Page 32 - Environment
SW Monsoon sets in over Telangana
The South West Monsoon set in over Telangana on Friday, covering most of the state and the remaining areas are very likely to be covered in one or two days, the Met Centre here said. It said rainfall in June was likely to be below normal, while overall seasonal rainfall was expected to be close to normal. "The onset is declared based on realization of rainfall at more than 60 per cent places and wind speed 30-40 kmph upto 4 kmheight," it said. The rainfall deficieny during June was likely to be made up in July and August, the Met Centre said. "Farmers are advised to proceed with sowing or other agricultural activities," it added.
Over 28,000 incidents of forest fire since January this year: Environment Minister
The Ministry of Environment told the Lok Sabha Friday that over 28,000 incidents of forest fire were detected in the country since January this year. Responding to a query, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand suffered losses to the tune of Rs 80 lakh and Rs 55 lakh, respectively, due to incidents of forest fire. "As per the report received from states, Himachal Pradesh has reported a loss Rs 81.91 lakh while Uttarakhand has reported a loss of Rs 55.08 lakh. No loss of human live has been reported by Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. No other state has reported any such loss so far," the minister said. The minister added that a total of 28,252 incidents of forest fire were detected by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) using MODIS censors from January 1 to June 16, of which the maximum 2,793 were detected in Mizoram followed by Madhya Pradesh (2,622) and Maharashtra (2,302). Over 1,000 incidents of forest fire were detected during these six
No significant dip in avg rainfall in over 100 years: Harsh Vardhan in Lok Sabha
Union minister Harsh Vardhan Friday said in the Lok Sabha that the analysis of the past data of more than 100 years showed that the average rainfall of the country had not shown any significant decrease. "However, from the analysis of the past data of more than 100 years it has been reported that the all-India rainfall has multi decadal/epochal variability and currently it is in the dry epoch," the Minister for Earth Sciences said in response to a question. The minister said the rainfall data for the period from 1901 to 2017 showed that the all-India south-west monsoon seasonal rainfall had not shown any significant increasing or decreasing trend. The IMD recorded below normal rainfall in 2018. Responding to another question, he said the past five years had been the warmest in all parts of the world.
MPs urge govt to expedite Ken-Betwa river-linking project
Lok Sabha members Friday asked the government to take steps to expedite Ken-Betwa river-linking project to overcome water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region. "If it happen it would be the first inter-linking river project in the country which will transform the face of the Bundelkhand region which has witnessed migration of farmers to cities," BJP's Pushpendra Singh Chandel said. Raising the issue through a private member resolution, Chandel said the government should also initiate steps for replenishing dams to overcome the problems of water scarcity and practice of 'Anna Pratha' in the region. 'Anna Pratha' refers to the practice of farmers freeing their cows to graze in open fields in times of scarcity of water and fodder, he said. Although former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated the proposal for inter-linking of rivers, he said, it was put into cold storage by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Congress between 2004 and 2014. Chandel said much of the ...
Urban Mobility Lab workshop to discuss innovative passenger and freight transport in Delhi
Mobility solution providers from all over the country will participate in the Urban Mobility Lab to be held in Delhi on June 26-27 for developing innovative passenger and freight transport solutions with focus on reducing vehicular pollution. Forty mobility solution providers from across India have been selected as participants in the workshop to develop innovative passenger and freight mobility solutions for Delhi. Clean transport is one of the Delhi government's top priorities and making the city electric vehicle capital of India is one of its goals, said Jasmine Shah, vice chairperson of Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of Delhi. "We are working to make Delhi's transportation system more affordable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly. We expect the Urban Mobility Lab to help us implement innovative mobility solutions for the city, he said. The workshop will be jointly held by DDC and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a non profit group working in the field of ...
Jairam Ramesh raises neglect of community forest rights of dwellers in Rajya Sabha
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Friday raised in the Rajya Sabha the issue of neglect of community forest rights of dwellers and the rejection of their claims under the Forest Rights Act without following due process. Raising a special mention in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress member raised concerns over the proposed amendments to the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and demanded wider consultations on the proposed changes with all concerned. "It is also a matter of grave concern that there have been reports of amendments being proposed in the Indian Forest Act, 1927 that will completely destroy the pitch and substance of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. "I would urge that there be widespread and meaningful consultations on these changes not just with state governments but also with various civil society organisations and activist networks," Ramesh said. The Congress leader said these amendments not only undercut the Forest Rights Act but are also possibly in conflict with PESA -- the ...
11 Nepalese, 6 Chinese workers get trapped in hydropower project tunnel in Nepal, rescued: Officials
All 17 workers, including six Chinese, got trapped inside a tunnel of an under-construction hydropower project in Nepal following a landslide on Thursday have been rescued, officials said on Friday. The workers, 11 Nepalese and six Chinese, were rescued on Friday morning after 11 hours of joint operation by the Nepal Army, the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Police, they said. According to police, the incident happened late Thursday evening at the site of Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district on the Nepal-China border. The workers got stuck inside the tunnel after the landslide that occurred along the path leading to the surge tank of the project at around 8:30 pm (local time) on Thursday. The entrance of the 4.18-km-long tunnel got blocked, trapping the workers inside, the police said. A rescue operation was launched which lasted around 11-hours, and all the workers were rescued, they added. "All trapped workers have come out of the tunnel unharmed," Project Chief Chabi .
