Page 177 - Environment
Sugee Group supports 100th week Dadar beach clean-up campaign along with Jay Shringarpure
Sugee Group, Mumbai's well known real estate developer supports Jay Shringarpure's 100th-week beach clean-up activity to clean the Dadar beach and make it plastic free. The event witnessed participation from environmentally conscious volunteers from all walks of life including Sugee Group employees, partners, local citizens and students. Jay Foundation which is dedicated to making the beaches and our environment better with a motto, "To give back what we have taken from Mother Earth", had taken the initiative 99 weeks ago to clean up the Dadar Beach and make it plastic free. His NGO has been awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for their cause to make beaches and environment clean. To support the cause and participate in Dadar beach clean-up operation, Sugee Group top management and employees joined and cleaned tonnes of garbage and plastic from the beach. The activity is undertaken to ensure the beach and environment is kept clean was part of Sugee Group's CSR ..
Customs seize 660 kg of wild life species worth Rs 7 crore
Endangered wildlife species like seahorses and dried pipefish were seized during a raid at a godown near here and two persons have been detained, officials said Wednesday. Customs officials recovered 660 kg of wildlife species worth Rs 7 crore which were meant for smuggling out of the country from Mumbai. Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) Rajan Chaudhary said in a release that officers during the search on Monday nabbed two persons who confessed that the contraband was likely to be sent to Mumbai by road for smuggling to China and other South Asian countries. Pangolin scales, manta and mobula ray gills and shark fins were also seized. The two persons who worked as business partners at the godown were detained. Pangolin scales, seahorse, pipefish, manta and mobula ray gills are used for traditional chinese medicine while shark fins for soup preparation in China.
Cabinet likely to clear Rs 10,000 cr FAME II scheme Thursday
The Union Cabinet is likely to clear on Thursday a Rs 10,000-crore programme under the FAME-II scheme for promotion of electric and hybrid vehicles, according to official sources. The much-delayed FAME-II will be for a period of three years instead of five years as envisaged earlier, and for passenger electric cars, the subsidy will be available only for taxi aggregators. The Rs 10,000 crore support will be used for subsidies on electric busses, passenger cars to be used by taxi aggregators, three-wheelers and two-wheelers, a source said. "Under the phase two of the scheme, 7,000 electric buses of prices up to Rs 50 lakh or 40 per cent of cost, but only on the basis of operational expenditure (opex) and not capital expenditure (capex) model, will get subsidy" the source said. However, the amount of incentives proposed in the scheme for electric buses may further be subject to competitive bidding among original equipment manufacturers, the source said. The FAME-II will also provide ...
Three artists explore natural terrain on canvas
"Nature is inextricably linked to humans" is the core message of artist Mala Marwah's works, which opened for public viewing on Wednesday in a group exhibition titled "Terrain" at the India International Centre (IIC).
Punjab demands Rs 412 cr to build dam on Ravi-Ujj rivers
The Punjab government on Wednesday demanded Rs 412 crore from the Centre to construct a dam to stop flowing of India's river water share to Pakistan.
Sugar mills contract to export 20 lakh tonnes so far in 2018-19 out of 50 lakh tonnes quota
Indian sugar mills have contracted to export 18-20 lakh tonnes of the sweetener so far in the current marketing year ending September, out of the 50 lakh tonnes mandatory quota assigned by the Centre, a top industry official said. Of the total contracts, about 8-10 lakhs have already been shipped overseas, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) Director General Abinash Verma said. "Mills have contracted for exports of about 18-20 lakh tonnes of sugar, mostly raw sugar. Our traditional export markets are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Middle-East and some African nations," he told PTI. Asked whether mills have contracted sugar exports to Iran, Verma said he is not aware of any such development. Indian Sugar Exim Corporation Ltd (ISEC) MD and CEO Adhir Jha said it has exported 2 lakh tonnes of sugar so far in 2018-19 on behalf of mills and is exploring the possibility of exporting sugar to Iran, which is facing sanctions from the US. ISEC was formed by the National Federation of Cooperative ...
