Page 227 - Environment
Will act firmly to check timber, wood smuggling: CM
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Saturday said the government would act very firmly to check timber and wood smuggling and suggested a four point multi-pronged strategy to improve green cover. Rao, who held a meeting with officials on protecting forests, said the intelligence wing was involved in identifying those who indulged in illegal felling of forests and smuggling timber and wood. Suggesting a thorough review of the existing forest act of Telangana,Rao said a new Act can be brought out to conserve the forests and to punish the smugglers. He suggested a four point multi-pronged strategy to improve the greenery in the state. This would entail protecting existing forests in toto, rejuvenating lost forests, taking up social forestry in rural areas and lastly to develop greenery in all cities, including Hyderabad and Warangal, towns and urban areas to avoid pollution, a release from the chief minister's office said. The forest mission should move ahead with ..
NLC India to set-up mines, power projects in Tamil Nadu
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - State-owned NLC India plans to invest about 238 billion Indian rupees ($3.4 billion) in Tamil Nadu to set up mines and power projects, the company said on Saturday.
'Gram parivartaks' helping in shaping rural economy: Fadnavis
Lauding the role of 'gram parivartaks' in shaping the rural economy of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Saturday said financially empowering the 6 lakh villages will transform the nation. Without the development of villages, the country cannot achieve overall progress, he said, addressing the convocation ceremony of CM Rural Development Fellows here. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also released 'Katha Parivartanachi', a book containing stories that chronicle transformation of villages. As many as 1,000 villages in Maharashtra were selected under the Village Social Transformation Program, undertaken jointly by the state government and corporate houses for integrated development. "The programme, which was started two years back, has been successful due to the efforts of gram parivartaks and people's participation. "Gram parivartaks have done the work of taking the government's schemes to the people on ground level," he said. Gram parivartaks (village ...
Germany should phase out coal mining by 2038: commission
Germany should end all coal mining for electricity production by 2038, a government-appointed commission said Saturday, laying out a roadmap to phase out the polluting fuel. The transition is expected to cost up to 80 billion euros (USD 91 billion) over 20 years, half of which will go to the regions shuttering plants in the west and east of the country, with the rest helping prevent electricity prices from rising, the commission said. The panel, consisting of politicians, climate experts, unions and industry figures from coal regions, reached this decision on Saturday morning after a final marathon 24-hour session, several members told AFP. It followed months of bitter wrangling as pressure mounts on Europe's top economy to step up its commitment to combating climate change. The commission's findings will now be passed on to the government, which is expected -- barring a surprise -- to follow the recommendations of the panel it set up. Under the plan, several plants that use lignite ..
C'garh govt to waive Rs 207 crore irrigation tax of farmers
In a move that will benefit 15 lakh farmers in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Saturday announced to waive their outstanding irrigation taxes worth Rs 207 crore. During his Republic Day address at the Police Parade grounds here, Baghel also called for a permanent solution to improve the economic condition of farmers. The chief minister's announcement comes just over a month after his government decided to waive farmers' short-term agricultural loans worth Rs 6,230 crore and hike the MSP for paddy to Rs 2,500, fulfilling the promises made by the Congress ahead of the Assembly polls. "Sinchai kar (irrigation tax) to the tune of Rs 207 crore pending from around last 15 years as on October, 2018 will be written off. As many as 15 lakh farmers will be benefited from the decision," he said. "Without freeing farmers from the clutches of debts, their condition and that of their villages cannot be improved. Therefore, in the first cabinet meeting, it was decided to ..
Germany should fully phase out coal by 2038: commission
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany should shut down its coal-fired power plants by 2038 at the latest, a government-appointed commission said early on Saturday as part of a roadmap laying out an accelerated phase-out of the polluting fuel.
India calls for cautionary approach to link climate change
India has called for adopting a cautionary approach on linking climate change to security and giving the UN Security Council the right to take action to address it, saying overly militarised solutions to problems which require non-military responses bring the "wrong actors" to the table. A "mere decision of the Council" to takeover enforcement of climate change action would disrupt the 2105 Paris Agreement and multilateral efforts to find solutions, India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin told the Security Council on Friday. He was speaking at the UN Security Council's open debate on 'Addressing the impacts of climate-related disasters on international peace and security' "Climate Change is an unprecedented challenge to global civilisation," he said. Akbaruddin said India believed that climate action should be a priority area for international cooperation. "Global institutions should be responsive to felt human needs, including disaster preparedness, as well as resilience and
Record-breaking almost 10 inch long salamander found in US
Researchers have discovered the largest cave salamander in North America, a 9.3-inch specimen of the Berry Cave species.
China names ICBC Chairman Yi to head securities regulator: Xinhua
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has appointed Yi Huiman to head the China Securities Regulatory Commission, taking over from Liu Shiyu, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday.
