Page 413 - Environment
Delhi's Dwarka chokes as garbage burning releases toxic gases
Residents of Dwarka sub-city on Saturday took out a protest march as open burning of garbage continued, spewing toxic fumes and worsening the air quality to "severe-plus or emergency".
India takes strong steps towards achieving Paris Agreement goals
Government of India took an important step toward its goals for low-carbon, climate-resilient development with the approval of a US$ 43 million grant from the Green Climate Fund, supporting climate resilience of millions of people living in the coastal states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.The new project will be supported through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and is an essential step for India in reaching its goals outlined in the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNDP said in a press statement. It added that these global compacts call on every nation to end poverty and hunger by 2030, and to take strong action to ensure no one is left behind in protecting vulnerable people from the extreme impacts of climate change.Over 1.7 million people are expected to directly benefit from livelihoods support, with another 10 million indirectly benefitting from improved shoreline protection. In reaching the Sustainable Development Goals for
China sharing information: Rijiju on Brahmaputra blockage
Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that the Chinese government is sharing information regarding the Brahmaputra river blockage with the Indian authorities, which is being passed on to the district administration in Siang belt of Arunachal Pradesh. The blockage in the river is due to a landslide in Tibet.The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Counsellor Ji Rong, on Friday said that India was immediately informed about the landslide which occurred on October 17 in the lower ranges of Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet and caused a river blockage on the Indian side. He informed that the river was blocked, and a barrier lake was formed due to the landslide.Rijiju, responding to media queries on the issue, said that all precautionary measures are being taken and alerts have been issued in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.He said, "Siang river, which is known as Tsangpo in Tibet, is a very big river. When there are some natural calamities like .
: Ginger (Inferior) Rs.14,000/-,
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Kiran Bedi led Water Rich Puducherry initiative completes 200 weeks
Puducherry Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday completed 200th morning round of a self-introduced cleaning initiative that involves cleaning of water canals and other water bodies.After taking charge as Puducherry Governor, Kiran Bedi formed a team which would go for weekend morning rounds and involve themselves in cleaning ponds, lakes, canals and nearby public places as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The group named Water Rich Puducherry Team has been reviewing the progress of cleaning along with Bedi.In today's 200th morning round, Bedi went to villages of Pilliyar kuppam, Suthukeny and Korkadu Tank feeder. She reviewed cleaning of ponds and lakes with the help of private organisations. Efforts in these villages will help thousands of farmers and villagers around Pondicherry city.Speaking about the initiative, which she terms as historical community action, Bedi said, "We are correcting the past. It is like a debt that has accumulated. We are clearing the debt of silt, the bushes. We ..
GSI to organise exhibition of rocks, minerals
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) will organise a two-day exhibition 'Bhusampada 2018' of rocks, minerals and fossils from October 22, officials said Saturday. They said various scientific instruments being used in surveys, mineral exploration, remote sensing, earthquake geology will be displayed at the exhibition to be organised at Jawahar Kala Kendra. The event will provide a suitable platform for school and earth science students to interact with geo-scientists and know about rich resources of the state, he added.
People living near Arunachal's Siang river moved to safety
People living along the banks of Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh have been moved to safer places after China informed India about possible flash floods in the area due to formation of an artificial lake in Tibet, officials said Saturday. The first rush of water reached Pasihgat, the headquarters of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, at around 7.30 am Saturday, said Water Resources department, superintending engineer (Hqs), Getom Borang. The water flow was under control and below the danger level at 11 am, he told PTI over phone. Deputy Commissioner of East Siang district, Duly Kamduk and officials of the Water Resources department are constantly keeping a watch on the flow of the Siang river, while the National Disaster Response Force (NERF) team has arrived, officials said. In East Siang district, many people living near the banks of the Siang river have been evacuated to safer locations as a precautionary measure, they said. Arunchal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare ...
Europe-Japan joint mission set out for Mercury
Two satellites developed in Europe and Japan are on their way to the Sun's closest planet Mercury. It is likely to take them seven years to reach their destination.
Haze engulfs Delhi as air quality worsens
A haze engulfed the national capital as the air quality nosedived to "very poor" category with several areas inching towards "severe" pollution levels, authorities said Saturday. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 337, which falls in the 'very poor' category and is the highest of this season, creating hazy conditions, said data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). About 31 areas in Delhi recorded 'very poor' air quality while two areas showed 'severe' air quality levels, it said. CRRU Mathura Road and Dwarka Sector 8 witnessed 'severe' level of pollution at 414 and 402, respectively, the data said. Anand Vihar, DTU, Mundka, Narela, Nehru Nagar and Rohini all showed 'very poor' air quality, it said. 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 deterioration of air quality comes a day after fire crackers were burst on the ..
World's longest sea bridge between China-Hong Kong to open on Oct 24
The world's longest sea bridge Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be thrown open for traffic on October 24, the authorities said Saturday. The 55-kilometer-long bridge, situated in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River Estuary, will be the world's longest sea bridge, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The construction of the multibillion-dollar bridge had begun in December 2009. It will slash the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to just 30 minutes, further integrating the cities in the Pearl River Delta. The bridge will be opened for traffic on October 24, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority said. Earlier, lawmakers in Hong Kong warned that the bridge, which provides a direct link to Hong Kong International Airport, could bring extra traffic to Lantau Island, and cause congestion, South China Morning Post said in a report. The Transport Department has already capped the number of permits for cross-border private cars at 5,000, it said. A ...
