Page 30 - Environment
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 ...
Corbett administration recommends closure of night facility at Dhikala zone
The Corbett Tiger Reserve administration has recommended closure of night stay facility at its Dhikala zone as it posed a threat to wildlife especially tigers. Officiating Director of the reserve Sanjiv Chaturvedi made the recommendation in a letter to forest authorities here on Saturday. The CTR is the only tiger reserve in the country to offer night stay facility to visitors in its core area, Chaturvedi said in the letter. Dhikala falls into the core zone of the reserve. "Due to the sensitive nature of the core area and security of wildlife, especially tigers, no tiger reserve in the country allows night stay in its core area except Corbett," the letter read. It is not good for the wildlife inhabiting the reserve as the staff are busy looking after visitors rather than focusing on their main responsibility of wildlife conservation and habitat development,it said. The loss in terms of revenue to be caused by the closure of the facility can be offset by increasing the number of ...
Major drive to revive wetlands, ponds in Noida
The Noida Authority is planning revival of at least six wetlands lost due to unregulated human activities before the monsoon season, according to officials. The action comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi writing to all village heads across the country, stressing on the idea of conserving water during rains, the officials said. Now, the Noida Authority aims to mobilise public support for conversation of water during monsoon and revive wetlands in Sector 91, Sector 85, Gejha and Bakhtawarpur villages besides the two at the upcoming biodiversity park, a senior official said. "At Sector-91, there is a wetland area spread across 12 acres which has remained neglected for a long time. Now the rubble and other kinds of waste surrounding the area has been removed while channels are being widened for harvesting and storage of rainwater during monsoons,"Noida Authority's General Manager Rajeev Tyagi said. He said native grass varieties and trees are being planted to ...
Walkathon organised to promote 'greener and safer Bengaluru'
A walkathon was organised on Sunday as part of a campaign for "greener and safer Bengaluru".With an aim to spread awareness about climate change and depleting water levels in the state, people marched across the city in the morning. The walkathon started from CV Raman General Hospital in Indira Nagar area."Climate conditions have changed drastically over the years. Water levels have also gone down. Our motive is to spread awareness among people to plant more trees," said Kamal, a participant in the Walkathon.Another participant echoed similar sentiments."Even though I am not from the city, I care for the future of our generation. The water level has come down in the state and trees are being cut. This is alarming," said Rahul.
Agriculture operation picks up in Ganjam district
Agriculture operation has picked up in Odisha's Ganjam district following widespread rainfall in last three days, officials said. "The much awaited rains will help the farmers to start agriculture operation, particularly sowing and transplantation of paddy," said Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA) of Ganjam district, Manoj Kumar Behera. Though the arrival of rains was delayed, it is not too late for sowing operation, he said. The agriculture operation, which generally starts just before Raja festival in the district was not taking place due to delay in the arrival of the southwest monsoon. "We will start seed sowing and in some places transplantation with rains lashing all areas in the district," said Ashok Nayak, a farmer in Mathura in Polasara block. The district administration has set a target to cultivate around 2.10 lakh hectares of paddy cultivation during this kharif season as against the last year's achievement of 2.08 lakh hectares, said an official. The ...
Mangaluru: 40 admitted to hospital over suspicion of dengue; one confirmed
About 40 people have been admitted to a hospital here in Gujjarakere in the last three weeks over suspicion of dengue. However, only one case of dengue has been confirmed so far."There has been a rise in fever cases in Gujjarakere in the last three weeks. There are around 40 cases of dengue but only one has been confirmed so far. The problem is water stagnation, which is causing mosquitoes to breed in this area. We are taking preventive measures and will surely control the situation," Dr Arun, District Vector Borne Disease Control Officer, Mangaluru, said while speaking to ANI.In Karnataka, there has been a 26.5 per cent rise in the number of positive dengue cases from January to May this year in comparison to last year, as per Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by dengue virus. Its symptoms include high fever, skin rash, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains.
20 turtles seized from Mumbai's Crawford Market, one held
As many as 20 Indian roofed turtles and a parrot were seized from Crawford Market (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market) here on Saturday, police said.The raid was conducted by the state forest department, Wildlife Mumbai and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau with the help of an animal welfare NGO. One person has been arrested.A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.