Latest news with #EnvironmentImpactAssessment
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tata Steel Nederland submits its EIA report
Jamshedpur: Tata Steel Nederland (TSN) has submitted its Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) to the province of North Holland. The report lays bare the environmental and health implications of the Steel Major's plans to overhaul its steel production at the Ijmuiden site. "The new steel plant, which will operate using natural gas and green electricity instead of coal, is expected to slash CO₂ emissions by 5 million tonnes," the company said in a press release on Monday. With future integration of hydrogen, bio-methane, and underground carbon storage, the reductions could go even further- making this the largest single-company CO₂ cut in the Netherlands. "Our Green Steel plan, developed in close collaboration with trade unions and fully backed by our parent company in India, represents an unprecedented shift. We are moving away from coal, and towards a cleaner, greener future,", Hans van den Berg, chief executive officer of TSN, said in a statement.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
UT to hire consultant to get green nod for mkt
Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration is set to appoint a consultant to obtain environment clearance for the much-delayed bulk market in Sector 56. This clearance is required from the ministry of environment. The total area of the project may necessitate environmental clearance, which will also require holding a public hearing. "As per the rules related to the environment, the clearance is necessary for projects where the built-up area is 20,000 square metres or more. For this, work on the project cannot start without approval as per the guidelines of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) on the instructions of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Therefore, it is imperative for the administration to obtain this approval for the market," said an official. In the bulk market to be built in Sector 56, the Dhanas marble market and furniture market businesses are to be rehabilitated. The estate office plans to auction booths and other properties in this market. There are one-kanal 200 plots and 55 booths in the market. tnn The market has been in the works for several years now. Last year, the administration finalised the plan to develop the market in Sector 56. The proposed market will offer an opportunity for operators from the marble and furniture markets to purchase plots or booths in the bulk market. Consequently, these illegal markets will be shifted to the new market. The administration planned to demolish both markets after the start of the bulk market.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Haryana: Speaker's brother is Haryana state election commissioner
Former Indian revenue service (IRS) officer, Devinder Singh Kalyan was on Thursday appointed as the state election commissioner, Haryana, by the governor on the recommendation of the state government. Kalyan is the brother of BJP MLA from Gharaunda and Haryana vidhan sabha speaker, Harvinder Kalyan, who retired from the service on May 31. Devinder Singh Kalyan is the brother of assembly speaker Harvinder Kalyan, who is also BJP MLA from Gharaunda. (HT) The state election commission (SEC) is vested with the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for and the conduct of elections to panchayats and municipal bodies under Articles 243 K and 243ZA of the Constitution. Legal experts say that appointment of Kalyan, a blood relation of a ruling BJP politician, clearly amounted to conflict of interest. Former Haryana advocate general, Mohan Jain said that the appointment of the real brother of the Haryana assembly speaker as state election commissioner is against public interest. 'The newly-appointed state election commissioner will not be able to do justice to his job. Since the SEC is mandated under the Constitution to prepare electoral rolls and conduct elections of panchayats and municipal bodies in which all the political parties are involved, the appointment of a politically connected person as SEC will certainly raise questions of fairness and transparency in the conduct of polls. Fundamentally, Devender Kalyan is in a way connected with the ruling party,'' said Jain, a former additional solicitor general. An IRS officer from the income tax stream, Devinder Kalyan had in April 2023 managed to get a posting in the Haryana government as principal secretary, excise and taxation, a cadre post of IAS officers. Following his deputation to the state government, Kalyan was first posted as advisor in state finance department in February 2023. The state government had earlier recommended Kalyan's name for chairman of State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Haryana to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC). The central ministry however rejected his name stating Devinder Singh Kalyan does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Environment Impact Assessment (ElA) notification of 2006.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Environmental activists, experts lobby against Sharavathi project
