Page 272 - Environment
Delhiites ring out 2018 with 'severe' AQI
Diwali was toxic, Christmas was too and so was New Year's Eve with the air quality 'severe' on the last day of 2018, in sync perhaps with a year in which there was no getting away from the pollution. As Delhiiites prepared to ring in a New Year with the air quality index (AQI) hovering at hazardous levels, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that that 2018 was twice as bad as 2017 in terms of 'severe' air quality days. In 2018, a total of 18 severe air quality days were recorded in comparison to nine the previous year, CPCB data showed. The year, weary Delhiites said, seemed to pass in a blur of 'severe', 'very poor' and 'poor' air quality days, forcing children and the elderly to stay indoors, morning walkers delaying their daily exercise and schools moving around play times to reduce exposure to the outdoors. Experts said Delhiites breathed over three months of toxic air in 2018. However, the number of 'very poor' days in 2018 were 82, less than the 106 such days in .
Smart cities hogged limelight in 2018, but challenges await in 2019
The Central government's smart cities initiative hogged the limelight in 2018. Its fulsome result is expected to unfold in the coming year, as Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which selected 100 smart cities in four rounds across the country, is making concerted efforts to take the ambitious initiative to its logical conclusion by the end of 2019."As many as 5,151 projects identified by the cities worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore are under implementation in 100 cities," the ministry said in an official statement, while 534 projects worth Rs 10,116 crore were completed. The implementation has commenced for 1,177 projects worth Rs 43,493 crore. According to the ministry, tendering has started for 677 projects worth Rs 38,207 crore."The year 2019 will see the consolidation of most of the projects under the Smart City scheme in which over Rs 6,85,758 crore has been infused for ensuring citizen friendly urban areas with an emphasis on urban rejuvenation, construction of public ..
National Waterway - 4 covers length of 2890 kms
Development work of Phase-I of NW-4 at a cost of Rs 96 crore has already commenced
Amid crisis in K'taka, Kumaraswamy flew to Singapore to celebrate New Year: Yeddyurappa
Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa on Monday took a dig at Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy for flying to Singapore for New Year celebrations at a time when the state is reeling under drought and water crisis."156 talukas in the state are suffering from drought and water crisis. Farmers are committing suicide, at this time. Karnataka Chief Minister has gone to Singapore to celebrate new year, his cabinet members have also gone to different places to celebrate," Yeddyurappa said while speaking to media here.Yeddyurappa's remarks came days after Karnataka government declared 156 out of the 176 talukas of the state drought-hit due to the failed northeast monsoon.The BJP leader also called Kumaraswamy an "irresponsible" Chief Minister who does not care about the welfare of the people.Yeddyurappa further demanded the state government to reveal the data of the loan waiver given to farmers in the state."From last few months, he (Kumaraswamy) is talking about farmers' loan waiver issue. Do I
S.Korea bans single-use plastic bags at supermarkets
South Korea has announced a ban on big-time supermarkets and retailers nationwide from using disposable plastic bags in an attempt to conserve natural resources and reduce recyclable waste, government officials said on Monday.
Delhi's air quality remains severe on New Year eve
Pollution levels spiked to 'severe' category on New Year eve, prompting authorities to warn people that any increase in vehicular pollutants or burning of firecrackers would worsen the situation. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data on Monday showed that the city recorded an overall air quality index (AQI) of 417, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) recorded an AQI of 418, both come under the 'severe' category. According to the CPCB data, 27 areas in the national capital recorded 'severe' pollution, while seven witnessed 'very poor' air quality. In the NCR, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Noida recorded 'severe' air quality, while Faridabad recorded 'very poor' quality air. The overall PM2.5 level (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometer) was recorded at 328 and the PM10 level at 488 in Delhi, the CPCB said. The SAFAR said the air quality would improve slightly "provided that no additional local emissions
At least 3 dead after gas explosion in residential building in Russia
At least three people were killed and another 79 people were unaccounted for after a gas explosion rocked a residential building in Russia's Urals city of Magnitogorsk on Monday, a senior official said. "Three people have been pulled alive from the rubble and three are dead," Oleg Klimov, deputy governor of the Chelyabinsk region where the industrial city is located, was quoted as saying by state news agency RIA Novosti. "The fate of 79 people is unclear," he said, adding police were working to locate their whereabouts.
