Page 407 - Environment
No definition of green-firecrackers, too late to check: Environmentalists
While welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict on imposing certain restriction on the timing of bursting firecrackers, environmentalists say there is no definition of green firecrackers, while raising scepticism if this will work this Diwali which is merely two weeks away.
AEC chief briefs Union min Jitendra Singh on progress of ongoing Nuclear plants in country
Newly appointed secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) K N Vyas met Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday and discussed ongoing construction of nuclear power plants in the country, an official statement said. Vyas, who is also the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), took charge of one of the most strategic departments of the government last month after serving as the director of the prestigious Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The two discussed the current status of the upcoming nuclear plant in Gorakhpur. Singh, the minister of state, Prime Minister's office, was informed that the work on the nuclear plant was in full progress and it may become functional in the next few years. The DAE reports to the PMO. The Union minister was also briefed about the efforts to explore possibility of setting up new atomic energy plants in other states. Last year, the Centre had approved setting up of 10 nuclear domestic reactors in the country. In a fast developing ...
SC stipulates bursting time of firecrackers on Diwali
Keeping in view the increasing level of pollution and health hazards of firecrackers on citizens across the country, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stipulated the bursting time of firecrackers on Diwali and refused to put a stay on the sale of these substances.The court said citizens will be allowed to burn crackers only between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali.A division bench of the apex court headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and also comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan, in their 54-page judgement, said that crackers with reduced emission (improved crackers) and green crackers only would be permitted to be manufactured and sold.The manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) are hereby banned as they cause air, noise and solid waste problems, the court said in its judgement.The top court, while pronouncing the judgement said that extensive public awareness campaigns shall be taken up by the central government/state governments/ schools/colleges informing the ...
SC restrains e-commerce sites from selling firecrackers online
The Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained e-commerce players, including Flipkart and Amazon, from selling firecrackers online across the country. While allowing the manufacture and sale of only "green crackers" that have low emission of light, sound and harmful chemicals, the apex court said that e-commerce companies would be hauled up for contempt of court if they are found selling crackers online. "No e-commerce websites, including Flipkart, Amazon etc, shall accept any online orders and effect online sales. Any such e-commerce companies found selling crackers online will be hauled up for contempt of court and the Court may also pass, in that eventuality, orders of monetary penalties as well," said a bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan. The top court also dealt with the issue of impact of bursting of firecrackers on animals. It results in severe noise pollution which has acute psychological, mental and even physical affect on animals, the court said. "Fireworks sometimes ...
Three arrested with tusks worth Rs 2 cr
Three persons allegedly found in possession of elephant tusks worth over Rs 2 crore were arrested from Brahampuri area here, the police said Tuesday. The alleged smugglers, identified as Kamlesh Sharma, Amit Sharma and Vishnu Sharma, were trying to sell the tusks, weighing over 6 kg, in the Pondrik Park locality for Rs 1 crore when the police nabbed them, DCP (Jaipur North) Satyendra Singh said. He said the police is trying to ascertain the source of procurement of the tusks, which has turned out to be one of the biggest haul of the wildlife products in the state capital in recent past. The trio have been booked under section 26 of the Indian Forest Act and sections 9, 39 and 51 of the Indian Wildlife Act. The DCP hoped the arrests would help police in busting the wildlife smugglers' nexus in the state.
India's export of organic products up 39% in 2017-18
India exported 458 thousand tonnes of organic products worth $515 million in 2017-18 -- around 39 per cent higher from the previous year, said Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority in a release on Tuesday.
Over 60 per cent Delhiites say no to firecracker this Diwali: Survey
While the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to impose a blanket ban on firecrackers, about 68 per cent people in Delhi said that they will not burn fireworks this Diwali, a survey said.
Mayor, commissioner visit Bhalswa site; NDMC to invite global tender for landfill remediation
The mayor and the commissioner of north Delhi visited the Bhalswa landfill site Tuesday with the civic body announcing a slew of measures that it will take for its remediation, even as parts of the over 60 meter-high garbage dump continued to smoulder, officials said. Mayor Adesh Gupta, accompanied by Municipal Commissioner Madhup Vyas, Engineer-in-Chief Vijay Prakash, and other senior officials of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and senior police officer, visited the site in the afternoon for about 30 minutes and took stock of the situation. The Bhalswa landfill site falls under the jurisdiction of the NDMC. The massive garbage heap had got saturated several years ago. "Three immediate major decisions were taken, which included reinforcement of the barbed wire, deployment of a police team to restrict entry of ragpickers and night vigil by the staff stationed at the site," a senior NDMC official in the engineering department told PTI. The mayor also decided that a "global
Green crackers: Manufacturers say there's no such thing; Jokes galore on social media
With the Supreme Court permitting only 'green firecrackers' for a less-polluting Diwali, the manufacturers on Tuesday said "no such thing" exists and environmentalists wanted authorities to work real quick to ensure compliance, while social media erupted with jokes with many simply colouring the crackers green. Industry bodies, which peg the firecracker market at around Rs 20,000 crore per annum, said the court order, including restricting time to burn crackers to just two hours on Diwali and other festivals, would have a significant impact on sales. Environment and health experts welcomed the order, saying it was time the society celebrated festivals "more responsibly". D Saha, an environmental scientist who previously worked with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), said the authorities would now have to ensure that the norms are adhered to more strictly, especially at the manufacturing level. "As a society, we have been using firecrackers to celebrate occasions, from ...
Delhi encourages schoolkids to celebrate cracker-free Diwali
Ahead of Diwali, Delhi's Directorate of Education has asked the schools to sensitise the students on the ill-effects of burning firecrackers and encourage them to make the festival pollution-free.
