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 National Green Tribunal has expressed displeasure over the absence of a representative of the Ministry of Environment and Forest in a sand mining case, saying even in the New Year it “persists” in its “practice” of being unrepresented. “Nobody is present on behalf of respondent 1 (MoEF). It had …
Industries minister P K Kunhalikutty on Tuesday said in the assembly that the government has not taken any decision to introduce mineral sand mining in the private sector. At present, sand mining is allowed only in the government sector and India Rare Earths (IRE) is the only agency allowed for …
Large-scale violation of environment and forest laws have taken place in Odisa since 1994-95 Top companies — such as SAIL, Tata Steel, the Aditya Birla group’s Essel Mining and Odisha Mining Corp — are among the 70 that have violated environment and forest laws, the M B Shah Commission on …
The Supreme Court has refused to entertain steel ministry’s plea seeking relaxation of the limits of permissible production of mines currently functional in Karnataka. A three-judge forest bench headed by Justice AK Patnaik did not accept the plea of the ministry after an NGO from Karnataka raised objection saying the …
The National Green Tribunal has expressed displeasure over the absence of a representative of the Ministry of Environment and Forest in a sand mining case, saying even in the New Year it “persists” in its “practice” of being unrepresented. “Nobody is present on behalf of respondent 1 (MoEF). It had …
New Delhi : Operations of top steel and mining companies, including Tata Steel, SAIL, Aditya Birla Group's Essel Mining, JSPL and Sarda Mines, are likely to get affected if a recommendation by the Justice M B Shah Commission to ban mining along the Baitarni river in Odisha is accepted. The …
The Shah Commission report on illegal mining in Odisha has been placed before a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) to finalise an action taken report (ATR) in order to submit the two together before Parliament. This was decided on Thursday at the Union Cabinet meeting. “The report of the Shah Commission, …
The Union Cabinet on Thursday referred the MB Shah Commission’s report on illegal mining in Orissa to a committee of secretaries to scrutinise the report, which has indicted the Orissa government for failing to contain illegal mining leading to a colossal financial loss of about Rs 60,000 crore to the …
The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday passed an interim order restraining use of more than two earth movers in sand quarrying sites in Tiruchi and Karur districts. A Division Bench comprising Justices R. Sudhakar and V.M. Velumani passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation petition filed …
New Delhi : The MB Shah Inquiry Commission has estimated the size of illegal iron ore mining in Orissa at Rs 60,000 crore and has said half of the profits from mines in the state should go to the local population. The commission has, however, let off large mining companies …
Exercise follows disclosure by Gadgil that 1,700 illegal quarries operate in State Ecologist Madhav Gadgil’s disclosure on illegal quarries in the Kerala part of Western Ghats has resulted in the Department of Mining and Geology planning to compile a list of quarries in the State. The Directorate of Mining and …
Deep in the forests of Borneo island, workmen from an Indonesian timber company fell a tree with a chainsaw, stick a red tag with a serial number onto it and attach a corresponding stub to the stump, reports BSS. This is all part of an arduous auditing process, one of …
The Union Cabinet is expected to deliberate tomorrow on the report of Justice M B Shah Commission on illegal mining of iron and manganese ores in Odisha, sources said. The Commission, whose term had ended on October 16, 2013, had submitted five-volume report to Union Mines Ministry in two parts …
Constant efforts have been made by the Mineral Resources Development Department for prevention of illegal mining, transport and storage of minerals, according to a press release here on Tuesday. Director Geology and Mining V K Austin informed that directives have been given to police, revenue and forest staff posted in …
Madhav Gadgil, eminent ecologist, has alleged that 1,700 illegal quarries are operating in the crest line of sensitive areas of the Western Ghats in Kerala. Dr. Gadgil, who had chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, the report of which led to an uproar in the State, was speaking at …
Felling and smuggling of timber has continued unabated in the Chure area of Luhale Khola National Forest in Udayapur. Locals said the timber mafia from India and Nepal have been setting up camps and felling trees in the forest area, but the forest office has turned a blind eye to …
Residents of upper Khhanni gram panchayat are up in arms against the ongoing illegal mining of the Chakki river bed, notwithstanding the High Court’s ban on unscientific quarrying with JCB machines. Bachan Singh, Kartar Singh, Sham Singh, Rashpal Pathania and Bimla Devi, on behalf of local villagers, submitted a memorandum …
In a scathing indictment of the Odisha Government over the multi-thousand crore mining scam, the M B Shah Commission is reported to have recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into serious procedural irregularities and rampant violation of mining, forest and environment norms in allotment of mines …
They used a legal loophole to violate environmental norms Ninety-four of the 192 iron ore mining leases in Odisha do not have the mandatory environmental clearances. And of the 96 that did have them, 75 have mined far beyond their permitted levels over the past several years, the Justice M.B. …
The RA had imposed stay order in case of four miners -PTA Ltd, Essel Mining, GSI Ltd and Ferro Alloya Corporation (FACOR) Mine owners and the Odisha government are poised for a pitched battle over the contentious issue of a hefty penalty imposed on extracting ore beyond the approved limits. …
