Page 283 - Environment

Experts stress stricter implementation of laws to combat pollution

Expressing alarm over air pollution in the national capital, experts and stakeholders on Sunday stressed stricter enforcement of environmental laws, stronger legal and institutional frameworks and technological capacity of pollution control boards to tackle grave challenges to public health.

Himalayan glaciers retreating at alarming rate: Parliamentary panel

A Parliamentary panel has recommended the Centre to make adequate financial allocation and infrastructure available for an extensive study of the Himalayan ecosystem to measure the extent of glacial retreat and the ways to mitigate its effects. Noting that glaciers in the Himalayan region are retreating at an "alarming rate" and that there is a need to regulate tourism activities, the panel has also suggested the Centre to constitute a committee of experts to formulate the guidelines to be observed while preparing the roadmap for Himalayan Eco-tourism. The Committee on Estimates (2018-19) in its 30th report on performance of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) said urgent steps are required to create a mechanism involving all stakeholders who are directly or indirectly affected by the changes in Himalayan system so that integrated approach is adopted in the entire region. Such a platform will need international cooperation from all the countries falling in or connected .

Sambalpur civic body to install reverse vending machines

The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) is planning to install Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) in the west Odisha city to deal with plastic waste and disuade people from littering. The RVMs have already been installed in Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur will be the second civic body in the state to install these machines. In the first phase, the SMC will install the machines at three different locations, including a crowded bus terminus at Ainthapali, Railway station at Khetarajpur and the Science Park in Burla area, an official said. "People can dump used plastic bottles in the machines which will crush them," said Enforcement Officer of SMC, Subhankar Mohanty. If everything moves as per the plans, the three machines will be installed by the end of January next year, Mohanty said. Subsequently, three more machines will be installed at three other suitable locations, he added. Stating that each machine will have a capacity to shred 200 to 300 bottles per hour, he said a ...

DR Congo's Ebola-hit region to vote on Dec 30

The voting will take place 'as planned' in the Ebola-hit northeastern region of Democratic Republic of Congo on December 30, election officials have said."Nothing has changed in terms of voting centres. We are maintaining the voting centres in the Ebola-affected areas as health ministry authorities did not see any specific need to change locations," Jean-Pierre Kalamba, spokesman of the 'Commission Electorale Nationale Independante' or CENI told Al Jazeera.DR Congo is facing its worst-ever Ebola crisis that started in May 2018 and has killed over 320 people ever since. More than 500 people have been confirmed as suffering from Ebola in the northern provinces of Kivu and Ituri.Officials tried to alleviate fears regarding the spread of the virus through voting by saying that the people have been 'sensitised'."We have been given measures to protect ourselves and this is helping. We always mingle in churches, at work, and in markets. We will go and vote. It is a risk but we have to take ..

Taj Mahal's colour appears to have changed because of pollutants: Govt

This was stated by the government, quoting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in response to questions in the Lok Sabha as to whether the marble of world famous Taj Mahal is getting discoloured due to air pollution.Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment Mahesh Sharma, while replying to questions on Friday, said the ASI has formulated scientific cleaning and conservation plan to protect the surface of Taj Mahal from deposited pollutants."Accordingly, all four minarets, eight facades, four pedestal marble walls, interior portion of periphery up to human height and four chhatries at roof top of main mausoleum, have already been cleaned and treated," he said."However, the cleaning of main dome requires some technical studies," he added.Asked whether the foundation of Taj Mahal was becoming weak due to polluted water of Yamuna, Sharma, citing the ASI, said the water level of the river was away from the northern wall of the monument."Therefore, specific study on the link ..

UP looks to achieved 100% electrification by month-end: Minister

Uttar Pradesh is set to achieve 100 per cent electrification by the month-end, state power minister Srikant Sharma said Sunday. Uttar Pradesh is among the states where a large number of households are to be covered under the Saubhagya scheme for providing electricity connections. According to the power ministry's Saubhagya portal, around 11 per cent or 34.46 lakh households in about 24 districts, as on December 11, were yet to be provided with power connections under the Centre's ambitious scheme. Saubhagya Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana-- was launched in September 2017 with the objective to provide access to electricity to all the remaining households in the country. The minister said that all the districts falling under Dakshinanchal and Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam have been electrified. The districts falling under Madhyanchal and Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam would be electrified by December 31, he said. "We will give new year gift poor consumer by illuminating

