Page 458 - Environment
'Implement PSS for procurement of groundnut,soyabean& kharif'
The Telangana government Wednesday requested Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to implement the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for procurement of groundnut, soyabean and redgram for the Kharif season in the current fiscal in the state. T Harish Rao, Minister for marketing and Irrigation, in a letter to Singh, said the expected production of soyabean would be 2.01 lakh tonnes, while redgram has been pegged at 2.99 lakh tonnes. The groundnut production would be about 21.684 tonnes. He requested the minister to look into the proposal and issue necessary orders for procurement of groundnut, soyabean and redgram under thePrice Support Scheme through Central Nodal Agencies during 2018-19 kharif season in Telangana for the welfare of farmers.
K'taka asks Centre to buy up to 1 lakh tonnes green gram at MSP
Karnataka cooperation minister Bandeppa Kashempur today called on Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and requested him to raise the procurement limit for green gram up to 1,00,000 tonnes from the existing 23,250 tonnes under the price support scheme (PSS). The Centre implements the PSS to protect the farmers when prices fall below the minimum support price (MSP). The MSP of green gram has been fixed at Rs 6,975 per quintal for the 2018-19 crop year (July-June). "We informed the Union minister that more farmers have registered with procurement agency to sell green gram under the PSS and therefore the current procurement limit be raised to 1,00,000 tonnes so that all them take the benefit," Kashempur told reporters after the meeting. The central government has given assurance that the proposal will be considered once the current limit is exhausted, he said. The minister further said that the procurement of green gram grown in the kharif season of this crop year has just begun.
Death of Gir lions: Tests on two cubs rule out viral disease
The tests conducted on the tissue samples of the carcasses of two lion cubs found in Gujarat's Gir forest have prima facie ruled out any viral disease as the cause behind their death, Forest officials said Wednesday. A total of 14 lions have died in the forest since September 11 and the causes of their death are being ascertained. The cubs on whom the tests were conducted were among the 11 big cats who were found dead between September 11 and 19. Nine of the carcasses were recovered from Dalkhaniya range and two from the Jashadhar range of Gir forest. The toll rose to 14 Tuesday, after the death of two lionesses and a cub in the last two days. As per a release issued by Forest department, the tests, conducted through the molecular virology technique at Junagadh-based Veterinary College, indicated no presence of Canine Distemper, a viral disease. Canine Distemper is a viral disease that affects a wide variety of animals, including wild species. The disease is highly ...
Gujarat lion death toll 14 in as many days
The Gujarat Forest Department on Wednesday recovered one more carcass of a lioness from the Gir forests, the only abode of the Asiatic Lion, taking the total death toll of the beast to 14 in as many days, even as seven more lions were rescued.
Six more talukas of Gujarat declared scarcity-hit
Half a dozen talukas spread over three districts of Gujarat were Wednesday declared as "scarcity-hit" by the government due to deficient rainfall during the current monsoon season. With this, the number of scarcity-affected talukas in the state has gone up to 16. A week back, the government had declared all the 10 talukas of Kutch district as scarcity-hit due to scanty rainfall. The decision to add six more talukas in the category of "scarcity-hit" was taken during a meeting of a sub- committee of ministers formed to review availability of water in the state in the wake of deficient rainfall. These talukas are Vav, Suigam, Kankrej and Tharad (Banaskantha district), Chanasma (Patan district) and Mandal (Ahmedabad district), Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar after the meeting. "During the meeting, we have decided to declare these six talukas of Banaskantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts as scarcity-hit as they have received less than 125 mm ...
Climate-related financial disclosure becoming more mainstream: G20 task force
LONDON (Reuters) - Climate-related disclosure is becoming mainstream as more firms support and align their financial reporting to recommendations by a global task force though few disclose the financial impact on the company, a survey shows.
