GoM To Decide On Vital Decisions On Environment
Author:
First published in Sanctuary Asia,
Vol. 31
No. 1,
January 2011
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh referred a proposal of the coal ministry to restrict no go areas for coal mining to just 10 % to a GoM soon after Coal minister made an opening remarking seeking banishment of Environment minister Jairam Ramesh's decision to impose no go in 30 % of forest areas.
As many 203 coal mines fall in the prohibited zone and Coal ministry estimates it will hamper coal extraction enough to generate 1,30,000 MW of power, almost double of India existing power generation.
Ramesh had, however, advocated that these forests were important natural resource as they support majority of India's unique bio-diversity. On Thursday, he refused to speak on the issue. Read the full report here.
Source: HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
