Mining – India
1. Vedanta Resources: power plant chimney collapsed 1
2. Explore related topics
3. Ispat lines up Rs 2,180 cr expansion
4. Mine scam accused give sleuths the slip
5. Public agitation gaining ground against illegal mining
6. CPM seeks action against illegal miners
7. Mining scam probe team raids six locations
8. Mines, industries choke Keonjhar district
9. How long will the gold lust last?
Mining – International
10. El Nino rains threaten mines
11. Agribusiness 'the new mining sector'
12. Significant Energy, Mining and Utilities deals lapsing
13. Australian Defence blocks Chinese mine investment
14. Landslide Stops Newmont Mine
Other News
15. Shri Bhuria Urgess Orissa Chief Minister to implement Forest Rights Act expeditiously
16. State to synergise functioning of forest
17. Committees
18. PROTECTING THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDANGERED CREATURES
19. NREGA wage to be capped at Rs 100
Mining – India
Sept. 24, 2009, 2:38 a.m. EDT • Recommend • Post:
Vedanta Resources: power plant chimney collapsed
Explore related topics
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Mining group Vedanta Resources(UK:VED 1,988, +19.00, +0.97%) said Thursday that its Sterlite Industries (India) unit announced that a power plant chimney under construction at BALCO, Korba collapsed. Relief and rescue operations are underway with the involvement of the company and the government resources, Vedanta said. Activities in this particular area have been temporarily suspended while existing operations remain unaffected. A probable reason for the incident appears to be the excessive rains and lightning at Korba. The exact cause for this will however be ascertained only after a detailed investigation is concluded, Vedanta said
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/vedanta-resources-power-plant-chimney-collapsed-2009-09-24
Ispat lines up Rs 2,180 cr expansion
Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri / DNA
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 2:50 IST
Kolkata: Ispat Industries Ltd plans to invest Rs 2,180 crore in three different projects over the next two years.Pramod Mittal, Ispat chairman, said, the projects include a 52 megawatt captive power plant, one million tonne coke-oven plant and a 2 million tonne iron-ore pelletisation plant.
"We will invest Rs 480 crore for the captive power plant, while the coke-oven and pelletisation plants will entail investment of Rs 1,100 crore and Rs 600 crore respectively," Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of the company's 24 annual general meeting here on Wednesday.
In the current challenging scenario Ispat is seeking to ensure raw material security, optimisation of productivity and control costs, he said.
"While mining operations at Damkodwadvi in Maharashtra are slated to commence by the fourth quarter of 2010, we have also tied up with local companies in Brazil, Columbia and Mozambique for iron ore and coal mining projects," he said, adding that the company picked up 40% stake in each of these overseas ventures.
"While the Brazilian venture is for iron-ore mining, those in Mozambique and Columbia are for coal mining," Mittal said. The company plans to enhance its presence in value-added product segments and retail markets.
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_ispat-lines-up-rs-2180-cr-expansion_1292553
Mine scam accused give sleuths the slip
Rajaram Satapathy, TNN 23 September 2009, 10:58pm IST
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BHUBANESWAR: Vigilance sleuths on Wednesday made a wild goose chase of mine-owners and mines department officials, but all came to a cropper as
many of them had given a slip. The raiding parties did arrest a few of them.
Vigilance sources said mine owner S N Dasmohapatra did not fall into its net as family members at his house in Cuttack maintained he was out of Orissa. So was Basant Kumar Das, whose mines were also raided a few days ago. Dasmohapatra has been implicated in the illegal mining case pertaining to the Ram Bahadur Thakur (RBT) company, the starting point of the present controversy which has since emerged as India's largest mining scam involving siphoning of lakhs of tonnes of precious ores and consequent loss of revenue to the state exchequer to the tune of thousands of crores.
Though the Vigilance inquiry into the scam has cut little ice in public raising doubts on its motive in view of the suspected role of several ruling BJD leaders and officials, the state investigating agency nevertheless reached the houses of the accused persons.
Beside S N Dasmohapatra and Basant Das, others who came under vigilance raids included deputy director of mines Lal Mohan Soren and mining officer Bijay Kumar Sahoo, both Baripada, and P C Sahoo, senior inspector of mines at Badampahad. The government officials had been suspended earlier.
"We wanted to arrest Dasmohapatra as his anticipatory bail petition has been rejected by Orissa High Court. But our people were told he was not at home. We searched his house. Appropriate steps are being taken to trace him in New Delhi," vigilance director Anup Patnaik told TNN. "Dasmohapatra was earlier the power of attorney' holder for the RBT mines. He also owned a mine, very close to the RBT. He is facing charges for illegal mining, which includes the prohibited buffer zone," the vigilance director said.
