Page 477 - Environment
India's PSLV rocket successfully puts into orbit two UK satellites
India on Sunday night successfully put into orbit two British earth observation satellites, NovaSAR and S1-4, in copy book style.
Carbon from polluted air is reaching placenta: Study
Turns out, soot from polluted air can affect the placenta.According to a recent research, evidence of tiny particles of carbon, typically created by burning fossil fuels, has been found in placentas for the first time.The new study adds to existing evidence on the dangers of pollution for unborn babies and suggests that when pregnant women breathe polluted air, sooty particles are able to reach the placenta via the bloodstream.Dr. Norrice Liu, lead researcher of the study said, "We've known for a while that air pollution affects fetal development and can continue to affect babies after birth and throughout their lives. We were interested to see if these effects could be due to pollution particles moving from the mother's lungs to the placenta. Until now, there has been very little evidence that inhaled particles get into the blood from the lung."The researchers worked with five pregnant women who were all living in London and due to having planned cesarean section deliveries at the ...
Three die after inhaling poisonous gas in pickle factory tank: Police
The owner of an illegal pickle manufacturing plant and two others died Sunday after inhaling poisonous gas on entering a tank at the factory in a residential area here, police said. The incident occurred in the Daulat Nagar area at around 8:30 am. Police said Luv Kush Prasad Jayaswal (62) had been running a pickle manufacturing unit for three years. The factory was closed in the monsoon season. The plant has a 10-feet-deep tank for pickling. Jayaswal opened the plant Sunday morning to remove fermented water from the tank. Jayaswal entered the tank with the help of a ladder and fell unconscious after inhaling poisonous gas, police said. When he did not come out, his 35-year-old son got down in the tank to save him. He too passed out. Jayaswal's wife raised an alarm on noticing her husband and son lying unconscious. A neighbour, Hirdayraj Dubey, who rushed to their rescue also collapsed on entering the tank. Some neighbours informed police who reached there and a fire brigade also ...
Odisha may witness heavy rainfall from Monday: MeT dept
Heavy rainfall is likely to lash several parts of Odisha from Monday owing to formation of a fresh cyclonic circulation in the region, the Meteorological Centre here said Sunday. The cyclonic circulation, now lying over east-central Bay of Bengal and its neighbourhood, is likely to bring heavy rainfall in some places like Mayurbhanj, Khurda, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh districts during the next 24 hours, it said. Due to the cyclonic circulation, a low pressure area is likely to develop over central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around Tuesday. It is likely to become more marked subsequently, it said. Under its impact, several parts of Odisha are likely to be lashed by heavy rain while light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorm may continue at most places of the state till Saturday, it said. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at some places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Nayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Kandhamal ...
No food and rural job crisis, starvation in Tripura: Officials
There is no food or rural job crisis, and no report of starvation from tribal and interior areas of Tripura as alleged by the opposition parties, an official said here on Sunday.
Khadi launches eco-friendly bags made from plastic waste
Contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign in a unique way, Khadi India has launched a designer carry bag made from a mix of plastic waste and paper pulp, a senior official said on Sunday. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) showcased the plastic-paper mixed eco-friendly handmade carry bags on Saturday at it's flagship Khadi India outlet in Connaught Place here on the occasion of Swachhata Diwas. As the prime minister launched the cleanliness campaign, Khadi India introduced the carry bags at all of its stores across the country, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said. Saxena said KVIC conducted experiments at its Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) unit at Jaipur to develop the unique bag. "The KNHPI officials were directed to collect plastic garbage and after necessary cleaning and processing, mix it with paper pulp up to 20 percent to find out whether plastic waste can be utilised in handmade paper industries or not," ..
40 Lesser floricans spotted this season in 4 MP districts
The number of Lesser floricans, an endangered species of migratory birds, visiting western Madhya Pradesh has increased this year due to improvement of their habitat, an official said Sunday. Ornithologist Ajay Gadikar, who has been working with the state's Forest department to attract the birds, said that 40 Lesser floricans have been spotted this season in four districts of the state. Gadikar said that 11 of them were spotted in Kharmore Sanctuary in Sardarpur in Dhar district, 16 in Neemuch district, nine in Jhabua and four in Ratlam. He said that 22 birds, also called likh or kharmore in MP, had visited the state last year. "We have spotted six male and five female kharmores in our sanctuary. Last year, we saw only one male likh here," said Forest Sub Divisional Officer Rakesh Kumar Damor. Damor claimed that the forest department's efforts to better the habitat of these migratory birds had paid off. Every year, the birds migrate to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, ...