'Majority of air pollution deaths in India linked to diesel vehicle emissions'
As much as two thirds of deaths from air pollution in India can be attributed to exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles, which were responsible for nearly 385,000 deaths in 2015, a study has found. On-road diesel vehicles were responsible for nearly half of the health impacts of air pollution from vehicles worldwide in 2015. The global cost of these transportation-attributable health impacts in 2010 and 2015 was approximately USD one trillion. Exhaust from vehicles is a major source of outdoor air pollution worldwide. The health impacts are immense but unevenly distributed, both geographically and among various segments of the transportation sector, such as light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, shipping, and off-road machinery. The study, by researchers from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), George Washington University, and the University of Colorado Boulder in the US, links state-of-the-art vehicle emissions, air pollution, and epidemiological models to ...
Rajasthan uploads over 1 lakh farmers' applications on PM-KISAN portal
The Rajasthan government has uploaded 1.27 lakh applications of farmers on the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana' (PM-KISAN) portal after Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the state for farmers not receiving benefits from the scheme, a senior IAS officer said.
Anti-dumping duty on sheets used in solar cells from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand likely
India may impose anti-dumping duty on a certain type of sheet used in solar cell making from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand for five years in order to safeguard domestic players from cheap imports from these countries. The commerce ministry's dumping investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended the duty in the range of USD 537 to USD 1,559 per tonne on imports of "Ethylene Vinyl Acetate sheet for solar module". The final decision to impose the duty would be taken by the finance ministry. "The authority recommends imposition of definitive anti-dumping duties on the imports...originating in or exported from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, for a period of five years," the DGTR has said in a notification. In its findings, the DGTR said imposition of the duty is required to offset dumping and injury caused by dumped imports from these countries. Following a complaint by a domestic company, the directorate had initiated the probe in
NASA's new mission to study space weather from ISS
NASA has selected a new mission that will help scientists understand and, ultimately, forecast the vast space weather system around our planet.
SC to hear Thursday Centre's plea seeking stay on possible eviction of tribals, forest dwellers
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Thursday the Centre's plea seeking a stay on the possible eviction of around 11.8 lakh tribals and traditional forest dwellers, whose claim for right over forest land has been rejected under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Centre's plea be listed for hearing on an urgent basis. The apex court had earlier asked 21 states to apprise it about the action taken by them over the eviction of tribals and forest dwellers whose claim have been rejected. The top court, in its February 13 order, had asked the chief secretaries of the states concerned to file affidavits stating whether those against whom the rejection orders were passed, have been evicted or not and if not, the reasons for the same. The apex court was dealing with a batch of petitions on the issue that were filed for over
Makes sense to rethink renewable-only energy future: Austrian FM
The Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl on Tuesday stated that it "makes sense to rethink the 'renewable-only' energy future," outlining that economic, social and technical constraints had to be factored in while setting targets for energy transition."It makes sense to rethink the 'renewable-only' energy future, if I may put it like that," Kneissl remarked at a conference held here by the Observer Research Foundation."If we aim too high, we run the risk to miss our target, mainly a socially acceptable energy transition. We have to take into consideration the technical and economic constraints, not to mention social ones. Gas might be an important bridge fuel, maybe clean gas with the help of new technologies," she stated.However, she noted that new technologies in the field of renewable energy "still need research and they need time," at the conference on 'The future of Global Energy in-between Oil, Gas and Renewables'."I hope that we will spend more of our political energy, in ...
Security forces on high alert on Rajasthan border
Following the air strike on Pakistan by the Indian Air Force, the security forces, including BSF, Army and IAF, deployed in border areas of Rajasthan have been put on high alert, defence sources said.
'Killer' coal industry blamed as black snow falls in Siberia
Black snow falling in Siberia due to air loaded with coal dust prompted the regional governor on Tuesday to temporarily close a coal processing plant he accused of killing residents. Snow laced with coal dust this month coated three towns in the industrial Kemerovo region, more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) east of Moscow. Residents posted pictures on social media of cars and buildings under layers of black or greyish snow, with some saying it looked like Mordor, a terrifying blackened realm in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" saga. "It depresses you when everything around you is black. And you understand it's extremely harmful for your health," said Natalya Zubkova, 42, editor of an online newspaper in one of the affected cities, Kiselyovsk. "Our children aren't going outside to play at all," she said, with the black snow likely to remain on the ground till the end of April. Laboratory tests found the level of air pollution was more than double safe limits, police said as they ...
