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

Ganga fitness boards

“Innocent persons are drinking and bathing in the Ganga out of reverence and respect. They don’t know that it may be dangerous to their health. If cigarette packets can contain a warning saying it is ‘injurious to health’, why not the people be informed of the adverse effects (of river water)?” a bench headed by NGT chairperson A.K. Goel said. Read more

Courtesy: The Telegraph

Chhattisgarh discovers limestone reserves with 500 million tonnes capacity

Limestone reserves with an estimated capacity of 500 million tonnes (mt) have been discovered in the mineral-rich Chhattisgarh state.

The new deposits of cement-making raw material have been found in five district of Chhattisgarh namely Raipur, Balodabazar, Jabjgir-Champa, Raigarh and Bastar. The mines were discovered during exploration carried out by state’s geology and mining directorate in 2017-18.

Directorate of Geology and Mining, Chhattisgarh in engaged for prospecting of limestone for last many years. Subsequently, a large number of suitable sites for establishment of cement plant of various magnitudes have been identified in the state. Read more

Courtesy: Business Standard

Since mining and environmental degradation can now be monitored 24×7 via satellite, clearances should now be faster

The government’s decision to set up a task-force headed by the Cabinet Secretary to see how import-substitution can be increased has, not surprisingly, been criticised by former NITI Aayog deputy chairman Arvind Panagariya. Since a liberal trade regime results in cheaper imports and more competitive exports, he argues, any move that seeks to make imports costlier—as an import-substitution regime usually does—should be avoided. Indeed, as he points out, India’s import-substitution phase after Independence resulted in high import tariffs which, in turn, led to Indian industry becoming high-cost and uncompetitive. In such a situation, unlike in the case of other countries, India could never look at exports as a viable growth strategy. Panagariya argues that, instead of looking at an import-substitution strategy, India would do better to have a viable export-led strategy, and concentrate on removing whatever bottlenecks there are—labour laws, high-cost infrastructure, etc—to ensure this happens. Read more

Courtesy: Financial Express

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