Page 171 - Environment
Hope Nanar will not be revived later like Enron: Chavan
Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said Sunday that scrapping of Nanar mega-refinery project was a political deal between the Shiv Sena and BJP. Talking to reporters in Nanded, Chavan said he hoped Nanar would not go the way of Enron power project at Dabhol. The Sena and BJP had promised to dump the Enron project in the Arabian sea, but when they came to power (in 1995) the project was revived, said Chavan, a former chief minister. He had visited Nanar and found that locals were opposed to the project, he said. The Maharashtra government on March 2 officially made it clear that a Rs 3 lakh crore oil refinery project will not come up at Nanar in the coastal Ratnagiri district. As the Sena was opposed to Nanar refinery citing local opposition, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, while announcing a tie-up between the BJP and Sena for coming polls, had announced last month that the project would be shifted. Reacting to Chavan's statement, Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande .
Sonowal launches polytechnic institute, other projects
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Sunday launched a slew of projects at different places across the state. Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Tingkhong Polytechnic Institute to be set up at Betoni village in Dibrugarh district. "The institute will be constructed with a financial outlay of Rs 50 crore under a Scheme by the Directorate of Technical Education on a 35 bigha land," he said. In the same programme, Sonowal also laid foundation stone of a market project at Rajgarh in Tingkhong. At a separate event, the chief minister laid foundation stone of a bridge over Dichang river at Khutughat to be constructed with an expenditure of Rs 11.69 crore in a bid to boost infrastructure of Charaideo district. Also, construction of an auditorium at Borhat and improvement of six playgrounds under Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana will be taken up, Sonowal said. In the same programme, he ceremonially distributed free LED bulbs to 1,800 beneficiaries under ...
Himachal to set up 100 trout farms
Himachal Pradesh will develop 100 trout farms for production of carp fish this year. It will provide employment to over 550 people, the government said here on Sunday.
Naveen inaugurates drinking water project
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday inaugurated the integrated Janibili drinking water project in Ganjam district. "The project will solve the nagging drinking water problem of Berhampur town," said the chief minister in his brief address. Besides Berhampur, the Rs 490 crore project will supply water to 53 villages of Aska, Hinjili, Sheragada, Dharakote, Rangeilunda and Kukudakhandi blocks in Ganjam district, urban development minister Niranjan Pujari said. Around 8.51 lakh population including 6.75 lakh in urban area would be benefitted by the project, Pujari said. In the first phase, water supply would be made in five wards and partially in six wards of Berhampur Municipal Corporation area, officials said. In the second phase to be completed by the end of this month, water will be supplied to 11 more wards. All the remaining wards of the Corporation would get water from the project in its third and fourth phases, officials said. Ganjam district unit of BJP, ...
SpaceX's Crew Dragon docks with ISS
The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday on its debut unmanned flight.
Hail kills over thousand birds near Pench Tiger Reserve in MP
A hailstorm in the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday has killed 1,102 birds, a senior forest official said. The hailstorm lashed Khamarpani and Kanhar villages in the state Chhindwara district, over 60 kilometres from here, the official added. "The dead birds comprise 590 egrets, 360 parrots and 152 crows. They were killed in the hail that struck Khamarpani and Kanhar villages in Chhindwara district," Pench Tiger Reserve Field Director Vikram Singh Parihar said Sunday. After the dead birds were examined as per the Wildlife Protection Act, they were disposed of, he added.
Bangladesh crackdown after deadly Dhaka inferno
Bangladesh is cracking down on chemical warehouses in an historic Dhaka district a week after a fire killed 70 people in buildings used for deodorant and plastics storage, an official said Sunday. Five task forces led by military officers, police and officials have raided Old Dhaka buildings and cut off utilities to at least 50 buildings in the past three days after chemical warehouses were found in their basement and under floors. The owners of the buildings have been ordered to relocate the flammable chemicals to safer places outside the capital as part of the initiative launched on Thursday. "We are determined there will be no flammable chemical warehouses in any Old Dhaka residential area," Dhaka's mayor Sayeed Khokon told AFP. He said the drive would continue until April 1. The crackdown is in response to a massive fire which broke out on February 21 at Chawkbazar, a 300-year-old historic Old Dhaka district, killing at least 70 people and injuring another 50. Fire service ...
