Push for sand mining

Sand dredgers will soon be back in business along the Bankot creek bordering coastal Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra. They had been silent for over a month after the Bombay High Court banned sand mining in the state on September 24, after people who mine sand manually filed a petition. “A month ago, it was impossible to stand near the dredging site because of the noise,” said Anis Jalal, president of Sagar Shramik Haat Pati Vaalu Utpadak Sahakari Sanstha, a union of manual excavators. A new policy of the state okays mechanical dredging.

For minimum impact

Regulate sand extraction by involving state pollution control boards, NGOs and citizens Conduct environmental audit of riverine and estuarine ecosystems to analyse impact of dredging Estimate optimum rate at which sand can be mined Seive at site so that rejected part can be replaced in the river bed Use construction debris to make artificial sand

In ocean’s way

Sadanand Tandel’s house is the dream of every tourist. A terrific sea view, waving coconut fronds and in a few dozen steps one can walk into the sea waves. Through Tandel’s eyes, however, the view is somber.

Jindal power plant risk to alphonsos

THE Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has bent backward to commission the 1,200 MW thermal plant in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, promoted by the Jindal group.

‘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.

Factories poison Khed

In the first week of January, the Maharashtra state pollution control board ordered the shutdown of 27 chemicals factories in Khed taluka of Ratnagiri district. The factories from the Lote-Parshuram industrial area were found emptying untreated effluents into a rivulet that contaminated the reservoir downstream.

Konkan thumbs down nuclear plant

Konkan villagers waved black flags and shouted protests at the public hearing for the Jaitapur nuclear power plant on May 16. Over 1,000 villagers who turned up for the hearing in Madban village in Ratnagiri district stalled the proceedings saying it was illegal.

Flawed EIA

The plant would discharge 6 million cubic metre warm water into the sea daily. NEERI claimed no impact is anticipated on marine life; it reasoned the Kalpakkam nuclear plant (440 MW) has not affected marine life. EIA ignores the size of Jaitapur project; it is 25 times bigger than Kalpakkam and its warm water discharge would be much higher

Nuclear plant triggers reaction

villagers of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra are angry with the government over forcible acquisition of their land to build a nuclear power plant. Many have rejected the compensation cheques offered by the state. Paltry compensation