Page 152 - Environment

Emergency ascent in Indian Ocean as sub fills with smoke

A British scientist and her American pilot made an emergency ascent from 100 meters (328 feet) beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean on Tuesday after smoke filled the cockpit of their submersible. The pair with the British-led Nekton Mission investigating climate change off the Seychelles was safe and recovering on the mother ship. An electrical fire was being investigated. The mission said it expected to be back in the water on Wednesday, adding that emergency procedures had worked well. The sub was off Aldabra Island when pilot Robert Carmichael smelled smoke and immediately began to ascend. He told The Associated Press he quickly fitted breathing masks to his passenger, Molly Rivers, and himself. He began an emergency rise to the surface as the oxygen indicator fell to zero. "It's the greatest fear: fire inside the cockpit. Your greatest fear. Where are you going to go?" Carmichael said. A member of the sub's support team said it took 23 minutes to reach the surface. The vessel ..

ABECA demands 50pc reduction in power tariff

The All Bengal Electricity Consumers' Association (ABECA) on Tuesday organised a rally here, demanding reduction in tariff by 50 per cent and free power to farmers. ABECA also pressed for withdrawal of amendments to the Electricity Act, 2013, asserting those will be not in the interest of consumers. Average power tariff in West Bengal is around Rs 6 a unit.

Bombay HC pulls up Maha govt, BMC on coastal road project

The Bombay High Court Tuesday questioned the state authorities on how could they begin work on a coastal road project without determining whether it was going to adversely affect fishing communities and breeding ground for fish along the proposed road. A bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N M Jamdar said while development was essential, it could not come at the cost of citizens. The court also took strong exception to apparent "lack of coordination" among the agencies involved in the project. It noted that while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed to have all requisite data on issues like the number of people being affected and breeding ground for fish along the proposed area, the state fisheries department and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest did not have any information on the same. BMC counsel Anil Sakhre told the court while a survey had been conducted in the Worli area to identify people and livelihoods that would be affected by a ...

NGT directs MHRD to submit info on rainwater harvesting systems in Kendriya, Navodaya Vidyalayas

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Ministry of Human Resource Development to inform it within a week about the status of installation of rainwater harvesting systems in Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas here. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore also rejected the request of two schools to exempt them from paying Rs 5 lakh as environmental compensation for failing to install the rainwater harvesting systems on their premises. The green panel said that it was of the considered opinion that the applicants --Qaumi Senior International School and Madhu Bala Institute for Communication and Electronic Media -- were not at all sincere to comply with the order of the tribunal. It said they did not timely approach the committee to get exempted and receive a certificate if it was really not possible to install rainwater harvesting systems on their premises. "The counsel for the Ministry of Human Resource Development submits that so far as installation of rainwater harvesting .

WB, MP, Raj & Delhi haven't certified single beneficiary under PM-KISAN plan: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Tuesday regretted that non-BJP ruled states, including West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, have not certified even a single farmer for transfer of the first installment of Rs 2,000 under the PM-KISAN scheme. In the interim Budget 2019-20, the central government had announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year will be given in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares. "Let politics not come in way of farmers' interest. West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Delhi govts. have not certified a single beneficiary for the PM-KISAN payment. Karnataka has certified only 17 farmers," Jaitley said in a tweet. The government has earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for disbursal among 12 crore farmers under the scheme in the current financial year. As per a government release, Rs 4,366.41 crore have been transferred under the scheme to about 2.18 crore farmers till ..

4 peacocks found dead in Rajasthan's Bhilwara

Four peacocks were found dead on Tuesday at Khakharmala vilage in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district, police said. The village sarpanch informed the police after the carcasses were found on a government land, Raipur police station in-charge Surendra Kumar Godhra said. He said the cause of death will be known after post-mortem and no case has been registered yet. Wildlife activist Babulal Jajoo said poachers illegally sell the bird's meat and feathers and alleged that the state government has failed to make efforts for peacock conservation. Last year, 250 peacocks were killed in Nainwa of Bundi and 300 in Nagaur, Jajoo claimed. The peacock is India's national bird and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

2 cattle smugglers arrested in J&K's Kathua

Two alleged cattle smugglers were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district and 16 animals were rescued from their vehicles, police said Tuesday. The two vehicles carrying the cattle were intercepted in Chadwal area on Monday, they said. A case has been registered against the duo under relevant sections and further investigation is underway, they said.

