Page 440 - Environment
Lions' deaths: vaccine against CDV infection arrives at Gir
The Gujarat Forest department has received from the United States 300 shots of a vaccine against Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) which is believed to have caused the death of some lions at Gir Sanctuary. Since September 12, as many as 23 lions have died in the sanctuary, at least 11 of them due to CDV and Protozoa infections, according to forest officials. Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department Rajiv Kumar Gupta said the decision as to whether to administer the vaccine to lions will be taken after going through various health reports of the animals. "The consignment has just reached Gir. We will take a call on vaccinating lions in the coming days after analysing various reports," Gupta told PTI. The 36 lions which were shifted to rescue centres from the forest as a precautionary measure are "doing well" and "stable", he said. Director of Sakkarbaug Zoo, J S Rana, who collected the consignment at Rajkot aiport Friday, said the vaccine has proved effective in ...
Mobile kiosk selling fish-based dishes launched
A wide variety of ready to eat fishery products will now be available at the doorstep with The Marine Products Export Development Authority launching here Friday a mobile kiosk that would sell exclusively delectable fish based dishes. The kiosk, called Fish Nutri Cart, is run by the Amrutha Activity Group, a self-help group of women under Society for Assistance to Fisherwomen. It has been developed to empower women by providing them a means for their livelihood improvement, a release said. Mouth-watering products include fish cutlet, fish ball, fish finger, fish samosa, fish biryani and prawn biryani, besides dishes made out of squid, crab and other indigenous fish varieties. The kiosk has been developed by The Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing (NETFISH), the MPEDA extension arm of MPEDA. Initially the products would be available at all the major tourism spots in Kochi. MPEDA Chairman K S Srinivas unveiled the kiosk at a function here.
Three-day millets international trade fair from Jan 18 next
A three-day Organics and Millets International Trade Fair will be held here from January 18 next with the focus on Karnataka as the source of 'Next Gen Smart Foods', state minister for agriculture N H Shivashankara Reddy said Friday. The fair is Karnataka governments flagship event and more than 250 exhibitors from various countries and the state would participate, he told reporters here. "The second edition of the Organics and Millets International Trade Fair 2019 will be the largest congregation of Indias Organic and Millets community. Through this event, we want to emphasise our positioning of Karnataka as the Organics and Millets Capital of India," the minister said. To create awareness and encourage participation, Reddy said road shows would be conducted in Coimbatore, Pune and New Delhi besides in some foreign countries. District level 'melas' in key districts across the state would also be conducted. "We will also be conducting roadshows abroad to rope in foreign .
Chernobyl begins new life as solar power park
Ukraine launched Friday a park of photovoltaic panels at the former Chernobyl power plant as the country seeks to use solar power to give the scene of the world's worst nuclear disaster a new lease on life. The 1 million-euro (USD 1.2-million), one-megawatt plant is located just a hundred metres (yards) from a giant metal dome sealing the remains of the the nuclear power plant which suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 1986. "Today we are connecting the station to the power system of Ukraine," Yevgen Varyagin, the head of Solar Chernobyl, a Ukrainian-German company behind the project, said at the launch ceremony. The facility, which is installed across an area of 1.6 hectares (4 acres), can power a medium-sized village, or about 2,000 households. Plans are to eventually produce 100 megawatts at the site, which due to contamination from radiation cannot be used for farming. Ukrainian authorities have offered investors nearly 2,500 hectares to construct solar panels, and beside the cheap
India, Russia ask countries to fully implement Paris pact; commit to promoting green development
India and Russia Friday asked all countries to fully implement the Paris Agreement on climate change while committing to promote green development and low-carbon economy. In a joint statement issued after the 19th India-Russia annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both the nations also asked developed countries to provide financial and technological support to developing economies to enhance their capability in mitigation and adaptation. "The sides committed to further promote green development and low-carbon economy, in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication," the statement said. India and Russia also called upon all countries to fully implement the Paris Agreement adopted under the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) including the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. They also urged developed countries to provide ...
NTPC, IRCTC ink pact to set up Rail Neer unit at Simhadri power plant
State-owned power giant NTPC inked pact with IRCTC Friday to set up a unit to produce packaged drinking water (Rail Neer) at its Simhadri Super Thermal Power Project in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. "A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been entered between NTPC & IRCTC on 05th October 2018 for setting up a manufacturing facility for packaged drinking water (Rail Neer) by IRCTC at NTPC's Simhadri Super Thermal Power Project at Simhadri, district Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh," a company statement said. According to the statement, the facility will utilise patented Flash Desalination Technology (FDT) developed by NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA), the Research & Development arm of NTPC. The technology has been developed for production of quality water (desalinate/ distilled/ drinking water) from sea / brackish water utilising waste heat from flue gas of power plant. NTPC has already set-up a facility for production of 100 tonnes per day of desalinated seawater .
