Page 429 - Environment
Fat profits: Asian traders cash in as Europe thirsts for waste oils
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Once surreptitiously dumped down drains in the dead of night, Asia's used cooking oil is fast becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in Europe - as a feedstock for biodiesel.
USAID, Rabobank Foundation, Ananya Finance engage in India's sustainable landscapes sector
The USAID Wednesday announced a new partnership designed to support enterprises and projects engaged in the sustainable landscapes sector in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the US federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. "This ten-year partnership with the Rabobank Foundation, the Ananya Finance for Inclusive Growth, and the Samunnati Financial Intermediation and Private Services will make available up to USD 15.3 million in local financing to small and medium private enterprises, cooperatives, producer companies and microfinance institutions, directly or indirectly engaged in the sustainable landscapes (agriculture, forestry, and other land uses) sector," said a USAID release shared by the US Embassy here. This partnership supports the Indian government's priorities of improving the livelihoods of ...
Govt issues notification for minimum environmental flow for Ganga
Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said his ministry had notified the minimum environmental flows for Ganga river that was to be maintained at various locations on the water body. Environmental flows are the acceptable flow regimes that are required to maintain a river in the desired environmental state or predetermined state. Calling this a significant development, Gadkari said the notification of e-flow for the river would go a long way in ensuring its continuous flow. Reiterating the government's commitment towards a continuous and clean Ganga, he said the draft Ganga Act will be sent to the Cabinet for approval. "This is a very significant moment. The discussions on notifying e-flow of Ganga have been going on for a long time. We have taken this step to ensure a minimum amount of flow in the river," Gadkari said. The notification issued by the government Tuesday will ensure that the river has at least the minimum required environmental flow of water even after .
Essar Power commissions second 600 MW unit at Mahan plant
Essar Power on Wednesday said that it has commissioned Mahan plant's second 600 MW (megawatt) unit.
Stubble burning: Farmers' concerns highlighted
The hazardous stubble burning and the ensuing environmental and health concerns linked to it were highlighted at a one-day workshop held here on Wednesday.
Zika virus under control, says Rajasthan minister
Rajasthan Health minister Kalicharan Saraf on Wednesday visited the Zika-affected areas in Jaipur's Shastri Nagar and reviewed initiatives being taken by the health officials in checking the spread of the virus.
India, Japan vow to boost cooperation on connectivity projects in NE
India and Japan have held the second meeting of their Act East Forum, during which they agreed to boost cooperation on connectivity projects in the northeast, a Japanese Embassy statement said. The meeting of 'Japan-India Act East Forum' was held on October 8 under the co-chairmanship of Japan's Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale. Ambassador Hiramatsu emphasised on cooperation in the northeast region, ranging from connectivity to people-to-people exchanges and the need to come up with concrete projects, the statement said. The forum witnessed lively discussions, in which the representatives from relevant ministries and states of the NER shared their views, the statement said. "As a result of the meeting, future orientation of cooperation in northeast was confirmed, ranging from the road and bridge connectivity projects; forest management projects in states of Tripura and Meghalaya; a new initiative to utilise bamboo which is abundant in the region; and to ..
TN govt to launch electric buses in Chennai, Coimbatore
The Tamil Nadu government Wednesday said it would soon launch 100 electric buses in the state, in collaboration with UK-based C40. Transport Minister M R Vijayabhaskar met a delegation from UK, an official release said. The government decision was part of efforts to minimimse carbon emissions. Of the 100 electric buses, 80 would be operating in Chennai and 20 in Coimbatore, the release said. C40 Cities Finance Facility supports major cities to prepare and deliver climate change projects. It is funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Government of United Kingdom and United States Agency for International Development.
NCP to hold protests against load-shedding Friday
The NCP is holding a lantern protest against load-shedding in parts of Maharashtra October 12 to highlight the inconvenience being caused to people due to power cuts in the festive season. Parts of Maharashtra are facing load-shedding due to shortage of coal and rising demand of electricity. The women's wing of the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) would hold demonstrations in areas affected by power cuts at 6:30 PM on October 12. On the same day, the youth wing of the NCP too would stage protests outside the offices of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB), the party's state unit president Jayant Patil said in a statement. "People are being inconvenienced due to load-shedding at a time when farmers in the state are feeling the pinch due to drought. The NCP would flag the issue," the statement said. Power Minister Chandrashekhar Bavankule had said that parts of the state are likely to face load-shedding in the coming days in view of the rise in electricity ...
