1. Mineral production jumps to 39.41 per cent
2. Posco in talks for steel plant in Maharashtra
3. Sumitomo, Bhushan May Build $1.8 Billion Steel Plant in India
4. Iron ore industry disappointed with interim rail budget
5. Tata Steel puts fresh acquisition on hold
6. Govt calls for more investment in mining sector
7. World’s gold hunt may end at closed mines!
8. Coal Industry Wins a Round on Mining
9. Court denies reviews of mine permits
10. Mozambique: Country Given More Time for Mine Clearance
11. Tribals come together to discuss their rights
12. Work on Polavaram canal hit
13. Abolition of child labour can make India shine
14. India gets $521m from World Bank
Mining – India
Mineral production jumps to 39.41 per cent
Staff Reporter
| Keonjhar alone contributes to iron ore production |
The report said during 2007-2008, about 1,785.81 lakh tonnes of mineral valued Rs. 10,636.70 crore were produced in the State as against 1,614.45 lakh tonne minerals valued at Rs. 7,629.63 crore during 2006-07.
Mineral production
“Though the mineral production in all category has increased, the percentage of increase over the previous years has declined in case of coal and metallic mineral.
In case of non-metallic mineral, the percentage of increase over the previous years has increased,” it said.
During 2007-08, the value of minerals produced in the State was assessed to be Rs. 10,636.70 crore, out of which 62.26 per cent were metallic minerals followed by fuel (coal) at 35.56 per cent and non-metallic minerals 2.19 per cent. Last fiscal, the iron ore extracted in the State was 74.50 million tonne.
The survey said 1.4 per cent of total iron ore reserve (5305 million tonne) of the State was exploited last year only. Keonjhar district alone contributed to iron ore production with 58.8 million tonne constituting 78.99 per cent.
Revenue
As far as mineral revenue is concerned, the revenue receipt from mining sector, which was Rs. 360.31 crore, during 2000-01, mounted to Rs. 1,126.09 crore by the end of 2007-08, showing an increase of about 212.5 per cent over 2000-01 and 20.2 per cent over 2006-07.
However, working lease area had not increased in the State compared the last year. The working lease area stood at 74,440 hectares in the State.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/14/stories/2009021452790300.htm
Posco in talks for steel plant in Maharashtra |
| |
| Newswire18 / Mumbai February 14, 2009, 0:44 IST |
| |
Pohang Iron and Steel Company, the world’s fourth largest steel maker, is engaged in negotiations with the
He, however, declined to reveal any details regarding the project.
“Talks are on with Posco but it is too early to give out any details,” AM Khan, principal secretary of industries for Government of Maharashtra, said today.
There were media reports that the South Korea-based company is considering
Ko Min-jin, a company official from
She, however, declined to reveal any details regarding the investments envisaged for the unit.An official with the company’s Indian arm, Posco
“As per our information, we don’t have any such plans,” the official said.
The company is now concentrating on its 12-million-tonne Orissa project than on setting up downstream industries, he added.
The Rs 52,000-crore project is facing delays due to the local opposition to land acquisition and allegations of diversion of forest land.
The company is also awaiting the Centre’s approval for the prospecting licence for Khandadhar captive iron ore mines.
However, the official said that opposition to the plant is fading. He expressed hope that the work will start soon.
Posco produces 2.75 million tonne of crude steel a month.
Sumitomo, Bhushan May Build $1.8 Billion Steel Plant in India
By Debarati Roy
Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.,
The 6 million metric ton plant will be located in the eastern state of West Bengal, Nittin Johari, a director at New Delhi-based Bhushan, said today, confirming a Business Standard report. Investment details are being worked out, he said.
Sumitomo Metal Industries, which is providing technical assistance to Bhushan for another factory in neighboring Orissa state, will join ArcelorMittal and Posco in tapping demand in
“Sumitomo is looking for newer markets,” said Niraj Shah, an analyst at Centrum Capital Broking Ltd. “
Sumitomo Metal Industries spokesman Hirofumi Yamana didn’t return telephone calls.
