Page 208 - Environment
India, Germany decide to cooperate on water, waste management
India and Germany on Wednesday agreed that after their robust bilateral economic cooperation, they will focus on the environment and cooperate on water and waste management.
Last 4 years hottest on record, UN confirms
The last four years were the hottest since global temperature records began, the UN confirmed Wednesday in an analysis that it said was a "clear sign of continuing long-term climate change." The UN's World Meterological Organization said in November that 2018 was set to be the fourth warmest year in recorded history, stressing the urgent need for action to rein in runaway planetary warming. On Wednesday it incorporated the final weeks of last year into its climate models and concluded that average global surface temperature in 2018 was 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial baseline levels. 2016, boosted by a strong El Nino that normally tips the mercury northwards, remains the hottest year on record. It also said that the 20 warmest years in history all occurred within the last 22 years. "The long-term temperature trend is far more important than the ranking of individual years, and that trend is an upward one," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. "The degree ..
Gadkari launches highway and port projects worth Rs 6,000 cr in Odisha
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday launched a slew of highway and port projects worth Rs 6,000 crore in Odisha and said another Rs 2.5 lakh crore would be pumped in to boost the infrastructure here but the state must cooperate by expediting land acquisition process. The Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Minister laid foundation for three national highway projects worth Rs 2,345 crore at Kamakhyanagar in Dhenkanal district of Odisha. These projects include four-laning of the Talcher-Kamakhyanagar section of NH 200/23, Kamakhyanagar-Duburi section of NH 200 and Duburi-Chandikhole section of NH 200, the officials said. He also inaugurated a port project worth Rs 431 crore and laid foundation for six others worth Rs 3,206 crore in total at a function at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district. Stating that the length of national highways in Odisha has more than doubled in the last four years from 4,632 km in 2014 to 9,426 km in 2018, Gadkari said the Centre is now ...
Clusters identified for promotion of agri exports: Commerce Ministry
The commerce ministry Wednesday said it has identified six clusters in Maharashtra for grapes, mango, pomegranate, banana, oranges and onion to boost export of these commodities. These clusters are identified as part of the implementation of the agriculture export policy, announced by the ministry in December 2018. Officials are holding meetings of stakeholders and organising workshops with farmers on the implementation of the policy, it said in a statement. "More such workshops with farmers and meetings with state governments will be held to strategise the implementation of the policy," it said. For successful implementation, it said, farmer producer organisations and co-operatives should be linked with the farmers and exporters. "Required infrastructure needs to be provided in these clusters and the use of latest technology in agriculture has to be adopted," it said adding that the Indian Institute of Packaging has been roped in for working on packaging standards. Further, it said ..
Campaigners to Pope: $1m to charity if you go vegan for Lent
A 12-year-old animal rights and climate campaigner made an offer Wednesday Pope Francis may find hard to refuse: eat vegan during Lent and a million dollars will go to a charity of the Pontiff's choice. "Your Holiness, we must act," Genesis Butler, already a veteran activist when she gave her first TedX talk at the age of 10, said in an open letter supported by former Beatle Paul McCartney, film legend Brigitte Bardot, and dozens of minor celebrities. "Moving towards a plant-based diet will protect our land, trees, oceans and air, and help feed the world's most vulnerable." "Today, Pope Francis, I am asking you to join me in abstaining from all animal products throughout Lent," the 40 days of penance and fasting before Easter Sunday observed by Catholics, Anglicans and Orthodox Christians. Butler's letter reflects three social movements that have converged into an increasingly insistent call to eat less or no meat. Climate scientists have shown that the way food is currently produced,
Centre spending nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in Odisha on road projects: Gadkari
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the Centre is spending nearly Rs 1 lakh crore on building National Highways (NH) in the state.
Karnataka waives Rs 1,611 crore farm loans
Implementing the crop loan waiver scheme, the Karnataka government wrote off loans worth Rs 1,611 crore borrowed by 3.28 lakh farmers till January 31, said state Governor Vajubha Vala on Wednesday.
Nine injured in mishap at NTPC power plant
Nine persons including a senior official were injured after falling off a platform at a plant of the government-run NTPC in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district Wednesday. The mishap took place when repairing work was underway in non-operational unit no. 4 of the power plant located at Sipat village, 25 km from here. "Deputy general manager of the plant Murit Alexander and eight contract workers sustained minor injuries," said Vishnu Prasad Sahu, the plant's PRO. The workers were carrying out welding work inside a boiler while standing on a temporary platform which gave way, he said. However, water in the bottom of the boiler cushioned the fall to some extent and they did not sustain serious injuries, he said. The injured were taken to a local hospital of NTPC and all of them were out of danger, Sahu added.