Solan summit recommends setting up of farmers' income commission
Setting up of a farmers' income commission to ensure minimum income to peasants, incentivising ecosystem services provided by Himalayan states, climate change adoption and resilience building of mountain farmers were among the recommendations mooted at a summit in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, on Friday. The recommendations were mooted at the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit held in Shoolini University, Solan. Shoolini University Vice Chancellor P K Khosla gave details of the proceedings and recommendations at the conclave. The summit was organised by the Centre of Research on Himalayan Sustainability and Development of Shoolini University and Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) with support from the Himachal Pradesh government. Other major recommendations included a mechanism for compensating farmers for ecosystem services, provision for green cess, green bonds and establishments of green infrastructure fund, Khosla said. It also recommended compensating Himalayan states for ...
'Set up income commission of mountain farmers'
Setting up of a farmers' income commission to ensure minimum respectable income to farmers, incentivising ecosystem services provided by Himalayan states, climate change adoption and resilience building of mountain farmers were among recommendations mooted at the conclusion of the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit on Friday.
Virus which wiped out 30% lion population in E Africa responsible for Gir big cat deaths: ICMR-NIV
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Friday said they have found that the virus which wiped out 30 per cent of total lion population in East Africa, was responsible for the death of five out of the 23 Asiatic lions in Gujarat's Gir forest since September 12. The ICMR, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, has found that Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was responsible for the death of five Asiatic lions in Gir forest and asked the Centre to take immediate steps to save the big cats, including shifting them to different sanctuaries. It has also suggested that 300 shots of CDV vaccine are imported from the United States. Around 23 Asiatic lions have died in Gujarat's Gir forest since September 12, prompting the government to launch a massive operations to ensure that the infection does not spread to other big cats in their only abode in Asia. "ICMR-NIV, based in Pune, found CDV .
First joint India-China field research expedition for ecosystem conservation
In an era when joint military exercises in the oceans and mountains are norm, NGOs in India and China are carrying out joint field research to fight a common enemy - the loss of biodiversity.
MoC signed between Railway Ministry, Russian firm
A memorandum of cooperation (MoC) was signed between the Ministry of Railways and joint-stock company Russian Railways on the sidelines of the India-Russia Summit here on Friday, a statement from the ministry said. The MoC intends to carry forward the activities taken up under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between India and Russia on December, 24, 2015. It includes the implementation of a speed-upgradation project in the Nagpur-Secunderabad section, setting up of a single traffic-control centre for managing mixed traffic at the local level, best practices in freight cargo operations, development of multi-modal terminals and exchange of the best technologies used by the two countries. It will also include training and advanced qualification improvement of Indian Railway employees with the involvement of Russian railway-related higher education establishments. The cooperation agreement was signed by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani and Oleg Belozerov, Chief Executive
U'Khand receives investment proposals worth Rs 75K cr ahead of summit: Rawat
Uttarakhand has already received investment commitments worth over Rs 75,000 crore as the state prepares to host its maiden investors' meet on October 7-8, its Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said Friday. The summit 'Destination Uttarakhand: Investors Summit 2018' will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Against a target of Rs 40,000 crore, we have been able to lure investments worth over Rs 75,000 crore to the state which is a record in itself," Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told reporters here Friday. Out of a total of Rs 75,000 crore worth of investment, memoranda of understandings (MoUs) worth Rs 70,000 crore have already been signed, he said, claiming that the state's sound law and order scenario, cheap availability of power, skilled manpower and ease of doing business initiatives taken by the state government like the single-window clearance system was attracting investors. Recalling his interaction with business leaders during the road shows
158 land record centres go online in Punjab
As many as 158 out of 164 'fard kendra' (land record centres) of Punjab Revenue Department have gone online, state Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria said on Friday. Now any land owner can get a certified copy of the 'jamabandi' (record of rights) from any 'fard kendra' in the state, he said. A project for digitisation of land records was initiated by the revenue department in 2004. Out of a total of around 13,000 villages in the state, land records of only 100 urban villages are not online due to complex revenue record, Sarkaria said, adding that work is underway to do it. Under this project, the revenue records will be updated directly on the central server without any delay, he said. "Now property record is just a click away," he added. Additional Chief Secretary M P Singh has directed the Director Land Records (DLRs) and Punjab Land Records Society (PLRS) to complete the project by December 31, 2018.
