Page 437 - Environment
Tiny spheres to trap water contaminants developed
Scientists have created tiny spheres that can catch and destroy bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical used to make plastics that often contaminates water. BPA is commonly used to coat the insides of food cans, bottle tops and water supply lines, and was once a component of baby bottles. While BPA that seeps into food and drink is considered safe in low doses, prolonged exposure is suspected of affecting the health of children and contributing to high blood pressure. Scientists at Rice University in the US have developed something akin to the Venus' flytrap of particles for water remediation. The micron-sized spheres resemble tiny flower-like collections of titanium dioxide petals. The supple petals provide plenty of surface area for researchers to anchor cyclodextrin -- a benign sugar-based molecule often used in food and drugs. It has a two-faced structure, with a hydrophobic (water-avoiding) cavity and a hydrophilic (water-attracting) outer surface. BPA is hydrophobic and ...
Pradhan to lay foundation stone for Odisha Ethanol plant
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will lay the foundation stone for a Rs 1,000 crore ethanol bio-refinery plant in Odisha's Bargarh district on October 10, an official said on Sunday.
Foundation for Bargarh 2G ethanol bio-refinery on Oct 10
The foundation stone for second generation ethanol bio-refinery of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) will be laid in Bargarh district of Odisha on Wednesday. The Rs 1000 crore project will contribute to clean environment and Ethanol blending in Petrol, BPCL officials said on Sunday. The foundation stone for the plant will be laid by Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal in the presence of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries. The bio-refinery will have a capacity to produce 3 crore litre of fuel grade ethanol annually using rice straw as feedstock and the Ethanol produced from this plant will be blended with Petrol, the officials said. Biofuels have assumed importance due to growing energy security needs and environmental concerns. Many countries have put forth various mechanism and incentives to encourage use of biofuels to suit their domestic needs.
Special cell set up to monitor retrieval of forest land in Jammu
A special anti-encroachment cell has been established here to retrieve and safeguard forest land from land grabbers in Jammu region, an official spokesman said on Sunday. Divisional Commissioner, Jammu,Sanjeev Verma directed the constitution of the special cell. Members of the cell include Jammu divisional forest officer, assistant Commissioner (revenue), sub-divisional magistrate (south), joint director forest protection force, sub-divisional police officer and Jammu Development Authority (JDA) officials. The decision to set up the cell was taken at a high-level inter-departmental coordination meeting of revenue, police, JDA and forest officials, chaired byPrincipal Chief Conservator Forests (PCCF) Suresh Chugh here on Saturday. Chugh asked officials concerned to remove encroachment and submit a weekly progress report. He also called upon forest and police departments to maintain the list of habitual land grabbers so that dossiers may be prepared and such encroachers may be dealt ...
NASA probe nearing interstellar space
NASA's Voyager 2 probe is approaching interstellar space and has detected an increase in cosmic rays that originate outside our solar system, the US space agency said. Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 is a little less than 17.7 billion kilometres from Earth, or more than 118 times the distance from Earth to the Sun. Since 2007 the probe has been travelling through the outermost layer of the heliosphere -- the vast bubble around the Sun and the planets dominated by solar material and magnetic fields. Voyager scientists have been watching for the spacecraft to reach the outer boundary of the heliosphere, known as the heliopause. Once Voyager 2 exits the heliosphere, it will become the second human-made object, after Voyager 1, to enter interstellar space. Since late August, the Cosmic Ray Subsystem instrument on Voyager 2 has measured about a five per cent increase in the rate of cosmic rays hitting the spacecraft compared to early August. The probe's Low-Energy Charged Particle instrument ..
Rare white-rumped vulture gets new lease of life atop Mumbai building
A rare and highly-endangered gigantic white-rumped vulture, figuring on the IUCN Red List and found in a near-dead condition, has been saved by a Mumbai family and is now ready to take wings.
State govt pushing for power projects in Nagaland: Minister
The Nagaland government is "making all efforts" to engage firms for studying feasibility of power projects in the state, minister Neiba Kronu has said. The state, despite having potential sites for hydropower generation, spends more than Rs 250 crore to purchase power from other parts of the country, the planning, coordination and land revenue minister lamented. "Nagaland is the lowest generator of electricity in the country. It spends over 250 crore annually to buy power from others, but the revenue generated through distribution does not exceed Rs 120 crore," Kronu told reporters Saturday after inspecting a potential hydropower project site at Tizu in Phek district earlier this week. The minister, accompanied by power department executive engineer N Neikha, also held a meeting with village council representatives, and other leaders of Lozhaphuhu, Tezatse and Kotis hamlets in the district during the visit. "The government is making all efforts to study feasibility of ...
South Korea's SK Innovation to invest $354 million in EV battery parts plant in China
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's SK Innovation said on Sunday it plans to invest 400 billion won ($354 million) to build a plant for key parts of electric car batteries in China as part of its effort to better compete in the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) market.
Centre to prepare short movies to showcase work in 12 heritage cities
Work done by the government in 12 heritage cities in the last four years will be shown through short movies prepared in coordination with the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), an official said. Under the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwaraka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal have been selected. The official said that as per the plan, once the works are completed in these cities, an overall short movie will also be prepared in coordination with NFDC. The Housing and Urban Affairs ministry, which is mandated to implement the scheme, had launched HRIDAY in January 2015 with a focus on holistic development of heritage cities. Although the duration of the scheme is four years completing in November this year, the ministry is likely to extend it as number of projects are underway in cities. "The ministry has joined hands with NFDC to prepare 12 short movies on ..
