Page 45 - Environment
Fadnavis meets Union Jal Shakti Minister
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis discussed river-linking projects in his state with Jal Shakti Minister Devendra Singh Shekhawat, here on Saturday. They discussed various linking proposals in Maharashtra, including bringing water from Godavari basin to parched regions in Marathwada and northern Maharashtra, a statement by the state government said. The Marathwada and Vidarbha regions have been grappling with drought-like situation. A presentation would also be made before the union minister on the issue, the statement added. Fadnavis said the Centre has provided considerable help to the state and soon a solution to the drought would be put in place. The Maharashtra chief minister is here to attend the NITI Aayog meeting. On the day, Fadnavis also met Union Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Petroluem and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Strong initiatives needed to revive rural economy: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday emphasised on taking strong initiatives for reviving the rural economy in the country.
Patnaik raises spl category issue in NITI Aayog meet
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik raised the Special Category Status issue before the Niti Aayog on Saturday, four days after pushing for the 'Special Focus State' status for the state in view of its vulnerability to natural calamities. Attending the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Patnaik demanded that natural calamity be included as a criterion for according Special Category Status to Odisha. "As an interim measure, states hit by major natural calamities may be declared as Special Focus States and granted benefits of Special Category Status for a specific period," the chief minister said. Patnaik had raised the same demand during a meeting with Modi on June 11. Patnaik cited the instance of cyclone Fani that battered 14 districts, killed 64 people and caused a total loss of Rs 9,336.26 crore after making landfall at a wind speed of about 200 kmph near Puri on May 3. Noting that India
Dudhwa National Park closes for tourists
The Dudhwa National Park (DNP), which is famous for tigers and swamp deers, closed for tourists on Saturday evening. Tourists are allowed inside the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) from November 15 to June 15 every year. The entire DTR, which includes Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur wildlife sanctuary and Katarniaghat sanctuary, is closed in view of the monsoon season and tourism activities are suspended, Field Director Ramesh Kumar Pandey said. During monsoon, most parts of the reserve are inundated. According to official figures, 29,661 Indian and 287 foreign tourists had visited park by March end. Pandey said this year in January, the first-ever winter bird count was held in Dudhwa, during which five new species were reported in the park. It was followed by a summer bird count during which the black-crested bulbul was spotted after decades. He said that in this season phase two of a rhino rehabilitation programme at Bhadi Tal was introduced, but tourists were not allowed to visit the ...
Ethanol plant commissioned in Gujarat's Narmada district
Gujarat deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Saturday commissioned an ethanol plant in Narmada district. The plant, set up by Shri Narmada Khand Udyog Sahkari Mandali Cooperative at Dharikheda near Rajpipla, will be the first plant in Gujarat to make ethanol from sugarcane crushing proces, Patel said. It will produce 45 kilo-litre per day (KLPD) of ethanol. Eight other sugar factories in the region too have plans to set up such plants, Patel said, mentioning that the Union government has now permitted 10 per cent mixing of ethanol in automobile fuels. The plant will manufacture ethanol during sugarcane crushing process using a new technology, he said. In older processes, ethanol is made from molasses and alcohol which are by-products of sugar manufacturing. The plant has been set up at a cost of Rs 60 crore and is spread over six acres of land, said Narendra Patel, managing director of the cooperative.
Make natural calamity criteria for special status: Naveen
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday demanded that natural calamities should be included as a criteria for according Special Category Status to states.
Gehlot seeks Centre's support to strengthen Rajasthan's financial management
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday sought the Centre's help for strengthening Rajasthan's financial management besides demanding the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) be declared a national project.
Wild elephant dies due to electrocution in Udham Singh Nagar
A wild elephant died due to electrocution at Jaspur here on Saturday. The mishap took place when he was trying to enter a sugarcane field fenced with electric wires. The elephant was an adult male of about 20 years, said Forest Ranger Mahesh Sharma."It appears that the elephant died due to electric shock. However, our team of doctors will conduct the post-mortem examination. He is a male of about 20 years of age," he said."The elephant came from nearby forest range. We are also looking into the matter that how the electric fencing is done and appropriate action would be taken," added Sharma.In the backdrop of the fact that herd of pachyderm or sometimes a wild pachyderm alone, often comes out of the forest to devour upon the standing sugarcane crop, farmers employ various measures to drive them away from their field. This includes bursting of crackers, making drum-beat noises, fencing the field with electric wires, and so."If the elephants are coming out and eating our crops, then the
Wild elephant kills 2 men in as many days
A wild elephant trampled two persons to death in as many days in Dumka district, police said Saturday. Another person was also injured in an attack by the same animal. Police said the male elephant killed Betka Soren, an elderly person, near Kaljhar under Kathikund police station when he was going to take bath in a nearby river on Saturday. Niyaz Ansari was attacked and seriously injured near his paddy field in the same area. He has been hospitalised. The elephant had trampled 20-year-old Robin Tudu near Kathalia village under Raniswar police station on Friday when he was searching for his cow. Divisional Forest Officer Saurabh Chandra said Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 have been provided to the families of Soren and Tudu respectively as compensation. Process has also started to give Rs 10,000 to the injured man, he said.
