Page 48 - Environment
UP: 193 thermal printers issued for challan-services in Lucknow
Challan services using thermal printers have started here from Friday. One hundred and ninety-three thermal printers have been provided to the traffic department of the city.After being issued e-challan with the thermal printer, fine will have to be deposited immediately by defaulters.Those who ride without helmets will be fined Rs 500 the first time. Heavy penalty will be levied on breaking the one-way rule; driving without using a seat belt and signal breaking will attract heavy fines too.The traffic department will be getting card swiping machine soon so that fines could be levied smoothly.
"Kaleswaram project redesigned to serve KCR's interests"
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in Telangana M Bhatti Vikramarka Friday alleged that the "interests of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao" and his family are behind the redesigning of Kaleswaram irrigation project, which has seen an escalation in cost. The project was originally initiated as the 'B R Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project' at a cost of Rs 38,000 crore during the Congress regime of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in undivided Andhra Pradesh, he told reporters here. The name of the project was changed to Kaleswaram project after it was redesigned by the TRS government, he said. The estimates of expenditure on it was initially put at Rs 80,500 crore, which has now been increased to more than Rs one lakh crore, he claimed. "The cost of the then Babasaheb Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project cost was only Rs 38,000 crore. Rs 10,000 crore had already been spent in undivided state (Andhra Pradesh) on the project. The balance amount to be paid was only Rs 28,000 ..
Raj govt orders administrative inquiry into tiger's death in Sariska reserve
The Rajasthan government on Friday ordered an administrative inquiry into the death of a tiger at Sariska reserve in Alwar, officials said. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has directed the officials to initiate a high-level administrative inquiry. Principal Secretary (cooperatives) Abhay Kumar will carry out the investigation. The tiger, who died on Saturday last, had been shifted to Sariska from Ranthambhore National Park two months ago, officials said. Based on initial reports and the post-mortem, officials said heat stroke was the cause of death.
Shillong gets its first ever orchidarium
In a major move towards enhancing the growth of eco-tourism, the Institute of Bio-Resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) opened state-of-the-art orchidarium in Upper Shillong.The northeastern state of Meghalaya is blessed with favorable climatic conditions and rich fertile soil, that's why its home to some of the most exotic species of flora."To plant orchids in Delhi, Gurgaon or any other North Indian places, air-conditioned room is required and the cost is very high. But here, the weather is like a natural refrigerator. So you see, we can save a lot of electricity. The second most important thing is that the soil is very fertile. You travel in the northeast and you will find a large number of orchids are growing naturally on tree trunks. But what the people are doing is that they are uprooting the orchids and selling it in the market at a very cheap price," said, Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director Institute of Bio-Resources and Sustainable Development.The orchidarium which was ...
Process of granting environmental clearances has become faster: Javadekar
The process of granting environmental clearances has become faster as the government has reduced the number of days taken to complete the procedure from 640 to 108, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said Friday. Speaking at the national council meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) here, he also promised to further bring down the time taken to grant clearances to a period of two to three months. "Earlier, the environment ministry was addressed as roadblock ministry or tax ministry. There was an atmosphere that there will be no progress of the country. But we showed that environment protection and growth can go together," Javadekar said while addressing over 100 industrialists at the meeting. "On an average, it used to take 640 days in granting environment clearances. When I was environment minister for two years, I brought it down to 180 days and now, when I took review, it has come down to 108 days. I promise you that in the coming days we will do our ...
