Page 29 - Environment
Assam to set up special group to protect rhinos of Pabitora
The authorities will set up special rhino protections groups following reports that poachers from other states are targeting Assam's Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary that has the highest density of rhinos in the world. According to the intelligence reports, poachers from neighbouring Nagaland and Manipur in collusion with local miscreants have targeted the sanctuary where no poaching was reported during the past three years, Morigaon Superintendent of Police Swapnil Deka said. The special rhino protection groups will consist of villagers in vulnerable and sensitive areas near the famed rhino habitat and they will report any suspicious movement of people to the authorities to prevent poaching, he said. "The success of no poaching during the last three years in the sanctuary was possible only due to the efforts of the villagers and they must continue to cooperate with the forest and police departments in preventing such incidents," Deka said. The SP called upon villagers to ...
Forest fire serious problem in hilly areas: SC
The Supreme Court Monday said forest fire is a serious problem in the hilly states, especially in summers and the reason behind it is the large presence of pine trees in most of the areas. A vacation bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai allowed the petitioner to file a copy of the directions of the Uttarakhand High Court on the issue of forest fire. "Petitioner-in-person prays for sometime to place additional documents or papers on record. He is permitted to do so. List thereafter," the bench said. The top court was hearing a plea by advocate Rituparn Uniyal seeking urgent steps to protect forests, wildlife and birds from wildfire in Uttarakhand, saying forest blazes have increased over the years and cause huge loss to the environment. At the outset, the apex court said the petitioner should approach the high court as it will have a better view of the matter. However, Uniyal said the Uttarakhand High Court has already passed a slew of directions on the issue and sought time ..
Minister admits irregularities in 'Jalyukta Shivar' scheme
Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant on Monday admitted that there have been irregularities in as many as 1,300 works under the government's flagship 'Jalyukta Shivar' water conservation programme. The water conservation minister was responding to a question raised by NCP member Vidya Chavan in the state Legislative Council. "Complaints have been filed with the water conservation department about irregularities in some 1,300 works under the Jalyukta Shivar scheme. Prima facie, there is truth in those complaints," Sawant said in the House. "The water conservation department has sought an open inquiry in this matter, and it is being conducted by joint director for water and soil conservation," he added. Leader of Opposition in the House Dhananjay Munde then demanded an inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in these 1,300 works allotted under the scheme. However, Sawant rejected the demand for an ACB probe, citing that the issue was "technically critical". Munde then ...
Medical groups warn climate change is a 'health emergency'
As Democratic presidential hopefuls prepare for their first 2020 primary debate this week, 74 medical and public health groups aligned on Monday to push for a series of consensus commitments to combat climate change, bluntly defined by the organisations as "a health emergency." The new climate change agenda released by the groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association, comes amid early jostling among Democratic candidates over whose environmental platform is more progressive. The health organisations' policy recommendations, while a stark departure from President Donald Trump's approach, represent a back-to-basics approach for an internal Democratic climate debate that has so far revolved around the liberal precepts of the Green New Deal. "The health, safety and well-being of millions of people in the US have already been harmed by human-caused climate change, and health risks in the future are dire without urgent action to fight climate ...
Man killed by wild elephant in C'garh's Korba
A 45-year-old man was Monday trampled to death by a wildelephantin Chhattisgarh's Korba district, a forest official said. The incident took place in the morning near Baigamar village under Kudmura forest range when Malikram Rathiya had gone to collect mahua fruits, he said. "The tusker slammed him to the ground, killing him instantly. His kin has been provided immediate compensation of Rs 25,000," he said. The official said the same tusker had killed two persons, including a forest guard, in Chhal forest range of neighbouring Raigarh district on Jun 19. Officials said five people each have been killed in jumbo attacks in Raigarh and Jashpur districts in the past one-and-half months. An official said forest staff has been directed to keep a tab on the movement of different groups of around 50 elephantsin Korba forest division.
Water stress: Can we bring down water usage in agri sector by 20 pc, asks eminent scientist
As many parts of India faced rising water stress, eminent scientist K Kasturirangan Monday called for promotion of agricultural crops and practices that bring down water usage by the sector by 20 per cent. A former Rajya Sabha member, he noted that agriculture accounts for 80 per cent of all water usage. "Can we bring it down to 60 per cent? What kind of agricultural practices can do this?" Kasturirangan said when asked to share his thoughts on the water crisis in parts of the country. Speaking to PTI, he suggested increasing dryland and short-term crops. "Why can't usage of bajra (pearl millet) and ragi (finger millet), instead of rice, be thought of in mid-day meal programmes, as these dry farming crops are nutritious for children?" asked Kasturirangan, a former member of the now defunct Planning Commission of India. He also said there should be some level of parity and policy framework for upstream, mid-stream and down-stream users of water. Kasturirangan, a former chairman of the .
