Page 219 - Environment
Centre working for sustainable solution to farmers' problem: Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said that the Centre was working for sustainable solutions to the issues faced by farmers and has taken some recommendable steps to improve their conditions.
Tata Metaliks firms up after Kharagpur facility gets environmental clearance
Tata Metaliks rose 1.06% to Rs 611 at 11:51 IST on BSE after the company said it received environmental clearance for increasing production at its existing facility in Kharagpur, West Bengal.
Centre prioritised Maharashtra over Andhra Pradesh, alleges CM Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the Centre provided a considerable amount of drought assistance to Maharashtra but neglected Andhra Pradesh.The remark comes a day after Maharashtra was granted financial assistance of Rs 4,714 crore from the Centre for drought-affected areas. "Centre has given much for Maharashtra as drought assistance, but neglected the Andhra Pradesh," said Naidu after an all-party meeting on Wednesday. Sharpening his attack, Naidu said the Centre has not only failed on its promise to give a special package to the state but has even taken back Rs 350 crore meant for development of backward districts."The Centre has taken back Rs 350 crores that was sent to the state exchequer for development of seven backward districts. One year has passed by but there is no response on that matter till date," said Naidu."We have been continuously pleading the Centre to give us hand holding so that we can develop at par with other South Indian states. We can ...
Brazil dam burst death toll rises to 99, with 259 unaccounted for
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The death toll from a dam burst in the Brazilian town of Brumadinho rose to 99 people, with 259 still unaccounted for, according to rescuers working at the site on Wednesday.
Opposition to globalisation a major challenge before us: David Cameron
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday pointed towards the opposition to globalisation and said the world is also facing four key challenges which are to be met in varied ways.
Storage of nuclear waste a 'global crisis': report
Nuclear waste is piling up around the world even as countries struggle to dispose of spent fuel that will remain highly toxic for many thousands of years, Greenpeace detailed in a report Wednesday. An analysis of waste storage facilities in seven countries with nuclear power revealed that several were near saturation, the anti-nuclear NGO said. All these nations also confronted other problems that have yet to be fully contained: fire risk, venting of radioactive gases, environmental contamination, failure of containers, terrorist attacks and escalating costs. "More than 65 years after the start of the civil use of nuclear power, not a single country can claim that it has the solution to manage the most dangerous radioactive wastes," Shaun Burnie, a nuclear expert at Greenpeace Germany and coordinator of the report said in a statement. In particular, storing waste material from nuclear power reactors deep in the ground -- the most researched long-term storage technology -- "has shown ..
Piyush Goyal gets Carnot Prize for power reforms, donates the prize money to International Solar Alliance
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has been awarded the Carnot Prize for his contribution towards sustainable energy solutions by the University of Pennsylvania here on Wednesday. Goyal, who was facilitated by the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, has donated the prize money to International Solar Alliance.The Carnot Prize is given to the personalities who have revolutionised the understanding of energy policy.Former Power Minister Goyal received the award for bringing in transformational changes in its power sector, including the fast-track electrification of nearly 18,000 villages in some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the country. Some of the other projects initiated by the Minister of Railways and Coal include rolling out a comprehensive power sector reform plan and the world's largest LED bulb distribution and renewable energy expansion programme.
Record horticulture output in 2017-18 at 311.7 MT, more likely this year
India has produced 311.7 million tonnes of horticulture crops in 2017-18, which is 3.7 per cent higher than the previous year while this year will see more output at about 314.67 million tonnes, Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.
Delhi minister Rai to seek Centre's help over Swaminathan report
Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said he will meet Union Agriculture Ministre Radha Mohan Singh this week, impressing upon him the need to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee Report for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers.
India exporting power to neighbouring countries: Minister
Union Power Minister R K Singh Wednesday said the Modi government has made tremendous progress on the electricity generation front and India has started exporting energy to neighbouring countries. He said the country was presently producing one lakh MW of surplus power. "The central government has made tremendous progress in production of energy in the last five years. Presently, extra one lakh MW power is being produced. It is more than our requirement, hence we are also exporting energy to our neighbouring countries," he said. He was speaking on the sidelines of foundation stone laying ceremony of the regional instument testing laboratory of the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) at Shilapur in the district. He said the laboratory will boost employment opportunities in the region. Maharashtra Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, CPRI director V S nandkumar and others were present on the occasion. Bawankule said under the Soubhagya scheme, 12.58 lakh families
Deer meat seized, two persons arrested
Forest department officials arrested two persons in Palamau district after deer meat was recovered from their possession, an officer said Wednesday. Based on a tip-off, the officials conducted raid at a house in Khokhma village on Tuesday evening and recovered 3.5 kg of deer meat and head of a deer, said a Forest officer of Patan Forest Range, Pancham Dubey. Dubey said two persons identified as Kail Bhuiyan and Munna Bhuiyan were arrested in this connection. Both the accused were produced before a local court here Wednesday which send them to 14-days judicial custody.
