Page 246 - Environment
Australian towns among hottest spots on Earth as heatwave sizzles
Australian towns were among the hottest places on Earth this week as a severe heatwave hit the continent's southeast, with forecasters warning of more record-breaking temperatures before the weekend. The past four days were among the country's top 10 warmest on record, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in some spots, the Bureau of Meteorology said Wednesday. "With South Australia breaking some all-time records yesterday, it would certainly put this region as one of the warmest parts of the world yesterday, if not the warmest," the bureau's senior meteorologist Philip Perkins told AFP. "The places that broke records yesterday are already warmer at this time today as they were yesterday." High temperatures are not unusual in Australia during its arid southern hemisphere summer, with bushfires a common occurrence. But climate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons. Among the towns in ...
Factbox: Battery makers race to secure Australian lithium supply
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Battery behemoths Ganfeng Lithium and Albemarle, and carmakers like Tesla have snapped up Australian lithium supply over the past year, with one miner this week saying that nearly all of the country's planned production has now been spoken for.
Cheers mate: Australia to allow kava imports to bolster Pacific ties
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will allow imports of the intoxicating drink kava, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday, as it seeks to forge closer ties with its Pacific neighbours amid growing Chinese interest in the region.
China says pork prices likely to rise in second-half of year
BEIJING (Reuters) - Pork prices in China are very likely to rise in the second half of 2019, but will not see major volatility before the Lunar New Year holiday beginning in early February, an agriculture ministry official said on Wednesday.
China's trade faces rising uncertainties this year - official
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's trade faces rising uncertainties this year, a commerce ministry official said on Wednesday.
MP: People receive electricity bills despite no metered connections
Residents of Chaparan village in Madhya Pradesh have claimed that they are receiving electricity bills despite not having any metered connections in their houses.According to a few locals of the village, they had earlier urged the electricity board to provide metered connections. The board had assured to provide the electricity and started the work. However, the people in the village have now apparently started receiving the electricity bills in advance."There is no metered connection in my house, but they have sent the electricity bill. This is the second time I have received a bill. I am really worried now and hope that something is done by the board," a local said.Another villager added, "There is no pillar to provide electricity. How can they send electricity bills when we don't even use it? This is a serious matter."On the other hand, Sanjay Nigam, Superintending Engineer, Electricity Department, said that he is unaware of the situation will soon chalk out a solution."We have ...
UP govt's go ahead to Noida, Gr Noida for Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative
The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday permitted the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration to participate in the prestigious Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative, officials said. Noida and Greater Noida, the twin cities in Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, were in November invited by the Global Sustainability Index Institute (UNGSII) to become a member of the initiative. Noida and Greater Noida are among the only 25 cities across the world which have been selected in five categories by the UN Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cities initiative, Senior UN Advisor and CEO UNGSIIRolandSchatz had said during a visit here when he extended the formal invitation to the district administration. "After due consideration, Noida and Greater Noida are permitted to participate in the SDG Cities initiative," Chief Secretary, UP government, Anup Chandra Pandey said in a letter on Tuesday. His letter came in response to a letter by District Magistrate Brajesh Narain Singh on December ..
SHRC issues notice to Yavatmal collector over villagers' rehab
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has issued a notice for personal appearance to Yavatmal District Collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh in connection with the alleged delay in rehabilitation of residents of a flood-hit village in 2013. Apart from the collector, the notice was issued to the Secretary of Relief and Rehabilitation last week. They have been asked to remain present before the SHRC on January 19. According to the complainant Kishore Tiwari, in August 2013, Bhimkund village in Ghatanji tehsil of the district was hit by floods and the villagers moved to the forest land, which is a part of the Tipeshwar wild life sanctuary. The villagers had made a number of representations to the district collector and the rehabilitation department and even resorted to 'dharna' to press for their demand for rehabilitation. However, they were yet to be rehabilitated. Meanwhile, Tiwari filed a complaint before the SHRC alleging that the human rights of the villagers have
Rs 6,084 crore more for MGNREGA for 2018-19
The Central government on Tuesday allocated an additional Rs 6,084 crore to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA), the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation announced on Tuesday.
Five students announced winners of TPDDL's energy conservation campaign
Five students from the country, including three from Delhi, have been declared winners of power discom TPDDL's nationwide energy conservation campaign, a company spokesperson said. The winners of the 'Bijli Bachao Star Banjao' campaign are Marisa Kapadia from Mumbai, Raamya Goswami, Manavi Grover and Dhaniksha Sharma from Delhi, Sofia Praveen from Kolkata, and VB Nivethitha from Bengaluru, the spokesperson said. Besides the winners, ten consolation prizes have also been announced. Over 1,100 students from the country participated in the campaign expressing their ideas of energy conservation through different media like videos, poems, slogans and paintings, said the spokesperson. The campaign was run in association with Tata Power's 'Club Enerji' programme and radio channel Red FM.