Here's how air pollution affects foetal development
For the first time, researchers have found evidence of tiny particles of carbon, typically created by burning fossil fuels, in placentas.Previous research indicated links between pregnant mothers' exposure to air pollution and premature birth, low birth weight, infant mortality and childhood respiratory problems. The new study, however, adds to existing evidence on the dangers of pollution for unborn babies and suggests that when pregnant women breathe polluted air, sooty particles are able to reach the placenta via the bloodstream.The work was presented by Dr. Norrice Liu, and Dr. Lisa Miyashita, who said, "We've known for a while that air pollution affects foetal development and can continue to affect babies after birth and throughout their lives."The team studied a total of 3,500 placental macrophage cells from the five placentas and examined them under a high-powered microscope. They found 60 cells that between them contained 72 small black areas that researchers believe were ...
Cannot remove encroachments on 11179 acres of defence land: Ministry to PAC
The Defence Ministry has expressed its inability to remove unauthorised encroachments on 11,179 acres of its land, in a submission before Parliament's audit watchdog Public Accounts Committee (PAC). According to details shared by the ministry with the parliamentary panel, defence land measuring about 11,179 acres was encroached upon till October 2015. Expressing concern over encroachment of defence land, the panel in a draft report said, "What is even more disturbing for the committee to note in the ministry's submission that these encroachments cannot be removed and have to be regularised." Rather than helping in removing the encroachments, the PAC said, this attitude of the ministry will provoke the encroachers to augment their demand for regularisation. The ministry should set up an inquiry to detect all encroachments and prohibit activities and take stringent remedial action to prevent misuses of defence land, the panel recommended in its draft report on 'Defence Estates ...
Hybrid vehicles crucial for future mobility: Niti Aayog member
Hybrid vehicles should be considered as key aspect in India's journey to future mobility, Niti Aayog member V K Saraswat said Sunday. Moving towards electric vehicles directly from internal combustion engine (ICE) need proper infrastructure, and it will take time, Saraswat further said. Introduction of EV technology should begin with two-wheelers and three-wheelers for short-haul journeys, he added. "There is a sequence in which activity has to go. Sequence is today, you have 100 per cent system working on internal combustion engine (ICE). "You are introducing a battery technology directly today. It will take time for the battery technology because it needs supporting infrastructure capacity," Saraswat told PTI. Noting that the country can not allow IC engine to continuously keep on giving carbon dioxide, he said, "So, answer to reduce the emission of IC engine is to go for hybrid, means you take IC engines and electric vehicles together". The Niti Aayog member pointed out that hybrid
244-acre of encumbrance-free land handed to heath dept for J&K AIIMS
Authorities of Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir, have finally handed over encumbrance-free land to the health and medical education department for setting up the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), officials said Sunday. The 244-acre land parcel is located near the Jammu-Pathankot highway in Vijaypur. It will now be transferred to the central public works department (CPWD), which is the project execution agency, the officials said. In 2015, the centre sanctioned an AIIMS for Jammu following agitation by a union of 70 civil society groups under the banner of AIIMS coordination committee. However, the works on the prestigious project could not start as major portions of the identified land were occupied by nomadic families. The arduous tasks of clearing the proposed AIIMS site and rehabilitating nomadic families have been completed successfully and peacefully, Deputy Commissioner Samba Sushma Chauhan said. The task was taken up on a mission-mode from July 20. ..
India, France plan satellites for maritime surveillance: French space agency chief
India and France have planned eight-10 satellites as part of a constellation for maritime surveillance, French space agency CNES chief Jean-Yves Le Gall has said. This will be India's largest space cooperation with any country, officials said. They added that the launch of eight-10 maritime surveillance satellites will focus on the Indian Ocean, a region that has been witnessing increasing Chinese presence. France will also share its expertise with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on inter-planetary missions to Mars and Venus, the Indian space agency's two major missions, Gall said. "We started (talks) on constellation of new satellites for maritime awareness. Of course, it will take time," Gall told PTI in an interaction. Asked how many satellites will be part of the project, he said, "It would be between eight-10." The purpose of the constellation is monitoring sea traffic management, a CNES official said, adding that it would take less than five years to launch the ...
