India's jugalbandhi with coal and clean energy is coming unstuck, neither achieving adequate renewable generation nor ensuring sufficient coal-fired power in the quest to become a $5-trillion economy. Six months have elapsed since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ambitious climate agenda for India at COP26 at Glasgow. The net zero emissions target by 2070 is a distant one, but there are nearer-term plans to meet 50 per cent of energy demand with renewables by 2030 by increasing capacity to 450 Gw. A cursory look at the balance sheet of India's climate progress since November reveals ponderous progress towards meeting the renewables target even as the country is scrambling to expand coal-fired generation in the face of a power crisis.
The environment ministry till May 2014 (still under UPA) ordered that cases like Vedanta's expansion plans need to consult people. But in December 2014, the NDA government reversed this position and in March 2015 the environment ministry extended Vedanta's environmental clearance till December 2018. This it did even while the question of the need for public hearing by projects in different kinds of industrial parks was being contested in the courts. This allowed the company to carry out construction.
Reliance Industries has sought environment ministry approval for a $13 billion upgrade to its Jamnagar complex, including a 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery.
With the expert panel's recommendations, the project comes a step closer to getting the environment clearance (EC), to be given by the Union Environment Minister.
The incident triggered panic among motorists on the busy Sarjapur main road. The flames raged for a while, and the area was enveloped in smoke.
The changes were made to several regulations in a coordinated manner by the environment ministry, the tribal affairs ministry and the mines ministry over a year.
'The present government swears by Hinduism. But we lost three of our sants during earlier BJP regimes.'
"I don't want to discuss Tamil Nadu or any other state. We have got every right and we are going to start the work," Yediyurappa said in response to a question on Tamil Nadu's objection to the Mekedatu project.
A greater payment security mechanism for power generation companies to ensure timely payouts for supply of electricity will be in focus in 2022 as stricter rules are on the anvil for 24x7 power supply amid discoms' outstanding dues at a whopping Rs 1.56 lakh crore. Mounting outstanding dues of distribution companies (discoms) to electricity generation companies (gencos) have been a perennial issue affecting the entire value chain in the power sector and are also a hindrance for the ambitious goal of 24x7 power supply across the country even when the payment for coal is made in advance. The situation persists despite the fact that discoms' dues become overdue after 45 days of generating bills and they also have to pay penal interest on the overdue amount in most of the cases to gencos.
Ministry wanted a halt to new dams, but AG now says matter to be decided by PMO
Shikha Garg was on her way to attend a United Nations Environment Programme meeting.
Seven other states - Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat - had earlier confirmed Avian Influenza
If required, the power ministry would challenge the Jairam Ramesh-led Environment Ministry, sources in the know said.
With only months to go for the general elections, the new environment minister has gone into overdrive to clear projects.
Air pollution may lead to a faster spread of Covid-19 infection as it causes coughing and sneezing, government officials told a parliamentary panel on Friday, according to sources.
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.
Projects to pay for clean up if environmental damage is found
The Environment Ministry had earlier this month termed as "incorrect" claims that Adani Port and SEZ was spared a hefty fine of Rs 200 crore.
The government on Friday said it was open to imposing additional conditions on the Kudankulam nuclear power project, if directed by courts, to protect the marine ecosystem of the region.
According to the notification, the member secretary of an animal market committee will have to ensure that no person brings a young animal to the animal market.
8 Asiatic lions in the zoo in have tested positive for COVID-19 after their saliva samples were thoroughly examined by CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, Rakesh Mishra, advisor of the premier research institute said.
Ministry readies draft to dilute tribal rights to help India Inc
To believe that the key job of his senior ministers is to ensure that his image be kept intact whatever be the outcome of his policies is to expect too much even of someone as ambitious as Narendra Modi, asserts Rashme Sehgal.
The environment ministry has received several representations on the recent ban on sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter from animal markets
Primary investigation into the death of the pregnant elephant in Kerala has found that it may have accidentally consumed a cracker-stuffed fruit, the environment ministry said on Monday. The ministry also noted that many a time, locals resort to the illegal act of planting explosive-filled fruits to repel wild boars from entering plantation farms.
In a major setback to Ajit Gulabchand's ambitious hill city project, the Union environment ministry has asked the Maharashtra government to initiate action against Lavasa Corporation for violation of green norms.
In the second phase, the single-use plastic will be banned in all Air India flights.
A highly placed source in the know of content of the draft report prepared by the three-member panel told PTI that the ministry team has secured evidence to establish the fact that illegal sand mining is happening in the Uttar Pradesh district.
The fact that the government has no specific deadline to impose this policy was revealed through a response to an RTI application in February 2017.
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.
The Finance Ministry has sanctioned only 50 posts citing shortage of funds, official sources said.
Maneka said the Union environment ministry "is writing to every state government, allowing them to provide a list of animals that can be killed so that the Centre can give permission.
After the Environment Ministry recommended demolition of the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday said he would take a decision on the issue after getting the Central Bureau of Investigation report. "We will take a decision after the CBI inquiry is over," he told mediapersons in New Delhi.
The Congress on Monday termed Narendra Modi's "Jayanthi tax" barb against former environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan as "in very bad taste", saying the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate "only knows to abuse".
Nearly three months after it withdrew initial nod, the environment ministry has restored the clearance granted to Jindal Power for its Rs 13,000-crore (Rs 130 billion) project in Chhattisgarh.
Adani Ports & SEZ was ordered to pay for damage to environment during the UPA govt
'Jairam Ramesh is almost single handedly bringing about a paradigm shift within the government.'
The female tiger, named Nadia, is believed to be the first known case of an animal infected with COVID-19 in the US. It is suspected that she contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at that time.
Kamal Nath is in New York attending several meetings, including McGraw-Hill Construction, which is one of the largest construction industry events.
As per revised rules every four tribals is likely to be displaced or affected by projects, as their habitations were rich in natural resources
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