Page 181 - Environment
Air purifier industry to be worth $39 million by 2023: ASSOCHAM-TechSci study
The Indian residential air purifiers market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 29 per cent from the current level of 14.14 million dollars to 38.99 million dollars in 2023, backed by rapid urbanisation, increasing purchasing power, expanding urban population and deteriorating air quality, according to an ASSOCHAM-TechSci Research joint study.Some of the other key factors expected to drive the market are growing technological advancements, aggressive marketing strategies by air purifier companies, increasing incidences of airborne diseases and aspiration to lead a healthier lifestyle are anticipated to boost demand for air purifiers in India, said the study titled 'Bio Medical Waste & Air Pollution.'The residential sector accounted for a revenue share of about 22 per cent in the overall India air purifiers market in 2017, on account of increasing airborne disease. Rising air pollution, both outdoor as well as indoor, is solely responsible for increasing the number of ...
Fire at Bandipur Tiger Reserve rages on
A major fire that broke out in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and National Park in Chamarajanagar District on Saturday, continue to rage this morning.Reportedly, hundreds of acres of forest area have been destroyed in the fire which has spread to the core area also. However, with fire spreading to the core forest area, huge damage and loss to the wildlife are also expected.Strong wind is giving foresters, firemen, wildlife volunteers and villagers a tough time in bringing the blaze under control..
One-way traffic allowed on Jammu-Srinagar highway
One-way traffic will be allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Sunday with vehicles moving only from Jammu to Srinagar.
India to launch first 3 orbit mission with PSLV-C45 on March 21
India will launch the PSLV-C45 on March 21 which will put 30 satellites, including one for electronic intelligence, in three different orbits.Speaking to ANI, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan said, "On March 21 we will have PSLV-C45 launch. It is going to launch an electronic intelligence satellite, along with 29 customer satellites from other countries. The speciality of this mission is that for the first time PSLV will launch satellites in 3 different orbits."Sivan also said that ISRO is planning to launch India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 by April end.He also spoke about the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), which is scheduled to launch two 'strategic purpose' satellites in July-August this year."SSLV is a small satellite launcher. The first launch will take place in July-August where two small satellites will be launched. They are for a strategic purpose and will be used for monitoring and mapping," he said."Very soon we are going to make ...
Rahul asks Chhattisgarh CM to file review petition against SC order on eviction of tribals
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday told Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to file a review petition against a Supreme Court's order, which asked the states to ensure eviction of tribals and forest dwellers whose claim for the forest land have been rejected. "The recent order of the honourable Supreme Court of India in Wildlife Trust of India & others vs. Union of India & others, deserves your urgent intervention. The court has directed state governments to evict tribals and other forest dwellers whose claims under the Forest Rights Act were rejected," Gandhi said in his letter dated February 23. The Congress president said "in order to preempt largescale evictions" it would be "expedient to file a review petition" and "take any other action" as deemed fit by Baghel. "The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in its status report on the implementation of the Forest Rights Act highlighted that less than 45 per cent of the Individual Forest Rights and 50 per cent of
Patnaik bats for landless farmers ahead of PM-Kisan launch
A day before the launch of PM-Kisan farmers' scheme, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include share croppers and landless farmers in the central scheme. The Rs 75,000 crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, that aims to provide financial assistance to the small and marginal farmers across the country, is scheduled to be launched by Modi on Sunday. "I would earnestly request you to kindly consider enhancing the scale of assistance to at least Rs 10,000 per annum per family and also include landless agricultural labourers, share croppers and vulnerable agricultural households under the PM-Kisan scheme," Patnaik said in a letter addressed to Modi. This was Patnaik's second letter to the prime minister where he has batted for the share croppers, landless farmers and farmers in distress. Patnaik, on February 11, had written a similar letter to the prime minister. Under the central scheme, the farmers having five acre of ...
Karnataka court quashes ED freeze on Greenpeace bank accounts
The Karnataka High Court has quashed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) order freezing the bank accounts of Greenpeace India, the Indian arm of the international environmental watchdog said on Saturday.