Bhushan sells almost 40 percent of its 1 million ton cold- rolled steel to automobile makers, including Tata Motors Ltd. and the local units of Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. Falling interest rates led Suzuki Motor Corp. last month to record sales in
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aJ4xfW8q6rcI&refer=india
Iron ore industry disappointed with interim rail budget
Domestic iron ore producers dominated by Vedanta Group firm Sesa Goa, Essel Mining, MSPL saw their profit shrinking in the third quarter of the present fiscal as iron ore demand and prices fell steeply amid the global industrial downturn.
At present, iron ore spot prices have come down by about USD five a tonne since last week, when it had touched USD 70 per tonne, he said. Iron ore prices had touched the
Miners, who saw the offtakes improving in January mainly on renewed demand from
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200902131815.htm
Tata Steel puts fresh acquisition on hold
February 13th, 2009 - 4:54 pm ICT by IANS -
Kolkata, Feb 13 (IANS) Steel major Tata Steel will not focus on any acquisition “for the time being”, a top company official said here Friday.
“We will go slow on acquisition plans. We are not looking at any new acquisition for the time being,” company managing director B. Muthuraman told reporters.
Tata Steel was instead focusing on its expansion programme at its
The company is expanding capacity at the
Alongside, the company is setting up a
Muthuraman said raw material supply is important match the expansion in production capacity. “We have acquired few good raw material bases in
Last October, Tata Steel through its Singaporean arm bought 19.9 percent stake in Canadian mining company New Millenium Capital Corp giving the Indian company access to iron ore reserve in excess of 100 million tonnes.
In 2007, Tata Steel has acquired 35 percent stake in Mozambique Coal, a subsidiary of
Govt calls for more investment in mining sector
Published: February 13,2009
". Most near surface deposits in the country have either been mined or explored. The situation calls for new strategies with introduction of the state-of-the-art technology for exploration and exploitation with additional capital investment," Mines Minister Sis Ram Ola said at the National Mineral Awards-2007 function here.
Echoing similar views, Minister of State for Mines B K Handique emphasised on the need to focus on surveys and mineral explorations.
The government today gave away the awards to 17 scientists, engineers and technologists for their contribution in the field of mineral discovery and exploration; fundamental and applied geosciences and mining allied-disciplines.
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/502018/Business/4/20/4
Mining – International
World’s gold hunt may end at closed mines!
2009-02-13 22:45:00
Abandoned mines in Kolar and in troubled
Experts are looking for certain mines which were abandoned during the troubled times and they are thinking of reviving it because they contain huge quantities of gold and copper.
One such mine is in
Another case is the gold mines in
Based on geological data from 1989, over one billion tonnes of ore could still be mined from
Bougainville Copper Ltd, the 53.58 per cent-owned Rio Tinto subsidiary, said it is a sufficient potential for a viable operation resuming at the mine.
There has been no exploration or mining at Panguna because the site remains off-limits despite the formation of an autonomous island government.
In 1988, the mine produced 166,000 tonnes of copper and 445,000 ounces of gold, worth $1 billion at today’s prices for both metals.
Rio Tinto has long-shunned returning to
In 2005, it sold its stake in another mine on
Rio Tinto is seeking to sell billions of dollars in non-core assets such as uranium, iron ore and potash mines worldwide to pay off debts caused by the bust in commodities markets, though it hasn’t mentioned its stake in Panguna as being on the block.
In the Kolar mine’s case, a draft offer document has been prepared, inviting global bids for starting mining operations. The selected bidder is expected to bring in requisite technology and necessary funds to restart operations.
In 2001, Bharat Gold Mine was liquidated as the cost of producing the metal at Rs 14,000 per 10 gm was more than three times the price of gold, then ruling at Rs 4,000 per 10 gm. In seven years, things have changed dramatically for gold.
In early 2008, global production costs rose to $400-500 an ounce, while prices were in the vicinity of $1,000.
The winning bidder will have to bring in cutting edge technology for deep underground mining. At 3,200 metre, Kolar’s Champion Reef mine was the second deepest in the world. And, because of its depth, an underground lab in KGF also hosted the first successful cosmic ray neutrino interaction way back in 1965.