Head of 32,000-year-old wolf found in Russian Arctic
A first intact head of a gigantic adult wolf which died about 32,000 years ago and was preserved in permafrost has been found in the Russian Arctic, scientists have said. Covered with thick fur, the head was found by a local on the banks of the Tirekhtyakh River in Russia's remote Arctic region of Yakutia last summer. It features a well-preserved brain, soft tissue and a set of powerful teeth and measures 41.5 centimetres (16 inches) in length. By comparison, the torso of a modern-day wolf is between 66 and 86 centimetres long. The head was handed to local palaeontologists who teamed up with scientists from the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo to study it. "It is the first ever such find," Albert Protopopov, head of mammoth fauna studies at the Yakutia Academy of Sciences, told AFP on Friday. "Only cubs have been discovered before." Research shows the animal died about 32,000 years ago in the Pleistocene epoch, when the most recent Ice Age occurred. The wolf is believed to
SDM in Amroha makes culprits plant saplings as they get bail
The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Naugawan Sadat in Amroha district, Mangeram Chauhan introduced an innovative way to contribute towards nature by asking those under arrest to plant trees while securing their bail.The officer, after seeking permission from the district collector, introduced this unique initiative. The initiative involves giving a target of planting five trees to those who are securing their bail and even their guarantors are asked to plant one tree.In case, the person wants to plant them in his home, farm or animal shelter, then they are required to give in writing the place where they will be planting the tree.Later on, a team from the Revenue Department goes to the person's place and verifies whether the person has planted them or not. Also, those, who do not have a place in their house, are assigned a government land to do so.Chauhan also strongly feels that the people who come under arrest due to disputes are given a positive message through this initiative and ...
Baby pterodactyls could fly from birth
Pterodactyls - extinct flying reptiles - had a remarkable ability to fly from birth, scientists have discovered. The importance of this discovery is highlighted by the fact that no other living vertebrates today, or those in the history of the fossil record, had this ability. This revelation has a profound impact on our understanding of how pterodactyls lived, which is critical to understanding how the dinosaur world worked as a whole. Previously, pterodactyls were thought only to be able to take to the air once they had grown to nearly full size, like birds or bats. This assumption was based on fossilized embryos of the creatures found in China that had poorly developed wings. Researchers from University of Leicester and University of Lincoln in the UK disproved this hypothesis. They compared these embryos with data on prenatal growth in birds and crocodiles, finding that they were still at an early stage of development and a long way from hatching. The discovery of more advanced ...
Goa govt to promote turtle nesting sites on state's beaches
The Goa government has chalked out a plan for conservation of nesting sites of olive ridley and other sea turtles on the state's coast, and turn them into tourist attractions. The state's 105-km long coastline is a magnate for tourists from across India and abroad. But it is also home to many nesting sites of sea turtles. Chief among them are the beaches of Morjim, Ashvem, Mandrem, Agonda and Galgibag, a senior forest department officer said. As part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP), the state government is working on a Rs 7.58 crore project for conservation of turtles with the participation of local people, the official said. The project, conceived by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai, would be implemented by the Goa Forest Department. The plan also includes setting up turtle rescue and rehabilitation centres at Morjim and Agonda. Reasons for poor hatchling and egg survival rate among sea turtles will be identified, ...
Climate change ups risk of armed conflict
Intensifying climate change will increase the future risk of violent armed conflict within countries, a study has found. The research, published in the journal Nature, estimates climate has influenced between three and 20 per cent of armed conflict risk over the last century and that the influence will likely increase dramatically. In a scenario with four degrees Celsius of warming, the influence of climate on conflicts would increase more than five times, leaping to a 26 per cent chance of a substantial increase in conflict risk, according to the study. Even in a scenario of two degrees Celsius of warming beyond preindustrial levels -- the stated goal of the Paris Climate Agreement -- the influence of climate on conflicts would more than double, rising to a 13 per cent chance. "Appreciating the role of climate change and its security impacts is important not only for understanding the social costs of our continuing heat-trapping emissions, but for prioritizing responses, which could .
Japan to invest Rs 13,000 cr in various Northeast projects
Japan has decided to invest Rs 13,000 crore (205.784 billion Yen) in several ongoing and new projects in different Northeastern states of India, an official release said here on Friday.
'Gun Island' my attempt at an answer to 'The Great Derangement': Amitav Ghosh
In his last book, "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable", writer Amitav Ghosh had questioned contemporary fiction's failure to address climate change and other environmental issues, realising soon after that he had not done it in his eight novels spanning over a three decade long literary career. "Gun Island", Ghosh's latest, is his attempt at an answer to all those questions. "It certainly is my attempt at an answer. When I finished writing 'The Great Derangement', I said to myself, 'What the hell have I done?' Look at this book questioning how fiction approaches these subjects and now I have to think of an answer," the author said. Ghosh was speaking at the launch of "Gun Island" on Thursday at the India Habitat Centre here. He was in conversation with journalist and writer Raghu Karnad. The book revolves around the life of a Brooklyn-based book dealer, who, on a visit to his birthplace, Kolkata, finds his life becoming unexpectedly entangled with an ancient ...
