Page 409 - Environment
ReNew Power to set up 3 MW floating solar project in Vizag
Private renewable energy producer ReNew Power said on Monday that it has won an order for developing a 3 MW floating solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Delhi's air poor as areas in south district turn severe
The National Capital faced poor air-quality, while Nehru Nagar in south Delhi choked at 'severe-plus' with pollutants over seven times higher than standards.
Guj: 3 lion cubs found dead near Gir, infighting suspected
The carcasses of three lion cubs were Monday found from the outskirts of a village in Amreli district near the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Forest department officials said. Primary investigation has revealed that the three cubs, in the age group of 4 to 5 months, were killed by male lions during infighting between prides to establish dominance, said a statement from the department. Locals had alerted the forest staff after spotting the carcass of a lion cub on the outskirts of Khadadhar village of Amreli district. "Upon reaching the spot, the forest staff found two more carcasses of lion cubs from a nearby area. Forensic experts and veterinary doctors found deep wounds of canine teeth on their bodies. They also found pug marks of other lions in the area" the statement said. "Carcass of a nilgai, killed by lions, was also found in the area. These signs indicated that the cubs might have been killed by other male lions during an in-fight" the statement said, adding that a ...
Delhi env min directs MCD to work on preventing fire at landfill sites; commissioners 'skip' meet
Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain Monday expressed serious concern over the fire at Bhalaswa landfill site and directed civic authorities to ensure such incidents do not recur, officials said. The minister convened a meeting of senior officials of the environment department and the three corporations, representatives from various agencies, including the Delhi Fire Services and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), to review the preparedness of the municipal corporations in handling the incidents of any fire at the sanitary landfill sites at Bhalaswa, Ghazipur and Okhla. "The commissioners of the three municipal corporations did not attend the meeting," the environment department said in a statement. "The minister expressed serious concern at the fire breaking out at Bhalaswa, since Delhi is already bracing itself with the adverse impact of stubble burning in the neighbouring states which is likely to aggravate air quality of Delhi in the coming days," the statement ...
Punjab CM meets Israeli biz leaders, seeks investments
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who is on a five-day official visit to Israel, Monday held a series of interactions with Israeli business leaders to seek investments in the state and assess potential for collaboration in infrastructural, agricultural and water management sectors. The meetings laid the ground for strong collaborations between the two sides in some of Punjab's most vital areas of development, and gave a boost to the close economic and historical ties between Punjab and Israel, as per government release issued here. At a meeting with officials of Tyros International Group Ltd, the Chief Minister discussed possibilities of investment by the Group in the areas of energy, water, affordable housing, construction schools and hospitals. The officials briefed the Punjab delegation led by the Chief Minister on the work being done by the Group, which specialises in impact investments and projects, in India, where it has decided to open an FDI Fund dedicated for impact ...
SC stays U'khand HC order for CBI probe into tiger deaths
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed an Uttarakhand High Court order directing a CBI probe into the death of tigers in the state, including at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, over the past five years and alleged involvement of forest officials in the poaching of animals. A bench of justices R F Nariman and S A Nazeer also issued notice to the petitioner NGO on whose plea the order was passed by the high court on September 4. "Issue notice. In the meanwhile, there shall be stay of operation of the impugned interim order of the high court," the bench said. In its order, the high court had asked the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry into all the cases of poaching in Uttarakhand in last five years and to find out the complicity of officials of the forest department. The high court's order came after it was told that out of nine tiger deaths in the past, only six were natural. The high court had also noted that in a period of two-and-a-half years, 40 tigers and 272 leopards had died in the ...
Odisha govt to capture tigress Sundari, keep it in enclosure
The Odisha government said on Monday that it will capture tigress 'Sundari', who has allegedly killed a lot of people in Angul district, and keep it in an enclosure. Major political parties and local people have demanded the shifting of the big cat from the Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Angul district. A 60-year-old man was mauled to death allegedly by the tigress on Sunday morning and on Monday it killed a bullock, officials said. Earlier, the tigress had allegedly killed a woman on September 12, they said. "Safety of the people is our priority. The state government has decided to capture the animal and keep it in an enclosure in Satkosia area," PCCF (wildlife) Sandip Tripathy told reporters here. Tripathy said two teams are ready to start tranquillisation of the tigress which was translocated from Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh to Satkosia. "We have already taken up the matter with the authorities of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife ...
