Page 30 - Environment
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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Locusts from Iran endanger cotton crops in Pakistan
Things don't seem to be looking up for Pakistan's economy, as a locust attack from Iran has put around 2,00,000 acres of cotton crop in the line of devastation in Sindh.Farmers from Pakistan's second-largest cotton producing province are facing sleepless nights over the latest pest attack, despite efforts by the government to minimise damage, according to Arab News.Cotton runs Pakistan's textile industry, generating scores of jobs. The country cannot afford to lose its cotton, especially at a time when it has secured a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund. Pesticide-mounted vehicles and aircraft have been deployed by the government to control the situation."On 25th May, we spotted the locusts for the first time when they were about 18 km away from irrigated land in Sindh," Arab News quoted a local farmer and president of a local agriculture chamber as saying.Favourable weather conditions have multiplied the locust population. "It forced us to raise alarm bells and ...
Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel inaugurates Shankar Nagar rail overbridge
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday inaugurated the Shankar Nagar Railway Overbridge (ROB).The bridge, 703.03 metres long and 13 metres wide, has been constructed over Raipur-Vishakhapatnam railway line. It will link Shankar Nagar locality of Raipur to Baloda Bazar main road.It has been built at a cost of Rs 68 crore. As per the government, the bridge would benefit around 2 lakh people and reduce the pressure of traffic on Lodhipara Square.The bridge was sanctioned in October 2013 at a cost of Rs 61 crore but the work order for construction was issued on January 2015 in two parts -- one for PWD and the other for Railways. The work was completed in May this year.
U'khand: Rs 200 crore-Gupta weddings leave Auli with mounds of garbage
The Municipal Corporation here is combating the challenging task of cleaning up the garbage and waste left behind after the Rs 200 crore weddings of South Africa based controversial Gupta family.The wedding celebrations of Suryakant, son of Ajay Gupta, took place in Auli from June 18 to 20, while the marriage of Atul Gupta's son Shashank was held from June 20 to 22.Earlier, a PIL was also filed stating the extensive wedding preparations were damaging the environment.Many celebrities, including chief ministers, B-Town stars like Katrina Kaif, yoga guru Baba Ramdev had attended the wedding. Ramdev also conducted a two-hour yoga session at the wedding. Choppers were hired to ferry the guests.Almost all the hotels and resorts were booked and flowers were imported from Switzerland for the two high-profile marriages.Supervisor of the Nagar Palika Parishad of Joshimath, Anil, along with a team of 20 men, has been given the task to deal with the waste."The wedding has created a waste problem .
Elephants keep cool with watermelon, cucumber at Mathura centre
Elephants at a centre in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district are being fed watermelons, muskmelon and cucumbers to beat the scorching heat. Water sprinklers are kept on most of the time to reduce the heat at the elephant conservation and care centre in Farah town, around 25 km from Mathura city. "While every effort is made to reduce the temperature, the elephants' food these days consists of items that can counter heat," Baiju Raj, conservation project director, Wildlife SOS, said. The official of the non-governmental organisation said a pond was also attached to every habitat so that the elephants can have a bath. Raj said watermelons, muskmelons, cucumbers and other items were added in their regular diet. They are also taken to Yamuna river and allowed to remain in water for two-three hours. According to conservation officer Shivam, the challenge before the centre is to protect a toothless and blind 70-year-old female elephant named Suji. Though the normal life of an elephant is 60-65 .
Climate activists end blockade of German coal mine
Hundreds of climate activists ended a protest inside one of Germany's biggest open-pit mines Sunday after police repeatedly ordered them to leave, citing life-threatening danger, and authorities pulled some protesters out. The Garzweiler lignite coal mine was a focal point of environmental protests in Germany's Rhineland since Friday, when 40,000 students rallied for more action against climate change in the nearby city of Aachen. "We wrote climate history this weekend," the activist group Ende Gelaende said in a statement announcing the end of the protest. "Our movement has never been so diverse and never been so determined." The protests started after European Union leaders failed to agree on how to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050. On Saturday, some demonstrators blocked railroad tracks used to transport coal before others broke through a police cordon to enter the mine. Protesters and police accused each other of combative behavior in the mine and causing injuries. Police said ..
Crocodile rescued from Gadhia village near Vadodara
A team of the Forest Department on Sunday rescued a crocodile in Gardhia village, some 80- km away from here.The crocodile, 13-feet long and weighing 400 kilograms, was found in a pond inside the village which caused panic among the villagers.Soon after, the Forest Department team reached the spot and captured the reptile.Nitin Patel, a member of the Forest Department, said: "It was initially challenging to control the crocodile due to muddy conditions and crowd surrounding it.""But we were able to capture it. It will be released in a safe natural habitat," he said.
