Page 398 - Environment
PM Modi urges farmers to give up stubble burning
As air quality in the city and adjoining areas continues to deteriorate due to stubble burning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat on Sunday urged farmers to do away with the practice. The Prime Minister made the request by sharing two anecdotes, one of a farmer, Gurucharan Singh, who not only gave up the practice but also urged his relatives to do so for the welfare of the society.He then gave an instance of a village in Punjab, named Kalal Majra, which opted for mixing it in the soil using alternative technology, instead of burning the paddy straw.Prime Minister Modi further applauded those working for the betterment of the society and a cleaner environment. "My best wishes to all the people who are trying their best to keep the environment clean. You are taking forward the legacy of our Indian culture of leading a healthy lifestyle. Even the smallest steps can make a huge difference," added the Prime Minister.He also laid special emphasis on ...
Need to work unitedly to tackle terrorism, climate change: Modi (Roundup)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that only refraining from war cannot ensure peace. Instead, there is a need for "united universal cooperation" to combat terrorism, climate change and for economic development and social justice.
JNU to launch community radio station
People residing close to the JNU campus here might soon get the opportunity to be on air with the university all set to launch a community radio station as part of its "social responsibility". The community radio will cater to residents of areas such as Ber Sarai, Munirka, Kishangarh, Hauz Khas Village, Vasant Vihar cluster areas and Mahipalpur, Chairperson, Special Centre for Disaster Research (SCDR), Professor Amita Singh, told PTI. "We are also trying to work out (a plan) so that we can reach Chhattarpur," she said. The SCDR at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will ink an agreement with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication to start the community radio service. "We will get grandmothers to talk about things. There will be discussions with local ward councillors, residents of the area to know the issues," Singh said, adding the project is part of the "university's social responsibility". The service will not only alert people about environment-related issues in their areas
BSES launches rooftop solar initiative Phase 2 in Delhi
The second phase of Delhi power distribution company BSES' Solar City Initiative was launched by Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday.
Archaeologists find Bronze Age ruins in China
A team of archaeologists said on Sunday that they have unearthed Bronze Age ruins including the remains of ancient houses and ash pits along with animal bones, bronze ware and stone tools in China's Jilin province.
Punjab Minister warns against delayed payments to farmers
Committing to protecting farmer's interests, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Sunday warned 'arthiyas' (commission agents) of action if farmers were paid less or payment was delayed for the paddy procured from them.
Heavy rain in next three days in Odisha as low pressure forms
With a low pressure area taking shape over the Bay of Bengal, the meteorological department Sunday warned of heavy rainfall in coastal Odisha for the next three days. "A low pressure area is likely to form over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bey of Bengal in next 24 hours. Under its influence rain is likely to occur in coastal Odisha," said H R Biswas, Head of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar. While rain and thundershower is likely to take place in many places in coastal and isolated places in the interior part of the state, some districts would be lashed by heavy rain, he said. Heavy rainfall in some places is likely to occur in districts like Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore, the met centre said in a special bulletin. In view of adverse weather conditions, the met centre advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea of the west central and north Bay of Bengal till Tuesday. The fishermen who had gone into the .
PM praises Punjab farmers keeping away from stubble burning
Amid concerns over rising air pollution in the national capital region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday hailed farmers from Punjab who do not burn stubble in fields. He also said, while the world, especially the West, is discussing environment protection and trying to find new ways to adopt a balanced life style, India is also facing a similar problem. "But, for its solution we only have to look inwards, to look into our glorious past and our rich traditions and have especially to understand the lifestyle of our tribal communities," he said. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, he praised the northeastern states for making "grand progress" in organic farming. Referring to the issue of stubble burning in fields which leads to massive air pollution, he referred to Gurbachan Singh, a Punjab farmer who asked his would be parents-in-law to promise that they will not burn parali or stubble in their fields. "You can well imagine the social strength this statement had. This point
CM orders inquiry; action against seven officials for jumbo deaths in Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday ordered an inquiry by the crime branch into the electrocution of seven elephants in Dhenkanal district even as one official was dismissed and six others were suspended by their departments in connection with the incident. Six officials, three each from the Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) and forest department, were suspended and a junior engineer of CESU dismissed after the jumbos died after coming in contact with sagging live wire Saturday, an official said. A general manager, one sub-divisional Officer (SDO) and a lineman of CESU were placed under suspension, while a junior engineer was sacked, an CESU official said. Similarly, a forest range officer, a forester and a forest guard were suspended for the incident, he said. "Besides ordering a crime branch inquiry into the incident, the chief minister has ordered appropriate action in case of any criminal negligence," an official in Chief Minister's Office said. Seven jumbos, ...