3rd Indo-German Working Group on water, waste management held in Delhi
The Third Indo-German Working Group for cooperation on water and waste management concluded in New Delhi Wednesday after discussing potential cooperation areas in the two fields. Delegations from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, Germany, met to strengthen bilateral cooperation, a statement issued by the government said. The Indian delegation was headed by Anil Kumar Jain, additional secretary, MoEFCC, and officials from Central Pollution Control Board and other organisations contributed to the discussion. Jain said the Indo-German Climate and Renewable Alliance and cooperation in field of environment need to be strengthened. The German delegation was headed by Regina Dube, director-general for Water Management and Resource Conservation, who said that India has been very supportive in taking the work ahead, the official statement said. Both sides decided to work on ...
Chinese hunger for 'world's smelliest fruit' threatens Malaysian forests
Soaring demand for durians in China is being blamed for a new wave of deforestation in Malaysia with environmentalists warning vast amounts of jungle is being cleared to make way for massive plantations of the spiky, pungent fruit. Grown across tropical Southeast Asia, the durian is hailed as the "king of fruits" by fans, who liken its creamy texture and intense aroma to blue cheese. But detractors say durians stink of sewage and stale vomit. The strong smell means many hotels across the region have banned guests from bringing them to rooms, while Singapore does not allow the fruit on its subway system. Nevertheless, they are a hit in China, and the increase in demand has prompted exporters to vye for a bigger share of the burgeoning market. Growers in Malaysia are increasingly shifting from small orchards to industrial-scale operations -- a trend that environmentalists warn presents a new threat to rainforests already challenged by loggers and palm oil plantations. "Right now durians
New programme launched to east traffic congestion in Aizwal
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga Wednesday launched a programme to ease vehicular traffic congestion in the state capital Aizawl city, by involving people having land for parking vehicles. The state government has allocated Rs 10 crore for the programme, the Parking House Support Scheme, for construction of parking lots to accommodate 1,000 cars. Under the scheme, any individual who has a land for parking at least five Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) would be given an assistance at the rate of Rs 1 lakh per one vehicle parking space. Rs 100 crore more would be allotted during 2019-20, the chief minister said. The chief minister said the scheme was launched because of the perpetual traffic jams caused by parking of vehicles on the road sides.
'Foundation stone for Athikadavu-Avinashi water scheme by Feb
The over 50 year dream of people to see the Athikadavu-Avinashi water scheme fructify would soon become a reality as the foundation stone for the project would be laid by this month end, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said here Wednesday. The tender process for the Rs 1,652 crore project had already been issued, he said. "The foundation stone for the project, the over 50 year dream of the people and farmers, will be laid by end of February," he said. The chief Minister said some more areas like S S Kulam, Periyanaickenplayam and Annur West have been added under phase II of the project, following requests from local MLAs, MPs and also farmers. The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a Rs 1.5 crore memorial to farmers icon, Narayanasamy Naidu at Vaiyampalayam about 40 Kms from here, The project is aimed at providing water for irrigation to drought prone areas in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode districts. Nearly 25,000 acres of agriculture stand to benefit
Vale says to invest in technology to reduce need for tailings dams
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian mining company Vale SA plans to invest about 1.5 billion reais ($409 million) in so-called dry stacking tailing systems to reduce its reliance on tailings dams, it said late Tuesday, after a dam burst last month killing an estimated 300 people.
Japanese delegation keen on waste incineration plant in
A high-level Japanese delegation Wednesday met Telangana State Government officials and discussed a feasibility study report on setting up a waste incineration plant in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation. According to an official release, the delegation led by Hidenori Yokoyama, Director International Cooperation Department for Waste Management, Clean Authority of Tokyo, met the Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, Arvind Kumar. The delegation had earlier done an extensive study in Warangal for development of a waste treatment facility with the introduction of advanced Japanese waste treatment technologies to improve urban environment, it said. Hidenori Yokoyama made a power point presentation on the waste characteristics of Warangal. The lower calorific value of GWMC waste calculated from the survey result was generally within the design range, the release said. Based on the data and latest relevant laws and regulations, a fundamental business plan of an ..
