Page 402 - Environment
31 arrested for illegal fishing in Odisha
In a mid-sea interception on illegal fishing in Odisha, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary authorities have seized four trawlers and arrested 31 sea-going fishermen. The four fishing trawls used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited marine sanctuary area were seized on Thursday by the patrolling unit engaged by forest department near Babubali coast, a senior forest official said. Sea fish catch weighing about six quintals were seized from the impounded vessels, he said. Prohibition on sea fishing remains enforced round the year in the marine sanctuary limits. However, sea patrolling is stepped up within Gahirmatha marine sanctuary water territory during November-May every year in view of the annual mass nesting season of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles. "It is unlawful to fish in the marine sanctuary throughout the year," said Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, B P Acharya. The arrested fishermen are natives of fishing ..
Record grain procurement from farmers in UP: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for achieving record grain procurement and directly benefiting the farmers.
Jharkhand assesses loss of crops due to rain deficit
The Jharkhand government on Friday asked officials to assess the ground situation on the loss of crops due to a rain deficit this year.
Japan to hold referendum on US base relocation
Okinawa in Japan on Friday approved a bill to hold a referendum on the country's controversial plan to relocate a US military base within the island.
Philippine island once called 'cesspool' reopens to visitors
Boatloads of tourists sailed to tiny Boracay island Friday on the first day Philippine officials reopened the resort to visitors after a six-month closure to clean waters the president had called a "cesspool" due to overcrowding, partying and neglect. Officials at the island in central Aklan province have imposed new rules to regulate the influx of visitors and beach parties, decongest resorts and prevent sewage from being discharged directly into the turquoise waters. Only a portion of Boracay's hotels and other businesses have reopened under the new rules, and a fraction of the more than 20,000 workers who lost their jobs were rehired. "Let us treat the island as our home. Keep it clean and pristine. Don't drink alcohol or smoke in the beach, don't litter," Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said in a message to incoming tourists. A ceremony attended by Cabinet officials and local celebrities to mark Boracay's return to business was planned on a white-sand beach near the wharf ...
Royals Harry and Meghan dedicate forest reserves in Tonga
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on Friday dedicated two forest reserves in Tonga as they continued their trip of the South Pacific. Prince Harry said Tonga is leading by example and "understands deeply" the impact of environmental changes because the islands of the archipelago are directly affected. Harry and wife Meghan visited Tupou College to make the dedication. The high school was founded in 1866 and is believed to be the oldest in the region. It's home to the last remaining forest on Tonga's main island, Tongatapu. The other reserve is on the island of Eua. "Planting trees and conserving forests helps us in so many ways," Harry said. "It is a simple but effective way to restore and repair our environment, clean the air and protect habitat." The couple dedicated the two reserves to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy environmental initiative, which was started in 2015 and has been signed on to by 42 of the Commonwealth's 53 countries. Earlier in the day, the royal couple visited an ...
Celebrate without harming environment: President Kovind
With air quality worsening in the national capital, President Ram Nath Kovind urged social organisations to spread awareness about celebrating festivals without harming the environment."It is time for winter festivals. In such times, people in cities like Delhi experience breathing problems due to increase in pollution level. Social organisations should create awareness among people about celebrating festivals without affecting the environment and maintaining peace and harmony," he said while addressing the gathering after inaugurating the International Arya Mahasammelan 2018The air quality in the national capital region has witnessed a considerable dip in the past few weeks.The deterioration of air quality comes after hundreds of effigies were burned in the capital on Dussehra, aided by firecrackers, even after repeated appeals by authorities to conduct eco-friendly celebrations.It is believed that the pollution level has exacerbated as farmers in the neighbouring states are burning .
Proposed Khurja coal plant in UP will increase air pollution in Delhi: Report
The Khurja proposal relies on a prohibitively expensive 900km long rail haul to bring coal to the plant
NDA has given unprecedented thrust to nuclear energy: Minister
The current NDA government's thrust on science, space research and nuclear energy has resulted in the unprecedented approval in "fleet mode" for construction of 10 nuclear reactors of 700 MW each, Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh said on Thursday.
India, Bangladesh sign agreements to boost waterways connectivity
India and Bangladesh on Thursday signed three agreements, including one to use Chattogram and Mongla Ports in Bangladesh for goods movement, for enhancing inland and coastal waterways connectivity between the two countries.
Income-centric approach to double farmers' income: Agriculture Minister
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Thursday said that the government has reoriented the farm sector by focusing on an income-centric approach that stresses on achieving high productivity, reduced cost, and a remunerative crop price to double the farmers' income.
