Page 135 - Environment
Sikhs aim to plant million trees as 'gift to planet'
Sikhs around the world are taking part in a scheme to plant a million new trees as a "gift to the entire planet" as part of celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, the media reported on Friday.
HG Infra forms SPV for construction of Rs 952 cr economic corridor-feeder route in Haryana
HG Infra Engineering Friday said it has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for construction of Rs 952-crore highway project as an economic corridor-feeder route in Haryana. "HG Infra has incorporated a new SPV for construction of proposed Narnaul Bypass Ateli Mandi to Narnaul section of NH-11 as an economic corridor-feeder route in the state of Haryana," the company said in a regulatory filing to the BSE. The new SPV -- HG Ateli Narnaul Private Limited (HGIEL) -- will undertake the project, which is scheduled to be completed in 910 days, on hybrid annuity mode (HAM, the company said. HGIEL's bid price for the project was Rs 952.11 crore, it said. HGIEL is a wholly owned subsidiary company incorporated as per the requirement of National Highways Authority of India with a paid up capital of Rs 15 lakh, the company said.
SC vacates stay on Karnataka govt scheme to pump water to 2 districts
The Supreme Court Friday vacated its stay on Karnataka government's scheme to pump secondary treated water from its sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Bengaluru into irrigation tanks in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts for recharging ground water table. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna took on record the statements of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and state pollution control board that the water in the tanks was not meant for drinking and will be kept away from human access. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for BWSSB, said the water which was kept for secondary treatment did not have any human access and was only intended to recharge groundwater in arid districts. He said that sewage water would eventually percolate down to the ground which would take care of its impurities. Divan said a detailed project report was prepared after taking into consideration all the aspects including the scientific opinion and ...
EU says BMW, Daimler, VW colluded to limit emissions tech
European Union authorities said Friday that German automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen colluded to limit the development of emissions-cleaning technology in cars. The finding adds to the car industry's woes after Volkswagen in 2015 admitted to cheating on emissions tests in the U.S., which led to a worldwide reevaluation of how cars are tested and how to limit emissions to make air cleaner and fight climate change. The EU antitrust regulator said that after an in-depth investigation, it found that BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen, including its Audi and Porsche units, broke EU laws from 2006 to 2014 by illegally agreeing among themselves to limit the roll-out of the technology. The technology helps eliminate nitrogen oxides, which can be harmful to human health, from both gasoline and diesel passenger cars. The alleged actions could have limited Europeans' opportunities to buy less polluting cars, but would not have affected price, the EU said. It did not explain how the companies might
Cooperation with ISRO remains intact: NASA chief
The cooperation of NASA with ISRO remains intact, chief of the US space agency James Bridenstine has said, days after he criticised India and termed its anti-satellite weapon test a "terrible thing" for creating about 400 pieces of orbital debris. In a letter to ISRO Chairman K Sivan, NASA Administrator Bridenstine said "based on the guidance received from the White House", he looks forward continuing to work with ISRO on a host of issues including human space flights. "As part of our partnership with you, we will continue to work on issues using the NASA-ISRO Human Space Flight Working Group, Planetary Science Working Group, US India Earth Science Working Group, and the Heliophysics Working Group," Bridenstine said. In his letter, Bridenstine says he recently wrote to ISRO about the suspension of cooperation on human space flight. "Recently, we sent you a letter indicating a suspension of activities under the NASA-ISRO Human Space Flight Working Group," he wrote. From the April 4 ...
German carmakers colluded on emissions tech: EU
The European Union on Friday accused Germany's carmakers of collusion in holding back technology to reduce harmful emissions from vehicles.
Japanese spacecraft bombs asteroid to make crater
The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2 on Friday dropped an explosive on a remote asteroid for the first time to form a crater with a view to collect samples of its surface and analyze their composition, which could provide clues to the origin of the Universe.