Croc enters Guj temple, villagers oppose Forest dept's rescue
A crocodile that strayed into a Khodiyar Mata temple in Gujarat's Mahisagar district was Sunday rescued even as villagers delayed the forest department operation by claiming the reptile's presence was an auspicious one, a senior official said. Khodiyar Mata, the family deity of the Patel community in the state, is often depicted in religious literature as riding on a crocodile. A large number of people who had assembled at the Khodiyar Temple in Palla village in Lunwada tehsil offered prayers, conducted aarti and showered vermillion on the 6-foot reptile as it lay near the goddess' idol, said Lunwada forest department in charge RV Patel. Mahisagar Deputy Conservator of Forests RM Parmar said the people assembled at the temple delayed rescue operations by around two hours. "When our personnel reached there to rescue the crocodile, people opposed it. We waited for two hours as we did not want to hurt religious sentiments. However, later, we managed to get the reptile to a
Strictly implement ban on import of plastic waste: NGT to CPCB
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to strictly implement the ban on import of plastic waste in the country as it is hazardous for the environment. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said local bodies have to encourage the use of plastic waste for road construction or energy recovery or waste to oil etc. "Every producer or brand owner is required to make application for registration or for renewal of registration and such registration is done as per checklist issued by the CPCB. Extended producer responsibility is applicable and is required to be followed by producers, importers and brand owners as per applicable guidelines," the bench said. The green panel directed the CPCB to take action for ensuring that its recommendation is fully implemented by all concerned in the implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules. "The CPCB may furnish a further action taken report in the matter to this tribunal within two ..
UN food agency members vote to elect new director general
Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have started voting to elect the new head of the UN food agency, and China's candidate is seen as the front-runner. The 194 member countries, convened at the FAO's headquarters in Rome for the agency's 41st conference, were picking the new director general on Sunday among three candidates from China, France and Georgia who all have extensive experience in the sector. The candidates for the first time include a woman. China has nominated its agricultural deputy minister Qu Dongyu, who, if elected, would be the first person from a Communist country to hold the FAO director-general's chair. The US backs Davit Kirvalidze, the former Georgian minister of agriculture, while Catherine Geslain-Lanelle, former head of France's agricultural ministry, is the European Union's candidate. The successor to Brazil's Jose Graziano da Silva in the four-year UN post will focus on policies to fight world hunger, which has been fueled by wars and ...
Man killed by elephant in TN
A 28-year-old motorist was killed by a wild elephant in a reserve forest area on the city outskirts, police said Sunday. The man identified as Prabhu, a resident of Selvapura here was proceeding to a temple around 10 PM, when the elephant attacked him, resulting in his death, they said. The forest department has advised people not to visit the temple situated in the reserve forest for fear of attack by wild animals.
Greenland may lose 4.5 per cent ice by end of century: Study
Greenland may lose 4.5 per cent of its ice by the end of this century -- contributing up to 13 inches of sea level rise -- if worldwide greenhouse gas emissions remain on their current trajectory, a study has warned. According to the research, the island may become ice-free by the year 3000. "How Greenland will look in the future -- in a couple of hundred years or in 1,000 years -- whether there will be Greenland, or at least a Greenland similar to today, it's up to us," said Andy Aschwanden, a research associate professor at the University of Alaska in the US. The research uses new data on the landscape under the ice today to make breakthroughs in modeling the future. The findings show a wide range of scenarios for ice loss and sea level rise based on different projections for greenhouse gas concentrations and atmospheric conditions. Currently, the planet is moving toward the high estimates of greenhouse gas concentrations. Greenland's ice sheet is huge, spanning over 660,000 square .
Carbon footprint of US military larger than most countries: Study
The US military is one of the largest climate polluters in history, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more carbon than most countries, a study claims. The research suggests that the enormous carbon footprint of the US military must be confronted in order to have a substantial effect on battling global warming. The majority of greenhouse gas accounting routinely focuses on civilian energy use and fuel consumption, not on the US military, according to scientists from Durham University and Lancaster University in the UK. The 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 greenhouse gas in the world, if only taking into account the
Event organised in CDM, Secunderabad to improve awareness level about snake species
NGO 'Friends of Snakes Society' organised an event in College of Defence Management here on Saturday with an objective of making young children become friends with snakes.A large number of children and their parents actively took part in the event. The NGO was established in 1995 and has been working for the conservation and protection of snakes."The aim of the event was to improve the awareness level amongst the eco-warriors about various species of snakes to imbibe the importance of living in harmony with our ecosystem," said a release issued by the NGO."It was also emphasised that snakes play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem by virtue of being middle order predators," it added.A live demo on snakes was organised by society and all children were seen actively participating in the event.
Centre seeks report from Uttarakhand on study revealing tigers killing and eating elephants
The Centre has sought a report from the Uttarakhand forest department over a study by Corbett national park authorities according to which tigers have been found to be killing and eating elephants, mainly young ones, in the state's famed park. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sought report over the issue from the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Uttarakhand government, officials said on Sunday. PTI had on June 16 reported that the tigers were killing and eating wild elephants in Corbett national park. A total of nine tigers, 21 elephants and six leopards were found dead from 2014 to May 31, 2019, due to infighting and clashes over issues related of mating, according to the study. "Out of the total 36 cases for the three species, 21 were reported in case of wild elephants alone. However, a very surprising aspect was that around 60 per cent of wild elephant death cases (13) were due to attack by tigers mostly on young ones," it said. Senior IFS officer and ...