As regards the Kasiabeda mines in Mayurbhanj district belonging to Basant Kumar Das, vigilance sources said over 72,000 tonnes of ore is suspected to have been illegally mined and taken away. "Prima facie we have made out the case for a loss of over Rs 10 crore. But there is a huge quantity of ore lying unclaimed near the mines. We are examining its sources and how it came to the place," the director said.
Case under Section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (B) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 120 (B) of the IPC and Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals Development Regulation (MMDR) Act had been registered against Das.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bhubaneswar/Mine-scam-accused-give-sleuths-the-slip/articleshow/5048231.cms
Public agitation gaining ground against illegal mining
23 Sep 2009, 2132 hrs IST, Nageshwar Patnaik, ET Bureau
BHUBANESWAR: Determined to expose the nexus of politician, officials and mine owners in looting the minerals, the Civil society in Orissa seems
to have geared up to unravel the mystery of multi-crore mining scams in the state through public agitation.
As a first step, the intellectuals, activists, non-government organizations and other stakeholders under the banner of Jana Sammilani has demanded for CBI probe into the scam and formation of independent authority with participation from civil society.
Describing the mining scam as the biggest scam ever in the country, Jana Sammilani president, Rabi Das sought pro-active role of civil society to protect minerals from being looted. A meeting of like-minded people has resolved to take the issue to the public domain, he said adding that the Rs 4500 crore mining scam in Orissa could not have happened without involvement of the people at the top position of the power in both the state and the centre.
The arrest of several state mining department officials and the admission of union mines minister B K Handique that illegal mining of iron ore, manganese and other valuable mineral resources have been going in the state have confirmed the scam.
And yet, the UPA government’s eerie silence to act against ‘individuals,’ ‘establishment(s)’ and ‘agencies’ involved in such an activity remains inexplicable. The UPA government has been maintaining that since the state government is the custodian of the mines and mineral resources under its jurisdiction, it could not take actions against the culprits not could it order a CBI probe without the recommendations of the state government.
Surprisingly, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik voted overwhelmingly for his “honest” image seems to have also failed to accept the challenge to bring the culprits to the book. He has not only failed to order quick and strong actions to nab the real big sharks involved in the scam, but has also adopted a delaying tactics by ordering a departmental inquiry.
‘It is a serious matter as Mr Patnaik also is the minister for department of forest and environment. How can illegal mining go on in the forest area without the knowledge of the chief minister?” Mr Das quipped.
The Naveen Patnaik government now faces the charges of ‘patronising’ and ‘facilitating’ the ‘plunder’ of mineral resources since it came to power in 2000. This is the main reason for the BJD government resisting to the demand for a CBI probe.
Iron ore and manganese exploited from Joda-Barbil area in Keonjhar district, country’s richest mineral belt, were allegedly transported to China and Bangladesh in illegal manner. The mineral resources, according to reliable sources, were first transported to Nepal via Jharkhand and Bihar. From there, the minerals are exported to China and Bangladesh.
Sources in defence circles said iron ore, manganese, bauxite and chromite – which are considered of strategic importance – are being used for making warships, weapons and arsenals. “If India closes its eyes to such blatant looting of its minerals, days are not ahead when enemy countries will be stronger than us and surpass us in stockpiling war materials,” a former Brigadier asked.
In recent past, faced with vehement criticism and pressures from social circles, a ‘reluctant’ Naveen Patnaik conducted vigilance raid in Joda-Barbil region. Although the vigilance found prima facie evidence and arrested half-a-dozen senior officials of the state mines department, it could not do anything to punish the culprits as they were allegedly backed by people in power.
Movement against ‘involvement’ of Naveen Patnaik government and section of UPA leaders in the ‘loot’ of minerals at the cost the country’s security appears to be gaining momentum day by day in with intellectuals organizing seminars and staging demonstrations.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/metals-mining/Public-agitation-gaining-ground-against-illegal-mining/articleshow/5048022.cms
CPM seeks action against illegal miners
TNN 24 September 2009, 05:30am IST
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BHUBANESWAR: CPM on Wednesday demanded exemplary punishment against those involved in the multi-crore mining scam in the state. The Left party
leaders made this demand while addressing a rally organized by the party Bhubaneswar district committee over the issue. They also called upon all Left parties to join hands over the issue.
