Page 454 - Environment
Maha: 5 elephants, 200 personnel deployed to trap tigress
The Forest department Friday said that five elephants, including four from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, have been deployed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal to trap a tigress that has reportedly killed 13 people in the last few months. A Forest department official Friday said that the five elephants, including one from Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra, were stationed at Sawarkheda in Ralegoan here to trap the tigress and her two cubs who are moving about in the Ralegaon-Kelapur forest belt of the district. A state Forest department release informed that the plan was to trap the tigress and the cubs after tranquilising them. It said that, besides the five elephants, two veterinarians, 25 experts from the special Tiger Protection Force, 24 police personnel, 22 forest department employees among others had also been deployed for the purpose. Over 200 personnel are camping in Sawarkheda area to trap the tigress and the cubs, the official added. An official said that 75 camera ...
India, Japan sign loan agreements for Metro, rail projects
India on Friday signed two loan agreements with Japan for construction of a Metro project in Kolkata and a high-speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, said an official.
Volkswagen board delays decision on Audi CEO Stadler's future: source
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Volkswagen's supervisory board on Friday deferred a decision on the future of Rupert Stadler, the suspended chief executive of its premium brand Audi, a person familiar with the matter said.
Imran Khan to visit China in October
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China in October, the media reported on Friday.
Inquiry committee set up to probe Pune canal wall breach
An inquiry has been initiated into the breach of a part of the wall of the Mutha Right-bank Canal, Maharashtra Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan said Friday. The wall breach, which happened Thursday afternoon, had inundated nearby areas and affected over 200 families living in the slums near Dandekar Bridge, Pune Municipal Corporation officials had said. The canal carries water from the Khadakwasla Dam near Pune to Indapur and Daund tehsils and also to some parts of the city. Mahajan Friday said that the inquiry committee would be headed by T N Munde, chief engineer, water resources, and would submit its report in two to three days. Mahajan said Irrigation department officials had told him that rats and other rodents possibly weakened the wall's foundation by burrowing beneath it. The minister added that encroachments along the canal were also affecting the safety of the structure. "We will have to take stringent steps to remove the encroachments ...
DRI seizes exotic birds smuggled into India from Bangladesh
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized exotic birds smuggled into India from Bangladesh at Kolkata airport, according to an official statement. Acting on intelligence, the officials intercepted a consignment at air cargo, Kolkata airport, which was to be transported to Hyderabad Thursday, it said. The consignment, containing 38 exotic birds badly cramped in four narrow cages, was off loaded from the flight, the DRI said in the statement. On inspection, the live exotic birds were identified as Java Sparrow, Star Finches, Golden Finches, Cockatiel and Aracari, it said. All the birds have been handed over to Kolkata Zoo authority for safe custody. "All these birds are of foreign origin," the DRI said. Aracari is mostly found in South American continent and is a kind of Toucan, while the Finches and Cockatiel are Australian in origin. The Java Sparrow as the name suggests is Indonesian in origin. "All these birds appear to have been illegally imported into India without .
Water stored at Fukushima nuclear plant still radioactive
The operator of Japan's wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant says much of the radioactive water stored at the plant isn't clean enough and needs further treatment if it is to be released into the ocean. Tokyo Electric Power Co has said treatment of the water could remove all radioactive elements except tritium, which experts say is safe in small amounts. TEPCO said Friday that studies found the water still contains other elements. It said more than 80 per cent of the 900,000 tons of water stored in large, densely packed tanks contains radioactivity exceeding limits for release into the environment. TEPCO said it will further treat the water to ensure safety. Experts are still debating what to do with the water because fishermen and residents oppose its release into the ocean.
China not seeking to displace US as top power: FM
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi dismissed fears Friday that his country was seeking to overtake the United States as the pre-eminent world power, saying Beijing wants global harmony. Pointing to recent works of US scholars who say China is stepping up efforts for hegemony, Wang said: "I want to tell you very clearly that this is a serious strategic misjudgment." "It is a misguided anticipation that will be extremely detrimental to US interests and the future of the United States," Wang told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, where he was attending the UN General Assembly.
