Page 415 - Environment
Right policy action can help cut emissions: IEA
A global effort to deploy the right energy efficiency policies could, on its own, see greenhouse gas emissions peak quickly and then fall even as the global economy doubles between now and 2040, the IEA's analysis on energy efficiency said on Friday.
Delhi to witness restricted movement of vehicles on Dusshera
In the wake of Dusshera celebrations, security has been beefed up across the country, with special traffic arrangements and restrictions imposed in Delhi.Delhi Traffic Police has issued a traffic advisory for Friday, stating that traffic restrictions will be in place in Netaji Subhash Marg, Nishad Raj Marg (New Darya Ganj Road), Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg and Turkman Gate after 5 pm, depending on the crowd situation.Due to burning of effigies, traffic will be slow in Kotwali, Kamla Market, Ambedkar Nagar, Greater Kailash, South Avenue, Delhi Cantonment, RK Puram, Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Kirti Nagar, Hari Nagar, Vikas Puri, Naraina, Sultan Puri, Subhash Place, Keshav Puram, Model Town, Adarsh Nagar, Bhalswa dairy, Jahangir Puri, Shalimar Bagh, Maurya Enclave, Narela, Madhu Vihar, Seelam Puri, New Usman Pur, Anand Vihar, Gandhi Nagar and Farsh Bazar. Traffic Police have advised locals to avoid these areas.Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Alok Kumar said people going to New .
Arunachal Cong MP raises concern over 'grim' Tuting, Pasighat regions
Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Arunachal Pradesh Ninong Ering has written a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal seeking their intervention with regards to the blockage that has occurred in the Milin section of mainstream Brahmaputra river from October 16 due to landslides in China.Ering, in his letter to Meghwal and Swaraj, said "As per information from Ministry of Water Resources of China, landslides have blocked the Milin section of the mainstream of Brahmaputra on October 16, which will have an impact on the water situation of the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. The situation along Tuting, Yingkiong, and Pasighat in the state is grim. These places are drying up due to blockade of Brahmaputra River in China. Kindly intervene."The Congress legislator further said that the Chinese side is paying close attention to the blockage of the Yarlung Zangbo River. "If there is further information, ...
EPA chief says agency can expand ethanol sales without Congress
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Thursday the agency has the authority to allow sales of higher ethanol blends of gasoline year-round without an act of Congress.
Delhi government forms inspection team to check pollution
With Delhi air quality worsening, Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Thursday formed an inspection team to carry out surprise checks in the capital to check air pollution violations.
Seventy shepherds rescued from Himachal's Bara Bhangal
Seventy shepherds have been rescued from Bara Bhangal area of Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district after being stranded for nearly a month, a senior official said on Thursday. Nineteen groups of 70 shepherds along with over 10,000 sheep and 250 horses have been rescued, Baijnath sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Vikas Shukla said. The rescued shepherds are on their way to Baijnath in Kangra and Paddar in Mandi district, he said. Twenty-three groups of shepherds have been stuck in Bara Bhangal due to heavy snowfall there between September 21-24. Shukla told PTI that most of the stranded shepherds have been rescued by three teams comprising of 32 rescuers. However, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar claimed that the shepherds were not stranded there as such. He said this was a routine occurrence during bad weather and the rescue teams just "facilitated" the shepherds in reaching their destinations. Shukla said the rescuers managed to break the snow after working constantly for eight ..
NCR sees very-poor air quality, set to drop further
The National Capital Region saw a "very-poor" air quality on Thursday, which experts believe may further deteriorate within the next two days due to weather conditions, stubble burning and festival season.
Eliminating emissions in India and China can add years to people's lives: Study
About 2.7 billion people who live in China and India-- which is more than a third of the world's population--regularly breathe polluted air.According to a recent study, eliminating harmful emissions from power plants could save an estimated annual 15 million years of life in China and 11 million years of life in India. Air pollution is one of the largest contributors to death in both countries, ranked 4th in China and 5th in India, and harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants are a major contributing factor.In a recent study, published in the journal Environment International, researchers from Harvard University wanted to know how replacing coal-fired power plants in China and India with clean, renewable energy could benefit human health and save lives in the future.Previous research had explored mortality from exposure to fine particulate matter in India and China but few studies have quantified the impact of specific sources and regions of pollution and identified efficient ...