Scientists map Mercury's glacier formation
Scientists have modelled the processes that led to the formation of glaciers at the cratered poles of Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun. The researchers at the University of Maine in the US studied the accumulation and flow of ice on Mercury, and how the glacial deposits on the smallest planet in our solar system compare to those on Earth and Mars. The findings, published in the journal Icarus, add to our understanding of how Mercury's ice accumulations -- estimated to be less than 50 million years old and up to 50 metres thick in places -- may have changed over time. Changes in ice sheets serve as climatic indicators, researchers said. Analysis of Mercury's cold-based glaciers, located in the permanently shadowed craters near the poles and visible by Earth-based radar, was funded by NASA, and is part of a study of volatile deposits on the moon. Like the moon, Mercury does not have an atmosphere that produces snow or ice that could account for glaciers at the poles. Simulations ..
BJP leader causes flutter by staging dharna outside Pondy
A nominated BJP MLA caused a flutter on the Assembly premises here Monday by resorting to sudden dharna urging the Puducherry government to ban immediately production, sale and use of plastic products in the Union Territory on the lines of neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Holding a placard demanding a ban on plastic, V Saminathan staged dharna at the main entrance of the Assembly hall. However, he gave up the agitation after security staff in the Assembly spoke to him. Later, talking to reporters he said the Tamil Nadu government had announced a ban from January 1 in the state on plastic products. "Puducherry government should also follow suit and ensure protection of environment and health of the people by effecting a ban on plastic commodities." Alleging that Puducherry was presenting an ugly look with plastic materials lying scattered at different places, he said a ban on plastic items should be imposed immediately. The Tamil Nadu government had in June last announced a ban ..
Lion kills worker at US wildlife park
A lion attacked and killed a young American woman who had just started working at the facility where it was kept, the center said Sunday. Alexandra Black, 22, was passionate about wildlife and had worked just 10 days as in intern at the facility in Burlington, North Carolina. "The Conservators Center is devastated by the loss of a human life today," it said in a statement. "While a husbandry team led by a professionally trained animal keeper was carrying out a routine enclosure cleaning, one of the lions somehow left a locked space and entered the space the humans were in and quickly killed one person. "It is unclear at this time how the lion left the locked enclosure. At no time did the lion ever enter a space that was not enclosed by the park's perimeter fence," the statement added, expressing its condolences to Black's family and announcing it would close temporarily. The lion was killed so Black could be retrieved, the center said. Black, a recent graduate of Indiana University, ..
BHEL bags Rs 3500 cr for setting up 660 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant in West Bengal
Powered by Capital Market - Live News
Lion escapes at US zoo, kills worker
A 22-year-old graduate, who started job at a wildlife conservatory in the US state of North Carolina two weeks ago, was mauled to death by a lion that escaped a locked enclosure at the facility.
Pradhan exhorts child scientists to find solutions to nation's
Young minds must make use of evolving technology to find solutions to India's complex problems including climate change and energy needs, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said. Noting that India spends huge money to pay its energy import bill as the country happens to be the world's third largest consumer of energy, the Petroleum and Natural Gas minister said this could be addressed by finding alternatives to fossil fuel and hydrocarbon. Pradhan said this during an hour-long interaction on Sunday with participants at the 26th National Children's Science Congress (NCSC-2018) being held here. "India does not have much fossil fuel but has coal deposits which could be used to generate power. Coal, at the same time, is the cause of much pollution which impacts the environment," he said asking the delegates to find the way. If the country did not have to pay such huge energy import bills, the resources could have been utilised somewhere else for the benefit of the ...
Delhi: Cold wave forces poor to move into shelter homes
As chilly winters engulf the national capital, it has become an ordeal for the homeless. On Monday, the mercury plummets to 4 Degree Celsius. Notably, Sunday was the coldest day of the season with the minimum temperature hovering at 2.6 Degree Celsius.Scores of homeless working in Delhi get shelter run by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led government. Speaking to ANI Sarai Kale Khan said, "Being a daily wage laborer, I cannot afford to stay in a rented room. Every single day cold waves are posing a challenge for me and my co-workers."According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) the cold waves are likely to continue over Delhi and its adjoining areas."The present western disturbance lies over Jammu and Kashmir and neighborhood and another western disturbance is likely to affect western Himalayan region from 1st January 2019. Under its influence, the minimum temperatures over parts of Northern and northwest and adjoining central India have risen by 0.5-1.0 Degree Celsius .