Monkeys again declared vermin in eleven districts of HP
Monkeys have again been declared vermin for the next one year in 11 districts' 91 tehsils and sub-tehsils of Himachal Pradesh, state Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said here Saturday. He said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had raised this matter time and again with the Centre urging that it is necessary to declare monkeys as a vermin species as the animals have been adversely affecting crops and causing harm to humans. The Centre has issued a notification on February 14, 2019, and declared monkeys as a vermin in 91 tehsils and sub-tehsils, which was published in the Gazette of India on February 21, the minister said adding this notification would be applicable for a period of one year. In 2016, monkeys were declared as vermin in 38 tehsils and sub-tehsils of 10 districts in Himachal Pradesh. The period of this notification was extended for one year on December 20, 2017.
PM-KISAN scheme to be rolled out Sunday; over 1 cr farmers to get Rs 2,000 each in 1st tranche
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday will launch the Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers, a senior agriculture ministry official said. Another one crore farmers will be covered in the next 2-3 days, the official said. In the interim Budget 2019-20, the central government had announced the 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. The prime minister in a tweet said, "Tomorrow is a historic day! The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi will be launched from Gorakhpur. This is a scheme that will give wings to the aspirations of crores of hardworking farmers of India who feed our nation." He further said that "tomorrow's launch of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi demonstrates two things: NDA's unwavering commitment to farmer welfare and ...
Guj CM launches second edition of water conservation scheme
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Saturday launched the second edition of the state government's water conservation drive called "Sujalam Sufalam Jal Sanchay Abhiyan" at function held in Tarnetar in Surendranagar district. The scheme aims to deepen water bodies in the state before monsoon to increase storage of rainwater to be used during times of scarcity, said officials. Rupani Saturday, as part of the launch, offered prayers and then participated in desilting work at a lake in Tarnetar, about 130 kilometres from here. He told reporters at the function that the state government had increased its financial contribution for the scheme to 60 per cent, which meant private groups getting involved would have to give only the remaining 40 per cent. Officials said the scheme, during its inaugural run last year, had managed to increase the state's water storage capacity by 11,000 lakh cubic feet by deepening 13,000 lakes, check-dams and reservoirs.
Delhi's forest and tree cover increases
Delhi's forest cover increased in 2017, but 'very dense forest cover' and 'medium dense forest cover' declined over the past two years, according to the Economic Survey of Delhi 2018-19. South Delhi district has the highest forest cover of 83.35 sq. km, and the lowest forest cover is in East Delhi of 3.70 sq Km. The total forest and tree cover area in Delhi increased to 305.41 sq km in 2017 from 299.77 sq km in 2015, the survey said. Delhi's green cover has increased from around 20.2 per cent of the total area during 2015 to 20.6 per cent during 2017. Delhi has the second-highest tree cover as a percentage of the total geographical area among states, the survey said. The tree cover also includes sparse vegetation along roads and small-scale plantations. The growth of forests and tree cover has particularly been "monumental" post 1999, the survey said. Of the total 305.41 sq km of forest area in Delhi, nearly 279 sq km has been added during the period between 1997 and 2017. The growth .
MP swine flu deaths cross 2018 figure, stand at 39 for 2019
Thirty-nine people have died of swine flu and 167 persons have tested for the H1N1 virus in Madhya Pradesh since the start of this year, state Health Minister Tulsiram Silawat said Saturday. Officials said the number of swine flu deaths in the first two months of 2019 is higher than those in 2018 which saw 34 deaths. A state government public relations officer further informed that Chief Minister Kamal Nath had asked the health department to open a virology laboratory in Indore to test patients for the H1N1 virus. Such testing facilities in the state are currently available only in the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences-Bhopal and the Indian Council of Medical Research's facility in Jabalpur, he said. "We have taken steps to control the spread of the H1N1 virus. Health committees have been formed at the state and divisional levels for this," Silawat told PTI.
C'garh: Woman killed by elephant; husband, grandchild injured
A 50-year-old woman was killed and her husband and minor granddaughter injured in an elephant attack in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, a forest department official said Saturday. The incident took place late Friday late night near Dhumchapur village under Katghora forest division when the victims were sleeping in their thatched hut by the banks of Hasdeo river, the official said. "An elephant entered the hut and attacked the family, killing Shyam Rai instantly and injuring her husband Budhram (55) and their 7-year-old granddaughter," he said. Budhram and his granddaughter have been hospitalised and have been provided Rs 25,000 as immediate relief, he added. He said a herd of seven elephants have been spotted in the area over the last two days, he said. Korba and Raigarh districts in Bilaspur division and Surguja division, comprising Surguja, Jashpur, Koriya, Balrampur and Surajpur districts, are notorious for human-elephant conflicts, officials said.
