Students campaign for Green manifesto

Students campaign for Green manifesto 

Source:

THE HINDU [Mar 15, 2009]

Raktima Bose 

[epaper: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/15/stories/2009031560021100.htm]



KOLKATA: It is a signature campaign with a difference; it is not aimed at protesting against any issue or garnering support for narrow gains. 

It is an initiative by the future generation to raise awareness among leaders of political parties to address climate change and its consequences and make it an issue in the Lok Sabha elections. 

Signed on by school and college students from New Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Tripura, the campaign urges political leaders, cutting across party lines, to include their parties' vision on climate change and their commitment to use of renewable energy in their manifestos. 
For a liveable world 



The letter accompanying the signatures states: "To keep the world liveable, it is extremely important that we start using green energy resources… this cannot be achieved only through awareness. The new government may make it clear about its positive initiatives towards addressing climate-related issues and transition from fossil fuel energy sources to renewable energy sources."
10,000 signatures collected 


A brainchild of S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, director, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Limited, the campaign has already gathered 10,000 signatures. He told The Hindu on Saturday that the campaign, which was kick-started on February 20, had signatures coming in even after the closing date of February 28.

Copies of the letter along with some 1,000 'sample' signatures have already been submitted to United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

Kolkata airport-city project being reworked

Kolkata airport-city project being reworked 

Source:

THE HINDU

Mar 15, 2009

Special Correspondent 

[epaper: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/15/stories/2009031555251200.htm]

1.4 billion tonnes of prime Raniganj coal will be blocked if the scheme is implemented.

Rs. 10,000 crore to be spent in four phases. CIL to press for relocating three steel projects.

KOLKATA: Following a high-level meeting between officials of the State Government and Coal India Ltd (CIL), it has now been decided to rework the proposed airport-city project at Andal near Durgapur in West Bengal.

With their stand being vindicated, the Navratna public sector unit has now decided to press for a re-look at three more industrial projects, which they claim, are proposed to be set up on areas bearing prime quality coal.

A study done by the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) had revealed that coal reserves of about 1.4 billion tonnes of prime Ranigunj coal will get blocked if the aerotropolis project, proposed by a consortium of companies for setting up an airport and a mini-township in the Andal-Fardipur block in Burdwan, is implemented.

The study revealed that about 350 million tonnes is under the licensed area of Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), a CIL subsidiary. 

The reworked project will also have to take into account the Sharpi 'longwall mining' project of ECL which is being developed by a U.K.-based company on a contract-basis. 

"This is the best project of ECL using longwall mining technology and this should not be disrupted in the interest of increased coal output from underground mines," a CIL official said.

The commissioning of the CMPDI study came after CIL received the detailed map of the airport project which is proposed to be implemented as a private project assisted by the State's apex industry promotion agency. While the airport would come up by developing an existing airstrip at Andal near Asansol, a mini-township is proposed to be set up.

Bengal Aerotroplis Projects Ltd (BAPL), a special purpose vehicle which has been floated for this purpose, proposed to spend Rs. 10,000 crore in four phases over seven years to create this infrastructure, with the airport coming up in 30 months from getting the land. It also planned to replicate the model in other States.

At the meeting, which was chaired by the State Chief Secretary, it was decided that of the 3,500 acres required for the project, 2,300 acres were required for the airport, around 500 acres would have to be taken out of the project area, in order to protect existing coal reserves of ECL. Further modification of around six sq. km may be required to protect coal reserves outside ECL's leasehold area. 

CIL officials will now study this new plan and a meeting has been scheduled later this month.

However, CIL is keen to follow-up in a similar manner the coal reserves, which they feel will get blocked if three steel projects of Bhusan Steel, Videocon and Abhijeet group come up in the same region. 

It now proposes to press the government for relocating these units too in order to protect the coal reserves.