Page 202 - Environment

Vardhan urges people to undertake 'greed good deeds' to protect environment

Union Environment minister Harsh Vardhan Sunday said the entire world is concerned about the dangers posed by global warming and climate change, and urged people to undertake "green good deeds" to protect the environment. Launched by the Environment Ministry last year, the 'Green Good Deeds' campaign -- aimed at protecting the environment and promoting healthy living -- mentions a list of 500 activities for protecting the environment. Addressing a global summit on 'Science, Spirituality, Education and Environment' organised by the Brahma Kumaris at Talkatora Stadium here, Harsh Vardhan, who also holds the science and technology and earth sciences portfolio said the global community has started believing that India can provide the right leadership and direction to deal with the challenges of pollution and global warming. "Small behavioural changes and nature-friendly activities can be a great step towards saving the environment. India has made great progress in all spheres of science ..

Hubbali-Dharwad Smart City's green mobility corridor project bags Rs 80cr funding

The Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City in Karnataka will get a funding of Rs 80 crore for its proposed 'Green Mobility Corridor' project that has won the CITIIS challenge, according to the Urban Affairs Ministry. In July 2018, the Centre had announced a new Cities Investment To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) challenge to identify top projects in 15 of the 100 selected smart cities, which will then receive an additional funding of Rs 80 crore each. From Karnataka, Davanagere and Hubbali-Dharwad Smart Cities participated in the CITIIS challenge. However, the proposal on 'Green Mobility Corridor' submitted by the Hubbali-Dharwad Smart City was selected for the additional funding. "I am happy to inform you that the following project (Green Mobility Corridor) has been selected from your state for funding under the CITIIS challenge," the Urban Affairs Ministry said in a letter to the Karnataka government. The proposed project got selected under the sustainable mobility category, said ...

Modi flags off development projects in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening unveiled various development projects in the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad in Karnataka.

Modi launches various projects in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here in Karnataka on Sunday to launch development projects and address a BJP rally.

Scientists hope DNA in water could be way to save rare fish

Scientists in Maine are using DNA to try to preserve the remaining populations of a fish that lives in 14 lakes and ponds in the state and nowhere else in the continental United States. The scientists are turning their eye to the Arctic charr, which is a species of landlocked fish in Maine that has lived in the state for millennia and is prized by anglers. The charr face threats such as invasive predators and a warming climate. They are also notoriously elusive, making them difficult for researchers to track. Michael Kinnison, a professor of evolutionary applications at University of Maine, and other scientists are working with the state to make sure the fish keep surviving. Kinnison is working on a project to collect "environmental DNA" from the water bodies where the fish live. The project involves collecting water samples from the lakes and ponds where the fish are known to live, and studying DNA that they and other organisms shed, Kinnison said. It'll provide vital information ...

New reactors under IAEA safeguards: Decision will be based on source of uranium, says official

India will decide on the number of new reactors to be placed under IAEA safeguards only after assessing if these will be fuelled by uranium procured from abroad, a senior official said. There are at present 22 operational reactors, of which 14 are under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards as these use imported fuel. In 2017, the government sanctioned 10 new pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) and a decision on these being put under IAEA safeguards has to be taken, the official said. The 10 reactors are being installed in Kaiga in Karnataka, Chutka in Madhya Pradesh, Gorakhpur in Haryana, and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan. "We have recently signed an agreement to procure uranium from Uzbekistan. We will take a call only after assessing the position of the imported fuel and domestic uranium," the official said. India currently imports uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan and Canada. Plans are also afoot to procure the fuel from Uzbekistan and Australia. By placing the ..