They alleged that ruling BJD as well as Congress and BJP were responsible for this multi-crore scam. "The scam which have been going on for years would be exposed if there is an inquiry," the left party leaders said. The party said there should be a "balancing policy" imposing restrictions on mining operation. Senior party leaders who addressed the meeting include Santosh Das, secretary of Bhubaneswar district committee, Suresh Panigrahi and trade union leader Naba Mohanty. The party also demanded withdrawal of private university bills.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bhubaneswar/CPM-seeks-action-against-illegal-miners/articleshow/5048281.cms
Mining scam probe team raids six locations
BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar September 24, 2009, 0:02 IST
The state vigilance sleuths enquiring into allegation of illegal mining in Kashiabeda iron ore mines in Mayurbhanj district, today raided six locations which included the residences of three mining official, one lessee and a managing director of the private company. The raid was conducted on the houses of Lal Mohan Soren, deputy director, mines (Baripada), Bijay Sahoo, mining officer (Baripada), Purna Chandra Sahoo, senior mining inspector (Baripada).
Similarly, the houses Basanta Das, lessee of the Kashiabeda iron ore mines in Mayurbhanj district, was raided and his bank account frozen. Das is said to be absconding. The vigilance team searched the offices of the Pratap Das, managing director of Jai Jaganath Minerals private Ltd located at Baripada.
Das was alleged to be involved in the illegal transportation of mineral from Kashiabeda mines. The house of another mining scam accused, S N Dasmohapatra was also raided today. He is linked to the illegal mining of manganese and iron ore in the Joda (Keonjhar) based mines.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mining-scam-probe-team-raids-six-locations/371042/
Mines, industries choke Keonjhar district
TNN 23 September 2009, 10:56pm IST
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KEONJHAR: Resentment is brewing among people of Keonjhar over increase in pollution due to indiscriminate mining and setting up of industries in
the district. The crisis is not restricted to spread of diseases alone. It extends to negative effects on the mind, unhygienic environment, drinking water problems and even loss of cultivable and homestead land.
"We are taking special measures to prevent air and water pollution. We regularly visit the mines and industries to review the situation. Anyone found violating the pollution norms is being penalized," Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) regional officer Niranjan Mallick said. "We are keeping a check on the air ambiguity and suspended particle as well as water in mining area, mostly in human habitat," Mallick added.
Due to mining and industries, more than 137 villages of 22 GPs of six blocks including Joda, Banspal, Hatadihi, Sadar, Jhumpura Harichandanpur have been affected in the district. The numbers could be more and may rise as there are no official reports on them yet. Besides Joda, Barbil is reportedly the most polluted town in the state. Several mines and industries are operating in the urban areas, causing much pollution.
"The board has served notices under the Control of Pollution Act (Water), 1974, and Control of Pollution Act (Air), 1981, to all those found violating the norms," Mallick added.
According to the Pollution Control Board, the level of suspended particles in residential area should not exceed 200 micrograms and in industrial area 1500 micrograms. In sensitive areas, the level should be maximum 100 microgram. But in several areas of the Joda mining sector, including Barbil, Joda town areas, recorded 2,500 and 700 micrograms in January. The level declined to 1,500 and 520 micrograms later on after the road was repaired.
Plying of thousands of uncovered mineral-laden trucks, bad road conditions, total lapse of pollution measures in mining and industrial areas, blasting, dumping of unused items from mines and industries in open places are said to be few causes that are causing pollution in the district. Felling of trees to make way for mines and industries have also added to the already deteriorating situation. There are about 80 mines, 20 sponge plants and more than 100 crushers operating in the district.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bhubaneswar/Mines-industries-choke-Keonjhar-district/articleshow/5048229.cms
How long will the gold lust last?
24 Sep 2009, 0229 hrs IST, Nidhi Nath Srinivas, ET Bureau
Now that gold has crossed $1000/ounce how far will it go, that’s the big question. A lot hinges on it. Whether it is buying jewelry, ETF paper
and Diwali coins or selling grandma’s clunky neckpiece, in gold timing is everything. But is there still an upside to these lifetime-high prices or should you pocket your winnings and exit? ET helps you join the dots.
One of the easier ways to figure gold’s general trend in the coming months is to keep an eye on what companies that mine and produce gold think about it. As they are best clued into gold’s future demand and supply, when mining companies start preparing for prices to rise, it is time to place your bets accordingly.
