Page 42 - Environment
India to lead fight against desertification: Javadekar
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said that India will lead by example the fight against increasing land desertification.
Transmission issues, not shortage, causing Goa power cuts:
Goa Power Minister Nilesh Cabral Monday said the state did not face any shortage of electricity supply and outages were due to transmission issues. The state government has been criticised recently for frequent disruption of electricity supply in different parts of the state ahead of the monsoon. "Goa does not have any power generation of its own and is dependent totally on central generating stations (CGSs). Presently, we get 392 megawatt from the western region and 100 MW from the southern region. The power requirement is between 572-610 MW," he said. The state is procuring the balance requirement from the open IEX (Indian Energy Exchange), he said. "There is no shortage of power. Difficulties are in transmitting the power to Goa and receiving the same at extra high voltage (EHV) stations here," he said. "All EHV substations are heavily loaded and cannot transmit or distribute the required power at many places," he said, and called for creation of additional ...
YSRCP attacks previous TDP regime on first day of Assembly session
The state Assembly on Monday held a discussion on Governor ESL Narasimhan's address to the House. The ruling YSRCP MLAs lashed out at the previous TDP government for indulging in corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiency in performing their duties during their rule.Irrigation Minister P Anil Kumar Yadav slammed opposition TDP. "TDP government looted Rs 18,000 crore under scheme -- Neeru Chettu -- without even getting a single drop of water or a single tree," he said.He alleged the TDP had called Polavaram project as the lifeline of AP but increased its estimate from Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 56,000 crore. Yadav also accused the TDP of making Rs 500 crore in the name of 'Dharma Porata Deeksha.'Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath said that the CAG report exposed Rs 400 crore corruption in Pattiseema project. He said that Polavaram project was sidelined and Pattiseema temporary project was built.The Finance Minister said that had the Centre opted for the project construction, Polavaram ..
Pune firm develops solar-powered irrigation system
To solve water crisis for farmers throughout the varied climate conditions in India, Pune-based company Khethworks has developed solar-powered irrigation system.
First pilot floating solar plant to be completed in next 2-3 months: Vedanta
Vedanta Monday said its first pilot floating solar plant will be completed in the next two to three months. In an investor brief, the company said it is focussing on renewable energy and its group firm Hindustan Zinc plans its "first pilot floating solar to be completed in next 2-3 months". Vikram Solar, module manufacturer and rooftop solar and EPC solutions provider, had earlier in the year announced that it bagged the project order for a 1-MW floating solar plant for Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a Vedanta Group firm. The plant will be located at Ghosunda Dam, near Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, it said. The floating plant, Vikram Solar said, will contribute to saving water evaporation loss, thus resulting in conservation of water, reduce the development of algae, maintaining cleanliness of the water and will obviously save land space. The solar plant is expected to have an energy yield of 1,993 MWh a year and will be able to power 1,400 houses a year. Vedanta Ltd in the investor brief said ...
Arms recovered near rhino sanctuary in Assam
Arms and ammunition have been recovered from the vicinity of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary at Morigaon district of Assam, a police officer said. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of police officers and Forest Protection Force personnel launched an operation in and around the rhino habitat Sunday and recovered two rifles, one DBBL gun and several rounds of ammunition, he said. While a 3.3 rifle and 10 bullets, along with horns of wild deer, were recovered from the houses of two "dreaded" poachers at Chidaguri village in the district, another rifle and one DBBL gun were retrieved from Nekerahabi area near the sanctuary, the officer said. None of the poachers were, however, arrested as they fled the area during the operation. The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, 30 km east of Guwahati, has the highest concentration of one-horned rhino population in the world.