3 poachers held; rifle,cartridges,flying fox carcass recovered
Three poachers were arrested at nearby Poluvampatti forest range Thursday on the charge of killing a flying fox and a rifle and cartridges recovered from them, forest officials said. Officials patrolling the range saw the three moving around in a suspicious manner and questioned them. A search revealed that the trio were carrying a rifle, seven live cartridges, a knife, cooked meat and the carcass of the flying fox in their bag, the officials said. Two of those arrested were from the suburbs of Coimbatore and the other was from Erode district, police said.
Air Quality drops, no improvement likely
The air quality of the national capital fell further, as temperature dropped and experts saw no improvement before Diwali, after which it may further deteriorate.
Crop loans advance raised by Rs 3,000/acre: Minister
The Punjab government has increased the maximum credit limit of crop loans advanced to farmers by Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre for the management of crop residue, Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said Thursday. Randhawa in an official release issued here said the cooperative department's decision to increase the limit considering the ever increasing expenditure of the farmers would benefit about 7.50 lakh farmers. "Out of the Rs 3,000, farmers can use Rs 2,000 for the management of the stubble and the rest Rs 1,000 on diesel expenses," said Randhawa. Earlier, farmers were getting a maximum credit limit (MCL) of Rs 9,000 per acre for the crop loan which has now been enhanced to Rs 12,000 per acre. The minister further said that the state government was exhorting farmers not to burn the paddy stubble. The Cooperation Minister said he gave orders for increasing the MCL to the Registrar, Cooperative Societies Vikas Garg after meeting representatives of the farmers unions' .
Tigers dwindling: just six sub-species remain, says study
Six different sub-species of tigers exist today, scientists confirmed Thursday, amid hopes the findings will boost efforts to save the fewer than 4,000 free-range big cats that remain in the world. The six include the Bengal tiger, Amur tiger, South China tiger, Sumatran tiger, Indochinese tiger and Malayan tiger, said the report in the journal Current Biology. Three other tiger subspecies have already gone extinct: the Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers. Key threats to tigers' survival include habitat loss and poaching. How to best conserve the species and encourage both captive and wild breeding has been a matter of debate among scientists, in part because of divisions over how many tiger sub-species exist. Some say there are two types, and others believe there are five or six. "The lack of consensus over the number of tiger subspecies has partially hindered the global effort to recover the species from the brink of extinction," said study author Shu-Jin Luo of Peking University in ...
Munde seeks Fadnavis' apology for 'lying' on Jalyukt Shivar
Senior NCP leader Dhananjay Munde Thursday accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of "lying" about the Jalyukt Shivar scheme and sought an apology. Addressing reporters here, Munde, Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, claimed the scheme was implemented unscientifically and contracts were awarded to contractors close to those in power. The micro-irrigation scheme involves deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen stop dams and digging of farm ponds. Munde said according to the findings of Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA), Maharashtra's groundwater levels had gone down by over one metre in 252 talukas and 14,000 villages, despite good rainfall last year. "This means the scheme has failed. The Chief Minister should take responsibility for this failure and apologise to people for lying about its success," Munde said, adding that the CM should give details of Rs 7,500 crore spent on the scheme. Fadnavis ..
Govt working towards realising Agarwal's dreams for clean Ganga: Uma Bharti
Union minister Uma Bharti paid tributes to environmental activist GD Agarwal on Thursday and said the government is working towards realising his dream of a clean Ganga. Agarwal passed away on October 12 following a 111-day hunger strike for conservation of the river. In her first reaction two weeks after Agarwal's death, Bharti in a series of tweets said she drew inspiration from him in her task of cleaning the Ganga. "We have been working to realise his dream. I requested him to break his fast, but he did not move. He wanted an immediate decision on the dams and the Ganga Act," she said. Bharti said she was so shocked hearing about Agarwal's death that she could not react. She said Agarwal and former VHP president Ashok Singhal were her inspirations in her task of cleaning the holy river. Bharti held the portfolio of water resources and Ganga rejuvenation before it was given to Nitin Gadkari.
First Pakistani will go into space in 2022: Minister
Pakistan would send a human to space for the first time in 2022 with Chinese assistance, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Thursday.
Stubble-burning down in 2018, claims Haryana
Incidents of stubble-burning in Haryana have reduced in 2018, a spokesman of the Haryana government claimed here on Thursday.
Soot in placenta: Study spotlights air pollution and maternal, child health (Health Feature)
Kolkata, Oct 25 (IANS/Mongabay) Scientists warn that inhaled air pollutant particles (particulate matter) are moving from the lungs to placentas of pregnant women, highlighting an urgent need for stricter policies for cleaner air that will lower impacts of pollution on health.