NLC India conducts boiler lightup for first unit of 1000 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project
This is the first 500 MW lignite fired power plant in the country. It can generate 1000000 units of power in an hour. This power project will replace the existing more than five decades old TPS-I (600MW) at Neyveli.
Climate change takes toll on French oyster farmers
Gulping down oysters has long been a favourite New Year's Eve ritual for the French, but as winters get warmer and summers get drier many growers worry there will soon be fewer of the prized mollusks to go around. "Twenty years ago, we'd be shivering in the warehouse while preparing the holiday orders. Today it's 15 degrees," says Brittany oysterman Mathieu Le Moal, his sleeves rolled up in front of a tractor carrying dozens of bulging oyster sacks. "We don't have seasons anymore -- but oysters need all four," Le Moal adds. "They need the winter, it's when they can rest, use less energy." Inside a wooden hanger redolent of salt and the sea, around a dozen of his workers are sorting, weighing and packing oysters into crates in the Brittany port of Cancale. Le Moal and other farmers along this stretch of France's Emerald Coast say the long drought which struck swathes of the country this summer took a heavy toll, leading to smaller harvests, and smaller shellfish. Without summer rains ..
MP farmer bows to collector for power connection, video goes viral
Madhya Pradesh Cooperatives Minister Govind Singh on Sunday took a grim view of an episode in which a farmer here had to bow his head at the feet of the district collector to get an electricity connection under the Chief Minister's Krishak Anudan Yojana.
PM lays foundation stone of 50 MW LNG-based power project in Andaman
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday laid the foundation stone of 50 MW LNG-based power project at Hope Town in South Andaman, the Power Ministry said. The PM also inaugurated two projects on clean cooking and electric mobility in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the ministry said in a statement. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the Foundation stone of the 50 MW LNG based power project on December 30, 2018 at Hope Town, South Andaman. The power plant to be established by wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Ltd NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) at cost of Rs 387.80 crore in 18 months is expected to significantly improve the quality of life of the residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and give a boost to economic development in the area," the ministry said. Introducing 99 Tsunami Shelter Homes to a clean, comfortable and hassle-free cooking option, the PM distributed Solar PV-based induction cook stoves to households at Chouldari village, the ministry said in a separate statement. "He ...
Adopt zero tolerance' to burning, construction activities: CPCB to Delhi-NCR authorities
In view of the national capital's 'severe' air quality, the CPCB-led task force has directed implementing agencies of Delhi-NCR to take action with "zero tolerance" to waste burning and construction activities. The directions were issued at an emergency meeting of the Central Pollution Control Board-led task force on Sunday after Delhi's air quality slipped to the 'severe' category. The task force said while the measures already in force must continue, the enforcement on "ground needs to be stepped up particularly in hotspot areas" that are vulnerable to high pollution. It also reiterated its direction for strict implementation of the Supreme Court order on bursting firecrackers. "The implementing agencies in Delhi and four neighbouring towns of Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram to be on high alert, carry out night patrolling and take actions with zero tolerance to waste burning and construction activities," the task force said. "The agencies must also ensure strict compliance .
Delhi's air quality severe, fire cracker or vehicular pollution could result in deterioration:CPCB
Delhi's air quality slipped to 'severe' category on Sunday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions as authorities warned that any trigger in form of fire crackers on new year's eve or rise invehicular emission would further increase the pollution level in thenational capital. In view of the 'severe' pollution level plaguing the national capital, the CPCB-led task force has directed implementing agencies of Delhi NCR to take actions with "zero tolerance" to waste burning and construction activities and reiterated its call to strictly implement the Supreme Court order on bursting of fire crackers. The Central Pollution Control Board data showed the overall air quality index (AQI) at the 'severe' level of 414. The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) has said the air quality would improve slightly "provided no additional local emissions are added on new year's eve". "The deterioration in moisture laden wind speed from west may becoming fatal at this ...