Page 148 - Environment
NTPC Bongaigaon plant's 3rd unit to begin commercial operation from midnight
State-owned power giant NTPC Monday said unit-3 of Bongaigaon thermal power project with 250 MW capacity will begin commercial operation from midnight, which will increase the plant's generation capacity to 750 MW. The two units of 250 MW each of Bongaigaon project in Assam have already been made operational in June 2016 and March 2017. The total capacity of the project is 750 MW (250MWX3). "Unit 3 of 250 MW of Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project (3 X 250 MW) will be declared on commercial operation from 00:00 Hrs of March 26, 2019," a company statement said. According to the statement, with this, the commercial capacity of Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project, NTPC and NTPC Group will become 750 MW, 45,065 MW and 52,206 MW, respectively. Bongaigaon power plant is the first project of NTPC in the Northeast. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid foundation stone for this project in January, 2006.
World's largest e-waste recycling hub opens in Dubai
The world's largest e-waste recycling facility has opened in Dubai, a media report said.
Chandrayaan 2 to carry NASA science instrument
India's second moon mission Chandrayaan 2, scheduled for launch in April, would be carrying a NASA science probe, the media reported.
Mayawati attacks BJP govt over farmers' cane dues
BSP supremo Mayawati Monday hit out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over rising cane arrears to farmers, asking why it cannot act tough against the erring sugar mill owners. "How can the UP sugarcane farmers be happy and prosperous when their arrears amount to Rs. 10 thousand crores ? This is a matter to ponder on. Anti-farmers and pro-capitalist BJP government need not make wrong claims," Mayawati said in a tweet. "Why is BJP not acting tough against the mill owners like the BSP government and getting all the arrears of the farmers cleared?" she asked. On Sunday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the Uttar Pradesh government over unpaid dues of sugarcane farmers and alleged that 'chowkidars' (watchmen) were only working for the rich and are not bothered about the poor. She had also shared a media report on Twitter that claimed the dues of sugarcane farmers had crossed Rs 10,000 crore in the state.
More women in governing bodies may boost conservation efforts: Study
Having more women involved in governing bodies that make decisions about land management can help boost conservation, as well as help reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, a study has found. The research, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, showed that when more women are involved in decision making, the group conserves more -- particularly when offered financial incentives to do so. The study, involving 440 forest users from three developing countries, sheds new light on the role gender quotas for local governing bodies could play in reducing global deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions while also curbing local inequalities. "When policymakers think about what to do to increase conservation around the world, gender quotas don't even come up as a viable policy instrument," said Krister Andersson, a political science professor at University of Colorado Boulder in the US. Previous research has shown that women tend to have a greater affinity for the ...
Innovative recycling humanising Panama prison
A group of prisoners at the infamous La Joyita prison in Panama has devised a manual recycling program to revolutionise not only the prison but also their own lives.
Two US ships sail through Taiwan Strait
The US sailed two ships through the Taiwan Strait, in an operation that comes as top officials from President Donald Trump's administration prepare to travel to Beijing for high-level trade talks.
Tiger undergoes lip operation
An 11-year-old Royal Bengal tiger at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) here has been operated upon for removal of a growth on its lip, an official said Sunday. This is the second such operation on the same tiger carried out by the authorities, said the SGNP official. "The tiger called 'Yash' had underwent a surgery in August last year," said SGNP veterinary officer Dr Shailesh Pethe. "The growth was noticed on the left side of the lower lip of the big cat. After detailed inspection, we decided to remove it," he said. The removed part is 2.5 inch long and weighs 120 gram. The officials are now awaiting the biopsy report of the mass, he added. Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a protected area near Mumbai. It was formerly known as Borivali National Park.
518 million years old soft tissues found in China
Scientists have discovered a "stunning" trove of thousands of fossils on a river bank in China.
Malaysia threatens EU fighter jet boycott over palm oil
Malaysia may retaliate against an EU plan to curb palm oil use by purchasing new fighter jets from China instead of European arms companies, its leader said Sunday. The Southeast Asian country is the world's second largest palm oil producer after neighbouring Indonesia, and recently threatened to challenge the bloc's plan to phase out its use in biofuels at the World Trade Organisation. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have been at loggerheads with EU lawmakers over the crop's cultivation, which has caused rampant deforestation and destruction of wildlife. In his strongest statement yet on the proposed curbs, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said his country could look elsewhere to upgrade its ageing air force fleet of Russian Mig-29 fighters -- in effect abandoning plans to purchase France's Rafale jet or the Eurofighter Typhoon. "If they keep on taking action against us, we will think of buying airplanes from China or any other country," he was quoted as saying by the official ..
Rahul Gandhi believes thinks potato grows on trees, says Yogi Adityanath
Congress president Rahul Gandhi thinks that "potatoes grow on trees as mango does and there are sugar trees, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Sunday."I was listening to one of the sentences of 'Kul-Deepak' of 'Naamdars.' He said that sugarcane trees have not been planted. He also said that if his government is formed, it will grow one and a half feet of potato. He thinks that potato grows on trees as mango does," said Yogi, while addressing a public meeting."Once in Amethi, the farmers requested him for sugarcane mill in the area saying that there are none in the area. He said that there is no need for sugarcane mills. If the need arises he will plant sugar trees from which sugar cane be taken out directly," said Yogi."When we came to power, farmers were in distress. They were in debt. After coming to power we waived off the loans of 75,000 farmers alone in Saharanpur. We have given them the required minimum support price (MSP) for their crops," said ...