New mouth opens at Chilika lagoon
Much to the delight of fishermen and tourists, a new natural mouth has opened at the Chilika lagoon following last week's cyclonic storm 'Daye', a state government official said Wednesday. The new active sea mouth is located about 2.5 km north of the existing one at Arakhakuda. "Month-long rainfall, cyclone Daye and free flowing of rivers from north due to eviction of prawn 'gheries' could be the major reason for creation of the new mouth," said Susant Nanda, Chief Executive of Chilika Development Authority (CDA). Nanda said the 180 meters long mouth will enhance the livelihood and tourism in the area. It will also help enhance the fish production in the lagoon, he said. Nearly two lakh people depend on fishing in Chilika lake. Nanda maintained that the existing old mouth is measured at 1,800 sq metre whereas the new mouth is only about 180 metre long and about 3-4 metre deep. "This will have positive impact on the ecology and biodiversity of the lagoon," Nanda said ...
Cabinet apprised of India-Korea pact on applied science
The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and South Korea on cooperation in applied science and industrial technology, an official statement said Wednesday. The objective of this agreement is to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of applied science and industrial technologies for the purposes of promoting sustainable development and enhanced quality of life, it said. The MoU was signed here in July 2018.
Rare Sumatran tiger found dead in Indonesia
A critically endangered Sumatran tiger has died after being caught in a hunter's trap on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, an official said Wednesday. Locals told the conservation agency that a female Sumatran tiger had been seen on Tuesday caught in a pig trap set by a hunter in Muara Lembu village of Riau province. Officers immediately visited the location but the tiger was gone. The next day officers scoured the area once again and found the tiger dead near a ravine, with rope from the trap wrapped around its belly. They believed the rope caused the animal's death. Local conservation agency head Suharyono said the death was especially regrettable because the tiger was an adult female expected to give birth to cubs. Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild and environmental activists say they are increasingly coming into conflict with people as their natural .
2 women drown after slipping into river in J-K's Poonch district
Two women drowned while another was rescued Wednesday after they lost balance while crossing a river in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said. The incident took place when the three women were crossing the river while going to Khanter from their Nowabandi village, the officials said. They said the local volunteers immediately launched a rescue operation and were later joined by police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). They rescued one of the three women, Shazia (20). The bodies of two other women, aged 21-22, were also fished out from the river and handed over to their families for last rites after completion of legal formalities.
Delhi Env minister directs agencies to ensure compliance of norms, warns of strict actions
Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain Wednesday directed various agencies to ensure that norms for dust control are maintained at construction sites and while transporting related material, even as he warned that those violating them would face strict actions. The minister said this while chairing a meeting to review the steps being taken for prevention, control and mitigation of air pollution in the city and the National Capital Region (NCR), the Delhi government said. The meeting was attended by the Delhi's secretary (environment & forests), member secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), director (environment), principal chief conservator of forests, among others. "However, commissioners of the three municipal corporations -- NDMC, SDMC and EDMC -- and vice chairman (DDA), were not present in the meeting. Representatives of the NDMC, EDMC, PWD, DCB, DDA, Revenue Department, Transport Department and Traffic Police attended it," the government said in a ...
Agreements with Uzbekistan on health, pharma, tourism approved
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved multiple agreement proposals to be signed with Uzbekistan in various fields including health research, tourism, agriculture, and combating menace of illegal narcotics and psychotropic drugs between them, an official said.
Rs 825 cr for relining of Sirhind, Rajasthan feeder canals
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved assistance of Rs 825 crore for re-lining of Sirhind and Rajasthan feeder canal over five years till 2022-23.
Delhi government directs departments to take anti-pollution steps
Delhi Minister for Environment and Forests Imran Hussain on Wednesday directed various departments to take strict measures against dust and other pollution emissions in the national capital ahead of winters and festive season.