Need law to protect, preserve fossils: Paleontologist Ashok

Well-known paleontologist Ashok Sahni has urged the government to enact a law to declare fossils of extinct animals as national assets and preserve them from damage. Speaking to PTI Sunday, the award-winning scientist who has been studying dinosaur fossils for several years now, said there was no such law in the country at present. "Fossils found so far show that nearly 35 species of dinosaurs were existing in the country 60 million years ago. But there is no law in the country to protect these fossils," Sahni said. "Nobody can lay claim on fossils because this is the country's heritage. A special law should be enacted to declare fossils found in the country as national assets," he added. The 2011 National GeoScience Award winner further asserted that a provision for punishment and fine should also be enacted for storing, theft, smuggling, procurement and damaging such fossils. Citing an example of fossils going to ruins, Sahni said in the early 1980s, the Geological ...

Modi dedicates Vizag petroleum reserve facility to nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated to the nation the 1.33 million metric tonnes capacity Visakhapatnam Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility of the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL).

J&K govt orders speeding up of land acquisition for Gharana wetland

Jammu and Kashmir's governor-led administration has directed the deputy commissioner of Jammu to expedite the land acquisition process for Gharana Wetland Conservation Reserve along the International Border (IB) on the outskirts of the city, an official spokesperson said on Sunday. The direction was passed by Vijay Kumar, advisor to governor, at a meeting convened here to discuss the land acquisition with revenue officers and those from the forest and wildlife protection department, he said. Kumar asked the officers of the wildlife protection department to take steps to conserve the wetland and promote the place among tourists, especially bird lovers, the spokesperson said. Gharana Wetland Conservation Reserve in R S Pura was notified in 1981 and is home to more than 170 species of birds like bar-headed geese, gadwalls, common teals, purple swamp hens, Indian moor hens, black-winged stilts, cormorants, egrets and green shanks. During winter, the wetland is visited by thousands of ...

Decks clear for Metro Rail in Agra

Decks are now clear for introduction of metro-rail in the Taj city with the state government allocating Rs 175 crore for the project last week, officials said. Following clearance from the Public Investment Board (PIB) last week, the Yogi Adityanath government has allocated Rs 175 crore for the Metro project in Agra, which has long been struggling with poor and inadequate means of public transport. District officials say the city has grown in size and population. The demand for an efficient transport system has now been met, though the project will take at least five years, secretary of Agra Development Foundation, KC Jain, said. The proposed Metro network will be around 30 km and will run on two routes.

'Earth may be experiencing warmest decade on record'

The decade from 2014 to 2023 could end up being the warmest in over 150 years of records, say scientists who predict that the global average surface temperature for the next five years will be one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The figures released by the UK Met Office include data from a number of sources including the latest publication of provisional figures for 2018. Records for annual global average temperature extend back to 1850. "2015 was the first year that global annual average surface temperatures reached 1.0 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and the following three years have all remained close to this level," said Adam Scaife, Head of Long-Range Prediction at the Met Office in the UK. "The global average temperature between now and 2023 is predicted to remain high, potentially making the decade from 2014 the warmest in more than 150 years of records," said Scaife. Averaged over the five-year period 2019-2023, forecast patterns suggest enhanced ...

'World's largest seed' centre of attraction at Kumbh

An exhibition by the Ministry of Environment, which among other things displays a double coconut palm seed weighing a whopping 30 kg, is attracting eyeballs at the Kumbh Mela, the largest congregation in the world. A Botanical Survey of India (BSI) scientist has claimed that the seed is the world's largest. Dr Shiv Kumar of the BSI told PTI-Bhasha that the seed belonged to a tree planted at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden near Kolkata in 1894. The tree had flowered after 112 years, Kumar said. The tree, which is now grown only in two African islands, is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's global Red Data list for species under threat. The double coconut palm tree has a lifespan of 1,000 years and takes a decade to flower. An orchid seed, measuring 799 microns, is also on display at the exhibition in the MoE pandal here. The seed is so tiny that one cannot see it without using a microscope. The picture of a giant banyan tree, touted as the ...