Centre should refrain from using coercive methods to silence NGOs: Body
An alliance of 400 organisations working to promote sustainable agriculture Thursday said it stood in solidarity with Greenpeace India after its office was raided and bank accounts frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently, and asked the Centre to refrain from using "coercive methods" to silence NGOs. The Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) said the freezing of accounts is part of a "broader pattern of intimidation" of organisations and individuals that are raising difficult questions for the government. It also asked the Centre and its agencies to understand that Greenpeace and several such bodies are essentially acting as a medium for thousands to contribute to conserving the environment and such work is an essential part of nation-building and public service. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen over a dozen bank accounts of environmental NGO Greenpeace and a linked entity after conducting searches at their premises in Bengaluru on charges of ..
Delhi govt forms inspection team to check air pollution
Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Thursday constituted a six-member team to carry out surprise inspection in the national capital to check whether measures to control air pollution have been put in place.Hussain said that inspections would be carried out to check whether ground level steps have been taken by various municipal, local body agencies such as north Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), east MCD, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), for prevention, control and mitigation of air pollution in the city.The minister also sought the details and schedule of the operation of mechanical sweeping and sprinkling vehicles being operated by these bodies including the PWD.As per the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling of the roads is one of the important means to check and curb air pollution.The team constituted for the surprise inspection include, representative of Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) not below the ...
Spider swarm cloaks Greek lake in 1,000-metre web
Lake Vistonida in northern Greece has become an arachnophobe's worst nightmare after it was cloaked recently by massive webs spun by hundreds of thousands of small spiders. Biologists say the recent phenomenon, though rare, is not unheard of and is caused by unseasonally warm weather prompting an increase in the local population of mosquitoes and gnats. "It's caused by an overpopulation of spiders...there is an abundance of food available," local environmental park biologist Euterpe Patetsini told Alpha TV. Draped over roadside bushes, fences and small trees, the webs have a combined length of about 1,000 metres (1,100 yards). "Weather conditions are ideal for them to multiply," she said. The spiders are from the genus Tetragnatha, known as stretch spiders due to their elongated bodies. They are known to build webs near watery habitats, with some species even said to be able to walk on water. A similar case was noted in the western Greek coastal town of Aetoliko last month. The webs ..
NBCC gets nod from SDMC to resume work at Pragati Maidan proj
State-owned NBCC Thursday said it has got nod from South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to resume construction work at Pragati Maidan project that was stopped to check pollution. The company had received notice from SDMC almost five days ago to stop construction with an aim to check pollution and maintain air quality, NBCC said in a statement. NBCC is developing ITPO Complex wherein it is building a world-class convention-cum-exhibition centre at the site of the Pragati Maidan. "NBCC has submitted to SDMC that they have always complied by the stringent measures to curb any kind of pollution of any nature across its projects sites. The SDMC official in their site visit has verified the dust-mitigation methods adopted by NBCC and reported that NBCC has adopted the precautionary measures at site to bring the Air Quality Index level up to satisfactory standards," the statement said. All statutory approvals for the project have been obtained along with the environmental clearance by ...
Stubble burning: Sukhbir says Pb govt 'failed' to incentivise farmers
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday said the Punjab government "failed" to provide incentives to farmers to check stubble burning in the state. Badal sought to know from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh "why his government failed to incentivise a single farmer to prevent stubble burning". He also asked the chief minister why he was "indulging in politics of lies and deceit by photo ops with the prime minister to befool the farmers of the state." The chief minister met Thursday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to press for Rs 100 per quintal compensation to farmers to check problem of stubble burning. Amarinder Singh told Modi that the problem of stubble burning could get aggravated, despite various steps being taken by the state government, with the close of the harvest season, and needed to be urgently addressed. The SAD chief said the chief minister should first give a report card of the utilisation of Rs 385 crore received from the Centre to manage .
