Page 221 - Environment
Death toll in Brazil mining disaster reaches 84
Nineteen more bodies have been found amid the sludge of mine waste, mud and water that buried homes and vehicles in the Brazilian town of Brumadinho when a tailings dam failed last week, raising the death toll from the tragedy to 84, authorities said.
IIT Roorkee testing floating device to produce electricity from river surface
Scientists at IIT Roorkee are testing a floating device that can generate electricity from flowing surface water of rivers and streams, paving the way for an alternative source of renewable energy. Traditional hydropower plants require the construction of large scale dams, which have significant ecological and environmental consequences. To counter this, a team at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee are testing a prototype that harnesses energy from flowing surface water. "In traditional dams, water falling from a height is used to turn turbines," said R P Saini, the principle investigator of the project. "We are instead using the velocity of the flowing river to turn a turbine, and generate power," said Saini, a professor at IIT Roorkee. Hydro-kinetic technology has significant advantages over other types of renewable energy, researchers said. "Flowing water can generate hundred times more power than wind of same velocity," said Saini. "The interest of government for last ...
Singapore most liveable for Asian expats: Survey
Singapore has been rated as the most liveable location for Asian expatriates in 2019 for the 14th consecutive year, according to a survey by ECA International.
Climate change may increase frequency of extreme storms: NASA study
Warming of the tropical oceans due to climate change may lead to a substantial increase in the frequency of extreme rain storms by the end of the century, according to a NASA study. The study led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the US combed through 15 years of data acquired by the space agency's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument over the tropical oceans to determine the relationship between the average sea surface temperature and the onset of severe storms. The researchers found that extreme storms -- those producing at least three millimetres of rain per hour over a 25-kilometre area -- formed when the sea surface temperature was higher than about 28 degrees Celsius. The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, also found that, based on the data, 21 per cent more storms form for every one degree Celsius that ocean surface temperatures rise. "It is somewhat common sense that severe storms will increase in a warmer environment. ...
Little blue penguins stolen from New Zealand nest
Three little blue penguins have been stolen from their burrow in New Zealand. One of the penguins died in the process and was left behind, but two were taken away, conservation officials said.
Arrests in Brazil dam disaster, dead fish wash up downstream
Brazilian authorities arrested five people Tuesday in connection with a dam collapse that killed at least 65 people and left nearly 300 missing, and dead fish were seen downstream floating at the banks of a river that an indigenous community depends on for food and water. The dam that held back iron-ore waste, owned and operated by big mining company Vale SA, collapsed on Friday burying a company cafeteria, other Vale buildings and inundating part of the small southeastern city of Brumadinho. Grieving relatives of the dead buried some of the victims in Brumadinho and rescue teams continued a delicate search through swaths of muck for more victims or survivors. One official said the death toll was sure to rise. The dead fish and trash were seen by a reporting team for The Associated Press about 18 kilometers downstream from the dam along the banks of the Paraopeba River. The Pataxo Indians living alongside the river who use it to fish, bathe and gather water for the plants they ...
Rains to increase minimum temperature in Delhi
The city may get some respite in the coming two days from the low minimum temperatures, which the Met department has said may rise by up to two degrees due to a likelihood of rains.
Delhi to opt for either Swaminathan formula or Telangana model to help farmers
As part of its farmers' outreach plan, the Delhi government is exploring the possibility, and will seek public opinion, about implementing the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee Report for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) or giving primary support to the farmers based on the Telangana model 'Rythu Bandhu'.
No remedy to reverse pollution of ground water in and around Vedanta's CSP: TNPCB
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the pollution level of the ground water in and around Vedanta group's Sterlite copper smelting plant in the state was very high and taht there was no remedy to restore it to permissible levels.
Sanjeev Kapoor to demonstrate importance of clean cooking
Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor is all set to spread the message of the importance of clean cooking with a cooking demonstration here.
KoPT appoints L&T to prepare master plan to expand its capacity (Repeating)
Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has appointed L&T Consulting Services to prepare a master plan for expanding its cargo handling capacity to 90 million tonne per annum in the next 4-5 years, an official said on Tuesday.
Twice as many cities "polluted" with PM10 than government targets: Report
A new report by Greenpeace on the ambient air quality in Indian cities has claimed that the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)-- launched by the government earlier this month--is not as comprehensive as was claimed and even if it achieves its goals of reducing PM 10 levels in its target cities by 2024, there will still be 139 cities across India- - including smart cities - - left with hazardous levels of pollution.