Decks cleared for 306 infrastructure projects in JK
A high-powered committee has approved funding of 306 fresh projects involving an investment of Rs 1,241.65 crore, an official spokesman said Sunday. The committee, which met here under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary Industries and Commerce Navin K Chaudhary, cleared these projects, which included 224 projects of Public Health Engineering Department (PHE) costing Rs 704.17 crore, the spokesman said. He said the committee has in its seven meetings till date approved 2,512 projects with a cumulative investment of Rs 6,565.13 crore for funding through Jammu and Kashmir infrastructure Development Corporation (JKIDFC). The panel was constituted by Jammu and Kashmir administration for clearing languishing and key infrastructure projects for expeditious completion. The projects approved for funding at the seventh meeting on Saturday include one project of Ladakh Affairs Department costing Rs 200 crore and16 projects of Public Works (Roads and Buildings) Department at an investment of
Bengal's potato farmers apprehend losses following rains
The recent rains in West Bengal have put potato growers in a quandary as their crop is expected to suffer extensive damage despite bumper projections made earlier. The state government had offered a support price of Rs 550 crore for buying 10 lakh tonne potato to avert distress sale. "Farmers are worried because widespread potato damage have been projected as a result of heavy rainfall across the state earlier this week," a state government official said. The MeT office predicted more rain in Gangetic Bengal from Monday and this has made the potato farmers across the state more anxious, the official said. "The state government is taking all steps to sensitise the farmers about promptly informing the insurance companies about the projected crop loss, in order to get their claims," the agricultural advisor to the chief minister, Pradip Kr Mazumdar, told PTI. According to norms, the farmers need to intimate the insurance companies individually, Mazumdar said. "We have ...
WB committed to protect wildlife and conserve forests: Mamata
The West Bengal government is committed to protect wildlife and conserve forests, and has been doing so for the last seven years, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Sunday on the occasion of World Wildlife Day. Describing forests and wildlife as the assets of the state, Banerjee said it is everyone's responsibility to conserve the spectacular bio-diversity. "Forests and wildlife are our assets. Conservation of this spectacular bio-diversity is our responsibility. Our Government in #Bangla has been committed to protection of wildlife and conservation of forests over the last seven years. #WorldWildlifeDay," Banerjee tweeted. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 20, 2013, had decided to proclaim March 3, the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as World Wildlife Day.
Discovery Channel to air documentary series on India's environment-friendly startups
Discovery Channel is set to air a documentary series called 'Planet Healers' featuring eight of India's environment-friendly startups, who are working towards sustainable development, a statement released by the broadcaster said. The documentary series, which will be in four parts, will be hosted by Bollywood actor Jim Sarbh and is likely to be premiered on March 8 on the channel at 7 pm. The series will show the journey of how these startups are working out innovative technology-led solutions to environmental hazards faced by the country, the statement said. One of the startups, called Farm2Energy, claims to have found a solution to use stubble burning which creates air pollution in northern India every winter. Another startup Absolute Water claims that it converts 17 lakh litres of sewage water into drinking water everyday, while Saahas Zero Waste specialises in treating and recycling waste without disturbing the ecosystem. The other startups include NaMo E Waste, Rudra, Chakr ...
UP Cabinet approves Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut rapid transit system
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System, aimed at providing a speedy and pollution free transit system, a government spokesperson said Sunday. The Rs 30,668 crore project will be funded by the central government, national capital region-Delhi and the Uttar Pradesh government, the spokesperson said. He said the project would be completed by 2024. "The state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth on Saturday night approved the project to provide a speedy and pollution free transit system to run at the speed of 180 km per hour," he said. The cabinet also approved the proposal to operate electric buses in major cities of the state, including Lucknow, Allahabad, Agra, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Varanasi, Shahjahanpur and Mathura-Vrindavan, the spokesperson said.
NTPC eyes stressed assets under insolvency in NCLT to make deals sweeter
State-run power giant NTPC has decided to acquire only those stressed power projects undergoing insolvency proceedings in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), with an aim to get fairer deals. All those insolvency deals so far in the NCLT have got discounts of up to 70 per cent or even more from secured creditors. The secured creditors have a say on deals in the NCLT while views of unsecured creditors are not considered. Stressed power projects have been in favour of resolving issues and avoiding distress sale under the insolvency proceedings. However, NTPC would have greater chances of getting better deals via NCLT route. Earlier, NTPC had planned to acquire these stressed power projects through negotiations as well as bidding process in the NCLT after government's interventions to resolve the issue of these beleaguered plants. "NTPC has decided to go slow on expansion of its capacity addition through acquisition of stressed power assets. The company is now looking at only those .
India to generate over 5 million tonnes of e-waste next year: ASSOCHAM-EY study
India is likely to generate 5.2 million tonnes of e-waste per year by 2020, up from 2 million tonnes in 2016, according to a recent ASSOCHAM-EY joint study.Among the main factors leading to rapid growth of e-waste are digital transformation, social and economic growth, rapid technology advances and dumping of trash by developed countries.India is among the top five e-waste generating countries besides China, the United States, Japan and Germany.Among states, Maharashtra ranks on top with 19.8 per cent of e-waste generated in the country. Tamil Nadu's share is 13 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 10.1 per cent, West Bengal 9.8 per cent, Delhi 9.5 per cent, Karnataka 8.9 per cent, Gujarat 8.8 per cent and Madhya Pradesh 7.6 per cent.According to the report, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide in 2016 which is expected to grow at a rate of 3.15 per cent (CAGR). By 2021, e-waste will rise to 52.2 million tonnes per year.Electronic waste refers to all items of electrical and ...
