Nudged by the Delhi High Court and the Central Information Commission, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has finally made public the Gadgil panel report on ecology in the Western Ghats, but with a disclaimer.

The report, which was uploaded on the Ministry’s site on May 23, says: “The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report has not been formally accepted by the Ministry and that the report is still being analysed and considered by the Ministry.’’

The report was submitted to the Ministry in August 2011. Public comments have been invited within 45 days.

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.

Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra may come to be known as the bowl that feeds India’s growing hunger for energy. Staterun utility GAIL is working on a makeover plan that hinges on doubling the capacity of Dabhol power project’s gas import facility to 10 million tonnes a year, said company chairman B C Tripathi after hosting the seventh Asia Gas Partnership Summit on Saturday. The summit was inaugurated by prime minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.

State-owned GAIL India is mulling doubling capacity of Dabhol LNG terminal to 10 million tonne to meet growing energy needs of the country, company Chairman BC Tripathi said.

GAIL is looking to tie-up up to 2 million tonnes of LNG for import at the nation's third liquefied natural has terminal, which will tomorrow evening receive its first shipment from Norway, he told reporters here.

Fuel woes notwithstanding, a record 13,332 MW has been commissioned in the first 11 months of this fiscal — the highest power capacity addition ever in a single year. With another 2,000 MW expected to come onstream in March, the last month of 2011-12, the cumulative power capacity addition this fiscal is likely to be 15,000 MW, thanks largely to private sector players.

MUMBAI: The anti-Jaitapur nuclear plant pitch rose a notch higher on Sunday with demonstrations and rallies against the nuclear power plant being held at a number of places across the state. To mark the first year of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, demonstrations against Jaitapur project and other nuclear power projects were held in Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Pune and Satara.

Villagers opposing the 10,000 MW Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district have decided to launch an economic non-cooperation movement against Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.

About 4,000 locals participated in a protest rally from Ratnagiri to Jaitapur on Sunday. About 700 of them signed a pledge that they would not give any lodging and material supplies to the contractors and NPCIL staff working on the project.

Rubbishing allegations of foreign funding to the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power project in Ratnagiri district, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray today said that those who are willing to go ahead with the project should be probed.

"If somebody feels that money is being given to protest against the Jaitapur nuclear power project, then I think they are with rotten heads," Uddhav told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.