Page 408 - Environment
Punjab CM, Israel Prez discuss cooperation in water management, agri, internal security apparatus
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday met Israeli President Reuven Rivlin here and sought to enhance cooperation between his state and the Jewish nation in the field of water management, agriculture and strengthening internal security apparatus. Singh is on a five-day visit to Israel that commenced on Monday. He is heading a high level delegation to the country to strengthen Punjab's cooperation with the middle east nation in the field of agriculture, horticulture, dairy farming and waste water management, besides trying to attract investments in the state. "Glad to have met President of Israel, @PresidentRuvi today. Discussed the continued strengthening of relations between Israel & India. Expressed to him our great interest in Israeli water management, agriculture and cyber technologies," Singh tweeted after the meeting. "The two leaders discussed a variety of subjects of mutual interest. The talks focused, in particular, on water management and homeland/internal ...
World's oldest intact shipwreck discovered in Black Sea
Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the worlds oldest intact shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea where it appears to have lain undisturbed for more than 2,400 years, a media report said on Tuesday.
Farmers continue to burn stubble in Haryana's Fatehabad
Even after prohibition, farmers in the state's Fatehabad district continues to burn stubble in the region.The state's Agriculture Department Director Balwant Saharan said that they have identified 180 cases of stubble burning between September 25 and October 21."In between September 25 to October 21, we have identified 180 cases of stubble burning. Notice has been issued against them. We are trying to create awareness among people," Saharan said.As autumn sets in, bringing along with it the harvesting period for Kharif crops, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is causing deterioration of air quality in Delhi and the neighbouring National Capital Region. This, in turn, has necessitated the National Green Tribunal to implement strict norms on stubble burning.Particles from stubble burning combined with industrial pollution and intensified with vehicle exhaust and dust envelop the region every year as winter approaches. This causes drop in wind speed.Following the directions of the ...
Fireworks industry to file review petition in SC after Diwali
The Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TANFAMA) on Tuesday said that it would file a review petition in the Supreme Court post Diwali.
Delhi's air quality index stays in 'poor' category
Delhi's air quality continued to be in the "poor" category Tuesday, a day after it had improved from "very poor" Air Quality Index (AQ1) zone. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the city's overall AQI at 252 at 11 am. 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'. The air quality in the national capital had shown signs of improvement Monday as it moved from 'very poor' to 'poor' category, but experts said it could deteriorate in the coming days due to toxic air coming out of a fire at Bhalswa landfill site. The fire was extinguished Monday by a team of firefighters even as the area's civic body said it was keeping a watch on it, while Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain directed the municipal corporation to work on preventing landfill site fires. The Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) also reported an AQI in the ..
Liquid water on Mars may hold enough oxygen to support life: Study
Salty pools of water under the surface of Mars could hold enough oxygen to support the kind of microbial life, according to a study which contradicts existing views on the red planet's potential habitability. The findings could inform future missions to Mars by providing better targets to rovers searching for signs of past or present habitable environments, researchers said. A team led by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the US has calculated that if liquid water exists on Mars, it could -- under specific conditions -- contain more oxygen than previously thought possible. According to the model, the levels could even theoretically exceed the threshold needed to support simple aerobic life. The existence of liquid water on Mars is not a given. Even if it is there, researchers have long dismissed the idea that it might be oxygenated, given that Mars's atmosphere is about 160 times thinner than that of Earth and is ..
World's oldest intact shipwreck found in Black Sea
An ancient Greek trading ship dating back more than 2,400 years has been found virtually intact at the bottom of the Black Sea, researchers said on Tuesday. The vessel is one of more than 60 shipwrecks identified by the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project including Roman ships and a 17th-century Cossack raiding fleet. During the three-year project, researchers used specialist remote deep-water camera systems previously used in offshore oil and gas exploration to map the sea floor. "A small piece of the vessel has been carbon dated and it is confirmed as the oldest intact shipwreck known to mankind," the project said in a statement. The ship, which is lying on its side with its mast and rudders intact, was dated back to 400 BC -- a time when the Black Sea was a trading hub filled with Greek colonies. The team said the vessel, previously only seen in an intact state on the side of ancient Greek pottery, was found at a depth of more than 2,000 metres (6,500 feet). The water at that ...