A potential mining partner also needs to be adept at extracting gold from the dumps of mine tailings, some of which are over 100 years old. The bidder also needs to have experience of smelting technology.
Coal Industry Wins a Round on Mining
Published: February 13, 2009
The latest in a series of federal court rulings on mountaintop coal mining in
The ruling, by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in
For more than a decade, environmental campaigners have tried various legal avenues to fight the mining technique, a form of strip-mining that blasts the tops off mountains and dumps the leftover rock in valleys, burying streams.
After Friday’s ruling, environmental groups urged President Obama to follow up on statements he had made during his campaign that were critical of mountaintop mining by reversing Bush administration policies intended to expand the practice.
Jennifer Chavez, a lawyer at Earthjustice, an environmental law firm that is a plaintiff in the case, called the decision “a landmark in a bad way,” that could unleash a burst of new mining.
“There’s a big backlog of permits, something like 80 or 90, we hear from our partners in
But Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said the industry was “delighted” and called the ruling “a sweeping vindication.”
Mr. Popovich said that the 2007 ruling had resulted in a backlog of mining permits and created uncertainty that was harming the economy in the region.
The case, heard by three judges on the federal appeals panel, focused on whether the corps had been too liberal in allowing mining companies to bury streams as long as they created settling ponds and promised to transform drainage ditches into artificial streams that, in theory, might filter out contamination. The corps is responsible for preventing actions that could harm waters in the
Among other arguments, the plaintiffs contended that the corps had not demonstrated scientifically that the ponds and artificial streams were effective.
The ruling said the corps had the expertise and discretion to issue such permits.
The mining association says that mountaintop mining in Appalachia produces about 10 percent of all coal mined in the
Environmentalists have recently intensified their campaigns against mountaintop mining, arguing that it causes water contamination that is harmful to the residents of the valleys and that the expanding use of coal increases emissions of carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas linked to global warming.
In the last months of the Bush administration, the Interior Department issued new rules intended to ease rules governing buffer zones along waterways, a change that could expand the mining method.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/science/earth/14mountain.html
Court denies reviews of mine permits
Coal industry to benefit
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, issued Friday in
By a 2-1 vote, a 4th Circuit panel concluded that U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers wrongly did not defer to the federal Army Corps of Engineers' decision to issue Clean Water Act permits for four Massey Energy operations to bury streams.
"In matters involving complex predictions based on special expertise, a reviewing court must generally be at its most deferential," wrote Judge Roger Gregory in a 74-page opinion on behalf of himself and Judge Dennis Shedd.
Gregory and Shedd also ruled that Chambers wrongly determined the corps should have considered environmental effects beyond the direct impacts on the streams being filled. Those other effects - on surrounding valleys and forests - are best left to be regulated by state agencies under the federal strip mine law, Gregory and Shedd concluded.
Judge M. Blane Michael of
"Today's decision will have far-reaching consequences for the environment of
Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, called the 4th Circuit decision "good news" for the industry and its employees.
"It's news that is most welcome to all of the families who depend on the coal industry," Raney said Friday afternoon.
Jeff Gillenwater, a spokesman for Richmond-based Massey, also praised the decision.
"This should put an end to much of the uncertainty regarding the issuance of surface mine permits," Gillenwater said.
Steve Roady, an Earthjustice lawyer who represented citizen groups in the case, said efforts to stop mountaintop removal would continue, despite the legal setback.
"This fight is not over until mountaintop removal mining is over," Roady said. "We will continue to litigate and, in addition, the new administration must take immediate steps to curb the terrible practice of mountaintop removal and undo the mistakes of the past."
In mountaintop removal, coal operators use explosives to blow up mountaintops and uncover valuable, low-sulfur coal reserves. Leftover rock and dirt - the stuff that used to be the mountains - is dumped into nearby hollows, burying streams.
Between 1985 and 2001, mine operators buried 724 miles of Appalachian streams, according to a federal government study published in 2003. A more recent study found that permits issued between October 2001 and June 2005 would likely bury another 357 miles of the region's waterways.
