Page 28 - Environment
Run for Ocean unites 85k runners
Global sports brand Adidas' Run for Ocean campaign has united 85k runners across India, helping spread awareness on marine plastic pollution. The aim of producing a landmark 11 million pairs of shoes from up-cycled marine plastic waste the campaign united large number of runners across several locations in the country. The movement witnessed an overall participation of 87,490 individuals running on the Runtastic app, clocking a total of 175060.81 kms and clearing over 238 tonnes of plastic waste as part of the beach clean-up drives. The money raised helped educate and empower 100,000 youth and their families who are living in coastal areas and are affected by plastic pollution. The partnership saw five million pairs of shoes created, using recycled ocean plastic.
Leopard strays from forest in J&K, captured by wildlife dept
A leopard strayed from a forest to a road in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district following which it was captured by the Wildlife Department, officials said. A video went viral on social media Monday, showing the big cat walking along a road in Chingam village of Chatroo surrounded by a lush, green forest. Some men can be seen walking close behind it while capturing the unusual sight on their mobile phones. The leopard is seen moving peacefully, unmindful of the presence of humans, and even walks past some cars whose occupants observe the animal from close quarters. A department officials said the leopard was captured two days ago and it is presently under observation. "The animal is sick and is undergoing treatment at trauma centre in Kishtwar. It is under observation and is showing signs of recovery," the official. District Development Commissioner (Kishtwar) A S Rana appealed people to exercise caution in such a situation in order to ensure their safety as well as the safety of ...
MCF, Raebareli emerges as railways' most green unit
The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Raebareli is the most green unit of the Indian Railways, according to the CII's GreenCo rating, the first such workshop of the national transporter to have achieved this milestone, officials said on Tuesday. The GreenCo Rating System of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is a first-of-its-kind rating system in the world that facilitates companies in improving their overall green performance. Over the last three years, the MCF, which has received the "Platinum" rating, has reduced its fresh water consumption by 64 per cent per coach, energy consumption by 53 per cent per coach and paper usage by 54 per cent, according to official data. The factory has developed six rainwater harvesting pits consisting of 12 borewells in its workshops and 13 rainwater harvesting pits in the township. It has also developed six artificial waterbodies with an approximate capacity of 60,000 kl to collect surface runoff and use it for recharging groundwater and ...
22 Villages in Mizoram yet to be electrified: Minister
There are 22 villages in Mizoram which are yet to be electrified, Power and Electricity minister R Lalzirliana told the state Assembly on Tuesday. The minister said these 22 villages would be electrified within next six months. In a written reply to a question by the lone BJP member Dr B D Chakma, the minister said that the government proposed to electrify all the villages in the state by this year. He said that 26,502 households including BPL and non- BPL households were given electricity connections under Saubhagya Yojana in the state. The electricity connection provided under Saubhagya Yojana was free of costs, he said, adding, however, that monthly electricity consumption bill would be borne by the beneficiary.
Karnataka told to release Cauvery water for June, July to TN
The Cauvery Water Management Authority on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 9.19 TMC feet of water for June and 31.24 TMC feet of water for July to Tamil Nadu as per the monthly schedule finalised by the water Tribunal and modified by the Supreme Court.The decision was taken at a meeting of the CWMA presided over by Chairman Masood Hussain, which decided that in respect of quatam of water to be released to Puducherry the existing arrangement between Puducherry and Tamail nadu will continue.Hussain told the media later that the authority reviewed the hyderometrological situation in the Cauvery basin and it was observed that the rainfall has been deficient. Monsoon has got delayed and the overall rainfall this year has also been deficient, he said.It was noted that the rainfall was deficient during the period from June 1 to June 20 in the catchments of Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoir.It was also observed that during the period, the four reservoirs of Karnataka received ...
K'taka: Farmers' strike enters day 5; Irrigation Min says 'nothing in our hands'
The indefinite strike by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) members demanding Cauvery and Hemavati waters to be channelised for saving standing crops entered the fifth day on Tuesday.Farmers in Mandya have been demanding diversion of Cauvery and Hemavati waters to their canals in order to save their produce.Water resources minister DK Shivakumar was forcefully stopped by the agitated farmers to lay down their demands before him.After listening to the farmers, the minister responded saying, "Nothing is in our hand. Management is handling water issue and I will speak to them."On Monday, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had asked the Centre to direct the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to resolve the issue, as water crisis deepened in the state."Now the Central government has already constituted Cauvery Water Management Authority which had asked Karnataka government to release 9 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu," Kumaraswamy had told ANI, adding, "There is a shortage of water in ..
