Page 349 - Environment
Chinese officials dump chemicals in river to mask pollution
Officials in Weifang city in China's eastern Shandong Province have been caught throwing USD 6.8 million worth of chemicals into a river ahead of a government inspection to mask pollution problem, according to a state-run media report. Weifang city and its Binhai Economic and Technologic Development Zone mainly relied on throwing chemicals into the Weitan River in order to tackle the pollution, which basically did not show any effect, the central environmental inspection group found over the weekend, the Ministry of Ecology and Environmental (MEE) said in a statement. The chemicals could hide pollutants and improve the water quality over the short term, which allowed the project to pass the approval process in July, state-run Global Times quoted the statement as saying Wednesday. However, in August the river water quality worsened again. The problem was found by the central environmental inspection group. The group found the pollution issue of the river during its inspection in 2017, .
Gujarat govt cracks down on water theft from canals
Police have registered 37 First Information Reports (FIRs) over illegal drawing of water from Narmada canals in various parts of Gujarat, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said Wednesday. Police and the administration are taking strict action against those who draw water illegally from Narmada canals which take water of Sardar Sarovar Dam to various parts of the state, he said in a statement here. As many as 37 FIRs have been lodged in this regard in the recent weeks, he added. In a relief to farmers who plan to sow Rabi crops, 19,920 cusecs of water is being released in Narmada canals since November 12 from Sardar Sarovar Dam, the minister said. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani chaired a cabinet meeting where issues related to water scarcity in the wake of a weak monsoon were discussed. Gujarat received only 76.72 per cent rainfall this season. Revenue minister Kaushik Patel told the media after the meeting in Gandhinagar that the government will provide .
Demonetisation destroyed millions of farmers: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "making fun of our farmers misfortune" following reports of the Agriculture Ministry admitting that millions of farmers were unable to buy seeds and fertilizers because of demonetization.
Dead sperm whale in Indonesia found with 6 kg of plastic in stomach
A sperm whale has been found dead in Indonesia with 115 plastic cups and 25 plastic bags in its stomach, raising concern among environmentalists and throwing the spotlight on the country's rubbish problem. The items were part of nearly six kilograms (13 pounds) of plastic waste discovered in the 9.5-metre (31-foot) carcass when it washed ashore in Wakatobi National Park, in Southeast Sulawesi province, on Monday. Other debris included flip flops and ripped tarpaulins, the head of Wakatobi tourism, La Ode Saleh Hanan, told AFP on Wednesday. Conservation group WWF Indonesia said on social media its staff found four plastic bottles and 3.26 kilograms of raffia rope, as well as the plastic bags and cups. The exact cause of the whale's death is not yet known but there are signs that "plastic waste might have triggered it", WWF Indonesia marine species conservation coordinator Dwi Suprapti told AFP. Wakatobi district, a picturesque collection of four main islands surrounded by a marine ...
France could shut down nuclear plants in energy plan due next week
PARIS (Reuters) - France could shut down up to six nuclear reactors by 2028 among other options, French media reported, as part of its medium-term energy policy to be presented next week.
Wardha ordnance depot spells fear and terror for villagers in area
At 4 am every day, scores of men get into the explosive demolition pit at the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) here, gingerly picking up ammunition waste, more than aware that they are playing with their lives as they earn their livelihood. On Tuesday, their worst fears came true when there was a blast at the CAD in Pulgaon town in Maharashtra's Wardha district, killing six people and injuring 10. The blast took place between 7.10 am and 7.15 am when labourers were unloading the ammunition for disposal, a defence official said. The residents of Kelapur, Sonegaon, Chikni and Jamni villages, located close to the ordnance depot, said they are scared of living so close to the ammunition depot and danger is a constant companion -- whether it is collecting waste or unloading the ammunition. A villager in Kelapur, which has a population of about 1,200, said around 100 to 200 casual labourers go to the demolition ground around 4 am each day. "After the ammunition blasts, the labourers collect ..
IED recovered in Palamau district of Jharkhand
A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered by security personnel from naxalism-affected Palamau district on Wednesday. The recovery was made during anti-naxalism operation launched in the area, located about 60 km from here, CRPF Commandant A D Sharma said. The IED was planted underneath a 'kutcha' road, near Urur nullah under Manatu police station limits, to target the security personnel, he said. The explosive was kept in a gas cylinder with an intention to cause maximum damage to the security personnel, he said. A Bomb Disposal Squad reached the spot and defused the IED. "As the area is very sensitive, a massive search operation has been launched," Sharma added.