Chambers had ruled in March 2007 that the corps did not properly consider the environmental impacts before issuing Clean Water Act permits for mountaintop removal mines to bury streams.
The judge had found that the corps' methods for examining permit applications were severely lacking, especially how the corps measures the ecological loss of burying small headwaters streams. Chambers blasted the corps for consistently finding - without any scientific basis - that sediment ditches built on mine sites can be turned into man-made streams that adequately replace the headwaters creeks that are buried by mining.
In its Friday ruling, the 4th Circuit acknowledged that the corps lacks a clear-cut protocol for assessing these matters. But Gregory and Shedd ruled that the agency is entitled to simply use "the best professional judgment of its staff to assess aquatic impacts and potential mitigation measures."
"The problem is that the corps and the court are not listening to the scientists," said Jim Hecker, environmental enforcement director for Public Justice, which also represented the citizen groups.
"The scientists tell us that the plans to mitigate stream losses have no scientific basis," Hecker said. "The court gave blanket deference to the corps bureaucrats, and none to the contrary opinions of stream scientists."
Environmental groups could ask for a rehearing by the entire 4th Circuit, and could also appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://wvgazette.com/News/200902130739
Mozambique
13 February 2009
In November 2008,
The Mozambican request was accepted, which means that that the deadline for land mine clearance has been extended by five years, from 2009 to 2014.
According to the director of the Mozambican National Demining Institute, Julio Braga, during this period, 8.5 million US dollars will be spent on demining. Of this sum, 5.5 million dollars are to come from the government's foreign partners, and the remainder from the government' own budget.
"We have a five year plan to ensure that we meet the target of 2014", he said. "Funds for this work will be granted by donors and by the government each year. Donors, who are themselves members of the Ottawa Convention, are aware of the need to finance these land mine clearance activities".
The document was signed between Japanese Ambassador to Mozambique Susumu Segawa and the HALO Trust representative, Lawrence Timpson.
The agreement grants 600,000 US dollars for mime clearance in that province as part of the contribution from the Japanese government.
The Mozambican government asked for the extension of the deadline because it was aware that it could not possibly complete the work in 2009. There are still too many areas known to be affected by mines, and work is hampered by the lack of any charts of minefields.
Since the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the apartheid-backed Renamo rebels in October 1992, demining has been under way, but
Between 2002 and 2007, the Mozambican government invested 484 million meticais (about 19 million US dollars at current exchange rates) in demining in the three
The director of the National Demining Institute believes that despite the fact that these four provinces have, in theory, been cleared, they may still be mines there in areas not yet identified by the sappers.
"Over the next five years, the operators will undertake demolition work in areas in these four provinces that have residual problems", said
But the priorities for the next five years will be the
As for
Inhambane, Sofala, and Tete are thought to be the provinces with the most serious land mine problems. A study carried out in 2000 and 2001 showed that there are 484 mined areas and a further 1,374 suspected areas. The study showed that in these provinces 791 villages and 1.7 million people are affected.
Data from the Mozambican government are that 427 accidents with land mines were recorded across the country, causing 275 deaths and 444 injuries, between 1996 and 2007.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200902130779.html
Other News – India
Tribals come together to discuss their rights
Staff Reporter
Those living around ‘Mukhihuru hill’ in Malaspadar and
Pati Govindpur panchayats take part
BERHAMPUR: The ‘Mukhihuru hill’ a major catalyst in the lives of tribals living near it in Gajapati district has again played a major role in getting them united for their rights under the Forest Rights Act 2006.
Since long the tribals living around the ‘Mukhihuru hill’ in Malasapadar and Pati-Govindpur panchayats had a traditional organisation called ‘Mukhihuru Lok Sangathan’.
‘Samman’ an organisation working in this area revives this traditional organisation to get the tribals together to get conscious about their rights over forest land where they reside.
At the call of the Mukhihuru Lok Sangathan around 200 tribals representatives from villages under Malaspadar and Pati Govindpur panchayats got together for a workshop on Forests Rights Act at Malaspadar. As it was a call from the traditional tribal organisation the tribals had no reluctance to attend it and take it seriously, said Rabindra Panigrahy of ‘Samman’.
