Page 252 - Environment
Duty of citizens to keep state clean: TN Governor
: Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit Friday said it was the duty of not only the government but also all citizens to keep the cities and towns in the state clean. Sivaganga is a town which bears the name of Lord Shiva and also the holyriver Ganga, he said adding and it was the duty of every resident to keep it clean. The Governor was speaking after participating in a programme to clean the bus stand area here as part of the Swachh Bharat initiative. He also exhorted students in the town to come forward and help maintain cleanliness in Sivaganga. Purohit said a clean state would be possible only if the people cooperated. The Governor has been visiting various districts in the state during which he undertook cleanliness drives.
Delhi govt approves 8 infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,572cr
The Delhi government Friday approved eight important infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,572 crores, including construction and expansion of three state-run hospitals, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said. Sisodia chaired a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) where he approved the projects, which include the construction of 12,000 additional classrooms in schools. He said the project of construction of an integrated campus of GB Pant Engineering College will be done in two phases and it will take two years to complete the project. The infrastructure will be rebuilt in a modern way and will cost around Rs 526 crores, Sisodia said, adding the rebuilt campus will be better than its neighbour - the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Delhi). The new campus will have upgraded hostel for 400 students, academic blocks, administration, canteen, libraries etc. In the first phase, whole academic, administration and hostel will be done while in the second ...
Goa: 62 land user change proposals allowed
The Goa government Friday allowed 62 proposals for change of zoning from 'orchard' to 'settlement', including one for a piece of land owned by Bollywood actor Nana Patekar. Change of user ('zoning') from orchard to settlement makes it possible to carry out construction on the land previously reserved for agricultural purposes. Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vijai Sardesai said Patekar's land at Khorjuvem village in North Goa district was categorised as orchard land in the Regional Plan 2011. Now, except for a part marked as eco-sensitive, conversion of the land from orchard to settlement has been allowed, he said. The TCP department's Board which met Friday approved a total of 62 proposals of zoning change, he said. The Goa government recently amended section 16-B of of Town and Country Planning Act, allowing certain zoning changes after stringent scrutiny. Sardesai said that zoning change proposal of Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar's wife Megha was also ...
SC allows ongoing Chardham projects but halts those yet to start
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed continuation of work on the projects in progress under the Centre's Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna plan for connecting four holy towns Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kdarnath and Badrinath by an all-weather road.
SC nod to construction of ongoing projects under Chardham development plan
The Supreme Court Friday lifted its stay on certain stalled projects under the government's ambitious Chardham development plan, which proposes to provide all-weather connectivity to the four holy towns of Uttarakhand. The court said the stay will however continue on those projects which are yet to begin under the plan till the environment clearance is taken by the authorities. The four towns of the hilly state to be connected by all-weather roads are Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The top court also stayed a paragraph in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order passed on September 26 last year which said that these projects did not require Environmental Impact Assessment Approval/Environment Clearance in terms of the notification of Ministry of Environment & Forests. On October 22 last year, the apex court had stayed the NGT order clearing the entire ambitious Chardham project in Uttarakhand. A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Sharan said that ongoing ...
Six states sign pact to quench thirst
Six northern states on Friday signed a MoU to construct a Rs 4,596.76 crore dam in Uttarakhand that will provide water to the national capital and other beneficiary states.
HG Infra bags Rs 565-cr highway project in Haryana from NHAI
HG Infra Engineering Ltd Friday said it has bagged a highway project worth Rs 565 crore in Haryana from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). "HG Infra Engineering Ltd, a leading player in the road construction sector is declared L-1 bidder for a new Hybrid Annuity mode project Rewari- Ateli Mandi section of NH-11 valued at ... Rs 564.98 crore," the company said in a statement. The project work includes upgradation of four-lane Rewari-Ateli Mandi section from 11.78 KM at Rewari to 43.44 KM near Ateli Mandi, for a length of 31 KM as feeder route. The construction period for the project is two years, while the operation period is 15 years. "Winning these projects is testimony for domain expertise and rich experience we have with us. We would continue to strive for excellence in the sector to grow further," said HG Infra Chairman and Managing Director Harendra Singh. The company has 22 orders under execution with its presence in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, .
