Page 158 - Environment

No electricity, no votes: Locals in Uttarakshi threaten to boycott LS Polls

Even after 70 years of independence, people residing in over 68 villages of Uttarkashi district face a dearth of basic amenities, including a regular supply of power, and have threatened to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.Locals in as many as 40 villages in Mori-Purola area are living in the dark as the area does not contain grid-based electrification. Moreover, the region lacks adequate infrastructure, roads, and schools, locals claim. "We do not have any facilities here. We are very disappointed with the government. No MLA or any minister visits this place. Even if they come, they just remain in their guesthouses. We are planning to boycott the election," Upender Chauhan, a local, told ANI.Another local claimed that villagers in the region lack access to primary and community health centers, forcing them to travel to villages in Himachal Pradesh for treatment.Seven-phased elections in the country are slated to begin on April 11 and culminate on May 19, while counting of ...

Electricity almost fully restored in Venezuela: Minister

Venezuela's Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez has said that electricity has been "fully restored" nationwide after a massive blackout starting late last week affected most of the country.

Italy's Eni starts work on Pakistan, Tunisia solar plants

Rome, March 13 (IANS/AKI) Italian oil and gas giant Eni has begun building new solar energy plants in Tunisia and Pakistan in as part of its commitment to switching from fossil fuels to renewables and to promoting global sustainable development, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Environ think tank claims loopholes in Swachh Survekshan Survey 2019

An environment think-tank has claimed there were several loopholes in the Swachh Survekshan 2019 survey and ranking of cities. The Centre for Science and Environment claimed the on-ground assessment for the survey was completed in a mere 28 days to ensure the results were declared before the announcement of the election dates, noting the 2018 exercise was spread over 66 days. The Swachh Surveskshan awards were conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony here on March 6 in which Indore was adjudged India's cleanest city for a third straight year while the second and third positions in the category were grabbed by Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh and Mysore in Karnataka. The CSE said the survey did not use adequate numbers of expert and qualified surveyors and certifiers to visit cities for data collection and observation. "In fact, many state urban departments and city administrations have raised their concerns about the incompetence of the surveyors," it said. CSE Deputy Director ...

CM directs expedition of ongoing irrigation projects

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Tuesday directed that the construction of ongoing irrigation projects in erstwhile Mahabubnagar and Khammam districts be expedited and completed on fast track. Rao, who held a meeting with ministers and MLAs,suggested that if there was a reduction in water flow in projects the Krishna river, leading to unavailability of water, alternative arrangements be made to provide water from river Godavari, a release from his office said. He also said a project operation manual has to be formulated for maintenance of project, in addition to construction of every project, it said.

BSES to set up solar micro grids in east, central Delhi

In a major push to clean energy in the national capital, Delhi distribution company (discom) BSES, here on Tuesday, announced launch of a pilot project to set up solar micro grids in the east and central Delhi under the jurisdiction of BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL).

1,500 kg of sea cucumber seized near TutIcorin

Sea cucumber weighing around 1,500 kg was seized near here Tuesday, police said. The marine animals were found dumped on open ground near here by a special police team following a tip. They effected the seizure and handed over the catch to the forest department, police said. Sea cucumbers are classified as endangered species and their harvest is banned under the Wildlife Protection Act. It is a delicacy in many southeastern countries and fetch a handsome price in the international market.

US: Minorities bear disproportionate burden from air pollution, study suggests

According to a recent study, Black and Hispanic Americans population bear a disproportionate burden from air pollution caused mainly by non-Hispanic white Americans.As part of the study, researchers tried to quantifies for the first time the racial gap between who causes air pollution and who breathes it.Poor air quality is one of the largest environmental health risks in the United States. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is especially harmful and is responsible for more than 100,000 deaths each year from heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and other diseases.But not everyone is equally exposed to poor air quality, nor are all people equally responsible for causing it.Researchers found that PM2.5 pollution is disproportionately caused by the consumption of goods and services by the non-Hispanic white majority, but disproportionately inhaled by black and Hispanic minorities.In the report, researchers linked air pollution exposure to the consumption activities that cause it ..

