It asks company to carry out a fresh cumulative assessment study

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, has suspended the environment clearance (EC) granted by Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for the proposed coal-based thermal power plant of IL& FS Tamil Nadu Power Company Ltd in Cuddalore district. The tribunal directed the company to carry out a cumulative assessment study afresh within a radius of 25 km from the project site and submit it to the MoEF for stipulating any additional conditions and safeguards required for the protection and preservation of the Pichavaram mangroves and marine environment.

Recommending scrapping of two controversial hydro-power projects in Karnataka and Kerala that had run into difficulty due to opposition from environmentalists, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) has suggested setting up of a statutory authority to protect the Ghats.

The report of the panel, headed by Madhav Gadgil, formerly with the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, has called for cancellation of Karnataka's Gundia and Kerala's Athirapally hydro-projects, and gradual phasing out of mining activities in ecologically highly-sensitive areas of Goa by 2016.

The Environment Ministry on Wednesday finally made public the controversial report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel prepared by ecologist Madhav Gadgil and submitted almost a year ago. The publishing of the report also came with a disclaimer saying that the ministry has not yet accepted the recommendations of the report.

SHILLONG: Biodiversity in the State is under threat due to deforestation, habitat destruction, mining and encroachment of forest areas, said Minister of Forests and Environment, Prestone Tynsong.

Tynsong was speaking during a function organized to mark the International Biodiversity Day at the U Soso Tham Audotorium here on Tuesday. This was the first that Meghalaya joined the Biodiversity Day celebrations.

The Delhi High Court has upheld the Central Information Commission (CIC) order to make the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) public by publishing it on Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) website. The court on May 17 dismissed an MoEF petition seeking not to disclose the report, saying it could affect economic and scientific interest of the states concerned — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The report, prepared by a panel chaired by ecology expert Madhav Gadgil, had been submitted to the MoEF in August 2011. Last year, RTI applicant G Krishnan had filed an application with the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the MoEF to obtain a summary of the report,

The summary of the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), under the chairmanship of Prof Madhav Gadgil, and its report on the Athirappilly hydro-electric project in Kerala will finally be made public — not in piecemeal but in entirety. Dismissing an appeal by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) against a CIC order, Justice Vipin Sanghi of the Delhi High Court has held: “A policy evolved in the largest public interest and public good can certainly not be said to be against the strategic, scientific or economic interest of the State.”

SHILLONG: In a major embarrassment for Rymbai legislator Nehlang Lyngdoh (Congress) the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) have accused him of not adhering to safety norms at a coal mine owned by him located on the Ladrymbai-Rymbai road in Jaintia Hills.

The lack of safety measures in Lyngdoh’s coal mine came to light during a visit by the NCPCR team to the coal mine on Friday. As per the letter written to the Deputy Commissioner of Jaintia Hills, the Deputy Labour Commissioner and Divisional Mining officer who accompanied the team, said, “It was noticed that there are no safety measures, labour welfare amenities etc., which may endanger the lives of labourers working in the said mine.”

Research organisation encourages new agricultural adaptation strategies

Shillong: Taking cognizance of the drastic change in the ecology of Sohra, agricultural scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural (ICAR) Research Complex for NEH Region are now trying to conduct research and studies on the agricultural products of this area while encouraging people to adopt different agro-eco activities.

Himalayas are warming about three times faster than the global average temperature during the last 25 year period, says a new study.

The report made public on Wednesday states the average annual precipitation during the same period has increased by 6.52 millimetre per year in the region. Authored by Uttam Babu Shrestha, Shiva Gautam and Kamaljit Bawa, the study

was published in the recent issue of ‘PLoS One’ journal.

ALWAR: The death of labourers in the illegal mines of Alwar's Arawali range and Rajsamand district on Thursday brought to the fore lies put up by the state government even before the Supreme Court. In some affidavits submitted to courts over the past two years, the state government claimed to have adopted harsh measures on illegal mining, making it impossible for the mafias to operate with impunity.