental cases: Supreme Court

With the aim to “expedite” and provide “specialised” justice in the field of the environment, the Supreme Court has ruled that all matters related to the environment, pending in various high courts across the country, should be transferred to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).