The Proposed Bullet Train Project A Misplaced Priority

Activists of Civil Society organisations gathered at the heart of national capital to question the feasibility of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project. Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) and National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) held a detailed discussion on economic viability, environmental and social impact of Bullet Train Project on August 2 at Constitution club, New Delhi.

In the day long discussion, social activists Ulka Mahajan (Maharashtra), Hannan Mollah (BAA), Rohit Prajapati (Gujarat), Madhuresh Kumar (NAPM) and environmentalists from various civil groups participated. Read more

Courtesy: The Link

RJD, Congress MPs attend talk against bullet train project

Two newly elected Rajya Sabha members, from RJD and Congress, attended a discussion organised by a group protesting against land acquisition for the bullet train project.

Manoj Jha of RJD and Nasir Hussain of Congress were present at the event where Mohammed Salim and Jitendra Choudhury of CPM, D Raja of CPI and D P Tripathi of NCP, were also in attendance. The Shiv Sena did not send a representative to the event, despite being a key player in the protests against land acquisition in Palghar and Dahanu. Trinamool Congress MPs also did not attend the event.

An NGO named ‘National Alliance for People’s Movement (NAPM)’ had organised the discussion attended by protesters from Gujarat and Maharashtra’s Palghar and Dahanu. Read more

Courtesy: The Indian Express

60 per cent fund of DMF to be spent in high priority areas: government

NEW DELHI: At least 60 per cent funds of the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), which are being spent for benefit of people affected by mining-related operations, will be utilized in high priority areas like drinking water and pollution control, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

Tomar said in Lok Sabha today that to facilitate synergy in the implementation of DMF across states, the central government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana with the objective of welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations.

At least 60 per cent of funds will be utilized in high priority areas like drinking water supply, environment preservation, pollution control measures, health care and education, he said during Question Hour. Read more

Courtesy: The New Indian Express

CSE releases detailed assessment of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scheme

New Delhi, July 31, 2018:“The District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scheme is a people-centric vision of natural resource governance where people’s right to benefit has been put at the forefront. If developed and implemented well, DMFs not only have a huge potential for improving the lives and livelihoods of some of the poorest communities, they could also be a model for inclusive governance,” Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment(CSE), said while releasing CSE’s 2018 assessment report on the scheme here today.

People First: District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Status Report, 2018, as the assessment is titled, comes as the DMF scheme enters the fourth year of its functioning. CSE has assessed its effectiveness through an analysis of DMF administration in 12 mining states in the country. An in-depthanalysis has been done of the investments in 13 districts in the five top mining states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. These five states account for more than 72 per cent of the total DMF accrual in the country. Read more

Courtesy: CSE

 

NGO proposes sustainable model to develop highways

Nagpur: On an average, 22km of roads are being built in the country by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) every day, causing huge environmental damage. Friends International, a city-based biodiversity conservation NGO, has proposed sustainable and environment-friendly model for highways development.

Biodiversity consultant DR Chinchmalatpure said the current practice of building highways involves excavation of hard strata to be used as bed material. “As a general practice, this material is extracted from nearby hillocks and highland ranges, which play crucial role in maintaining ecological balance,” says Chinchmalatpure. Read more

Courtesy: The Times of India

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