BENGALURU: With the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) meeting scheduled on Wednesday, some groups are lobbying against the Karnataka government's 2,000MW project in the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary, and a notified eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in Sharavathi valley. Those opposing the project include conservationists, experts and officials from the Karnataka forest department and Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Living Earth Foundation (Leaf), an environment advocacy group, has penned a letter to the member secretary of the standing committee for NBWL, pointing out anomalies in the project cleared by the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) on March 4. Leaf said that since the area is a protected ESZ, major hydro projects are prohibited. As per schedule 1(c) of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2006, hydro power projects above 50MW are classified as A-category projects. 'The November 6, 2023, ESZ notification said that establishing a pumped storage hydro power project within a notified ESZ of the wildlife sanctuary to harness 2000MW power is prohibited as per law. Neither SBWL nor NBWL should approve the project,' said Sreeja Chakraborty, managing director of Leaf. The Karnataka energy department is looking to utilise the existing reservoir at Talakalale as the upper reservoir, and Gerusoppa as the lower reservoir. It also sought 52ha (hectares) of forest land and felling of 15,000 trees for the project. 'We are not against development. It is the sensitive location which is a concern. In May 2025, NBWL cleared the proposal to use 1.1479ha of forest land in Gudekote Sloth Bear Sanctuary to lay 33kV of interconnecting underground transmission lines for a 600MW wind project by JSW Renewable Energy Vijayanagar Limited,' an SBWL member said. Energy department officials said: 'It is a pumped storage project and not an electricity project. The project uses hydro electricity. Two reservoirs are already present.' 'Energy will be used to pump water and electricity will be generated when water flows. The energy department has also sought land to lay electricity lines. The aim is to generate 2000MW power. The proposal also listed that a three-month study was done. But a year-long impact assessment study is needed as power will be generated all year round. NBWL should look into all this as the area is prone to landslides due to the heavy rainfall it receives, and is a sensitive region of the Western Ghats,' a legal expert said.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Rispana-Bindal road projects: Concerns grow over environmental impact, lack of rehab plan
Dehradun: Concerns over the Rs 6,500 crore Rispana-Bindal elevated road project, which is touted as a 'solution to Doon's traffic woes' have intensified with several stakeholders, including residents, activists, and thousands of slum dwellers who may be displaced, expressing apprehension regarding the proposed 26-km elevated corridor, planned over the Rispana and Bindal riverbeds, aims to ease city traffic and offer a quicker route to Mussoorie. But activists claim it may cause irreversible ecological damage and permanently alter Dehradun's skyline. On Tuesday, the Dehradun Citizens Forum hosted a Town Hall Meet on the project at The Doon Library & Research Centre. The session featured a presentation by PWD engineer Jitendra Tripathi and consultancy firm Spectrum. Attended by over 100 professionals from diverse fields, the event saw strong calls for the immediate public release of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and an inclusive cost-benefit analysis. Participants also urged that river rejuvenation efforts proceed independently of the corridor project. Officials said detailed project reports (DPRs) have been prepared and submitted to the state govt for approval. The criticism about the project centres on two fronts -- environmentalists fear the project will severely impact the Doon valley's ecology, while social activists warn of the large-scale displacement of residents once construction begins. The project also contradicts previous claims by the state govt to rejuvenate the rivers. Activists fear that such a large-scale infrastructure undertaking will leave no scope for restoration and could mark the end of these rivers. They are demanding transparency, environmental safeguards, and clear rehabilitation policies before work starts on the elevated road network. "There is both curiosity and concern among residents across Dehradun about the elevated roads being built over the fragile riverbeds of Rispana and Bindal," said social activist Anoop Nautiyal. "With pillars up to 15 metres high, this corridor risks permanently changing the city's ecological fabric. We're demanding that the Environmental Impact Assessment report be made public so that citizens can engage meaningfully and assess the true costs." Activists also called for public involvement in planning major infrastructure projects, especially those that claim to serve public interest. "There is often a stark contrast between govt claims and ground realities," said Manoj Dewaria, a resident of Kanwali Road. "They say it's to ease traffic, but what about the thousands of families whose future now hangs in the balance? There's been no talk of compensation or rehabilitation. What kind of public policy is this?" With project details still unclear, activists have filed several RTIs, but responses have been vague. One such reply from the PWD, accessed by TOI, stated: "In light of increasing traffic pressure in Dehradun and unavailability of space for road widening, the construction of the Rispana-Bindal elevated corridor is proposed. This will provide relief from traffic congestion in Dehradun. The project is under process and until its completion, specific details cannot be provided. "