S Korea mulling additional aid to global agencies for helping N Korea
South Korea on Tuesday said that it is considering to give an additional grant to global aid agencies for assisting the people of North Korea who are facing health issues.South Korea's unification ministry said in its report to the lawmakers that donations could be made to agencies like the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for their assistance projects in North Korea, which has been facing severe food shortages due to a multitude of global sanctions imposed on its stagnant economy and unfavourable weather conditions.Last year, the reclusive communist state's crop output plunged to its lowest level since 2008 and about 40 per cent of the population need urgent access to proper food, according to the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Yonhap News Agency reported.The two agencies said that North Korea will require an estimated 1.36 million tons of grain this year to plug the gap on food shortage.South
SpaceX launches hefty rocket with 24 satellites
SpaceX launched its heftiest rocket with 24 research satellites Tuesday, a middle-of-the-night rideshare featuring a deep space atomic clock, solar sail, a clean and green rocket fuel testbed, and even human ashes. It was the third flight of a Falcon Heavy rocket, but the first ordered up by the military. The Defense Department mission, dubbed STP-2 for Space Test Program, is expected to provide data to certify the Falcon Heavy and reused boosters for future national security launches. It marked the military's first ride on a recycled rocket. Both side boosters landed back at Cape Canaveral several minutes after liftoff, just as they did after launching in April. But the new core booster missed an ocean platform, not unexpected for this especially difficult mission, SpaceX noted. NASA signed up for a spot on the rocket, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Planetary Society and Celestis Inc., which offers memorial ...
Here's how Kalaburagi youth are battling scorching heat
With the mercury soaring in the region, a group of locals, consisting of doctors, engineers, students, and government employees, among others, are planting saplings across the district to help lower the temperature in the region.The youngsters have flagged off a mission named "10k warriors" to make the district greener and are reaching out to volunteers to participate in increasing the green cover in the district.Speaking to ANI, Dr. Naganth Yadgir, a member of the environmental group, said, "We have been planting saplings for the past three years. When we were young, the temperature here was around 34-35 degrees and now we are seeing temperatures up to 47 degrees Celcius."As per Yadgir, the group began the plantation drive in 2017 and managed to plant 1000 saplings that year. In the subsequent year, he said 1400 saplings were planted by the youth.The group's new mission has been advertised on social media to gather volunteers and make this mission a fruitful one."I came to know about
Govt taking steps to protect indigenous breeds of cow
The government has taken a series of steps to protect indigenous breeds of cow under the Gokul Mission and in the next five years local breeds will be on par with foreign ones, Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh said. Replying to a query raised by actor Ravindra Shyam Narayan Shukla (Ravi Kishan) in the Question Hour, Singh said steps are being taken to increase productivity of cows. The minister said animal husbandry is more profitable than farming. He said steps like progeny testing programmes and pedigree selection programme for production of high genetic merit bulls of indigenous breeds, establishment of embryo transfer technology and in-vitro fertilisation laboratories have been undertaken. Sexed semen production facility for production of females calves by eliminating male calves has also been undertaken, he said. "In the next five years, indigenous cow breeds will be on a par with foreign breeds," he said. Replying to another question on stray cattle, Singh ..
One killed due to electrocution in UP village
One person was killed due to electrocution in Hardia Lakhwalia village in Sikandarpur area when a high tension electricity wire fell on him, police said Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday when Ramchandra Rajbhar (48) and others were sitting under a tree, they said. While Rajbhar died on the spot, two others were injured in the incident.
Scores ill, schools closed in Malaysia due to toxic fumes
Scores of people have fallen ill and hundreds of schools have been closed in Malaysia due to toxic fumes believed to have come from a chemical factory, authorities said Tuesday. It was the second serious incident involving poisonous gas in Pasir Gudang district, in southern Johor state, in three months after thousands of people became sick in March when waste was dumped in a river and emitted noxious fumes. Residents first noticed the fumes wafting across the industrial area late last week and many people, including schoolchildren, started vomiting and developing breathing difficulties. Johor chief minister Sahruddin Jamal said 75 people had so far been sent to hospital for treatment, according to official news agency Bernama. Authorities have now ordered the closure of all 475 educational institutions in the area until Thursday, including three institutes of higher education, 111 public schools, 14 private schools and 347 kindergartens. The latest incident is not believed to be ...
U'khand: Gupta family to pay entire cost of waste disposal in Auli
The Gupta family has deposited Rs 54,000 with the Municipal Corporation here and has also agreed to pay the entire cost of cleaning up after their mega Rs 200 crore wedding functions left the town of Auli with major waste management problems.The Municipality has deployed 20 workers to clear the waste lying around in the area.The High Court has also instructed the District Administration and Pollution Control Board to submit a report by July 7 on the harm caused to the environment due to the waste.The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 8."The Gupta family had deposited Rs 54,000 as user charge. Over 150 quintal waste has been cleaned up till now. After the cleaning work is complete the total bill of all the expenses, including manual labour and vehicles, will be sent to them. The family has agreed to pay the entire bill and also provide a vehicle to the Municipality," said Shailendra Panwar, Municipality President.The wedding celebrations of Suryakant, son of Ajay Gupta, .