Gold mining and exploration is a verycash-intensive business. Extracting ore even in an operating mine needs shovels of cash. Mining companies are, therefore, heavily dependent on bank finances. But gold is a high-risk business that moves with every tremor and shake in global economy and politics. Bankers are understandably wary of investing in such a volatile market.
To get some peace of mind, bankers ask mining companies to lock the selling price for at least some of their future output, especially when gold prices are bearish. When mining companies sell in advance a part of their output for a fixed price and/or for a floating spot price contract, it is called hedging. All mining companies have hedge books which clearly state how many ounces they have sold in advance and at what price.
When gold sells for less in the spot market than the fixed price, the company books a profit. However, when the price in the spot market spirals beyond what was locked in by the mining company, it loses out on potential gains. In other words, while hedging allows a mining company’s bankers to sleep easy, it can be lousy for shareholders as it does not allow the company to maximise profits when the value of gold increases.
Luckily, mining companies have a choice, albeit an expensive one. When they foresee a continuous rise in gold prices due to a mismatch between physical demand and supply, they can ‘dehedge’ their books by ‘buying’ out these forward contracts. Spending this extra cash is worthwhile because it gives them the freedom once again to sell gold at the spot market rate and enjoy a windfall.
his is exactly what is happening now. When the world’s biggest gold company Barrick hedged its output, it did not anticipate prices would cross
$1000/ounce. But Barrick is now confident gold prices will continue to rise for a sufficiently long period as demand outpaces supply.
That is why it is willing to spend $3 billion over the next one year to eliminate fixed price contracts for 3 million ounces and a part of its floating spot market contracts. The decision to gain full advantage of the gold price on all future production has been made in light of an “increasingly positive” outlook on the gold price, coupled with continuingly robust supply and demand fundamentals, Barrick said recently. In short, gold is getting even more scarce.
Barrick is hardly alone. Another gold mining major, South Africa’s AngloGold Ashanti, has made significant cuts to its hedge book and promised further reductions by year-end. Industry-watcher VM Group said in a report last month that the global gold hedge book has fallen from more than 100-million ounces in 2009 to just 14.7-million ounces by mid-year.
The decline in gold hedging books and high spot market prices trigger off another major trend. By maximising profits, mining companies once again become flush withcash. This allows them to resume prospecting for gold, while high market prices convinces their bankers this expense is justified. The price of gold is now high enough to attract the more expensive sources of supply.
Gold exploration suffered over the last 20 years because of low gold prices. But now mining companies believe they have a chance. They are also convinced demand will outstrip supply in the foreseeable future. This strong vote of confidence in gold prices is great news for investors and sellers. But if you plan to shop, the time to go is now.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5049041.cms
Mining – International
El Nino rains threaten mines
By Zephania Ubwani, Arusha
Mererani gemstone mines in Manyara Region could be flooded again should the area experience abnormally heavy El Nino rains later this year.
Miners operating there said they were worried about the situation because of an abandoned pit-turned-drainage tunnel said to be responsible for the previous disaster in March last year that has not been unblocked.
During the tragedy nearly 80 people working underground were killed after the mine pits were flooded by heavy rains.
Reports from the mines, located 60 kilometres south east of Arusha, have it that there is a heightened concern that a similar tragedy could be repeated should the El Nino rains fall.
A meeting convened by small miners last week to discuss the issue was told that safety measures proposed after last year's disaster have not been put in place.
These included unblocking a drainage tunnel that is said to have been responsible for flooding the pits during heavy rains when miners were inside.
The open tunnel, commonly known as D'Souza, has remained blocked for many years. When a heavy storm hit the area on March 28, 2009 its walls collapsed spilling water into several mine pits.
One of the safety measures proposed to stop the recurrence of a similar tragedy was unblocking of the tunnel so that it drains rain water downstream instead of collecting large volumes of water.
A small scale miner, Mr Mathew Ngowi, cautioned the mining community at Mererani not to ignore warnings about a possible disaster to accompany the El Nino rains.
Recently, meteorological experts announced that the country is likely to experience abnormally heavy rains associated with El Nino. This is a weather phenomenon spurred by the warming up of water over south Pacific.
Mr Ngowi said the Mererani gemstone mines still lacked safety measures despite recurring disasters. Another major tragedy hit the area in April 1998 when about 100 people died as mines were flooded during El Nino rains.
He urged the pit owners to construct drainage trenches around their pits to ease the passage of water during heavy rains. Most of the victims are normally pit miners known as Wana-Apolo.
But another mine operator. Mr Salim Ngoya, blamed the Government for doing little on the Mererani disasters, including providing safety measures for all mine operators.