Adityanath to celebrate Diwali with Vantangiya community
Following the 25-year-old practice, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will celebrate Diwali with the Vantangiya community in Jangal Tinkoniya here. Though the schedule of the chief minister's visit has not been finalised yet but according to sources, Adityanath will come to Gorakhpur on November 6 evening, after celebrating 'Chhoti Diwali' in Ayodhya. On November 7, the chief minister will visit Vantangiya villages for Diwali celebration. "For the last 25 years, Adityanath has been celebrating Diwali with Vantangiya children and continued the practice even after being elevated as chief minister of the state in 2017," Gorakhnath Temple staff Vinay Gautam said. "Children of the Vantangiya community started calling him 'toffee wale baba'. The chief minister will celebrate this Diwali with them," he said. Ahead of the chief minister's visit, Village Development Commissioner N P Singh held a meeting with officials and ordered them to open ration shops in the villages. The ...
Tribals fight to protect their rights, nature: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised tribal communities for saving forests and continuing a tradition of an eco-friendly lifestyle, saying that when it comes to protecting their rights and land, the tribes fight back.
Delhi records worst air quality of season as haze engulfs national capital: authorities
Delhi recorded its worst air quality of this season on Sunday as a thick haze engulfed the national capital which continued to grapple with deteriorating air quality. The overall Air Quality Index of the national capital was recorded at 381 which falls in the very poor category, the highest of this season and just points below severe pollution level, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board. 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 "severe". Twelve pollution monitoring stations located in various parts of Delhi recorded severe air quality while 20 stations recorded very poor air quality, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board. Authorities attribute the dip in air quality to localised factors like construction dust, vehicular pollution as well as regional factors like pollution due stubble burning from Punjab and Haryana. A thick haze ..
Smart electricity meters in rural India a win-win, says ADB
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to scale up a satellite-based smart meters project, implemented in a village in Uttar Pradesh, as it finds it to be a win-win solution for several stakeholders, including the consumers as well as discoms. As part of its USD 200 million loan for Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) to implement various demand-side energy efficiency projects in India, the ADB assisted pilot is running in a village in Varanasi where as many as 5,000 households have got smart meters with satellite communication technology installed by EESL. ADB is considering scaling up this project through a proposed second plan, ADB's Yongping Zhai said in a blog. Zhai, who is the chief of energy sector group, sustainable development and climate department, said: "We have observed that smart meters bring benefits to four key stakeholders." First, each rural consumer enjoys improved power quality, shorter outage durations, and flexible payment options (pre-paid or ...
Uninhabited island in Odisha ready to host tourists
Nature lovers have a reason to rejoice as the Odisha government has prepped up the idyllic Habelikhati Island at Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) for eco-tourism. Three well-furnished guest houses have come up on the island, ready to host visitors from November 1, said a forest official. Habelikhati, an uninhabited territory in Kendrapara district, is a nature's paradise with dense forest cover and virgin sea encircling the island, Bimal Prasanna Acharya, the divisional forest officer of Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, said. "With this new facility, the island would become a favoured eco-tourism destination, both for the domestic and the international visitors," the DFO said. The forest department had earlier built a tourist cottage on the island, but it was ravaged by marauding sea waves, he said. "The new guest houses, built very close to the sea, have now been readied to weather all odds," Acharya claimed. The island is also a favoured nesting ground for
Jewar airport will be ready in 3 years: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that the Noida International Greenfield Airport in the state's Jewar area will be ready in the next three years."In the coming three years, our government will build Greenfield International Airport in Jewar. We will also build an international airport in Kushinagar," Adityanath said at the India Ideas Conclave 2018 here.The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) as the implementing agency on its behalf for the airport in Jewar.YEIDA obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Defence on January 11. To expedite the implementation of the Airport project, a Project Monitoring and Implementation Committee (PMIC) was also constituted on March 27.Land measuring 5,000 hectares (ha) has been identified by YEIDA for the project, out of which 240 ha. belongs to the state government, with the rest belonging to private owners.
