Page 223 - Environment
NASA solar probe begins second orbit of Sun
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has begun its second orbit of the Sun and is on track for its closest approach to our star, the US space agency said. Just 161 days after its launch, the Praker probe completed its first orbit of the Sun on January 19. The spacecraft has now begun the second of 24 planned orbits, on track for its second perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun, on April 4. Parker Solar Probe entered full operational status on January 1, with all systems online and operating as designed. The spacecraft has been delivering data from its instruments to Earth via the Deep Space Network, and to date more than 17 gigabits of science data has been downloaded. The full dataset from the first orbit will be downloaded by April. "It's been an illuminating and fascinating first orbit," said Andy Driesman, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, which manages the mission for NASA. "We've learned a lot about how the spacecraft operates and reacts to the solar ...
Unhappy with Yamuna cleaning, NGT asks Delhi, UP, Hary to deposit Rs 10 cr each
The National Green Tribunal Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the cleaning of river Yamuna and directed Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 10 crore each within a month. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the state governments to furnish a performance guarantee with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure there was no further lapse in this regard. The tribunal also warned that chief secretary of all the three states would be personally liable for any non-compliance. The green panel made it clear that the amount will be forfeited if the work was not carried out as per the recommendations of the monitoring committee constituted by it and asked the panel to expeditiously submit its final report. It directed that steps be taken by the three states at the earliest for disposal of municipal solid waste, cleaning of drains and ensuring cleaning of garbage. The order came after perusing the ...
UP Cabinet approves construction of Ganga Expressway
In a historic Cabinet meeting during the ongoing Kumbh Mela, the Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday approved the construction of the Ganga Expressway for better connectivity of Allahabad with western districts of the state. The chief minister, who presided over the meeting, told reporters that the Cabinet gave its approval for the construction of the 600 km expressway, which will be the longest expressway in the world. It will start from Meerut and touch Amroha, Bulandshahr, Badaun, Shahjahanpur ,Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh before reaching Allahabad, he said. This expressway will require 6,556 hectares of land and it will be access-controlled and four-lane expandable to six lanes, Adityanath said, adding the estimated cost of this project will be around R 36,000 crores.
NASA solar probe to make closest approach to Sun in April
Just 161 days after its launch, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has completed its first orbit of the Sun and has now begun the second of 24 planned orbits, which will mark its closest approach to the Sun in April, the US space agency has said.
Gadkari to launch 7 road, river projects worth Rs 872 cr in Bihar on Wednesday
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for seven road and river projects in Bihar, entailing Rs 871.61 crore investment, on Wednesday. He will be accompanied by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radhamohan Singh and others. Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Gadkari will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of several road projects and river development works in Bihar tomorrow (Wednesday), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement. The statement said that the minister will inaugurate/lay foundation stone for two national highways projects worth Rs 505 crore in Raxaul. These include foundation stone for work of widening of 69 km section of NH-28A from Piprakothi to Motihari and Raxaul with a cost of Rs 333.60 crore, and inauguration of 2-lane 40 km section of NH-28B from Chhapra to Misrauli with a cost of Rs 171.40 crore, it said. The minister will also inaugurate and .
Centre buys 52.83 lakh tonnes of pulses, oilseeds under PSS so far
The Centre has procured 52.83 lakh tonnes of pulses and oilseeds worth Rs 24,503 crore so far under the price support scheme (PSS), according to the Agriculture Ministry. The PSS is operationalised on the state governments' request when the prices fall below the minimum support price (MSP). The procurement is undertaken by nodal agencies like Nafed at the MSP. Only fair average quality commodity is purchased. As per the ministry's latest data, both pulses and oilseeds have been purchased under the PSS in a dozen states. Much of the procurement was undertaken in Madhya Pradesh at 22.91 lakh tonnes, followed by Rajasthan at 15.58 lakh tonnes and Gujarat at 4.60 lakh tonnes till January 16 of this 2018-19 crop year (July-June). The procurement in Maharasthra was at 2.26 lakh tonnes, Haryana at 2.30 lakh tonnes, Karnataka at 1.64 lakh tonnes, Telangana at 1.07 lakh tonnes, Uttar Pradesh at 57,780 tonnes, Odisha at 9,655 tonnes, Tamil Nadu at 1,912 tonnes and West Bengal at 826 tonnes in ..
Italy, UN, launch Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development
Rome, Jan 29 (IANS/AKI) Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has opened a new centre here set up by the government in partnership with the UN to fight climate change and boost sustainable development in Africa.
Jharkhand: 5 Naxals killed, 2 critically injured in encounter
Security forces killed five Naxals and injured two critically in Jharkhand's Khuti district on Tuesday, police said.Based on a tip-off, the CRPF launched a search operation on Monday night in Arki forest.Soon an encounter ensued in which the five naxals were killed and two others injured severely.More details in this regard are awaited.
Himachal holds race to log feathered guests
A band of ornithologists armed with binoculars and logbooks on Tuesday set out for a unique race -- to count and identify feathered guests from the trans-Himalayas holidaying at the famed Pong wetlands of Kangra Valley, officials said.
