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Even rocky area can be forest: SC

Thu, Nov 11 08:06 PM

New Delhi, Nov 11 (PTI) The Supreme Court today held that a piece of land does not necessarily need to have vegetation in order it to be declared a forest land to prevent any kind of construction work there. A bench of Justices Mukundakam Sharma and Anil R Dave said that the term forest should be interpreted in a wider sense and the presence of rocky area would not debar a piece of land to be declared as forest land.

"It was submitted that the rocky area devoid of growth cannot be considered a `forest'' and must instead be understood as a wasteland that cannot vest with the state government. We are unable to agree with it," the bench said, adding that the mere presence of a rocky area within a piece of land cannot change its character.

"It cannot be disputed that within forest areas, there exists water ………

http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20101111/1416/tnl-even-rocky-area-can-be-forest-sc.html

India, Bhutan to jointly monitor Manas tigers

ROOPAK GOSWAMI

Guwahati, Nov. 10: The forest authorities of India and Bhutan have agreed to start a joint initiative to “camera trap” tigers moving across the international border from November 20, marking the beginning of a new chapter in cooperation between the two countries for wildlife conservation.

This was decided at a meeting between representatives of Manas National Park India and Royal Manas National Park Bhutan at Bansbari in Manas today. The idea behind the exercise is to monitor the movement of tigers between the two parks having contiguous areas.

The field director of Manas National Park, A. Swargiari, told this correspondent that both the countries had decided to go ahead with the joint camera trapping from November 20. “This is a historic day for both the countries in wildlife cooperation, and both sides have assured their support,” he said.

Around 450 square km will be covered on both sides of the boundary……………… http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101111/jsp/northeast/story_13162349.jsp

Korean civil society's report on POSCO urges Orissa govt. to respect a democratic procedure

Ch. Narendra, 10-Nov-2010 07:05:42 AM

Korean civil society groups have published their official report on fact-finding research for the POSCO project launched by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Orissa government in 2005. The fact-finding team composed of two lawyers and a human rights activist who are experts on monitoring of human rights violations of multinational companies conducted the second fact-finding research between August 28 and September 5, 2010, which is following the first one that had been carried out between April 26 and May 6, 2008.
In the report, the team explains that Korean civil society has been paying attention to the issue since the violence broke out between the villagers for the POSCO project and those who were against it, in November 2007. Since then, the Korean civil society groups have been monitoring the Orissa government's attitude and also made the ………………………

http://www.mynews.in/News/korean_civil_societys_report_on_posco_urges_orissa_govt._to_respect_a_democratic_procedure__N108314.html

SAIL gets approval for three iron ore mines in Orissa

Thursday, 11 Nov 2010

India's ministry of environment and forests has given environment clearance to a Greenfield iron ore mine, as well as the expansion of two others belonging to state run Steel Authority of India Ltd.Mr PC Tibrewal ED of Raw Material Division told Dow Jones Newswires that it has approved the expansion of two operational mines Barsua and Kalta in Orissa, as well as a new mine named Taldih in the same state.The approvals pave the way for SAIL to raise its iron ore output to meet a planned expansion in annual hot metal production to 23.5 million tonnes, from 14.6 million tonnes, by the fiscal year through March 2013.
The company plans to spend INR 100 billion on modernization and expansion of all existing and new iron ore mines. It plans to raise iron ore output from the three Orissa mines to 8 million tonnes a year in four to five years from more than 3 million tonnes currently………

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/SAIL_gets_approval_for_three_iron_ore_mines_in_Orissa/174429.html

Orissa yet to take a call on AG's views on Niyamgiri mines

BS Reporter  | 2010-11-11 01:11:00

 The state government is yet to take a call on the Orissa Advocate General's suggestion to approach the Supreme Court challenging the environment ministry's decision to cancel the Stage-II forest clearance for Vedanta's Niyamgiri Project.

"The Advocate General has given his views on bauxite mining at Niyamgiri and it is under scrutiny by the state government. We are yet to decide whether we will approach the Supreme Court against the Centre's decision to cancel Stage-II forest clearance for the project," Raghunath …………………..

http://sify.com/finance/orissa-yet-to-take-a-call-on-ag-s-views-on-niyamgiri-mines-news-news-kllblhdgiih.html