Indore garbage landfill site converted into garden
Indore has converted its garbage landfill site into a garden with a composite plan of waste management through which the garbage is used to generate both fuel and manure.It strives to become a "zero landfill" and "garbage-free" city with eco-friendly disposal of garbage through the use of modern technology that includes a plant for conversion of plastic waste into burning fuel.Indore Municipal Commissioner Ashish Singh said it all starts with segregating waste into wet and dry garbage at the source (household) itself. Thereafter, the garbage collected from all over the city is first taken to 10 nodal points for from where it is sent to the trenching ground. Further segregation of dry waste takes place at this ground.The garbage- both dry and wet - are used for making different products so as to generate revenue. The Indore Municipal Corporation with the help of an environmental consultancy named "Eco-pro Environmental Services" helps generate manure, interlocking tiles, diesel, petrol
MP to get 1000 gaushalas for housing 1 lakh cows
The Madhya Pradesh government will open 1000 gaushalas or cow shelters across the state where 1 lakh cows would be provided shelter in the first phase of its programme for protecting the revered bovine."These 1000 shelters would be visible by May as the 6 months target is set for starting the first phase of conservation of cows," Bhupendra Gupta, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chief Minister Kamal Nath, told ANI.He said that the cost incurred would be around Rs 450 crore and the scheme is a first of its kind in the state."There were no government-run gaushalas in the state. This scheme is the first of its kind in the state. The work for establishing the 1000 cow shelters in the first phase has already been started," said Gupta.Gupta also said that about 6 lakh cows need protection in the state, owing to which the government is working on increasing the capacity of private cow shelters."In the first phase itself, the capacity of 614 private cow shelters would be increased to 60,000. .
Fiat Chrysler receives U.S. approval to sell new Ram pickup
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Tuesday it has received approval from U.S. regulators to sell its new 2019 Ram 3500 pickup truck after the Italian automaker had raised concerns a prolonged government shutdown could delay the new heavy duty vehicle.
Jitendra Singh lays foundation for first highway village in Kathua
Union minister Jitendra Singh laid the foundation for a highway village at Logate Morh in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. Addressing a gathering after the ceremony, he said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 183 sites to set up wayside amenities along national highways. Highlighting the importance of the highway village, Singh said with the laying of the foundation stone, a new chapter has been added to the overall development scenario of Kathua as the project is the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the first phase of the project, Rs 20 crore has been earmarked and a time duration of 18 months has been set for its completion, he said. The amenities include separate parking for cars, buses and trucks, restaurant and food court, low-cost dhaba and fuel station. He further said that with the execution of several ambitious projects such as Keerian-Gandial bridge, a seed processing plant and Juthana bridge, Kathua will become a model
H D Kumaraswamy's resignation remark case of 'individual strains': Congress
The Congress Tuesday sought to downplay Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's statement that he would quit if the Congress did not stop its MLAs from criticising his style of functioning, saying it could be a case of "individual strains". "I think there are cases of individual strains and sometimes it may happen, but there is absolutely nothing as serious as it is made out in the Press. There are strains because some individual may say something but it is not an institutional response," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said. He denounced Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde for referring to Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao on Twitter "as a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady" after the latter questioned the minister about his achievements. "What is much more serious in Karnataka is the kind of perverse statements you are hearing from a Union cabinet minister from Karnataka," Singhvi said.
China failing to curb methane emissions, study finds
Methane emissions from coal mining in China have continued to rise despite tough legislation and ambitious government targets, a new study based on satellite data said Wednesday. The news is likely to fuel concerns that major emitters like China are failing to meet targets intended to prevent nightmare climate change scenarios. "China's methane regulations have not had a detectable impact on the country's methane emissions," the study's first author Scot Miller told AFP. "China has been able to 'talk the talk' so to speak in terms of setting emissions reduction policies, but we found that the country has not yet been able to 'walk the walk'," added Miller, assistant professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The research used data gathered by a Japanese satellite that monitors greenhouse gases, and looked at measurements from 2010-2015, the most recent information available when the study began two years ago. It found that emissions continued to ...
NTPC's Darlipali project to start generating power by March
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Tuesday said the first unit of its 1600 MW Darlipali Super Thermal Power Project (DSTPP) in Sundargarh district of Odisha is likely to generate power by the end of March. "Work on the two units of the project with 800 MW capacity each is progressing simultaneously. Commissioning activity for the first unit is on and it is set to start producing power by end of March," NTPC's Regional Executive Director (East-II), M P Sinha told reporters here. Stating that the turbine of the Darlipalli power plant is ready, Sinha said the boiler is likely to be completely fit for operations early next month. Internal cleaning of boiler is in progress at present as it is necessary before start. While the total cost of the ambitious project is to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore, an amount of Rs 8,500 crore has already been spent so far, he said adding that Odisha will get 50 per cent of the total power produced by the plant. The second 800 MW unit .
CPCB slaps Rs 1 crore fine each on Northern Railways, NDMC for violating norms
The Central Pollution Control Board has slapped a fine of Rs 1 crore each on the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Northern Railways over non-compliance of norms, according to a notice. The CPCB said an environmental compensation of Rs 1 crore has to be paid by the two bodies -- NDMC and Northern Railways -- by January 31, failing which prosecution will be initiated in accordance with law, the notice issued recently said. The board sent the notice to the Northern Railways over its construction and demolition activities and slapped a fine of Rs 1 crore on it . The CPCB also said that all shortcomings in addressing pollution norms should be addressed at the earliest and an action taken report must be submitted within 10 days.