Delhi's AQI worsens, CPCB task force suggests minimising outdoor exposure, avoiding pvt vehicles

A Central Pollution Control Board-led task force has advised people to minimise outdoor exposure for the next three to five days and avoid using private vehicles, with Delhi's air quality slipping into the severe category. The national capital witnessed its second highest pollution level this year on Sunday with authorities saying unfavourable meteorological conditions are likely to keep the air quality in the severe category for the next couple of days. While the Central Pollution Control Board data showed the overall air quality index (AQI) at 446, the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) gave a much higher AQI of 471. The CPCB-led task force held a meeting on Saturday in response to the high PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) levels which climbed to the severe plus emergency category. Exposure to PM2.5 pollutants can lead to diseases like cancer and increases chances of stroke. A number of ...

Delhi records year's second highest pollution level

Delhi recorded its second highest pollution level of the year on Sunday and unfavourable meteorological conditions are likely to keep the air quality in the 'severe' category for the next couple of days, authorities said. While the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed the overall air quality index (AQI) at 'severe' level of 446, the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) showed a higher level at 471. This is the second highest pollution level of this year. The highest was recorded on November 8, a day after Diwali, when the AQI touched 571. An AQI between 100 to 200 comes under the 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'. According to experts, under the 'severe' category, even healthy people find it hard to breathe and doctors advise physical activity to be kept at a minimum. The CPCB-led task force, during a meeting on Saturday, recommended minimising outdoor ...

Climate commitments by over 9,000 cities: UN yearbook

Commitments to climate actions have been made by more than 9,000 cities from 128 countries, around 240 states and regions from over 40 countries and more than 6,000 businesses in 120 countries representing $36 trillion, says a UN yearbook for 2018.

HFCL bags orders worth Rs 148 cr

Telecom equipment maker Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited (HFCL) said Sunday it has bagged two contracts worth Rs 148 crore from Larsen & Toubro. The contracts are for executing telecommunication systems projects for Mauritius Metro Express Project and Dhaka Metro Mass Rapid Transit System. The Mauritius Metro Express Project is along a 26-km route that will connect Curepipe to Immigration Square in the capital Port Louis, the company said in a BSE filing. The Dhaka Metro Mass Rapid Transit System Project is along a 20 km route and is an elevated metro rail system connecting Uttara and Motijheel, it added.

Assam most vulnerable to climate change in Indian Himalayan region: Study

Guwahati, Dec 23 (IANS/Mongabay) The Himalayan region supports about 20 percent of the worlds population. But the ecologically fragile region, the storehouse of the third-highest amount of frozen water on earth, is highly vulnerable to climate change. Among the 12 states in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), Assam is found to be the most vulnerable to the changing climate, according to a Department of Science and Technology (DST) vulnerability assessment.

CEA study finds 200 new sites for thermal power plants of 428.9GW

A total 200 potential sites have been identified for setting up as many large thermal power plants of total 428.9 GW capacity, more than the existing installed capacity of 346.61 GW, according to a study by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). The authority conducted the study for identifying large pithead and coastal sites based on satellite mapping using remote sensing technology. An official said a total of 200 potential sites with likely gross installed capacity of 4,28,905 MW have been identified even as the country pushes ahead with green power sources. The official explained that thermal power stations need to be set up in future because these serve as the base load and are required for grid stabilisation in view of the government's ambitious target of having 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022. The demand is going to increase in future as the government under the Rs 16,320 crore scheme has set a target of electrifying all households in the country by March 2019. The ...

For preserving Yamuna, build a sense of 'ownership' among public: Monitoring committee on cleaning

A committee overseeing the cleaning of Yamuna has stressed the need to raise awareness about the importance of the river and its floodplain so that a sense of "ownership" is created among the people and it is preserved. The monitoring committee, that was set up by the National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice A K Goel in July, has suggested forming a nodal agency for the task. "Presently, there is no ownership of the river Yamuna. That is because it means nothing to the citizens as it is providing no opportunity for cultural activities, leisure or recreation," it said. There needs to be awareness about why the flood plains are "sacrosanct they need conservation", it has observed. The committee comprises retired expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra and it has been directed to submit an action plan and detailed report on cleaning of the river by December 31. The committee has submitted the details to the Delhi government. In the action plan, the ..

Delhi records 3.7 degrees C, air quality 'severe'

Engulfed in a blanket of shallow fog and haze, the national capital on Sunday recorded 3.7 degrees Celsius -- the coldest day this December with the air quality remaining 'severe', the Met department said.