Hundreds of tourists stuck in HP's Bir Billing landslide rescued
Hundred of tourists stuck in a landslide in Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district have been rescued, a district official said Saturday. The tourists in about 60 vehicles had been stuck after a landslide near the Point Five area Friday evening, he said. A rescue team was sent at the spot soon after information about them being stuck there was received, he said adding that all tourists were rescued safely after one-and-a-half hour operation. Baijnath Sub-divisional Magistrate Rameshwar Dass said, "The rescue team led by Special Area Development Authority supervisor Ranvijay cleared the blocked road in one-and-a-half-hour." DSP Baijnath has been asked to deploy police personnel on Billing road, he added.
Dai-Ichi Karkaria closes down its Kasarwadi Plant
Shifts operations from Kasarwadi Plant to Dahej, Gujarat
Malaysia to cancel $20 billion China-backed rail project: minister
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's economics minister said on Saturday the country will cancel its $20 billion East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project with contractor China Communications Construction Co Ltd (CCCC).
Ground breaking ceremony for Machilipatnam Deep Sea Port on
A ground breaking ceremony to commence the construction work of a deep sea port here would be held on February 7. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would perform the 'bhoomi puja' for the project on February 7, Minister for Law and Justice, Sports, K Ravindra told reporters here Friday. Navayuga group, developer of the Machilipatnam port has signalled its readiness to begin works, he said. Nearly 4,000 acres of land would be handed over to the developer by January end while the rest (nearly 1,200 acres) would be allotted in the next phase, the Minister added.
Countries to finally refine greenhouse gas inventory
UN body Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will open the final draft of its new methodology report for review next week that will help countries enhance national inventory reports of emissions and removals under the 2015 Paris Agreement, if they agree to use it.
UNSC debates impact of climate change on peace, security
The United Nations Security Council held an open debate to discuss the impact of climate change on peace and security, while calling for action to diminish the effects of global warming.
Greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise to record levels: WMO chief economist
Global greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise to record levels in 2018-2019, the chief economist of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has told United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Severe traffic near Mayur Vihar flyover; irate commuters take to Twitter
Commuters faced heavy traffic congestion due to inauguration of a three-lane flyover on Noida Link Road near Mayur Vihar Phase-I which saw the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Friday. Several commuters took to Twitter to express their displeasure. "Too much jam at Mayur Vihar flyover", a commuter posted on Twitter. Passengers complained there was excessive traffic congestion between Noida and Delhi. Many commuters said they were stuck in jams in Mayur Vihar and its extension for close to two hours. "Once again there is chaos at the Mayur Vihar Phase I red light. Cars have blocked the intersection, no movement at all," another commuter tweeted. The three-lane flyover was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. It is expected to ease traffic on the Noida Link Road stretch and facilitate signal-free movement in the area.
Kejriwal inaugurates three-lane flyover on Noida Link Road
A three-lane flyover on Noida Link Road near Mayur Vihar Phase-I was thrown open to the public on Friday. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the 1-km flyover, which is part of Barapullah Elevated Road corridor under phase III extension from Mayur Vihar to Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi. The flyover is expected to ease traffic on this stretch. The project has been executed in 36 months at a cost of Rs 45 crore. It is expected to facilitate signal-free movement in the area. Further, two loops connect the flyover in the middle part to facilitate traffic movement for Mayur Vihar. The flyover, which was planned and executed by PWD Delhi, was a key project of the AAP government. In order to overcome the bottlenecks caused by traffic coming from Noida and Mayur Vihar, this project was proposed, official said. At the inauguration event, Kejriwal attacked the BJP-led central government, saying it had created hurdles in the functioning of his government in the national capital.
Work begins on road project within 60 minutes of foundation laying: Officials
Construction started on a six-lane elevated corridor here within an hour of the foundation laying of the project on Friday, with officials saying such pace of work was unprecedented. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had this afternoon laid the foundation stone for the Elevated Corridor from the Mayur Vihar flyover in Delhi (near Chilla Regulator) to the Mahamaya Flyover on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The 5.5-km-long structure, being built at a cost of Rs 650 crore by the Noida Industrial Development Authority, is scheduled to be completed in next 42 months. "This is the first time that work on any project has started within an hour of its foundation laying. It is unprecedented for Noida," Noida Authority's General Manager (Projects) Rajeev Tyagi told PTI. "The work on the corridor has begun today and is scheduled to get done in 42 months. We are, however, targeting to get it done in 36 months, he said. Once operational, the elevated corridor between Sector 14A to ..
India's development plan is to assassinate water resources: Bittu Sahgal
India's development plan is to "assassinate" water resources, with the authorities holding nature as an obstruction to economic progress, environmentalist Bittu Sahgal said on Friday.