The central government's Great Nicobar development project, proposed around an unprecedented transhipment port, will be executed to keep environmental impact minimal, and is essential as it is of national importance, the government has said amid calls to abort the controversial project due to ecological concerns, the Centre said in an official statement.
The Delhi State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has granted environmental clearance to the proposal for the construction of the 'Executive Enclave' which will house the new Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet Secretariat.
Environment ministry also plans to cut the two-stage mandatory clearances under the Environment Protection Act to a single stage, shaving six months from the process.
Raising questions over construction of Commonwealth Games Village and Akshardham Temple on the banks of the Yamuna River, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said the former should not have been given environmental clearance while the Temple never even applied for it.
The government on Wednesday approved 12 new industrial cities in 10 states on the lines of Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Dholera in Gujarat to boost domestic manufacturing with an estimated investment of Rs 28,602 crore. These industrial areas will be in Khurpia in Uttarakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerala, Agra and Prayagraj in UP, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in AP, and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan, and one in Haryana. A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
'People should realise that what we are fighting for today is actually for tomorrow, for future generations.'
The move signals that the ministry has begun to take a tough stand on environmental clearances in ecologically sensitive areas.
Novelis' Q3FY25 volume stood at 904,000 tonnes (down 1 per cent Y-o-Y, down 4 per cent Q-o-Q), due to lower VAP and automotive shipments. Revenue stood at $4.1 billion (+4 per cent Y-o-Y, down 5 per cent Q-o-Q).
The Green Panel also questioned the building up of pontoon bridge by the army on river Yamuna for the festival, and asked the Delhi Development Authority counsel as who gave the permission for setting it up.
Given the high priority accorded to the manufacturing sector, several policy initiatives around the theme of Atmanirbhar Bharat have been set in motion to address its competitiveness and growth. Some notable examples include the PLI scheme and the employment-linked incentive scheme announced in the recent Union Budget. The Budget also announced the setting up of 12 industrial parks under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP).
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday termed as "illegal" Vedanta's bauxite mining project in Orissa's Niyamgiri hills which was denied environmental clearance by the Centre.
The executive enclave will house the new Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Secretariat, India House and the National Security Council Secretariat.
Even though Nepa, composed entirely of specialists, is envisaged as a statutory body free of the control of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, critics say this will not bring about a fundamental change in the way projects are assessed and cleared.
Modi, who has enjoyed immense reputation in Japan as then Gujarat Chief Minister in terms of ensuring the state's progress, said India wants to emulate Japan in terms of quality, zero defect and delivery systems while carrying out skill development.
'Even one accident can cause problems for the entire coastal system.'
India loses 333 acres of prime forest every day. Instead of working to conserve India's forests and water resources, the environment minister has set up a committee to 'dismantle' the five key laws that provide environmental protection.
'With technology advancing, we should go all out and put up solar, wind, pumped storage, and battery, and make India go green.'
Arun Jaitley sought a review of environmental projects.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that "urban Naxals and anti-development elements" with political backing had stalled the construction of Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river in Gujarat for many years by running a campaign that it would harm the environment.
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to November 16 the hearing on a petition challenging the change in land use of a plot where the new official residences of the vice-president and the prime minister are stipulated as part of the ambitious Central Vista project in Lutyens' Delhi.
Iron ore mining major NMDC's results for the April-June quarter (Q1) of FY25 were better than estimates. Weak volumes were balanced off by higher realisations, better average selling price (ASP) and lower royalties which boosted bottomline. The revenue was in line with estimates at Rs 5,400 crore, flat year-on-year (Y-o-Y) and down 17 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q).
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.
NMDC, the country's largest iron-ore miner, posted a consolidated revenue in the January-March quarter of FY24. This was in line with estimates at Rs 6,500 crore, which was up 11 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), and a 20 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) rise on the back of realisations. Iron-ore production was 13.3 million tonnes (down 6 per cent and up 8 per cent Q-o-Q), while the sales stood at 12.5 MT (up 1 per cent Y-o-Y and up 10 per cent Q-o-Q).
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.
Its 11MFY24 production is around 40.2 mt. In FY25, it could hit 50 mt and it may reach 55 mt by FY26. The PSU has capex plans for multiple projects, which should improve the product mix and augment capacity to 100 mt for FY30.
The greenfield airport project at Navi Mumbai is likely to get the final environmental nod by October and the bidding process expected to begin by the year-end, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Monday.
South Korean steel major Posco's beleagured Rs 52,000 crore (Rs 520 billion) project near Paradip has received a boost with the Centre according environmental clearance to its captive minor port at Jatadhari mouth in Jagatsinghpur district.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the central government was responsible for illegal mining in the state as it gave environment clearances for the projects without verifying basic facts.
'Modi knows the people here are opposed to this project, but he is using the might of government to push this port down our throats.'
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the power corridor of the country -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a Common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.
A draft paper envisaging such stringent rules by seeking an amendment in Environment (Protection) Act 1986 is being prepared by a panel set up to examine the issues relating to monitoring compliance of environmental clearance conditions and will soon be available for public opinion.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to file an affidavit on the issue of proposed change in land use of a plot where the new official residences of the vice-president and the prime minister are stipulated as part of the ambitious Central Vista project in Lutyens' Delhi.
The government on Tuesday said it may consider putting in place additional environmental safeguards to ensure safety of the proposed nuclear reactor in Jaitapur in the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan that has endangered atomic power plants there."Based on the technical reviews the NPCIL does, we will certainly be in touch with them and if additional safeguards have to be built in as part of the environmental clearance, we will certainly look at it," said Jairam Ramesh.
The apex court had said in previous judgments that only fresh leases were to be granted by the Goa government, not second renewals.
The National Green Tribunal Bill, 2009, will be tabled tomorrow in the Lok Sabha for discussion and on December 21 in the Rajya Sabha.
'Jairam Ramesh is almost single handedly bringing about a paradigm shift within the government.'
The Environment Ministry on Thursday issued a show cause notice to Mundra Port & SEZ Limited, a private port and special economic zone being developed on the west coast of the country, for alleged violation of the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification.
Realising that rising prices had brought the Congress down in the Assembly elections, Gandhi flagged tackling inflation, including the food part, as top priority.
NMDC reported a strong standalone revenue at Rs 5,410 crore, rising 45 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) and 35 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-q) in line with consensus. Iron ore sales at about 11.4 million tonnes (MT) grew 18.9 per cent Y-o-Y (19 per cent Q-o-Q). Realisation stood at Rs 4,679 per tonne, higher by 22 per cent Y-o-Y (12.9 per cent Q-o-Q).
According to reports, the MHA is worried about a stampede-like situation at the event as there is 'no evacuation plan' in case of an emergency.