Train hits elephant, derails
An elephant died between Titabar and Mariani stations early Wednesday after being hit by an express train, which derailed after the incident, Railways official said. There were no casulaties among the passengers and senior officials of the Tinsukia division of Northeast Frontier Railways rushed to spot with a relief train, NEF Railways chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said. The incident took place at 4.50 am between Titabar and Mariani stations and the front luggage cum parcel van of the 15603 Guwahati-Ledo Intercity Express got derailed. Traffic on the section was ultimately restored at 7.45 am and the stranded train left the site at 8.06 am after the coach was re-railed, he added. "While prima facie inquiry has found that the train was within its stipulated speed, a departmental inquiry has been ordered to find out details about adherence to protocols," Sharma said. He said that there has been a manifold increase in elephant crossings during the ...
The French Nuclear Industry, Committed to Nuclear Excellence
/ -- Under the impetus of the GIFEN - French Nuclear Suppliers Association and Business France, the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, and with the support of EDF, 19 French suppliers to the nuclear industry will attend Indo-French nuclear business meetings from November 26th to December 1st. A 'French Nuclear Night' will also be held, as a part of this event, which will gather the Indo-French Nuclear ecosystem to provide a networking platform. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/651714/Business_France_Logo.jpg ) The French delegation will attend 2 main events: A technical seminar and B2B meetings to strengthen Indo-French relationships (Mumbai, November 26th and 27th) A 4-day roadshow to meet stakeholders, CTOs and their staff from the main Indian NPPs and representatives from renowned companies involved in nuclear industry (Mumbai on November 28, Kanyakumari on November 29, Chennai on November 30 and Karwar on December 1st). France .
PM Modi making 'fun' of demonetisation-hit farmers: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday claimed that demonetisation had "destroyed" the lives of farmers and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making "fun" of their plight during his poll campaigns. Taking to Twitter, he cited a media report that claimed the agriculture ministry has admitted that demonetisation has hit the farmers hard. "Noteban has destroyed the lives of farmers. Now they do not even have enough money to buy seeds and fertilizer," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi. "But, Modi ji is making fun of our farmers' plight. Now his Agriculture Ministry has also said that farmers were badly affected due to demonetisation decision," he said on Twitter referring to Modi's campaigns in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. While polling in Chhattisgarh was completed in two phases on November 12 and 20, elections in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 28. On Saturday, the Congress chief tagged on Twitter a video of the prime minister's speech during the poll campaign in ...
American tourist killed in Andaman Islands
An American tourist was killed by unidentified assailants in North Sentinel Island, Andaman. Police have held seven people in this connection so far.The deceased has been identified as John Allen Chau. A case was registered at the Humfrigunj police station of South Andaman. Investigation in the incident is on.On Nov 19, an e-mail was received from the US Consulate General, Chennai wherein it stated that they had received a communication from John Allen Chau's mother about her son's visit to North Sentinel Island where he was allegedly attacked."We are aware of reports concerning a US Citizen in the Andaman &Nicobar Islands. The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the US Department of State. When a US citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," said spokesperson of the US Consulate here on Wednesday.The North Sentinel Island is .
Climate change may turn carbon sinks into emission source: Study
Natural carbon sinks such as oceans and forests -- that suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere -- may soon start emitting the greenhouse gas instead, if climate change remains unchecked, scientists warn. Ecosystems that host a carbon-dioxide rich type of soil called peat, known as peatlands, are the most efficient natural carbon sink on the planet. When undisturbed, they store more carbon dioxide than all other vegetation types on Earth combined. However, when they are drained and deforested, they can release nearly six per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions each year. Climate researchers are worried that many of the peatlands soaking up carbon now will soon be doing the opposite. "Global peatlands cover only about three per cent of global land area, but hold around 30 per cent of the earth's soil organic carbon," said Qianlai Zhuang, a professor at Purdue University in the US. Researchers looked to peatlands in the Peruvian Amazon to understand whether a large amount of peat .
Decoded: How Mars moon Phobos got its grooves?
The strange grooves criss-crossing the surface of the Martian moon Phobos were made by rolling boulders blasted free from an ancient asteroid impact, suggests a new study.