Guj CM visits 'Statue of Unity' site ahead of unveiling by PM
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Thursday took stock of ongoing preparations at the site of the 'Statue of Unity' at Kevadiya in Narmada district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to unveil the world's tallest statue at 182 metres, dedicated to the country's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on October 31. It is being built on Sadhu Bet island near the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel also accompanied Rupani, stated an official release. Meanwhile, Patel refuted media reports suggesting that the prime minister would board a sea plane to reach the site to unveil the statue on October 31. "The PM is not coming to Kevadiya in a sea plane," he told PTI. After the visit, Rupani held a high-level meeting at Kevadiya with government officials on the ongoing preparations, stated the release. During the meeting, Rupani told officials to stay prepared to handle a huge rush of visitors after unveiling the statue due ..
Zika cases rise to 106 in Rajasthan
The number of people infected with Zika virus rose to 106 in Rajasthan on Thursday. Of the total affected people, 25 are pregnant women, said a Union Health Ministry official. The six new Zika cases confirmed on Thursday were from Jaipur and two neighbouring districts, he added. In view of the rising cases, the Centre on Wednesday rushed an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) team to the state to intensify vector control measures. The team of experts from ICMR has changed the insecticides which are being used in the city and neighbouring districts to kill mosquitoes that spread Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses as a part of the integrated mosquito management programme, the official said. Zika virus has been found in some mosquitoes taken as samples from Sindhi Camp and densely populated Shastri Nagar. According to the official, almost all Zika virus infected patients are healthy now after treatment. Three-fourth patients do not have symptoms of disease and have ...
Delhi air quality remains very poor; Delhi govt constitutes team for surprise inspections
Delhi's air quality remained in the "very poor" category for the second consecutive day Thursday, with several areas in the national capital nearing "severe" levels of pollution, according to the authorities. The PM2.5 level (presence in the air of particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) touched a new high at 158 as authorities predicted further deterioration of air quality in the coming days. The PM10 level (presence in the air of particles with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) stood at 332. The PM2.5 is said to have a greater impact than PM10 on health and is said to be more dangerous. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 315, according to the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research. 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". As the air quality worsened, Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain .
IRB gets financial closure for Padra-Vadodara road project
IRB Infrastructure Developers Thursday said it has achieved financial closure for its third hybrid annuity model road project through its special purpose vehicle VK1 Expressway for its eight laning project from Padra to Vadodara. The project concession will be for 15 years and the tolling and construction will be commenced from the appointed date. It added that the project on Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway will be receiving the financial support of Rs 817 crore from NHAI and equity of Rs 245 crore from the company and project financing of Rs 981 crore from the lenders. The company had bagged three projects under hybrid annuity model (HAM) in March 2018. Out of these three, the first two, Puducherry to Poondiyankuppam (38 kms) and Poondiyankuppam to Sattanathpuram (56.80 kms) have achieved financial closure at the bid project cost at the end of September 2018 on two consecutive days. With the third financial closure achieved, IRB Infra has financially closed all its HAM ...
Delhi's air quality remains very poor for second day: authorities
Delhi's air quality remained "very poor" for the second day this season, with several areas in the national capital nearing "severe" levels of pollution, according to the authorities. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 315, same as Wednesday, according to the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research. Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Greater Noida all recorded very poor air quality. The PM2.5 (presence in the air of particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) touched a new high at 158, even as the authorities said it could increase further. The PM2.5, also called "fine particulates," is a more serious health concern than PM10. 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". A senior Central pollution Control Board official said the situation is being monitored and depending upon the quality more stringent ..
EU recognises 'need' to strengthen climate targets
In response to the landmark IPCC report on global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius published last week, 28 EU heads of state and government have called upon all countries of the world to commit at the upcoming climate summit in Poland to review the levels of ambition of their Paris Agreement pledges by 2020.
Stubble burning: Farmers block Amritsar-JK rail traffic
Two trains, Amritsar to Kadian and Amritsar to Pathankot, were also stopped in Batala.The protesting farmers demanded that the state government should either give them financial aid for managing stubble or allow them to burn their crops' residue. They also criticised "tardy purchase" of paddy by government agencies in the state's grain markets, while demanding the establishment of more sugar mills in Punjab.Earlier on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for compensation to farmers in lieu of the stubble burning issue.The Chief Minister apprised Prime Minister Modi that the problem of stubble burning could get aggravated and needed to be addressed urgently.The increasing cases of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana are worsening the air pollution crisis in New Delhi and the neighbouring National Capital Region. This, in turn, has necessitated the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to implement strict norms on burning of