BJP-led govt at Centre discreetly aiding Karna on Mekedatu: DMK
The opposition DMK Monday charged the BJP-led government at the Centre with 'discreetly' aiding Karnataka in going ahead with the construction of a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu. Karnataka's insistence on going ahead with the dam was contrary to the Cauvery Tribunal's final award, as well as the Supreme Court judgement, which barred it from opting for such dams that would affect the quantum of water to Tamil Nadu, DMK President M K Stalin said. "It is condemnable that Karnataka is adamant on constructing the dam, which is inhuman.. so is the discreet support to it by the BJP-led Central government," he said in a statement. The BJP is aiding Karnatala for "political reasons," he alleged. He further said Karnataka had written to the Centre, seeking environmental clearance for the project, even while recalling the opposition in Tamil Nadu earlier against the clearance for the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The DMK saw Karnataka approaching the Centre as "not helping" in inter-state .
Centre to provide CNG, PNG infrastructure in 406 districts: Pradhan
"Till 2014, only 66 districts of the country were covered under CNG and PNG infrastructure. In last five years we worked to strengthen this infrastructure in a planned way," Pradhan told Lok Sabha during Question Hour in response to a query.He said that the government was expanding the CNG and PNG infrastructure in other cities."The CNG and PNG infrastructure will be provided in 406 districts. After expanding these facilities, 70 per cent of the population will get clean energy," Pradhan said.The Minister informed the House that Rs 1.20 crore will be invested in the next eight years in the energy sector.
Uttarakhand forest fires: SC asks petitioner to file additional documents to support their plea
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the petitioner to file additional documents in support of their Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which had sought urgent steps to protect the forest, wildlife and birds in the wake of the forest fires in Uttarakhand.A division bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice BR Gavai was hearing a petition filed by advocate Rituparn Uniyal, a native of Tehri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand, seeking directions to Central and state government to frame a policy to prevent wildfires in the state.Initially, the top court asked Uniyal to approach the High Court but later directed him to file additional documents in support of his petition.The petitioner had moved the apex court seeking an urgent hearing in the matter on the basis of media reports which highlighted as many as 1451 incidents of forest fires last year and 1493 incidents in the months of April and May, this year.The petition sought a direction to declare the animal kingdom as "legal entities having .
Bundelkhand: Farmers perform rituals to please rain god
As drought takes roots in Gopalpur village situated in Kanpur, farmers performed rituals in order to please the rain god and get sufficient rainfall this year.Farmers in Bundelkhand are eagerly waiting for monsoon, to sow paddy for 'Kharif' crops in their fields.Performing an age-old ritual, women farmers recited folk songs, offered special prayers to their dry fields and ploughed the land in order to please Indradev (rain god) and receive monsoon showers."I believe that after performing this ritual, rain god will shower sufficient rain this year and we will be able to cultivate our fields without any difficulty," a women farmer Bittan told ANI."We have been suffering due to acute drought conditions because monsoon hasn't arrived yet, I hope after performing this ritual rain god will bless us with sufficient rainfall this year, just like every year," another farmer Nanaki told ANI.These women farmers have been performing this ritual since ages and they sincerely believe that rain god .
US military consumes more hydrocarbons than most countries, pollutes climate: Study
The US military is one of the largest climate polluters in history as it consumes a considerable about of non-renewable liquid fuels and emits more CO2e (carbon-dioxide equivalent) than most countries, recent findings claim.As part of the latest study, researchers suggest that the US military's carbon footprint is enormous and must be confronted in order to have a substantial effect on battling global warming.The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting routinely focuses on civilian energy use and fuel consumption, not on the US military. This new study, published in Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, calculates part of the US military's impact on climate change through critical analysis of its global logistical supply chains.The research provides an independent public assessment of the US military's greenhouse gas emissions. It reports that if the US military were a nation state, it would be the 47th largest emitter of GHG in the world if only taking into ...
Ganga gets a new breath of life in Kanpur
Located on the west bank of river Ganga, Kanpur is a densely populated city famous for its leather industries. The city produces an estimated 450 million litres of municipal sewage and industrial effluent daily, a majority of which was flowing directly into the holy river until recently.However, with the launch of the Namami Gange Programme that aims to clean and rejuvenate Ganga, 13 out of 16 major drains in Kanpur have been completely tapped and the sewage and industrial effluent has been diverted to Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs).In November 2018, a century-old Sisamau drain, which produces over 140 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, was completely stopped from discharging sewage into the Ganga. This was the biggest drain-tapping initiative undertaken at a cost of over Rs. 60 crore.The sewage has been diverted via pipelines to two sewage treatments plants (STPs) on the outskirts of the city - 80 million litres a day to Bhingawan STP and 60 MLD to Jajmau STP.The ...
Kharif Sowing Down More Than 12%
As per latest data of the Agriculture Ministry on 22nd June, kharif sowing declined by more than 12%. The total area covered till the end of the current week was around 91 lakh hectares (lh) against 104 lh in the corresponding week of the previous kharif season. Due to delayed monsoon, several State Governments have advised the farmers not to rush to sowing and wait for the monsoon. At 6.3 lh, the area under rice was 32% lower than at the same time last year. Coarse cereals planting too fell short by almost a similar quantum compared to last year. Against 9.58 lh planted in the same period last year, only 7.4 lh has been covered so far.
