The expert panel of the environment ministry has recommended green nod to two industrial projects--the development of a multipurpose Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and a Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) in Kutch, Gujarat and the mining of heavy minerals in Ganjam, Odisha--near turtle nesting sites. The clearance to the SEZ was deferred earlier but was given the nod after the project proponent informed the committee about its action plan towards the conservation of sea turtles and other marine biodiversity conservation works. In the case of the second project that involves diversion of forest area including the nesting site of the turtles, the committee has given a conditional recommendation.
The Maharashtra government has given its go-ahead to divert 142 hectares of forest land for country’s third largest power plant, Adani Power Maharashtra Limited (APML), in Tiroda in Gondia district. The land is barely eight-to-nine km from Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR). Moreover, out of the 142 hectares land, 24.06 hectares is protected forest (PF) and 117.93 hectares is a zudpi jungle. The forest land to be diverted acts as a cushion for wild animals dispersing from Nagzira and its buffer zone and as per conservationist Prafulla Bhamburkar, the diversion will reduce space for wildlife and will cause huge pollution in the area.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to study and implement Maharashtra's 'Sujalam Sufalam' campaign in Mahoba and Hamirpur districts of parched Bundelkhand. The scheme envisages identifying dams, ponds, minor irrigation tanks, percolation ponds and farm ponds followed by digging works to deepen them. Also, under the scheme, the silt from dams and water bodies will be cleaned and drains will get widened and deepened. After observing the results of the campaign in both the districts, it will be implemented everywhere in Bundelkhand.
A $240 million loan agreement has been signed between India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) for providing safe drinking water to nearly 1.65 million people in Bankura, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur of West Bengal. All the three districts have been affected by arsenic, fluoride and salinity. Under the project, the government aims to mitigate the risk of fluoride and arsenic contamination through the provision of continuous potable water via metred connections to about 390,000 individual households in the three districts.
HC seeks status report on repairs of old Delhi Sub Branch Canal
The Delhi high court has sought from the Haryana government the status of repair works on the old Delhi Sub Branch Canal (DSBC) that carries water to the national capital. The direction has come following a petition filed regarding the delay in repair works which is affecting the water supply to Delhi. Despite receiving a payment of Rs 28.16 crore for the work, the Haryana government has not even encashed the cheques and floating of tenders is still pending. The repair works were to be started in June this year and expected to be completed in four months thereafter.
This is a roundup of important policy matters from October 2 - 9, 2018. Also, read news this week.
Lead image source: Pawar Pooja via Wikipedia commons