In a clarification to the Supreme Court, the union ministry of environment and forests informed that road developers need not secure clearance to begin work on that part of a highway project falling in non-forest areas. But one of the conditions imposed by the ministry is that if a highway was to pass through a patch of forest, the

About 1,605 km of roads were constructed till the end of December 2012 under various phases of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), the Economic Survey said recently. While the total length estimates to be at 5.94 km per day in nine months, projects for another 878 km to be constructed in the remaining three months of financial year 2012-13 have been awarded, says the survey.

The Supreme Court is hearing a case on halting the operation of 12 companies at Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Mundra, Gujarat. Some of the companies appealed the Gujarat High Court decision to halt their operation in the APSEZ on grounds that they have not secured environmental clear

The immediate requirement would be to bring as many ports as possible on board to adopt green policies. A directive from the government in this regard will definitely serve the purpose

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is to withdraw its case filed against the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in the Supreme Court. NHAI, seeking relaxations in green norms for road projects, had filed the case against the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

In a major relief to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in Rajasthan, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) on February 4 granted clearance for widening of the Kishangarh-Udaipur-Ahmedabad highway. With the approval, work on the project is expected to begin soon.

Tata Steel and Adhunik Power & Natural Resource will have to secure forest approval for operating the Ganeshpur coalmine in Latehar, Jhar­khand, which was allocated to them for their thermal projects.The coal mine has a production capacity of four million tonne per annum (normative).

In Mumbai, as many as 15 infrastructure companies have evinced interest in the controversial Pedder Road Flyover project and their representatives attended a pre-bid meeting held by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on January 28.

The director board of Vizhinjam International Seaport approved the master plan for the proposed Vizhinjam port project. The project authority has reportedly sent a copy of the master plan to the International Finance Corporation, which is doing the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the project.