Page 149 - Environment
Official booked after cows' death in Gorakhpur
An official was booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCAA) on Saturday after two cows allegedly died due to hunger in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district. On Thursday, residents found carcasses of the animals from a shelter house in Bansgaon Nagar Panchayat after foul smell started emanating from the unit. The nagar panchayat is responsible for the upkeep of stray animals at the shelter house, officials said. Angry locals had lodged a protest and met officials of the administrative area, seeking action against the officials responsible and demanded proper care of animals. Bansgaon sub-divisional magistrate Arun Kumar Mishra said an FIR had been registered against tax collector Santosh Singh and a probe was underway.
City residents take out protest march against 'hazardous' Okhla waste-to-energy plant
A number of civil society organisations and city residents Saturday took out a march to protest the alleged failure of authorities to shut down a waste-to-energy plant in Okhla, saying toxic emissions from it were polluting the area. The protesters said the Okhla plant is situated in a densely-populated part of South Delhi. The incinerator is close to Sukhdev Vihar, Ishwar Nagar, New Friends Colony, Jasola, Sarita Vihar, Haji Colony and Ghaffar Manzil. They said a joint panel of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee had told the Supreme Court in September 2018 that the plants at Okhla, Ghazipur and Narela-Bawana were not complying with the emission standards. Unconcerned about the pollution problem, the operator of the plant was seeking to increase its capacity from 16 megawatts to 20 megawatts, the residents claimed.
Work on water solvent extraction unit to start soon
Construction of the Rs 150 crore solvent extraction plant of the Heavy Water Board's (HWB) in Thoothukudi will begin soon after regulatory approvals, said a top official.
Officials act after residents complain against poultry farms
Officials from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services visited the Kanagalasara village of Shivamogga district after residents complained of the area near poultry farms becoming a breeding ground for flies."We visited five poultry farms on Friday and found that disposal of waste products is not being done properly," said Sadashiva, a Deputy Director."We will take immediate steps to control the situation by instructing local authorities to close these poultry farms," he said..
Health systems need to be strengthened, capable of adapting to climate change: Experts
There is an increasing need to strengthen health systems to be climate resilient and adaptable to mitigate the impacts of climate change, Chief Scientist at WHO Soumya Swaminathan said Saturday. "We have seen in India and other parts of the world the devastating impacts of climate change on people's health but also the damaging impacts of institutions which are providing healthcare like primary healthcare centers and hospitals. "We need to design healthcare facilities to be climate adaptable, for example health centres being less dependent on fossil fuel and adapting to renewable energy sources," she said in a video address at the National Health Conclave 2019. She said electricity and running water are absolutely essential to provide quality healthcare facilities to the people. Other area of focus is the use of plastics and cost effective, environment-friendly and effective disposal of plastic in our health systems, she said. The Centre for Environmental Health (CEH), a Centre of ...
NASA astronauts spacewalk to change ISS batteries
Two NASA astronauts - Nick Hague and Anne McClain - have successfully completed an over six hour spacewalk and replaced the ageing batteries on the International Space Station (ISS).
Plant scraps key component in making cheap, sustainable jet fuel
Researchers in China have found a way to convert plant waste from agriculture and timber into high-density aviation fuel.The research was published in the journal of Joule. The researchers found that this type of jet fuel would help in reducing Carbon Dioxide discharge from airplanes and rockets.Cellulose is the main component in the biofuel. It is a cheap, renewable, and highly abundant polymer that forms the cell walls of plants. While chain alkanes (such as branched octane, dodecane, and hexadecane) have previously been derived from cellulose for use in jet fuel, the researchers believe this is the first study to produce more complex polycycloalkane compounds that can be used as high-density aviation fuel."Our biofuel is important for mitigating CO2 emissions because it is derived from biomass and it has higher density compared with conventional aviation fuels. As we know, the utilization of high-density aviation fuel can significantly increase the range and payload of aircraft ...