This workshop was also attended by the local Zilla Parishad Member Rajiv Mallik and Sarpanch Harishchandra Mallik.
The tribal representatives were made to understand the importance of ‘Village Forest Protection Committees (VFPC)’, which are key units for the implementation of this Act. They were handed over forms so that the tribals who had not applied for their rights could apply for it through the village committees.
The president of the Mukhihuru Lok Sangathan, Mara Mallik said at least in the name of the hill and the traditional organisation the gullible tribals had taken the issue of Forests Rights Act seriously.
According to him and the activists of Samman, once the tribals take something seriously they stick to it without any distraction, which they would also be the case for fight for forest rights under the Act.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/14/stories/2009021450810200.htm
Work on Polavaram canal hit
G.V. Prasada Sarma
| Sequel to deferment of Yeleru canal closure |
The efforts of the State Government for getting clearances got a shot in the arm when the Technical Advisory Committee of the Union Water Resources Ministry cleared the project last month. The Environment and
The LMC in the district is divided into three packages. Of them Packages 6 and 7, have forest land of about 111 ha and the district has given 630 ha land in lieu of it compensating a part in Khammam district too. Now the government has to pay development charges for the alternative land paving way for a formal clearance for work on the forest land. The 25-km Package 6 costs Rs.196.2 crores while Package 7 running into 26.4 km costs Rs.175 crores. Much of the land required has already been acquired in the packages, say officials. Earthwork, lining, structures are in various stages of completion in the two packages.
Package 8 runs into 48 km and is taken up at a cost of Rs.113.38 crores. Work on the package cannot be taken up this season as the Yeleru canal that forms part of it is not closed. The 33 km. Yeleru Canal supplies water to the city, the Steel Plant, NTPC and APIIC. The Irrigation Department entered into an agreement with the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation in May last for closure of the canal in December and January so as to facilitate work on it.
Poor rainfall
However, owing to the poor rainfall this season and the canal’s importance in maintaining water supply the closure was deferred. “Now we can’t take up work till April,” says an official. As per the agreement the second closure is due for 50 days from April.
The GVMC draws about 70 mgd of water from the Yeleru canal of which about 33 mgd is utilised by industries and the remaining caters to the city’s needs. The Yeleru canal is also not closed in view of the low water levels in the Meghadrigedda Reservoir.
Besides, the
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/14/stories/2009021452210300.htm
Abolition of child labour can make India
Abolition of child labour completely will take
THE ERADICATION of child labour from our society seems to be a herculean task at this moment. However, with determined efforts on the part of both Central and state governments along with the help of various national and international societies, it seems that change can be brought about to make everyone believe that children are the treasures for future and they are not born to work; they are born to learn, play and enjoy their childhood.
My focus on this article is based on a related article which appeared in a leading daily - chief highlights are reproduced below along with a few general comments to make people understand better that this single issue, if tackled correctly, can take India’s graph on socio and economic fronts to great dizzy heights.
Some facts on child labour:
Since 1933, various laws have been enacted but the issue exists continuously on larger grounds.
According to the National Sample Survey Organisation, nearly 16.4 million Indian children aged 5-14 are engaged in various works while the World Bank puts that figure at 44 million.
The Ministry of Labour issued a notification on October 10, 2006, for banning child labour and warns those who choose child labour of imprisonment. But, at present, there is no wider change in the child labour scenario.
The livelihood of a child is determined by the socio-economic conditions of the family. A child in a rich family enjoys all privileges, whereas a child born in poor family suffers, indeed, even to enjoy the childhood.
Mostly, the child labourers are employed in small-scale industries and for domestic purposes.
The employers adopt children merely because they can be paid less when compared to adult labourers.
Child labourers are treated as slaves and not even as labourers.
Most of the studies report that these labourers are in the age group of 8 to 11 and they are made to work 12 hours a day and meagre wages are paid to them.
