-The Telegraph Shillong: The National Green Tribunal has ordered a stop to rat-hole coal mining across Meghalaya and it observed that neither the government nor the people were benefiting from "illegal mining" except the "coal mafias" while warning against illegal transportation of the mineral. This is the latest instance that a national authority has intervened in the traditional and unscientific form of coal mining that has been the order of the day...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: A day after receiving flak from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh defended his decision, as then environment minister, to clear three cases of coal mining in Chhattisgarh. Ramesh said he acted on his "own assessment" which was well within his right as a minister. In a statement, Ramesh said, "While forest advisory committee (FAC) was carrying out its due diligence,...

-The Business Standard The future of the Bill will be decided by the next government The United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) attempt to overhaul the 50-year legislation governing the corruption-ridden mining sector has fallen through with the new mining Bill lapsing. The Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Bill had proposed sharing of miners' profits with the project-affected, among others, but with the Lok Sabha being dissolved, the Bill has lapsed. Many from the sector...

-Down to Earth Report lacks region specific-information; methodology used is questionable, say experts in India A recent World Bank report recommending reduction of common pollutants like soot or black carbon and methane in the Himalayan region to slow global warming has drawn severe criticism from Indian scientists. Reducing emissions of black carbon and methane can not only save lives by reducing air pollutants in atmosphere but also bring down ice melt which is...

-The Financial Express Veerappa Moily says environment will be protected but won't be biased against industry. After Posco and Tawang, environment minister M Veerappa Moily has cleared the state-owned NHPC's 520 MW Teesta-IV hydro-electric project in Sikkim, thus having approved three big projects in three days, which were stuck despite having clearances from all other statutory and related bodies. Veerappa Moily, who approved the Teesta project on January 9, said at the Express...