Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) is set to introduce strict measures to bring air pollution in Surat city under control.

Industrial units of textile city Surat will become the first in India to run an emission trading scheme (ECS) locally.

Company issues LoI to Lanco for 600 Mw lignite-based power project at Mangrol

State-run Gujarat Industries Power Company Ltd (GIPCL) has issued letter of intent to Lanco Infratech Ltd for implementing a 600 Mw lignite-based power project at Mangrol near Surat on engineering, procurement construction (EPC) basis. The company has envisaged an investment of Rs 4200 crore for the project, informed senior company official.

Gujarat High Court on Friday directed the Central Government to decide within four weeks the issue of granting approval to the allocation of forest land to Essar Steel Ltd (ESL) near Hazira in Surat district.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala, while disposing of a PIL challenging the allocation of forest land measuring 2.07 lakh sq meters, also asked the Gujarat Government to demolish the constructions made by the company at the site if the Centre decides not to grant approval.

AHMEDABAD: Seemingly unimpressed with the state government's measures to curb swine flu menace, justice A S Dave of Gujarat high court on Tuesday commented, "Everything is perfect on paper, the difficulty comes at the time of implementation."

In response to various queries posed by the high court to meet the requirement in the epidemic-like situation, the state government submitted a report stating that the administration has achieved all targets set to tackle the situation.

The Integrated Processing Development Scheme, recently announced in the Union Budget for the textile sector, will enable development of new textile processing parks and also improve infrastructure, including effluent treatment facilities, in the existing textile processing centres through public private partnerships.

With an outlay of Rs. 500 crore for the XII Plan period, the scheme looks at leveraging Rs. 5,000 crore investment in the segment. The budget has proposed Rs. 50 crore allocation for 2013-2014. Details of the scheme are expected soon.

Gandhinagar: The incidences of swine flu continues unabated in the state as seven fresh cases of patients testing positive for the virus came to light on Thursday. Of these, five cases have been reported from Rajkot while one each was reported from Bharuch and Surat.

The flu that is also referred to as H1N1 virus has claimed 30 lives in Gujarat in the past two months, health minister Nitin Patel said in the state assembly on Thursday. An alert has been sounded in the health fraternity regarding the virus which has Saurashtra in its grip. Patel said that H1N1 virus was a cause of concern which has spiked because of the prolonged winter.

This would help GSPC create India's largest city gas distribution company

Five months after it acquired 65% stake in Gujarat Gas Company Ltd (GGCL), GSPC or Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation is planning to merge its city gas distribution entity, GSPC Gas Company Ltd with Gujarat Gas Corporation Limited (GGCL). Persons close to the development said this would not only help GSPC create India's largest city gas distribution company but also allow it to transfer the loans it took to acquire GGCL on its books as the company is listed.

The joint venture companies are yet to decide on the quantum of the bond or external commercial borrowings

NPCIL-Nalco Power Company Limited — a joint venture between Nalco and NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) to set up nuclear plants —will raise a term loan of up to Rs 1,500 crore over the next three months to fund the construction of power generation capacities. The joint venture’s board met in Mumbai last week to take stock of the progress of the plant’s construction. B L Bagra, director (finance), Nalco said, “Initially, we are looking for Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 crore funding from various banks. We are in talks with the banks and hope to complete the process in the next two-three months.”

Terming the current global climate change scenario as "serious times", a US environmental law expert on Wednesday cautioned that the rise in sea level in the Indian Ocean could make cities like Kol