Page 5 - Environment Ministry

Railways need not to seek permission to develop infra on its forest land

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has clarified that the railways does not need to seek permission to develop infrastructure on its land in forest areas, after its contradictory orders on the issue created confusion in many states. Quoting an order dated March 10 last year, the ministry has stated that the Forest (Conservation) Act will not be applicable on railway owned land for execution or maintaining of railway works. This paves the way for the national transporter to execute infrastructure projects even in sensitive forest areas without seeking permission from the Centre. "It has been brought to the notice of the ministry that in some states/UTs there is ambiguity regarding interpretation of the term "RoW", mentioned in the guidelines dated 10.03.2022. Several states have asked the railway to explain the term "RoW". "The matter was examined in the ministry and it is clarified that RoW mentioned in the guidelines...may be understood as the area falling with

Over 5,000 PIBOs registered for EPR in one year: Environment Ministry

India saw over 5,000 producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) registering for extended producer responsibility (EPR) in the last one year, the Union Environment Ministry said on Friday. Extended producer responsibility is a mechanism where companies have to ensure that their products are collected and recycled at the end of their useful life, rather than being disposed of in a landfill or incinerated. The ministry also said 2.26 million tonnes of plastic packaging has been covered under EPR for the year 2022-23. India generated a total of around 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2019-20. "From around 310 registered producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) before the notification of the EPR guidelines on February 16, 2022, the number of PIBOs registered on the centralised EPR portal on plastic packaging has gone up to around 5,400," the ministry said in a statement.

Twelve cheetahs to be translocated from South Africa to India on Feb 18

Twelve cheetahs will be translocated from South Africa to India on February 18, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate change, Bhupender Yadav on Thursday

12 cheetahs to be flown in from South Africa on Feb 18: Bhupender Yadav

Twelve cheetahs will be flown in from South Africa on February 18, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday. Under the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the first batch of eight spotted felines -- five females and three males -- from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on his 72nd birthday on September 17 last year. Presently, the eight cheetahs at Kuno are killing a prey every three-four days and are in good health, officials said. One of the cheetahs was unwell as her creatinine levels had shot up. She has recovered after treatment, they said. "A C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) left the country Thursday morning to bring 12 cheetahs from South Africa. Ten quarantine enclosures have been created at the Kuno National Park for these felines," the minister said at a press conference here. India and South Africa had in January signed an MoU to transport cheeta

Full circle: Union Budget 2023-24 focuses on circular economy

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) got no substantial increase in its budgetary grant, even as India aims for lofty goals in climate action

Budget 2023: Experts expect a boost to decarbonisation, energy transition

Issues that need to be addressed include expanding funding for renewable manufacturing, extending PLI to wind and green hydrogen, among others

India signs pact with S Africa to bring 12 more cheetahs in February

India has signed an agreement with South Africa to translocate 12 cheetahs to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, a senior official in the Union Environment Ministry said on Friday. The pact was signed last week and seven male and five female cheetahs are expected to reach Kuno by February 15, the official said. The 12 South African cheetahs have been in quarantine for more than six months and were expected to reach Kuno this month but the transfer was delayed as "some processes in South Africa took some time", the official said on condition of anonymity. Cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India due to over-hunting and habitat loss. The last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952. Under the Cheetah reintroduction programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the first batch of eight eight spotted felines - five females and three males - from Namibia into a ...

NGT extends stay on environment ministry's construction project notice

The National Green Tribunal has extended the stay on a Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change notification modifying the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conditions for certain construction projects. According to the notification dated November 14, 2018, the union government delegated the power to ensure compliance with environmental conditions to local bodies, including municipalities, development authorities and district panchayats, in respect of building or construction projects having built-up area from 20,000 square metres to 50,000 sq. metres. The notification also provided these local bodies with the power for according building permission and granting occupation or completion certificate with respect to industrial sheds, hospitals and educational institutions (including hostels) having built-up areas of more than 20,000 sq. metres to 1,50,000 sq. metres. The tribunal was hearing a petition which said the modified EIA regime, where the appraisal of ...