RS members raise issue of drinking water crisis
Rajya Sabha MPs Monday raised the issue of growing drinking water crisis in different parts of the country and demanded immediate interventions such as inter-linking of rivers and rain water harvesting to recharge ground water table. Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention, Satyanarayan Jatiya (BJP) said parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka have traditionally faced water crisis but now the the problem has extended to fresh areas "There has to be a permanent solution to drinking water crisis," he said, suggesting five big river inter-linking projects need to be taken up on a priority so as to make available excess water of one area to deficit regions. Ashok Bajpai (BJP) said a NITI Aayog report has stated that there will be a water crisis in parts of the country next year. While Rewati Raman Singh (SP) said a solution to the water crisis was to be found urgently, Saroj Pandey (BJP) stated that public awareness needs to be created on rain ...
Rajasthan: Authorities on alert after locust attack warning
In the wake of a locust attack threat from across the Pakistan border, authorities here have gone on an alert to deal with a swarm of the tropical grasshoppers entering India since the insects can devastate standing crops.After locust sightings in border villages around Jaisalmer, the Jodhpur-headquartered Locust Warning Organisation (LWO) has stepped up efforts to tackle any major attack by the grasshoppers by conducting a mock drill and is ready with an adequate stock of pesticides.However, the locust threat is only confined to nearby villages as the insect cannot fly long distances. However, it spreads with the help of the wind or desert storm which occurs during the summer season in the Rajasthan desert.A helpline number has also been launched. According to the LWO, the last major locust outbreak was reported in Rajasthan in 1993 and the insects have been sighted after a gap of 26 years.LWO teams are operational in the border areas of Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer and Phaloldi and have
Inox Wind commissions common power evacuation facilities in Gujarat
Wind turbine maker Inox Wind Monday said it has commissioned the common power evacuation facilities at Dayapar site in Bhuj in Gujarat. "The common power evacuation systems for the wind park comprise of a 220 KV sub-station, a 220 KV double circuit transmission line and associated infrastructure. The common infrastructure is capable of supporting power evacuation of over 600 MW," Inox Wind said in a BSE filing. Inox Wind said this will enable commissioning of projects won under various Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) auctions. SECI is a nodal agency of the central government for auctioning renewable energy projects in the country. The company said, at present, it has more than 1,400 mega watt of developed and under development projects in Gujarat and more than 2.6 giga watt installations all over India. Shares of Inox Wind were trading 2.27 per cent higher at Rs 71.95 apiece on BSE.
Chinese agricultural official picked to lead UN food agency
Qu Dongyu, China's deputy agricultural minister, was elected Sunday as the new director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the first person from a Communist country to hold the influential FAO post. The agency's 194 member countries convened at the FAO headquarters in Rome to choose a successor to Jos Graziano da Silva of Brazil for the 4-year term. Qu, 55, a biologist by training, won 108 votes, followed by France's Catherine Geslain-Laneelle with 71 votes and Georgia's Davit Kirvalidze with 12, according to official results. The United States had backed Kirvalidze. The FAO, which has over 11,500 employees, works closely with other UN agencies to achieve the goal of a hunger-free world by 2030. Today, more than 800 million people are facing hunger and many experts doubt that the 2030 goal will be reached. Prior to the vote, Qu said he aims to focus on hunger and poverty eradication, tropical agriculture, drought land farming, digital rural development and better ...
Gujarat: Crocodile strayed inside temple, devotees gather claiming it to be 'auspicious'
In what is seen as a miracle by the people of Palla Village, a crocodile strayed in the premises of Khodiyar Temple during late hours on Sunday.Khodiyar temple worships 'Khodiya Mata' or Goddess Khodiyar and crocodile is believed to be her vehicle.This attracted a large number of devotees to the temple who came to worship the auspicious crocodile.The crocodile strayed in the sanctum sanctorum and sat there until the Forest Department came in to rescue the crocodile.Devotees allegedly caused a delay in the operation as they didn't allow forest officials to rescue the crocodile, claiming its presence in the sanctum sanctorum to be 'auspicious'.The crocodile was rescued on Monday morning by the Mahisagar Forest Department and was released in a pond situated near the temple."Crocodile is a giant one as it weighs 17 kg and is 6 feet long. We had a hard time rescuing it as a large number of devotees started worshipping the crocodile. Another problem that we faced while rescuing the ...
Activists demand ban on sale of airguns in Mount Abu to protect birds, animals
Mushrooming of shops selling airguns in Mount Abu, the sole hill station of the desert state of Rajasthan, has not gone down well with animal activists who have demanded a ban on their sale to protect wildlife. Located at a height of 1,220 meters on Aravali mountain range in Sirohi district, the tiny hill station, which is home to rich wildlife, draws numerous travellers and nature lovers from various parts of the country. The tourists have easy access to air pistols and air rifles, prominently sold in the municipality area. Apart from pellets, sound corks are also sold with the airguns. Viewing the use of airguns and sound corks as a potential disturbance to the local fauna, activists have demanded a ban on the sale of airguns, which are exempted from the arms licence. However, the forest department and district administration officials said they have not received any complaint regarding the misuse of airguns so there is no ground for any preventive action. Wildlife is very precious .
Inox Wind commissions Common Power Evacuation Systems with ISTS network at Dayapar,Gujarat
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