SC stays NGT order clearing ambitious Chardham project in Uttarakhand
The Supreme Court Monday stayed the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) which had cleared the ambitious 'Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna' that proposes to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns of Uttarakhand. The four towns of the hilly state to be connected by all-weather roads are: Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. A bench of Justices R F Nariman and S Abdul Nazeer issued notice to Centre and Uttarakhand and sought their reply. It posted the matter for further hearing on November 15. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for Centre, said that the green tribunal had already passed an order with regard to the project. Advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for petitioner NGO 'Citizens for Green Doon', said that the order was passed by a bench of tribunal which was not as per the apex court order of August 27. The bench, then stayed the order of tribunal and sought response from the Centre and state government by November ...
EPCA directs industries to stop burning waste in Narela, Bawana Industrial belt
New Delhi [India], Oct 22 (ANI): The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on Monday held an urgent meeting here, where it instructed the industrialists to stop burning plastic and rubber waste in the Narela and Bawana industrial belt as it has escalated the level of toxic content.Lately, it has been found that many industries operating in this belt burnt waste in open, deteriorating the air quality and causing serious health hazards.The meeting was attended by Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Narela Industrial Estate representatives.EPCA Chairman, Bhure Lal instructed the Narela Industrial Estate representatives to stop burning the plastic and rubber waste immediately, as well as told them that any kind of violation will lead to a compensation of hefty fine which might also lead to prosecution.The industries have sought ten days to clear the waste dumped on the roadsides.However, representatives of the industries ...
Inform us about video-conferencing in observation homes, JJBs,SC tells Centre
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to inform it about the number of observation homes for housing juveniles and also those having video-conferencing facility across the country.
Himachal's mega hydro project re-allotted
After over a decade of flip-flops and litigation, a multi-million dollar hydropower project was re-allotted on Monday by the Himachal Pradesh government to state-run Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL).
NGT summons secy over implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules
The National Green Tribunal Monday directed the joint secretary (Swachh Bharat) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to appear before it tomorrow to explain implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. A bench, headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore, directed the official to explain the compliance of its order on the issue. Warning that failure to ensure proper management of solid waste will have disastrous consequences, the tribunal has appointed three committees to monitor disposal of garbage in an eco-friendly manner across the country. The municipal solid waste (MSW) management is one of the most serious challenges to environment protection and although the Solid Waste Management Rules have been framed in 2016, their implementation remains a problem, the tribunal had said, expressing its anguish over the issue. The tribunal had formed three committees -- apex monitoring committee, regional monitoring committees and state-level committees -- to oversee the ...
After roads, HAM projects find way for sewage treatment plants for Ganga cleaning
After reviving highway projects with newer hybrid annuity mode (HAM), the model is being used for sewage treatments plants aimed at checking pollution and cleaning Ganga with approval to 16 such projects, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said Monday. In order to fast-track highway projects, revive the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode and attract more investments to the sector, the government had approved HAM under which it provides 40 per cent of the project cost to the developer to start work while the remaining investment is made by the developer. These 16 projects are in addition to three HAM projects at Varanasi, Haridwar and Mathura where work has already commenced. "To address pollution issues and to fast-track Ganga cleaning programmes, we have approved 16 STP projects in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal," River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Gadkari told PTI. Gadkari said of these six are in Uttar Pradesh, three in Bihar and seven in West Bengal. These are in
INLD delegation calls on Khattar; demands compensation for farmers
A delegation of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Monday called on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and demanded compensation for farmers who suffered damage to their crops due to recent rains and hailstorm in the state. The delegation was led by Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala. This year, the farmers have faced double misfortune in the form of damaged crops, particularly paddy, and the flooding of the fields has posed a threat to the forthcoming rabi sowing season unless these are drained out in time, the opposition delegation apprised Khattar. The INLD has also demanded that the Haryana government provide pumps at its own cost to drain out the water-logged fields, Chautala told reporters here. He said the delegation also pointed out that "farmers are short-changed in the grain markets in the name of moisture content of paddy, suffer short weighing and ruse of discoloration of paddy due to rains". "Using these tools, the government agencies, in connivance with the ...
