Embargo on grant of mining leases also lifted; steel mills see significant boost in ore output.

Proposed plant plans to use water from the Yamuna river, which also provides water to five hydel power projects in Uttarakhand.

The 10-member panel has also moved away from the suggestions of the Gadgil panel

A crucial report on Western Ghats prepared by K Kasturirangan-led high-level working group (HLWG) has recommended prohibition on development activities in 60,000 sq km ecologically sensitive area spread over Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The 10-member panel, constituted to examine the Western Ghats ecology expert panel report prepared under the leadership of environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, has also moved away from the suggestions of the Gadgil panel.

Renewable technologies & greater efforts by emerging economies among few bright spots

The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday said the drive to clean up the world’s energy system had stalled. IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven told the 23-member Clean Energy Ministerial despite much talk by world leaders and a boom in renewable energy through the last decade, the average unit of energy produced on Wednesday was “as dirty as it was 20 years ago”.

Prime minister's office wants OMCs to bear credit subsidy for remaining 8 subsidised units on reimbursement basis

Even as the Centre is accelerating the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme for subsidised LPG cylinders, oil marketing companies are unlikely to benefit much from it. This is because the Prime Minister's Office has proposed that the government credit subsidy for only one cylinder into a beneficiary's account. Subsidy on the remaining quota of eight liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders would be borne by oil marketing companies (OMCs), which the government would reimburse later.

Company intends to invest Rs 35 cr in the new facility

Mumbai-based diversified chemicals player, Aarti Industries Ltd will set up a fertiliser manufacturing facility at Jhagadia in Bharuch district. The company intends to invest around Rs 35 crore towards the new facility. “This will be an expansion of our existing chemicals facility at Jhagadia. The new fertilisers facility will have the annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of single super phosphate fertiliser,” said Rajendra Gogri, chairman and managing director.

CAG has termed the land allotment to Tata Power within the CDA area 'irregular and unauthorized'

Odisha has drawn flak from the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) yet again over irregular allotment of land. This time, unauthorised grant of administrative nod for acquisition of private as well as government land in favour of Tata Power has invited CAG’s wrath.

Expansion plan to cost Rs 11,547 cr, to add 1,320 Mw capacity

The Odisha government has approved construction and installation of the third and fourth units by state-owned Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) at its Ib valley plant near Jharsuguda. The two new units will add 1,320 Mw capacity to OPGC's existing power station at the site which has an installed capacity of 420 Mw.

Category B mines allowed to resume mining subject to necessary clearances

The forest bench of the Supreme Court has accepted all the reports submitted periodically by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) regarding the mining in Karnataka. As per the CEC reports, Category B mines will be allowed to restart mining subject to necessary statutory clearances. Already, the apex court has approved 18 Category A mines, of which 7 mines have started mining.

It will benefit over 646,000 people in southern areas of the city, several of which are recently brought under the expanded Chennai Corporation ambit

In a bid to augment drinking water supply to Chennaites, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced setting up of a desalination plant with a capacity to produce 150 million litre per day at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. The plant would come up on over 10.50 acre, at present lying vacant adjacent to the existing desalination plant in Nemmeli along the East Coast Road, chief minister J Jayalalithaa said in a suo motu statement in the Assembly.