Page 150 - Environment
Farmers in Kenya rear insects on waste for animal proteins (Environment Feature)
Farmers in Kenya are rearing insects commercially on human and food waste and other organic remains. The reared insects are utilised as protein-rich insect-based products for animal feed.
Lack of waste management in Bihar can lead to emergency-like situation: NGT
Noting that lack of waste management in Bihar can lead to an emergency-like situation, the NGT has directed the Bihar chief secretary to submit a quarterly report on implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel ordered that at least three major cities and three major towns in the state and three panchayats in every district may be notified as model cities, towns or villages. They will be made fully compliant within the next six months. "The remaining cities, towns and village panchayats of the state may be made fully compliant in respect of environmental norms within one year. A quarterly report be furnished by the chief secretary, every three months. First such report shall be furnished by June 30," the bench said. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the chief secretary to personally monitor the progress, at least once in a month, with all the district magistrates and it said that the officers concerned ..
Cyclone Idai deaths could exceed 1,000 as need for aid grows
Even as flood waters began to recede in parts of Mozambique on Friday, fears rose that the death toll could soar as bodies are revealed. The number of deaths could be beyond the 1,000 predicted by the country's president earlier this week, said Elhadj As Sy, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies In addition to worries about the number of dead, As Sy told The Associated Press that the humanitarian needs are great. "They are nowhere near the scale and magnitude of the problem," As Sy said. "And I fear we will be seeing more in the weeks and months ahead, and we should brace ourselves." Thousands of people were making a grim voyage toward the city of Beira, which although 90 percent destroyed has become a center for frantic rescue efforts throughout the region. Some walked along roads carved away by the raging waters a week ago. Others, hundreds of them, were ferried in an extraordinary makeshift effort by local fishermen who ...
Leopard found dead in UP's Maharajganj
A leopard was found dead on Friday morning at a village here which falls under the Gorakhpur Forest Division, a forest official said. "Some villagers spotted the carcass of the leopard in Natwa Jangal village which comes under Banki range Paniyara Dhawai beat of the Gorakhpur forest division," a senior forest department official said. It was not immediately known how the leopard died, the official said, adding the post-mortem report is awaited.
4 Indian-Americans awarded for environment inventions
Four Indian American teenagers have been awarded $25,000 each for developing innovative approaches to address environmental issues.
Death toll rises to 47 in China chemical plant blast
The death toll in an explosion that took place at Chenjiagang Tianjiayi chemical plant here on Thursday afternoon rose to 47, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Friday.According to the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management, around 90 people were injured in the incident. Thirty-two of them were in a critical condition.The injured were shifted to Xiangshui People's Hospital, about 300 kilometers north of Shanghai, in the wee hours of Friday morning.The chemical plant was reduced to rubble after the explosion.An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale was reported yesterday and it is speculated that it occurred due to the impact of the blast.A residential building, schools and vehicles in the vicinity of the plant were damaged.Firefighters and rescue personnel are at the site. However, the reason behind the explosion is yet to be ascertained, said the local authorities.SCMP quoted a report by Yangtse Evening Post, stating that the explosion took place at the ...
Dozens dead in Islamist attack in Burkina Faso: HRW
An offensive by Islamists in northern Burkina Faso has left dozens of civilians dead and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, Human Rights Watch said Friday. "Atrocities by Islamist armed groups in Burkina Faso's northern Sahel region and by security forces during counterterrorism operations have left scores dead and created widespread fear and displacement," the group said in a 62-page report. "The violence has forced tens of thousands of villagers to flee since early 2019," it said. "Scores of people have been murdered in what amounts to a dramatic deterioration in the rights situation in northern Burkina Faso," said Corinne Dufka, Sahel director at Human Rights Watch "Villagers are living in fear as both armed Islamists and government forces have demonstrated utter disregard for human life." More than 100,000 people have been displaced in the poor former French colony, over half of them since the start of 2019, officials have said. Around 4.3 million people have been ...