The secretary of the Manyara Regional Miners Association (Marema), Mr Abubakar Mollel, said at least Sh1 billion would be needed to construct a drainage from the D�Souza open pit.
The Manyara regional commissioner, Mr Henry Shekiffu, has been quoted as blaming gemstone pit owners for blocking the drainage from the abandoned open pit. This resulted in the catastrophic flooding of the mines last year.
The controversial pit belonged to one D'Souza. He was among the first entrepreneurs to start commercial mining of tanzanite soon after the rare gemstone was discovered at Mererani in the late 1960s.
http://thecitizen.co.tz/newe.php?id=15288
Agribusiness 'the new mining sector'
September 24, 2009 - 10:04AM
Agribusiness is fast becoming Australia's new mining sector and has already proven its resilience during the global financial crisis, one food group says.
It highlights the need to invest more in agriculture and food manufacturing, Australian Food and Grocery Council boss Kate Carnell said.
The $208 billion industry was one of the few sectors to grow during the economic downturn, by between three per cent for agriculture and 5.4 per cent for food processing.
The sector feeds more than 60 million people worldwide, employs almost a million and continues to boost Australia's export industry.
Speaking to the Agrifood Skills Australia conference in Sydney on Thursday, Ms Carnell said Australia must invest in training systems and improve the numbers of skilled workers.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/agribusiness-the-new-mining-sector-20090924-g3bg.html
Significant Energy, Mining and Utilities deals lapsing
India Infoline News Service / 09:36 AM , Sep 24, 2009
Mergermarket Preliminary Global M&A Round-up Q1-Q3 2009 states Asia-Pacific M&A activity holding strong
More transactions in the Energy, Mining and Utilities sector have lapsed in 2009 than any other sector. During the first nine months of 2009, the region has seen the lapsing of 18 deals worth $25.6bn in the sector – making up 66.8% of the total value of lapsed Asia-Pacific deals of $38.3bn.
Two Sino-Australian deals – the $11.8bn tie-up between Chinalco and Rio Tinto (excluding a $7.2bn convertible bond component), and the $2.4bn deal for Oz Minerals by China Minmetals – failed to materialise after heated debates in Australia on national interests and the country’s national resources and rejection by Australian regulators.
In China, regulators stopped the $7.4bn bid for SDIC Electric Power by SDIC Huajing Power.
Asia-Pacific M&A activity continues to fare better than in other regions, with 1,359 transactions announced with a total value of $210bn – a drop in both value and volume of approximately 25% on the same period in 2008, as opposed to global drops exceeding 40%.
The upward trend in the region’s contribution to global deal-making also continues, accounting for 21% of global M&A value and 23% of global M&A volume this year to date, up from 15% and 18% respectively for the first three quarters of 2008. Aggregate deal value in Asia-Pacific exceeds that in Europe for the second quarter running.
http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/News.aspx?NewsId=4404
Australian Defence blocks Chinese mine investment
Canberra, Sep 24 (AP) Australia's Defence Department vetoed Chinese investment in a proposed mine within an Outback missile testing range on security and safety grounds, the defence minister said today.
The rejection of state-owned Wugang Australia Resources Pty Ltd's bid to buy half of the proposed Hawks Nest magnetite mine within the Woomera military range is the second time this year that Australia has blocked Chinese investment in the area.
In March, the government blocked China Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co. from buying Australian miner Oz Minerals Ltd for AU 2.6 billion on security grounds because one of the assets, the Prominent Hill gold and copper mine, was within the range precinct. China Minmetals eventually bought all of Oz Minerals apart from that mine for AU 1.7 billion.
Mining companies have welcomed Chinese investors as falling commodity prices left some unable to pay their debts.
Landslide Stops Newmont Mine
The operations will be started again as soon as the geotechnic analysis is completed.
KAMIS, 24 SEPTEMBER 2009, 11:38 WIB
Hadi Suprapto
VIVAnews - PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara has stopped its gold and copper mining activities in Batu Hijau open mine. The operations will be started again as soon as the geotechnic analysis and plan development, as announced by the Newmont Mining Corporation, which is based in Denver on last Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Newmont Nusa Tenggara is the affiliation company of Newmont in Indonesia.
The operations will be started again as soon as the geotechnic analysis and plan development to stabilize the wall have been completed. However, Newmont continues the processing of low-grade-stockpile ore.
"It is too early to make a judgment about the impact on the company's production and income," as stated in the statement.
The company will soon give out information after a detailed analysis on the impact of the incident. The company will also announce the required adjustment for the 2009 production.