Goa govt mulls seed bombing during monsoon afforestation drive
The Goa government is eyeing to use seed bombing technique during its mass afforestation drive in the monsoon season this year. State Forest Minister Vijai Sardesai Friday said the department is even mulling deploying Navy's choppers for seed bombing in remote forest areas. Seed bombing is a technique of introducing vegetation to land by throwing or dropping seed balls. Sardesai, who met senior forest officials to review various projects, said after the meeting that the government would focus on afforestation drive during the monsoon season. The minister said he would hold another round of meeting with forest officials to discuss proposals like seed bombing. "We can use drones or take help of trekkers to sprinkle seeds in the forest areas. These seeds are thrown in forest areas where normally humans don't reach, so that they grow and add to the greenery," he said. Sardesai said the forest department will strictly propagate local germplasm during the afforestation ...
Punjab govt to call all-party meet to discuss ways to address depletion of groundwater
An all-party meeting would be convened soon to evolve a broad consensus to comprehensively address the problem of depletion of groundwater in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said here on Friday. Singh chaired a high-level meeting to discuss ways and means to resolve the alarming situation emerging out of fast depleting groundwater table across the state, an official statement said. The meeting was attended by ministers, senior officers, water experts, scientists and representatives of farmer organisations and industry. The chief minister announced constitution of a committee under Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Viswajeet Khanna and Vice Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University B S Dhillon to explore the possibility for change in the existing cropping pattern, besides developing a viable scheme to motivate farmers to give up the sowing of paddy, it being a water guzzling crop, and switch to alternative crops such as maize, pulses, vegetables and horticulture crops.
Huge hoardings an eyesore, need uniform policy: Goa minister
Goa Minister Vijai Sardesai Friday said several huge hoardings coming up across the state are "eyesores" and a uniform signage policy is needed. Sardesai, the coastal state's Town and Country Planning minister, said his department's heritage committee met on Friday and has decided to come up with a policy on uniformity of signages in two weeks. "We will be meeting on July 5 to discuss the policy after which it would be referred to the Indian Institute of Architects and other stakeholders," he said. Sardesai said chief architect of state's Public Works Department had submitted certain guidelines for conservation areas. "But I have asked them to give guidelines for all over Goa," the minister said.
Scientists seek beaches where dead whales can rot in peace
So many gray whales are dying off the US West Coast that scientists and volunteers dealing with the putrid carcasses have an urgent request for coastal residents: Lend us your private beaches so these ocean giants can rot in peace. The number of dead whales washing ashore in Washington state alone 29 as of this week means almost every isolated public beach has been used. Authorities are now scrambling to find remote stretches of sand that are privately owned, with proprietors who don't mind hosting a rotting creature that's bigger than a school bus and has a stench to match its size. "The preferred option is, at all times, that they just be allowed to decompose naturally," said John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Olympia, Washington-based Cascadia Research. "But it gets harder and harder to find locations where they can rot without creating a problem. This is a new wrinkle." At least 81 gray whale corpses have washed ashore in California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska ..
Power Minister Singh meets Rajasthan Energy Minister; assures support to the state
Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh Friday met Rajasthan Energy Minister BD Kalla and assured him of all possible support for the development of power and renewable energy sector in the state. Kalla called on Singh on Friday and both the leaders held discussions on various aspects of power sector in the state, a power ministry statement said. During the meeting, Singh asked Kalla to further improve power sector in Rajasthan. He also reviewed the progress of work sanctioned under DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana) and asked the state to expedite the work.
Overall improvement in Delhi's air quality as PM 2.5, PM 10 levels have dropped: Env Ministry
There has been an overall improvement in air quality of Delhi with 14.8 per cent reduction in particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels and 16.5 per cent reduction in PM 10 levels in 2018 compared to 2016, the Environment Ministry told the Lok Sabha on Friday. The number of 'good' to 'moderate' air quality days are up to 159 in 2018 compared to 152 in 2017, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told the Lower House of Parliament in response to a question. "Several measures have been taken/being taken by the government to check/ control air pollution in Delhi. Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) data indicated general improvement in air quality of Delhi in 2018. "Overall improvement in air quality of Delhi was noted in 2018 (Jan-Dec, 2018) as compared to 2017 (Jan-Dec, 2017)," the minister said. "Number of 'good' to 'moderate' days has increased to 159 in 2018, as compared to 152 in 2017, and number of 'poor' to 'severe' days has reduced to 206, compared to 213 .