Attempts to subsume South-South cooperation in global aid architecture not helpful: India
India has cautioned that attempts to "subsume" the South-South cooperation in the international aid architecture are not helpful and do no justice to the future potential of cooperation between developing nations. SouthSouth cooperation is about developing countries working together to find solutions to common development challenges, according to the United Nations Office for SouthSouth Cooperation. It describes the exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between developing countries. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said: "More and better South-South cooperation now is on account of the global South enjoying more rapid and sustained economic growth. Yet, South-South cooperation retains its distinct nature and values, as well as diversity of forms and flows. It defies easy categorisation". The trajectory of global growth and the declining share of ODA (official development assistance) during the last decade or so has seen attempts to ...
'Rising South-South Cooperation no excuse to cut aid'
Enhanced South-South Cooperation among developing countries fuelled by the rapid economic growth of some in their ranks should not be used as an excuse by developed countries of the North to cut back aid, India has said.
Deer found dead in Hyderabad Central University campus
A deer was found dead in the campus of the Hyderabad Central University here.Forest Department officials said they received information that the carcass of a deer was found in the premises of Hyderabad Central University on Thursday.Immediately, officials reached the spot and found the body of the deer with some injuries on it. They also found scratches on the body and sent it for post-mortem.A case has been registered and investigation has been initiated.The Forest Department will serve a notice to the Vice Chancellor of the university to take care of the animals inside the campus.
Mizoram House passes Bill, to go dry from April 1
Mizoram is going to be a dry state, once again, from April 1 this year. The Mizoram Legislative Assembly has passed the Mizoram Liquor Prohibition Bill 2019, which seeks to ban consumption, manufacture and sale of liquor for general public.
People near burned Texas chemical plant told to stay indoors
Authorities on Thursday warned people to stay indoors after high levels of benzene were detected in the air near a scorched petrochemicals storage facility outside of Houston. Firefighters on Wednesday extinguished the blaze at the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, which started Sunday and destroyed several large tanks that contained gasoline and chemicals used in nail polish remover, glues and paint thinner. They continued to spray foam on the site Thursday to try to prevent flare-ups. Officials said Wednesday that benzene levels near the facility didn't pose a health concern. But authorities issued a shelter-in-place order Thursday due to "reports of benzene or other volatile organic compounds" in Deer Park, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Houston. Several school districts also cancelled classes for the day due to the air quality concerns. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who is the county's top administrator, said at a news conference Thursday ..
Magisterial probe ordered in building collapse as toll touches
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Dharwad building collapse, as the toll rose to 12 with five more bodies being pulled out from the debris. Police also arrested the building's design engineer Vivek Pawar while four other accused are at large including the relative of former Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni, police sources said. On the third day of rescue operation, bodies of five people, including that of eight-year-old Divya Unakal, Dakshayini (45) and Sangamesh (42), were retrieved from the rubble, police said. Kumaraswamy said at least 12 people had lost their lives and 54 people had been rescued, with fears that 14 more were still trapped. "A magisterial inquiry has been ordered. If required, government is ready for high level inquiry," Kumaraswamy told reporters after visiting the spot and speaking to the relatives of the victims and injured. Kumaraswamy said he cannot announce any compensation since the model
6 killed, over 30 injured as blast rocks China chemical plant
A powerful explosion ripped through an industrial park in eastern China on Thursday, killing at least six people and injuring over 30 others as it knocked down factory buildings, local officials said. The explosion occurred at about 2:48 pm (local time) following a fire in a fertilizer factory in a chemical industrial park in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, according to the government of Xiangshui county. Eye-witnesses said several workers were trapped after buildings were knocked down by the shockwave stated to be a mild tremor caused by the blast which took place in a pesticide plant. The blast also shattered windows of nearby residential houses. They said many workers were seen running out of the factory covered in blood after the blast, which also shattered windows of many nearby residential houses and damaged cars in the vicinity. At least six people were killed. Thirty people were seriously injured, state run China Daily reported. State-run Xinhua news agency reported that 12 people
China: Several injured in explosion in pesticide plant
An explosion took place at Chenjiagang Tianjiayi chemical plant here on Thursday afternoon.According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), several people have been reported injured and residential building, schools and vehicles in the vicinity of the plant were damaged.An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale was also reported and it is speculated that it occurred from the impact of the blast.Firefighters and rescue personnel are on the site, said the local authorities.SCMP quoted a report by Yangtse Evening Post, stating that the explosion took place at the Chenjiagang Tianjiayi chemical plant, which produces pesticides.The pesticide plant has received six administrative punishments for failures regarding solid waste management, environmental impact assessment and air pollution.