Brazil dam disaster: mourning and dead fish along river of mud
Five days after a dam collapse at a Brazilian mine, residents were mourning Wednesday the nearly 360 people killed and missing -- as well the river they live alongside, which is dying from spreading toxic, muddy waste. Helton, one resident, said his 28-year-old wife and his 35-year-old sister both worked at the facility, owned by Vale, the Brazilian company that is the world's biggest iron-ore miner. They are among the 276 missing, presumed dead, likely to swell the list of 84 confirmed fatalities. "I asked them to leave. And they said no, because they needed the work," said Helton -- who only gave his first name -- adding that rumors of perilous conditions had circulated before the disaster. Many in and around Brumadinho, the nearest town to the mine, worked for Vale. The community was essentially a company town, tied to what was by far the biggest employer in the area. They also live in the shadow of multiple dams that have been used by Vale's operation. "They knew it was ging to ...
Piyush Goyal donates USD 25,000 award money to International Solar Alliance
Union Minister Piyush Goyal will donate the 2018 Carnot Prize money of USD 25,000 (around Rs 18 lakh), which he received on Wednesday, to the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to institute an award for organisations working with children with special needs and the ones maximising use of solar energy. "I dedicate the Carnot Prize to the lakhs of Indians engaged in the energy and mining sector and the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for transforming us from an energy-short nation to a power-surplus nation," Goyal said, after the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design formally presented the fourth annual Carnot Prize to him, in recognition of his contribution to the energy sector as Power Minister. Goyal had previously been unable to accept the award in the USA, due to the Amritsar train tragedy in October last year. International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a multilateral organisation with an objective to support massive ...
India to have world's only completely-electrified large railway network
India is targeting complete electrification of its railway network over the next four-five years, which will make it the only such large rail network, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.
Joint fisheries management plans for Afro-Asian nations mooted
An international workshop on fisheries and aquaculture that ended here on Wednesday called for regional cooperation among member countries of African Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) to develop joint fisheries management plans to achieve sustainable development of the fisheries in Afro-Asian countries.
Radiation leaks at Japan plutonium lab; no workers exposed
A Japanese state-run nuclear fuel laboratory near Tokyo said Wednesday it detected a radiation leak in its plutonium handling facility, but no workers were exposed. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency said a radiation alarm went off after nine workers changed plastic covers on two canisters containing MOX, a mixture of plutonium and uranium, and removed them from a sealed compartment. JAEA said the workers, each wearing a mask, escaped radiation exposure after running into another room. No leak was detected outside the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories in Tokai Village, northeast of Tokyo. The facility ended nuclear fuel production in 2001 and is being decommissioned. The cause of the leak is under investigation. The agency suggested possible damage to the plastic covers during the routine change. JAEA has been reprimanded repeatedly by Japanese nuclear authorities for its poor safety record in recent years. A bag of plutonium broke during an inspection at another facility ...
MP government to set up 1,000 cow shelters in next 4 months
The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has given its nod to set up 1,000 'gaushalas' or cow shelters in the state, one of the poll promises in its manifesto last year.
Vale, miners' shares climb on post-disaster plan to shut dams
BRUMADINHO, Brazil (Reuters) - Vale SA's shares recovered some extensive recent losses on Wednesday that were triggered by a deadly tailing dam collapse, after the world's largest iron ore producer announced a plan to sacrifice production for safety.
Vedanta's Thoothukudi plant can't be allowed to operate, SC told
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that Vedanta's Sterlite copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi can't be allowed to operate as it was involved in a series of violations resulting in an alarming level of groundwater pollution.
Govt approves 4 lakh houses under PMAY(U)
The government Wednesday approved the construction of nearly four lakh affordable houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), taking the total number to about 72.5 lakh, an official said Wednesday. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra said the mission is well on its way of achieving the target of one crore homes for urban areas in the country. The PMAY(U), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015, aims to ensure "Housing for all by 2022" According to Mishra, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have been sanctioned nearly one lakh houses each. the PMAY (U) is going "steady and strong" every month, he said. The approval was given at a meeting of the central sanctioning and monitoring committee (CSMC) of the PMAY (U) on Wednesday. "With nearly 4 lakh homes sanctioned at the 42nd CSMC today, the total number of homes sanctioned under this flagship mission with the vision of providing a home to every Indian has crossed 72.5 lakhs," Mishra ...