Conclave of CMs of 12 Himalayan states in Shimla on Oct 5
A conclave of chief ministers and parliamentarians of 12 Himalayan states will be held in Shimla on October 5, an official said on Friday. The theme of the meet, to be held at Shoolini University in Solan, is "wellbeing of the next generation of Himalayan people through agriculture", said Kunal Satyarthi, Member Secretary of HP Council for Science, Technology and Environment. The Himachal Pradesh government is organising the conclave in partnership with Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), a civil society organisation of 12 Himalayan states -- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and West Bengal. The meet will be held in two stages -- a summit of professional experts and delegates on October 3 and 4, and a conclave of chief ministers and parliamentarians on October 5. The meet will also discuss the issues of hydro power and sustainable tourism in the hilly states, he added. This will be the
Kanha Tiger Reserve guide among winners of TOFTigers Wildlife Awards
A wildlife guide from Madhya Pradesh, a restaurant from Nepal and a nature tour operator from Netherlands were some of the winners at the fifth edition of TOFTigers Wildlife Awards here Thursday evening. Organised by TOFTigers, in association with Sanctuary Nature Foundation, the ceremony saw awards distributed in eight categories including "Lodge Naturalist", "Wildlife and Tourism Initiative", and "Up and Coming Excellence in Nature Award". Ramkali Dhurway from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh won the "Billy Arjan Singh Memorial Award for Wildlife Guide" and Jatayu vulture restaurant from Nepal, which is famous for preserving vultures by providing them safe food, was given the "Wildlife Tourism Related Community Initiative" award. With the theme of "Inclusive Conservation - People and Wildlife", the awards aim to highlight and reward individuals, businesses, service providers and community enterprises who have been leading the way in wilderness destinations in the Indian ...
Power tariff touches 9-yr high of Rs 16.49 at IEX
Spot power price Friday touched over nine-year high of Rs 16.49 per unit in the day ahead market (DAM) on Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) for supply on Saturday, mainly on account of higher demand. The spot power prices have seen an upward trend in the DAM at IEX since last Sunday when it touched to a new high of Rs 14.09 per unit for supply on Monday, due to lower wind and hydro power generation coupled with coal shortages at power plants. "Spot power price for supply touched over 9-year high of Rs 16.49 per unit in trading at IEX on Friday. Even the average spot power price was Rs 6.67 per unit at IEX today," a source said. According to the IEX data, the previous high was recorded at Rs 17 per cent unit in August 2009. A total of 306 MU (million units) were sold for supply on Saturday, which is highest ever volume of power sold on the exchange since it came into existence in 2007. In the DAM trading session concluded Friday at IEX, there were 363 buy bids against 335 sell bids. Earlier
NITI Aayog And United Nations In India Sign Sustainable Development Framework For 2018-2022
NITI Aayog and United Nations in India signed the Sustainable Development Framework for 2018-2022 at a function in the capital today. The agreement is a reflection of the commitment and efforts made by India towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. The Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022 was signed by the CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant and United Nations Resident Coordinator in India Yuri Afanasiev, at a special signing ceremony presided over by Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar. Members of NITI Aayog and Heads of UN agencies in India were present on this occasion.
Noida Authority removes illegal structures along city roads
The Noida Authority Friday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the city to remove illegal structures along roads, officials said. The development comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahan visited Noida to review development projects, including those related to roads and traffic. The anti-encroachment drive was carried out in sectors 57, 58, 59 and 60, which house several business entities, an authority official said. "This is part of an ongoing campaign to remove illegal structures along city roads that lead to traffic congestion and other related problems," a senior Noida Authority official said. "With the support from local police, we are taking up the clearance in different sectors where concerns have been raised," the officer said. Several shanties, temporary settlements built with asbestos, fast food and snacks stalls, and vendors were removed in the action as bulldozers were deployed for the removal work led by authority officials. During
World's biggest shipping firm tests Russian Arctic route
Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk, the world's biggest shipping group, said Friday that one its cargo vessels has successfully passed through the Russian Arctic on a one-off trial journey as a result of melting sea ice. Palle Laursen, Maersk's chief technical officer, says "the trial allowed us to gain exceptional operational experience," adding the Venta Maersk and all systems aboard performed well in the unfamiliar environment. Laursen said the ship, which had a cargo of frozen fish, arrived in St. Petersburg on Friday, after leaving Russia's Pacific port city of Vladivostok on August 22. The Northern Sea Route could be a shorter route for journeys from East Asia to Europe than the Northwest Passage over Canada because it will likely be free of ice sooner due to climate change. Experts say it could reduce the travel distance from East Asia to Europe from the 21,000 kilometres it takes to go via the Suez Canal, to 12,800 kilometres. That would cut transit time by 10-15 days. It's not the ...