Report expresses concern over rate of groundwater depletion in

India accounts for almost one-fourth of the total groundwater extracted globally, more than that of China and the US combined thus using the largest amount of groundwater 24 per cent of the global total, according to a new report. Export of food and clothing items, while important sources of income, exacerbates this problem if production is not made sustainable, making it harder for many poor and marginalised communities to get access to clean water supply, warned the report released by WaterAid to mark World Water Day on March 22. The report by WaterAid, a non-profit organisation, titled "Beneath the Surface: The State of the World's Water 2019", said India accounted for almost one-fourth of the total groundwater extracted globally, more than that of China and the US combined. It said India also used the largest amount of groundwater 24 per cent of the global total - and the country's rate of groundwater depletion increased by 23 per cent between 2000 and ...

Hawaii weighs first-in-nation plastic bans at restaurants

Hawaii would be the first state in the US to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean. Dozens of cities across the country have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii's measure would make it the first to do so statewide. The liberal state has a history of prioritising the environment it's mandated renewable energy use and prohibited sunscreen ingredients that harm coral. A second, more ambitious proposal would go even further and prohibit fast-food and full-service restaurants from distributing and using plastic drink bottles, utensils, stirring sticks, bags and straws. The Hawaii efforts would be stricter than in California, which last year became the first state to ban full-service restaurants from automatically giving out plastic straws, and broader than in Seattle, San Francisco and other cities that have banned some single-use plastics. Activists believe the foam container measure has a better chance of passing

After antelopes, the Great Indian Bustard's survival is threatened by dogs

After antelopes, dogs have emerged as a major threat to the endangered Great Indian Bustard, inspite of conservation and breeding projects underway in the state to stop the bird, one of the heaviest flying birds, from being extinct. According to wildlife enthusiasts, the bird is falling prey to stray dogs in desert areas of Jaisalmer, where the number of the canines has seen a spurt. "These dogs have emerged as a major threat to conservation efforts. They kill the birds and even destroy their eggs," said Radheshyam Pemani, a wildlife enthusiast from Pokhran. He said dogs routinely attack the birds in evening, when they come out to feed. The weight of the bird which can be up to 15kg proves fatal for it when dogs attack. If the bird is alert, it takes a flight away from dogs but a delay weakens its chances of survival. Until 1980s, up to 2000 Great Indian Bustards could be found in western India, reports say. But due to rampant poaching and dwindling grasslands, their population ...

K'taka Deputy CM rubbishes reports of 'poisonous' food in Indira Canteen

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Monday rubbished reports which claimed that food being served in Indira canteen is "poisonous.""Have asked the Commissioner to submit a report to me, taking samples from all 198 wards and get it examined from the lab. Some reports said it (food served in Indira Canteen) is poisonous, it cannot be poisonous. We cannot be feeding poisonous food to people," he told ANI.Parameshwara's remarks came after reports surfaced that the food being served in Indira Canteen is "unfit for human consumption."Indira Canteen is a food subsidisation programme being operated by the Government of Karnataka. The programme was launched in August 2017 to provide meals at subsidised rates.

Putin visits Crimea to mark 5th anniversary of annexation

Russian President Vladimir Putin is marking the fifth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine by visiting the Black Sea peninsula. Putin on Monday attended the launch of new power plants in Crimea, part of Moscow's efforts to upgrade the region's infrastructure. Ukraine has cut off energy supplies to the peninsula and blocked shipments of Crimea-bound cargo via its territory after Moscow annexed the region in 2014. Russia's modernisation effort has included the construction of a 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) bridge across the Kerch Strait linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov that opened last year. The USD 3.6-billion project helped facilitate links with Crimea, which previously depended on a ferry crossing that was often interrupted by gales. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 following a hastily called referendum, a move that drew US and EU sanctions.