IWRM can reduce floods in downstream areas of hydel dams:
For mitigating floods in the downstream areas of hydel dams in the North East region, a river science expert has suggested adoption of an Integrated Water Resources Management(IWRM) approach in the area. River science expert and former IIT-Roorkee Professor Nayan Sharma suggested that the existing or planned hydel dams of NEEPCO, Assam Power General Corporation (APGCL) and NHPC be overhauled to incorporate necessary flood cushion in the reservoir along with evolving optimal reservoir operation rule curves. IWRM is a Water Resources Planning process which "promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems", Sharma told PTI. He suggested using recent advance technology for mitigation of the flood devastations wrecked in downstream areas of hydel dams. The recent advance technologies include
Revenue dept withdraws circular on suspension of safeguard duty on solar cells
The revenue department has instructed its field formations to collect safeguard duty on imported solar cells, withdrawing its earlier direction issued a month ago regarding suspension of the levy. The decision to impose safeguard duty on 'solar cells whether or not assembled in modules or panels' was taken in view of a Supreme Court order, staying an earlier order of the Orissa High Court regarding the duty, the CBIC said in a circular. On August 13, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had instructed field formations that safeguard duty should not be insisted upon imported solar cells for the "time being" in deference to the interim directions passed by the Orissa High Court. In the meantime, a special leave petition was filed in the matter before the Supreme Court, which stayed the interim order passed by the Orissa High Court. "Accordingly, all the provisional assessment done in terms of (August 13) instruction shall be finalised and safeguard duty shall be ...
Humans brewed beer over 13,000 years ago: Study
Prehistoric humans had a thirst for craft beer and were brewing such beverages at least 5,000 years earlier than thought, say scientists who have found evidence of alcohol production in the Eastern Mediterranean. Archeologists from the Stanford University in the US and University of Haifa in Israel analysed three stone mortars from a 13,000-year old Natufian burial cave site in Israel. Their analysis confirmed that these mortars were used for brewing of wheat/barley, as well as for food storage. The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, suggests that beer brewing practices existed in the Eastern Mediterranean over five millennia before the earliest known evidence, discovered in northern China. "Alcohol making and food storage were among the major technological innovations that eventually led to the development of civilisations in the world, and archaeological science is a powerful means to help reveal their origins and decode their contents," said Li Liu,
African tourism alarmed by rhino, elephant losses
Animal conservation in Africa has suffered several setbacks in recent months prompting experts at an African tourism conference this week in Cape Town to warn about the cost to the travel industry. "Obviously it's negative," said the African Tourism Association's (ATA) managing director Naledi Khabo, who spoke at the inaugural event organised by Airbnb. "Whether it's people or animals, you see them being killed or slaughtered in such a terrible manner -- it has a negative impact." Kenya was thrust into the conservation spotlight when an effort to move endangered black rhinos between national parks, launched with great fanfare in June, left 11 of the animals dead. "It's very clear it was not managed well by my officers -- and we took action on that," said Kenya's Tourism Minister Najib Balala, who was the public face of the project. Balala insisted that tourists considering visiting would not be deterred by the incident but industry experts have warned that such setbacks could hurt the
Global summit showcases surge of climate action: UN officials
Top UN officials welcomed the outcomes of the Global Climate Action Summit that concluded here on Friday, showcasing a surge of climate action and commitments from regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society; and calling on governments everywhere to step up their efforts to tackle climate change.
Over 70 per cent owners agree to give land for Jewar airport
Over 200 land owners in Jewar agreed Saturday to give their lands for a proposed international airport in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, taking the overall consent of affected families to 71 per cent, local MLA Dhirendra Singh said. According to the provisions of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the consent of at least 70 per cent of land owners is mandatory for government to proceed with acquisition of land in any such project. Over 1,300 hectare of land from five villages - Rohi, Parohi, Dayanatpur, Ranhera and Kishorpur is to be acquired during the first phase of green field project. A total of 5,000 hectares of land is to be acquired for the green field airport estimated worth Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 crore. "As many as 202 landowners submitted their consent letter to Arunveer Singh, the chief executive officer of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority and District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh
Ethanol-blended petrol price should be brought down: Bengal Minister
Demanding a price reduction for ethanol-blended petrol, West Bengal Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pandey on Saturday said the state would take steps to create awareness among consumers about the blended petrol being sold to them.
Tigress on the hunt in Satkosia, forest and police deployed
With a big cat allegedly on on the hunt at Satkosia in Odisha's Angul district, the state government on Saturday deployed forest and police personnel to ensure that the animal did not enter human habitation, officials said. The Royal Bengal Tigress called 'Sundari' was brought from Madhya Pradesh and was released in the wild in the Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in August, the officials said. It had allegedly mauled to death a woman of Hatibari village on Wednesday and killed five cattle at Bipradi village near Athmallik forest range border on Friday, they said. Odisha government has deployed two teams of forest department and police personnel to stop the animal from entering human habitation, while a high level team of experts of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun reached Angul to take stock of the situation, the sources said. "The senior forest department officials and the experts of WII are talking to the people about the alleged activities of Sundari," an ...