IIT-Hyderabad improves 3rd generation solar cell performance
: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Hyderabad Monday said its researchers have developed a process to improve the performance of third-generation solar cells. Working with dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC), the researchers have shown that the incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles in the anode can enhance light-to-power conversion efficiencies, a press release from the institute said. This work has been published in the journal Solar Energy. There is much potential for dye sensitised solar cells because of cost and environmental benefits and it is expected that with improvements in performance, DSSCs could outdo mature silicon-based solar cells, the release said. Such research can contribute towards global efforts to bring DSSCs into real-life applications, it said. The research is being headed by J Suryanarayana, associate professor, Magnetic Materials and Device Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, IIT-Hyderabad. Speaking about his research, Suryanarayana ...
Experts hold climate talks in Bonn as pressure to act grows
Experts are meeting in Germany for UN-hosted talks on climate change amid growing pressure for governments to act faster against global warming. Diplomats meeting in the western city of Bonn starting Monday will focus on resolving issues that couldn't be agreed upon at last December's climate summit in Poland. This includes the rules governing the international trade in carbon certificates, which allow rich countries to offset emissions by paying for projects in poor nations. Public concern about global warming has heightened over the past year amid a series of extreme weather events. Students in Europe and beyond have staged regular street protests demanding action to curb climate change. The meeting, which runs until June 27, precedes a September gathering of world leaders in New York to discuss climate change.
Tadoba reserve's core zone to shut for visitors during rains
The core zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra will be closed for visitors during the monsoon season, an official said Monday. However, the reserve's buffer zone will remain open for tourists during rains, he said. "Dirt roads in the reserve pose a problem during rains. Hence, following directives of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the TATR management has decided to shut tourism activities in its core zone during the monsoon time, with effect from July 1," a senior forest official said. But, tourists will be able to enjoy the safari in TATR's buffer zone, which is also inhabited by tigers and other wild animals, he said. Visitors will be allowed entry from seven different gates in the buffer zone during the rainy season, he said. In 2018-19, nearly 1.79 lakh tourists visited TATR, located in Chandrapur district, as per official figures. Maharashtra has nearly half-a-dozen tiger reserves, the prominent among being Pench, Melghat, TATR .
After a decade, black tiger shrimps stage comeback
Ending a decades slide in the production of black tiger shrimps, Kerala is experiencing a comeback of the top healthy seafood, thanks to a much-needed initiative of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) launched earlier this year. The MPEDAs efforts to revive the production of black tiger shrimps on a mass sale of its seeds have been receiving encouraging feedback, according to authorities with the statutory body that functions under the Union Governments Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The mass sale of seeds since the past 100 days shows a rapidly growing interest among the farmers to raise the disease-free variety, the authorities said. The Kochi-headquartered MPEDA had on February 18 begun supplying black tiger shrimp seeds from its new multi-species aquaculture complex (MAC) at Vallarpadam. The inaugural sale was done by MPEDA chairman K S Srinivas by handing over one lakh seeds to former Kerala Director-General of Police Hormis Tharakan, a ...
Japan protests Chinese activity near disputed islands
Japan is protesting what it says was an unauthorised Chinese maritime survey within its economic waters near disputed East China Sea islands. Japan's Foreign Ministry says it lodged a protest with Beijing after a Chinese maritime research ship was seen dropping a wire-like object into the water off the northwestern coast of Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands on Sunday. China also claims the islands, which it calls Diaoyu. The ministry said Monday it urged China to immediately stop the survey. Also Monday, Japan's coast guard says four Chinese patrol ships violated Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku. Japan's Defense Ministry says a Chinese frigate was spotted Sunday near the Miyako Strait, and a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft was flying above the East China Sea. The latter prompted Japan to scramble a fighter jet.
Land is affected by degradation but we are committed to save it: Javadekar
Acknowledging that 29.3 per cent of land in India was affected by degradation, Union minister Prakash Javadekar Monday said his ministry was committed to save it with all necessary inputs at the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP 14). Speaking at an event held to mark 'World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought', he said, "There is crisis in the world that the land, once fertile, is not fertile anymore. Where there used to be forest, now it is not. We are discussing degradation of land. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi we have direction, hope and promise to save the land from degradation." He also announced that India will host the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties or COP 14 to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) this year to address the issues of land degradation and desertification. The COP 14 will be held from September 2-14 in Greater Noida with over 5,000 representatives from more than 197 countries. International and ...