Govt cautions against fraudulent websites for KUSUM scheme registration

The government Monday cautioned against fake websites claiming to be registration portal for Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme and said such websites may be misusing the collected data. The scheme, formulated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), aims to promote use of solar energy among the farmers. "It has been noticed that few websites have cropped up claiming to be registration portal for KUSUM scheme. Such websites are potentially duping general public and misusing data captured through fake registration portal," the ministry said in a statement. The MNRE further said that DISCOMs or electricity distribution companies and state nodal agencies shall implement the KUSUM scheme for which the detailed guidelines will be issued soon. All potential beneficiaries must avoid depositing any registration fee or sharing important data on fake websites, it said, adding "they can contact their DISCOMs/state renewable energy nodal agencies or can visit ...

Need to reduce waste at household-level to minimise burden: Environment experts

Environment experts and policymakers Monday stressed on the need for using technology and reducing waste at household-level in order to manage it effectively. In a conference held in the city to address the issue of waste management, the experts said "a mass movement" was required to reduce the burden of waste in the country. Speaking at the event, National Green Tribunal chairperson Justice A K Goel said, "Better monitoring, increased awareness and use of technology can help us in scientifically managing this problem. Marketing strategies have to be brought in to create livelihood options." Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, while delivering the keynote address said, "We need to reduce and segregate waste at the household-level and the political leadership of municipalities has to be held accountable for this. A huge mass movement has to happen to create this new India." According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the total municipal solid waste generation in urban ...

India's sugar production rises 5.9% till 15 March in SS 2018-19

154 mills have stopped crushing and 373 sugar mills in the country continue their crushing

Guj: 3-year-old leopardess run over on highway in Valsad

A three-year-old leopardess was knocked down by a speeding vehicle on the Vadodara-Mumbai Highway in Valsad district, a senior forest department official said Monday. The incident happened around 9:45pm on Sunday near Atul village in Valsad, about 160 kilometres from here, B Suchindra, Valsad Deputy Conservator of Forests, said. "The 3-year-old leopardess was possibly crossing the highway when she came under a speeding vehicle. She had severe head injuries," he said. "The post mortem has revealed it died of internal haemorrhage. The carcass has been burnt as per laid down guidelines," he added.

Sugar output up 6% at 273.47 lakh tonne till Mar 15 this season

Sugar production rose by 6 per cent to 273.47 lakh tonne till March 15 of the current marketing year ending September 2019, helped by higher output in Maharashtra and Karnataka where mills started their operations early, according to industry data. The country had produced 258.20 lakh tonne sugar in the year-ago period, the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement. "During 2018-19 sugar season, 527 sugar mills were in operation and they have produced 273.47 lakh tonne of sugar till March 15, 2019," the ISMA said. As many as 154 mills have stopped crushing and 373 sugar mills are continuing their crushing operations. Mills in Maharashtra and Karnataka are closing fast and their crushing season is on the verge of closing. According to the ISMA, sugar production in Maharashtra till March 15 was 100.08 lakh tonne as against 93.84 lakh tonne in the year-ago period. In Uttar Pradesh, production was almost flat at 84.14 lakh tonne compared with 84.39 lakh tonnes in the ...

Japan to make crater on asteroid to get samples from inside

Japan's space agency said Monday that its Hayabusa2 spacecraft will follow up last month's touchdown on a distant asteroid with another risky mission to drop an explosive to make a crater and collect underground samples to get possible clues to the origin of the solar system. Hayabusa2 made history on Feb. 22 when it successfully touched down on the boulder-rich asteroid, where it also collected some surface fragments. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Hayabusa2 is to drop a copper impactor the size of a baseball and weighing 2 kilograms on the asteroid on April 5 to collect samples from deeper underground where they had not been exposed to the sun or space rays. The new mission will require an immediate evacuation of the spacecraft to the other side of the asteroid so it won't get hit by flying shards from the blast, JAXA said. While moving away, Hayabusa2 will leave a camera to capture the outcome. The mission will allow JAXA scientists to analyze details of a crater to ..

Freida Pinto urges people to act on climate change

Ahead of the premiere of "Wild Edens: South Asia" documentary in India, actress Freida Pinto urged people to "focus on the planet before the effects of global warming become absolutely irreversible".

Dead whale in Philippines ate 40 kg of plastic

A young whale that washed up in the Philippines had died from "gastric shock" after eating 40 kg of plastic bags, the media reported on Monday.