Env minister announces four-solution programme to fight air pollution
With the national capital reeling under poor air quality putting human health at risk, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced a 'four-solution' programme beginning 2020 to "reduce air pollution by 90 per cent". Speaking at a news channel recently, Javadekar said, "First of all, pollution generated by vehicles is prominent and as one of the recent efforts to reduce the damage, the government has invested Rs 7,000 crore to avail Bharat Standard 6 (BS6) petrol." "Also, cars manufactured from 2020 will be BS6 compliant," he said. The minister said the expressway in the city, which has been talked about for the last 20 years without any accomplishment, is almost complete and will be open to public in just one more year. He said restriction has been imposed on the entry of thousands of trucks, which used to enter Delhi without purpose, and this has led to reduction in pollution level in the city. The other two strategies of the 'four-solution' programme include ...
Power Minister Singh assures all support to Rajasthan
Union Power Minister RK Singh on Friday met Rajasthan's Energy Minister BD Kalla and assured him of all possible support for the development of power and renewable energy sector in the state.During the meeting, both leaders held discussions on various aspects of the power sector in the state, an official statement said.Singh asked Kalla to further improve power sector in Rajasthan, the statement added.The Union Minister also reviewed the progress of work sanctioned under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and asked the state government to expedite the works, which are underway.
Govt doesn't agree that 11 of 15 hottest places in world are in India: Env Ministry
The government does not agree with a private weather agency's report on climate change that 11 out of 15 hottest places in the world are from India, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday. In response to BJP MP Jagdambika Pal's questions, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government does not agree with the findings of the agency -- El Dorado Weather and the data on its website varies every day. "The report of hottest places -- 11 out of 15 hottest places in the world are from India -- is based on a newspaper article quoting a private weather forecasting agency El Dorado Weather. "The agency in its webpage reports the 15 places with maximum temperature of last 24 hours on daily basis and the hottest places vary each day. Government of India does not authenticate nor agree to the findings of the report," the minister responded. The environment ministry also said to tackle the problem of climate change, the government is implementing the National Action Plan on Climate ...
Study: Lethal plastic trash now common in Greece's whales
A study of whales and dolphins that have washed up dead in Greece over a 20-year period has found alarmingly high levels of plastic trash mostly bags in the animals' stomachs, which can condemn them to a slow and painful death. In the worst case, a researcher said Friday, a 5.3-metre (17-foot) young sperm whale beached on the Aegean island of Mykonos had swallowed 135 plastic items weighing a total of 3.2 kilograms (7 pounds). This blocked its stomach, grossly distending it, while the animal itself was emaciated and had starved to death. Sperm whales are an endangered species already at high risk in the Mediterranean from deadly collisions with ships, entanglement in drift fishing nets and noise pollution from oil and gas exploration. The study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, which organizers say was the first on such a scale in the Mediterranean, found that sperm whales were also the species worst affected by plastic ingestion. Six out of ten specimens were found to ...
Ban on single-use plastic in Puducherry from August 1
The Puducherry government Friday announced its proposed ban on sale and consumption of single-use plastic products, postponed earlier, will come into effect from August 1. After a joint meeting with officials and representatives of producers and traders of plastic materials here, Welfare Minister M Kandasamy said there would be no more extension on implementing the ban, proposed "in the larger interest protecting environment". In January this year, the Union Territory government had decided to implement the ban from March 1, but later deferred it following appeals from manufacturers and traders seeking time to dispose of their stocks. Talking to reporters here, Kandasamy said he has explained to the merchants and producers that there would be no more extension of the date of ban and it would come into effect from August 1. He said there had been sustained representations from various quarters that plastic products, including non biodegradable carry bags, be banned to ...
Iran TV shows 'debris' of downed US drone
Iran's state television broadcast images Friday of what it said was debris from a downed US drone recovered inside its territorial waters. The television broadcast a short clip of a Revolutionary Guards general answering questions in front of some of the debris he said had been recovered after Thursday's missile strike. "The debris was floating. We recovered it from the sea inside our territorial waters," said the general, whom the television did not identify. He said other parts of the wreckage had sunk. The television said the footage was shot at a Revolutionary Guards base, without specifying where. The downing of the drone -- which Washington insists was over international waters but Tehran says was within its airspace -- has seen tensions between the two countries spike further after a series of attacks on tankers the US has blamed on Iran.
Over 2 lakh posts lying vacant at anganwadis: WCD
Over 2 lakh posts are lying vacant at various anganwadis across the country, the Women and Child Development Ministry informed Parliament on Friday. In response to a Lok Sabha query, WCD Minister Smriti Irani said there are a total of 27.4 lakh sanctioned vacanies lying at Anganwadis. As many as 14,188 posts of supervisors are lying vacant while 97,080 posts of Anganwadi workers and 97,893 posts of Anganwadi helpers are lying vacant, Irani said. The data provided in the written response said 2,11,292 posts are lying vacant at the 14 lakh sanctioned anganwadis across the country, she said.