Page 138 - Environment

The Congress manifesto: Key takeaways

1. Nyay: (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) to be introduced to ensure a life of dignity to all Indians. Rs 72,000 per year will be transferred to the poorest 20 per cent households in India, preferably to the woman in the household.

TERI aids UNSW to establish urban living labs in India

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) recently released its smart energy policy brief for cities at the fourth Australia-India Knowledge Exchange event held at University of New South Wales (UNSW).

SC decision on Goa's Mopa airport could push deadlines: Govt

The suspension of environmental clearance granted to the greenfield airport at Mopa in north Goa by the Supreme Court will lead to the project missing its 2020 first phase deadline, a senior official said Tuesday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Tuesday held a high level meeting of state bureaucrats and officials of GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL), which won the bid for the airport under the build-own-operate and transfer (BOOT) scheme. A Goa government spokesperson told reporters that Director Civil Aviation Suresh Shanbhogue apprised the Chief Minister that "temporary suspension of EC (environment clearance) may delay the project time line especially looking at the monsoon which will begin from June". The first phase of the project was expected to be commissioned in 2020, for which the work was underway on a war footing, he said. TheSC last Friday suspended the environmental clearance granted to the Mopa airport and directed theExpert Appraisal Committee ...

'Right to Life implies Right to a Clean Environment'

Emphasizng the need for inexpensive and expeditious environmental justice to mitigate the effects of climate change, Justice Swatanter Kumar, Former Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal also called for proper environmental impact assessments to address issues relating to climate change.

Congress assures to fight air pollution, global warming; protect wildlife, water bodies, CRZs

The Congress Tuesday said it recognised air pollution as a national public health emergency and promised an action agenda that will place India at the forefront of the battle against global warming. The party said that it will advance India's interests in international negotiations on climate change and environment. "The Congress promises an action agenda that will place India at the forefront of the battle against global warming and for the protection of the environment. At the same time, the Congress will defend and advance India's interests in international negotiations on climate change and the environment," it said in its 55-page manifesto. "The Congress recognises that air pollution is a national public health emergency. We will significantly strengthen the National Clean Air Programme in order to urgently tackle the problem of pollution," it said. The party said that all major sources of emission will be targetted, mitigated and reduced to acceptable levels and added that ...

Congress manifesto recognises air pollution crisis

The Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls recognises air pollution as public health emergency, but whether other political parties, like the BJP or the AAP, will take note of this is yet to be seen, according to green activists.

Thai junta chief demands action to cut smog

Thailand's junta chief gave the smog-hit northern city of Chiang Mai seven days to crack down on spiralling pollution Tuesday, which has seen the tourist hotspot choke on Asia's most toxic air this week. The city has far eclipsed other notorious pollution hotspots since Sunday, with the level of dangerous microscopic particles known as PM2.5 peaking at 480 according to the Air Quality Index. Any level over 300 is classed as "hazardous". By contrast, the smog-hit Indian capital New Delhi peaked at 228, while Beijing reached only 161. The pollution crisis in Chiang Mai has seen residents, street vendors and even monks donning surgical face masks and at least two universities have cancelled classes. Crop burning during the dry season has long been blamed for poor air quality, but the smog has been exacerbated by growing industrialisation and rising numbers of vehicles on the roads. Prayut Chan-O-Cha, on a visit to Chiang Mai, demanded a clampdown on crop burning. "I want to reiterate ...

Panama president cheers China's 'Belt and Road' initiative

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela says his country sees a "big opportunity" in China's massive "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiative. Speaking Tuesday in Hong Kong, Varela said the initiative, which aims to weave a network of ports, bridges and power plants linking China with Africa, Europe and beyond, is a chance to "connect Asia and America to Panama." China plans to hold a major international conference on the initiative in Beijing later this month attracting world leaders, possibly including Valera. Valera said the initiative is "all about connectivity and Panama is one of the most connected countries in the region," citing its ports and airport, along with the Panama Canal. Panama switched diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China in 2017, citing the needs of its trade and finance-centered economy.