Gadkari to lay foundation stones for 7 projects in Himachal
Union minister Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stones for seven national highway projects worth over Rs 4,419 crore on Sunday, officials said. An official said the seven projects include four-laning of 37-km Chakki (Pathankot) to Sihuni section of NH-154 at a cost of Rs 1,573 crore, construction of 104.6-km Paonta SahibGuma-Feduzpul section of NH-707 at a cost of Rs 1,356 crore. The other projects are: construction of 109.4-km Hamirpur-Mandi section of NH-70 at a cost of Rs 1,334 crore; 15.75-km Una to Bhiroo section of NH-503A at a cost of Rs 51.09 crore. Work will be taken up for constructing 23.10-km Mataur-Dharamshala-Mcleodganj section of NH-503 at a cost of Rs 46.13 crore, and for four-laning of 7-km Paonta Sahib Town section of NH-7 at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
France's Macron says EU farming 'under threat', needs big budget
PARIS (Reuters) - European Union agriculture is being threatened by internal divisions and rival trading blocs, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, calling for a large budget to defend EU goals on food quality and environmental protection.
Canadian regulator backs oil pipeline expansion, urges whale protections
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) regulator recommended on Friday that Ottawa approve expansion of the government-owned Trans Mountain oil pipeline, but made new, nonbinding recommendations to mitigate harm to Pacific Ocean killer whales.
Eviction of tribals has to be seen "compassionately," says
The issue of eviction of more than one million tribals and forest dwellers across the country has to be seen "compassionately", Union Minister Harsh Vardhan said Saturday. "The issue has to be seen quite compassionately", Union Minister for Environment and Forest Harsh Vardhan said in a guarded response to the Supreme Court seeking an action report from 21 states on eviction of tribals. He, however, did not elaborate, saying he had not read the February 13 judgement and came to know about it only through the media. "So I am not able to comment on it," Harsh Vardhan told reporters here. He was here to inaugurate the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), attached to the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The apex court had directed 21 states to apprise it about the action taken by them over the eviction of tribals and forest dwellers whose claim for the forest land have been rejected. The top court, in its order, has asked the chief secretaries of the states ...
MP: BPL families complain over inflated electricity bills in Bhopal
Hundreds of families under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category are in anger over the hike in electricity bills and for not getting the benefit of Sambal Yojana."We are getting charged excessively," said S Lokhande, a BPL family member. "We were supposed to be charged Rs 200 a month, but we are being charged more than Rs 900."Indra Sahare, who lives in a small room with her two children, said she used to pay Rs 200. "But after the new government came, the bill is as high as Rs 2,520. When I approached officials of the electricity department, they said I will have to pay."However, State Energy Minister Priyavrat Singh said authorities will soon initiate a probe into the matter.Madhya Pradesh Government has Sambal Yojana, an outstanding power bill waiver scheme and subsidised power scheme for labourers and poor families. Under the scheme, BPL families and registered labourers of the unorganised sector are provided electricity at a cost of Rs 200 per month.The objective is to provide ...
Odisha government obstructing Central projects worth Rs 1.36 lakh crore: Pradhan
Ahead of general and Assembly elections in Odisha, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday accused the state government of stalling Rs 1,36,417 crore worth of Central projects in the state.
Odisha govt approves water supply projects worth Rs 2,600 cr
Odisha government has approved water supply projects worth Rs 2,600 crore in the state, officials said. The state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday approved four mega lift irrigation (LI) projects and two rural piped water supply projects worth Rs 2,600 crore. While the drinking water projects would benefit around 6 lakh people in Nabarangpur and Boudh districts, the LI projects would irrigate more than 50,000 hectares of land in nine districts, chief secretary AP Padhi said. He said the cabinet approved Rs 432.37 crore LI project which will provide irrigation over 14,900 hectares in Jajpur, Keonjhar and Jharsuguda districts. The money will be sanctioned from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund, he said. The cabinet also approved the second project which would irrigate 16,154 hectares of land in Angul, Boudh and Dhenkanal districts with an investment of Rs 445.35 crore, he said. The LI projects in Angul, Boudh and Dhenkanal will ..