Textile microfibres from washing machines accumulating in ocean floors
Tiny, extremely fine fibres, that come from waste waters of washing machines, are accumulating on sea floors and may adversely affect marine life, a study warns. Researchers from University of Barcelona in Spain and University of Plymouth in the UK analysed the amount of coloured fibres -- which vary between 3 to 8 millimetres (mm) and are extremely fine, with less than a 0.1 mm diameter -- in south European marine floors, from the Cantabrian Sea to the Black Sea. The results, published in the journal PLOS ONE, show the dominance of cellulosic fibres over synthetic polymers, and highlight that several oceanographic processes pile and transport microfibres to marine hollows. The findings could help design effective management strategies to reduce the emission of microfibres with a potential negative effect on the marine ecosystems. Microfibres are one of the most common microplastics in the marine environment, but such a deep study had not been carried out so far in a large ...
Climate change can turn carbon sinks into carbon source: Study
Ecosystems like oceans and forests may stop absorbing carbon from the atmosphere but start emitting it due to the human-induced climate change, according to a research.
Delhi's overall air quality 'very poor', some areas record 'severe' pollution
Delhi's overall air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday, while pollution levels in some areas touched 'severe' levels due to low wind speed, authorities said. According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR), the overall air quality index in the city was recorded at 387, which falls in the 'very poor' category. Thirteen areas in Delhi recorded 'severe' air quality and 23 recorded 'very poor' air quality, according to data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). On Wednesday, the level of PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 248, while the PM10 level was recorded at 402, it said. According to the SAFAR, the air quality in the national capital is expected to remain in the 'very poor' category for the next two to three days. "At present, winds are unfavourable for dispersion (of pollutants) but it may increase slightly to favour dispersion. Humidity is still high which is ...
New 'pinwheel' star system discovered
Scientists have discovered a new, massive star system in the Milky Way galaxy that challenges existing theories of how large stars eventually die. "This system is likely the first of its kind ever discovered in our own galaxy," said Benjamin Pope, a NASA Sagan fellow at New York University in the US. The scientists detected a gamma-ray burst progenitor system -- a type of supernova that blasts out an extremely powerful and narrow jet of plasma and which is thought to occur only in distant galaxies. "It was not expected such a system would be found in our galaxy -- only in younger galaxies much further away," said Pope. "Given its brightness, it is surprising it was not discovered a lot sooner," Pope said. The system, described in the journal Nature Astronomy, and has been dubbed "Apep". An estimated 8,000 light years away Earth, the system is adorned with a dust "pinwheel" -- whose strangely slow motion suggests current theories on star deaths may be incomplete. When the most massive .
Sikkim increases forest cover by over 4 pc since 1993: CM
A plethora of initiatives for preserving biodiversity in Sikkim such as spreading mass awareness and adopting an eco-friendly policy has led to an increase of its forest cover by over four percent since 1993, Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has said. The green cover in the tiny northeastern state has risen to 47.62 per cent in 2017 from 43.95 per cent in 1993, Chamling said at a seminar here Tuesday. The state is "very committed" about conserving biodiversity by spreading mass awareness and necessary legislation, the chief minister said. Sikkim, covering just 0.2 per cent of the geographical area of the country, has tremendous biodiversity and is a part of the global biodiversity hotspot. "We have consistently focused on how best to bring additional area under forest cover and help contribute to a greener regional landscape as the Sikkim Himalaya is a part of one of the important Global Biodiversity Hotspots", he said at the international symposium on Evergreen Oak ..
Rolling stones left strange grooves on Mars moon: Study
Strange grooves that crisscross the surface of the Martian moon Phobos were likely made by rolling boulders blasted free from an ancient asteroid impact, a study has found. The research, published in the journal Planetary and Space Science, used computer models to simulate the movement of debris from Stickney crater, a huge gash on one end of Phobos' oblong body. The models show that boulders rolling across the surface in the aftermath of the Stickney impact could have created the puzzling patterns of grooves seen on Phobos today. "These grooves are a distinctive feature of Phobos, and how they formed has been debated by planetary scientists for 40 years," said Ken Ramsley, a planetary science researcher at Brown University in the US. "We think this study is another step toward zeroing in on an explanation," said Ramsley, who led the study. Phobos' grooves, which are visible across most of the moon's surface, were first glimpsed in the 1970s by NASA's Mariner and Viking missions. Over
Delhi air not fit for morning walks: Met
It was a misty morning in the national capital on Wednesday with pollution levels 'very poor' as the Met noted presence of smoke in the air calling it "not supportive" for walking or jogging.