'Relaxing sand extraction norms will spur illegal mining
The National Environment Care Federation, Karnataka, has said demand from state legislators to relax sand extraction norms would facilitate illegal sand extraction from rivers in the Coastal Regulation Zone areas in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi. In a release here, NECF general secretary H Shashidhar Shetty called for an open debate on the issue as MLAs, including state Urban Development and Housing Minister U T Khader, had supported the move. "When thousands of tonnes of sand are lying in the stockyards of the public works department in DK and Udupi districts, there is no need to allow sand extraction from rivers in the CRZ area," Shetty said. While PWDs sand is accounted for,there was no monitoring mechanism for CRZ sand, he said, adding that the minister and MLAs in the region are bound by regulations under the Constitution not to allow this. He alleged that lakhs of tonnes of sand from the CRZ area in both districts, worth over Rs 14,500 ...
Union Minister lauds tourism industry's revival in flood-hit Kerala
The tourism industry in Kerala has showed its strong character post the devastating floods and the manner of its revival is astounding, Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam said Friday. "I give emphasis on Kerala tourism's ability to recoup after a severe natural calamity as an epitome wherever I go. We bounced back defeating all never-seen-before challenges. It gives the positive sign that tourism has regained its vigour post the floods," he said. At least 493 people lost their lives in the rains and floods during the South West monsoon in Kerala. Kannanthanam made this observation while inaugurating exhibition stalls and pavilions at the tenth edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) at Willingdon Island here. He also inaugurated the pavilion of Responsible Tourism put up by Kerala's Department of Tourism. Later, he went around various stalls and pavilions. The four-day KTM, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday, has focus on the Malabar as a core ...
NITI Aayog, UN in India sign Sustainable Development Framework
The NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India on Friday signed the Sustainable Development Framework for 2018-2022.In a press release, NITI Aayog said the agreement is a reflection of the commitment and efforts made by India towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. The Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022 was signed by the CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant and United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Yuri Afanasiev, at a special signing ceremony presided over by Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar. Members of NITI Aayog and heads of UN agencies in India were present on this occasion.Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Kumar said that 2018-2022 will be a crucial phase in India's development story since the year 2022 marks 75 years of India's Independence. "In this backdrop, partnership instruments such as the UNSDF assume even more significance to accelerate the pace towards building a New India by 2022, an ...
German diesel deal must include hardware refits - environment ministry
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's environment ministry is sticking with its demand that any agreement on how to tackle pollution from diesel vehicles include hardware upgrades, a spokesman for the ministry said on Friday.
Assam PSU to launch pilot project to use methanol for cooking
The Assam Petrochemicals Limited (APL) will start a pilot project on October 5 on the use of methanol as an alternative to cooking gas.
Over 300 endangered turtles hatch in Singapore
More than 300 hawksbill turtles have hatched on beaches in Singapore this month and been released into the sea, authorities said Friday, in a boost for the critically endangered creatures. They hatched on three beaches across the tropical Southeast Asian country, according to the National Parks Board, which oversees parks and nature reserves. Over 100 turtles hatched on Sentosa Island, a popular tourist destination, according to the organisation that manages the island. After their nest was discovered in July, a barrier was erected around the site to protect it from monitor lizards and crabs. It was the fourth time since 1996 that eggs of the critically endangered turtles have hatched on Sentosa. The other turtle nests were discovered at a beach on the east coast and on Satumu island south of the Singapore mainland, the parks board said. A total of 321 turtles hatched over a 10-day period from September 15. Hawksbills get their names from their narrow pointed beaks and are found ...