Page 245 - Environment
Maharashtra to set up 3,200 mw solar projects in two years
Solar projects with 3,200 mw capacity will be set up in Maharashtra in the next two years, Power Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Wednesday. He said chief engineer in each of the 16 zones of Mahavitaran, the state-run power distribution company, has been directed to ensure setting up of 200 mw solar projects (total 3,200 mw) in his jurisdiction in the next two years. Bawankule was speaking to reporters after presiding over a review meeting of his department. All private and government water, irrigation projects, government buildings, including those of gram panchayats, will be powered using solar energy under a scheme, he said. The scheme will be implemented as part of the energy conservation policy of the government, said the minister who asked the authorities concerned to prepare a budget of Rs 500 crore for the Cabinet's approval. MahaGenco is implementing solar projects with 750 mw capacity, he said, adding big projects will be handled by MahaGenco and smaller ..
Crocodile mauls woman to death in Indonesia
An Indonesian woman has been mauled to death by a huge pet crocodile on the island of Sulawesi, officials said Wednesday. Deasy Tuwo, the head of a laboratory at a pearl farm in Minahasa in North Sulawesi, was killed by the 4.4-metre (14-foot) reptile last Thursday, authorities said. The 44-year old's badly mauled body was found by colleagues the following morning, Hendrik Rundengan, from the local conservation agency, told AFP. "The indication is that she fell into the crocodile's enclosure," he said, adding the incident was still being investigated by police. The crocodile, named Merry, had eaten one of the woman's hands and most of her abdomen was missing, Rundengan said. "These parts may still be inside the crocodile now," he added. The giant reptile was sedated and removed from its enclosure Monday in a three-hour operation that involved dozens of people, including conservation officials, the army and police. The reptile, which was owned illegally, will be transferred to a ...
National Clean Air Programme should set higher targets (Comment)
There is a striking similarity between Paris Climate Agreement and Indias National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched recently. The Paris Agreement is an agreement by the countries to map a global action to keep global warming two degrees centigrade below pre-industrial level.
Life expectancy goes up in China as pollution level drops
The life expectancy of a Chinese citizen has gone up by half a year due to a significant drop in the air pollution level in the country, a study has claimed.
Pending work on Tawi Barrage project to start soon
Pending work of the Tawi Barrage project which aims at beautifying the Jammu city landscape would start soon, an official spokesman said. Around 80 per cent work on the city's beautification project across the Tawi river has been completed and the Tawi Barrage project, which is popularly known as artificial lake, is likely to be completed by May, he said. The information was given at a meeting chaired by Kewal Kumar Sharma, the advisor to governor. The meeting was informed that the pending work on the Tawi Barrage project would start soon and necessary directions have been passed to expedite the work. The advisor directed officials for close coordination among the executing agencies so that the project is completed without further delay. He said regular review meetings would be convened to assess the pace of work and early removal of bottlenecks, if any. The artificial lake on the Tawi river is expected to provide 120 cusecs of irrigation water, which would be supplemented to the ...
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial: SC notice to Centre, Maha govt
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and Maharashtra government on a plea challenging the Bombay High Court order which had refused to restrain authorities from taking steps regarding the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial project in Arabian Sea. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul issued notices on the plea which has challenged the November 2 last year order of the high court. Advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, who appeared for Maharashtra, said that while issuing notice on the plea, the bench orally told him to ask the authorities not to proceed with the construction activity there. The petitioner NGO, Conservation Action Trust, had moved the high court challenging the February 23, 2015 order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) granting environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance to the Rs 3,600 crore project in Mumbai. It had sought interim relief that stay should be granted on ...
NGT summons officials over Southern Ridge demarcation
The National Green Tribunal summoned the principal chief conservator of forests and AAP government's revenue secretary Wednesday to inform it about the reasons for delay in demarcation of forest land in Southern Ridge here. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore asked both the officials to appear before it on January 31 and explain the matter as on December 19 last year, the principal chief conservator of forest had very clearly stated that complete steps have not been taken by the Revenue Department. "In order to look into the issues thoroughly and to have the views of both i.e. the Forest Department and the Revenue Department, we direct principal chief conservator of forest and secretary, Revenue Department to be present before the tribunal on the next date," the bench said. The green panel had earlier directed the principal chief conservator of forests to file an affidavit stating how much time would be needed to take the possession of demarcated forest land in the ...