Guj forest dept begins search for tiger seen in viral photo

The Gujarat Forest department has begun efforts to locate a tiger after a photo of it crossing a road in Lunawada taluka of Mahisagar district went viral on social media, a senior official said. A local government school teacher Mahesh Mahera Sunday claimed he saw a tiger crossing a road near Boriya village in Mahisagar, over 120 kilometres from here, on February 6 and clicked its picture on his mobile phone and shared it with friends on social media platforms. The photo soon went viral and alerted the state's forest department on the unlikely presence of a tiger in the area. Acting on Mahera's claims, the forest department set up two camera traps and deployed staff to confirm the big cat's presence, a senior official said. "The photo of the tiger has gone viral and we can't yet say if it is fake. Since a citizen has claimed this, we have begun scanning the area. We have placed two camera traps and the number will be increased," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest ...

WB to develop 900MW Bandhunala pump storage proj in PPP mode

The West Bengal government has decided to develop the third pump storage power plant at Purulia under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and it has already received early interest proposals from investors, a state government official said. JSW Group Chairman and Managing Director Sajjan Jindal recently announced plans to set up a 1,000 MW pumped storage energy project in West Bengal which appears to be the third Purulia pump storage Bandhunala power project, the official said. Jindal had made the announcement at the recently concluded Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) - the state's showpiece industry event. JSW officials however, remained tight-lipped on the details of the announcement. "We will be developing Turga pump storage power plant with help of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan but Bandhunala project will be executed through a private player," state Power Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay told PTI. The project will, however, take the ..

Tender floated for major bridge on Tel river

East Coast Railway (ECoR) Sunday said it has invited tender for a major bridge on Tel river as part of the 289-km Khurda Road-Balangir new line project. The long-awaited rail line project, which was sanctioned in 1994-95, seeks to connect western Odisha with coastal parts of the state via Khurda, Nayagarh, Boudh, Sonepur and Balangir districts. The proposed bridge over the Tel river, a major tributary of the Mahanadi near Sonepur town, will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 23 crore. It is the longest bridge of the new line project, an ECoR statement said. The confluence of Mahanadi River and Tel is about 2.50 km downstream from the proposed location of the bridge. During peak flood, the rail bridge will have a lot of influence of Mahanadi due to merging of both the rivers in a very short distance without any appreciable bends, it said. Keeping this in mind, it is proposed to provide 17 spans of 45.70 m each during the construction of the bridge, the statement said. Rs

How do bees in congested hives stay cool on hot summer days?

Honey bees live in large, congested cavities, often in tree hollows with narrow openings. But thanks to their ventilation strategy they know how to stay cool on hot summer days, says a study by Harvard researchers.

BJP stares at farmers' backlash in UP as cattle destroy crops

What could be more ironic than the fact that while distressed farmers in the state are clamouring for protection from stray cattle, a problem that has assumed menacing proportions with crops worth crores of rupees being lost due to it, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has set aside an unprecedented over Rs 600 crore for the protection and welfare of cows in the State Budget for 2019-20.

Himachal unveils mega plans for forest conservation, girl child

Himachal Pradesh is aiming to sensitise the people of the state about the importance of daughters and forest conservation.

Rampant use of end-of-life tyres for pyrolysis in India: ATRA

Old tyres are a menace around the world and more so in India, where there is rampant use of end-of-life tyres for pyrolysis, an environmental hazard that is banned in developed countries, as this process emits life threatening gases, according to the Australian Tyre Recyclers Association (ATRA). Pyrolysis is a process where the material is put through a thermochemical treatment under high temperature to produce industrial oil and other matters. "India has a huge demand for used tyres for the purpose of pyrolysis. These tyres are imported in the form of bales rather than shred. A large chunk of such import comes from Australia," ATRA Executive Officer Robert Kelman said. Citing industry sources, Kelman said Rajasthan alone is reported to have around 150 separate pyrolysis plants and there may be around 2,000 plants around the country using used tyres. He further noted that used tyre pyrolysis has not proved itself commercially viable anywhere in the developed world (OECD member ...

Delhi farmers unhappy over power charges (IANS Special)

While the Delhi government is trying woo them with a draft agricultural policy, farmers of the national capital do not seem to be very happy with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on the issue of high electricity charges every month.