The first Act in
In spite of all these measures (as stated above), the children are working in hotels, liquor outlets, fireworks, small-scale industries, agricultural farms, etc. This clearly shows that parents and employers have no fear and awareness about the child labour laws. In order to eradicate child labour, the developed nations have suggested to ban the selling of all products made by children, but developing countries like India have cautioned against the universal banning of child labour and argued that such bans will hurt poor families and their income. However, the truth is that child labour can never be an option to overcome poverty; instead child labour might lead poverty to stay for generations to come.
Some suggestions to wipe out child labour :
To resolve the issue, the government can implement compulsory education.
Government should create a separate Child Labour Rescue Force (CLRF) at the district level.
At first, there should be good coordination between CLRF and government schools.
In the next stage, with the help of teachers, the CLRF should collect details of dropouts, who are aged below fourteen.
If required, the government can give loans to those poor families, and this will discharge them from the vicious circle of penury.
Parents who have been engaging their children in work have to be warned and advised by the CLRF to get them admitted to schools without delay.
The children, who are rescued from work-spots, have to be monitored regularly through school attendance.
The details of students taking long leave should be sent immediately to the CLRF, which has to conduct frequent raids on industries and informal places.
Parents and those who adopt child labour have to be severely punished, and the places, where children work, have to be seized.
Some more suggestions to wipe out child labour:
Maharashtra government’s labour department wants actor Aamir Khan to be its brand ambassador on the child labour issue. A letter in this respect was sent to the actor a couple of days ago. On similar lines, every state, every town, every district should appoint “brand ambassadors” by selecting people who command trust, respect and dignity.
Once every three month-six months all such brand ambassadors should meet at one place and hold marathon discussions on their experience and findings and suggest ways and means to tackle this issue. Findings of such gatherings should be published and policy makers must give top priority to implement the suggestions given by them.
Several NGOs in the Kolkata city are working to eradicate child labour, among which “Rainbow Project” undertaken by the Loreto Convent, Sealdah. It involves school students for educating the underprivileged children of the city. Under the “Rainbow Project”, the school has set up 13 dropping centres throughout the city where the deprived children are being educated. The children are also provided with residential facility inside the campus of the school. More and more such initiatives should be taken up by various schools right from the village level, district level, various towns and cities.
According to Henry V Jardine, general, US Consulate, “Government needs to be at the forefront to tackle the child labour problem by dealing with the increasing poverty and providing more opportunities for employment. Corporate bodies and civil organisations also need to work to fight the menace.”
Various religious organizations related to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and various other religious organisations should make sincere efforts to wipe out child labour menace. For example, children rescued from child labour can be supported in many ways with the help of various funds /grants /donations made to each of these organisations. People would love to donate generously if there is a separate fund exclusively used for this purpose.
Mid day meal scheme is proving to be a roaring success in ensuring regular attendance in school classes and drop outs are beginning to disappear. This scheme should be given thrust by one and all concerned and items like boiled milk with fruits like bananas, apple guava should also be introduced.
According to International Labour Organisation, Geneva, education is the best way to fight child labour. One in seven children around the world is involved in some form of child labour.
ILO says if a child is attending school regularly, the possibility of involvement in child labour is limited. The ILO’s priority is to abolish the worst forms of child labour including hazardous work, commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking and all forms of slavery. Various corporate bodies can come forward to make education all the more fun and interesting to make rehabilitated child from child labour enjoy his new phase of life.
Lastly, if the government can introduce some excellent social security measures exclusively targeting children below the age group of 16-17 years by making education for all children compulsory, this will do lots of good for this cause.
People in general who really want to do something for the society or want to give back to the society, can do well while associating with various organisations which are working to eradicate child labour.
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15710470
India gets $521m from World Bank
14 Feb 2009, 0055 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: World Bank and the government of India signed deal worth $521 million for the National Vector Borne Disease Control and Polio Eradication Support Project. The credit is designed to help India boost effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for malaria and kala azar and increase polio vaccinations.
The project has been designed in cooperation with the government of India, World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It will help India fight three major diseases that are killing thousands of Indians each year and affecting the lives of millions in poor and tribal communities. The credit also has tough new safeguards in place to improve governance and transparency.
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