Karnataka forest fire under control: Official
The forest fire in Karnataka's Bandipur national park, raging since Friday, has been brought under control, a top official said on Tuesday.
Tiger found dead in Gujarat
A tiger was found dead at Kantar village in Mahisagar district of Gujarat on Tuesday, days after the state government confirmed spotting of a tiger in the state for the first time in three decades, an official said. On February 12, the state government had confirmed the presence of a tiger, aged 7 to 8 years, after it was captured on a camera trap. A few days prior to that a man had claimed that he had spotted a tiger crossing the road. Chief Conservator of Forests, Vadodara, S K Srivastava, said the tiger's carcass was found at Kantar village in the forest area of Lunawada taluka of Mahisagar district on Tuesday evening. The cause of its death has not been ascertained yet, he said. Srivastava said it was yet to be confirmed whether it was the same tiger as was caught on the camera trap around two weeks back. "We have found the carcass of the tiger at Kantar village of Mahisagar district. We are yet to ascertain the cause of death as to whether it was poached or died ...
Farmers on indefinite fast in Noida
After over two weeks of sit-in demonstration, some farmers here have launched an indefinite fast to press for their demands, including enhanced compensation in lieu of their land acquired by the Noida Authority over the years. Scores of farmers, under the banner of 'Kisan Astitva Bachao Andolan', have been protesting outside the authority office in Sector 6 since February 12. Some farmers launched the indefinite fast on Monday. "They have not shown any seriousness towards resolving our issues. The ethics have died. That is why we resorted to indefinite strike," Sukhveer Singh, convenor of the Andolan, told PTI. Eight farmers, including Singh, are on the indefinite fast. Singh said throughout Tuesday there has been no communication between the protestors and the officials over the issue. "It's already been 36 hours and we are outside the authority office. There has been no correspondence of any kind. They don't care about our issues," he claimed. There was no response by the Noida ...
Nitish inaugurates & lays foundation of schemes worth Rs 1000
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday inaugurated and laid foundation of various schemes of Energy department worth over Rs 1000 crore. The chief minister inaugurated schemes worth Rs 616.11 crore while work commenced for schemes worth Rs 390.84 crore at a function organised by the Energy department. Speaking at the function Kumar announced that power consumers of Bihar will be provided 'smart pre-paid electricity meters' by August 15, 2020. "The decision to install smart pre-paid electricity meters has already been approved by the state cabinet. All the three agencies have been involved in the process to complete installation of smart pre-paid meters in the state so that the target could be completed by August 15, 2020," he said. Talking about the benefits of pre-paid meters, Kumar said that installation of prepaid meters will help eliminate problems in meter reading. "People will recharge their pre-paid meters according to their power consumption," he added. In ...
Makes sense to rethink 'renewable-only' future: Austrian foreign minister
It "makes sense" to rethink the "renewable-only" energy future because in the process of aiming too high, the countries run the risk of missing their targets of socially acceptable energy transition, said Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl Tuesday. "It makes sense to rethink the 'renewable-only' energy future, if I may put it like that. I hope I won't be completely misunderstood but this is a little bit of thought-provoking approach," Kneissl said here. "If we aim too high, we run the risk to miss our target, mainly a socially acceptable energy transition. We have to take into consideration the technical and economic constraints, not to mention social ones. Gas might be important bridge fuel, maybe clean gas with the help of new technologies," she added. Talking about various new technologies related to renewable energy which are being studied across the word, she said "they still need research and they need time". Kneissl was speaking on the topic of "The future of Global ...
Cost-effective technology vital to curb stubble burning: Mishra
The quest for implementable solutions to stubble burning and attendant atmospheric pollution will require key stakeholders like farmers, industry and government working in tandem, C K Mishra, Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) said on Tuesday.He underlined the need to make farmers the centrepiece of solutions to the problem of farm stubble burning by giving them a choice of technology and resource base that is acceptable and cost-effective.Speaking at the conference on 'Curbing Stubble Burning: Making Solutions Work' organised by industry body FICCI, Mishra said the government will need to set up demonstration projects to convince the farmers of the need to do away with stubble burning.At the same time, the industry will need to step up production of machines and implements acceptable to the farmers and the technological solutions will have to be home-grown through vigorous research and innovation.Mishra emphasised the need to ...
