Page 275 - Environment
Fall Armyworm has infested sub-Saharan Africa, India and Yemen: FAO
Rome, Dec 29 (IANS/AKI) The Fall Armyworm -- an invasive crop-eating pest -- has spread through sub-Saharan Africa and has also reached India and Yemen, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation tweeted on Friday.
Mexico fire kills seven children
A fire at a shack in an impoverished Mexico City neighbourhood Friday killed seven children, authorities said. It was not known what caused the pre-dawn blaze at the sheet metal-and-cardboard shack in the densely populated neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, on the sprawling capital's east side. The fire was similar to another less than a month ago that was caused by a gas leak, said the top city official for the area, Clara Brugada. "We're going to investigate (what caused the fire), but we will have to launch a campaign on how to use gas heaters safely in the winter," she said. Authorities initially said one of the victims was an adult, but later clarified that all seven were minors. Iztapalapa is the most populous area in Mexico City, with 1.8 million inhabitants, many of them living in destitute conditions. The capital's metropolitan area is home to more than 20 million people.
Mexico fire kills six children, one adult
A fire at a shack in an impoverished Mexico City neighbourhood Friday killed six children and their adult caretaker, authorities said. It was not known what caused the pre-dawn blaze at the sheet metal-and-cardboard shack in the densely populated neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, on the sprawling capital's east side. The adult who died had been watching the children while their parents were at work, said prosecutor Jose Antonio Escobar. The fire was similar to another less than a month ago that was caused by a gas leak, said the top city official for the area, Clara Brugada. "We're going to investigate (what caused the fire), but we will have to launch a campaign on how to use gas heaters safely in the winter," she said. Iztapalapa is the most populous area in Mexico City, with 1.8 million inhabitants, many of them living in destitute conditions. The capital's metropolitan area is home to more than 20 million people.
Opposition raises waterlogging issue in Haryana Assembly, govt announces compensation
The opposition Congress and the INLD Friday raised in the Haryana Assembly the issue of waterlogging being faced by a large number of farmers in various parts of the state, prompting the government to announce a compensation to those affected. The issue was raised by the opposition parties during the second-half of the day-long Winter Session of the assembly. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told the House that the problem of waterlogging could be resolved to a large extent by diverting the excess water to the areas having water scarcity. He announced that a compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre would be given to those farmers whose crop has been damaged due to waterlogging. He told the House that it has decided to give a compensation of Rs 6,000 per acre to those farmers who were unable to sow their crop due to waterlogging. The chief minister announced an online portal to further streamline the 'Girdawari' - revenue survey to assess crop damage - system. He said with a view to remove
East Singhbhum district will be completely free of naxal
East Singhbum district has come out of the list of "extreme naxal affected" districts of the country as the naxal-activities reported during the last four years was negligible, Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar said on Friday. The naxal-activities witnessed during the recent past was negligible as intensified anti-naxal operation launched by the district police led the major naxal group members to surrender, Kumar said while addressing a press conference here. East Singhbhum district is not in the list of "extreme naxal affected district," he said. The Deputy Commissioner expressed hope that the district will be completely free of naxal activities soon. Kumar said over one lakh soil health card have been distributed among the farmers during last four year. The DC said the paddy production this year was double compared to previous year and administration had distributed agriculture equipments among 1780 beneficiaries to promote the sector.
Maha govt forms committee to examine pollution in creeks
The Maharashtra Animal Husbandry Department has formed a committee to examine pollution levels in the creeks along the Konkan coast, taking note of reports of rampant dumping of chemical waste in the Dharamtar creek and elsewhere. An official said Friday that the committee will check pollution levels in the creeks, on seashores and their overall impact on the fisheries industry. There were reports of chemical waste being dumped into the Dharamtar creek in neighbouring Raigad district which has several chemical industry hubs. "The committee will also recommend measures to tackle the pollution and submit a report within six months," he said. The nine-member committee will be headed by Dr Vivek Wartak, assistant research officer in the Fisheries Department. Other members include BJP legislator Prashant Thakur, former MLA Surendrnath Mane and experts in the fisheries industry. "The committee will also study whether the existing jetties have adversely affected the revenue of .
