Page 230 - Environment
Village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj facing lack of basic amenities for survival
Development is still a far cry for more than 700 villagers of a village in tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. As claimed by villagers, the village is facing lack of basic amenities for survival. One of the villagers, Dharma Ho from Dangadiha village in the district while sharing his ordeal said that the area has been facing acute drinking water crisis for the last few days. Not only this, the area also lacks facilities like hospitals and proper roads.Dharma said, "There is no water supply. We drink water from the river. There are no roads or hospitals. We have informed the administration about these problems, yet nothing has changed."The villagers walk 8 -10 kilometres every day to fetch drinking water.The locals are disappointed as no action has been taken despite repeated complaints. The village, situated 20 kilometers away from Thakurmunda block area, lacks access to essential amenities like electricity, education, potable water, road connectivity and healthcare ...
'Under siege', oil industry mulls raising returns and PR game
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - When the global oil industry held its biggest annual gathering this week in the Swiss town of Davos, it invited banking bosses and fund managers to discuss two key topics - climate change and pressure from investors.
NAS Shibpur commissioned as INS Kohassa
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lamba on Thursday commissioned the Naval Air Station (NAS) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' village of Shibpur as INS Kohassa.The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries and senior officials including Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, AVSM, ADC Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. The ceremony included a presentation of Ceremonial Guard, hoisting of the Commissioning Pennant and reading of the Ship's Warrant by the Commanding Officer, Commander Kuldeep Tripathi.INS Kohassa has been named after a White-Bellied Sea Eagle, which is a large bird of prey, endemic to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.NAS Shibpur was established in 2001 as a Forward Operating Air Base (FOAB) for enhanced surveillance in North Andaman. The close proximity of Coco Islands (Myanmar) and wide expanse of Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) makes the base a very vital asset.The airfield provides sustained detached operations of Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard ...
Development authority for Anandpur Sahib to be set up
A development authority for Anandpur Sahib will be set up to execute the development plans in the wake of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November, Punjab government said on Thursday. An announcement in this regard was made by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here, an official release said. Acceding to the demand of Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh, the chief minister said the development authority would be formed to chalk out and execute the development plans in a systematic and planned manner. He said the authority would be established on the pattern of Dera Baba Nanak Development Authority. Amarinder Singh also announced Rs 26 crore for providing potable drinking water in the villages of Anandpur Sahib, so that the residents do not have to go far to get it. He said the villages of Nurpur Bedi area would also be provided funds to make potable water available. Laying the foundation stone for lift irrigation project, Amarinder Singh said the project would be
India launches military satellite Microsat-R
India successfully launched Microsat-R, a military satellite onboard its Polar rocket PSLV C44, from the spaceport here on Thursday, in the first mission for the ISRO in 2019. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) blasted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 11.37 pm at the end of a 28-hour countdown. In a textbook launch, the 44-metre tall, four-stage PSLV-C44 soared into the clear and starry night sky majestically and injected the 740-kg Microsat-R into orbit precisely 13 minutes and 30 seconds later. ISRO scientists broke into celebration at the mission control centre here, about 130 km from Chennai, as the Microsat-R was released in a 274-km polar sun synchronous orbit, marking another success story for the space agency. Former ISRO chairmen Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan and AS Kiran Kumar were among those who witnessed the launch. The fourth stage of the rocket with co-passenger Kalamsat, a ...
PSLV-C44, carrying India's military satellite Microsat-R and students' payload Kalamsat, lifts off
ISRO's PSLV C44 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on Thursday, carrying India's military satellite Microsat-R and students' payload Kalamsat. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) workhorse Polar rocket blasted off from the first launchpad at 11.37 pm at the end of a 28-hour countdown and soared into the clear and starry night sky, in the first mission for ISRO in 2019. In its 46th flight, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) would place the 740-kg primary satellite Microsat-R, an imaging satellite meant for military purposes, in a 274-km polar sun synchronous orbit about 14 minutes after the lift-off, the ISRO said. After this, the stage four of the rocket with the Kalamsat, a 10-CM size cube and weighing 1.2 kg, would be moved to a higher circular orbit so as to establish an orbital platform for carrying out experiments using the tiny payload. Kalamsat is said to be the lightest satellite of India.
