Cement, Energy and Environment

- restricted to only coal projects, but will cover all the infrastructure projects, which are getting delayed due to delay in environment clearances. The GoM would recommend a new framework for speeding environment and forest clearances for key infrastructure projects without much damage to the environment. The GoM will also look into ways to ensure compensatory afforestation and environmental rehabilitation by the industry. All ministries have been asked to submit their proposals for consideration of the GoM. The GoM will have coal Minister Mr. Shriprakash Jaiswal, Environment Minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Power Minister Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde, and deputy chairperson of Planning Commision Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia as members. Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Newswire, 1- 15 February 2011, P12. NEW NORMS TO FREE UP MORE AREA FOR COASTAL HOUSING The Centre's notification on CRZs seeks to give a reprieve to fishermen and other communities living in coastal areas. It is a departure from the 1991 rules as the no– development zone has been halved from 200 metres from the high tide line to 1 00 metres in order to meet the housing demand of fishing and other traditional coastal communities. Environment Minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh said the CRZ Notification, 201 1, was important for generating economic activity in coastal areas "because there are some economic activities that are pumped to be located in coastal areas." He said the notification demonstrated a balance between environment and development. "India must get used to having power plants in coastal areas. The requirement of water, the requirement of imported coal or imported gas or even imported uranium fuel will necessitate location of power plants in our coastal locations," he said. The MoEF has also issued an island protection zone notification for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep islands. One important difference from the earlier notification is that the new coastal regulation has special provisions for Greater Mumbai, Goa, Kerala, and critically vulnerable coastal areas such as Sunderbans, Chilka, Bhitarkanika, Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kutch, Malwan, Karwar, Kundapur, Vembanad, East Godavari and Krishna Delta, and the Gulf of Munnar. Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) Newswire, 1- 15January 2011, P1 7. MoEF NOTIFIES WETLANDS RULES FOR CONSERVATION MoEF notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010, to ensure better conservation and management of existing wetlands in the country and to prevent their degradation. The rules prohibit activities such as industrialization, construction, dumping of untreated waste, and reclamation, which are harmful to wetlands. Activities like harvesting and dredging may be carried out in the wetlands, but only with prior permission from the concerned only with prior permission from the concerned authorities. There are 25 wetlands in the country and they are critical for various development activities, including agriculture. Large numbers of people are also dependent on them for drinking water, food, livelihood, and irrigation. The experts cited a number of reasons for the degradation of wetlands. Their over exploitation for fisheries; discharge of industrial effluents, fertilizers, and pesticides in these areas from the agricultural lands vicinity; uncontrolled siltation; and weed infestation are amongst the major causes that have severely damaged over one-third of the country's wetlands. Courtesy: TERI (The Energy and Resources Institutes) Newswire, 1-15 December 2010, P13. CNG NOT THAT GREEN, SAYS POLLUTION BOARD CNG is not without environmental drawbacks, says a new CPCB study. The study says that burning CNG has the highest rates of potentially hazardous carbonyl emissions. These conclusions have attracted criticism from many, including environmentalists. The study also made a case for regulating CNG and other fuels for methane emissions. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is a key contributor to climate change. Among the study's finds were that retrofitted CNG car engines emit 30 per cent more methane than original CNG engines. Almost all CNG car engines in India are retrofitted. CNG has been touted as the greenest of the fossil fuels. There is little doubt that in terms of carbon emissions and well known pollutants like sulphur dioxide, CNG is more environmentally friendly than oil or coal. But the 47