Urban News

The Hindu - Puduchery 19.08.2009

Valsaraj urges upward revision of water cess

Staff Reporter

PUDUCHERRY: Home Minister E. Valsaraj, who holds the environment portfolio, has urged the Centre to increase the water cess in the Union Territory. He was participating in the National Conference of Ministers of Environment and Forests at New Delhi on Tuesday.

According to a copy of the address released to the media here, Mr. Valsaraj said the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC), which has over 2,000 industries under its purview, did not have adequate manpower.

It is operating under severe financial constraints. The consent and monitoring fees collected from industries was the only source of revenue. Water cess, which stands at three to 10 paise per 1,000 litres, must be considered for upward revision by the Centre, or else the territorial government should be empowered to revise it based on demand and availability of resources to fetch more revenue for the PPCC.

According to the amended Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, powers had been delegated to State-level environmental impact assessment authorities to issue environmental clearance for Category B projects. Mr. Valsaraj pointed out that according to the general condition of the notification, “any project or activity specified in Category B will be treated as Category A if located within 10 km from the inter-State boundaries.”

He suggested that small States and Union Territories be exempted from this general condition, so that the State governments are empowered to issue clearances and avoid delay.

Mr. Valsaraj said that while the Union Territory has proposed to develop the Common Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Facility, identifying a suitable site for a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) was posing a problem. He requested the Union government to formulate a mechanism to share the TSDF.

The Minister suggested that the Ministry of Environment and Forests carry out a detailed study in coastal areas all over the country, that would enable the State governments to undertake economic and developmental activities without spoiling the beaches.

The Hindu - Delhi 19.08.2009

Sheila outlines plan for a green Delhi

Special Correspondent

Photo: V.V. Krishnan

When neighbours meet: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit greets Haryana Environment Minister Kiran Choudhary at the national conference of Ministers of Environment and Forests in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Noting that the Delhi Government was facing difficulties in protecting the Ridge due to multiplicity of authority, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday emphasised the need for a unified approach in dealing with the situation.

Speaking at the National Conference of Environment and Forest Ministers of States here, Ms. Dikshit underlined the need for having dedicated staff for enforcement of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, so that the provisions could be enforced properly.

The Chief Minister said her aim was to make Delhi one of the greenest Capitals of the world: “The Delhi Government is keen to expand the green cover from the existing 20 per cent to 30 per cent. Already the green area has increased from 36 sq. km. in 1998 to over 300 sq. km. now.”

Lauding the role of the Eco-Task Force in greening the Ridge area in Bhatti Mines, the Chief Minister said while this appeared to be an impossible task, the Force had made it possible.

“The protection of the Ridge area is a challenge in itself. It requires a unified approach as different agencies have been working without any coordination resulting in lukewarm response. The Delhi Government has decided to construct a high wall around the Ridge right from Pusa Road to Dhaula Kuan to overcome the problem of encroachment and accumulation of debris,” she said.

Stating that the design of the wall had been prepared by the New Delhi Municipal Council, she said, it was uniform all over. The Chief Minister also informed that nine new city forests would be developed in this financial year and with this the total number of such forests would go up to 41 in 2010.

Ms. Dikshit also sought a special dedicated staff to ensure implementation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, since at present the basic enforcing agency -- the Delhi police -- has to be requested every time to make staff available for the work.

As for the Yamuna, she said, the river covers a distance of 22 km from Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla Barrage in Delhi and cleaning it was essential for reviving the Capital’s glory. Stating that the water quality of the river was being monitored at nine locations by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee along with the Central Pollution Control Board, she said the work for laying of interceptors had been awarded to Engineers India Ltd. which has submitted a project report and is likely to take up the work from October this year.