Modi leaves for Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Saturday during which he will participate in a host of programmes including the 75th Anniversary of the hoisting of Tricolour on Indian soil by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Cabinet approves Rs 10K-cr Gaganyaan project
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the Gaganyaan project, India's maiden human spaceflight programme under which a three-member team will be sent into space for at least seven days. The cabinet's nod for the Rs 9,023-crore programme came nearly five months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the project in his Independence Day speech. He had said the mission would be undertaken by 2022. "Under the mission, a three-member team will be sent to the Earth's lower orbit for at least seven days," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. On completing the mission, India would become the fourth country to put a human in space using its own space programme after Russia, the United States, and China. Though the official approval for the project came on Friday, the work on it has been going on for quite some time. India has already inked agreements with Russia and France for assistance on the mission. The first human space flight demonstration is targeted to be completed within 40 ...
Centre committed to set up steel plant at Kadapa: Minister
The Centre is committed to set up a steel plant at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, but the required information about the proposed project is yet to come from the state government, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said Friday. The statement comes a day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the establishment of the Kadapa steel plant, which became a contentious issue as the state has accused the Centre of not honouring the commitment made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. "We are committed to set up a steel plant there (in Kadapa). But you know...due diligence is required. If they don't go by that, then it's not possible for us to give the final report...So, ultimately there is no response from the state government...We have come to know that even the clearance from the forest (department) has not been obtained - which is to be given by the state government only," Singh said on the sidelines of a SAIL event. The latest ...
Centre writes to state govts, land-owning agencies to explore possibilities of slum rehabilitation
The Centre has written to state governments and land-owning agencies to explore the possibilities of rehabilitation of slums on their land and seek central assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) mission, the Rajya Sabha was told. The Housing and Urban Minister Affairs Ministry, however, said that the Railways Ministry has reported rehabilitation for slum dwellers on railways' land is not "feasible" due to the national transporter's safety constraints and operational requirements. In a written reply to a question Thursday, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the PMAY (U) guidelines state that land-owning agencies should also undertake "in-situ" slum redevelopment in their lands by using it as a resource for providing houses to slum dwellers. The PMAY (U), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015, aims to ensure "Housing for all by 2022" by providing financial assistance to a beneficiary. "Pursuant to the issuance of scheme ...
Goyal push to expedite suburban railway network in Bengaluru city
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has pushed for expediting the suburban railway network for Bengaluru city and called upon the state government to give early clearance to facilitate implementation of the project, officials said Friday. A delegation led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy met Goyal on Thursday when they discussed several projects in the state. During the meeting, Goyal pointed out that the suburban project was pending for several years. He said it was a priority for him and he approved it within a year, according to the source. The minister had held several meetings on this subject with the stakeholders to give a concrete shape to the project. Goyal said the state government should work expeditiously and give clearance and agree for grant of higher FSI (floor space index), TDR (transfer of developments rights) to fund railway's share of project, according to the source. Kumaraswamy, the source said, said that his government .
Govt approves submission of India's second Biennial Update Report
India emitted around 2.607 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of Green House Gases (GHGs) in 2014, with the energy sector contributing over 70 per cent of the total, according to a report approved by the Union Cabinet for submission to the UN body. The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved submission of India's second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) towards fulfilment of the reporting obligation under the convention. According to an earlier official statement, India had submitted its first BUR in 2016. As per the first report, the country had emitted 2,136.84 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases in 2010. It said energy sector was the prime contributor to emissions and with 71 per cent of total emissions. According to the second BUR, "In 2014, a total of 26,07,488 Gigagram (Gg) CC-2 equivalent (around 2.607 billion tonnes of CC-2 equivalent) of GHGs were emitted from all ...
Germany paves way for upgrading exhaust systems on older diesel cars
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany on Friday cleared away legal hurdles for carmakers to upgrade exhaust emissions filtering systems on older diesel cars as a way to avoid vehicle bans, but failed to quell doubts among manufacturers and suppliers over the effectiveness of retrofits.
Cabinet approves submitting report on greenhouse gas inventory to UNFCCC
The cabinet has approved the submission of second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), giving India's national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory of 2014, the government said on Friday.