Every poor household in Tripura will have LPG connection in 2019: Dharmendra Pradhan
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Saturday, said that Tripura is country's number one gas producing point and every poor household in the state will have LPG connection in 2019. He said that ONGC Tripura has recorded its highest ever production at 4.96 MMSCMD (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter Per Day) on Saturday."Not only 5 MMSCMD but we can produce 10 MMCMD from here for the upcoming 15-20 years," said Dharmendra Pradhan."We will try that in 2019 itself none of the poor households in Tripura is without an LPG connection," said Pradhan."The ONCG will fulfil all the energy requirement of the state with regard to power plants, domestic industries, transportation and domestic fuel," said Pradhan. He said that ONGC Tripura can be the largest contributor in realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "New India".During a programme at the ONGC Tripura Asset headquarter in Badharghat, the Union Minister along with the Tripura Chief Minister ..
Gadkari inaugurates flyover at Delhi's Dhaula Kuan junction
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday inaugurated a four-lane flyover at Dhaula Kuan here, in a step towards a signal-free corridor from the busy junction to the IGI Airport.
Tripura CM distributes 2,000 ducks among poor people
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb Saturday distributed 2,000 ducks to 100 families for releasing in the Rudrasagar lake at Melaghar in Sipahijala district, about 50 km from here. Deb said, altogether 50,000 white ducks would be given to the people for releasing in the lake with an aim to help them earn livelihood. "This kind of ducks are very special and being brought from Bangalore. Altogether, 50,000 ducks would be given to the families living on the bank of the lake, which would help earning their livelihood," he said in a function there. He also hoped that when the 50,000 ducks would swim in the lake, it would be a treat for tourists. He said, number tourists visiting the lake and the Neermahal has increased in the last one year. Neermahal, the summer palace of the Tripuras last king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya has emerged as a major tourist spot in the state. Popularly known as Tripuras Lake Palace, Neermahal was constructed by the British Martin and Burn ...
Will submit Rs 12,000-crore Delhi-Agra-Prayagraj water route plan to WB: Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said a Rs 12,000-crore project for developing a water route from Delhi to Agra to Prayagraj has been prepared and it will be submitted to the World Bank soon. The union minister was speaking at an event where he laid foundation stone for a fully automated parking tower at Green Park commissioned by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. The corporation claimed this will be the city's first fully automated parking. The SDMC officials said the parking tower is fitting for congested market areas and populated colonies as it requires just 1.50 sq. metre space to park a car in comparison to 30 sq. metre required in conventional parking. Gadkari said he has a vision to develop the water route (Yamuna) between Delhi and Agra. "We are developing a water route from Delhi to Agra through Yamuna. I want to offer the people a new way to visit Agra's Taj Mahal using the water route. They can go from Delhi to Agra and from Agra to Prayagraj through Yamuna. ..
Envoy slams UK 'smear campaign' against US agriculture
The US ambassador to Britain on Saturday denounced a "smear campaign" against American agriculture as Washington and London try to pave the way to a post-Brexit trade deal. Woody Johnson said Britons were being fed "inflammatory and misleading terms" such as chlorinated chicken and hormone beef to cast US agriculture in "the worst possible light". Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29 and will be free to strike its own trade deals afterwards. "We Americans are now ready to negotiate the most ambitious and comprehensive trade deal in the history of our special relationship," Johnson wrote in The Daily Telegraph newspaper. "And, of course, we want agriculture to be part of those negotiations -- it is a great opportunity for both of us. "But the British public has been led to believe otherwise." He said Britons were being presented with a false choice between sticking with European Union directives or being flooded with US food "of the lowest quality". "It's time the ...
Bravery of Wing Commander Abhinandan will inspire coming generations: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Saturday said the valour and courage of new India is being recognised the world over and the bravery of Wing Commander Abhinandan will inspire the coming generations. "The country's valour is getting fame across the world and entire nation is welcoming Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. His brave act will inspire the coming generations," he told reporters after inaugurating a two-day Kisan Mela (agri fair) and exhibition here. "You all have seen how the (Central) government took decisions and how soldiers returned safely after destroying terrorist camps. Modi is the name which could turn impossible things possible," Adityanath said. Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman returned home from Pakistan Friday night to a hero's welcome, nearly three days after he was captured following a dogfight when his MiG 21 was shot down. The chief minister, who flagged off the BJP's 'Vijay Sankalp' motorcycle rally in Campirganj Assembly ...