BYPL commissions four solar microgrids with storage batteries in east Delhi

Power discom BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) has commissioned four solar microgrids with storage batteries in east Delhi which will help in reduction of carbon footprint and provide backup power in case of outages. Such solar microgrids will also be rolled out in south and west Delhi areas covered by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BYPL), a BSES spokesperson said. In east Delhi locations, BYPL has installed rooftop solar plants varying between 5 KW and 7 KW and energy battery storage between 7kWhr and 10 kWhr. The microgrids combine these solar plants with storage batteries, he said. The initial results show that the discom used only 8 per cent of grid power and balance 92 per cent was generated through rooftop solar plants and the micro grid system, including the storage batteries, the spokesperson said. "Around 1,245 litres of diesel and 0.24 million units of electricity amounting to around Rs 20 lakh can be saved on an annual basis by the solar microgrids, besides reducing carbon ...

Bombay HC allows MMRDA to cut mangroves for connector flyover

The Bombay High Court Tuesday permitted the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to destroy 14 mangroves in suburban Bandra to construct a flyover to connect Eastern and Western Express Highways and the Bandra Worli Sea Link. A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and S K Shinde allowed a petition filed by the MMRDA, seeking permission to destroy 0.0484 hectares of mangroves. The MMRDA's lawyer Saket Mone told the court that it has requisite permissions from all concerned authorities, including the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA). As per the MMRDA, the proposed flyover will connect eastern suburb Sion to Bandra and the Bandra Worli Sea Link. The court, while allowing the petition, observed that it has to consider larger public interest and the fact that the proposed flyover will ease traffic congestion. "The proposed project will provide direct access between Sion and the Bandra Worli sea link. This means a direct access from the Eastern ...

Air pollution deaths are double earlier estimates: study

Air pollution causes 790,000 premature deaths every year in Europe and 8.8 million worldwide, more than doubling recent assessments, according to a study released Monday. Between 40 and 80 per cent of those excess deaths are caused by heart attacks, strokes and other types of cardiovascular disease underestimated up to now as a driver of smog-related mortality, researchers reported. On average, a toxic cocktail of pollutants from vehicles, industry and agriculture shortens the lives of those who die prematurely by 2.2 years, they calculated. "This means that air pollution causes more extra deaths a year than tobacco smoking, which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates was responsible for an extra 7.2 million deaths in 2015," said senior author Thomas Munzel, a professor at the University Medical Centre Mainz in Germany. "Smoking is avoidable, but air pollution is not." Small and larger particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) have ...

Strong Bangladesh in India's interest: Kovind

A "strong, prosperous and progressive Bangladesh is in India's fundamental national interest", President Ram Nath Kovind said on Tuesday.

Vehicles appear to cause more pollution as compared to firecrackers: SC

The Supreme Court Tuesday said why people were "running after" firecracker industries when it seems that automobiles were "bigger" contributor to pollution, and asked the Centre whether there was any comparative study on pollution caused by both. While expressing serious concern over loss of jobs of people involved in manufacture and sale of firecrackers, a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer said, "We do not wish to generate unemployment." "Is there any comparative study on what proportion of pollution is caused by firecrackers and what proportion is caused by automobiles? It seems you are running after firecrackers, but bigger pollution contributor is perhaps vehicles," the bench told Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, who was appearing for the Centre. The top court said, "You must tell us some way of preventing unemployment also. We cannot have people unemployed and hungry. There are areas where firecrackers can be used." "We cannot give them (those who have lost ..

