Page 328 - Environment
Leopard carcass found in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
The carcass of a male leopard and cow were spotted in the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, officials said Saturday. The spot where the two carcasses were found on Friday is inhabited by a number of leopards. Apart from the dead leopard, pugmarks of two other bigger leopards have also been found, said Divisional Forest Officer G P Singh. It seems that there was a fight for the prey among two leopards, in which the bigger one prevailed, the officer said. Prima facie the dead leopard seems to be one-and-a-half year old. The exact cause of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem report and camera-tapping probe, he added.
Officials seize 6 trucks carrying paddy for sale in Punjab mandis illegally
Six trucks carrying paddy and rice from other states, to be illegally recycled in Punjab mandis, were seized near Barnala, officials said Saturday. Around 3,000 bags of paddy and rice were seized by vigilance team of the food and supplies department from Barnala on Friday night. Of the six trucks seized, five were carry paddy and one rice, they said. These trucks belong to a trader from Barnala who brings paddy on low rates from other states in the name of two fictitious firms -- Star Agro and Kisan Trading Company -- and sells it to mill owners of Punjab and also to commission agents, who in turn sell those in mandis on Minimum Support Price (MSP) rates, the officials said. An FIR has been lodged in Dhanaula police station against these firms, they said. These firms do not pay market committee fee. They strike a deal with the buyer and sell unaccounted paddy evading the market committee fees, officials said.
Indian farmer 'remarkably adaptable' to innovation: President
President Ram Nath Kovind praised farmers Saturday, saying they have proven to be "remarkably adaptable" to innovation and bold in taking risk, which has helped India become an exporter of key agricultural and allied products. Speaking after inaugurating the 13th edition of CII Agro Tech India-2018 in Chandigarh, which was attended by 195 exhibitors, including 37 from outside India, Kovind said the Indian farmer has been courageous in converting risk into opportunity. The president's remarks come a day after opposition leaders rallied behind thousands of farmers from across the country who had gathered in the national capital demanding remunerative prices for their produce and government relief from debt. The farmers, battling a severe agrarian distress, had started to converge in Delhi on Thursday, stayed at the Ramlila Maidan overnight and on Friday morning, they marched through streets shouting slogans to highlight their plight. Kovind said the government is working towards greater
Indian agriculture needs renewal with contemporary technology: Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday called for scaling up agriculture in the country so that the hard-working farming community benefits from it.
Don't let pollution affect your hair, skin
Pollution not only affects health but skin and hair as well as it can cause uneven skin tone, dryness, dehydration, wrinkles, dark spots, sagging and a deterioration of collagen. Anti-oxidant treatments, regular exfoliation and scrubbing can do the trick in good way for you in this weather.
'Guj 'man eater' leopard might have entered Madhya Pradesh'
A leopard on the prowl that killed three persons in Dhanpur taluka in Gujarat's Dahod district last month might have crossed into neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, a senior Forest official said Saturday. Despite their efforts, the forest personnel in Gujarat could not capture the "man eater" big cat, even ten days after it killed two children and an elderly woman in different forest areas in the taluka, the official said. "Based on the pug marks, we suspect that the leopard has crossed into Madhya Pradesh. We have informed the forest staff there to stay alert as the leopard had killed three persons here (Dahod district)," said Deputy Conservator of Forests (Dahod) J L Zala. Forest officials in the neighbouring state have been informed about the movement of the big cat. Responding to a query, he said the Forest department in Gujarat will continue with its effort to capture the feline. As many as 120 forest personnel have been deployed in the area and eleven cages are set up to
Clean up water bodies for alternative transport:Gadkari to Mah
Raising concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Mithi river in Mumbai and the Arabian sea, shipping and transport minister Nitin Gadkari urged the state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to clean and use them as an alternative mode of transport. He said the recycled water could be re-purposed for cleaning railways and supplying to refineries, while speaking at the Mumbai 2.0 event, Saturday. Calling the dirty water bodies Mumbai's biggest problem, Gadkari said, "They are in such a bad state that I feel ashamed of it". The two major ports under his ministry the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) have already set up recycling plants, he said. "I want the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to consider cleaning these water bodies and convert them into waterways for transportation. This will help reduce the burden on the suburban railway network," he said. Citing the example of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that has ..
