Page 330 - Environment
Deocha-Pachami will bring in a socio-economic change: Mamata
West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said that her government is drawing up an ambitious Rs 12000 crore plan to develop the Deocha Pachami coal block in Birbhum, which the Centre alloted to it this year, to bring in rapid socio-economic development in the area. The plan to develop the world's second largest coal block would create one lakh jobs and usher in rapid economic development in the area, Banerjee said addressing a public meeting here in East Burdwan district. "Necessary administrative infrastructure has already been set up to start the project," Banerjee said adding some more clearances from the Centre was needed to expedite the project. In June this year the coal ministry had offered full right of the coal block to West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL), a state-owned energy generation company, for end use. The Centre had first intended to allot the coal block jointly to Bihar, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West
Punjab procures over 170 lakh tonnes paddy
Punjab has procured over 170 lakh tonnes of paddy this kharif season, Food and Supplies officials said on Friday.
Coal is still king in global power production
Coal remains the most widely used means of electricity production in the world. It also happens to be the biggest emitter of climate-changing carbon dioxide of any fuel. Despite efforts to tackle global warming, worldwide demand for coal was up one percent last year, mainly due to demand in Asia. China is by far the biggest consumer of coal which is mainly used to produce electricity. However even in China there is now political pressure to improve air quality in urban areas, with a new trend towards using natural gas and renewables. In 2017, after two years of declines, International Energy Agency figures showed global coal demand rising to 5.357 million tonnes of coal equivalent (TCE). While many advanced economies, such as Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom are considering how to phase out coal use in power generation, the same is not true everywhere. India seems set to replace China as the world's biggest coal consumer while Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, ...
NGT slaps Rs 5 cr penalty on SIDCO for pollution in JK's Basantar river
The NGT has imposed a penalty of Rs five crore on the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) for failing to stop discharge of effluents and dumping of waste in the Basantar river in Samba district. A bench headed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel held SIDCO liable to pay the compensation and asked it deposit the amount within a month with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for restoration of the environment. The green panel also directed the Samba Municipal Council to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for failing to set up a sewage treatment plant and stop discharge of untreated sewage in the river. "The JKSPCB is directed to take appropriate coercive measures, including prosecution for the violations. It may be ensured that flood plains/river bed are free from encroachment and no garbage is dumped in the river. "We also direct that the committee, already constituted by this tribunal headed by former High Court ...
Bengal's cement capacity may touch 30mn tn in 3 yrs: Officials
West Bengal's cement capacity is likely to see robust expansion to the tune of about 10 million tonne in the next few years, officials said on Friday. State Finance Minister Amit Mitra said the capex of the state is at Rs 19,000-20,000 crore, a rise of 8.5 times since 2011-12, which had an impact on cement demand. "When we came to power (in 2011), there were only five cement companies with a combined capacity of 4.8 million tonne. Now, there are 16 companies with a total installed capacity of about 20 million tonne," Mitra said at 'Cementing India', organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce here. A number of cement companies have announced expansion plans in the state, including JSW Cement (2.4 million tonne to 4.8 million tonne) and Dalmia Cement (1.7 million tonne to 4 million tonne). Star Cement will set up a greenfield grinding plant at Jalpaiguri district of 2-million tonne capacity. "The combined new cement capacity expansion of the industry in West Bengal is ...
Government plans to set up 'Ganga Museum'
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) organised a two-day international workshop on "Developing a Ganga Museum ConceptIn its mission to clean and rejuvenate the holy river, NMCG's main focus is to enhance public participation. To increase awareness among the masses about the importance of the holy river, NMCG has been reaching out to the public in numerous ways.As part of the public outreach activities, the establishment of the Ganga Museum and Interpretation Center has been visualised by NMCG as a key platform for dissemination of information related to Ganga river's history, mythology as well as its rejuvenation."We've organised two-day international workshop for the development of a concept of the Ganga Museum," said UP Singh, the Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.Stressing at the importance of river Ganga, he said, "Ganga is not a river but a civilisation in flow and there are so many aspects of river Ganga and to highlight ...