Punjab CM asks Irani to direct CCI to resume cotton procurement
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani to direct the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to resume procurement of cotton in the state. In his letter to the minister, copies of which were released to the media Friday, the chief minister pointed out that he had requested that the CCI be directed to procure/purchase cotton through commission agents in the state, as has been the established practice for years. However, Singh expressed concerns that the procurement process had not yet started even though it was supposed to begin on October 1. "I would, therefore, once again seek your intervention in the matter to advise CCI to purchase cotton in keeping with the previous practice," he wrote in the letter. The chief minister expressed hopes that the Union minister would accord top priority to the matter and issue appropriate instructions to the CCI immediately.
TN seeks PM's help for release of fishermen detained in Iran
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Friday sought the Centre's intervention for the release of six fishermen from the state detained by Iranian authorities for alleged violation of its maritime boundary. The fishermen were reportedly detained in a fishing boat for more than a month, Palaniswami said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "They do not have access to basic amenities and their essential supplies have exhausted," he said in a letter. "Further many of the detained fishermen's visas are also expiring in a couple of months. The prolonged incarceration of these poor fishermen, who went abroad for earning their livelihood, would severely affect the morale and survival of their families and dependents in India," he said. The families were anxious and worried about their safety, he said. Palaniswami urged the Centre to instruct the Indian Ambassador in Tehran to provide essential supplies to the fishermen immediately and to take legal measures to secure ..
Parker Solar Probe completes first Venus flyby: NASA
NASA's Parker Solar Probe -mankind's first mission to 'touch' the Sun - successfully completed a flyby of Venus at a distance of about 2,415 kilometres during its first gravity assist from the planet, according to the US space agency. These gravity assists will help the spacecraft tighten its orbit closer to the Sun over the course of the mission, NASA said in a statement. Detailed data from the flyby will be assessed which allows the flight operations team to prepare for the remaining six Venus gravity assists which will occur over the course of the seven-year mission, it said. Parker Solar Probe was successfully launched on August 12 on an unprecedented, seven-year long journey to unlock the mysteries of the Sun's fiery outer atmosphere and its effects on space weather. The mission's findings will help researchers improve their forecasts of space weather events, which have the potential to damage satellites and harm astronauts on orbit, disrupt radio communications and, at their ...
Hyderabad police intensifies fight against drunk driving
In an attempt to curb the menace of drunk driving across the city, Hyderabad Traffic Police on Friday announced that it has added more personnel to their team in order to keep an eye on commuters who breach the law.The Hyderabad traffic police is also conducting weekly awareness programmes aimed at creating awareness about evils of drunk driving.Speaking to ANI, Anil Kumar, Additional Commissioner Traffic, Hyderabad City, said: "Hyderabad roads are safer now for the commuters. This year, so far we have booked 21,500 drunken driving cases, out of which in 3895 cases the drivers have been imprisoned and 1200 driving licenses have been cancelled by the court. This drive will continue further and we will ensure the safety of the commuters."Elaborating on the initiatives undertaken by his department for making people aware about the rules and regulations, Kumar added that the traffic cops are also making efforts to stop people from using variant sirens in order to reduce noise ...
Russian Railways plans to create joint rail freight operator with India - First Deputy CEO
"The important area [of cooperation], which has been developing this year, is the organization of shipping, including in the North-South Transport Corridor, and the creation of a joint operator ... We believe that it is one of the most important aspects which will allow for significantly increasing the volumes of shipping and traffic of goods from India and Europe and in the opposite direction through the Russian territory," Misharin told reporters.
Army sets up waste management complex
The Army Friday set up a waste management complex on the outskirts of the city to make Nagrota Military station "a clean and green formation" . Nagrota Military Station lies outsides the municipal limits of Jammu and municipal corporation services are not available for disposal of waste generated in Nagrota garrison. The waste was being dumped in an open landfill area near Kore Jagir, a Defence Spokesman said. General officer Commanding (GoC), White knight Corps, Lt Gen Saranjeet Singh inaugurated the complex which has a waste segregation facility. Organic waste is put through newly installed automatic composting machine which converts the waste intovermicompost that can be used for gardens and parks ofNagrota Military Station, the Spokesman said. The inorganic waste is processed into a fuel-free dry waste management system to reduce waste into ash which can also be used as a fertilizer, he said. There is also a heavy duty incinerator to reduce medical and other waste products into ...
India, Russia ink action plan to set up 6 more n-reactors in India
India and Russia on Friday signed a document for cooperation on a new nuclear power project in India with the latest VVER-1200 type reactors powered by advanced fuel.