: Ginger (Inferior) Rs.13,000/-,
: Ginger (Inferior) Rs.13,000/-, Ginger (Medium) Rs.17,000/-, Ginger (Best) Rs.18,000/-, Turmeric Salem Rs.8,500-9,000/-, Turmeric-Erode(Agmark) Rs.9,000/-, Nuxvomica Rs.-----, Ambahaldhar Rs.10,500/-, Kolinjan 14,000-15,000/-, Kachura Rs.------, Kapurkatchili Rs.14,000-17,000/-, Betelnuts Rs.18,000-19,000/-, Rice Raw (No.1) Rs----/-,Rice Raw (No.2) Rs.2,900/-, Rice Boiled (Sulekha) Rs.3,750/-, Rice Jaya (Boiled) Rs.3,200/-, Rice Broken Rs.2,400/-, Wheat Rs.2,750/-Rs.2,900/-, Chola Rs.--------, Chillies Rs.10,500-14,800/-, Bengal Gram Rs.4,500-5,200/-, Black Gram Rs.6,500-7,100/-, Gingelly Rs.11,000/-, Green Gram Rs.6,700-7,200/-, Horse Gram 4,500/-, Peas Dal Rs.5,100-5,500/-, Toor Dal Rs.5,900-6,200/-, Pepper New Rs.36,700/- Pepper light Rs.-------, Pin Heads Rs.------, Sugar (per bag) Rs.3,600/-(All rates per quintal). COIR YARN : Cochin Parur Thin (85 M/Kg) Rs.4,800/-, Vycom Thick 180M/Kg) Rs.4,900/-, Choriwal Thin Rs.------.
50 pc Indians may be hoarding e-waste: Survey
As many as 50 per cent Indians may be hoarding at least two unused electrical or electronic devices constituting hazardous e-waste for up to five years, a survey has revealed.
Punjab hopes to tackle stubble burning problem through farm mechanisation
As paddy harvesting is nearing, Punjab has started looking for solution to crop residue burning problem and this time the state is hoping to tackle the menace through farm mechanisation, coupled with an aggressive awareness drive among farmers. Finding mechanised route as the most suitable answer to the problem of crop residue burning, Punjab is targeting to deliver 24,972 farm equipment including happy seeder, paddy straw chopper' cutter, mulcher, reversible mould board ploughs, shrub cutter, zero till drill, super straw management system on combine harvesters, rotary slasher and rotavator, official said here Wednesday. "We have a target to deliver 24,972 machines to growers, cooperative societies and custom hiring centres by October 15," said Punjab Agriculture Secretary K S Pannu. However, 8,583 machines have been delivered so far, he further informed, while asserting that the department was making all-out effort to achieve the target. "With these machines, the problem of crop ...
Eight Kerala farmers get cattle under 'donate a cow' campaign
Eight cows have been handed over to as many farmers in the hilly district of Wayanad in north Kerala under the 'donate a cow' campaign in the wake of torrential rains and consequent devastation in the state in the monsoon season.
Siang in sorry state, CWC report misleading: Arunachal MP
Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh Ninong Ering has criticised the Central Water Commission's report on the condition of the Siang river and demanded dredging of its riverbed. The river witnessed sudden blackening with heavy turbidity last year, and now the water level has risen due to sedimentation and deposition, Ering said in a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. "The condition of Siang river is in a sorry state, and yet the CWC data paints a rosy picture to keep real suffering and plight of people in oblivion," the Congress MP from Arunachal East Parliamentary Constituency said. Ering said large portions of agricultural land have been damaged due to heavy erosion of the Siang river, and the river water has left "many natives homeless and in total chaos." "In the absence of embankments, villagers somehow built sandbags embankment to protect their lives. Few stranded people were even airlifted by the Air Force at Jampani," he said in the letter.
Ending decades of doubt, 'biggest bird' dispute put to nest
After more than a century of conflicting evidence, Anglo-French animosity and a H G Wells novella involving murder most fowl, scientists said Wednesday they have finally solved the riddle of the world's largest bird. For 60 million years the colossal, flightless elephant bird -- Aepyornis maximus -- stalked the savannah and rainforests of Madagascar until it was hunted to extinction around 1,000 years ago. In the 19th century, a new breed of buccaneering European zoologist obsessed over the creature, pillaging skeletons and fossilised eggs to prove they had discovered the biggest bird on Earth. But a study released Wednesday by British scientists suggests that one species of elephant bird was even larger than previously thought, with a specimen weighing an estimated 860 kilogrammes (1,895 pounds) -- about the same as a fully grown giraffe. "They would have towered over people," James Hansford, lead author at the Zoological Society of London, told AFP. "They definitely couldn't fly as .