Environment-friendly battery golf cart ply in Parliament premises
As the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha began on Monday, environment-friendly battery operated golf carts were seen ferrying Lok Sabha staff inside the Parliament premises, seen as an attempt to contribute to keeping the pollution levels of the national capital down.Lok Sabha Secretariat started this environment-friendly initiative to reduce the levels of air pollution in the capital last year.The electric golf cart can ferry six people at one go and is used inside the Parliament premises.The National Capital of Delhi has been in the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of 'most polluted cities of the world' for the past few years and the city has seen alarming pollution levels every year.In this background, operating such battery operated cars is a symbolic attempt of measures being taken by government officials to make the capital's air quality better."This battery rickshaw is dedicated to all Lok Sabha staff, it was begun with two vehicles and six more battery rickshaws are ...
Kolkata magician feared drowned after Houdini act fails
A Kolkata-based magician, who attempted an underwater escape trick like legendary magician Harry Houdini, is feared to have drowned in the Ganga as his body could not be found till Monday afternoon, police said.
Goa CM urges MLAs to take up tree plantation
In a bid to increase the green cover in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday urged all MLAs to take up tree plantation during the upcoming forest festival in the state. The 'Van Mahotsav' will be held in the state from July to September. "As we are welcoming rains this monsoon season, I would invite you to join hands with me to improve the green cover of Goa by taking up tree plantation activities in all possible areas with the involvement of every member of the society," Sawant said in a letter to the legislators. He asked the forest department to work out a detailed programme for the 'Van Mahotsav' to cover all cities and villages along with local communities. He urged the MLAs to guide the forest department in selecting suitable sites for tree plantation and motivate people to participate in the campaign. The forest department will provide saplings as per people's choice and site-specific criteria and also distribute plants free to individuals and institutions,
After PM, Goa CM urges all MLAs to promote tree-plantation
Taking cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal letters to sarpanchas across the country urging their participation in water harvesting efforts, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has urged all state ministers and MLAs to undertake tree plantation to increase Goa's green cover.
Iran to surpass uranium enrichment limits in days: Official
Iran's atomic energy agency said on Monday that the country will breach on June 27 the limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium that was capped under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Vatican formally opens debate on married priests for Amazon
The Vatican has formally opened debate on letting married men be ordained as priests in remote parts of the Amazon where priests are so few that Catholics can go weeks or months without attending a Mass. The proposal was in a working document released Monday for an October meeting of South American bishops on the Amazon. The document, prepared by the Vatican based on input from the region, affirmed that celibacy is a gift for the church. But it suggested officials study "the possibility of priestly ordination for older men, preferably indigenous and respected and accepted by their communities, even if they have stable families, for the region's most remote areas." Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pope, has focused attention on the sacramental and environmental plight of Amazonian communities.
Greenpeace seeks more ambitious measures on plastic waste
Greenpeace on Monday asked the G20 group for more ambitious measures to ease the effects of climate change and to curb marine pollution ahead of the group's summit in Osaka, western Japan, next week.
Palau changes ocean sanctuary plan to allow Japan fishing
The Pacific nation of Palau has amended plans to create a huge marine reserve so Japanese fishing boats still have partial access to its waters. Fish stocks are overexploited around the world, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation warned this year, and Palau has long been regarded as a pioneer in ocean conservation. The island nation will close 80 per cent of its exclusive economic zone -- a 500,000 square kilometre (193,000 square mile) area roughly the size of Spain -- to commercial fishing from next year. The remaining 20 per cent was to be reserved for Palau fishing boats only, but President Tommy Remengesau said Japan -- one of Palau's major foreign aid donors -- asked for the plans to be changed. In response, the government last week passed legislation that will allow some foreign long-line vessels into the area. Remengesau said the changes were to accommodate vessels from the southern Japanese island province of Okinawa, which have fished the waters for generations. "We're