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Time of India
a day ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Himachal govt urges central team for revised disaster relief norms in state
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh's unique geography means disaster recovery and rehabilitation norms need updating. K K Pant, the additional chief secretary (revenue), told a five-member central team — led by Colonel K P Singh (retd) from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — that agencies like the Central Water Commission (CWC) and Geological Survey of India (GSI) should do detailed studies on natural disasters while working in the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Pant highlighted the importance of assessing disaster-prone areas and focusing on early forecasting of such events. Emphasis should be laid on pre-disaster planning rather than post-disaster response in order to minimise loss of life and property. There is a need for the installation of advanced sensors to improve data collection across the state, he added. Pant further emphasised the need to set up a flood forecasting unit in the state with the support of the CWC, to enhance hydrological monitoring and study glacial lakes. The central team urged the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) to provide data related to high-altitude regions and asked the GSI to focus more on the issues of sudden floods and landslides, which were the two major natural disasters occurring in Himachal Pradesh. 148 cloudbursts, 294 flash floods In his presentation, special secretary (revenue-disaster management) D C Rana pointed out that since 2018, Himachal has witnessed 148 cloudbursts, 294 flash floods, and over 5,000 landslides. He added that districts such as Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Mandi are extremely vulnerable to such events. During 2023 alone, the estimated loss due to natural disasters in the state was nearly Rs 10,000 crore. Besides this, the hill state incurs a loss of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 crore annually due to such events. Climate change is a major factor behind the increase in cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides, added Rana. MSID:: 122880978 413 |
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Parliament Watch: India finds 7.23 MT rare earth reserves; NH build pace slows, key infra updates shared in Parliament
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The rare earth element resources estimated by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is around 7.23 million tonnes in-situ Rare Earth Elements oxide (REO) contained in 13.15 million tonnes monazite, a mineral of Thorium and Rare Earths occurring in the coastal beach, red sand and inland alluvium in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Maharashtra, minister Jitendra Singh informed the lower house. Around 1.29 million tonnes in-situ REO resource in hard rocks in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Additionally, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has augmented 482.6 Mt resources of REE ore at various cut-off grades in 34 exploration projects. Coal India Ltd has received 186 consumer grievances, other than that of the Comptroller and Auditor General, related to coal quality issues since July 2023, minister G Kishan Reddy said. Out of them, 171 grievances have been resolved, he informed the Lok Sabha. Resolution of these grievances is a continuous process and is as per established procedure, he Dehradun-Delhi access controlled highway with a total capital cost of `11,868.6 crore is targeted for completion by October 2025, road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday in response to a question in Rajya ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) is working on India Skills Accelerator initiative to close skilling gaps through inclusive upskilling and reskilling, mobilizing investment in lifelong learning, and fostering government industry collaboration, Jayant Chaudhary, minister of state (independent charge), MSDE said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha on government has constructed 10,660 km of length of national highways (NHs) during 2024-25 or 29 km per day, road transport and highway minister Nitin Gadkari said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. This is the second lowest pace of construction in the last five years, lowest being 28 km per day in 2022-23.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Two houses partially collapse in Bhandup mudslide; no injuries
Amid heavy rainfall in the city over the past few days, a mudslide occurred at a residential pocket situated along the hilly terrain in Bhandup late Tuesday, leading to the partial collapse of two vacated houses. No injuries were reported, officials said. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) S ward office, the incident was reported at 7.32 pm near the Sai Niketan CHS in Bhandup West's Khindipada area. According to officials, the partially collapses houses situated along the hilly terrain were vacated and no injuries were reported. In a bid to prevent any untoward incident, the civic body vacated at least 3 – 4 nearby houses in the locality. Bhandup is among several pockets such as Ghatkopar and Vikhroli, which have been identified as landslide-sensitive areas, as per surveys conducted by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). The slopes of these hills have informal settlements inhabited by Lower Income Groups (LIG) and members from marginalised communities. On May 22 this year, the BMC had appealed to slum dwellers in these areas to relocate to safer locations. Directing residents to exercise precaution, civic officials also issued notices to vacate their homes along the slopes and migrate to safer pockets. This is the second house collapse incident in the city between Tuesday and Wednesday morning. According to the BMC, at least 11 incidents of tree collapses were also reported in 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, of which the maximum cases (8) have been recorded in the western suburbs. Seven incidents of short circuit were also reported.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
India steps up global push for rare earth security amid China curbs