New method to purify water used in oil refinement
Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a process to remove nearly all traces of oil in produced water -- a byproduct from the oil refinery and extraction process. About 2.5 billion gallons of produced water is generated each day in the US. Handling that water is a major challenge in the oil refinery industry, particularly because it is deemed unusable for household and commercial use because of remaining contaminants. Several commercial treatments are available, but they are expensive, do not remove all traces of contaminants from water and can be energy-intensive. Researchers at the Purdue University in the US have developed a process to remove nearly all traces of oil in produced water. The process uses activated charcoal foam and subjects it to solar light to produce heat and purify the water. The foam absorbs the oil contaminants from the water. "This is a simple, clean and inexpensive treatment process," said Ashreet Mishra, a graduate research assistant at ...
Suspension of license 'unfortunate', says Ola
Ola Cabs on Friday termed the suspension of its license in Karnataka 'unfortunate' while reaffirming that the company is "evaluating all options to find an amicable solution" for its driver-partners in Karnataka to continue working."We have been closely working with the authorities on this topic, responding to queries and making proactive representations to the ministry. Despite other companies continuing to operate illegally, Ola halted our bike taxi experiment weeks ago, instead seeking the state's cooperation to develop a legal framework for a pilot that will continue to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the mobility economy," the company said in a statement."This notification is unfortunate, and we look forward to an opportunity to address these concerns directly with state officials to find a solution for our driver-partners and millions of Ola users in Karnataka," it added.Ola Cabs' aggregator license was suspended for a period of six months by the Karnataka ...
Sri Lanka tests artificial rains to avoid power cuts
A spokesman says Sri Lanka has successfully conducted a test on artificial rains in the tea-growing mountain region where hydroelectric power is generated, in a bid to avoid possible power cuts during the dry season. Ushantha Warnakumara, a spokesman at the ministry of power and energy, said an aircraft from the Sri Lanka Air Force sprayed chemicals on Friday on clouds about 8,000 feet above one of the reservoirs that provide water to generate hydroelectric power, resulting in a 45-minute rain. The ministry resorted to creating artificial rains because the dry season has reduced water levels in the reservoirs used to generate hydroelectric power. One-hour to two-hour power cuts have occurred since last week in many parts as the country, which has been experiencing a severe dry season.
Residents file PIL on damage to mangroves due to road project
A group of city residents moved the Bombay High Court Friday, highlighting a potential threat to mangroves in suburban Versova from the proposed construction of three link roads in the area. In a PIL filed before a bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N M Jamdar, the petitioners, all residents of a private housing society in Versova, said the Maharashtra government had proposed to construct three link roads between Versova and Lokhandwala areas. The proposed roads, however, will destroy a major portion of mangroves around the Versova coast, the PIL claimed. According to the petitioners's lawyer Shreni Shetty, the residents first wrote to the state authorities in 2013, pointing out the contractor carrying out soil testing for the project had dumped the equipment close to the mangroves. However, they did not receive any response from the state, Shetty told the bench. They continued raising the issue with several state departments and finally approached the high court, the ...
Water Security For All a Himalayan task (March 22 is World Water Day)
More than any other factor in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region (HKH), rapid and often haphazard economic development and population growth, coupled with climate change, threaten the concept of Water Security For All.
'India needs educated leaders', says AAP mocking at PM's climate change remark
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday mocked at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that "it is not the climate but we have changed" while interacting with students in 2014.AAP, in its Twitter handle, titled the old video of Modi's interaction as "This is why India needs educated leaders".AAP tweeted, "Actually Climate change nahi hua hain, hum change hogaye hain": @narendramodi #BestQuotesOfModi."In the video, a girl child can be heard saying, "We in Assam feel very concerned about the climate change. Sir, how can you help and guide us to protect our pristine environment?"Replying to the child's question, the Prime Minister says, "Even small children these days are discussing climate change and environmental change."At the end of the video, Prime Minister is heard saying, "Similarly, it is not the climate but we have changed."The Lok Sabha election for all the seven seats in Delhi is scheduled to be conducted in a single phase.The results of the election will be announced on May 23.
Scientists convert plant waste into jet fuel
Chinese scientists have developed a method that could convert plant scraps from agriculture and timber harvesting into high quality jet fuel, an advance which may help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from airplanes and rockets.
