-The Hindu Activists seek halt to degradation of rivers Karur (Tamil Nadu): Environment activists here are seeking an immediate halt to the degradation due to sand mining in the rivers as mining continues in violation of norms stipulated by the Madras High Court. According to activists, three major violations are obvious. Loading contractors retained by the Public Works Department were breaching the rules governing number of excavators to be deployed in a quarry;...

-The Times of India CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government, which had suspended mining of rare earth minerals like garnet, ilmenite and rutile along the Tuticorin coast last month following complaints of large-scale illegal mining, on Tuesday extended the ban to Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Trichy and Madurai districts. Chief minister J Jayalalithaa, in a statement, said a team headed by revenue secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who had conducted an inquiry into violations in mining...

-The Hindustan Times Chandigarh: Ecological issues have delayed the start of river-bed mining, an idea propagated by Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal with the aim of extracting enough sand not only to meet the growing demand but also to control its skyrocketing rates in the market. The plan may not be implemented immediately as the proposed quarries would require clearance from the state environment impact assessment authority. Also, environmentalists fear...

-The Hindu Kota, Rajasthan: The sun is about to set over grey-brown slabs in sandstone quarries in Kota district, Rajasthan. Babulal Khairwa sits at the edge of a quarry and attentively hits a taanki, a chisel shaped like a gigantic nail, placed on the stone with a hammer. Babulal hits the stone with the hammer till it cracks in a straight line. Each 2 by 10 square feet foot slab, or...

-The Times of India With the brutal killing of young IPS officer Narendra Kumar evoking strong reactions across the country, the Madhya Pradesh government has said that the culprits responsible for the officer's death would not be spared. Stung by the brutal murder of IPS officer Narendra Kumar by the 'mining mafia', Madhya Pradesh government on Friday ordered a judicial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the incident in Morena district...