Page 193 - Environment

Male privilege: The rural Hong Kong men who have special rights

Sitting in the spacious courtyard of an 18th-century ancestral hall belonging to his clan, William Liu defiantly rejects a lucrative birthright that his special status as one of Hong Kong's male indigenous villagers affords him. Liu hails from the rural northern part of Hong Kong known as the "New Territories" which were leased by Britain from China in 1898. Under a colonial-era policy that remains in place, any male who can trace his lineage back to that period has the right to build a three-storey house on his land without paying a land fee. In a city with the world's least affordable property market, that exclusively male right is a major windfall. But it is being challenged in the courts as both discriminatory to women and unfair to millions of Hong Kongers unable to get on the property ladder. Liu is a villager who agrees with the court case against the building rights. "It's an unfair policy and I will not use it," the 22-year-old told AFP. Liu, a democracy activist, is opposed .

India can play key role in Nepal's bid to expand global trade: UN official

India can play a key role in Nepal's bid to expand its international trade being a close neighbour of the landlocked Himalayan nation, a top UN official has said. India is already a major trading partner of Nepal with free movement of goods, services and labour, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (LLDCs) Fekita 'Utoikamanou said. "India is part of South-South cooperation which is playing an increasingly important role in addressing the persistent development challenges of vulnerable groups of countries including LLDCs through trade, technology transfer, development finance, infrastructure development and collective solutions to address emerging challenges such as climate change," she said. "The Motor Vehicles Agreement of 2015 between Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India (BBIN) aims to facilitate the movement of cargo across their borders," Fakita said. Several railways ...

Giant shark 'megalodon' went extinct earlier than thought

Megalodon -- a giant predatory shark that has inspired numerous books and blockbuster movies -- likely went extinct at least one million years earlier than previously thought, a study has found. Earlier research, which used a worldwide sample of fossils, suggested that the 50-foot-long, giant shark Otodus megalodon went extinct 2.6 million years ago. Another recent study attempted to link this extinction, and that of other marine species, with a supernova known to have occurred at about this time. Researchers from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in the US noted that in many places there were problems with the data regarding individual fossils in the study estimating the extinction date. The research, published in the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences, showed every fossil occurrence of O megalodon from the densely sampled rock record of California and Baja California (Mexico) in order to estimate the extinction. Researchers found that genuine fossil occurrences were present ...

Modi lays foundation stone of Patna Metro Rail

Prime Minister Narendar Modi on Sunday laid the foundation of the much-awaited Patna Metro Rail through video conferencing from Begusarai in Bihar.

Massive mountains discovered under Earth's crust

Scientists have discovered massive mountains in the Earth's mantle, an advance that may change our understanding of how the planet was formed. Most school children learn that the Earth has three layers: a crust, mantle and core, which is subdivided into an inner and outer core. While that is not wrong, it does leave out several other layers that scientists have identified within the Earth. In a study published in the journal Science, scientists used data from an enormous earthquake in Bolivia to find mountains and other topography on a layer located 660 kilometers straight down, which separates the upper and lower mantle. Lacking a formal name for this layer, the researchers simply call it "the 660-km boundary." To peer deep into the Earth, scientists from the Princeton University in the US and the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics in China, used the most powerful waves on the planet, which are generated by massive earthquakes. Data from earthquakes that are magnitude 7.0 or higher .

IOC gets environmental nod for Telangana storage and distribution terminal

There are no national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, tiger/elephant reserves and wildlife corridors within 10 km of the project site

Leopard spotted moving near bungalow in Nashik

A leopard was spotted moving near a bungalow in Nashik city of Maharashtra on Sunday morning, triggering panic among locals, police said. The big cat was captured in a CCTV installed at the bungalow located in the crowded Savarkar Nagar locality, following which its residents informed the police who in-turn alerted the forest department, an official at Gangapur police station said. The forest and police officials rushed to the site and launched a search, he said, adding that the feline was yet to be traced. On January 25, a leopard had strayed in the same area and injured a local politician and two media personnel, police earlier said. The carnivore was later caught by forest officials. The western part of Nashik district has dense forests which are home to several wild animals including leopards, wolves, hyenas and foxes, a forest official said.