3 held in UP for selling fake solar equipments
The Uttar Police Police has arrested three persons from Chhatari town of Bulandshahr district for allegedly selling duplicate equipment in the name of the central government scheme Bharat Gramin Solar Mission"We receive information about a gang selling duplicate and fake solar equipment including solar panels, batteries and LED lights in the name of Bharat Gramin Solar Mission," said Rural Superintendent of Police, Kuldeep Kumar Misra.Acting on the tip-off, police arrested the three persons and recovered fake equipment and a banner displaying Bharat Gramin Solar Mission with a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.The accused said they were ignorant of their crime."We were not informed by the people who told us to sell the equipment. We carried the equipment to the village and set up a camp and told people to buy a whole set of products at Rs 8,500." Police have registered a case and are probing the matter.
Duty of Railways to check air pollution at Khori station: NGT
The National Green Tribunal Wednesday said it is the duty of the Railways to combat air pollution at Khori Railway Station in Haryana's Rewari district. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore directed the Railways to take immediate action to control pollution at the station and directed it to file a compliance affidavit before March 7. The green panel also directed a senior official of the Railways to be present before it in on the next date of hearing. The order came after perusal of an inspection report filed by a joint team of the Central Pollution Control Board and Haryana State Pollution Control Board "After perusal of the report particularly in view of the inspection report, we are of the considered view that the matter appears serious and utmost priority is needed... The counsel for the Railways seeks time to look into the report and take appropriate steps," the bench said. According to the report, PM 10 levels were found to be beyond the permissible limits and that ...
India's latest communication satellite GSAT-31 successfully launched; ATM networks, DTH services to get boost
India's latest communication satellite GSAT-31 was successfully put into orbit in the early hours of Wednesday by an European rocket from French Guiana, in a mission that is expected to enhance connectivity for ATMs and provide for uninterrupted DTH services. Blasting off from Ariane Launch Complex at Kourou, a French territory located in northeastern coast of South America at at 2.31 am (IST), the Ariane-5 vehicle of the European launch services provider Arianespace injected the "high power" satellite into the orbit in a flawless flight that lasted about 42 minutes. With a mission life of 15 years and weighing about 2,536 kg, GSAT-31 is the country's 40th communication satellite to be built by the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) and will provide continuity to operational services on some of the in-orbit satellites. "It gives me great pleasure on the successful launch of GSAT-31 spacecraft on board Ariane-5," ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) Director S Pandian said at
Japan's Hayabusa2 probe to land on asteroid on Feb 22
A Japanese probe sent to examine an asteroid in order to shed light on the origins of the solar system is expected to land on the rock later this month, officials said Wednesday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the Hayabusa2 probe is expected to touch down on the Ryugu asteroid at 8am local time on February 22. "The landing point is decided and how we're going to land is confirmed, so we want to do our best to achieve this without making mistakes," JAXA project manager Yuichi Tsuda told reporters. The announcement comes after the agency in October delayed the touchdown for several months, saying they needed more time to prepare the landing as the latest data showed the asteroid's surface was more rugged than expected. Scientists are already receiving data from other probes deployed on the surface of the asteroid. In October, JAXA successfully landed a new 10-kilogramme (22-pound) observation robot known as MASCOT -- "Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout." Loaded with ...
NGT slams UP govt over incomplete info on hospitals, directs to deposit 10 crore
The National Green Tribunal Wednesday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government over its inability to provide exact number of hospitals, health care centres and nursing homes in the state and directed it to submit complete information within a month. The tribunal granted more time to the Yogi Adityanath government subject to the condition that it would deposit a performance guarantee of Rs 10 crore. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore said the facts in respect of total number of hospitals and other medical bodies have varied so much so that the figure given by the Department of Medical and Health and state pollution control board are different. "You are not able to tell the total number of hospitals. What sort of functioning is of Uttar Pradesh (sic), we fail to understand," the tribunal observed. The tribunal noted in its order that the Director of Medical and Health has submitted that there are 5,240 government hospitals in the state whereas earlier it was ...
Giant-size Napoleon Wrasse fish draws huge response at exhibition
Napoleon Wrasse, one of the world's biggest reef fishes, was the cynosure of all eyes at the exhibition of marine life at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) here, an official said on Wednesday.