Bokaro becomes second fully-electrified J'khand district: CM
Bokaro has become the second "fully-electrified" district of Jharkhand after Ramgarh, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said on Wednesday. The state would become power-surplus by 2021, the CM was quoted as saying in an official release here. Five more districts of Jharkhand will be fully electrified on November 15, it said. The state government is spending Rs 35,000 crore to boost the power infrastructure, he said, adding, work on producing 4,000-MW electricity at Patratu is underway. Das said that 23 lakh out of the 30 lakh households in the state have been provided electricity, a task which was achieved in "three-and-a-half years". The chief minister, speaking about Left Wing Extremism, asserted that Naxalites have been "rooted out from Bura Pahar in Latehar district and Saranda jungles in West Singhbhum district". Das added that since 2014, 350 persons have been arrested by the anti-corruption bureau.
Four projects worth Rs 107 cr approved in Tamil Nadu for leather sector
Four projects with a total outlay of Rs 107.33 crore in Tamil Nadu have been approved under the Indian Footwear Leather and Accessories Development Programme to facilitate upgradation of infrastructure in the sector. "Major boost to leather industry in Tamil Nadu under the IFLADP. 4 projects with total outlay of Rs 107.33 crore now approved by the DIPP to facilitate upgradation of infrastructure, job creation and environmental sustainability," Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said in a tweet. While the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) has approved Rs 28.15 crore for Perundurai Leather Industries Eco Security at Erode, Rs 33.68 crore was allocated for upgradation of SIDCO Phase-1 Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Ranipet. It has also approved Rs 11.01 crore for upgradation of Talco Trichy CETP. Rs 34.49 was given for upgradation of Pallavaram CETP at Nagalkeni Chrompet, Tamil Nadu. Further, the department has also given in-principle approval to a
Zika virus found in mosquitoes from Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, number of cases rises to 32
Zika virus has been found in some mosquitoes taken as samples from Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, leading to suspicion they are behind the infection, experts said Wednesday, as the number of Zika patients in the area rose to 32. Dr Neena Valecha, director of National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), said the virus appears to be locally transmitted. An NIMR team has visited the colony from where cases were reported and has given its report to the health ministry. At least 32 people, including three pregnant women, have tested positive for Zika in Jaipur and the health ministry has said the outbreak was under control. The Zika virus, transmitted through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain. It is harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly, a condition in which a baby's head is significantly smaller than expected, in newborn children. In India, the first outbreak was reported in Ahmedabad in January 2017 and the second
3 nabbed in UP with over 3,000 parakeets
Forest depart officials on Wednesday claimed to have busted a gang of bird poachers with the arrest of three people at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve buffer zone with over 3,000 caged parakeets. Acting on a tip off that some bird poachers were attempting to smuggle parrots in large numbers after catching them from the reserved forest area, a team led by Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Dinesh Badola and Bijendra Singh rushed to nab the culprits, officials said. An SUV was intercepted near Mohrena block in Mailani range and the three people were nabbed, an official said. "Three thousand parakeets were recovered from the SUV. Those arrested have been identified as Sunny, Rakesh and Bilsan," field director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Ramesh Pandey said. The accused have confessed that they caught the birds from reserved forest areas to sell them in markets," an official said. A case under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act has been lodged, while interrogation to identify others ...