Govt release Rs 638 crore for development of areas along international borders
The Centre has released nearly Rs 638 crore in current fiscal so far under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP), which is being implemented to ameliorate the problems of people living in isolated forward locations, officials said Friday. The Home Ministry has so far released Rs 637.98 crore during 2018-19 to 17 states to meet special development needs of border population with a focus on the people living within 50 kilometres of the International Border, they said. In 2017-18, the ministry had released Rs 1,100 crore for the all-round development of villages located along the international border, a home ministry official said. The BADP covers 111 border districts in 17 states to meet special development needs of border population with a focus on the people living within 50 kilometres of the international border. Schemes under the BADP include construction of primary health centres, schools, supply of drinking water, community centres, connectivity, drainage to enable ...
India keen to fly a woman in maiden manned space mission
India is keen to fly a woman among the three astronauts who will be sent to space by 2021, a top space official said on Friday.
Anti-Pak protest in PoK over construction of Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project
A large number of local residents and political activists carried out massive protests on Friday against the construction of Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).The protest was organised by the United Kashmir National Students Organisation, the student wing of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP).The demonstrators raised slogans against the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), demanding an immediate ban on the construction of the power project on rivers - the prime source of water in the region.Locals allege that Pakistan has deprived residents of basic needs, including water.During the protest, one of the activists shouted that, "Pakistan has been enjoying the benefits of electricity generated in PoK region, whose surcharge is paid by them (PoK). Dams are being constructed on their lands, and they are the ones who are facing a water crisis.""This is our water, it is our right and we will fight for our right. If the matter ...
NGT orders reappraisal of Lakhwar project in Uttarakhand
The NGT has directed the EAC to reappraise Uttarakhand's 300 MW Lakhwar multi-purpose project, which has been stalled since 1992, and asked the state government to maintain "status quo" on construction. The project is being built by the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL). A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore directed the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) to appraise the project afresh in terms of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2006 and impose additional general and specific conditions as may be considered necessary. "After considering the pleadings and materials on record, we are of the considered opinion that the clarifications given by the project proponent, the report of the expert Committee and finding of various studies need to be looked into and studied by the EAC and project needs to be reappraised in terms of EIA notification, 2006," said the bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). "We, therefore, direct the EAC to appraise the ...
Patnaik launches scheme to distribute free LED bulbs in Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched the 'Ama Ghare LED' scheme, under which about 95 lakh families in the state will each get four LED bulbs free of cost. Patnaik said the LED bulbs (9-watt each) will be distributed to the beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSC). Energy Secretary Hemant Sharma said people in rural areas use incandescent or CFL bulbs due to non-availability of quality LED bulbs at a reasonable price, and as a result, are forced to pay higher electricity bills. Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (OPTCL) will be implementing the scheme and the bulbs will be distributed through camps and PDS outlets across the state, Sharma said. The beneficiaries will have to produce their bio-metric authentication in order to avail the benefits of the scheme. Energy Minister Sushant Singh said the LED project will help curb high-watt consumption. Odisha requires about 3.8 ...
China's lunar explorer sends first panoramic image of moon's dark side
China on Friday announced that the Chang'e-4 mission, the first-ever probe to land on the moon's dark side, was a "complete success" as it transmitted images back to earth through a special relay satellite. With the assistance of the relay satellite Queqiao (Magpie Bridge), the rover Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2), the lander of the Chang'e-4 probe took photos, China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. The scientific instruments aboard the probe worked well, and the images taken by the probe and the detection data have been sent back to ground control, it said. This is the first time an attempt was made to explore the far side of the moon. Since the moon's revolution cycle is the same as its rotation cycle, the same side always faces Earth. The other face, most of which cannot be seen from Earth, is called the far side or "dark side" of the moon, not because it is dark, but because most of it is uncharted. Images sent back from first-ever probe to soft-land on moon's far side show it ..