Automobiles seem to be a 'bigger polluter' than firecrackers, observes SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to give a comparative study on pollution caused by firecrackers and automobiles after observing that automobiles seem to be the "bigger polluter"."It seems people are running after firecrackers when vehicles are greater pollutants," a bench headed by Justice S A Bobde said.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Atmaram Nadkarni, a senior lawyer appearing for the Centre, told the court that the use of barium nitrate for crackers has been banned. Tests are being run to create a formula for green crackers.The top court sought to know if there is any data to show what proportion of pollution is caused by firecrackers in proportion to vehicles.It asked the Centre to give a comparative study on pollution caused by firecrackers and automobiles.The court also expressed concern over the rights of unemployed workers of the firecracker factories. "Can't leave them hungry," the bench said."We did not wish to generate unemployment. If the occupation is ...

UN Environment calls for rethink as resource use skyrockets

Resource extraction has more than tripled since 1970, including a five-fold increase in the use of non-metallic minerals and a 45 per cent increase in fossil fuel use, a UN Environment report said on Tuesday.

Gahirmatha may witness 2nd mass nesting of turtles this year

Gahirmatha beach in Odisha's Kendrapara district, the worlds largest rookery of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, may witness a second mass nesting of these species in coming days, Forest officials said on Tuesday. Over five lakh turtles have so far converged on the beach for mass nesting, that commenced on February 27, said S A Mishra, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division. "We are hopeful of turtles en-masse arrival on the beach to lay eggs for the second occasion this year because of perfect topography of the beach," he said. "We are of the view that with the climatic condition being conducive and beach topography ideal, the turnout of these marine creatures would recur again anytime from March last week and April first week," the forest official said. Earlier on one occasion, second mass nesting of turtles had been recorded on the Gahirmatha beach. Excellent profile of the beach, strong southerly winds and atmospheric ...

Scientist A.K. Mohanty is BARC Director

Distinguished scientist A.K. Mohanty, who is Director, Physics Group at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), took over as the Director of BARC here on Tuesday.

When compared to firecrackers, vehicles appear to cause more pollution: SC

The Supreme Court Tuesday asked why people were "running after" the firecracker industry when it seems vehicles are a "bigger" source of pollution. The top court has asked the Centre if there is any comparative study on the "proportion of pollution" caused by firecrackers and automobiles. It observed that people involved in manufacturing of firecrackers have lost jobs and said the court does not "wish to generate unemployment". "Is there any comparative study on what proportion of pollution is caused by firecrackers and what proportion is caused by automobile? "It seems you are running after firecrackers but bigger pollution contributor is perhaps vehicles," a bench of justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer told Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, who is appearing for the Centre. The bench was hearing a plea which has sought a complete ban on the use of firecrackers across India on the ground that it gives rise to pollution.

Honey bees may tell how clean your city is: Study

Honey bees may help monitor pollution in cities and help pinpoint the exact sources of environmental pollutants such as lead, a first-of-its-kind study has found. The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, analysed honey from urban beehives in six Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods. The researchers tested for miniscule levels of lead, zinc, copper and other elements and carried out lead isotope analyses -- similar to fingerprinting -- to identify where the lead came from. "The good news is that the chemical composition of honey in Vancouver reflects its environment and is extremely clean," said Kate E Smith, PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia in Canada. "We also found that the concentration of elements increased the closer you got to downtown Vancouver, and by fingerprinting the lead we can tell it largely comes from manmade sources," Smith said in a statement. Metro Vancouver honey is well below the worldwide average for heavy metals like lead, and an ...

Computer Baba appointed head of river trust in MP

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has appointed self-styled godman NamdevTyagi, also known as Computer Baba, as chairman of a river trust in the state, an official said on Tuesday. The state spiritual department passed the order of appointing Tyagi as head of the 'Ma Narmada, Ma Kshipra and Ma Mandakini Rivers Trust' a few days back, just before the model code of conduct for Lok Sabha polls came into effect, he said. Notably, Tyagi was accorded minister of state (MoS) status by the previous BJP-led government last year, but he later resigned, accusing the then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of "not fulfilling" the promise of stopping illegal sand mining in the river Narmada. Tyagi told PTI on Tuesday that he would now work to conserve the rivers in the central state and check illegal sand mining. "My priority would be to rejuvenate the three holy rivers, especially the river Narmada. I will ensure that no illegal sand mining takes place in the holy river," .