-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...

After Haryana ban, illegal mining shifts to Sikar’s hills Who’s The Quarry? More than 400 active leases in the Sikar belt 1,200 trucks move out of Rajasthan Aravallis daily In Dabla alone, 50 ha of land mined Area has five small rivers, three clogged with sludge. *** The ceiling of her house has some long cracks, the roof has become unstable, the floor in some parts has caved in. When Reshmi built her house in the Dabla...

A global scramble for land and mineral resources fuelled by billions of investment dollars is threatening the last remaining wilderness and critical ecosystems, destroying communities and contaminating huge volumes of fresh water, warned environmental groups in London Wednesday. No national park, delicate ecosystem or community is off limits in the voracious hunt for valuable metals, minerals and fossil fuels, said the Gaia Foundation’s report, "Opening Pandora's Box". The intensity of the...

Central Empowered Committee has recommended cancellation of 49 leases The Karnataka Government has requested the Supreme Court to revoke the suspension of 117 Mining leases listed under categories A and B by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). The Supreme Court-appointed CEC has recommended cancellation of 49 Mining leases listed under Category C, where iron ore was being mined illegally. It has recommended resumption of operations in 45 Mining leases listed under Category...

-The Economic Times A panel set up by the Supreme Court to investigate Karnataka's illegal mining mess has made some important recommendations. It says 49 licences are patently illegal and should be scrapped.  Another 72 mining companies should be fined for operating outside sanctioned areas. It also asks for Karnataka's iron ore output to be capped at 30 million tonnes, down a third from its 45-million-tonne level till the court banned all...