COP-15: India to mobilise domestic finance for biodiversity conservation

The 15th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ended on a high note with nearly 200 countries adopting a historic deal to preserve nature and reverse damage to ecosystems after four years of fraught negotiations. India, which is one of the Parties to the convention, pushed for Digital Sequence Information (DSI) to be considered under the CBD's access and benefit sharing mechanism, among many other targets during the run-up to the conference and through the anxious final moments until the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) became a reality. The Indian delegation was led by Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change along with a team of officers from the government. India negotiated strongly and held discussions with the COP Presidency and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity before the final Global Biodiversity Framework was put up for adoption, Yadav said. "The suggestions from Ind

No action plan in place for Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, says CAG

The CAG, in an audit report, has said that plastic waste management rules could not be implemented effectively due to lack of an action plan by the Union Environment Ministry

The planet gets short-changed again

It's time we looked at planetary ecology as an inter-connected system demanding a comprehensive approach

Carbon credit market: Why power ministry is best suited to run this project

The power ministry feels it is in the best position to decide what types of products should be introduced in the carbon credit market

COP15 Montreal: India urges dedicated fund for biodiversity conservation

Says developing countries bear most of the burden of implementing targets; call comes as 196 parties to Convention on Biological Diversity finalise talks for a post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

Bhupender Yadav makes plea to boost environmental funding at COP15

India's Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has expressed hope that the COP15 will put in place the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

270 urban forest projects approved since 2020: Govt tells Parliament

Nagar Van Yojana, launched in 2020, aims to enhance green cover, biodiversity in cities

Skewing the mustard field: The Yellow Revolution's revival needed

Claims that GM mustard will lead to increased yield are incorrect; we must focus on other solutions

All 8 cheetahs adapting well, says Union minister Bhupender Yadav

Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Sunday said all eight cheetahs in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh were fine and adapting well to their new home. The eight were flown in from Namibia in southern Africa on September 17 as part of an ambitious species reintroduction project and they were released into their enclosures by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day. Yadav, who held a review meeting with researchers, scientists and forest officials in KNP during the day, tweeted, "Happy to note that all eight cheetahs are adapting well and the vision of PM Narendra Modi of turning an ecological wrong into ecological harmony is taking shape." The last cheetah died in India in Koriya district in present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947, and the species was declared extinct from the country in 1952.

NGT seeks response from MoEFCC on pollution done by slaughterhouses

The National Green Tribunal has recently sought a response from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others while hearing a petition regarding the pollution caused by slaughterhouses. The petition claimed that slaughterhouses contributed immensely to pollution besides damaging the environment. It said whenever a new slaughterhouse was to be established, it was necessary to examine its impact on the environment according to the 2006 Environment Impact Assessment notification brought out to scrutinise all information about a project or activity and its potential adverse impacts on the ecology of a region. The petition argued that slaughterhouses and processing units must be brought within the ambit of the notification. A bench comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel said it was a "substantial question" related to environment. "Let respondents No. 1 (MoEF&CC)...file their response, if any, within one

Environment minister tables Wild Life (Protection) Bill in Rajya Sabha

Environment Minister Bupender Yadav on Wednesday tabled the Wild Life (Protection) Bill in the Rajya Sabha that seeks to include a dedicated framework to regulate or ban international trade of endangered species as well as permit certain traditional activities of communities living around forest areas. The bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha in the monsoon session of Parliament. The minister said there were two main objectives of the bill which includes bringing the international treaty that India has signed into the legal framework. "Along with this, some level of protection to people living in forest area for their livestock and traditional rights was necessary till the time they are completely relocated," Yadav said. The bill seeks to amend the principal Act for better management of protected areas. It inserts an explanation to provide for certain permitted activities such as grazing or movement of livestock, bona fide use of drinking and household water by local communities. The

SC allows Mumbai Metro to pursue application to cut 84 trees in Aarey

Case pertains to construction of Metro car shed on forest land in Aarey which adjoins Sanjay Gandhi National Park; next hearing likely in Feb 2023