Boat ride can tell how polluted India's major rivers are

The aim of the project, the scientists said, is to provide a holistic water quality monitoring platform and pinpoint the hotspots of pollution in major Indian water bodies

Traffic rule violations: Over 40000 challans, Rs 51.43 lakh recovery in Noida in March

The Noida Traffic Police has collected Rs 51.43 lakh in fines for violation of traffic rules in March, a whopping 59 per cent jump from the previous month, according to officials. As many as 40,061 vehicles and 13,505 offenders were issued challans, totalling Rs 1.34 crore, for violating road traffic rules last month, an official said. "However, only 33 per cent of the offenders paid up the fine money which led to a total recovery of Rs 51.43 lakh," Traffic Inspector Ravindra Kumar Vashishtha said. In February, January, December, November and October, the Noida Traffic Police had issued 43,001, 26,277, 32,645, 68,147 and 32,345 challans, respectively, he said. Rs 32.28 lakh in February, Rs 29.48 lakh in January, Rs 25.04 lakh in December, Rs 18.96 lakh in November, Rs 19.08 lakh in October were recovered in penalties, he said. "Altogether 2,42,476 challans have been issued in last six months amounting to Rs 8.39 crore. The total revenue collected during the period is Rs 1.76 crore," ..

Action plan for 37 'eco-smart stations' will be implemented in 3 months: Railways to NGT

The Centre has told the National Green Tribunal that action plan for 37 railway stations which are to be developed as "eco-smart stations" will be implemented in three months. The Centre told a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel that nodal officers have been identified by the railway administration to oversee the implementation of environment management systems at the 37 stations. "They will also act as regulators for environment norms and will have authority to lay down and collect compensation on Polluter Pays' principle. They will be authorised to issue receipts for the compensation so recovered. This mechanism will be put on the website," Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Railways, told the NGT. Noting the submissions, the tribunal said that with regard to the next phase, action plans should be prepared for all the remaining major stations indicating phase-wise steps and categories of implementation. "The action plans may have ...

Polavaram: Andhra's lifeline hit by political roadblock

The Polavaram irrigation project, considered the lifeline of resource-starved Andhra Pradesh and a major election issue this time, has suffered a lot due to a long-drawn slanging match between the Centre and the state government, say officials. Officially known as the Indira Sagar Multipurpose Project, it recently figured in election speeches of prominent political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The project is expected to irrigate 2.91 lakh hectares, generate 960 MW of power, and fulfil the water needs of industries and 540 villages in Andhra Pradesh. But bureaucratic wrangles between the Centre and the state have dealt heavy blows to the much-needed PIP, the officials say. Though the project had been under contemplation since 1941, the works started in 2005. The efforts to complete it gained momentum in 2015, following the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh, says V Sridhar, Chief Engineer ..

Roaming recycling bin introduced in Shanghai Disney

A roaming recycling bin has been introduced in Shanghai Disney Resort to encourage its guests to learn more about recycling methods amid the city's effort to promote household garbage sorting and recycling.

70 MW electricity import from India hampered due to Nepal Rainstorm

The rainstorm on Sunday in Nepal's southern plains brought down the electricity wires and lines resulting disruption in the import of 70 MW electricity from India.The rainstorm has broken the circuit of 33 KV Birgunj-Raksaul transmission line and 132 KV Raksaul- Purwanipur transmission line resulting in the disruption of 70 MW electricity import from India, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Spokesperson Prabal Adhikari said.Though the disruption in electricity import from India was experienced in other lines too, the NEA has restored the electricity flow in urban areas of Birgunj, Kalaiya and Simara districts.The authority also informed that they are working in urban areas to continue the electric supply.Currently, the storm affected area of Bara and Parsa is being provided with electricity from Rautahat Sub-Station.The Parwanipur-Birgunj 66 KV double circuit's one line is already charged and the other line is expected to come back to track late by Wednesday morning. The electricity ..

