Page 222 - Environment
Rs 3620 cr rural drinking water plan, road project approved in
Ahead of the elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assembly, Odisha government Tuesday approved expenditure of about Rs 3,620 crore for development of drinking water facility in rural areas and a road project. The approvals were made at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief minister Naveen Patnaik here. The drinking water projects would benefit 18.15 lakh people spread over six districts -- Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and Khurda, Chief Secretary A P Padhi said. He said the projects would be completed within 24 months and tenders have already been given to different firms on the basis of bidding. While Rs 754 crore will be spent on rural piped water supply project funded by Nabard in Bhardak district, Rs 979.82 crore to be spent from District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC) for drinking water project in Keonjhar district. Similarly, Rs 701 crore will be spent to supply piped water to 388 villages ..
Mahadayi dispute should be solved amicably: K'taka Cong leader
Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader from Karnataka Rajeev Gowda Tuesday said the Mahadayi River dispute should be solved amicably and must not be politicised. Karnataka and Goa, the riparian states of the Mahadayi (known as Mandovi in Goa), have been locked in a bitter battle over the sharing of water of the river, which originates in Belagavi in Karnataka. The matter is pending before the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal. "These are issues that should be resolved amicably. Many parties in different states tend to politicise these issues," he said in a reply to a query on the Mahadayi River dispute. Gowda is in Goa to get people's inputs on the Congress' manifesto for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Fernandes was a crusader for the poor: Harsh Vardhan
Condoling the death of George Fernandes, Union minister Harsh Vardhan said the socialist leader was a crusader for the poor and underprivileged in the country. The minister of environment, forests and climate change, in a tweet, said Fernandes passing away marked the end of a political era. "The death of the leader who raised voice for the welfare of poor and underprivileged people is extremely sad. His passing away is the end of a political era. His contribution towards protecting democracy is commendable and unforgettable," he tweeted. Fernandes passed away Tuesday at his home after suffering from a prolonged illness. He was 88 years old.
Centre sanctions over Rs 4.7k cr for Maha drought assistance
The Centre Tuesday sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 4,714.28 crore for Maharashtra's drought affected farmers. The opposition parties, however, claimed it fell short of the state's actual requirement and was a job "half done". Welcoming the decision of the Union Agriculture Ministry, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted, "Thank you Hon @narendramodi ji, Hon @RadhamohanBJP ji for the drought assistance of 4714.28 crore to Maharashtra." "This shows the firm commitment of Union Government towards the citizens of Maharashtra," Fadnavis' tweet added. However, state Congress chief Ashok Chavan said, "The state had demanded Rs 7,962 crore as financial assistance. But it received only Rs 4,714 crore. This is half job done." He hit out at the BJP-led state government and claimed kharif and rabi crops had been badly affected. Chavan said the quantum of assistance from the Union government should have been higher and accused it of failing to address ...
Barcode stray cows, shelter them in unused govt buildings: UP govt to officials
Grappling with the menace of stray cattle, the Uttar Pradesh government has told officials to barcode abandoned animals and set up temporary cow shelters at unused government buildings. The suggestions figure in a government order (GO) issued Monday, weeks after the Yogi Adityanath government announced a cess to set up shelters for cattle. Temporary cow shelters can be established at various cooperative institutions (such as mandi parishads and sugar mills) and at institutes of the Central government which have been lying closed, it suggested. The order suggested that stray cattle should be barcoded and RFID-tagged if possible. RFID involves using radio frequency identification technology to scan identity tags. The order said fodder banks can also be set up at the temporary shelters. Farmers can deposit crop waste there. The 23-page order was issued by the state's animal husbandry department to all senior government officials in Lucknow, district magistrates and district police ...
HC impleads Centre in PIL challenging TN plastic ban
The Madras High Court on its own impleaded the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers Tuesday as respondents in a PIL seeking quashing of a state government order banning plastic from January 1. "The impugned order is liable to be set aside due to non-application of mind and contrary to central legislations like the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016," the Tamil Nadu Plastics Manufacturers' Association and others said in their plea. Senior Counsel P Wilson, who appeared for the association, contended that the state government cannot issue the ban order "when the field is occupied by rules made by the Centre namely the Plastic Waste management rules". He further submitted that environment subject was a matter falling under the residuary power of the Constitution and only Parliament has legislative ...