Catastrophic warning: Delhi's average temperature spikes 1 degree, Kolkata 1.2 degrees
The average temperature in the national capital increased by one degree Celsius, by 0.7 degree in Mumbai, 0.6 degree in Chennai and 1.2 degrees in Kolkata in over a century-and-a-half.
HC directs AAP govt to clean up Kushak drain
Terming as "unacceptable" and "deplorable" the condition of the Kushak drain near South Extension-II here, the Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to clean it up to ensure it does not become a mosquito breeding ground. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar ordered that water in the drain be treated and directed the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi government to install a proper filtration system in the ''nullah'' before handing it over to the local municipal corporation. "The pictures depict a deplorable state of affairs in the drain with garbage floating on it. This is absolutely unacceptable and action be taken by the Delhi government to ensure the entire area is cleaned of garbage. "Effective steps be taken to ensure there is no stagnant water in the nullah (drain) and that it does become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Water in the nullah be treated before it flows through the outlet into the river (Yamuna)," the court said. It also said ...
Kumaon villagers buy foodgrain from Nepal markets, say govt rations in short supply
Short supply of government rations appears to have forced tribals in some border villages of Uttarakhand's Kumaon region to depend on Chinese foodgrain bought from Nepalese markets. "The quota of rations supplied by the state government falls short of our requirements. So much so that some of the villagers have had to depend on Chinese foodgrain bought from markets in Nepal," tribal leader Krishna Garbiyal told PTI Friday. He was part of a delegation of Vyas valley villagers who met Dharchula SDM Friday to demand an increased supply of rations under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Villagers cross a bridge over Kali river near Garbiyang which connects India with Nepal and buy rations from the markets of Tinkar and Changru villages of the neighbouring country to fulfil their needs, he said. "The government allocates five kg of wheat and two kg of rice per month to each family which is far from enough. We have demanded several times to increase the ration quota for families ...
People willing to pay more for sustainably brewed beer
People are willing to spend more on beer brewed using sustainable practices, according to a US study which found that investing in methods to save energy and reduce greenhouse gases will pay off for breweries. Researchers from Indiana University in the US found that a majority of beer drinkers would be willing to pay more for beer produced with sustainable practices. On average, US beer drinkers would pay about USD 1.30 more per six-pack, they said. "The takeaway for the brewing industry is that it is financially feasible to introduce energy-saving practices into the brewing process," said Sanya Carley, associate professor at Indiana University. "Even if it ends up adding costs, more than half of all beer consumers are willing to absorb those extra costs," she said. The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, highlights potential for energy savings and sustainability in an energy-intensive industry that is growing rapidly, especially in the craft-beer segment. The number of craft
Commander Tomy reaches Visakhapatnam safely
Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy who was under medical observation at Ile Amsterdam was brought to Visakhapatnam on friday safely onboard INS Satpura, Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Wild bear kills man, injures wife in Odisha
A tribal man was killed and his wife seriously injured in an attack by a wild bear in in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district Saturday, officials said. The couple were attacked by the wild bear inside the Gouria Bahali forest of the district, said forest range officer, Pitambar Sethi. While the man, identified as Dharani Ho (45), died in the bear attack, his wife Balma Ho (40) received grievous injuries. She was admitted to Thakurmunda hospital for treatment, Sethi added.
584 star tortoises seized; Inter-state gang busted
More than 580 Indian star tortoises that were kept here for being smuggled out of the country have been seized and an inter-state gang involved in the racket busted with the arrest of two persons here, officials said Saturday. A Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) release said 584 tortoises were brought from Andhra Pradesh in six bags for further transportation through the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials seized the tortoises and arrested two persons at Triplicane in the city, busting an inter-state gang operating in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Indian star tortoises, protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and declared vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, are prohibited for export under the Foreign Trade Policy.
Assam CM calls for coordinated steps to save state's famed wildlife
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday called for concerted measures to protect the state's rich and diverse wildlife.
Cdr Abhilash Tomy brought safely to Vizag onboard INS Satpura
Days after being rescued from the Indian Ocean in a multi-nation operation, Commander Abhilash Tomy, who was under medical observation at Ile Amsterdam, was brought here safely onboard INS Satpura Saturday. Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, briefly interacted with Commander Tomy and enquired about his health condition and the rescue operation, an ENC release said. Tomy has now been shifted to INHS Kalyani, the naval hospital of ENC, for observation and medical assistance as required, it said. The Commander-in-Chief also interacted with Capt Alok Ananda, the commanding officer of INS Satpura who lost his father while the ship was on operational deployment and diverted for the search and rescue operation. Tomy was participating in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) representing India in the historic around the world race without modern navigation aids. His sailing vessel, 'Thuriya, was dismasted on .
Despite ban, Ludhiana farmers to burn stubble even this year
As the harvest season is around the corner, the threat of air pollution in the northern region is looming due to the burning of paddy stubble.Despite a prohibition on the burning of the farm residue, the farmers are set to go against the orders and continue burning stubble this year as well.Talking to ANI, President of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Balbir Singh Rajewal said that he and many like him are well aware of the consequences and have no other option but to burn the dry straw.Rajewal further claimed that the farmers do not have required machinery available, which was promised to them at a subsidised rate by the government."The government is implementing half-order. We will be fined if we burn the paddy straw. Secondly, they have said that the machinery will be provided free of cost. The government has supplied less than four per cent of the total machinery required to the farmers," he said.Considering the problems of the farmers, Rajewal said that, "the farmers will burn the residue .
B'desh's growth parameters ahead of many countries: Diplomat
Bangladesh's development parameters are ahead of many developing countries in the world with the country's GDP at 7.86 per cent and per capita income $1,751, a senior diplomat said here on Saturday.