Rising discom dues may adversely affect power supplies: APP

Joining the chorus against power distribution utilities (discoms) delaying payment to electricity producers, the Association of Power Producers (APP) has said the burgeoning dues may adversely affect electricity supplies. Earlier this month, state-run power giant NTPC had given notices to Andhra Pradesh, Karantaka, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir for curtaining power supply over pending dues. APP, in a memorandum to the government, sought Power Minister R K Singh's intervention to resolve the issue. APP is an industry body of 27 leading independent power producers, including Adani Power, GMR, Jindal Power, JSW Energy and Sembcorp Energy India. "We would be grateful if these states can be asked to clear pending payables, as further piling up of dues may result in inability of generations to pay for coal, and in this in turn may adversely affect the power supply position," APP Director General Ashok Khurana said in the letter to the power minister. According to the letter, the overall ..

Vintage car rally to commence from Ahmedabad on Feb 18

As many as 24 vintage cars will cover a distance of nearly 1,200 km between Ahmedabad and Jaipur over five days as part of a rally starting on Monday to promote heritage tourism in India, an organiser said. The 'Grand Heritage Drive 2019', organised by the Federation of Historic Vehicles of India (FHVI) in partnership with UNESCO, will kick off from Ahmedabad and pass through Dungarpur, Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan before culminating at Jaipur, FHVI president Ravi Prakash said on Saturday. On the way, the cars will halt at various heritage properties, he said. The participants would include prominent members from the royal families in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Khimsar, Jaipur and Goa, and also well-known architects, doctors, industrialists and enthusiasts from across of the country, he said. The event aims to generate interest among collectors of vintage cars and encourage new enthusiasts to join in, he said. "Many Indians own some of the finest vintage cars in the world. .

Govt may consider approval of Rs 5,500-cr FAME-II scheme this month

The Union Cabinet is likely to consider approval of the second phase of FAME India scheme this month to boost clean mobility, with an outlay of Rs 5,500 crore spanning five years, officials said. The scheme in its second phase will offer a bouquet of incentives, such as exemption from paying road tax, registration fee and parking charges for various categories of electric and strong hybrid vehicles. However, no target has been set for electric vehicle (EV) sales to be achieved over the five-year period of the scheme's implementation. Instead, the scheme will focus on boosting demand for EVs and creating the charging infrastructure, said a senior government official. "No standardisation of batteries is being introduced under the scheme, wherein one type of battery is suitable for any electric vehicle. However, vehicles fitted with only advanced batteries will be eligible for demand incentives. "Moreover, once introduced, the incentives will be subject to annual review due to expected ..

Patnaik inaugurates and lays foundation stones for Rs 2114 cr

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated and laid foundation stones for a slew of development projects worth Rs 2,114 crore in Kalahandi district on Saturday ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state. Among the major projects inaugurated by Patnaik at a function here was the Ret Medium Irrigation project constructed at a cost of Rs 768.46 crore, officials said. The new project will benefit 79 villages and provide irrigation facility for 8500 hectares of agricultural land under the four blocks of Bhawanipatna, Kesinga, Narla and Lanjigarh in the district, they said. This apart, Patnaik also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 38 developmental projects worth Rs 1346 crore. He launched 23 projects completed at an estimated cost of Rs 910.57 crore, while foundation stones were laid for 15 others to be implemented at a cost of Rs 435.28 crore, they said. Addressing the gathering at the function, the chief minister announced that ...

Poachers kill male rhino in Kaziranga, flee with horn

The carcass of the first rhino killed this year by poachers was recovered Saturday at Kaziranga National Park, officials said. The carcass, with its horn missing, was recovered in Bokakhat subdivision, said Kaziranga National Park (KNP) Divisional Forest Officer Ruhini Ballav Saikia. The body of the male adult rhino with bullet injuries was recovered from Hukani forest camp under Agoratoli Range of the World Heritage Site, Saikia said. Bullets of a .303 bore rifle were fired into the rhino and its horn was chopped off by poachers, Saikia said. Two used cartridges, a pair of shoes and clothing items were found at the site, he added. Gunshots were heard by KNP officials and security personnel at around 7.30 pm on Friday night from North West end side of Agoratoli Range, the DFO said. A team of forest guards and police personnel tried to move into the Range but could not make headway due to darkness, he added. "This morning, a forest department team led by KNP Director ...

SC verdict on Vedanta plant likely on Monday

The Supreme Court is likely to give verdict on the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's (TNPCB) plea against the December 15, 2018 National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order directing TNPCB to give its consent for restarting operations at Vedanta's copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi.