Shoprite to pay South African customers for reusing plastic bags
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Shoprite Holdings, South Africa's biggest supermarket chain, said on Tuesday it would pay customers for reusing its newly introduced recyclable bag as it joined domestic rivals in efforts to curb plastic pollution.
80% of Ganga to be clean before March 2019: Gadkari
Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that the work for cleaning and rejuvenation of River Ganga is ongoing and 70-80 per cent of the work will be completed before March next year.The minister reviewed the Namami Gange project work with officials and contractors from four states namely Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Senior officials of National Mission for Clean Ganga were also present at the meeting.Speaking to ANI, Nitin Gadkari said, "The review was related to the projects ongoing alongside River Ganga and its tributaries. At some places, there are issues concerning defence, railways, electric lines and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) road projects.""The construction of ghats and crematoriums is also ongoing and by March end, this task will be completed. Namami Gange programme is very successful and by March 2019, 70-80 per cent work will be done and the rest will be finished by March
Environment experts, doctors welcome SC verdict on bursting firecrackers on Diwali
Environment and health experts welcomed the Supreme Court's order Tuesday on the sale and manufacture of low-emission "green" firecrackers, with some terming it as a "spectacular" decision and others saying it was time the society celebrated festive occasions "more responsibly". The apex court, besides imposing decibel limits on firecrackers that could be sold in the market across the country, in its verdict also fixed a two-hour time period from 8 pm to 10 pm for bursting them on Diwali and other festivals. D Saha, an environmental scientist who previously worked with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), welcomed the judgement and said the authorities would now have to ensure that the norms are adhered to more strictly, especially at the manufacturing level. "As a society, we have been using firecrackers to celebrate occasions, from festivals to landmark days and weddings to grand events, but there is a much bigger cost involved, the damage the bursting causes to the ...
180 talukas in Maharashtra facing drought-like situation: Fadnavis
Around 180 talukas in Maharashtra are facing a drought-like situation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Tuesday. These talukas were identified on the basis of norms laid down by the Centre, he said, adding the situation has arisen as the state received only 77 per cent of its average rainfall this year. The opposition Congress slammed the BJP-led government over the issue, saying it should straightway declare drought in the state and stop using terminologies like "scarcity-like" or a "drought-like" to describe the situation. "A situation of drought has developed in Maharashtra. The state has received only 77 per cent of its average annual rainfall. I have declared 180 talukas to be facing a drought-like situation as per the norms of the Centre and immediate measures are being taken in view of the situation," Fadnavis told reporters after a weekly state cabinet meeting here. The state has more than 350 talukas spread across 36 districts. He said relief measures being undertaken ..
Exclusive: Exxon, Rosneft to build LNG plant with Japanese, Indian partners - sources
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Rosneft and U.S. ExxonMobil plan to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in a consortium with Indian and Japanese partners, spreading the estimated $15 billion cost, two sources familiar with the talks said.
Snowfall forces suspension of traffic on Mughal road in JK
Fresh snowfall in some high altitude areas including Peer Ki Gali forced suspension of traffic on Tuesday on the historic Mughal road, the alternate link between Kashmir and rest of the country, traffic department officials said. Traffic was suspended around 4.30 pm on the Mughal road, connecting the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu with Shopian district of south Kashmir, as a precautionary measure in view of the heavy snowfall in Peer Ki Gali and adjoining areas along the road, the officials said. They said the snowfall began in the afternoon and intensified later, rendering the road unsafe for traffic. The traffic was stopped at Brahamgala and no vehicle is being allowed to move further towards Kashmir, they said. "It is still snowing and once the weather improves and the road is cleared, the stranded vehicles will be allowed to move towards their destinations," the officials said.
Leopard found dead, villager held
A decomposed carcass of a leopard was recovered from a water body near Bampewada village under Lakhni forest range in Bhandara district, forest officials said Tuesday. The carcass was found near Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) on Sakoli-Tirora Road, they said. A local villager was detained in this connection by the forest authorities, who suspect that the big cat died of electrocution and was thrown into the water body in an attempt to cover up its death. Range Forest Officer Bharat Koli of Lakhni was tipped off that the wild animal got electrocuted three days back in a paddy-field near Bampewada village and its carcass was later thrown into a water body. According to a forest official, an investigation was launched and the villager was detained. It is suspected that the animal died after it came in contact with the electric fence laid by the villager around his farmland in a bid to protect the crop. "The carcass was pulled out of water with the help of a local ...
Nearly 46 lakh tonne paddy procured in Punjab
Nearly 46 lakh tonne of paddy has been procured in Punjab this season, food and supplies officials said on Tuesday.
Drought cripples crucial German waterways
The docks are eerily quiet at Cologne's main port on the mighty River Rhine, with hundreds of containers piled up and awaiting their journey north on one of Europe's busiest commercial arteries. Months of scarce rainfall and hot sunny weather drove water levels on the Rhine to a record low, forcing ship operators to suspend services to keep vessels from running aground. "We haven't had any new ships in Cologne since last week -- they stop in Duisburg" 80 kilometres (50 miles) north, Oliver Grossmann, head of shipping company CTS, told AFP. He said that under normal conditions, "three or four" of his big vessels would stop each day in the city known for its Gothic cathedral. The few barges still chugging along the river have had to drastically reduce their cargo to stay afloat. Sitting in his office overlooking the mountain of containers, Grossman said rail links can only fill part of the gap as long as river transport is paralysed because of a lack of infrastructure and train ...
Delhi's landfill burns for 3rd day, turns air quality severe
The fire that started at the sprawling Bhalaswa landfill site here on Sunday is continuing for the third day on Tuesday, while a very poor quality air is choking Delhi.