Northeast undergoing 'revolutionary transformation': Jitendra Singh
The Northeast has undergone a "revolutionary transformation" in the last four years and the region has become a role model for other states, Union minister Jitendra Singh said Friday. Releasing a calendar of the North East Council (NEC) and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Singh said recently the central government had approved the extension of the benefits for industrial promotion to Jammu and Kashmir on the line of the Northeastern states, which is a matter of pride. "In the last four-and-half years, the Northeast has undergone a revolutionary transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now, the region has become a role model for other states," he said. The minister for DoNER said the first region-based NITI forum was set up for the Northeast, a special infrastructure development scheme has been launched for the region and the Indian Forest Act was amended to ensure that bamboo is no longer considered a tree, enabling the ...
Delhi's air quality slightly improves, may turn 'severe' again
Delhi's air quality showed a slight improvement Friday as it recorded 'very poor' pollution level, but remained on the brink of turning 'severe' due to drop in temperature which is slowing dispersion of pollutants, authorities said. The Central Pollution Control Board data showed the overall air quality index (AQI) at the 'very poor' level of 394, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) showed an AQI of 372, which falls in the 'very poor' category. The air quality slipped to the 'severe' category Thursday before slightly improving Friday, but it remained on the brink of turning 'severe' again, authorities said. According to CPCB data, 11 areas recorded severe pollution, while 24 areas witnessed 'very poor' air quality. In NCR, Ghaziabad recorded 'severe' air quality, while Faridabad, Gurgaon and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality. The overall PM2.5 level - fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometer - was ...
New station director takes charge at MAPS
M Srinivas Friday took charge as Station Director of the Madras Atomic Power Station, Kalpakkam. An outstanding Scientist, he was earlier the station director of Rajasthan atomic power station units-5 & 6, an official release here said. "A Chemical Engineer, Srinivas has more than 34 years of experience in nuclear industry in the areas of commissioning, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants," it said. He has also served in the Kaiga generating station Units-1 & 2 and Units-3 & 4, it added. Srinivas will replace R Satyanarayana, who has been transferred to Kaiga as its site director. The Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) is located about 80 km from here.
China customs gives green light for US rice imports
China's customs administration announced Friday it had approved US rice imports, a move that comes during a 90-day tariff truce between the two countries which are engaged in a bruising trade war. US rice that meets inspection and quarantine requirements will be allowed to enter the country, according to a notice by China's customs authority released Friday and dated December 27. Requirements for US rice exporters include registration with the US Department of Agriculture and adherence to US and Chinese phytosanitary laws and regulations. The approval comes more than a year after the two countries agreed on a phytosanitary protocol that would allow US rice imports in China for the first time. Relations between China and the US have continued to thaw following a truce agreed by both leaders on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires. Earlier this month, China's major state-owned grain stockpiler said it had resumed buying US soybeans, and Beijing announced it would suspend extra ...
Sri Lanka missing persons office to fund carbon dating to identify victims at mass grave
Sri Lanka's Office on Missing Persons (OMP) on Friday said that it will provide financial assistance to carry out Radiocarbon dating as part of its investigation of the human remains at a mass grave site found in north eastern Sri Lanka. In March this year a suspected mass grave was found in Mannar when a new building was being constructed at the town's old cooperative store. "Some 278 human skeletal parts had been found over 118 working days of digging at the site. They include remains of women and children," Dr Samindra Rajapaksha, Consultant Judicial Medical Officer of the General Hospital in Mannar, said. The OMP will provide financial assistance for the Radiocarbon dating to find out the timing of the mass grave. "The OMP will provide financial assistance to carry out carbon dating as part of its continued support to the investigation," the statement said. Radio carbon dating calculates the amount of carbon-14 in bone and teeth samples and establishes the approximate time when an
Govt approves CRZ notification 2018; gives impetus to promotion of tourism
The government has approved new rules governing India's coastlines in which it has given impetus to promotion of tourism facilities like shacks on beaches and stipulated No Development Zone (NDZ) of 20 metres for all islands. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018, in which it has delegated powers to give clearances to projects falling in CRZ-II and III have been delegated at the state level with necessary guidance. "The proposed CRZ Notification, 2018 will lead to enhanced activities in the coastal regions thereby promoting economic growth while also respecting the conservation principles of coastal regions. "It will not only result in significant employment generation but also to better life and add value to the economy of India. The new notification is expected to rejuvenate the coastal areas while reducing their vulnerabilities," an official statement said. The CRZ notification was last reviewed ..