Flapshell turtle rescued in residential area in Agra
An Indian Flapshell turtle who was in danger of being attacked by wild dogs was rescued from a residential area here, a wildlife NGO said Friday. The turtle was kept under observation for a few hours and later released in Keetham Lake, once deemed fit by veterinarians, the Wildlife SOS said. The reptile, seen by a local who was out for a walk at a neighbourhood park, was in danger of being attacked by wild dogs. A two-member team of the NGO intervened and rescued the turtle. The Indian flapshell turtle is a freshwater species found in South Asia. It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and thereby is granted the same level of protection as the tiger. Poaching or the possession of any protected wildlife species and the illegal trade of their body parts is a criminal offence leading to imprisonment for three to seven years. PTI CORR An Indian Flapshell Turtle was rescued by Wildlife SOS after it was spotted in a park near a residential colony in Vijay Vihar ..
India, Nepal resolve technical issues on Pancheshwar dam: Water commission
All technical issues related to the long-awaited Pancheshwar dam in Uttarakhand have been resolved between India and Nepal, Chairman of the Central Water Commission, SMasood Hussaini, said Friday. Pancheshwar dam on river Mahakali in Champawat district of the state is likely to address the power and irrigation needs of the two neighbours. The multi-purpose project has been hanging fire for the last 35 years. "Only non-technical matters like sharing of water, cost of project as well as some provisions of the Indo-Nepal water treaty are to be resolved between the two countries now, he told reporters here. Hussaini was addressing the media in Champawat following the first site survey by the team of experts after WAPCOS submitted the second Detailed Project Report (DPR) last year. "There were over 250 objections on the DPR prepared by WAPCOS. The objections were on things like height of the dam, hydrological design and other technical details. However, they have been sorted out by experts
India to play 'responsible' role at climate negotiations in Poland: PM Modi to UN chief
India will play its "due and responsible" role at the crucial climate change negotiations in Poland next week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured UN chief Antonio Guterres during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here. The main topic of Prime Minister Modi's discussion with the UN chief was the forthcoming COP24 climate change meeting in Katowice, Poland from December 3, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said. Modi tweeted that he had an excellent meeting with the Secretary General and that there were wide-ranging deliberations on various global issues. "We talked about mitigating climate change and India's efforts in this regard through initiatives like the International Solar Alliance," the prime minister tweeted. Gokhale said Secretary General Guterres said India plays a major role in climate change negotiations and acknowledged that Prime Minister Modi has taken a number of concrete steps towards addressing climate change. "He mentioned the International Solar ...
India to play responsible role at climate negotiations in Poland: PM Modi to UN chief
India will play its "due and responsible" role at the climate change negotiations in Poland next week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured UN chief Antonio Guterres during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said the main topic of Prime Minister Modi's discussion with the UN chief was the forthcoming COP24 climate change meeting in Katowice, Poland from December 3. "The Secretary General has said India plays a major role in climate change negotiations. He acknowledged that Prime Minister had taken a number of concrete steps towards addressing climate change," Gokhale said. "He mentioned the International Solar Alliance. The Secretary General also said that when he was in Delhi last month he had seen for himself the manner in which other campaigns the prime minister had led including the Swachh Bharat campaign having an impact on the environment," he said. It was the Secretary General's sincere hope and expectation that in the ...
