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Number of polluting industries reduced: Baalu
Bangalore, Aug 26: Union Minister for Environment and Forests T R Baalu today said the number of polluting industries had been drastically reduced due to efforts by the government.
Bangalore, Aug 26: Union Minister for Environment and Forests T R Baalu today said the number of polluting industries had been drastically reduced due to efforts by the government.
The number of such industries which were discharging dangerous effluents into water bodies and soil had come down from over 1,331 units in 1991, he told reporters here.
Baalu said allocation to his ministry had also doubled to Rs 5,000 crore in the 10th five year plan. "It has increased to Rs 5,000 crore for the 10th plan, more than double of Rs 2,049 crore allocated in the 9th plan," he said. Under the national lake conservation plan, Karnataka government had submitted conservation plans for two lakes -- Lalbagh in Bangalore and Bhishma Lake in Gadag - which were awaiting approval from the Centre, he said.
His ministry had sanctioned conservation plans for four lakes in Bangalore and two other lakes in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 14.5 crore, he added. The Centre had cleared two forest projects, pending since 1970 - the 400 KW plant involving diversion of 381 hectares of forest land and settlement of 154 tribal families of Mysore (Kabini Mini Project and Bandipur National Park) involving diversion of 200 hectares of forest land.
Asked about the presence of naxalites at the Kudremukh National Park, Baalu said it was a law and order issue and hence, a state subject.
He earlier visited the Indian Plywood Research and Training Institute and Institute of Wood Science and Technology here.
Bureau Report
Baalu said allocation to his ministry had also doubled to Rs 5,000 crore in the 10th five year plan. "It has increased to Rs 5,000 crore for the 10th plan, more than double of Rs 2,049 crore allocated in the 9th plan," he said. Under the national lake conservation plan, Karnataka government had submitted conservation plans for two lakes -- Lalbagh in Bangalore and Bhishma Lake in Gadag - which were awaiting approval from the Centre, he said.
His ministry had sanctioned conservation plans for four lakes in Bangalore and two other lakes in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 14.5 crore, he added. The Centre had cleared two forest projects, pending since 1970 - the 400 KW plant involving diversion of 381 hectares of forest land and settlement of 154 tribal families of Mysore (Kabini Mini Project and Bandipur National Park) involving diversion of 200 hectares of forest land.
Asked about the presence of naxalites at the Kudremukh National Park, Baalu said it was a law and order issue and hence, a state subject.
He earlier visited the Indian Plywood Research and Training Institute and Institute of Wood Science and Technology here.
Bureau Report