Nine snow leopards killed by poachers since 2008, reveals RTI reply
Nine snow leopards have been poached and killed in the country since 2008 and eight poachers arrested for the crime, according to data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. These killings were reported from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Utarakhand and Delhi, according to the data provided by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Noida-based lawyer Ranjan Tomar had sought state-wise data on snow leopards killed by poachers in the last 10 years and offenders arrested from the WCCB, a statutory body formed to combat organised wildlife crime. "As per data available in the records of the bureau based on the information from the state forest and police departments, nine snow leopards have been killed and eight poachers have been arrested in the last 10 years in India," the WCCB said in a written reply. Of the nine cases, four were in Jammu and Kashmir -- one in 2010 while three in 2014. Two such deaths were reported from ...
139 cities violating air quality norms not included in NCAP: Report
Over 130 highly polluted cities violating the national air quality standards have been left out of the recently launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), a new study has revealed. A Greenpeace India report, which identified 139 cities where air pollution level exceeds national standards, said the NCAP is based on limited data from 2011-2015 and that's why a large number of highly polluted cities have been kept out of its purview. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the five-year action plan earlier this month to reduce air pollution by 30 per cent by 2024, with 2017 as base year. The report title 'Airpocalypse III' analysed air pollution data of 313 cities and towns for the year 2017. It said that of the 313 cities, 241 are on the list of non-attainment cities (highly polluted cities), but the NCAP has included only 102. "All these 241 cities are on the list of 'non-attainment' cities that are required to take action under the NCAP. This is a .
Law and order situation in Rajasthan has deteriorated under Cong rule, alleges BJP
The Rajasthan BJP has alleged that the law and order situation has worsened in the state after formation of the Congress government here. "Law and order situation has deteriorated in just 40 days of the government's formation in the state. Several incidents of murder, rape abduction have occurred and criminals are roaming scot-free," BJP state president Madal Lal Saini said on Tuesday. He said incidents were taking place at villages and towns but the government was not serious about checking the situation. "The government is not bothered about the crime happening in the state. It is engaged in infighting," he said. Saini also alleged that farmers were getting electricity supply for agriculture during night hours which was jeopardising farm operations.
Guv seeks reports from V-Cs of Raj universities about work done in adopted villages
Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh has sought reports from vice chancellors of state universities about the work done in villages adopted by the them, a spokesperson said Tuesday. On the basis of reports received from the vice chancellors, Singh will make an assessment of smart villages. "The governor has sought detailed reports about the development work carried out in the villages which were adopted by universities in order to make them smart villages. V-Cs will have to submit details by March 31," the spokesperson said. The governor had directed the state universities to adopt backward villages in order to convert them into smart villages. The V-Cs will have to submit details in a 14-point format, he said. The 14-point index will have parameters like employment, arrangement of agriculture loan, health and sanitation, drinking water and electrification, housing, education, e-initiative, inclusive growth of children, social security, innovation, water conservation, road and transport ...
IBHAS complying with Bio-Medical Waste Management rules, NGT told
The Central Pollution Control Board Tuesday informed the National Green Tribunal that the bio-medical waste generated by the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) here was treated and disposed as per the provisions of Bio-Medical Waste Management (BMWM), Rules, 2016. The CPCB told a bench that the hospital has provided pre-treatment facility in the form of microwave system for lab waste as required under BMWM Rules, 2016 and sample of pre-treated bio-medical waste analysed by it was found complying with stipulated disinfection standards. "The bio-medical waste is disposed through common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility namely M/s SMS Water Grace Pvt Ltd, Nilothi, New Delhi. Waste water is treated through ETP which is complying with the discharge standards notified under BMWM Rules. The hospital was henceforth found complying with Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and the recommendations of environment audit report of CPCB," CPCB said. Noting .
Pakistan to launch 200 billion rupee Islamic Sukuk to ease power sector debt
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has approved the launch of a 200 billion rupee ($1.44 billion) Islamic Sukuk to help pay off arrears building up in its troubled power sector, state-run Radio Pakistan said on its website on Tuesday.
By reducing 25% pollution, Delhiites can live 3 years more: Study
If India reduces particulate pollution by 25 per cent in five years, residents breathing the most polluted air in New Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh could live almost three years longer, a study said on Tuesday.
Pb govt okays 'Smart Village Campaign' worth Rs 385 cr
The Punjab government Tuesday approved a rural development scheme worth Rs 384.40 crore to supplement the ongoing works to build village infrastructure and provide essential amenities. Named 'Smart Village Campaign', the scheme would be financed with funds from the 14th Financial Commission and MGNREGA works, an official spokesperson said. The scheme was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, he added. The SVC is aimed at improving the condition of rural areas by supplementing the ongoing government schemes for building infrastructure and providing essential amenities, he said. Under the scheme, the deputy commissioners shall get proposals from the block development and panchayat officers and other sectoral departments, he said. Projects worth Rs 25 lakh would be approved by a committee of deputy commissioner and additional deputy commissioner (Development) while those above Rs 25 lakh would be given sanction by a state-level committee headed by the ..
