Page 195 - Environment

Exclusive: Big firms weigh in as France looks to revive offshore wind

PARIS (Reuters) - A French wind power tender has attracted interest from a slew of international energy heavyweights, signalling that France's offshore wind industry could finally be taking off after years of missteps.

Delays in wildlife trade ban putting hundreds of species at risk: Study

Hundreds of animal species, including parrots and lizards, may be at the risk of extinction due to existing policies that respond slowly to scientific knowledge, according to a study. The study, published in the journal Science, suggests concrete steps policymakers can take to speed up a wildlife protection process that can take more than two decades. "New trends in wildlife trade can develop quickly, with some species going from common to near extinction in just a few years," said Eyal Frank, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago in the US. "A policymaking process needs to respond quickly to new information in order to prevent extinction for hundreds of animals and plants. That is why it is absolutely critical that policymakers allow science to inform a speedy protection process," Frank said in a statement. Researchers, including those from Princeton University in the US, analysed 958 species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List ...

Hong Kong seizes $1m of rhino horn in record airport haul

Two men carrying at least 24 severed rhino horns were arrested in Hong Kong airport by customs officers who said it was their largest ever seizure of rhino contraband smuggled by air passengers. The haul -- worth some 8 million Hong Kong dollar (USD 1 million) -- was transported brazenly through the terminal in two cardboard boxes, the customs department said. The pair had arrived from Johannesburg and were planning to transit to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, according to a statement from the department, which did not give their nationalities. An environmental group in Hong Kong said the 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of horn was a major bust -- accounting for 20 percent of the total amount of rhino horn seizures in the city in the last five years. Sophie le Clue, environment programme director of ADM Capital Foundation, said there was likely an organised network behind the trafficking. "What I would like to see is less seizures and more of those who are responsible for crimes in the court --

Orchids main attraction of Kolkata AHSI flower show

The hanging Vanda and exotic Cattelya orchids were showstoppers of the annual flower show that got underway at the Agri-Horticultural Society of India's (AHSI) three-day flower show here Friday. In the 192nd edition of the show, around 18,000 exhibits under 285 sections were on display, AHSI joint-secretary Shaikh Rahman said. "Vanda, Cattelya and Phalaenopsis orchids are easy to grow in the tropical climates of Kolkata so they are mostly in demand compared to the winter blooms like Dendrobium and Cymbidium," Rahman told PTI. The diversity of horticulture is captured in hundreds of seasonal flowers, perennial flowers, fruits and vegetables, medicinal plants, wide range of foliage plants, cacti and succulents, bonsai grown in pots. But the main attraction is the small area enclosed under a green canopy that had about 100-odd exotic varieties of orchids. With people making a beeline, imported orchids from Thailand in the price range of Rs 250 to 1500 were sold like ...

Drinking water connection deposit slashed in Telangana to Re 1

In a bid to encourage more people to get drinking water tap connections in urban areas, the TRS government in Telangana Thursday drastically slashed the deposit amount to just Re one for the below poverty line families and to Rs 100 for others as against present Rs 6,000. In all municipalities and municipal corporations, the BPL families would now be required to pay just one rupee as deposit for a tap connection and others Rs 100, an official release said. Till now, an amount of Rs 6,000 was being collected towards deposit from all for obtaining a tap connection. If the connection is to be taken inside the house, the deposit would be Rs 10,500, the release said. People were not coming forward to take tap connections in view of the huge amount to be deposited, the release quoted Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as saying. The government had decided to supply safe drinking water to every village and towns through Mission Bhagiratha and had made it a right of people to ...

Minister opens Taj-view-garden

Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma here on Thursday inaugurated the green river front on the Taj Heritage Corridor, sandwiched between the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal.