Strike balance between environment and development: HC to BMC

The Bombay High Court Tuesday said government and civic authorities should strike a balance between development of infrastructure and environment. A division bench of Chief Justice N H Patil and Justice N M Jamdar said the authorities have to keep in mind that while infrastructure projects like the Metro line is in public interest, the impact of such projects on the environment is also a public issue. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation on the issue of due process of law not being followed before appointment of members to the Tree Authority of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The petition claimed that permissions granted by the authority to fell trees to pave way for infrastructure projects like the Metro was arbitrary and illegal. The court was on Tuesday informed by Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni that four highly qualified persons have now been appointed as members of the Tree Authority. The court noted that the government should instill confidence .

Germany reports first greenhouse emissions fall in five years

Germany said Tuesday it had reduced emissions of greenhouse gases signficantly for the first time in five years in 2018, although it has already abandoned self-imposed targets for the end of this decade. Europe's largest economy -- which is haltingly transitioning away from coal and nuclear to cleaner energy forms -- lowered output of the gases by 4.2 per cent year-on-year, environment minister Svenja Schulze said in a report. A helping hand came from the unusually mild weather, which reduced the need for heating. But Germany also "drew more energy from wind and the sun and less from coal, oil and gas," Schulze said. It also achieved a slight reduction in emissions from transport. In total, Germany pumped 868.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, some 30.6 percent below levels in 1990 -- the year taken as a benchmark for its climate targets. Last year, Chancellor Angela Merkel's fourth government officially gave up on the goal of slashing output by 40 percent by ..

Egyptian official says province to ban single use plastics

An Egyptian official says his Red Sea province will impose a ban on disposable plastics, prohibiting everything from single use straws to plastic bags in an effort to fight pollution. Ahmed Abdallah, governor of Hurghada province, said late on Monday the ban will go into effect from June. He says it was proposed by the Hurghada Environmental Protection & Conservation Association to protect province's "threatened and endangered species." The ban will apply to restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies. Plastic forks and knives, cups and dishes will be among banned items. The Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the province's capital, is a major tourist destination. In 2017, Egypt launched an EU-funded initiative to encourage people to limit their use of plastic bags. The country produces 970,000 tons of plastic waste.

Cutting air pollution may save millions of lives annually: Study

Reducing global air pollution may prevent over three million premature deaths annually worldwide, particularly in India, Africa and China, according to a study. The most significant contribution would be the rapid phasing out of fossil fuels, which is currently being discussed mainly to abate climate change, said researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), used a global atmospheric chemistry and climate model, linked to the latest estimates of health effects in order to study the combined impact of decarbonisation on public health, precipitation and the climate. The researchers calculated that fossil fuel generated emissions are responsible for about 65 per cent of premature deaths from human-made air pollutants worldwide. Polluted air significantly elevates the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. It was recently found that the health burden of fine ...

Potential source of methane on Mars discovered

An international team of scientists has for the first time identified a potential source of methane gas on Mars, almost six years after NASA's Curiosity rover first detected hints of the gas on the Red Planet, and which may aid in future space missions.

NTPC group's total installed capacity at 55,126 MW

The total installed capacity of NTPC group has reached 55,126 megawatt (MW) with the addition of a 800 MW unit of Gadarwara Super Thermal Power Project in Madhya Pradesh. "We wish to inform that pursuant to change in procedure for capacity addition notified by Central Electricity Authority, first unit of 800 MW of Gadarwara project (2x800 MW) has been added to total installed capacity of NTPC," NTPC said in a filing to BSE. With this, the total installed capacity of NTPC Ltd is now 47,325 MW and that of NTPC group is 55,126 MW. Shares of NTPC were trading at Rs 134.50 per scrip, down 0.37 per cent, on BSE.