Need to diversify rural energy: Official
While electrification of households in rural areas is the primary need of the hour, it is also imperative to diversify rural energy, V Saravana Kumar, Director, Department of Science and Technology, said. Addressing Rajasthan Rural Energy Startup Summit today, Kumar said increase in productivity, energy efficiency, reducing and recycling waste, refrigeration, cold storage and transportation, among others should also be focused on. Kumar further said that startups should focus on Hybrid and Micro power generation as well as distribution. Startup Oasis CEO Chintan Bakshi, in the introductory address, said, the objective of the summit is to foster innovation in energy sector of Rajasthan. He further informed that the summit is the culmination of a three month accelerator programme with Department of Science and Technology wherein five startups were mentored and their operational as well as financial plans were developed.
Singh exudes confidence of meeting COP21 target at G20 meet
Union Minister R K Singh Saturday assured international community that India will achieve the target set under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to reduce emissions, saying that the country "is moving towards those goals". India had committed to reduce its emissions by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels under the Paris agreement (COP21). "India is implementing one of the largest Renewable Energy expansion programs, Energy Efficiency programmes and moving towards the achievement of our target to fulfill our commitment made in Paris Agreement on Climate Change," Singh said while making interventions at the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth, being held in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan on June 15-16. The power and new & renewable energy minister highlighted the path breaking achievements in household electrification and providing energy access to all in India. The minister also mentioned about the ...
Netherlands keen to develop business ties with Bengal
Ambassador of Netherlands in India Marten van den Berg has said that West Bengal and Dutch have a long history of maritime trade and industry and there are various similarities between the two places. Speaking at a BCCI seminar here on Friday, he said Netherlands is a sea faring nation and West Bengal is gateway to the North-East. "There are various similarities between Netherlands and there are ample areas to work together. We have to see how we can develop our logistic hub function. The business interaction will help to find challenges, what the needs are and what solutions can be offered", he said. The Ambassador said to develop a logistic function there is need for strategic planning, good institutions, require hinterland connectivity, find challenges in development of river. "Large ports, hinterland connectivity, agriculture, infra development, river and flood management is our expertise and we are focussing on these areas in Bengal as already many Dutch companies .
Israeli experts meet Sukhbinder Sarkaria, discuss comprehensive water management plan
Punjab Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria Saturday met a team of experts from Israel to prepare a comprehensive water management master plan for the state. The Israeli team comprised International Special Projects Coordinator of National Water Company, Mekorot, Diego Berger, Project Manager Niv Pintow and Water Engineer Tomer Malol, according to an official statement here. The experts told Sarkaria that they will submit their report of recommendations within 18 months, the release said. The Israeli team, which is on a three-day visit here, along with senior Punjab water resource officers had earlier visited various parts of the state to assess the present situation and the challenges in the water sector. In April, Mekorot and the Punjab government had signed an agreement in this regard.
