“Innocent persons are drinking and bathing in the Ganga out of reverence and respect. They don’t know that it may be dangerous to their health. If cigarette packets can contain a warning saying it is ‘injurious to health’, why not the people be informed of the adverse effects (of river water)?” a bench headed by NGT chairperson A.K. Goel said. Read more
Courtesy: The Telegraph
Limestone reserves with an estimated capacity of 500 million tonnes (mt) have been discovered in the mineral-rich Chhattisgarh state.
The new deposits of cement-making raw material have been found in five district of Chhattisgarh namely Raipur, Balodabazar, Jabjgir-Champa, Raigarh and Bastar. The mines were discovered during exploration carried out by state’s geology and mining directorate in 2017-18.
Directorate of Geology and Mining, Chhattisgarh in engaged for prospecting of limestone for last many years. Subsequently, a large number of suitable sites for establishment of cement plant of various magnitudes have been identified in the state. Read more
Courtesy: Business Standard
The government’s decision to set up a task-force headed by the Cabinet Secretary to see how import-substitution can be increased has, not surprisingly, been criticised by former NITI Aayog deputy chairman Arvind Panagariya. Since a liberal trade regime results in cheaper imports and more competitive exports, he argues, any move that seeks to make imports costlier—as an import-substitution regime usually does—should be avoided. Indeed, as he points out, India’s import-substitution phase after Independence resulted in high import tariffs which, in turn, led to Indian industry becoming high-cost and uncompetitive. In such a situation, unlike in the case of other countries, India could never look at exports as a viable growth strategy. Panagariya argues that, instead of looking at an import-substitution strategy, India would do better to have a viable export-led strategy, and concentrate on removing whatever bottlenecks there are—labour laws, high-cost infrastructure, etc—to ensure this happens. Read more
Courtesy: Financial Express
Porvorim: Members of the state assembly were unanimous that mining operations had to resume at the earliest but differed on an appropriate solution the state government could adopt to restart iron ore mining.
MLAs across party lines pointed out that illegal mining activity and the closure of mining operations had affected the state’s environment and economy respectively.
While legislators said the closure of mining activity had put mining-dependant families under financial stress, they also said any attempt to restart mining operations which is beyond the purview of the Supreme Court’s judgment could have legal ramifications.
“Start mining but start mining within the parameters of law. Don’t throw the Supreme Court report into the dust,” former chief minister and Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro said. Read more
Courtesy: The Times of India
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today told the state Legislative Assembly that the government had recovered Rs 1,487.91 crore from mine owners in the form of e-auctioning of ore and royalty payments on them.
He was replying on cut motions moved by the opposition on the demand for grants of the Mining department.
“The total loss estimated by the Public Accounts Committee due to illegal mining is Rs 4,000 crore. A panel of chartered accountants has put this figure at Rs 1,508.59 crore. The CAG has pegged it at Rs 1,922 crore,” Parrikar told the House. Read more
Courtesy: Money control