Amarinder stresses on use of sexed semen technology in dairy sector
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday stressed on the use of sexed semen technology to improve the quality of milch cattle, especially buffaloes and cows, in the state and called for tie-ups with world-class companies for technology transfer for the same. The chief minister was reviewing the progress of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here, according to an official release. Sexed semen technology would help dairy farmers ensure production of only female calves and would eventually put an end to the practice of abandoning male buffaloes, which is posing a major threat tohuman life in the form of the stray cattle menace, he said. Animal Husbandry Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu told the chief minister the department was making concerted efforts to explore the possibility of making sexed semen technology available to the farmers through the US-based company, 'Sexing Technologies'. Amarinder also asked the ...
CPCB directs DPCC, HSPCB, UPPCB to give report on daily monitoring of complaints
The Central Pollution Control Board has directed the pollution control boards of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to submit an action taken report in the mechanism followed for daily monitoring of complaints. In a notice dated January 14, the CPCB has asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to apprise it of the action taken to prevent illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste and illegal dumping and burning of municipal solid waste. The pollution watchdog has also directed the pollution control boards to apprise it of action taken against operation of illegal industries. "The CPCB has also directed them to apprise it of penalty levied and prosecution filed in court for violations related to construction and demolition activities, pollution control regulations in industries and use of DG sets, among others. The DPCC, HSPCB and UPPCB have been directed to submit the report ...
Delhi's air quality 'poor'; CPCB asks Delhi, UP, Hry to submit action taken report
Delhi recorded 'poor' air quality on Monday with high wind speed expected to keep the pollution level in check as the CPCB directed the pollution control boards of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to submit an action taken report on the steps taken against violation of norms. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 242 on Tuesday. An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under the 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 'severe'. In a notice issued on Monday, the CPCB asked Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to apprise it of the action taken to prevent illegal dumping and burning of construction and demolition waste and municipal solid waste. It has also directed the state boards to apprise it of action taken against operation of illegal industries. The CPCB ..
KALIA emerged as pioneering scheme across country: Odisha CM
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) has emerged as the pioneering scheme across the country.
J'khand minister launches campaign against air pollution
Making a case for maintaining digital data monitoring system of air pollution in Jharkhand, a state minister on Tuesday launched a year-long campaign against the menace. Jharkhand Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs Minister Saryu Roy said an NGO will oversee the campaign aimed at spreading awareness about "increasing" air pollution across the state. A toll-free number, a WhatsApp contact and an e-mail id were also released for people to lodge complaints about air pollution in their respective areas, he told reporters here. Roy said pollution levels are on the rise, particularly in intense industrial, transportation and mining areas, and emphasised the need for strict implementation of "Corporate Environment Responsibility (CER)", similar to that of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As per the CER guidelines, corporate houses should install "realtime online air-pollution data monitoring system" in the public domain, which is "grossly overlooked", the minister ..
It's the final straw for plastics, says Nestle
ZURICH (Reuters) - Nestle next month will start to drop plastic straws from its products and is working on biodegradable water bottles in a drive to reduce plastic waste, it said on Tuesday.
Iran fails to launch homemade satellite into orbit
Iran launched a domestically-built satellite on Tuesday that failed to reach orbit, after the US warned against the move earlier this month.
Work on in full swing for new ghats and crematoriums on banks of River Ganga
In a bid to ensure comfort of devotees, the National Mission for Clean Ganga is enhancing the facilities at the river bank by renovating and constructing ghats, crematoriums and developing the river fronts to actualise the dream of 'Nirmal' (cleaner) and 'Aviral' (free flowing) of River Ganga.The government plans to complete 151 ghats and 54 crematoriums projects by March 2019.Ganga is considered as the most sacred river by Hindus, and is worshipped as Goddess Ganga Maa or Mother Ganges. The banks of the river also attract a large number of devout Hindus to offer their prayers, or to drink the water and bathe in the river to cleanse themselves from sins and also purify their bodies.Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga said, "The kind of amenities you provide to the pilgrims or even local people, the kind of sanitation which will be available, plus the kind of lifestyle you can give at the ghats is very important. So what we have done in some of the ..
9 labourers killed in Pak landslide
A landslide triggered by rains buried a bus carrying workers on a dam project in the northwest Pakistan, killing nine of them. The tragic incident occurred on the Karakoram Highway in Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Monday. The locals, personnel of the administration, police and Dasu Hydro Power Project workers retrieved the bodies of the ill-fated labourers. The workers were on their way back to home when they were hit by the landslide.
Will object to certain recommendations of NGT-formed panel: Volkswagen
Volkswagen group Tuesday said it would object to certain parts of recommendations by a panel formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which has proposed a Rs 171.34-crore fine on the German auto major as "health damages" in an emission scandal. The company insisted that its vehicles were compliant with Indian emission norms and claimed that "the committee appointed by the NGT has accepted that Volkswagen Group India has not violated the permissible limits under BS-IV norms". A four-member committee formed by the NGT has recommended a Rs 171.34-crore fine on Volkswagen for causing air pollution in Delhi due to excess nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Nitrogen oxide is a smog-forming pollutant linked to heart and lung disease. The expert committee in its report has estimated that Volkswagen cars released around 48.678 tonne of NOx in 2016 in the National Capital. Reacting to the development, Volkswagen Group India spokesperson said vehicles from the group are compliant with emissions .