3 forest officials suspended for alleged smuggling of teak
Three forest department officials have been suspended in connection with alleged illegal timber-smuggling activities in Nizamabad district of Telangana, the forest department said here Thursday. Teak timber illegally procured in Adilabad district was being transported and sent to saw mills in neighbouring Nizamabad district, a press release said. In this connection, police recently seized a vehicle, along with an escort car, the release said. Six accused were caught near Adilabad, it said. The accused admitted that one forester and a daily wage worker of a checkpost have been assisting them, the release said. The worker too has since been arrested, it said. Four saw mills located at Nizamabad have since been sealed by the forest department, the release said. Further inquiry revealed an alert was received in May 2018 about the activities of some saw mills in Nizamabad and that the forest division officer of Nizamabad and his junior colleagues did not properly probe into the
With an eye on China's growing presence in Indian Ocean, Navy commissions third air base in Andamans
The Indian Navy on Thursday commissioned a new air base in the strategically located Andaman and Nicobar islands as part of efforts to expand operational presence in the Indian Ocean where China has been increasing its military presence. The new base -- INS Kohassa was inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba in the presence of top naval commanders. "The close proximity of Coco Islands (Myanmar) and wide expanse of Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) makes the base a very vital asset," said Indian Navy Spokesperson Capt D K Sharma. Indian Navy has been bolstering its presence in the Indian Ocean in view of China regularly sending warships and submarines to the region. Over a year back, the Navy had implemented a new plan for deployment of warships in the Indian Ocean region to effectively counter China's growing presence in the strategically key waters. The "new mission-based deployment" plan involves deploying mission-ready ships and aircraft along critical sea lanes of ...
Union Minister wants 'Green Good Deeds' launched in Pondy
Union Science and Technology and Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan Thursday said the 'Green Good Deeds' movement should be launched here in a big way. The movement aims at protecting the environment and promoting good living in the country. He suggested that the union territory starts the movement while inaugurating the 'Puducherry Beach Restoration Project' implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in collaboration with the Puducherry government at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The central minister said the movement of Green Good Deeds had been accepted by the United Nations and also by BRICS. He said it is the social responsibility of everyone to protect the environment and also to protect and preserve the rights of the unborn children. To achieve this, the green good deeds movement would be of great help. The restoration of the beach now dedicated to the people has come about owing to the study done by scientists of
50m tonnes of e-waste discarded each year: UN report
Each year, approximately 50 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) is discarded, a UN report said on Thursday.
Three tech missions on solar, water treatment to be launched at IIT Madras
Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests and Climate Change will launch three technology mission centres at IIT Madras on Friday to address various issues around solar energy and water treatment, a government statement said on Thursday.
Delhi's air pollution improves slightly after light rain
Delhi's air quality improved marginally after rain lashed parts of the city Thursday evening and washed away toxic pollutants, authorities said. The air quality earlier Thursday was in the very poor category but by evening, after the rainfall, it improved and was recorded in the poor category in a number of areas. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the overall AQI in the city was 296. An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under the moderate category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while an AQI between 401 and 500 is 'severe'. On Tuesday, Delhi recorded its lowest pollution levels since October after heavy rainfall lashed the city and wind speed picked up. The air quality was in the 'satisfactory' category. From Wednesday, the air quality started deteriorating again and slipped into the poor category before falling into very poor category on Thursday morning but mild rain improved the air quality slightly in evening. On Thursday, 16 areas in Delhi
Weak enforcement of laws worsening environmental crisis: UN
Environmental threats like climate change and pollution are linked to lethargic enforcement of laws governing management of vital ecosystems, says a report released on Thursday by UN Environment.
SC allows Karnataka to file appeal against HC order on iron ore mining in state
The Supreme Court Thursday granted two weeks to Karnataka government for filing appeal against a high court decision that paved the way for resumption of iron ore mining by some firms from certain mines in the state. The Karnataka High Court on November 16 last year had set aside the state's notification of June 29, 2018 on demarcating certain mining areas as "revenue land". Following this, firms can now commence mining of iron ore on revenue land, which cannot be done on forest land. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna was informed by the state government that it would be filing an appeal in the apex court against the decision of the high court. The Supreme Court is already seized of a PIL and various interim pleas since 2009 on the mining issue in the state and had earlier said that miners cannot be allowed to mine iron ore in excess of 35 million tonnes in a year. On Thursday it said: "The effect of the order of the High ...