PM to lay foundation stone of defence corridor in Jhansi Friday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will Friday lay the foundation stone of the proposed defence corridor in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region in Jhansi. "To make India self-reliant in defence production, government of India had taken the decision to establish two defence corridors in the country, one at Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is one of the six nodal points of the UP defence corridor," a statement from his office said. During the UP Investors Meet held in February 2018, Modi had announced the setting up of one such corridor in the Bundelkhand region of UP, it pointed out. The prime minister will also inaugurate the electrification of the 297-km-long section of Jhansi-Khairar rail section. Electrification will lead to faster trains, reduced carbon emissions and sustainable environment. He will dedicate to the nation, the West-North Inter-Region Power Transmission Strengthening Project to ensure uninterrupted power supply to West Uttar Pradesh. Besides, Modi will ...

Pb CM announces plan to check pollution of Beas, Sutlej

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday said a comprehensive action plan had been prepared to check pollution levels in the Beas and Sutlej rivers as well as to restore the water quality of the state's rivers. Responding to a call attention notice by AAP MLA from Kotkapura Kultar Singh Sandhwan on the third day of the budget session, Singh said given its seriousness, the state government would also take up the issue with the Centre. Sandhwan had said that the water of Sutlej and Beas had become polluted because of the factory waste being discharged into it and the contaminated water had allegedly given rise to cancer cases in the state. "Our government is seriously concerned about it and we are committed to restore water quality of state's rivers and have prepared a comprehensive plan in consultation with all departments," Singh informed the House. The chief minister said that he had already constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, with the ...

Six more die of swine flu in Rajasthan, toll mounts to 125

The death toll due to swine flu in Rajasthan has risen to 125 with six more people succumbing to the H1N1 virus on Thursday, the Health Department said. Six people, two each in Jodhpur and Barmer and one each in Nagaur and Bharatpur, died on Thursday. With this, the total number of deaths due to swine flu from January 1 to February 14 has reached 125, according to a spokesperson of the department. As many as 3,285 people have been tested positive of the H1N1 virus during this period, he said.

72-yr-old man offers to sell kidney to rebuild flood-hit house, finally gets help from authorities

A 72-year-old man here offered to sell one of his kidneys to re-build his home destroyed in the August floods, saying it was an act of desperation as all efforts to get government assistance had failed. Joseph, who is a farmer, in a handwritten plea on the parapet of the remaining portion of his dilapidated house, said he was ready sell a kidney and that he "did not get even the promised Rs 10,000 assistance of the state government". Joseph, who lives with his wife Alice, said though he was aware that selling kidney was illegal, he was desperate to draw attention to his plight as panchayat officials had allegedly demanded bribe and denied him relief. He claimed his wife was mocked when she had gone to meet the officials to seek help. As television channels aired visuals of Joseph in front of his run down house, Kerala government on Thursday rushed to offer all assistance to the septuagenarian couple in the hilly district of Idukki. The devastating floods had damaged the roofs and ...

Asia Rice: Prices languish as top exporters harvest, demand stalls

(Reuters) - Rice export prices fell in top Asian hubs this week on slow demand and rising supply following a quiet start to the year, while limited interest from the Philippines failed to spur a Vietnamese market reeling from Chinese import restrictions.

How NASA's Opportunity Mars rover enriched space science in 15 years (Roundup)

Designed to last just 90 days and travel 1,000 metres on Martian landscape, NASA's Opportunity rover outlived its mission lifetime by more than 14 years to become the longest lasting robot sent from Earth and the first wheeled vehicle off Earth to log a drive distance of over 45 kms.

Mines minister to inaugurate CGPB meeting Friday

The government announced that 58th meeting of Central Geological Programming Board of the Geological Survey of India will be inaugurated Friday. "Union Minister for Mines Narendra Singh Tomar will inaugurate the 58th meeting of Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) tomorrow," the mines ministry said in a statement Thursday. The CGPB is an important platform of the Geological Survey of India, where the annual field season programme of GSI is finalised. The meeting will be attended by senior officers of mines ministry, Geological Survey of India and the members from other central ministries, State Directorates of mining and geology, representatives from private mining industry, PSUs, mining associations and other stakeholders. During the day-long meeting, total 897 field season proposals of GSI for the year 2019-20 will be placed before the board for discussion and approval. Out of 897 programmes, GSI has drawn up 390 programmes under ...

Only 39% of UP households metered, billed: Study

A study conducted by a Delhi-based think tank has found that only 39 per cent of the households in Uttar Pradesh are metered, billed, and pay their electricity dues.