There was not any employee on site during the incident.
Batu Hijau mine is located in Sumbawa island, West Sumbawa regency, West Nusa Tenggara province.
--
http://en.vivanews.com/news/read/92001-landslide_stops_newmont_mine
Other News
Shri Bhuria Urgess Orissa Chief Minister to implement Forest Rights Act expeditiously
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15:32 IST
The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria has urged the Chief Minister of Orissa to expedite the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 in the State. In a meeting held here today with the Chief Minister of Orissa, Shri Naveen Patnaik, the Union Minister pointed out that out of 2,92,000 claims, only 41,000 claims have been cleared by the State Government.
The Orissa Chief Minister informed Shri Bhuria that the State High Court has very recently vacated the stay on the implementation of the Act and now the State Government is vigorously working to clear the backlog of the claims.
Shri Bhuria also apprised him of the Prime Minister’s concern over the issue and said that the Centre is convening a meeting of the State Chief Ministers in early November to review the implementation of Forest Rights Act and to resolve the problems being faced by the States in expeditious implementation of this law which aims at benefitting the tribal population across the country.
The Chief Minister requested for inclusion of some communities in the S.T. list of the State and financial assistance for ST Girls Hostels, increase in amount of Post Matric Scholarship etc. Shri Bhuria informed that the proposals will be examined by his Ministry and decision would be taken expeditiously. Shri Bhuria also informed that a sum of Rs. 64.26 Crore has been released by the Ministry to the State of Orissa on 22nd of this month based on the proposals of the State Government.
Shri Bhuria also accepted the invitation of the Chief Minister to visit Orissa.
http://pib.nic.in
State to synergise functioning of forest
Committees
Ahmedabad The state Tribal Development Department (TDD) has initiated a proposal to synergise the functioning of the Forest Rights Committees constituted by it and the Forest Protection Committees constituted by the Forest and Environment Department, in rural Gujarat. The move has come a day after The Indian Express had reported on September 23 on the Forest Rights Act causing “bureaucratic confusions” in state.
T L Patel, Joint Director, TDD, said: “We have decided that both government departments must work in tandem to resolve this issue. According to the proposal, the TDD will constitute Forest Conservation Committees in villages, in line with Section 5 of the Forest Rights Act that will perform three main functions of protection, conservation and development of forest areas. And these Conservation Committees would be assisted by Protection Committees of the Forest department to carry out such tasks.”
The modalities of such an arrangement will be worked out later after discussions with the Forest Department officials, Patel added.
The Indian Express report had highlighted the issue of both these locally constituted committees perceiving their interests as conflicting in nature.
It had mentioned about 200 such incidents reported in the Devgadh Baria taluka of Dahod district, where the members of the Protection Committees had vehemently opposed the land claims submitted by the Rights Committees to the gram panchayat.
As already reported, the Rights Committees are the first stage of verification of land claims by the tribals or traditional forest dwellers. They are then screened and approved at the taluka and district levels.
Meanwhile, the Protection Committees are granted access to non-timber forest products and share in timber revenue by the Forest Department in return for protecting forests from fire, grazing and illegal harvesting as well as carrying out plantation works.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/state-to-synergise-functioning-of-forest-committees/520781/
PROTECTING THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDANGERED CREATURES
The government must support community-based projects in the forests of Assam to ensure the Golden Langurs’ survival, writes Ashish Kothari
A Golden Langur in the Kakoijana reserved forest
“They’re just about 50 metres away, let’s go quietly,” whispered my colleague as we peered through the dense foliage of the forest. Earlier that morning, rain had driven away the summer heat, but it was still humid and sweaty. Every once in a while, we had to flick or pull off a leech as we trudged up a steep slope.
We were in the Kakoijana reserved forest of western Assam, and on the lookout for the Golden Langur. I had heard that several villages here were involved in protecting the forest and its wildlife, and was on a visit with Arnab Bose of the NGO, Nature’s Foster.
The sound of rustling leaves up ahead stopped us on our tracks. Arnab spoke quietly into his GPS set, listened to the response, and told me excitedly, “They’re just ahead of us, 12 of them on a tree, let’s go very quietly, this troop is rather shy. Kartik is standing just under them.”