Leopard beaten to death by villagers in UP's Bahraich
A leopard was on Friday killed by irate villagers after it attacked and injured at least six persons in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, officials said.According to locals, the leopard had attacked several people since February 28 and three villagers had succumbed to their injuries."Today morning, around six people were attacked and injured by the leopard following which angry villagers hit the animal with sticks," a local said.After receiving the information, the officials of the forest department reached the spot and caught the leopard. However, the leopard later succumbed to injuries.According to forest department officials, investigation in the matter is underway. The leopard's body has been sent for post-mortem. The leopard was about 3 to 4 years old."The villagers who met with injuries have been admitted to a nearby hospital and their treatment is going on," a forest official informed.
Russia plans to free almost 100 captured whales
Russian officials say that nearly 100 illegally captured whales could be returned to the wild during the summer. Russian Natural Resources Minister Dmitry Kobylkin says summer offers the most favourable conditions for releasing 97 belugas and orcas. Jean-Michel Cousteau of the Ocean Futures Society arrived Friday in Russia's Far East on a mission to inspect the mammals and help create conditions for them to be released. Cousteau, son of famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, has voiced concern about the animals' condition and offered his help to the Russian government. The condition of the animals kept in a marine container facility near the port of Nakhodka has drawn international concern. Russian scientists estimate that the rehabilitation effort will cost about 300 million rubles (about USD 4.6 million).
Kamdhenu doubles Rajasthan TMT plant capacity
Branded TMT bars major Kamdhenu Ltd has doubled the production capacity of its Bhiwadi plant in Rajasthan to 1,56,000 tonne per annum from 72,000 tonne. Total manufacturing capacity of the company have now increased to 34 lakh tonne per annum including capacity of its franchisees of 32.5 lakh tonne, the company said on Friday. "Kamdhenu is also working towards doubling its total TMT bar production capacity to 50 lakh tonnes with an investment of around Rs 800 crore," it said in a statement. Towards this, the company has already enhanced the total production capacity by 30 per cent in FY'19. "The overall demand for building materials is increasing rapidly in India. So, we decided to invest and grow the capacity at our existing Bhiwadi plant," Kamdhenu CMD Satish Agarwal said.
Explorer to trace flow of plastics down 10 rivers into seas
Italian explorer Alex Bellini plans to travel down the world's 10 most polluted rivers on makeshift rafts, tracing the routes of plastics that pollute the world's oceans. Bellini said Thursday that he was inspired by a 2018 study by a German scientist that found 80% of plastic in the world's oceans arrives from just 10 rivers. He began with a voyage down the Ganges River in India on a raft built from garbage last month and intends to complete journeys on all 10 on similarly constructed rafts by 2021, including the Yangtze, the Niger and the Mekong. His final stop will be the Great Pacific Ocean garbage patch. The 40-year-old spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of a One Oceans forum. Bellini, who has rowed solo across two oceans for more than 35,000 kilometers, said he became aware of pollution in the ocean while rowing from Peru to Australia in 2008. But he said he was surprised to learn that most plastics in the seas arrive by rivers and not from coastal areas. His new ...
Environment Ministry advises Delhi Govt to come up with Heat Wave Action Plan
A Steering Committee on Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on Friday advised the Delhi government to incorporate Heat Wave Action Plan to combat the upcoming summer season.The Ministry has filed an affidavit in National Green Tribunal (NGT) and intimated it that apart from incorporating the Heat Wave Action Plan, it has also advised the Delhi government to take into account the targets set by India regarding its "Determined Contribution" submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).In a case filed earlier in NGT, Gaurav Kumar Bansal, advocate appearing for the petitioner had informed the tribunal that due to climate change the national capital will face issues like high temperature and heat wave, therefore it is necessary for the government to have its effective action plan ready to combat climate change.Earlier on April 1, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the average temperature between April
19mn Bangladesh children at risk from climate change
An estimated 19.4 million children in Bangladesh, including half a million from the Rohingya Muslim minority, are exposed to the most detrimental and hazardous consequences of climate change, the Unicef said on Friday.
NASA's Curiosity images two solar eclipses on Mars
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has send back spectacular imagery of two solar eclipses caused by Phobos and Deimos -- two Moons of the Red Planet.