PM writes to all village panchayat heads asking them to conserve rain water
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to heads of all village panchayats in the country urging them to conserve rain water and make it a people's movement. In a letter to sarpanchs (village council heads), he urged them to either construct or repair water bodies in their areas to conserve rain water. "The monsoon season is around the corner. We are fortunate that God has blessed our country with adequate rainwater. But it is our duty to respect this gift from nature... As soon as the monsoon begins, we have to make arrangements to conserve as much rainwater as possible," Modi wrote last week. He urged them to join hands to build check dams and embankments along rivers and streams, clean up ponds for storage of dam water. "If we are able to do this, then not only will the crop yield increase, but we will also have a large reserve of water, which we will be able to utilise for many purposes," the prime minister wrote in the letter. He asked the sarpanchs to convene a meeting and read
Manipur farmers opt for lesser pesticides to yield better profits
Farming in Manipur is changing one farmhand at a time, wherein Heirangkhongjam Shantikumar, a native of Leimaram Mamang Leikai village, cultivates crops on his 1.5 hectares (approx.) of land on minimal pesticides with a profit of Rs 5 lakh annually.The inspiration for this change in the region can be credited to Shantikumar, who said, "I gave up the conventional practice of growing paddy because of the excessive use of chemical fertilisers, I chose food crops based on minimal use of chemicals. I believe consumers should not be fed edibles that are toxic."A village which commonly tills for rice once a year and waits for the season to recur to repeat the process is slowly opting for multi-crop farming with minimal use of chemicals throughout the year, to bring home a constant income. This change is all thanks to Shantikumar - the first to adopt this method in the region.Shantikumar recalled that his mindset changed during his visit to Central Agricultural University (CAU). The CAU ...
Gir National Park to remain shut for four months from Sunday
The Gir National Park, which is home to over 520 Asiatic lions, will remain shut for tourists, both domestic and foreigners, from June 16 to October 15, an official said Saturday. The park is closed during this period every year as it is the breeding season for many animals, including the big cats, said Rajiv Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment and Forest Department of Gujarat government. "Four months of monsoon are considered the best season for the breeding," he said. The Gir sanctuary, located at Sasan in Junagadh district, is the only home for the Asiatic lions and attracts a large number of tourists from India and abroad. "During the monsoon, the condition of roads inside the forest area also deteriorates and it becomes unsafe for visitors to travel on such roads," he said. Besides, the forest department also undertakes maintenance work of the national park in September as peak tourist season starts from November and continues till March end, the ...
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat meets Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Saturday said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has assured him Centre's help in the construction of the Chardham Highway."There were some issues related to the Chardham Expressway which begins from Rishikesh. There were some issues related to Rishikesh which we wanted to get sorted before the Kumbh in Haridwar, especially the construction of a ring road. The minister assured us that the Centre will support us in every way," he told reporters here.Char Dham Highway is a proposed two-lane express National Highway in the state of Uttarakhand. The proposed highway will complement the proposed Char Dham Railway by connecting the four holy places in Uttarakhand states includes Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri The project includes 900 km national highways which will connect whole of Uttarakhand state.Rawat thanked Gadkari for being fully supportive from the start and said that almost 84% percent of ...
No water to fall back on for farmers in Ujani's backwater area
Narayan Lawand, a 45-year-old farmer in Pune district, died of electrocution while using a submersible water pump to irrigate his fields last month. His death has brought into focus the plight of people living in the area around Ujani dam in western Maharashtra because of the terrible drought this year. Rui, Lawand's village in Pune's Indapur tehsil, falls in the backwater region of Ujani dam across the Bhima river. As the backwater spreads through hundreds of small inlets and streams in the area, it is common for farmers to draw water from them using submersible pumps. But the water level in the reservoir has depleted to such a precariously low level this year that small rivers and streams which flow off the main waterbody have gone dry. Submersible pumps and pipes which draw water from them, thus, lie exposed. In many places, farmers, who mainly grow sugarcane, have pooled money to dig trenches or shallow wells alongside the parched streams. The water that percolates ...
Greenland loses over 2 bn tonnes of ice in a day
In a sign that this year could once again set records for loss in Greenland ice, researchers have found that the island's ice sheet lost more than two gigatonnes (a gigaton is equal to one billion tonnes) of ice in just a day this week due to a widespread melting event.
Indonesia returns five containers of waste to the US
Indonesia has returned five containers of rubbish to the United States and will not become a "dumping ground", officials said Saturday, the latest Southeast Asian country to return imported waste. The containers were supposed to contain only paper scrap, according to the customs documents. Instead they were loaded with other waste including bottles, plastic waste, and diapers, said senior environment ministry official Sayid Muhadhar. "This is not appropriate and we don't want to be a dumping ground," Muhadhar told AFP. The five containers -- owned by a Canadian company -- were shipped from Seattle in the United States to Indonesia's second biggest city Surabaya in late March, Muhadhar said. It was not immediately clear where the rubbish originated from. Indonesia is currently examining several other containers in Jakarta's port and the city of Batam on the island of Sumatra. It is the latest country to return imported rubbish after neighbouring Malaysia vowed to ship back hundreds of .