Kartik Oraon, I’d learnt earlier, was a local resident, an adivasi boy, who had been trained by Nature’s Foster to use a GPS set while tracking the langurs. I was keen to find out more about him, for he must surely be one of the few adivasis in the area to have this skill. But first, the langurs. A few steps further up, we broke into a small clearing, and Arnab pointed up through the foliage. “There’s one,” he said. A langur was sitting on its haunches high up on a tree branch, looking down intently at us. Its jet-black face contrasted with its distinctly golden body, the fur glistening in the sunlight that had just pierced through the clouds. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a movement on its right, and suddenly a crash, as one of the langurs jumped onto a lower tree branch. The other langurs too decided we were a bit suspicious-looking, and one by one, they all scampered across branches and jumped down to a tree below and out of our vision. Within a couple of minutes, they were all gone. But by then, I have had my first good look at these beautiful creatures.
Beautiful and endangered. The Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei), found only in Northeast India and Bhutan, is threatened by hunting and the destruction of its forested habitat. It is on the list of endangered species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and on Schedule 1 (completely protected species) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India. Which is why any method of protection of the species is well worth looking into.
As the sound of the langurs moving through the vegetation died down, Kartik appeared. He had been tracking the troop since early morning, partly to help us locate it, and partly to continue his observations of langur feeding behaviour as part of a scientific study that Nature’s Foster is conducting. He is one of the 12 local youths trained in such research, which they combine with their own considerable local knowledge to good effect.
Kartik is one of several villagers passionately involved in protecting the langurs and their habitat. Theirs is a story that is familiar to anyone working on community-based conservation in India. The forests of the Kakoijana hill range, once thick and diverse, had been decimated by a combination of factors.
In the late 1960s, the forest department cleared a part to raise a commercial teak plantation. Then, in the early 1980s, the Assam agitation (against outsiders settling in the state) created conditions for the absence of any responsible agency in the area, and elements within and outside the villages looted the forest for quick returns. By the latter half of the 1980s, much of the hill was virtually naked, and only then did the villagers at its foot realize the consequences — water sources drying up in summer, yet flooding in the monsoons. Not to mention serious shortages of fuel, fodder, and other forest products, and conflicts with wildlife moving into croplands in a desperate search for food.
In the late 1980s, the residents of Ujan Rabhapara decided to take matters into their own hands. They resolved in front of their temple not to cut any tree, and to help regenerate the degraded forest through various methods, including through plantations. Thaneswar Rabha, an elder who was then the president of the village development committee, says, “The idea spread to other villages also, as everyone realized that a forest-less future was bleak.”
In the mid-1990s, members of Nature’s Foster heard about the villagers’ initiative while on a nature education trip to the area. This was also the time they found the presence of some Golden Langurs. Excited, they and other NGOs proposed that the area be declared a wildlife sanctuary. But simultaneously, on discussions with villagers, they realized that a community-based approach may work better than a legal designation managed by the forest department, which had inadequate resources and political will. Thus began a quiet, slow process of engaging with the local communities, addressing not only conservation issues but also problems of livelihoods, agricultural production, water, health, and education. As Arnab explained, the going was far from easy. The timber and poaching mafia had to be tackled, and the forest department won over to a community-based approach. There was also the cultural challenge of dealing with very diverse local communities — the hill range is surrounded by 28 villages with Rabha, Bodo, Garo, Koch Rajvanshi, Santal, Nepali, and Bengali (Hindu and Muslim) communities.
As we drove around the 1,724 hectare hill range, the effects of this work were clearly visible. Where the effort has started two decades back, as at Ujan Rabhapara, the entire hillock is forested. Where it is more recent, the lower slopes are regenerating well but the higher parts are still barren as outside forces manage to get there to cut trees. The forests protected by Siponsila, Chorapara and Jhakuapara-II Pahartali (where we saw the langur troop) are amongst the densest and the most diverse, partly due to their relative inaccessibility.
Most villages joined the effort in this millennium. Hence many areas are only regenerating now. There is the added problem of the domination of teak, an exotic species originally introduced by the forest department into Assam. Nevertheless, wildlife appears to have been benefited significantly, if the langur population is anything to go by. A 2008 census yielded over 488: though there is no comparable figure for the 1980s, local and NGO accounts suggest that the numbers were far smaller. Recently, four langurs from Kakoijana even crossed over human-dominated areas and settled in another hill (Bhumeswar), about 10 kilometres away, perhaps an indication that parts of Kakoijana are reaching saturation level.
Other wildlife to be seen constitute the pangolin, barking deer, crab-eating mongoose, Rhesus Macaque, and over 150 species of birds. Nature’s Foster is hopeful that hornbills, once common here, will repopulate the area once the trees grow taller and provide nesting habitat.