No respite for Delhi as air quality remains poor
Air quality in the national capital remained in the poor category on Saturday as stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana continues to take a toll on the city's atmosphere.According to the latest Air Quality Index (AQI) data, the air quality of Delhi's Lodhi Road area showed levels of prominent pollutants PM (particulate matter) 2.5 and PM 10 at 226 and 267 respectively.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".However, despite being prohibited from burning farm residue, farmers continue to do so due to the lack of feasible alternatives, blaming industries and vehicles for being the primary source for air pollution.The National Green Tribunal has implemented strict norms on stubble burning. In order to curb the situation and find a better alternative, the Centre has also approved a large sum of money for modern tools and technology.
China-built world's largest amphibious plane completes maiden flight test
China's indigenously designed and built amphibious aircraft AG600, touted as the world's largest, successfully carried out its first take-off and landing tests on Saturday. The aircraft, developed and built by the state-owned aircraft firm Aviation Industry Corporation of China, took off and later landed on the water in Hubei province's Jingmen, state-run China Daily reported. The seaplane took off from the Zhanghe Reservoir at 8:51 am (local time) and stayed airborne for about 15 minutes, said the report which also accompanied the videos of the aircraft's take off. The aircraft code-named Kunlong was piloted by four crew members. Early this month, it completed its first water taxiing trials at a high speed of 145 kilometres. Designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, AG600 is powered by four domestically-built turboprop engines and has a range of 12 hours. It will be mainly used for maritime rescue, fighting forest fires and marine monitoring, according to an earlier ...
Tribals to oppose 'Statue of Unity' unveiling by Modi
As the BJP governments, both at the state and the Centre, gear up for the unveiling of the tallest statue in the world -- "Statue of Unity" of Sardar Patel -- by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, thousands of tribals in villages near the site are bracing for a major showdown against the project.
India immediately informed: China on Brahmaputra blockage
The Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Counselor Ji Rong, claimed that India was "immediately" informed about the landslide which occurred in the lower ranges of Yaluzangbu river in Tibet and caused a river blockage on the Indian side.Counselor Ji confirmed that the river was blocked and a barrier lake was formed due to the landslides which occurred on October 17.In official remarks released in the wake of the incident, the spokesperson added, "After the incident happened, Ministry of Water Resources of China informed the Indian side immediately and activated the Emergency Information Sharing Mechanism."While stating that China is closely monitoring the situation, Counselor Ji said, "According to instructions from the Ministry of Water Resources of China to inform India the hydrological information of the Yaluzangbu River at emergency, the Hydrological Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region of China has begun to share with the Indian side hydrological information every hour, ...
'International cooperation required to deny shelter to economic offenders'
Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu called for international cooperation to deny shelter to economic offenders while addressing the plenary session of the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit held in Brussels.In the summit, whose theme was "Global Partners for Global Challenges", Naidu expressed that India considered economic offences, tax crimes and criminal misappropriation of public assets as a significant threat to the integrity of financial systems."We need to considerably strengthen international cooperation within G20 and other fora, to deny shelter to economic offenders. There is also an urgent need for enhancing mechanisms for Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) with committed timelines. ASEM can and should play an important role in this regard," he added.He further labelled terrorism as a "major threat to global peace and security", along with radicalisation and extremism, while adding, "India, as an affected party, urges the international community to work towards ..
Delhi will soon become a gas chamber: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday flayed the Centre and the neighbouring state governments for their inaction to stop stubble burning and said that "Delhi will become a gas chamber".
Maharashtra Congress challenges PM's claim on housing for poor
The Maharashtra Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading the country by "making false claims that the UPA government built only 25 lakh houses" against the NDA's 1.25 crore homes in a four-year period.
India, China in regular contact over Brahmaputra river blockage: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that India and China are in regular contact over Brahmaputra river blockage caused due to a landslide in Tibet.Ministry of External Affairs Official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, in a statement, said that all relevant authorities of the central government and concerned state governments have been apprised about the emerging situation to enable them to take necessary precautionary measures."On October 17, 2018, the Chinese side informed us about a landslide blocking the mainstream of Yarlung Zangbo/Brahmaputra River in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Based on the information provided, all relevant authorities of the Central Government and concerned State Governments have been apprised about the emerging situation to enable them to take necessary precautionary measures in this regard," he said.The MEA spokesperson was responding to media queries about the landslide in Tibet that blocked the flow of the Brahmaputra river.Yarlung Zangbo river, ...
France to send aircraft carrier to Indian Ocean next year
France said Friday it would send its aircraft carrier to the Indian Ocean next year, to defend freedom of navigation at a time of growing Chinese assertiveness in disputed waters. The Charles de Gaulle, currently in the southern French port of Toulon undergoing renovation, should be ready to sail to the Indian Ocean early next year, Defence Minister Florence Parly said. France "has always stood in the front line in defence of the inalienable right of freedom of navigation in international waters," Parly told La Provence newspaper. "Whenever there are infringements of this fundamental principal of international law, as is currently the case in southern China, we shall make a show of our freedom to act and sail in such waters," she added. In May, the French helicopter-carrier Dixmude cruised the South China Sea, while a French air squadron flew over the region in August. Also in May, French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on a trip to Australia, said no country could be allowed to ..
Delhi's air very-poor, may turn severe
The national Capital and the regions around it continue to suffer a "very-poor" air quality on Friday, which according to experts, may worsen due to combined effects of Dussehera and meteorological reasons such as low winds in Delhi.