Goa to set up urban arts commission for architectural heritage
The Goa government has decided to constitute 'Urban Arts Commission', which will advise the state government and the local bodies on preservation and maintenance of architectural heritage in the state. The Conservation Committee of Goa Town and Country Planning Board, which met under the chairmanship of minister Vijai Sardesai on Friday, decided to form the commission. Talking to reporters, Sardesai said the future buildings in the state must follow the "law of aesthetics". "Ours is a party which believes in heritage. Heritage is also architecture," Sardesai, who heads BJP ally Goa Forward Party (GFP), said. The commission, he said, will advise the government on preservation, development and maintenance of the aesthetic qualities of urban and environmental design in Goa. "It will also advise and guide local bodies on the development project, which may affect the architectural aesthetic quality of the surroundings, especially in conservation zones," he said. The commission
Launch of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) By Ministry Of Environment, Forest and Climate Change a Landmark Step: FICCI
"Launch of NCAP is a landmark all-encompassing step by the government towards a pan-India holistic approach to tackle air pollution. I congratulate the Environment Ministry for bringing together different ministries, states and city governments under the ambit of NCAP," said Mr Sandip Somany, President, FICCI.
Enough water available, key is efficient water management: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
India has enough water but the real issue is effective management of the precious natural resource-water, said Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Shipping and Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari here on Friday during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Renukaji dam project."There is enough water available in the country but the real issue is effective water management," he said. Terming the signing of the agreement for Renukaji dam project as a historic moment, Union Minister Gadkari said that the government will try to get the Cabinet approval as soon as possible.He added that a consensus on Kishau multi-purpose project on river Yamuna has also been developed and soon an agreement for it will also be signed. He also informed about the Lakhwar multi-purpose project for which agreement was signed on August 28, 2018, among six basin states.Union Minister Gadkari was speaking after the signing of MoU with the Chief ...
Fast fashion hurting environment, society: Study
The overabundance of fast fashion -- readily available, inexpensively made clothing -- has created an environmental and social justice crisis, a study claims. Globally, 80 billion pieces of new clothing are purchased each year, translating to USD 1.2 trillion annually for the fashion industry, according to the study published in the journal Environmental Health. The majority of these products are assembled in China and Bangladesh, while the US consumes more clothing and textiles than any other country in the world, the researchers said. "From the growth of water-intensive cotton, to the release of untreated dyes into local water sources, to worker's low wages and poor working conditions, the environmental and social costs involved in textile manufacturing are widespread," said Christine Ekenga, an assistant professor at the Washington University in the US. "This is a massive problem. The disproportionate environmental and social impacts of fast fashion warrant its classification as an
Opium cultivation falls in Myanmar: UN
Opium cultivation in Myanmar declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2018 due to a growing regional market of synthetic drugs, the UN said on Friday.
China declares Chang'e-4 mission complete success
China announced on Friday that the Chang'e-4 mission, which realised the first-ever soft-landing on the far side of the moon, was a complete success.
Govt giving attention to arrest India's unutilised water under IWT from entering Pak: Gadkari
The government has given special attention to stop unutilised water allotted to India under the 'Indus Waters Treaty' from entering Pakistan, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Friday. Gadkari, the minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, also signed an MoU with six chief ministers for the construction of Renukaji Multi-Purpose Dam project in the Upper Yamuna Basin. The pact was signed with chief minister Yogi Aditynath of Uttar Pradesh, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, Trivendra Singh Rawat of Uttarakhand, Manohar Lal of Haryana, Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi and Jairam Thakur of Himachal Pradesh. Another agreement was signed for Namami Gange projects in Allahabad under Hybrid Annuity Mode and One-City-One-Operator concept by the National Mission for Clean Ganga, UP Jal Nigam and Dilip Pormal from Prayagraj Water Pvt. Ltd. Addressing the gathering, Gadkari said there is enough water available in the country, but the real issue is its effective management. "We have