Maneka hails Centre's move for animal-free circuses
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on Saturday welcomed the Centre's proposed move to ban all animals in circuses, saying the decision has been "long overdue."When asked to comment on the Centre's proposal to ban all animals in circuses, the Union Minister said, "It should be done. It has been long overdue."Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in a draft notification has reportedly invited comments from various stakeholders on the use of animals in circuses across the country. "No animals shall be used for any performances or exhibition at any circus or mobile entertainment facility," reads the draft notification.Animal rights activist Gauri Mulekhi said the existing rules prohibit the use of bears, lions, monkeys, panthers, and tigers for performances but many circuses continue to use other animals like dogs, horses, hippos, elephants and some birds."The animals are kept in deplorable conditions and forced to display unnatural ...
Lot of untapped potential in cruise tourism, says Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday, while acknowledging the untapped potential of cruise tourism, said it would be highly beneficial to use water transport in Mumbai."We can begin water transport by bringing in floating jetties at western front. It'll be beneficial to use water transport in Mumbai. We have decided to use methanol, LNG, ethanol as fuel in Mumbai," Gadkari said while addressing Mumbai 2.0 Conference organised by Project Mumbai and the Maharashtra government here.Talking about various projects initiated by both central and state governments for Mumbai, Gadkari said the emphasis is being given on water transport in Mumbai to reduce pollution and traffic congestion in the city. "It will also create job opportunities," he added.Stating that Mithi River in Mumbai can be used for inland water transport, Gadkari appealed to the state government to take initiatives to clean the river."We want to plan future development projects in Mumbai keeping in mind conserving ecology
Delhi's air quality remains very poor for sixth consecutive day: Authorities
Delhi's air quality remained in the "very poor" category for the sixth consecutive day Saturday with the meteorological conditions remaining unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants, authorities said. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was 322, which fell in the "very poor" category. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor" and 401 and 500 is considered to be "severe". The CPCB said in 27 areas of the national capital, the air quality was in the "very poor" category, while in five areas, it was recorded in the "poor" category. The PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) level was recorded at 155 and the PM10 level at 310, it added. Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded a "very poor" air quality while Gurgaon recorded a "poor" air ...
BHEL dispatches 40th Nuclear Steam Generator to NPCIL
For installation at Rajasthan Atomic Power Project
PM Modi discusses climate change issue with UN chief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN chief Antonio Guterres held discussions about climate change and India's support for the Paris Climate Agreement on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday night. Secretary-General Guterres and the Indian leader "discussed the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) and the importance of the completion of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, its transparency framework and climate finance," UN chief's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Friday. He said Guterres thanked Modi for his commitment to increase India's nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement. "Thank you @narendramodi for your commitment to tackle climate change and for your support for the Paris Agreement. It was a pleasure to see you again. #G20," Guterres said in a tweet. As part of the Paris Climate Agreement, India has targeted to reduce its greenhouse gas ...
Sentinelese in shadows: A lesson in letting live
New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS/Mongabay) John Allen Chau, a 26-year-old American missionary who "illegally" paddled his way to the remote shores of North Sentinel Island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, was recently killed by the protected Sentinelese tribe. Experts apprehend that his "trespassing" to contact the North Sentinel islanders, the "uncontacted" and "isolated" inhabitants, may have further endangered the existence of the bow-wielding natives.