China issues comprehensive plan to conserve Great Wall
China on Thursday issued a comprehensive plan to establish a long-term mechanism for the conservation of the Great Wall, official media reported. The plan was jointly publicised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "The government's role in protecting the Great Wall should be strengthened," Liu Yuzhu, head of SACH, was quoted as saying in the report. Built from the third century BC to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall stretches over 21,000-km. "Sections of the Great Wall built during the Qin (221 BC to 206 BC), Han (202 BC to 220 AD) and Ming (1368 AD to 1644 AD) dynasties were the key areas to be conserved," Liu said. He also urged individuals and relevant social organisations to provide not-for-provide service for the Great Wall. The Great Wall was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
12-year-old elephant found dead
: A female elephant was found dead near a temple at Kopanari in Periyanaickenpalayam forest range near here Thursday, forest officials said. The officials, along with a veterinarian, went to the scene and recovered the carcass. A postmortem was conducted on the elephant believed to be 12 years old to find the cause of the death, sources from the forest department said.
Leap Green Energy to set up wind power plant in TN
: Leap Green Energy, one of the largest independent power producers in Tamil Nadu, Thursday said it plans to invest Rs 1,700 crore for setting up a wind power plant in the state. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the state government and the founder-managing director of Leap Green Energy Rajeev Karthikeyan for generating 250 MW from the power plant, a press release said. The MoU was inked during the second edition of the Global Investors Meet underway here, the release said "The pact will help in implementing and achieving our vision of having an installed capacity of 2GW by 2020. The future of the country is in harnessing green renewable energy. We are happy to contribute towards this," it quoted Karthikeyan as saying. The company would create 85 new jobs, the release said.
Delhi govt proposes to augment green cover, expand CNG bus fleet to combat climate change
In a bid to combat climate change, the Delhi government has proposed to increase the capital's green cover from 20 to 33 per cent by planting over 10 lakh trees. The AAP government, in its State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), which was submitted recently to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in pursuance to the National Green Tribunal's order, also proposed to increase the fleet of CNG buses in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) within one year. Presently there are 4,352 DTC buses which the city government plans to augment to 6,900, the SAPCC said. Besides DTC buses, 1,758 cluster buses, 238 metro feeder buses, 802 mini private stage carriage buses and 6,146 Gramin Sewa are currently being operated in the city, it said, adding that efforts were being made by the transport department to augment the city bus fleet within about one year. The fate of the SAPCC is likely to be decided by the Centre within four weeks, a government official said while ...
Over 20 migratory birds found dead in fishing nets
More than 20 migratory birds of different varieties died after getting stuck in fishing nets at Nandur Madhameshwar lake in the district, officials said on Thursday. Around 15 birds, which suffered injuries due to the fishing nets, were rescued, they said. The incident came to light on Tuesday, officials said. The lake is situated in Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary located in Niphad taluka in the district. The water reservoir is popular among bird lovers as a number of avians land there for their winter sojourn. "A large number of migratory birds of different varieties arrive in Nandur Madhameshwar during winter, due to which the sanctuary is popular among bird lovers. On Tuesday, over 20 such birds were found dead as they were entangled in fishing nets spread at different locations in the lake," assistant conservator of forest Bhagwan Thakare said. "We have issued notices to the fishermen concerned and asked them to stick to the area earmarked for them for fishing ...
NGT slaps Rs 10L interim penalty on King George's Medical University for improper disposal of medical waste
The National Green Tribunal has slapped an interim penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Lucknow-based King George's Medical University (KGMU) for failing to ensure proper disposal of medical waste and other environmental norms. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel passed the order after perusing a report submitted by the UP Solid Waste Management Monitoring Committee. The green panel directed the medical body to deposit the amount with the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). "The UPPCB may exercise of powers inter-alia under Rule 16 of the SWM Rules, 2016, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and apart from other steps, determine and recover the amount of damage after following due procedure," it said. "Pending such consideration, we direct King George Medical University to deposit interim compensation of Rs 10 lakhs with the UPPCB," the tribunal said. The NGT said the UPPCB may spend