Lucknow: PRV sirens to play 'Jagte Raho' tune to alert public
As a pilot project, all Dial-100 Police Response Vehicles' (PRV) sirens will play tunes of "Jagte Raho" (stay awake) in Lucknow, Abhay Mishra, Circle Officer, Hazratganj said on Tuesday."The tune will be played in PRVs all night to alert the public, like watchmen used to do. It has started in Hazratganj as a pilot project. Its success will be monitored and will be applied elsewhere in future," Mishra told ANI here.Police are trying this unique measure to curb the menace of criminals in the area.The sirens will be used to alert the people in the area and if found to be successful, the recorded messages can be applied to other areas such as traffic management as well.
Alerts issued in France as intense heat wave envelops
The sunset had an orange glow and so does the new heat alert level for Paris. More than half of France, including around Paris, was placed on an orange alert for intense heat Monday the second-highest level on the scale as very hot temperatures were predicted across continental Europe this week. The national weather agency Meteo France said the heat wave beginning Monday is expected to last all week with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across the country just as the summer tourist season shifts into high gear. The peak is expected Thursday. In Paris, charity organizations were patrolling the streets to provide water to homeless people and local authorities organized air-conditioned places where the public can seek shelter. French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, deciding it was too hot to study, ordered national exams by students heading to high school postponed from Thursday and Friday to next week. Meteorologists say the heat wave is ...
Researchers build AI drone that can dodge objects in the air
One of the biggest concerns with commercial drone technology is the threat it poses to the birds in the sky. Now, researchers at the University of Maryland and the University of Zurich have devised a method to help drones identify and dodge objects while flying.Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), event cameras, and a sonar system, the researchers enabled a drone to detect and dodge objects thrown at it, Mashable reports.The system has an overall success rate of 70 per cent and could help drones and birds safely co-exist in the sky. It can also help law enforcement agencies.
Rs 2000 given to 5 lakh farmers in Jharkhand
Five lakh farmers were on Monday given Rs 2,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Samman Nidhi Yojana through direct benefit transfer in Jharkhand. Addressing a programme at Khelgaon here to mark the occasion, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said that Rs 5,000 crore will be given to farmers within two/three months. "This amount will strengthen the rural economy. In July benefits under Mukhya Mantri Krishi Ashirvad Yojana will also be given to the farmers. Under this scheme Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 will be given to those farmers having one to five acre of land. Together with the central and state schemes, the farmers will be given a minimum of Rs 11,000 and a maximum of Rs 31,000," Das said. Stating that due to lack of land records some farmers are being deprived of the benefit of the scheme, Das said that the state government has requested the Centre to amend the rule in the interest of Jharkhand, benefiting the farmers. Das said the Centre has included farmers of all sections under the
Saudi Arabia accused of nixing emissions mention at UN climate talks
Saudi Arabia has moved to block mention of the findings of a landmark report on global warming from decisions taken at United Nations' climate talks, delegates and sources close to the negotiations told AFP Monday. Nations are gathered in the German city of Bonn for their annual discussion on how to proceed under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with some of the most dire warnings yet of the risks posed by rising temperatures still ringing in delegates' ears. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's leading authority on the matter, said in October that in order to stay within a safer cap of 1.5C of warming, drastic cuts in fossil fuel use would be needed within just a few years. The IPCC report built on the 2015 Paris climate deal, which agreed to limit global temperature rises to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) in order to stave off the worst social, economic and environmental impacts caused by our heating planet. By ...
Maha to step up mechanism to redress farmers' issues: Minister
The Maharashtra government Monday said it will step up its vigilance mechanism to ensure fast redressal of grievances regarding drought mitigation. There will be tehsil level committees of officials which will take care of crop insurance payments to farmers, the government said. Agriculture minister Anil Bonde, while replying to the debate on drought and agrarian crisis over the last three days in the Assembly, admitted the state government had received a lot of complaints. Legislators cutting across party lines complained about poor compensation paid by the crop insurance companies, Jalyukt Shivar's failure to store water, complaints about the farm loan waiver among others. "It is true right from the agents, company officials to agricultural officers are not available for farmers when it comes to the paybacks of the crop insurance. Farmers do not get response from toll free numbers. This has led to unrest against crop insurance companies among the farmers," he ...
Maha to get solar power generation plants in four dams
Maharashtra is all set to get floating solar power generation plants in four dams, state Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan told the Legislative Council Monday. In a written reply to a question raised by NCP MLC Hemant Takle, Mahajan stated the backwater of Wardha, Bebala, Khadakpurna and Pentakli dams has been selected for setting up the floating solar panels as per the Swiss Challenge method. He said the estimated investment per megawatt is Rs 4.45 crore, with a total installed capacity of 500 MW. A committee headed by executive director of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) is currently scrutinising the detailed project report and drafting the tenders, the minister said. The work to set up the plants is under progress as permitted under the Maharashtra Infrastructure Development Enabling Authority Act, he added.