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New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has revised India's 2015 emission norms for thermal power plants that asked for mandatory installation of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems. The decision is likely to benefit about 79 per cent of the thermal plants of India. Industry experts asserted that new norms are likely to reduce power generation cost of thermal power plants by 25 to 30 paisa per kilowatt hour (Kwh), benefitting consumers. After the revision FGDs will now be mandatory only for coal-fired based plants within 10 kms of cities with population of over 1 million, or plants in critically polluted or non-attainment areas or plants using high-sulphur imported coal. FGD is a system that removes sulphur dioxide (SO) from the smoke released by coal-fired power plants. Experts say while FGD is effective in high-sulphur conditions, the system is expensive, water-intensive and adds carbon dioxide emissions during installation and operation. It is useful where high sulphur coal are used for plants, or where there is high ambient sulphur dioxide levels or dense urban proximity. The decision of the government follows independent assessment by three Indian research institutes - reportedly IIT Delhi, CSIR-NEERI and National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) -- who noted that even in areas without FGDs, ambient sulphur dioxide levels are well within national standards. Additionally, full-scale retrofitting of FGDs are projected to increase carbon dioxide emissions, largely due to added limestone mining and auxiliary energy use. Environmentalists however argue that such relaxation risks delaying clean air goals. But government sources say that the new framework targets pollution where it matters most. Developing economy like India who still rely on over 80 per cent of its power demand on thermal plants, it serves a practical template. The new guideline is aligned to best global practices, even the US, the EU, and China have moved to targeted FGD deployment, not blanket mandates. (ANI)
New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Adani Group has announced a planned investment of Rs 60,000 crore to expand the group's power plants in Raipur, Korba, and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh. The Chief Minister's Office on Sunday posted on X the details of the meeting and the planned investment. The CMO also posted pictures of the meeting. "In a meeting with the Honourable Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, announced a planned investment of ₹60,000 crore to expand the group's power plants in Raipur, Korba, and Raigarh," the CMO's post said. The ...Read More >
Patna: Four private power companies -- Adani Power, JSW Energy, Torrent Power and Bajaj Group's Lalitpur Power -- have shown interest in setting up a 2,400-MW thermal power plant at Pirpainti in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, an energy department official said here on Friday. It will be first private sector investment -- a whopping Rs 21,400 crore -- in power sector in Bihar. Under the project, three plants -- each of 800-MW capacity -- will be set up at Pirpainti as part of Tariff-based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) process, for which Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL), Patna, wi ...Read More >
Guwahati, June 28 (UNI) Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, on Saturday reaffirmed the Centre's "unwavering support" for accelerating mineral and coal development across India's eight North‑Eastern states. Speaking on the second day on the second North‑East Mining Ministers' Conclave here, Reddy said robust mining infrastructure, quicker project clearances and eco‑friendly practices are crucial to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision. "Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim are our Ashta Lakshmi," the ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Centre is exploring the option of converting retired coal-based power plants to nuclear plants, said two people in the know of the developments. The need for conversion arises due to the requirement of large land parcels for nuclear plants even as the government aims to install over 22 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032 and 100 GW by 2047 from the current 8.7 GW. The government has already asked states to come up with plans to set up at least one nuclear plant each. "The possibility of converting retired thermal plants is being looked at and talks are underway within the governme ...Read More >
Hit by economic slowdown and poor infrastructure, industrialists from Jharkhand's key industrial districts -- East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, and Seraikela-Kharsawan -- are looking to the newly formed state government for revival and support. The industrial zones of Adityapur, Gamharia, Kandra, and Chandil have been grappling with inadequate infrastructure, including poorly maintained roads, lack of bridges, erratic water supply, and unreliable power. Entrepreneurs in these regions hope the new administration will address these issues and work toward improving the state's industrial ecosystem ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's coal sector has registered a 5.88 per cent increase in production to 830.66 million tonnes (MT) during April 2024 to January 2025 of the current financial year, from 784.51 MT recorded during the same period of 2023-24, according to a Coal Ministry statement issued on Monday. The total coal production during January 2025 has reached 104.43 MT, reflecting a 4.38 per cent increase over 100.05 MT recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year. The contribution from captive, commercial, and other entities for January 2025 has also been particularly strong, with ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: Union minister for coal and mines G. Kishan Reddy, accompanied by students from various government schools in Telangana, who achieved top ranks in the 10th class public examinations, planted saplings at his official residence in Delhi as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' and asked them to don the role as new age environment warriors and work hard to save earth from plastic pollution. He also gave them tips on environmental protection. ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in the presence of leaders of Central Asian countries, touched upon various business opportunities and complementarities between these respective economies on Thursday. Jaishankar suggested a few areas where India and Central Asian countries should collaborate to improve their economies. Jaishankar noted that India's trade and economic ties with Central Asia have actually shown a very strong positive trend over the last decade. However, he has also said that the trade figures do not reflect the full potential. Given th ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has urged the India-Central Asia Business Council to recommend a roadmap for further deepening of India-Central Asia ties in trade, economic and investment. Addressing the Business Council meeting in the national capital, EAM Jaishankar highlighted three broad objectives for strengthening the economic partnership -- deepen existing cooperation, diversify the trade basket and introduce sustainability and predictability in economic interactions. "One, is to deepen the existing cooperation both in terms of volume a ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said the state govt was consistently working to provide better resources to the doctors and quality healthcare services to the citizens.He mentioned that medical colleges were being established in every district.While there were only six medical colleges in 2014, the number has now increased to 15, and nine new colleges are under construction. As a result, MBBS seats in the state increased from 700 in 2014 to 2,185, at present. The state govt aims to increase the MBBS seats to over 3,400 by 2029, said Saini.The CM was addressing a ...Read More >
India readies a sea change for domestic shipping as well as global shipping through key bills The centre will move the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024 and Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 for consideration and passing during the winter session of parliament. These key legislations are aimed at holistic growth of Coastal Shipping and reducing the compliance burden for ships under the Indian flag. "The Merchant Shipping Bill deals with implementation of India's obligations under various International Conventions and technical aspects maritime and shipping sector's regulations. Coastal Shipping Bill wi ...Read More >
India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) witnessed a significant slowdown in October 2024, registering a mere 3.5% year-on-year growth. This decline is primarily attributed to weak performance across key sectors like mining, power, and manufacturing. Compared to the robust 11.9% growth in October 2023, the latest figures highlight a concerning trend. New Delhi: India's industrial production (IIP) growth slowed to 3.5 per cent year-on-year in October 2024, mainly due to poor performance of mining, power and manufacturing, as per official data released on Thursday. The IIP recorded a growt ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jan 31 (PTI) The Gauhati High Court has issued notices to the Assam government and its various departments over rampant rat-hole coal mining and asked them to furnish what steps they have taken to stop the unlawful activity. Taking suo motu cognizance of the Dima Hasao coal mining tragedy, the high court registered a public interest litigation on Monday and issued notices the next day to seven government departments, including the office of the chief secretary. "The court has taken note of various reports which suggest that around more than 200 rat-hole mines are in operation in Um ...Read More >
Haridwar: A woman politician has been arrested for allegedly letting her boyfriend and others repeatedly rape her 13-year-old daughter in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The horrifying crime, which occurred between January and March, was exposed when the minor bravely confided in her father, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the accused. The accused was arrested with her boyfriend and one more. According to police reports, the minor was gang-raped multiple times, often in the presence of her mother. The minor, who had been living with her father following her parents' separat ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
Bengaluru, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is planning to roll out an additional Rs 5,400 crore as viability gap funding to support the setting up of 30 GWh of battery storage systems in the country. "This is over and above the Rs 3,700 crore already being given under the existing VGF scheme, through which 13.2 GWh of BESS projects are already being implemented," the minister explained. The minister was speaking at the inauguration of one of India's largest Battery Energy Storag ...Read More >
DHARMAPURI: For the third time in the past two months, a wild leopard wandered into a private farmland near Valaithottam village near Palacode and hunted chicken raised by a local farmer. Locals are increasingly distressed and urged the forest department to take steps to relocate the leopard. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of leopard sightings in forest areas near Palacode, particularly in Valaithottam village, near the forest's fringe. There have been two instances when the leopard attacked farmlands, taking away a domestic dog and a chicken. On Saturday, the leop ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 3 (ANI): Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024 to expand the definition of mineral oils and include petroleum and natural gas passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The bill was introduced by Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri for consideration and passing. The Bill will regulate the exploration and extraction of natural gas and petroleum. The amended bill expands the definition of mineral oils to include petroleum and natural gas in it. Also Read | Pune: Doctors Perform Rare Laser Surgery on Woman Pregnant With Monoam ...Read More >
Guwahati, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a scathing attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, citing recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids as "evidence of illegal coal mining operations" in the state, and also issued a clarification on his 'links' in Pakistan. Speaking to the media in Delhi for the first time after becoming the Assam unit chief of Congress, Gogoi pointed to the April 24 raids conducted across Assam and Meghalaya, where the ED reportedly unearthed a coal smuggling network, seizing Rs 1.58 crore in cash, digital devices, and ...Read More >