Dressed in polythene bags, Odisha man raises awareness of plastic hazards
In an attempt to create awareness of how much waste is generated by plastic products, a 36-year-old resident of Mayurbhanj district is dressing himself using polythene bags and roaming on the streets of the district on his bicycle.Speaking to ANI, Bishnu Bhagat, popularly known as a 'chalta firta dustbin' (walking-talking form of a dustbin) said his main aim is to create awareness about the hazards of using plastics, be it sipping tea in a plastic cup or carrying shopping bags made of plastic."I just want to send out a clear message to people that plastic is very harmful to the environment. I am wearing this dress made of plastic so that I can also teach children regarding the same. I urge you all to not to use plastic and its products in order to keep the environment clean and green," he said.Bhagar said the idea to create awareness in this quirky manner stemmed from an incident in the past when an individual once threw a plastic bag filled with food in front of him. "Moments after, .
USA, Mexico, Canada finalise environment pact
The United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada finalised on a new Environmental Cooperation Agreement (ECA) on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires on November 30 (local time).The ECA will take effect after the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and it supersedes the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).The new agreement "builds on the long history of trilateral cooperation among the three countries to reduce pollution, strengthen environmental governance, conserve biological diversity, and sustainably manage natural resources," according to a statement issued by the US Department of State.The statement also mentioned that the USA would participate in the trilateral environment Council.The agreement outlines the countries' conviction of the importance of conservation, protection, and enhancement of the environment in their territories and the benefits of having a continued framework to facilitate environmental cooperation in the ..
Air pollution spirals in Delhi, AQI likely to worsen
The alarmingly high rates of air pollution in the national capital have raised great concerns for the people as well as the state administration. The present levels of particulate matter in the atmosphere are sufficient to contribute towards depleting health standards and high level of toxicity in the air with dangerous gasses.According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the Air Quality Index of the capital in the morning was recorded 346, falling in the 'very poor' category.The AQI between the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the category of poor. 300-400 is considered as 'very poor' and range between 401-500 falls under the category as 'hazardous'.The forecasting agency has also predicted that the air quality is likely to remain in the same category with a slight decline by tomorrow due to enhanced wind speed. "However, it is likely to increase thereafter for the next two ...
NASA's Martian quake sensor InSight lands at slight angle
NASA's unmanned Martian quake sensor, InSight, has landed at a slight angle on the Red Planet, and experts are hopeful the spacecraft will work as planned, the US space agency said Friday. The USD 993 million lander arrived Monday at its target, a lava plain named Elysium Planitia, for a two-year mission aimed at better understanding how Earth's neighboring planet formed. "The vehicle sits slightly tilted (about 4 degrees) in a shallow dust- and sand-filled impact crater known as a 'hollow,'" NASA said in a statement. InSight was engineered to operate on a surface with an inclination up to 15 degrees. Therefore, experts are hopeful that its two main instruments -- a quake sensor and self-hammering mole to measure heat below the surface -- will work as planned. "We couldn't be happier," said InSight project manager Tom Hoffman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "There are no landing pads or runways on Mars, so coming down in an area that is basically a large sandbox without any large
Guterres thanks Modi for raising India's contribution to climate change pact
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for increasing India's contribution to the Paris Agreement for reducing greenhouse emissions and fighting climate change, according to a UN spokesperson.
PETA India hails Centre's proposal to ban all animals in circuses
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has extended support to the central government over its proposal to "prohibit use of animals for any performances or exhibition at any circus or mobile entertainment facility.""For past 20 years, PETA has long been campaigning against the use of animals in circuses and we have been successful in rescuing about 150 animals from these circuses. These animals were forced to do tricks that are unnatural to them. They are forced to endure pain and suffering," Nikunj Sharma, Associate Director of Policy, PETA, told ANI."It is really a progressive move by the government. Through this, the government has proved that India is a compassionate nation which does not tolerate any form of animal suffering. We are going to support government's move," Sharma added.Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in a draft notification, has reportedly invited comments from various stakeholders on the use of animals in circuses across the
GM's CEO to meet U.S. lawmakers next week over job cuts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors Co Chief Executive Mary Barra plans to visit Capitol Hill next week to discuss its plans to halt production at five plants in North America next year and cut up to 15,000 jobs, two congressional aides said on Friday.