Everest Organics gets closure notice for Telangana plant over pollution violations
The Telangana State Pollution Control Board has directed bulk drugs maker Everest Organics to close its plant at Sadasivapet in the state for non-compliance to pollution norms, the drug company said Monday. The company has received "closure orders of factory situated at Sadasivapet, Telangana from Telangana State Pollution Control Board" on October 20, 2018 with regards to non-compliances of pollution norms, Everest Organics informed BSE after market close. The management has taken up the matter with the pollution control authority and is trying to resolve the issue at the earliest, the company said in the regulatory filing. Shares of Everest Organics Monday closed at Rs 81 apiece on BSE, up 7.28 per cent from the previous close.
Forest department gets giant lizard
A giant lizard which was found by a footballer at his farm was given to the Forest department here Monday, officials said. Interacting with mediapersons after donating the lizard to the Forest department at Blyth's Tragopan Conservation and Breeding Centre here, Roko Angami said he found the giant lizard around 3.4 feet long at his farm in Zhadima village. After receiving the lizard, Forester-I Kohima, Kiukhenshi S. Yimchunger said the species will soon be handed over to Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar Dimapur. Kiukhenshi acknowledge Angami for coming forward voluntarily, thereby strengthening the wildlife conservation efforts in Nagaland.
Odisha seeks free LPG cylinders for cyclone-affected people
The Odisha state government on Monday urged the Centre to supply cooking gas cylinders free-of-cost to those affected by cyclone Titli and the consequent floods.
Giant mice threaten rare seabirds on remote British island
Mice brought to a remote South Atlantic island by sailors in the 19th century are threatening seabirds including the critically endangered Tristan albatross, a British charity said on Monday. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the rodents have proliferated on uninhabited Gough Island, part of a British overseas territory, and are killing two million birds every year. "We knew there were large numbers of chicks and eggs being beaten each year but the actual number being taken by the mice is just staggering," Alex Bond, a researcher from the Natural History Museum in London, said in a statement released by the RSPB. The predatory mice have evolved to become "two or three times larger" than the average house mouse and they attack in groups, eating away at the flesh of chicks which can suffer for days before the open wounds lead to their deaths, the RSPB said. Other threatened species endangered by the mice include the Gough bunting and Atlantic petrel, the RSPB ...
Chandrayaan-2 lunar probe to have orbiter and lander: PRL
Ahmedabad-based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) has developed three payloads for India's second lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan-2, which unlike Chandrayaan-1 will include an orbiter, a lander and a rover. While the country's first lunar probe was launched in October 2008, the schedule of the proposed Chandrayaan-2 lift-off is being eagerly awaited. "There are three payloads developed by the PRL for Chandrayaan-2. The orbiter will have a solar X-ray monitor developed by PRL. It will monitor x-rays coming from the Sun and X-rays being generated on the surface of the moon," said PRL Director Dr. Anil Bhardwaj. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 15th International Symposium on Equatorial Aeronomy, organised at the main PRL campus here. PRL, a unit of Department of Space, was founded in 1947. "On the lander, there will be Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE). This is a probe which will measure the temperature beneath the surface by .
Boats of fishermen from TN seized by peers in Kerala
Forty fishermen from this region of Tamil Nadu were 'detained' by a group of country boat fishers from Kerala for fishing off their state coast allegedly in violation of rules. The fishermen from Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts were allegedly fishing close to the coast in their mechanised boats off Kathangode in Kerala when the country boat fishermen intercepted and forced them to 'surrender' late Sunday night, police here said. Quoting information received by some of the detained fishermen's families in Rameswaram, police said the Kerala fishermen took the 40 to Kathangode and handed them over to the local fisheries department officials. The Ramanathapuram fishermen informed their relatives over phone that the Kerala counterparts were demanding Rs three lakh per boat for releasing them. According to rules in force in Keala, mechanised boats are barred from fishing in waters close to the coast as such areas have been reserved for traditional fishing craft.