'Himalayan Viagra' under threat from climate change: Study
A parasitic fungus that is more valuable than gold, and is nicknamed "Himalayan Viagra" due to its demand as an impotence cure, could vanish if current harvesting and climate trends continue, according to a study using data from four countries, including India. The fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, survives by preying on ghost moth caterpillars in some of the highest reaches of the Himalayas, said researchers from the Stanford University in the US. The fungus infects and eats the insides of a caterpillar that burrows underground for winter, said Kelly Hopping, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford. Beginning in the 1990s, demand for the fungus as an aphrodisiac, impotence cure and remedy for the deadly SARS virus -- while unsupported by scientific evidence -- helped to jumpstart a global trade, researchers said. Since then, belief in a wide range of healthful effects from the fungus has fuelled a market valued at some USD 11 billion, as well as concern that ..
Proposed Khurja coal power plant overpriced, threat to Delhi's air quality: IEEFA
The state-run THDCIL's proposed Khurja coal power plant in Uttar Pradesh would not only push up the cost of electricity at a time when renewable energy options are cheaper but will also be a threat to Delhi's air quality, a report said on Tuesday.
China grain imports plunge in September amid trade war with U.S., higher prices
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese imports of grains such as sorghum plunged in September from the year before, customs data showed on Tuesday, hit by escalating trade tensions with the United States and high prices elsewhere.
NASA CubeSat beams back image of Mars
NASA's first CubeSats to travel into deep space have beamed back an image of Mars -- visible as a tiny red dot against the dark sky. The twin, low-cost MarCO CubeSats, which are sharing a ride with InSight Mars lander, were designed to find out if they could survive the journey to deep space. The two CubeSats are officially called MarCO-A and MarCO-B. The image of Mars was taken on October 3 from a distance of roughly 12.8 million kilometres. A wide-angle camera on top of MarCO-B produced the image as a test of exposure settings. The MarCO mission, led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, hopes to produce more images as the CubeSats approach Mars. On November 26, they'll demonstrate their communications capabilities while NASA's InSight spacecraft attempts to land on the red planet. The MarCOs are "chasing" Mars, which is a moving target as it orbits the Sun. In order to be in place for InSight's landing, the CubeSats have to travel roughly 85 million ...
World's longest sea bridge opened in China
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday officially inaugurated the Hong Kong-Zhuhai sea-crossing bridge at a ceremony in Zhuhai.It took nine years to construct the bridge which runs 55 km and connects Zhuhai in mainland China with the semi-autonomous territories of Hong Kong and Macau built over the Pearl River Delta sea. It will open to regular traffic on Wednesday, CNN reported.The bridge is built with 400,000 tons of steel, which is 4.5 times the amount used in the construction of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and can withstand natural calamities such as earthquakes (maximum 8.0 magnitude) and typhoons.The structure also has a 6.7 km submerged tunnel to avoid the busy shipping paths over the Pearl River Delta. The tunnel connects two islands on reclaimed land, measuring 100,000 square metres each, situated in shallow waters.The project, which costs USD 20 billion, was dogged by safety and land acquisition issues. With the bridge now officially flagged off, the journey time ...
Delhi gasps for breath as air quality dips further
The air quality of Delhi nosedived on Tuesday just a few days after scores of effigies were burned across the region on the occasion of Dussehra.According to the latest System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) data, the air quality in capital's Lodhi Road area showed levels of prominent pollutants PM (particulate matter) 10 and PM 2.5 at 237 and 214, respectively.The AQI between the range of 51 to 100 is considered as satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 falls under the poor category, whereas 401-500 range is severe.The organisation has adviced the people residing in Delhi to avoid all outdoor physical activities. It has warned all asthmatics to keep relief medicines handy. "Stop any activity level if you experience any usual coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or fatigue," it added.On a related note, SAFAR has also conducted a scientific study which revealed that 41 per cent of the pollution in the national capital is caused by .