Stubble burning continues in Amritsar
Despite the deterioration in air quality in New Delhi and the adjoining areas, farmers in Amritsar continue to burn paddy-stubble and further deteriorate air quality, despite an order of prohibition.Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said, "According to the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court the Punjab government tried to spread awareness on how to incorporate paddy straw in different ways. The agriculture department also spoke to the farmers and that worked. Still, some people continued stubble burning and our team of officers and fined them according to the NGT order. One officer has been posted in every village to spread awareness on stubble burning. Things will start improving from now onwards."Data by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) showed a decline in the paddy stubble-burning in Punjab this Kharif season.The data from the PPCB reflects that 7503 cases of stubble-burning have been reported until Friday this year. During the corresponding ...
Odisha: 7 elephants electrocuted, forest dept passes the buck
Seven elephants have died in Odisha's Dhenkanal due to non-rectification of sagging lines and non-cabling of transmission lines.Passing the buck to the electricity department, the forest department said that last year, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Dhenkanal had submitted a stretch of 136.57 kilometres of low-tension lines passing through vulnerable areas for cabling. The Forest Department in a press statement said, "In the instant case, the DFO, Dhenkanal had informed to EE, CESU to rectify the sagging transmission line from Kamalanga to Kaliataila of Meramundali Section of Dhenkanal Range. The DFO, Dhenkanal had also submitted the proposal for cabling of transmission line in Kamalanga area. Due to non-rectification of sagging lines and non-cabling of transmission lines, the accident has occurred claiming the lives of seven elephants in Meramundali section of Dhenkanal Range of Dhenkanal Division.""Different DFOs of the State submitted the lists of transmission lines passing
Delhi Environment Min finds 'violations' during Burari inspection
A surprise inspection team headed by Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Saturday found "serious violations" in norms for dust control at ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants operational at Burari crossing in front of Majlis park metro station in the national capital.These plants were being operated by a private operator.Hussain was accompanied by Burari Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Delhi police officers.The minister found that the RMC Plant was operational and the operator of the plant has not taken adequate measures to control fugitive dust emanated from it.Hussain further observed that there was no arrangement for water sprinkling for material kept open on the ground and the internal approach road was covered with fine dust. No arrangement was made to cover various units of RMC plants, he further said.It is noteworthy that DPCC has notified guidelines for RMC plants in Delhi.Furthermore, the Minister has ordered SDM of the area ...
Action to be taken if full payment is not made to farmers: Punjab Min
Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu Saturday said action will be taken against 'arthiyas' (commission agents) not giving the full payment to farmers. In a press release issued here, he said in accordance with the Punjab Agricultural Produce Market Rules Act, 1962, it is the duty of the state government to make a payment within 48 hours and the amount is forwarded to the farmers through cheques. "It has come to my notice that some of the Arthiyas in the state are not transferring the payment of paddy to the farmers through account payee cheques rather they are indulging only in cash payments, which is violation of the rules. Besides this, it has also been noticed that even the minimum support price (MSP) is not given to the farmers," he said. "Any kind of forging and cheating with farmers will not be tolerated at any cost and they should have been given the full price of their produce," the minister said. Ashu also directed the officials of procurement agencies .
CPCB to take criminal action against those violating pollution norms
Union Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said that criminal prosecution will be initiated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) against those agencies violating pollution norms.The Minister further said that warnings would be issued on the Ministry's 'Sameer App' against those agencies concerned within 48 hours of a complaint being posted.The decision to penalise polluters, Harsh Vardhan said, is being taken to send a message loud and clear that after the name has been uploaded the agency should take action and not wait for a warning.As many as 41 teams were formed by the CPCB with whom the Minister held a review meeting on Saturday. The teams had gone to the fields in Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, and Ghaziabad to monitor the situation.Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the compliance score in all these places has not crossed level 10, which is "very disheartening". From Monday, these 41 teams will be increased to 50 and they will go to the field on five days a week, the