-Newsclick.in The new policy is skewed in favour of the mining industry as mineral-rich areas are populated by the most disadvantaged communities. New Delhi: In a move that could help enrich corporate entities at the cost of some of the most disadvantaged communities of the country, the Narendra Modi government has introduced a policy whereby public hearings will no longer be conducted for certain mining activities. According to a circular issued by the...

-Hindustan Times The Union Environment Ministry has relaxed the environmental norms for the expansion of certain iron, manganese, bauxite, and limestone mines The Union Environment Ministry has relaxed the environmental norms for the expansion of certain iron, manganese, bauxite, and limestone mines. According to an office memorandum (OM) issued on October 20, expansion of up to 20% capacity for mines of these four minerals with a 5-star rating can be allowed only...

-Junputh.com The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has recently released a Consultation Paper on proposed changes in the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 with reference to the amendments carried out in 1988. Despite being a routine job, the date chosen for the purpose was 126th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi i.e., October 2nd 2021 although it had nothing to do with the occasion. In hindsight this very act...

-Hindustan Times The Union Environment Ministry has come out with a consultation paper on amending the Forest Conservation Act 1980 to bring significant changes to forest governance in India including facilitating private plantations for harvesting and exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas deep beneath forest land by drilling holes from outside the forest areas. Here are the highlights of the Environment Ministry’s proposal: Forests on private land Until December 1996, provisions of...

-Hindustan Times Around 250 residents of Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand started a march from Surguja district to Raipur, around 330 kilometres away, on Monday demanding cancellation of all coal mining projects in their region.  Environmentalists and activists are also taking part in the march. “The representatives of all 30 villages of Hasdeo Arand ... are part of this padayatra (foot march) demanding justice from state and Central government by cancelling all coal mining projects...