As many as 483 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns totalling more than Rs 4.43 lakh crore, according to a report. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Of the 1,781 such projects, 483 reported cost overruns and 504 were delayed.
Close on the heels of Kenya, which recently set on fire over a hundred ton of its ivory stockpile, experts in India are mulling a similar provision to destroy the "white gold" to send a strong message against poaching.
Coming down hard against Arvind Kejriwal for ordering an FIR against him and others for raising gas prices, Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily on Saturday said the former Delhi chief minister doesn't understand fundamental laws.
'It is also being done in violation of our Forest Tribal Act because it will involve the eviction of the tribals living in these forests.'
However, the company has claimed its vehicles are 'compliant' with the country's emission norms and that it will 'challenge' the tribunal's order.
The Narendra Modi-led government has issued around 50 fresh guidelines easing conditions for industry in about six months, beside launching an online system for applying environment clearances.
'My belief that I could protect the Himalayas was shattered.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain DoPT, Atomic Energy as well as all important policy issues and portfolios not allocated.
The former footballer who later became editor of a vernacular daily Naharolgi Thoudang, has managed to strike a chord with the youth, promoting entrepreneurship through programmes such as 'Start-Up Manipur' as an alternative for young people who were being attracted to insurgency.
'Never ever have so many states across the country declared animals as vermin as they have in 6 to 8 months.'
Shikha Garg was on her way to attend a United Nations Environment Programme meeting.
'The day I took charge, the PM told me you do the following -- stop imports, talk to all stakeholders and involve them to make mining more industry-friendly without affecting the environment.'
Infrastructure major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) on Friday expressed hope that it would soon get environment clearances for the first phase of its Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 30 billion) Lavasa project, a hill city being developed near Pune.
The ministries of coal and environment and forests are currently in the temporary charge of the prime minister and all the indications are that the current power minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, might be moved to Maharashtra as chief minister, creating a vacancy, top sources in the government said.
Of these, 14 have received environmental clearances and four forestry clearances.
The NGT had constituted a committee headed by a former Uttarakhand high court Judge to monitor the project.
His tenure will end in December this year.
A complete ban on mining activities in areas of national parks, tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries could be on the anvil if the government agrees to the recommendations of a high-level environment ministry panel.
Jairam Ramesh's tenure as Minister of Environment and Forests cannot be assessed in a hurry; there are lots of positives there, but also many question marks, says Himanshu Thakkar
The two signed an agreement on Monday to study and clean the Ganga.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has shot down the Andhra Pradesh Government's proposal to convert the existing two-lane highway passing through India's largest Nagarjunasagar-Srisailman Tiger Reserve into four lanes.
As many as 449 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns totalling more than Rs 4.29 lakh crore, according to a report. The ministry of statistics and programme implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Of the 1,736 such projects, 449 reported cost overruns and 547 were delayed.
An animal rights activist on June 15 asked the court to quash the three notifications that declared nilgai (blue bulls), monkeys and wild boars as vermin in the states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, respectively.
The insensitive babus were not bothered and the politicians knew the tigers do not vote.... Please cancel the tiger as India's national animal as we are shamefully and disgustingly incapable of protecting the sanctity of its habitat.
The Steel Ministry on Wednesday said it may seek from the Environment Ministry speedy clearance to Posco's Rs 54,000 crore (Rs 540 billion) project in Orissa.
Report consists of recommendations for dividing the Western Ghats region into various ecologically sensitive zones.
The demand for minerals, boulders and sand is so great that it has fueled a black market and the goons who control this trade do not hesitate to kill law enforcement officers and reporters who have tried to expose them.
With CPCB saying that the air quality is not severe now, the SC partially lifted its ban.
The environment ministry has proposed to offer wasteland available with it to investors through multi-stakeholder partnership.
Last month, the FAC passed the buck to the tribal affairs ministry to see if the project proponents violated any tribal rights.
Acting on the Supreme Court's order, the Army has begun the process of taking over the possession of the scam-tainted Adarsh building at Colaba in South Mumbai.
'If the authorities go about completing this project the way they have proposed, this is going to cause a HUGE environmental impact not only on Malabar Hill but also on the rest of the city.'
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on Thursday said mining should be allowed in 90 per cent of the areas classified as no-mining zones by the Environment Ministry and a proposal will be tabled before Cabinet soon, after ascertaining the views of different ministries.
Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal is credited with fast-tracking many issues that are caught in red-tape. The minister says the environment ministry's controversial policy barring mining in forest areas has left him troubled.
'He selects certain portfolios that he has personal interest in, and he does not give them to a senior leader. The responsibility is given to a junior minister who then directly reports to Modi or to the small team of bureaucrats working with Modi.' 'I noticed this first in Gujarat where Modi worked mainly with two ministers, Saurabh Patel and Amit Shah,' says Aakar Patel.
Clearance for many strategic roads have been delayed because the ministry of environment and forests as well as respective state forest and public works departments have been sitting on the proposals without realising their importance to national security, reports RS Chauhan
It would also hit the over 20 helipads that were being planned by corporate houses, hotels and individuals.
The international climate change talks, which started in Copenhagen today, will see a 35-member official delegation from India. The attempt will be to negotiate a new global climate treaty to replace or extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012.
The government on Friday said the auction of explored coal blocks may take place either by December or the beginning of the next year.
The Vedanta Group, which was issued a show cause notice for allegedly flouting environment laws, will appear before the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) on Thursday
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