Cement Energy and Environment

, energy security and impede long-term growth, the Planning Commission has said. It has asked the MoEF to focus on the "mitigation measures" rather than blocking the openin.g of new mines. In this , the Commission has found support from the ministry of commerce and~ industry, which also has asked the MoEF to re-define the geographical boundary of the polluted areas . In a note, prepared for the Group of Ministers (GoM) on March 7, the Plan panel has pointed out that the Coal India Limited (CIL) is unable to expand production from its functioning mines owing to CEPI , which could trigger production shortfall. "A policy like this has detrimental effect on our overall energy needs. By Prohibiting production through expansion of coal mines and fix– up norms, which result in non– opening of new mines, will cause major deficiencies in the energy availability and impact the pace of long-term growth," the Commission observed in the note. In effect, the country's apex planning body has endorsed the contentions of the coal ministry that CEPI could up set coal production plans. The CEPI is a tool used to measure healthiness of the environment. It is intended to act as an early-warning mechanism and help in. categorizing industrial areas in terms of priority of the need for interventions. The MoEF in a circular on January 13, 2010 , had told the coal ministry that of the 88 industrial clusters in the country, 43 had CEPI score of more than 70 and extended the moratorium till October 30. It also asked the concerned state pollution control boards to prepare time-bound action plans for improving the environment quality in these areas. But thereafter in another notifications on October 26, it lifted the moratorium on environmental clearance in five areas. In its opinion also incorporated in the note, the commerce and industry ministry has said that CEPI should be refined to indicate the defined geographical boundary of the polluted area, conducting an apportionment analysis with regard to habitations and industries in the identified area. It also suggested that MoEF should identify the pollution load on air and water on account of different stakeholders. The demand · for coal has been estimated at 713 MT by the terminal year of the 11th Plan and the supply deficit has been estimated to be more than 80 MT, which will have to be met through imports. Courtesy: FIMI (Federation of Indian Mineral Industries) News Bulletin, 1st April 2011, P27. ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATION MAY BECOME NON– BAILABLE OFFENCE Violation of the Environment Protection Act may soon become a non-bailable offence. This is one of the several recommendations the Environment Ministry accepted on 11th March 2011. The recommendations governing environmental clearance for projects made by a Ministry– appointed committee is expected to give teeth to environmental laws. The committee headed by senior ministry official JM Mauskar has also suggested increasing the penalty amount for violations. At present, the pun.ishment for violations is limited to three years' imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine. It has suggested that there should be no ceiling on the penalty amount. The ministry will need to amend the Environment Protection Act and its rules . Since the amendment process could take a year, the committee has suggested that in the next three months, the min istry should examine alternate mechanisms which could be adopted for imposing large financial penalties for non– compliance of environmental clearance conditions till the Act is amended. A committee headed by B Sengupta, ex-member secretary, Central Board for Pollutipn Control, will develop a criteria and formulate guidelines for categorizing non-compliance as serious and not so serious. The committee will include representative from the ministry's regional offices and CPCB, and will have time frame of three months. Addressing a key weakness, the committee has suggested strengthening the manpower and infrastructure of the Central Pollution Control Board, state pollution control boards and the ministry's regional offices. Strengthening these institutions would enable better monitoring of implementation of environmental clearance conditions. It has set a time frame of six months to strengthen these institutions. Monitoring of projects and their compliance with environmental laws and regulations has been a weakness in Indian environmental governance. A protocol and format for self monitoring will be developed and made public. This will have to be adopted by all proponents. Courtesy: FIMI (Federation of Indian Mineral Industries) News Bulletin, 1STApri/2011, Pp29. 3 1