Airport in Hyderabad to double cargo-handling, says official
: GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), which operates the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, is in the process of doubling the cargo-handling capacity in the next couple of years, a top official said Tuesday. The airport currently handles 1.5 lakh tonnes of cargo though the facility was originally designed to handle only one lakh tonnes, chief executive officer of GHIAL SGK Kishore said, while claiming this was possible because of efficient operation. ''We're doing a study on the requirement for increasing the cargo-handling capacity, which category of cargo, and what facility is required. So, when I say doubling, the present 1.5 lakh tonnes could become three lakh tonnes,'' he said. When the report gets over and designs were made available, then we shall decide on the final figure,'' Kishore told reporters on the sidelines of a programme. ''Assuming the new facilities (after expansion) are in place in the next two or two-and-a-half years, it will be
Kerala Focus paper released
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Tuesday released the 'State Focus Paper' on exploitable credit potential prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development here. Inaugurating the 'State Credit Seminar 2019-20', Vijayan said his government intends to rebuild a state which can withstand calamities like the deluge which Kerala faced last year. "We need to restore the livelihood which was lost to many people in the state. We intend to rebuild the state which can withstand further calamities like the one which we faced last year," Vijayan said. He also said the rebuilding exercise must be undertaken by utilising the knowledge from across the world. "By the development of Kerala, we mean a comprehensive development based on social justice which reaches out to every aspect of the society," Vijayan said, adding it was not possible to compare Kerala with other places in India. In other states, development might be focused at a major city and areas around ..
Delhi not getting clean water as Haryana obstructing water flow into Yamuna, DJB tells HC
Haryana is not allowing clean water to flow into the Yamuna making the water meant for the national capital more polluted, the AAP government said Tuesday in a plea to the Delhi High Court which has sought the neighbouring state's stand on the issue. The plea claimed that if urgent steps are not taken to remedy the situation it would adversely affect the water supply to Central Delhi, including the Lutyens zone. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao issued notice to Haryana and directed the Principal Secretary of its water department to reply to the allegations made by the Delhi government. The court gave the neighbouring state time till February 4 to file its response to the application by the Delhi government's water board, DJB, and listed the matter for further hearing on February 5. Represented by senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and advocate Sumeet Pushkarna, DJB told the bench that the channel which supplies additional water to Yamuna to dilute its pollution .
Piyush Goyal to receive Carnot prize for power reforms, rural electrification
Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal will receive the Carnot prize for his contribution towards sustainable energy solutions, with a team from University of Pennsylvania coming here to felicitate him on January 30. The former power minister, who was to be awarded the prize by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design in October last year, had to skip the event because of the Amritsar tragedy in which over 60 people died after being mowed down by a train. The award recognises Goyal's tenure as minister of power in which he is credited to have "reformed" the electricity sector and extended access to electricity to 18,000 villages, as documented by the International Energy Agency. "Now as Minister of Coal and Railways, the Minster is courageously confronting the complexity of ending energy poverty while transitioning to clean energy," the president of the centre said in his message. "His work challenges all of us to consider what values ...
Rustomjee to invest Rs 3,000cr on new housing project in Mumbai; ties up with HDFC, L&T
Realty firm Rustomjee will invest about Rs 3,000 crore over the next four years on construction of its new luxury housing project in South Mumbai, a top company official said. Rustomjee is expecting a sales revenue of Rs 5,800 crore from this 5.75 acre project, which is being developed in a join venture with the land owner, its CMD Boman R Irani told PTI. The company has tied up with HDFC for funding of this project and construction work will be done by L&T. "We have launched a luxurious project 'Rustomjee Crown' located in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. We will develop about 700 units in this project," he said. Irani said the majority of the units would be sold in a price range of Rs 8-14 crore, while some units would cost about Rs 18-20 crore. The project has been conceptualized by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor and designed by Bangkok's leading interior design firm PIA Interiors. Irani said apartments in this project are ranging from 1,3352,528 sq ft (carpet area) overlooking the ...
Joshua Tree national park 'may take 300 years to recover'
A former official of the Joshua Tree national park in California has said that it could take 300 years to recover from damage caused by visitors during the longest-ever US government shutdown, the media reported on Tuesday.