Will complete target to build 1 lakh-km new national highway

India's target of constructing one lakh-km-long new National Highway would be completed before the deadline of eight years, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh Mandaviya said here Saturday. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating a bridge on Khandepar river, 50 kms away from here. Mandaviya said that when Narendra Modi-led government took over, the target was set to construct one lakh kilometre long National Highway in eight years. "But considering the pace of work, we will be able to achieve that target much before the deadline", the minister said. Mandaviya said that when BJP came to power at Centre, the country had only 92,000 kilometres of National Highway. "PMNarendra Modi said that when four crore new vehicles are added to the road, we need to take up major work on creating the National Highways. We decided that in 8 years, we will construct one lakh kilometres new National highway", he said. The minister said the Union ...

Forest officials rescues Tigress Avni's cub

Forest department officials have tranquilised and captured one of two cubs of T1- Avni tigress, which was shot dead last month. The rescued cub will be sent to Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh for rehabilitation.A special team of forest rangers managed to rescue the cub after an intensive search.On November 2, Tigress Avni was shot dead by forest rangers and hunters. Avni's death had triggered massive outrage from animal rights activists over the manner in which she was killed by forest rangers and a hunter.Tigress Avni, who was believed to be responsible for the death of at least 13 people in the past two years, was gunned down by sharp-shooter Asgar Ali in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

Maha: One of two cubs of tigress 'Avni' captured

One of the two cubs of Yavatmal tigress 'T1' alias 'Avni', who was shot dead last month, was captured Saturday, a senior Maharashtra forest officer said. A joint team of officials from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh forest departments managed to tranquilise and capture the female cub in Anji forest in Yavatmal district in east Maharashtra in afternoon. "The one-year-old female cub was tranquilised and caught at compartment no 665 in the Anji forest in Ralegaon at around 4 pm", said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife East, Nagpur, Sunil Limye. A team of around 100 people, including six veterinary officers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have been tracking the cub since November 2 when T1, which was responsible for deaths of some people in the region, was shot dead by a sharp shooter who was part of a team of Forest officials. "The cub will now be sent to Pench and will be kept in an enclosure which is almost like an open forest. The cub is ...

JK Advisor reviews commissioning of Srinagar-Leh transmission line

The adviser to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor Saturday reviewed preparedness for commissioning of Srinagar-Leh transmission line and discussed the proposed mode for execution of 850 MW Ratle hydroelectric project on the Chenab river, an official spokesperson said. Senior functionaries of Power Grid Corporation of India were present at the review meeting, he said. The Advisor, Kewal Kumar Sharma, was informed that the line from Leh to Alasteng (Srinagar) having four substations at Leh, Khalsti, Kargil and Drass is complete in all respects and is ready for charging, he said. The line will ensure connectivity of Ladakh region with National Grid and subsequent availability of power supply to the region round-the-year, he added Meanwhile, the advisor reviewed the proposed mode of execution for 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project (HEP) here in a meeting. The State Administrative Council (SAC) has approved the development of 850 MW Ratle hydro project on river Chenab as a joint venture with a

Emergence of violent non-state actors in sea worrying trend: Navy chief

Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Saturday said proliferation of violent non-state actors in sea, which threaten to "jeopardise the security of the maritime domain with a direct influence on land affairs", is a worrying trend that needs to be tackled collaboratively.

Air quality in North Kolkata reaches 'severe' level

The air quality in the city reached 'severe' level in the congested residential areas of north Kolkata on Saturday evening, according to the readings of West Bengal Pollution Control Board. The air quality index (AQI) read 411 PM 2.5 at the air monitoring station of WBPCB at Rabindra Bharati University, one of the two automated air monitoring stations of WBPCB in the city, a WBPCB official said. The AQI at the second computerised air monitoring station of WBPCB at Victoria Memorial read at 355 AQI - marked as 'very poor' - at 7 pm, the reading said. The AQI is an indicator of air pollution caused by three pollutants - NO2, PM 10 and PM 2.5. The index indicates air quality as 'good' for values of 0-100, 'moderate' for 101-200 and 'poor' for 201-300. On December 10, the AQI at WBPCB's air monitoring station at Rabindra Bharati University, was 407 PM 2.5 which is 'severe' in air monitoring terms at certain period (2 pm). On the same date (December 10), AQI at the WBPCB's ...