Sea of white: 'Hundreds of thousands' of fish dead in Australia
"Hundreds of thousands" of fish have died in drought-stricken Australia in the last few days and more mass deaths are likely to occur, the authorities warned Tuesday. Locals around the Darling River were confronted with a sea of white, as dead fish carpeted the waters near the southeastern Outback town of Menindee. Just weeks after up to a million were killed -- with scientists pointing to low water and oxygen levels as well as possibly toxic algae -- another mass death occurred in the key food growing region. Inspectors from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries have visited the site and said they found that "hundreds of thousands of fish have died". "Further fish deaths in the Darling River are anticipated as a significant number of fish have been observed under stress," the department said in a statement. The Darling River is part of the Murray-Darling River system that stretches thousands of kilometres across several states. With temperatures expected to rise and no
NLC India signs MoU with Govt. of Tamil Nadu for setting up mines and power projects
The company already operates 4 Lignite Mines of Capacity 30.6 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) (in the States of Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan) and 5 Thermal Power Stations of capacity 3140 MW (in the States of Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan), out of which 28.6 MTPA Lignite Mines & 2890 MW Thermal Power Stations are located in Tamil Nadu. Besides that NLCIL has 492 MW Renewable Energy Projects in Tamil Nadu and another 909 MW Solar Projects are under implementation.
Brazil dam toll hits 65
The death toll in the mining dam collapse in Brazil's Minas Gerais state has reached 65, authorities have said.
RO plants linked to gangster sealed in Gr Noida
Two commercial water plants allegedly linked to a local gangster here were sealed Monday by authorities in Gautam Buddh Nagar on the charge of flouting pollution norms, officials said. The water plant in Khanpur village of Greater Noida was sealed in a joint action by the district police and the Special Task Force (STF), a senior official said. "The commercial RO plants were located in the property of Satyapal Bhati and Brahm Singh Bhati, who are associated with the Sundar Bhati gang," Circle Officer, Greater Noida 1st, Nishank Sharma said. "The action was guided by the district administration and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Department," he said. Teams from at least four police station were involved in the action along with STF personnel, he said, adding that legal proceedings were underway. Gangster Sundar Bhati was arrested in Noida on December 30, 2014 and has been in jail since, the officials said.
Space technology predicts droughts five months in advance
With the technological advancement catching unbelievable pace, recent research suggests that space technology can now predict droughts several months in advance.Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have used new space technology to predict droughts and increased bushfire risk up to five months in advance.The researchers used data from multiple satellites to measure water below the Earth's surface with unprecedented precision and were able to relate this to drought impacts on the vegetation several months later."The way these satellites measure the presence of water on Earth is mind-boggling," said Tian, lead author of the study, which was published in the journal of Nature Communications. "We've been able to use them to detect variations in water availability that affect the growth and condition of grazing land, dryland crops and forests, and that can lead to increased fire risk and farming problems several months down the track," Tian further explained.According .
Light to moderate thundershowers likely at isolated area in TL
The Met Department Monday said light to moderate rain or thundershowers were likely to occur at isolated places over Telangana on January 29. This would be followed by dry weather from Wednesday, the department said It said heavy rain occurred at isolated places in Khammam district. Konijerla in Khammam district received 8 cms of rainfall, followed by Chandrugonda in Bhadradri Kothagudem district (six cms) in the past 24 hours, ending 0830 hrs Monday, it said. Normal life was thrown out of gear at various places in as unseasonal rains lashed the state during the last two days. In its weather inference, the report said the trough of low at mean sea level over southeast Bay of Bengal, adjoining Andaman Sea and Equatorial Indian Ocean lay over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining areas of Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal. The lowest minimum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius was recorded at Medak, it said.
Tamil Nadu to formulate revised Solar Energy Policy: Palaniswami
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Monday said the government will soon come out with a revised solar energy policy.
Two-month-old elephant calf found dead in Jharkhand
A two-month-old wild elephant calf was found dead at Basadera in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district Monday, Forest department officials said. Preliminary investigation suggested, the death of the calf was natural, Divisional Forest Officer (Dalbhum), Dr. Abhisekh Kumar said. A team of Forest department rushed to the spot to investigate the incident but did not find any foul play behind the death, the DFO said. "We have taken samples of the elephant calf, which will be sent to forensic laboratory in Ranchi to confirm exact cause of death," he added.
DJB to move court over pollutants' discharge in Yamuna
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Monday said it will move the High Court over discharge of industrial waste and high level of pollutants in the Yamuna in Haryana which affects the water quality in the national capital.
In the new lithium 'Great Game,' Germany edges out China in Bolivia
UYUNI, Bolivia/BERLIN (Reuters) - When Germany signed a deal last month to help Bolivia exploit its huge lithium reserves, it hailed the venture as a deepening of economic ties with the South American country. But it also gives Germany entry into the new "Great Game", in which big powers like China are jostling across the globe for access to the prized electric battery metal.
Politics of development is our priority, says Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Monday that development has always been the top agenda of the central government and in the last four years, the Centre has introduced multiple development projects in Bikaner. Speaking at a function where he launched different highway projects worth Rs 860.26 crore and laid the foundation of projects worth Rs 1,755.36 crore, Gadkari said the government's endeavour will be on introducing modern transport solutions. "The politics of development is our priority. In the last four years, the government has taken up many developmental projects and no stone will be left unturned for development," he said. The minister said the government was considering to build a ropeway to solve the traffic congestion problem of the city. During the NDA government's rule, construction of national highways has increased, he said, adding that work on projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore is underway. Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar and Union Minister of State for water ...