Over 500 million years old fossil trove unearthed in China
Scientists in China have discovered a "stunning" trove of well-preserved thousands of fossils estimated to be about 518 million years old on a river bank in the country's central Hubei province. The fossils are particularly unusual because the soft body tissue of many creatures, including their skin, eyes, and internal organs, have been "exquisitely" well preserved. Palaeontologists have called the findings "mind-blowing" - especially because more than half the fossils are previously undiscovered species, the BBC reported. The fossils, known as the Qingjiang biota, were collected near Danshui river in Hubei province. More than 20,000 specimens were collected, and a total of 4,351 have been analysed so far, including worms, jellyfish, sea anemones and algae. They will become a "very important source in the study of the early origins of creatures", one of the fieldwork leaders, Prof Xingliang Zhang from China's Northwest University, told the BBC. The discovery is particularly ...
Tap oceanic resources but prevent degradation: Naidu
While tapping vast ocean resources, every effort must be taken to prevent further degradation of the ocean and its ecosystem, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday.
Focus on 'blue economy' will boost growth: Vice President
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said a focused approach in areas such as minerals and energy from oceans can help India become the third largest economy in the next 10-15 years. Addressing scientists at the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) near here, he said that at the same time, further degradation of marine ecosystems should be prevented. "I strongly feel that focused approach in some of the areas such as minerals and energy from oceans can make India a global leader and serve our national goals," Naidu said. India should tap the enormous potential of 'blue economy' to achieve higher economic growth and initiate programs for "sustainable harnessing of ocean resources", he said. "However, while pursuing 'blue growth', every effort must be made by all stakeholders, including private and public sectors, to prevent further degradation of the ocean and its ecosystems," the vice president said. Blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic ...
Russian arrested smuggling drugged orangutan in Indonesia
Authorities say they have arrested a Russian tourist who was attempting to smuggle a drugged orangutan out of Indonesia's resort island of Bali. Ketut Catur Marbawa from Bali province's conservation agency says 27-year-old Andrei Zhestkov was captured late Friday at the airport after an X-ray found the 2-year-old male orangutan in a rattan basket inside his luggage. Marbawa said Sunday that customs officers also found allergy pills, two geckos and five lizards in the man's suitcase. All animals the animals were alive. He said that Zhestkok told authorities he deliberately fed the orangutan allergy pills mixed with milk, causing the animal to lose consciousness for up to three hours. He told them he planned to re-dose the animal during a transit in Seoul.
Samples of mosquitoes, dead crows sent to NIV Alappuzha to find West Nile Virus's source
Samples of mosquitoes and dead crows have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Alappuzha to find the source of the West Nile Virus which claimed the life of a six-year-old boy in Kerala's Malappuram district. West Nile Fever is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease and is related to viruses that cause Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever and St Louis encephalitis. It is transmitted to humans via mosquito bites. The mosquitoes get the virus through infected birds. "Human infection is most often due to bites from infected mosquitoes. To date, no human-to-human transmission of WNV through casual contact has been documented. "Infection with WNV is either asymptomatic (no symptoms) in around 80 per cent of infected people, or can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease," a senior Health Ministry official said. A government official said samples of mosquitoes were collected from various sites in Venniyoor in Malappuram district by the Vector Control Department officials ..
Nepal to fix electronic chips on animals to monitor them
Authorities in Nepal have planned to fit electronic chips on animals including cows and oxen to keep a record of loitering cattle in Kathmandu, a media report said Sunday. The chips may be installed on the ear or neck of an animal, The Kathmandu Post reported. "We will have a control room to monitor those animals," Dhanapati Sapkota, chief of the Implementation Department at the metropolis, said. He said his office is planning to maintain a database of households that keep animals such as cows and calves. The metropolis held a meeting with officials from Animal Nepal, a non-profit organisation working to set a standard of animal welfare. "We'll be helping the metropolis for the installation of chips and handling the data," said Bishnu Prasad Joshi, former chief of the municipal police. The metropolis has been consulting with other organisations as well and seeking technical consultancy to curb the problem of stray cattle. "The metropolis had started a drive two decades ago of lifting .
Traffic-choked Jakarta inaugurates mass rapid transit system
Indonesia's capital inaugurated its first mass rapid transit system on Sunday, a USD 1.1 billion project seen as crucial to tackling some of the world's worst traffic congestion. President Joko Widodo and other officials joined a ceremony in Jakarta to give a green light for the 16-kilometre (10 mile) line, almost six years after construction began on the Japanese-backed project. Tens of thousands of excited Jakartans were in attendance and eager to try riding on the subway for the first time, mobbing the president for selfies while music blared and traditional performers danced on a nearby stage. "Honestly I am so happy," office worker Mutia Fitrianti told AFP. "Now we don't have to go abroad just to ride an MRT." The train system runs above and below ground and stretches from the central Hotel Indonesia to the southern reaches of the Southeast Asian megalopolis of some 30 million people. It aims to cut travel times between the two points to just 30 minutes from around two hours, ...
Bolsonaro says Brazil owes world nothing on environment
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday said his country "does not owe the world anything" when it comes to the environment. The far right leader, who is critical of the Paris climate change accord, was speaking in Chile following Friday's launch off PROSUR, a conservative-minded group of South American leaders. He said he had thanked his counterpart President Sebastian Pinera for agreeing to host in December 2019 the 25th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP25), originally planned in Brazil. Brazil has declined to host the event, citing impossible objectives. "We can't do a deal in which some off the goals are unattainable," he said. "Brazil does not owe the world anything when it comes to environmental protection." Seven right-wing South American presidents -- including Bolsonaro and Colombia's Ivan Duque -- gathered in Santiago to launch the new regional Forum for the Progress of South America (PROSUR). Pinera and Duque were behind the idea of creating a new bloc to replace .
Two die while cleaning restaurant waste plant
Two employees suffocated to death, while two others were injured on Saturday after they entered a kitchen waste treatment plant of a restaurant here to clean it, a police officer said.