Piyush Goyal among seven Indians in 'World's 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy for 2019'
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Dr Harsh Vardhan are among the seven Indians who have been named in the 'World's 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy for 2019' for taking steps in order to combat climate change.The list, unveiled on the late evening of March 20, came on the official site of Apolitical, a global network for government helping public servants find the ideas, people and partners they need to solve the hardest challenges.Union Minister for Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal has led the fast track electrification of nearly 18,000 unelectrified villages, and been critical in the rollout of a drastic power sector reform and the world's largest LED bulb distribution programme, according to his profile on the website.Under his tenure, India saw a massive proliferation of renewable energy through the world's largest renewable energy expansion programme. He is a 2018 Carnot Prize Recipient for contributions to energy policy.Union Minister for Environment, Forest and ...
Canned air and water-spraying drones: Smog remedies
As millions of people in Asia choke under polluted skies, authorities have turned to water-dispersing drones and outdoor air purifiers to improve air quality, while companies have tried to cash in by selling everything from canned air to lung-purifying teas. According to the World Health Organisation, 92 percent of the population in the Asia Pacific region are exposed to levels of air pollution that pose a significant risk to their health, according to UN Environment. Here is a look at some of the ways those living under the haze try to limit minimize its effects. As public anger rises over toxic air, authorities have turned to spraying water, which is thought to stick to pollutants and carry them to the ground, but tools such as water cannons have been criticised as having little effect and being a "band-aid" solution that distracts from root causes. New Delhi - the world's most polluted major city - tried in 2017 to use helicopters to sprinkle water over the city, but the choppers ..
Estuarine Crocodile allegedly killed by fishermen
A group of fishermen allegedly killed a 10-foot-long estuarine crocodile at Nalitapatia village in Odishas Kendrapara district, Forest officials said Thursday. The officials said they have spotted the carcass of the crocodile near a bathing ghat on the Brahmani river in the village on Thursday. Its a sub-adult species. The body bore injury marks and it was most probably caught in the fishing net, they said. The croc had strayed into human settlement areas and had reportedly devoured domesticated animals. This might have angered the locals to kill the animal which enjoys 'protected' status under wildlife legal provisions, said sources. "As estuarine croc spotted dead comes under scheduled and protected animal, a case under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 has been registered. The reptiles body has been sent for post-mortem," said Divisional Forest Officer, B P Acharya. In all probability, the croc had fallen prey to unlawful fishing activity in prohibited water-bodies. The ...
Villagers ransack forest office, three forest staffers injured
A large group of villagers allegedly ransacked the range forest office at Vasai in Palghar district of Maharashtra, in which three forest staffers were injured, police said on Thursday. The incident took place on Wednesday morning, police said. According to a police official, residents of Belkadi village ransacked the office after some youths from their village were caught by the forest department on the suspicion of triggering a forest fire at Tungareshwar hills. "A mob of about 150 villagers ransacked the range forest office at Vasai in which at least three forest staffers were injured," senior inspector Vilas Chowgule of Valiv police station said. The members of the group were later booked under IPC sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 427 ...
Forest cover in Bengal gone up by 4.29%: Mamata
Marking the International Day of Forests on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that forest cover in the state has gone up by 4.29 per cent.
