Environment ministry not stalling highway work: Ramesh -Governance Now

Environment ministry not stalling highway work: Ramesh

Env min Jairam Ramesh refutes charges of his ministry blocking national highway projects

PTI | April 2, 2010

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has said that his ministry is not acting as a blockade on the construction of national highways in the country.

"Ministry of environment and forests has cleared 98 percent national highway projects, only those cases where the project passes through tiger corridor or dense forest area we have not approved it," Ramesh told reporters after the seventh convocation of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) here on Friday.

He denied the charge that he is acting as a blockade on the national highway projects.

However, he said that there are instances when in number of cases the concerned ministry has bypassed forest and environment clearance.

When asked to specify such projects which are passing through tiger corridor or forest areas, he said that one is in Madhya Pradesh and the other is in Assam.

On the issue of giving environmental clearance to Maheshwar Hydro Power Project in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, he said, as far as resettlement and rehabilitation of affected villages is concerned, according to company's report only one (Jalud) out of the total 22 villages are rehabilitated so far.

"We have asked the state government to comment on the issue and after that only we will take a view on it," Ramesh said.

When asked about the disposal of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, he said, that the Pollution Control Board is considering the issue like disposing it off in a cement plant or at Pithampur.

A decision on the matter will be taken soon, Ramesh said.

Comments

Other News

General Elections: Phase 3 voter turnout 64.4%

Polling in third phase of General Elections recorded an approximate voter turnout of 64.4%, as of 11:40 pm Tuesday, as per the data released by the Election Commission of India close to the midnight. The trend of lower turnout witnessed in the first two phases has thus continued in this round too.

How infra development is shaping India story

India is the world’s fifth largest economy with a GDP of USD 3.7 trillion today, and it is expected to become the third largest economy with a GDP of USD 5 trillion in five years. The Narendra Modi-led government aims to make India a developed country by 2047. A key driver of this economic growth and

75 visitors from abroad watch world’s largest elections unfold

As a beacon of electoral integrity and transparency, the Election Commission of India (ECI) exemplifies its commitment to conduct general elections of the highest standards, offering a golden bridge for global Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to witness democratic excellence first-hand. It continues foste

‘Oral cancer deaths in India cause productivity loss of 0.18% GDP’

A first-of-its-kind study on the economic loss due to premature death from oral cancer in India by the Tata Memorial Centre has found that this form of cancer has a premature mortality rate of 75.6% (34 premature events / 45 total events) resulting in productivity loss of approximately $5.6 billion in 2022

Days of Reading: Upendra Baxi recalls works that shaped his youth

Of Law and Life Upendra Baxi in Conversation with Arvind Narrain, Lawrence Liang, Sitharamam Kakarala, and Sruti Chaganti Orient BlackSwan, Rs 2,310

Voting by tribal communities blossoms as ECI’s efforts bear fruit

The efforts made by the Election Commission of India (ECI), over last two years, for inclusion of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) communities and other tribal groups in the electoral process have borne fruit with scenes of tribal groups in various states/UTs participating enthusiastically in t