-PTI   The Supreme Court constituted Environment Assessment (EIA) Committee would launch a detailed 15-day survey in mining areas in the district from September 12 to assess the environmental impact due to mining. The survey team is headed by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Director General Dr V K Bahuguna. Speaking to reporters here, Bahuguna said they visited Gonda Reserve Forest and Vyasanakere in Hospet taluk today and found most mining...

An ecological catastrophe is in the making in Orissa where more than six lakh trees are being cut at the POSCO site in Jagatsinghpur district for the south korean steel plant. The farmers in Orissa are protesting against the felling of six lakh trees at the POSCO site. More then 50,000 have already been cut down and nearly six lakh more trees are to go. The district administration is going ahead...

Paradip, Aug. 6: Reports of a tidal surge into the denuded forest pockets in the proposed Posco project area since Thursday night have caused concern among the local residents. However, officials have advised the villagers not to panic. “We have received reports of tidal waves’ ingress in some pockets of denuded forest areas. But there was no threat to the villages,” said Kujang tehsildar Vasudev Pradhan. “The forest used to check the...

-PTI   Over six lakh trees and some 1,800 betel vines will have to be sacrificed to set up Posco's Rs 52,000 crore mega steel project in Orissa's coastal Jagatsinghpur district. The trees to make way for the greenfield project include about three lakh casuarina and as many horticultural plants, official sources said. Local people have voiced strong opposition against the move to clear the trees, arguing that they will be exposed to...

-The Economic Times   Govt. to set up National Environment Appraisal and Monitoring Authority for environmental clearance of projects Prime MinisterManmohan Singh hit the nail on the head when he declared that the environment cannot be protected by perpetuating poverty. But the regulatory framework forenvironmental clearance of development projects needs urgent streamlining and reform . Dr Singh added that the Centre would soon set up an independent regulatory body, the National Environment...