Villagers use various means of protection with orally transmitted or written rules. No live tree is allowed to be cut, but fallen branches can be collected. No hunting is permitted. Violators are fined amounts ranging from Rs 51 to Rs 5,001.
A very recent initiative by the villagers provides hope that the community-based conservation project will sustain itself. In 2008, the villagers formed the Pateshwari Golden Langur Green Conservation Foundation with help from Nature’s Foster. This consists of 16 villages; the other 12 are also forming a federation (having differed from the first 16 over the name, but otherwise pledging to work together). The federation presents a unified front to external forces and agencies, and helps to resolve inter-village issues. This is especially important in situations where the villagers are threatened by the timber and poaching mafia, as has happened with Kartik Oraon and the residents of Siponsila while patrolling the forests.
The federation is also currently trying to understand the legal status of the area, to discuss how it can get a more secure backing for its initiative. Fortunately, Nature’s Foster and other NGOs have dropped the demand to make it a wildlife sanctuary, realizing that the top-down restrictions and management prescriptions that this will lead to may alienate the villagers. The communities now need help in understanding the pros and cons of various conservation categories under the wildlife act (conservation reserve and community reserve), biodiversity act (biodiversity heritage sites), forest act (village forests), forest rights act (community forests), or other national and state laws. They are clear that they want the helping hand of the forest department, but not its dominating influence. So far, the department has reportedly not interfered in the community efforts, and is present in about a dozen villages with joint forest management projects on lands below the hill. But this and other government departments, as also NGOs, need to help the villagers with livelihoods and employment opportunities, desperately needed in many of the settlements. They must also help tackle the challenge of local caste, gender and class inequities (by bringing more women into the federation decision-making committee, for instance).
One hopes that the government will continue to see the wisdom of supporting Kakoijana as a community-led effort through sensitive need-based inputs. In fact, Kakoijana is only one of the several community-based initiatives for conserving the Golden Langur and its habitat, others being the well-known Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, and some parts of the buffer area of the Manas Tiger Reserve. In recognizing and supporting these initiatives, Assam’s agencies will join a growing league of governments, NGOs, and donors who are recognizing the role of community conserved areas in securing the future of nature and wildlife.
The author is with Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group, Pune
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090924/jsp/opinion/story_11531943.jsp
NREGA wage to be capped at Rs 100
The government has decided to cap at Rs 100 daily wage given to workers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) .
This implies that the Centre will reimburse only up to a maximum of Rs 100 as daily wage per person under NREGA to states.
A notification to this effect will be issued shortly. At present, 90% of NREGA cost is reimbursed by the central government through rural development ministry.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in his Budget speech had promised to provide a wage of Rs 100 a day as an entitlement under NREGA. In a notification issues on January 1, 2009, the government had specified that it would pay states the minimum wage rate for agricultural labourers under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
Subsequently, many states, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh revised their minimum wage rate for agricultural labourers and asked the rural development ministry to amend the notification to bring parity with their revised wage.
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Official sources said this led to a situation where the wage rate notified under NREGA stipulations became less than the minimum wage rate for agricultural labourers as notified under Minimum Wages Act in these states. “We will reimburse up to Rs 100 as daily wage to states. If any state wants to give more, it has to do so from their own budget,” a rural development ministry official told FE.
However, the official clarified that the decision would not affect states which already had their minimum wage rates for agricultural labourers above Rs 100 .
After the notification is issued, the government would have to ‘factor in’ the fiscal impact of raising the minimum wage under the NREGA to Rs 100. After three-and-a-half years of NREGA implementation, the Centre has allocated over Rs 50,000 crore to state governments. Nearly two-thirds of this amount has been paid as wages.
The capping of wage rate would help the government manage the fiscal burden under the mega job guarantee scheme. Despite the government assurance to states for providing Rs 100 as daily wage for NREGA workers, the average wage given across the country is Rs 84 at present.
During the current fiscal, the government has already allocated Rs 15,000 crore to states for NREGA implementation and with the opening balance of Rs 10,000 crore from last year, the total allocation stands at Rs 25,000 crore. The allocation of NREGA does not lapse and it is carried forward to the next fiscal.
Under NREGA, employment was provided to more than 4.5 crore rural households last fiscal. For wage payment, more than 7.3 crore savings accounts have been opened with banks and post offices across the country.
These accounts have helped bring in rural poor under the organised banking sector. The government has already announced that workers under NREGA would be provided health insurance cover.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nrega-wage-to-be-capped-at-rs-100/520721/0
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