PM-KISAN: Modi to give 1st installment to 1cr beneficiaries on Feb 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally launch the Rs 75,000 crore PM-KISAN scheme at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh with the transfer of the first installment of Rs 2,000 to about one crore beneficiaries, a senior agriculture ministry official said Thursday. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN) was announced in the interim Budget 2019-20, under which Rs 6,000 will be given in three installments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to 2 hectare. "The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally launch the scheme at a farmers' rally at Gorakhpur on February 24. We expect the PM will push the button for 1 crore plus beneficiaries," the official told PTI. The data uploaded on the PM-KISAN portal till February 24, will be considered for transfer of the first installment at the launch event, the official said, and added that the second installment will be given from April 1. Asked if farmers will get the first installment if their names could not .

Norway gives go-ahead to disputed Arctic copper mine

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's government approved on Thursday the building of a copper mine near Europe's northernmost point despite years of opposition from indigenous Sami herders and fishermen.

Kullu Panchayat refuses to give NOC for waste management plant

Peej Gram Panchayat in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district has refused to give a no objection certificate to set up a Solid Waste Management Plant (SWMP) in the area, Urban Development Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said Thursday. The minister told the assembly that the land was identified by the state government in Peej village to set up the plant for the scientific disposal of municipal solid waste from Kullu and Bhuntar towns. He was replying to a question raised by Kullu Congress MLA Sunder Singh Thakur. The village panchayat, however, refused to give the NOC, Chaudhary said, adding that the matter was being examined to decide further course of action in accordance with Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Forest Rights Act, 2006. A status report will be submitted in the High Court as per its directions, the minister said.

Hema Malini urges farmers to use new agricultural techniques

Actress-turned-politician and BJP MP Hema Malini has said farmers should adopt new agricultural techniques for increasing their produce. "Defer traditional agriculture and take advise of scientists for good cropping," the MP from Mathura said after inaugurating a "Kisan Mela" followed by "Kisan Goshthi" (seminar) in remote Pentha village of the district on Wednesday . She asked the farmers to desist from burning the stubble of paddy. The crop residue may be turned into manure and help increase the produce, she added. She said farmer-centric schemes of the Centre, if practised, can help increase production and minimise investments.. The BJP MP also felicitated Dr S K Mishra of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra here for helping farmers with new scientific technologies.

Ecological park of Mathura Refinery attracts large number of migratory birds

The ecological park of Mathura Refinery has attracted a large number of migratory birds, including northern shoveler and northern pintail, this season. The 4.5-acre ecological park was developed in phases, soon after the commissioning of Mathura Refinery to maintain a green ambience, according to L W Khongwir, Executive Director of Mathura Refinery, Uttar Pradesh. "The environment of the ecological park must be conducive for winged visitors," A V Mandal, Acting Director, Central Avian Research Institute in Bareli, said. Five large ponds and their surroundings in the park have become natural habitat of black-headed ibis and painted stork, and attracted migratory birds such as northern shoveler and northern pintail. Khongwir said the refinery could maintain clean environment through mechanical permutation and combination following concerns over pollution from the refinery causing the white marble of the Taj Mahal to yellow.

Maha sugar mill takes lead in making ethanol from cane juice

A cooperative sugar mill in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra has taken the lead in producing fuel grade ethanol directly from sugarcane juice in the state, a senior official said on Thursday. The Centre had in July last year allowed sugar mills to manufacture ethanol directly from sugarcane juice or intermediate product called B-molasses. The decision was taken to help mills divert cane juice for ethanol manufacturing during surplus years. Maharashtra sugar commissionerate's joint director Sanjay Bhosale told PTI that Kolhapur's Tatyasaheb Kore Warana Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd is the only cooperative sugar mill in the state which has started making ethanol from sugarcane juice. Traditionally, in India ethanol is made from 'C-Heavy' molasses, but in July last year, the government gave permission to make ethanol from sugarcane juice and 'B-Heavy' molasses or B-grade molasses, he said. "A miller can do a minimum modification in the equipment to make ethanol from B-Heavy .