Over 50 drunken drivers challaned on Holi in Shimla
Over 50 drunken drivers were challaned in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla on Holi, police said on Friday. The driving licences of these drunken drivers will soon be sent to the transport department with the recommendation of suspension, Shimla Superintendent of Police Omapati Jamwal said. They were challaned under a special drive on Holi Thursday as there is a common complaint from the public of nuisance caused by drunken drivers under the garb of celebrating the festival, he added.
Many sharks closer to extinction than feared: Red List
Human appetites are pushing makos and other iconic sharks to the brink of extinction, scientists warned in a new assessment of the apex predator's conservation status. Seventeen of 58 species evaluated were classified as facing extinction, the Shark Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation (IUCN) said late Thursday in an update of the Red List of threatened animals and plants. "Our results are alarming," said Nicholas Dulvy, who chairs the grouping of 174 experts from 55 countries. "The sharks that are especially slow-growing, sought-after and unprotected from overfishing tend to be the most threatened." That category includes the shortfin mako, whose cruising speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) -- punctuated by bursts of more than 70 km/h -- makes it the fastest of all sharks. Along with its longfin cousin, the two makos are highly prized for their flesh and fins, considered a delicacy in Chinese and other Asian culinary traditions. "Today, one of the biggest shark ...
Clean water is essential to eliminating neglected tropical diseases: WHO
The World Health Organisation, on the occasion of World Water Day on Friday, said access to clean and safe water for all is fundamental to controlling and eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in south-east Asia. Regional Director of WHO (south-east Asia) Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said alongside other interventions, access to clean water was a powerful means to ensure all communities combat tropical diseases and that in partnership with health authorities achievements can be sustained and progress accelerated. Referring to recent figures which showed south-east Asia was the world's second-most affected region by NTDs, with remote and hard-to-reach communities bearing the bulk of the burden, Singh said, "It was no coincidence that these are the very same communities that are most disadvantaged when it comes to accessing clean and safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)". National NTD programmes region-wide should work with partners and across sectors to target affected ...
12-year-old tiger killed, eaten by another in MP's Kanha
An adult tiger was killed and eaten by another tiger in the Kanha national park in Madhya Pradesh, an official said Friday. This was the second incident of cannibalism reported from the Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) in the last two months. KTR field director L Krishnamurty said initial probe suggests the tiger, aged 12, possibly died following a territorial fight with another wild cat. The dead feline was known as T-36 and its carcass was spotted Thursday by a patrolling party, he said. The patrolling party spotted another tiger, identified as eight-year old T-56, eating the carcass of T-36 in the Magarnala forest area under Kisli zone of KTR, Krishnamurty said. The forest team is still monitoring the area, he said. In the third week of January, a tiger had killed and eaten a tigress in KTR.
Stalin picks expressway project to target CM in his home town
DMK president M K Stalin assured a gathering that the Salem-Chennai Expressway project would be scrapped and the existing highway developed as promised in his party manifesto. Attacking Palaniswami Chief Minister K Palaniswami for being "obstinate," in implementing the project that was opposed by "thousands of people," Stalin said about 8,000 acres of farm land will be hit if the project was implemented. Addressing an election rally in his native district, the DMK chief, who is the leader of opposition, said farmers in Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and Salem districts were stoutly opposing the project. The Rs 10,000 crore eight lane Salem-Chennai expressway project of the AIADMK government ran into rough weather following opposition from environment activists and a section of people including farmers over fears of losing their land. Backing the project, Palaniswami, who piloted it, had said 89 per cent of the people did not oppose land acquisition
SC notice to U'khand govt on plea seeking restoration of forest area in Pauri
The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Uttarakhand government on a plea seeking restoration of forest area in Gadoli-Mandakhal in the state's Pauri district. A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta issued notices to the Uttarakhand government and others while directing them to file their replies in six weeks. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Subir Mario Chowfin, who had approached the apex court against the October 8, 2018 order of the tribunal, dismissing his plea noting that he had undertaken multiple proceedings before various forums and multiple cause of actions have been raised in his petition. Noting that the case is one where plural remedies have been raised on different cause of action, the NGT had junked his plea. Chowfin has claimed that Gadoli and Mandakhal villages in Pauri is a forest area and alleged that despite the injunction orders, non-forest activity is still being carried on in the forest area or a deemed forest area. "Direct the ...