SC says Bengaluru sewage water to be used for irritation
The Supreme Court on Friday lifted a stay it imposed earlier on the Karnataka government's scheme to pump secondary treated water from sewage plants in Bengaluru to minor irrigation tanks in the water-starved districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur.
Japan probe blasts asteroid, seeking clues to life's origins
A Japanese probe on Friday launched an explosive device at an asteroid, aiming to blast a crater in the surface and scoop up material that could shed light on how the solar system evolved. The explosive mission is the riskiest yet attempted by the Japanese space agency's Hayabusa2 probe that aims to reveal more about the origins of life on Earth. Hayabusa2 successfully released the so-called "small carry-on impactor" - a cone-shaped device capped with a copper bottom - as scheduled, as the probe hovered just 500 metres (1,650 feet) above the asteroid Ryugu. The impactor was programmed to explode 40 minutes later, propelling the copper bottom towards Ryugu, where it should gouge a crater into the surface of the asteroid that spins 300 million kilometres from Earth. Hayabusa2 moved smartly away from the area to avoid being damaged by debris from the explosion or colliding with Ryugu while also releasing a camera to capture images of the event. Images from a different camera at the ...
AIIB approves loans for 2 projects in Sri Lanka
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said on Friday it has approved loans worth $280 million for its first two projects in Sri Lanka, aimed at improving living conditions in the country.
Scientists warn of pandemic endangering amphibians
A deadly disease affecting amphibians has descended into a global pandemic that has already wiped out 90 species, a prominent US biologist warned Thursday at the World Organisation for Animal Health Aquatic Conference in Santiago, Chile. Chytridiomycosis is caused by a fungus -- Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis -- that attacks the skin of frogs, toads and other amphibians. As the creatures use their skin to breathe and regulate their bodies' water levels, the damage caused by the disease eventually leads to heart failure and death. Jonathan Kolby, co-author of a study published in March on the fungus' devastating effects, lamented what he described as "the first global wild disease issue." "It's over 60 countries right now, and that's part of the problem," he said. Over the past five years, the highly contagious disease has already caused nearly 90 species to disappear, with over 500 impacted. The rapid global spread of the fungus is due to a lack of animal trade rules and airport ...
Japan space probe drops explosive on asteroid to make crater
Japan's space agency said its Hayabusa2 spacecraft released an explosive onto an asteroid to make a crater on its surface and collect underground samples to find possible clues to the origin of the solar system. Friday's crater mission is the riskiest for Hayabusa2, as it had to immediately get away so it won't get hit by flying shards from the blast. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said that Hayabusa2 dropped a "small carry-on impactor" made of copper onto the asteroid Friday morning, and that the spacecraft safely evacuated and remained intact. JAXA is analyzing further details. The copper explosive is the size of a baseball weighing 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds). JAXA plans to send Hayabusa2 back to the site later, when the dust and debris settle, for observations from above and to collect samples from underground that have not been exposed to the sun or space rays. Scientists hope the samples will be crucial to determine the history of the asteroid and our planet. If .
As potato crop prices plunge, farmers woes continue in North Bengal
Coochbehar (West Bengal), Apr 5 (ANI): With prices of potatoes plunging by 50 per cent, potato farmers in northern regions of West Bengal are faced with an acute crisis since the beginning of this year.Last year, the farmers say they sold potatoes for Rs 8-Rs 9 per kg, which is exactly the double amount of money they received this year i.e, Rs 4.50 to Rs 5 for one kg.Akhbar Miya, a potato farmer here says, "I have 6.5 bighas of land where I have already spent rupees 1.2 lakhs but in return I have received only Rs 55,000. From the next season onward I have to think whether to continue potato farming or not."Current potato crop prices are available in market at Rs 15 per kilogram.It has also been observed that farmers who sow cold storage seeds have incurred more losses compared to certified seed.Jaganath, another farmer says, "One cannot run a family depending on agriculture alone. We need to have another source of income for earning a livelihood."Unable to reimburse losses incurred ...