Kolkata, June 28: A political slugfest has erupted in West Bengal after a woman accused Padma Shree awardee monk Kartik Maharaj, who is posted with the Murshidabad unit of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, of allegedly raping her 12 times for six months in 2013. As per the police complaint lodged by the woman, Kartik Maharaj raped her multiple times 12 years ago promising her a job at a local school. The ruling Trinamool Congress is highlighting the issue in a major way and accusing the BJP of being silent on it since the accused monk had been reportedly close to the saffron party. The woman accusin ...Read More >
New Delhi: On this day in 2024, India defeated South Africa by 7 runs and lifted the T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. India posted a 177-run target for the Proteas in 20 overs after opting to bat first. Virat Kohli smashed 76 runs off 59 balls with the help of six boundaries and two maximums. Axar Patel also batted brilliantly and scored 47 runs off 31 balls, hitting four maximums and one boundary in his sensational knock. Chasing the target of 177 runs, Bumrah provided India their first breakthrough when he removed Reeza Hendricks in the second over of the run-chase, ...Read More >
Bhopal: After decades of lingering uncertainty, the disposal of 307 tonnes of toxic waste (earlier 347 tonnes) from the infamous Union Carbide factory responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy, has now been disposed. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had issued directives in this regard earlier to dispose it in maximum 72 days. "The process, which began from the evening of May 5 was completed on June 29 evening," a senior officer in the MP Pollution Control Board told IANS. It was burnt at a private facility in Pithampur in Dhar district near Indore, amid protests by locals. "The incineration proc ...Read More >
Pune: As per Pune Municipal Corporation's latest Environment Status Report (ESR) 2023-24, the city houses as many as 55,81,578 trees, with the figures showing a steady annual increase.But for a city that claims to host over 55 lakh trees, deteriorating air quality makes the essential act of breathing rather difficult for residents.Even as the civic body boasts of planting lakhs of trees and expanding the city's green footprint, the on-ground reality is riddled with data inconsistencies, opaque processes and a visibly shrinking urban canopy.Citizens, environmentalists and independent researcher ...Read More >
Guwahati, June 27: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that his government will soon issue a blanket order to the Central Government to facilitate the exploration of Assam's mining potential. The announcement was made during the second edition of the North East Mining Ministers' Conclave, held in Guwahati. "This morning, we discussed granting a blanket exploration order for geological investigations. I want to commit that within a very short time, we will allow the Government of India to explore mining potential across," the Chief Minister said. He further informed that t ...Read More >
Guwahati, June 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy reaffirmed the Central Government's full support to the mineral and coal-rich North Eastern states at a Mining Ministers' Conclave held here on Saturday. Addressing the gathering on the second day of the event, the Minister highlighted the Centre's commitment to strengthening mining infrastructure, fast-track project approvals, and promoting sustainable mining practices in the region. He stated that the development of the North East is central to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, with the eight states -- Ass ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): Coal production from captive and commercial mines in June 2025 reached 15.57 million tonnes (MT), while coal dispatches were recorded at 17.31 MT, according to the Ministry of Coal. These figures indicate a solid performance by the coal sector, which plays a crucial role in meeting the energy and raw material needs of key industries across the country. Also Read | Hemant Khandelwal Takes Charge As Madhya Pradesh BJP President, Replaces VD Sharma. The first quarter of the financial year 2025-26 has shown significant year-on-year growth. Coal production during ...Read More >
A crucial round of negotiations on a global plastic pollution treaty has begun in Busan, South Korea. Led by Norway and Rwanda, 66 countries and the EU are pushing for a legally binding agreement to control plastic production, consumption, and waste management. However, key points of contention include limits on plastic production and the ban of single-use plastics. With plastic production set to rise 70% by 2040, negotiators aim to protect human health and the environment while promoting recycling, reducing harmful chemicals, and supporting sustainable plastic practices. Industry leaders and ...Read More >
he Australian government claimed on Thursday that the country is on track to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target, with new figures showing improved projections. In an annual climate change statement delivered to parliament, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced that Australia is projected to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 42.6 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 -- up from the 37-per cent cut projected in 2023.The government has committed to cutting Australia's emissions by 43 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, Xinhua news agency reported. "Our robust reforms an ...Read More >
Guwahati: VL Kantha Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, underscored that the Geological Survey of India has identified over 36,000 square kilometres in the Northeast India as having mineral potential, translating to nearly 3,000 prospective mines. He highlighted that Assam has now firmly entered the national auction map, signalling a new era for mineral development. The 2nd North East Geology and Mining Ministers' Conclave was inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam on Friday. He called for expanding exploration and research, including leveraging Artificial Intelligence in mineral discovery. Notably, ...Read More >