In 2019, the illegal wildlife trade reached staggering levels. Pangolin scales and ivory were being trafficked in massive quantities from Africa to Asia, exposing a network of crime syndicates operating at an industrial scale. The sheer volume of these shipments marked a disturbing milestone, one that revealed the global reach …
The Central coordination-cum-empowered committee on Tuesday took several decisions on mining and reviewed the position of mineral concession regime in the country. The meeting decided to prepare an action plan to increase the capacity of State Mining Directorates, start end-to-end accounting system for mineral transactions to prevent and detect illegal …
Panjim: In a shocking disclosure, Justice M B Shah heading the inquiry commission on illegal mining, said Saturday that many mining leases in the country operate without renewing their licences after their lease period expires. When asked about his observation about mining activities in the state, Justice Shah said that …
New Delhi Mines ministry plans to undertake a fresh assessment of the extent of losses to the exchequer on account of illegal mining in Goa. This is being done to end speculation over the quantum of revenue loss to the state, with figures ranging from R1,200 crore to R10,000 crore …
In a bid to regulate mining activities in Orissa's Joda and Koira regions, the State Government on Friday decided to develop a master plan to ensure that the cumulative effect of extraction from individual mines is within sustainable limit, official sources said. An 11-member committee headed by the Chief Secretary …
The population of Kashmir Markhor has been decreasing rapidly in Tochi game reserve, situated at a stone`s throw from the district headquarters of Chitral, owing to ruthless hunting, residents of the area say. Miraj Hussain Mughal, a social worker from Seen village near the game reserve, told Dawn that the …
BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has issued show-cause notices to three mining lease holders on charges of violation of Mineral Concession Rules. Show-cause notices have been issued to Indrani Patnaik, KJS Ahaluwallia and TP Sao for illegally sub-leasing mines allotted to them which is a violation of Rule 37 of the …
Owners of private iron ore miners in mineral-rich states of Jharkhand and Orissa are closely watching events in Karnataka following the arrest of mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy. Though not on the scale of Karnataka, both states have seen their share of illegal mining, prompting a crackdown by authorities. The …
Nurpur Bedi (Ropar): The lower Shivaliks are all set to disappear. With the illegal mining mafia leaving no stone unturned (literally!) to raze the hillocks here for sand and gravel and the Ropar administration turning a blind eye to this plundering of nature, it may be just months before this …
Dharamsala: The state government would consider action against mining officials of Kangra district for failing to check illegal mining in the Beas and the Chaki rivers. Chief Minister PK Dhumal said this while talking to mediapersons here today. He said preliminary reports had indicated that the Beas changed its course …
Hong Kong customs officers have seized a large shipment of African ivory hidden in a container that arrived by sea from Malaysia. Hong Kong government officials said Tuesday that officers found 794 pieces of ivory tusks estimated to be worth $1.6 million. The officers found the tusks, which were hidden …
Gibson Guitar Corp., a big user of ebony and other scarce woods, for years has allied itself with Greenpeace and other environmental groups to show it was serious about preserving forests. That didn't stop the Nashville-based company, whose guitars are used by such musicians as B.B. King and Angus Young …
Mining coal was once a livelihood for villagers in coal-rich states. Now, it is a multi-crore business for the coal mafia. While the mafia pocket crores, villagers get a few hundreds for mining coal illegally while the government gets nothing.
Many rail bridges in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are facing threat of being damaged due to illegal quarrying of stone and other building materials from the riverbeds by the mining mafia. Illegal mining has increased in these areas due to steep rise in price of building material. …
HOWRAGHAT, Aug 30 – Timber smugglers have been holding sway in Karbi Anglong reserve forests. Illegal trade in timbers has been going unabated in the Karbi Anglong district. Many valuable logs are being supplied to neighbouring State of Nagaland from the district. Besides, illegal timber sawmills are growing at an …
China's fast-growing consumerism and lax policing of ivory laws are the latest threats to wild elephant populations, said an author of a recent report on endangered species. Poaching of elephants and other species has increased in Central African countries, with products headed mainly to Asian markets and for the bush …
Bhubaneswar: Under attack for failing to take steps to stop illegal mining, the Odisha government has decided to undertake survey at two mining circles spread over Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts, official sources said. The actual survey work using scientific modalities will be carried out in Joda mining circle in Keonjhar …
At a time when legal proceedings have begun over the indictment of politicians and others based on the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, the Karnataka Government has constituted an official committee to go into the merits and details of the mining report submitted to the Government by the Lokayukta. Addressing …
A meeting scheduled for August 25th between rosewood traders, the Ministry of Forest and Environment, and other government officials may determine the fate of tens of millions of dollars' worth of rosewood illegally logged from Madagascar's rainforests parks. The meeting, which will take place in Sambava in northern Madagascar's SAVA …
Despite a bust almost every time a patrol is carried out, the illegal timber business in Paro is not only still prevalent but growing, says the dzongkhag’s department of forests division. “Every patrol is a definite catch,” said Paro division’s chief forestry officer, Sither Dorji. He referred to the illegal …
The Karnataka Chief Minister has convened a meeting of senior bureaucrats and officials of the State on August 23 to discuss the Supreme Court's notice to the State Government on suspending mining activities in Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of the State. Speaking to presspersons during his visit to Mangalore on …