Tripura CM launches Rs 1,000cr forest management project
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday launched a Rs 1,000-crore Sustainable Catchment Forest Management (SCATFORM) project for local communities living in and around forest areas in the state. Deb said people residing in such areas have been facing problems in accessing forest resources and water, due to soil erosion. "The project would help improve forests in the targeted catchment areas, and the ecosystem would be conserved. It would also create livelihood of the people living in and around the forest areas," he said. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would bear 80 per cent of the cost and the rest would be funded by the state and central governments. A total of 1,447 check dams will be set up in hilly areas in seven districts out of the total eight districts of Tripura within a timeframe of 10 years, the CM added.
16,000 villages in Maharashtra made 'water-neutral': CM
Through initiatives such as the Jalyukt Shivar water conservation scheme, the BJP-led Maharashtra government has made 16,000 villages free of water scarcity, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Wednesday. He was speaking at an international conference on micro-irrigation here. "Micro-irrigation facilities have increased three times in the state," Fadnavis said at the event which was also attended by Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Fiji Agriculture Minister Mahendra Reddy and others. "Water is very precious and we still have not realised it....we don't get regular rainfall and micro-irrigation is the only solution. Earlier, two countries would fight over water. Now such crises erupt between districts and even tehsils," said Fadnavis. "The government is working hard on the Jalyukt Shivar initiative and has made 16,000 villages water-neutral (free of water scarcity). Thirty-four lakh hectares of land is (has been brought) under irrigation. ...
Climate change already covered under environment impact assessment: NGT
Climate change is already covered under the environment impact assessment, the National Green Tribunal has said while disposing of a nine-year-old girl's plea alleging inaction by the Centre to mitigate the adverse impact of the issue. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the authorities acting under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, have to perform their obligation of impact assessment as per statutory scheme which has not been challenged in the plea. "In this view of the matter, we do not consider it necessary to issue any direction under section 14 and 15 of the National Green Tribunal, Act, 2010. There is no reason to presume that Paris Agreement and other international protocols are not reflected in the policies of the government of India or are not taken into consideration in granting environment clearances," the bench said. The tribunal's direction came while disposing of the plea by Uttarakhand resident Ridhima Pandey through her legal ...
NGT orders performance audit of station pollution control boards
Concerned over their unsatisfactory manning and functioning, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to conduct within six months a performance audit of all state pollution control boards and pollution control committees. The green panel expressed dissatisfaction over governance on the part of the state pollution control boards and said it has resulted in large number of deaths and diseases in the country and therefore there was an urgent need to review the qualification and appointment procedure. The direction came after the tribunal noted that people appointed in the Gujarat Pollution Control Board do not have technical or professional qualifications or background as expected. "There is also need to carry out performance audit of functioning of all the pollution control boards and pollution control committees in the country and to identify remedial steps required in manning and functioning of these boards and committees or ...
Two new species of fungi identified in retreating Arctic glacier
Two new species of fungi have made an appearance in a rapidly melting glacier on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.A collaborative team of researchers from Japan's National Institute of Polar Research, along with The Graduate University for Advance Studies in Tokyo, Japan, and Laval University in Quebec, Canada made the discovery.The results were published in two separate papers, one for each new species, in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.Speaking about it, Masaharu Tsuji said that the knowledge of fungi inhabiting the Arctic is still fragmentary. Tsuji is a project researcher at the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan and the first author in both papers. "We found two new fungal species in the same investigation on Ellesmere Island," he added.Of the two identified, one species is the 10th to join the genus Mrakia, with the proposed name M. hoshinonis, in honour of Tamotsu Hoshino, a senior researcher at the National Institute of .
429 tigers killed by poachers since 2008, reveals RTI reply
As many as 429tigershave been poached and killed since 2008 across the country, with the maximum of 71 in Madhya Pradesh during the period, revealed data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Year-wise, the maximum killings took place in 2011 when 80 tigers were poached, while the minimum of 17 occurred in 2015, according to the data from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The WCCB is a statutory body formed to combat organised wildlife crime in the country. In 2018, 22 tigers were killed, down from 25 in 2017 and 48 in 2016, it stated in a written response. Noida-based lawyer Ranjan Tomar had sought state-wise data from the bureau on the number of tigers killed by poachers since 2008. The maximum killings of 71tigershave been reported from MP, followed by 46 each in Maharashtra and Karnataka, 42 each in Assam and Chhattisgarh and 35 in Uttarakhand during the period, according to the data. Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh .
Pradhan flags off SAKSHAM awareness vans
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday flagged off SAKSHAM (Sanrakshan Kshmata Mahotsav) Vans to promote and create awareness among people on the need of oil and gas conservation for the future and the methods to do it.The van will travel to 30 districts to create awareness on conservation of energy for a better future.The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) in association with Oil and Gas CPSEs has been organising SAKSHAM as a month-long campaign to sensitise citizens about the acute need for petroleum conservation.From January 16 to February 15, PCRA will run people-centric drives throughout the country to encourage a behavioural change."We must remember that we owe a responsibility to the future generation of Indians for a clean environment and a strong Indian economy. I appeal to all my brothers and sisters throughout India to come together and do their bit and let SAKSHAM be a starting point for mindful expenditure of energy," ..
Novel ice-repelling coating developed
Researchers have created a durable silicone polymer coating capable of repelling ice from any surface. Icy weather is blamed for multi-billion dollar losses every year in the US, including delays and damage related to air travel, infrastructure and power generation and transmission facilities, said researchers from the University of Houston. Finding effective, durable and environmentally stable de-icing materials has been stymied by the stubborn tenacity with which ice adheres to the materials on which it forms, they said. In the journal 'Materials Horizons', the researchers reported a new theory in physics called stress localisation, which they used to tune and predict the properties of new materials. Based on those predictions, they have created a durable silicone polymer coating capable of repelling ice from any surface. "We have developed a new physical concept and the corresponding icephobic material that shows extremely low ice adhesion while having long-term mechanical, ...
Thailand takes to cloud seeding to combat pollution
Thailand used two planes on Tuesday for cloud seeding to combat the toxic pollution in its capital, Bangkok and other neighbouring areas.The Thai government has taken the step in the wake of severe air pollution, with PM2.5 pollutant levels touching 70 to 100 micrograms per cubic metre, which is well above the limit set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), reports NHK World.The airplanes were used to release sodium chloride into the air to produce rain during the dry season, which has also led to the high pollution levels. Rainfall was observed in some areas, with Thai authorities mulling over shutting down schools if the situation worsens.Masks have been distributed to citizens while fire engines have been deployed to sprinkle water in other combative measures employed by the Thai government.Small particulate matter, like PM2.5, causes cardiovascular and respiratory disease and cancers. They are inhalable particles that are small enough to penetrate the thoracic region of the ...
Bio-adsorbents: Cost-effective option for ridding industrial wastewater of heavy metals (Comment)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has reported that India is on the verge of becoming a highly water-stressed country. At this stage, reducing wastewater generation and water recycling should be given due importance. Reuse of industrial wastewater has been in practice for a long time in India, and this water is mainly used for agriculture purposes in nearby areas. However, this has led to high levels of heavy metal concentration in vegetables grown with industrial wastewater.
Newly discovered super-Earth exoplanet may harbour alien life
The recently discovered cold super-Earth exoplanet orbiting around the red dwarf Barnard -- the second closest star system to Earth -- has the potential to harbour primitive life, says a study.
UN chief hails 'historic' moment as Palestine takes over reins of G77
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the "historic leadership" of Palestine which assumed the chairmanship of G77, the global body's largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries including India. Egypt was the previous Chair of the Group of 77 (G77), a coalition of 134 members, along with China which aligns itself with the bloc. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin Tuesday wished Palestine success, saying "India is privileged to stand up for the global South's quest for greater equity and justice". In his remarks at the annual ceremony for handover of the rotating chairmanship of G77, UN chief Guterres said: "Palestine and its citizens have first-hand experience of some of the most challenging and dramatic global issues we face". The decision to elect Palestine as the 2019 Chair of the G77 was taken in September, 2018 by the foreign ministers of the Groups' member states. A month later, the UN General Assembly approved a ...
Aussie businesses complain Google sending outback tourists off the map
Tourism operators in Australia's vast outback say wild inaccuracies in Google Maps are making remote hot spots appear out of reach, deterring people from visiting the region. A number of businesses promoting their small towns as remote tourist destinations in the northeastern state of Queensland complain of cases where a typical six-hour drive has been estimated by Google Maps to take up to 11 hours. The complaints prompted the Queensland government to write to Google, which on Wednesday promised to look into the issue. "People aren't coming to places because they think it takes too long, or they're missing opportunities to refuel and they're getting sent off on another road that has no fuel," Robyn Mackenzie, of the Eromanga Natural History Museum, told national broadcaster ABC. "People will get frightened of travelling in the outback because they don't have any confidence in the mapping," the general manager of the small town museum added. Peter Homan of the Queensland Outback ...