BJP govt dedicated to poor, farmers, tribals and women: Mah CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Saturday said the BJP government was dedicated to the poor people, farmers, tribals and women. He also announced the formation of a special cell at the state secretariat for the development and welfare of various tribal communities. "This government is dedicated to the poor, farmers, tribals, Dalits and women. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced unique schemes for the farmers of the country. Nobody had ever been so concerned about farmers like this government," he said at a public rally at Pandharkawda in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, attended by the PM. "Never in the past had such schemes been announced for the farmers in our country, wherein Rs 75,000 crore were spent to deposit Rs 6,000 in every farmer's bank account," Fadnavis said referring to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme under which farmers cultivating up to two hectares will get direct cash support of Rs 6,000 annually. The chief minister also

India introduces electronic tracking system for Nepal-bound cargos

India has introduced a new trans-shipment procedure using an electronic tracking system to facilitate the transport of Nepal-bound transit cargos from Kolkata, a significant move that will simplify border formalities, reduce transit time, ensure safety of the consignments and boost bilateral trade. The Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) was introduced by the Central Board of Indirect Tax and Customs on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. This is a significant step towards automating customs transit facilitation between the two countries and renews the commitment of government of India to improve the transit facilities for Nepalese trade, it said. This modality has been introduced on a pilot basis on rail routes from Kolkata/Haldia to Birgunj via Raxaul LCS and Biratnagar via Bathnaha Railway Station and Jogbani LCS, it added. "Under the new mechanism, the need for Nepalese traders to seek permission and file transit declaration is done away

Sustainable policies needed to solve agrarian crisis: teenage author

After reading theoretical ecologist Robert Ulanowicz and distilling his message to relate it to the agrarian crisis in India, young author Yaashree Himatsinghka believes a change in how we look at ecosystems and transitioning to more sustainable policies is the way to solve farmer worries. In her book "Unlocking Ecosystems - Understanding Nature's Hidden Networks", the Mumbai high school student argues that the ecosystem is undergoing "irreversible long-term damage" through the "use of large amounts of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers to maximize the output in modern industrial agriculture". She suggests that policy-makers need to give equal importance to "short-term issues and long-term sustainability". "If we can make ourselves aware of how natural systems operate, we'll be able to make small changes within our own domains to enable agricultural sustainability. Indian policymaking, in my opinion, prioritises short-term issues over long-term sustainability, when both should ..

Long-term spaceflight not linked to major health risks: NASA 'Twins Study'

While it was previously thought that long duration spaceflight can affect the human body, even at the molecular level, new results from NASAs "Twins Study" has showed that there are no major warning signs and no reason to think humans cannot survive a two-and-a-half-year round-trip journey to Mars.

No respite from polluted air as Delhi's AQI continues to deteriorate

The air quality in Delhi continued to deteriorate on Saturday, with fog adding to the woes of locals in the region. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall air pollution level was recorded in the 'poor' category with overall Air Quality Index (AQI) docking at 225 till 9:00 am in the morning.The level of PM 2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 206 and the PM 10 level was at 210, both in the 'poor' category in Lodhi Road area, according to data published by SAFAR. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe/hazardous.Moreover, rail services were disrupted in the region as a thick blanket of fog engulfed the national capital and its surrounding regions. According to the Indian Railways, as many as 13 trains coming towards Delhi are running late due to low visibility on the railway

1st Nepal-bound container train under ECTS flagged off

The first train carrying Nepal-bound transit containers under the new simplified trans-shipment procedure was on Friday jointly flagged off from here by Kolkata Port Trust Chairman Vinit Kumar, Commissioner of Customs, Kolkata and CG Nepal.On Friday, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs introduced the trans-shipment procedure using the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS), a new procedure facilitating the transport of Nepal bound transit containers from Kolkata/Haldia port.This modality has been introduced on a pilot basis on rail route from Kolkata/Haldia to Birgunj via Raxual LCS and Biratnagar via Bathnaha Railway Station and Jogbani LCS, said a statement by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.A similar facility for Nepal-bound transit cargo had been previously introduced on a pilot basis from Vishakhapatnam port in August last year."This is a significant step towards automating Customs transit facilitation between two countries and renews the commitment of Indian ...

Goa port suspends coking coal handling due to air pollution

The state pollution authority has temporarily suspended all coking coal handling operations at Goa's Mormugao Port Trust, due to "deteriorating air quality" at the port town of Vasco, located 35 km from Panaji.