With China enforcing stringent controls on rare earth magnet exports, India has intensified its global outreach to safeguard the critical mineral supply chains, the government told Parliament on Wednesday. The government has initiated bilateral talks with Brazil and the Dominican Republic, and has also deepened engagement with multilateral platforms to build cooperation around rare earth elements and critical mineral security, Jitendra Singh, minister of state (independent charge) for science and technology, and the department of atomic energy, said. Apart from other portfolios, Singh also holds charge of the ministry of earth sciences. The union ministry of mines is engaged in these inter-governmental talks to sign memorandums of understanding, while the ministry of external affairs has tapped into relevant stakeholders to alleviate challenges arising from China's stranglehold over rare earth magnets, the minister's statement said. Rare earth magnets, essential to sectors like defence, electronics, clean mobility and renewable energy, have become a focal point of global strategic competition, with China holding a dominant position in their processing and trade. India has exported 18 tonnes of rare earth minerals over the last decade, the minister's written reply to Parliament said. It said India has approximately 7.23 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, which are processed to make magnets used in key strategic sectors such as defence, electronics, renewable energy, and clean mobility. "Additionally, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has augmented 482.6 Mt resources of REE (rare earth elements) ore at various cut-off grades in 34 exploration projects," the government said. It said the mines ministry has initiated talks with mineral-rich nations such as Australia, Argentina, Zambia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Cote D'Ivoire as well as international organizations, such as the International Energy Agency (IEA). The ministry is also engaging with platforms such as the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). India's engagement with multilateral platforms is largely dependent on the US. The MSP is a US-led alliance of 14 countries, including India, and was set up in 2022 to secure critical mineral supply chains by reducing dependence on any one particular country. The IPEF is a similar US-led alliance of 14 countries, focusing on collaborative policies on trade, supply chains, clean energy, and decarbonisation. The iCET is a bilateral agreement between India and the US for collaboration in technology, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors. "Critical minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, titanium, rare earth elements, etc., are demand intensive due to their strategic uses in various sectors, viz., electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence," the government said. "In case of any further development in rare earth mineral exports to Japan, efforts shall be undertaken to mitigate the disruptions," the government statement said. India had suspended its rare earth mineral export to Japan after China halted export of magnets made of the same material, according to a Reuters report on 15 June, citing unnamed sources. Mint had reported on 7 July that Indian importers rushed to purchase permanent magnets, including rare earth magnets, at a premium from China, ahead of the export control order issued on 4 April.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India holds 8.52 million tonnes of rare earth oxide resources; no rare earth imports in last 10 years: Govt
New Delhi: India has identified a total of 8.52 million tonnes (MT) of in-situ Rare Earth Elements Oxide (REO) resources across multiple states, as the government pushes ahead with efforts to secure supply chains for critical minerals essential to electric vehicles, renewable energy, and defence applications. According to data presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) has estimated approximately 7.23 MT of REO within 13.15 MT of monazite deposits found in coastal beach, teri/red sand, and inland alluvial zones across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Additionally, hard rock terrains in Gujarat and Rajasthan account for 1.29 MT of REO resources. Separately, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has reported augmentation of 482.6 MT of REE ore across 34 exploration projects using various cut-off grades. India has recorded no imports of rare earth minerals over the last 10 years, while exports have totaled 18 tonnes during the same period, the government informed the House. To meet rising demand and reduce dependence on external sources, the Union Cabinet on January 29, 2025, approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an outlay of ₹16,300 crore. The mission is expected to attract investments of ₹18,000 crore by public sector undertakings and will be implemented over seven years until FY 2030-31. It aims to strengthen India's end-to-end critical minerals value chain, from exploration and mining to processing, recycling and reuse. As part of the NCMM, ₹500 crore has been allocated for establishing mineral processing parks, ₹1,500 crore for incentivising mineral recycling from secondary sources, and ₹100 crore for pilot recovery projects. The mission will also support R&D institutions, startups, and MSMEs engaged in innovation across the critical minerals sector. In FY 2024–25, GSI has taken up 195 mineral exploration projects focused on critical and strategic minerals. For FY 2025–26, 227 such projects have been lined up. The National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) has funded 195 projects so far. Additionally, 33 private exploration agencies are undertaking NMET-funded work. To expand access to critical minerals abroad, the Ministry of Mines established Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), a joint venture which has acquired 15,703 hectares for lithium mining in Argentina's Catamarca province. KABIL is also in regular discussions with Australia's Critical Minerals Office and has signed bilateral agreements with governments of Argentina, Zambia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Côte d'Ivoire. The Ministry is also actively participating in global mineral partnerships through platforms like the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the India-UK Technology and Security Initiative. To further secure supply chains, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 was amended in August 2023. The amendments removed six minerals from the list of atomic minerals and created a separate list of 24 critical and strategic minerals. The Centre has since been empowered to auction blocks and exploration licenses for these. A first tranche of offshore mineral auctions was launched in November 2024, covering 13 blocks including seven polymetallic nodule zones in the Andaman Sea. The first tranche of Exploration Licence (EL) auctions began in March 2025 for 13 blocks containing various critical minerals. To boost domestic processing capabilities, the government has eliminated customs duties on 25 minerals and reduced duties on two others. In Union Budget 2025–26, exemptions were extended to cobalt powder, lithium-ion battery waste, and 12 more critical minerals. The ministry of external affairs is engaged with foreign governments to address export restrictions on rare earth magnets and ensure uninterrupted supply chains for Indian industries.
