The state mining department has ordered the closure of 120 mines and 115 stone crushers in the wake of the high court verdict which held that such activity could not be allowed on shamlat land.

Coal India Ltd (CIL) and IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (IL&FS IDC), a unit of IL&FS, have signed a deal to float a 50-50 joint venture to undertake develop mining, power and other coal-based projects. A special purpose vehicle, Integrated Power & Coal Development Co Pvt Ltd (Intec), will set up a project development fund of Rs 10 crore per project with equal shares from the two partners to fund each project that it takes up. CIL's technical director NC Jha and IL&FS IDC's managing director DK Mittal signed the pact at CIL's headquarters here in the presence of CIL chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya and others. The SPV will undertake the entire chain of project development activities, from project identification, site selection, facilitation in land acquisition and technical and environmental studies to preparation of DPR, EIA, obtaining various clearances and approvals, obtaining linkages, tying of sales (power sales as relevant to power projects), finalisation of evacuation arrangements, financial modeling, legal documentation, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, O&M, project structuring and marketing with lenders and investors. The SPV will work on projects that involve improving mine performance, accessing difficult mines, developing or implementing pithead coal-based power projects, development of washeries, power plants based on asheries and so on. The venture will also help private sector Companies that have been allotted mines to develop them. CIL expects to gain from the SPV's activities by way of low-cost power from pithead-based power plants and by selling power instead of coal.

Coal India Ltd (CIL) and IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (IL&FS IDC), today entered into a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to float a joint venture company, with 50 per cent equity contribution each by the two organisations, to undertake project development for mine, power and other coal-based projects. The MoA document was signed by NC Jha, director (technical) of CIL, and DK Mittal, managing director of IL&FS IDC, at the CIL headquarters in Kolkata today, in presence of CIL Chairman Partha S Bhattacharyya and other officials of the two organisations.

Political parties and tribals who have been agitating against bauxite mining are planning to block scientists of the Indian Council of Forest Research and Environment when they come for a survey. It is learnt that the scientists would visit the Agency areas soon to undertake a mining impact survey. This is mandatory to get permission for mining in a forest area from the ministry of environment and forests. The proposed mining project would displace tribals in large numbers and has also evoked sharp protests from environmentalists who warn that it would have a negative ecological impact.

Coal India (CIL) has ambitious plans of investing Rs 18,000 crore in 118 projects during 2008-09. This would enable the company to augment its production by comprehensive margins. CIL projects a production of around 520 million tonne during the 11th Plan. Its current production is about 363 million tonnes which is expected to go up by over 384 million tonnes in 2008-09.

The Daroji Bear Sanctuary, home to the sloth bear, proves that even small wildlife habitats can bounce back if given due care and attention. Unusual and charming: A sloth bear comes for its quota of jaggery at the park.

Illegal mining in Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kutch, reserved for chinkaras, has come under the High Court's scanner. Acting on a petition, Gujarat HC has directed authorities to take "harsh preventive actions' against all those who have been illegally mining lignite from the 657.79-sq km area of the sanctuary.

What's in a name? Apparently, everything, given the manner in which the Supreme Court has reacted to Norway's expulsion of the Vedanta group from its "investment universe' allegedly for environmental and human rights violations. While dealing with a controversial mining project in Orissa, SC replaced one subsidiary of the group with another simply because the latter does not bear the name Vedanta.

the Vedanta controversy has acquired yet another twist, with the Orissa government trying to acquire more land in Kalahandi district's Lanjigarh block, the place where the company's one million