-The Hindu     This was an eco-sensitive zone, involving massive infrastructure, they say Ahmedabad: Around 50 environmentalists from across the country have written to the Union Environment Ministry that Chief Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, Statue of Unity, envisaging a 182- metre statue of Sardar Patel inside Narmada river, 3.2 km downstream of Sardar Sarovar Dam and Shoolpaneshar Sanctuary, was working without environment approval. This was an eco-sensitive zone, involving massive infrastructure. Work had...

-PTI NEW DELHI: Environment ministry has issued directions to six state governments prohibiting development activities including mining and quarrying in the 60,000 sq km ecologically sensitive area of Western Ghats. The ministry's direction came weeks after it gave approval to a controversial report on Western Ghats prepared by the K Kasturirangan-led panel which recommended prohibition on development activities in 37 per cent of natural landscape that has high biological richness. In its order...

-The Hindu The area will turn into a ‘no-go zone' for mining and thermal power plants The Environment Ministry has decided to turn approximately 60,000 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six States into an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), banning mining, quarrying, thermal power plants and polluting industries over the entire range. All other projects would be allowed only with the prior consent of gram sabhas (village councils) in the zone. The...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court admonished the government for failing to set up an independent environmental regulator, which the prime minister promised to set up in 2011. The court has asked the environment ministry, which currently has all regulatory powers, to give an explanation in four weeks. "You want to retain all power with the ministry (of environment and forests). You should think of yourself as a policy-making ministry,...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: Illegal mining in Uttar Pradesh between 2005-11 caused a loss of Rs 1,400 crore to the exchequer, says a draft report of the comptroller & auditor general. The report, prepared on the activities of state geology and mining directorate, belies state government's claims on checking illegal mining and indicates that illegal mining is widespread. It reveals several procedural gaps in legal quarrying as well. The auditors, who...