PTC India inks new pacts for 200 MW power supply to B'desh for 15 yrs
Power trading solution provider PTC India said Wednesday it has signed two new power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for supplying 200 MW power to that country. PTC India is already supplying 290 MW power to Bangladesh and signed Tuesday two new agreements for 200 MW on short and long-term basis for 15 years, a PTC statement said. The short-term power for 200 MW is from power pool of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL). The long-term power will be supplied through imported coal project of Meenakshi Energy Ltd. With this new addition in cross-border supply, PTC will add more than 1.5 billion units to its existing portfolio of 7 billion units power supply to neighbouring countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal), it added. The transaction is expected to give export earning of USD 1.8 billion over its contract period. Deepak Amitabh, chairman and managing director, PTC India, said in the statement, "This transaction is
People must know how to get stickers indicating fuel in vehicles: SC to govt
The Supreme Court said Wednesday that people should be made aware on how to get hologram-based colour coded stickers, which indicate the fuel being used by a vehicle, and the transport ministry should issue advertisements in this regard. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said this after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the ministry, said that people could collect these stickers from the district transport office after showing the registration certificate of the vehicle. "People should know how to get it (stickers). You may have to put it in newspapers and issue advertisements for this," the bench told the ASG. The apex court had on August 13 accepted the proposal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways(MoRTH) which had said that hologram-based light blue colour sticker would be used in vehicles using petrol and CNG fuel, while an orange sticker would be put on diesel-run vehicles. It had asked the ministry to implement the ...
Now open in Noida: NTPC underpass, Medicinal and Herbal garden
After a wait of over three years, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) underpass at a busy crossroad of the city was inaugurated Wednesday. Also, a Herbal and Medicinal park, spread across 25 acres and developed at a cost of Rs 21.96 crore, in Sector 91 was thrown open to the public. Both the projects were inaugurated jointly by Union Minister and Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh and Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana. The projects have been developed by the Noida Authority. Senior officials of theNoida Authority including its chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alok Tandon and General Manager Rajeev Tyagi were present during the inaugurations. The 640-metre underpass -- at the crossroad of Sectors 24, 25A, 32 and 33A -- has been developed by the Noida Authority at a cost of Rs 55.55 crore, officials said. The project had started on June 30, 2015 and completed on October 8, 2018, they said.. With the underpass going ...
Sikkim shortlisted for FAO's Future Policy Award
Sikkim's State Policy on Organic Farming and Sikkim Organic Mission have been shortlisted for an award conferred by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations for the world's best policies promoting agroecological approaches. The 2018 Future Policy Award (FPA) will commend proven policies that effectively scale up agroecological approaches at local, national and international levels. It will celebrate outstanding examples for accelerating the transformative change in the way food is produced and consumed. In total, 51 policies from 25 countries were nominated and among those shortlisted as the world's best policies in the support to scale up agroecological approaches include Brazil's National Policy for Agroecology and Organic Production, Organic Action Plan for Denmark: Working together for more organics, Sikkim's State Policy on Organic Farming (2004) and Sikkim Organic Mission (2010), the From Arms to Farms Programme in Philippines and Los Angeles' Good Food ...
Meghalaya to cut fuel prices by Rs 2.50 a litre
The Meghalaya cabinet Wednesday approved a proposal to reduce the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 a litre, a move that will cost the state Rs 15 crore annually, a top government official said. "The cabinet is pleased to approve a proposal to introduce a rebate on the price of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 per litre with effect from tomorrow (October 11), also in line with the decision of the central government," Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters after the cabinet meeting here. The Centre on October 4 announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices after it reduced excise duty by Rs 1.50 a litre. Tynsong said it was a bold decision taken by the state government considering the cut will imply a loss of Rs 15 crore to the states exchequer annually. Tynsong, however, said that the state government has instructed revenue generating departments like Excise, Registration and Taxation, Forest and Mining departments to raise tax collection .
Vice Prez apprised of development issue in Kongu region
A forum taking up the cause of development of the Kongu region, called on Vice President Venkaiah Naidu here Wednesday and presented a memorandum of issues relating to the region, comprising seven western districts of the state. The representatives of Kongu Global Forum met Naidu and urged him to take steps to increase the number of international carriers operating flights out of the city, a release said. Naidu was here on a two day visit to participate in a few events. A detailed memorandum highlighting their demands was presented to him, it said.
Tiger census begins with newly acquired mobile app
The Forest department Wednesday have commenced the official count of tigers in Mettupalayam and Sirumugai forest range in the district, using the newly acquired M-STrIPES mobile application. Department sources said staff in all the seven forest ranges of Coimbatore forest division were given training to use M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tiger-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status), an exclusive tiger monitoring application developed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The census will conclude on October 12,they said. About 100 people, drawn from forest department and NGOs are on the job, the sources said. Other animals like leopard, elephant, bear, deer, bisons can be identified and estimated through this app, they added.