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inspects ongoing projects in Rishikesh and Haridwar
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reviewed the ongoing Namami Gange projects in Rishikesh and Haridwar during his one day tour to Uttarakhand on Thursday.He inspected the Sarai Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Haridwar and reviewed the operation of the plant in detail.Shekhawat also inspected the under construction of Jagjeetpur STP in Haridwar, which is slated for completion later this year. He discussed the roadmap ahead for the Jagjeetpur STP with the Director-General for National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Rajiv Ranjan Mishra.Under the Namami Gange programme, NMCG has approved four projects, two projects related to laying of Interception and Diversion (I & D) works and two projects for creating 82 (68+14) Million Liters Per Day (MLD) STP capacity. A total of Rs 426.97 cr has been sanctioned for these projects in Haridwar.Work on the 14 MLD STP was recently completed and the other STP of 68 MLD is expected to be completed by August 2019.The Minister also ...
World's highest operating weather stations installed on Everest
The National Geographic Society has announced the successful installation of the worlds highest operating weather stations on Mount Everest to provide researchers, climbers, and the public with near real-time information about mountain conditions, the media reported.
NASA's Mars 2020 rover to explore ancient life
NASA's Mars 2020 rover, its latest robotic mission to the Red Planet, will include technology to explore ancient life on Mars, according to the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
KCR to personally invite Maharashtra CM for Kaleswaram project inauguration
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao will personally invite Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis at his residence in Mumbai on Friday for the inauguration of the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project.Rao will personally extend an invitation to the Maharashtra CM to be the chief guest at the Kaleswaram project inauguration function on June 21.Earlier the government said that Rao would also visit newly-elected Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to personally invite for the function.With an estimated cost of Rs 80,500 crore, the KLIP is the costliest irrigation project taken up by a state. Once completed, it will irrigate 7,38,851 hectares of land in Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts.
WB: BSF seizes foreign birds in North 24 Parganas
Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday seized 70 foreign birds which were smuggled to North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal from neighbouring Bangladesh.The BSF, acting on a tip-off, seized English Budgie birds, a variety of the native Australian Budgerigar, and handed them over to customs office."In an operation at about 12:23 hours on specific information, troops of BOP (Border Out Post) Gunarmath 64 Battalion BSF seized 70 Birds which were being brought into India from Bangladesh for sale," the BSF said on Twitter.It said, "Further the seized birds were handed over to customs office petrapole.
Business leaders urged to set more ambitious climate targets
A broad coalition of business, including India's Mahindra Group, civil society and UN leaders, on Thursday issued a call to action for private companies to make their critical and necessary contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit the worst impacts of climate change.
Power minister holds meeting with gencos to push clean energy
Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh on Thursday held a meeting to address implementation issues regarding the mechanism for providing flexibility in generation and scheduling of thermal power stations to reduce emissions. The mechanism allows power generators to increase share of renewables in their overall energy mix for meeting their committed power supplies to their consumers or utilities. "Power Minister has given appropriate directions to resolve such issues," a Power Ministry statement said. Singh discussed the implementation issues regarding the mechanism for providing flexibility in generation and scheduling of thermal power stations to reduce emissions. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the two ministries, Central Electricity Authority, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation Ltd) and state-run power giant NTPC Ltd. During the meeting, Singh said that the focus of the government is on the growth
French envoy meets ISRO chief
French envoy Alexandre Ziegler met Chairperson of Indian Space Research Organisation K Sivan on Thursday and discussed ways to further space cooperation between the two countries. "Excellent meeting with Dr K Sivan, Chairman of @isro and his team. We are working extensively to reach a major milestone in our 60-year-old spatial cooperation. Our two leaders will present new ideas & projects during the visit of PM @narendramodi to France next August! #isro (sic)," Ziegler tweeted. India and France share robust cooperation in the area of space. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron released a joint vision for space cooperation. Space agencies of the two countries are also working on constellation of satellites for maritime surveillance and plan to collaborate for interplanetary mission to Venus.