China begins mammoth task of moving Beijing local govt offices out of capital
In a major step to ease congestion and recurring pollution in Beijing, China has begun the herculean task of moving the city government offices about 100 km away from the capital. China, earlier this year, announced the establishment of a special economic area in a province neighbouring Beijing. The Xiong'an New Area in Hebei province is part of the measures to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Beijing, which has over 21.7 million population, aims to cap the number at 23 million by 2020, according to earlier media reports. On Friday, parts of the Beijing municipal government offices moved from the downtown centre to suburban Tongzhou district, and other departments will gradually start moving as well, state-run China Daily reported. In the morning, multiple government departments, including the Beijing poverty relief office and the Beijing Youth League committee, have started working in new office buildings in Tongzhou. According to the plan, all
SC dismisses PIL seeking removal of fake stickers from cars, vehicles
The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking removal of unauthorised stickers from cars and other vehicles. The PIL also sought banning of 15-year-old vehicles from plying on roads. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul came down heavily on petitioner K Rajan for filing such PILs and said that even if an order is passed on the issue, it cannot be implemented. "Suppose, we pass an order on this (removal of unauthorised stickers), then tell us, how can we enforce this," the bench asked. "Have you seen the traffic? Who is going to inspect whether the stickers are genuine or not? And is this the court's job to verify? Dismissed," the top court said. The bench was hearing a PIL seeking imposing a ban on vehicles older than 15 years and removal of fake stickers from cars and vehicles which are used to dodge traffic policemen and other security agencies.
Sanjay Kumar is new KKNPP Site Director
: Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd Friday said 'outstanding' scientist Sanjay Kumar has taken over as site director of Indo-Russian joint venture Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, succeeding H N Sahu. The nuclear power plant is located in Tirunelveli district, about 650kms from here. Prior to taking up the new role, Kumar was serving as Site Director at Kaiga Generating Station in Karnataka. An alumnus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kumar began his career as a nuclear reactor operator in Narora Atomic Power Station, Uttar Pradesh. Later he was transferred to Rajasthan Atomic Power Station where he commissioned the turbine generator and auxiliary systems. In 2012, he was posted as Chief Superintendent at Kaiga Generating Station and in 2016 was elevated as Station Director.
Tokyo Met takes consistent efforts to keep city pollution-free
Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world. Half a century ago, it faced serious air pollution. Rapid economic growth in the 1950s turned the sky of the megacity hazy due to industrial pollution. In some areas, the sun was not even visible.However, long-term efforts of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have resulted in a significant improvement in the situation.Sadahiro Abe, Bureau of Environment- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, said, "50 years ago in Tokyo, the issue of air pollution such as a cloud of black smoke was a serious problem. To solve this challenging issue, Tokyo Metropolitan Government took measures against pollution such as shutting down of factories and clamping down of diesel vehicles in a proactive manner. And now we have realised 'clear sky' which makes us proud in the world."Tokyo Metropolitan Government has established an air pollution monitoring system and monitoring stations at various parts in the city. They measure air pollutant levels such as sulphur ...
Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals commences trail production of urea at Gadepan III plant
The company is setting up new Urea plant for production of 1.34 Million MT of Urea per annum at the existing site at Gadepan, District, Kota, Rajasthan (Gadepan-III Plant).
Chambal Fertilisers gains after commencing urea production
Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals advanced 3.6% to Rs 153.85 at 15:09 IST on BSE after the company said production of urea on trial basis has commenced from a plant in Kota, Rajasthan.
Modi meets Saudi crown prince, stresses on stable energy prices
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman here and stressed the importance of having stable and predictable energy prices.
Fish import ban causing huge losses to Karnataka: Kumaraswamy to Parrikar
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has requested his Goa counterpart Manohar Parrikar to lift the blanket ban on fish import, claiming that the crackdown has caused "huge losses" to the fishermen from the southern state.
51 whales die after mass stranding off New Zealand
Fifty-one whales have died after becoming stranded on a beach on the Chatham Island off New Zealand.
New-found debris believed from Flight MH370 handed to Malaysia govt
Relatives of those on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Friday handed over new-found debris believed to be from the ill-fated plane, hoping it could help shed light on the jet's mysterious disappearance four years ago. The Boeing 777 jet with 239 people on board vanished on March 8, 2014 during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur in the world's greatest aviation mystery. An official report released in July following a lengthy investigation and years of fruitless searching gave no new clues about why the plane disappeared, sparking anger among relatives. V R Nathan, whose wife Anne Daisy was on the ill-fated jet, told AFP the debris consisted of five small plane parts found off Madagascar. They were turned over to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Friday at his office in the administrative capital Putrajaya outside Kuala Lumpur. "Five new pieces of debris have been recovered off the coast of Madagascar, including one piece that has part of a label still readable," Nathan ..