Chinese President opens world's longest sea-crossing bridge
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday officially opened the world's longest sea-crossing bridge that connects mainland China with Hong Kong and Macau, during a ceremony in the city of Zhuhai.
Centre should release funds for Polavaram project: Andhra CM
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu urged the Centre to release funds for the Polavaram irrigation project so that the work can be done in a full-fledged manner.Addressing the media after reviewing the project on Monday, Naidu said, "The Centre should release funds as soon as possible. Rehabilitation and Resettlement should be paid as per Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013.The Polavaram national project is a lifeline for the Andhra Pradesh. We are committed to complete the project."Naidu also announced that the project will be operational by May 2019 and water would be released from the canals by then."Of the 1,66,423 acres required, 1,10,195 acres had already been acquired and 56,000 acres are pending. Our ultimate aim is to make one crore acres of micro-irrigation soon. From now on, there will be a non-stop work until June next year. I want to complete a major part of the Polavaram project by May 2019. With five rivers interlinking, the entire state would be .
Punjab can use Israeli tech to solve issues of farmers, water conservation: CM Amarinder
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has said his state could use the know-how and technology of Israel to solve issues of farmers and water conservation, describing his first day of official engagements in the Jewish nation as "extremely productive". Singh, who is on a three-day visited to Israel, reached Sunday evening. "Had an extremely productive 1st day in Israel, beginning with some major investment talks, followed by field visits to NaanDanJain Irrigation farms, & Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant. "Impressed by the Homeland Security presentation on latest technologies to prevent crime," he tweeted Monday. The Punjab chief minister started his official engagements seeking Israeli investments in his state in areas such as infrastructure development, housing, energy, water supply and irrigation. He met officials of Israel's Tyros International Group Ltd to discuss investments opportunities in Punjab's infrastructure sector. Singh and his accompanying high-level ...
Delhi Environment Minister takes note of fire at landfill site
Taking cognisance of the fire incident at Bhalaswa garbage landfill site, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Monday directed the MCDs to develop scientifically-engineered landfill sites in the national capital.
Oppn knows nothing about water conservation: Maha minister
Maharashtra Water Conservation Minister Ram Shinde Monday claimed that the opposition has no knowledge about water conservation and it did nothing but indulge in corruption while in power. "The Jalyukt Shivar has turned out to the the most successful scheme in the state and the Congress's criticism of it is childish and without any study. The opposition has no knowledge about water conservation," Shinde told reporters. "While in the power, they spent crores of rupees on irrigation but not even one percent irrigation took place in their regime. Except corruption, the opposition did nothing while in power," he alleged. He also said that Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA) surveyed only 3,900 villages in the state and it did not reflect the complete picture of the state. He said that due to the Jalyukt Shivar scheme, there is a "noticeable" increase in the groundwater level in the state.
Quoting 2017 success, government calls for green-Diwali
To control the air-quality from becoming lethal a day after Diwali this year, the Union Environment Ministry on Monday initiated Green-Diwali campaign to create awareness.
Odisha urges Centre for free LPG cylinders in 3 cyclone-hit
Noting that Cyclone 'Titli' and resultant floods have "shattered" the poor in Gajapati, Ganjam and Rayagada districts, Odisha government on Monday urged the Centre for supply of free LPG cylinders to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY). Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister S N Patro, in a letter to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, said people in these districts are the "worst sufferers" and unable to pay the subsidised rate for the cylinders. "... I would request you to waive off the subsidised cost of the domestic LPG cylinders and supply the same free-of-cost, which will help in ameliorating the sufferings of the poor beneficiaries," Patro said. "The backbone of the poor people has been completely shattered due to such natural calamities," he said, adding, the Centre provides subsidised LPG cylinders to poorer sections of the society under the PMUY in the three districts. While 50,990 subsidised gas ..
