Page 482 - Environment

Show EIA for Pragati Maidan redevelopment was based on detailed study: NGT to ITPO

The National Green Tribunal has questioned the India Trade Promotion Organisation over the grant of environment impact assessment (EIA) for redevelopment of the Pragati Maidan complex here as a world-class convention centre and asked it to show in 3 weeks whether the EIA report was based on a detailed study. A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said it seemed that apparently no impact assessment study was undertaken on the impact of creation of tunnels and underground parking on the groundwater in the area. The tribunal also asked the project proponent to file replies on the requirement of Cumulative Assessment Study, Ecological Impact Study, incremental load relating to air pollution standards and the "grossly deficient" Traffic Impact Assessment Study. Senior advocate Sanjay Jain, appearing for the ITPO, submitted before the bench a detailed plan of the project to show that it has been conceived taking into consideration all relevant factors, including traffic ...

Rising global temperatures likely to up heat-related deaths: Study

Countries need to keep global temperatures in check by meeting the goals set out in the Paris Agreement, or more people could die because of extreme temperatures, researchers have warned.

US-based NRDC to empower Gujarat's women through solar-powered pumps

US-based Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) President Rhea Suh has announced a partnership with the Gujarat-based Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) to improve the lives of women and their families.

Hartek Solar bags rooftop solar projects in Chandigarh

Hartek Solar said Thursday it has bagged orders for more than 100-kWp rooftop solar projects from about 25 households in the city. "Hartek Solar has secured most of the orders from owners of kanal houses, which have started opting for rooftop solar since the UT administration made solar systems mandatory for all buildings with an area of 500 sq yd and above," Hartek Solar Director Simarpreet Singh said in a release here. "While owners of kanal houses are required to install only 1-kWp systems, most of the rooftop plants being installed by us in kanal houses are in the 5-kWp range, which is an encouraging sign pointing towards the greater acceptance of rooftop solar among residents in recent months," he further said. With the November 17 deadline set by the UT administration for installing rooftop plants in kanal houses still two months away, the company expects more orders to come, he said. Hartek Group Chairman and Managing Director Hartek Singh said Hartek Solar would be ...

First tribal circuit project to be inaugurated in Chhattisgarh tomorrow

Union minister K J Alphons will Friday inaugurate the the country's first tribal circuit project connecting 13 tourism sites in Chhattisgarh. The project is being implemented under the Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan scheme launched in 2014-15 for development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritised manner. Alphons, the Minister of State for Tourism, will inaugurate the first tribal circuit project in Gangrel, Chhattisgarh, Friday, an official statement said. The circuit connects Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat, Kamleshpur, Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon, Jagdalpur, Chitrakoot, and Tirthgarh in Chhattisgarh. The Tourism Ministry had sanctioned Rs. 99.21 crore for the project in February 2016. The government had decided to include Chhattisgarh in the scheme under tribal circuit theme "with an objective to acknowledge the sovereignty of tribes and to promote the rich and diverse primitive assets in the state", the statement ...

Man found cooking chital meat in UP; arrested, released later

A person has been arrested for purchasing the meat of chital or spotted deer, a protected animal, in Ladta village under Khutar police station area here, a forest official said Thursday. He was released later after forest officials slapped a fine of Rs one lakh on him. Based on a tip off that Surendra, the husband of a local gram pradhan, was cooking chital meat in his house, Forest Ranger Ranvir Singh raided the premises Wednesday, District Forest Officer Gopal Ojha said. He was arrested with the meat and later released on a fine of Rs one lakh, Ojha said, adding that Surendra claimed that he had purchased it from one Sardar, a farm owner in the area. The senior forest official said that efforts are on to nab Sardar.

'Humans arrived in Madagascar 6,000 years earlier than thought'

Humans arrived on the tropical island of Madagascar more than 6,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a study. Scientists led by Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in the UK analysed bones from what was once the world's largest bird. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, found that ancient bones from the extinct Madagascan elephant birds (Aepyornis and Mullerornis) show cut marks and depression fractures consistent with hunting and butchery by prehistoric humans. Using radiocarbon dating techniques, the team was able to determine when these giant birds had been killed, reassessing when humans first reached Madagascar. Previous research on lemur bones and archaeological artifacts suggested that humans first arrived in Madagascar 2,400-4,000 years ago, researchers said. However, the new study provides evidence of human presence on Madagascar as far back as 10,500 years ago -- making these modified elephant bird bones the earliest known evidence of ...

26 entities commit to zero emission vehicle targets

In the biggest collective demonstration of the demand for electric vehicles to date, 26 states, cities, regions and businesses on Thursday simultaneously announced 100 per cent zero emission vehicle targets.

Goa's environment faces problems from infrastructure boom (Environment Feature)

Panaji, Sep 13 (IANS/Mongabay) Goa's much-highlighted opencast iron-ore mining has resulted in significant destruction of tree cover in the iron ore belts, where all vegetation is shaved off to scoop out top soil from hills and access the ore. The destruction left in its wake is well documented.

Heavy rains in UP boosts kharif sowing: UP agri minister

Faced with flood-like situation in some parts of Uttar Pradesh, throwing normal life out of gear, heavy rains in the state have a silver lining with the state's kharif sowing showing encouraging results, though pulse production might be a little worrisome. With heavy rains in most parts of the state, kharif sowing has been most encouraging this year and the sowing area in the state has registered an increase of about 2.16 per cent as compared to the previous year, UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said Thursday. Though paddy sowing in the state has remained at 59.78 lakh hectares like the previous year, there has been an increase of 2.85 per cent in the area on which 'makka, jwar, bajra' and other such foodgrains have been sown, the minister told PTI. The area of pulses sowing like 'urad, moong and arhar' has registered a marked increase of 12.40 per cent but the sustainability of the standing crop in continued inclement weather is a cause of worry, the minister said. "For a .

Researchers find genetically-diverse koalas

A new study published on Thursday in Australia said it has found pockets of genetically-diverse koalas that could help protect the species from extinction.

India and Pakistan have driven global sugar glut - Australia's minister for trade

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The policies of India and Pakistan have contributed to a global glut in the world's sugar market, Australia's Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham told Reuters.

Over 1,300 people evacuated due to gas leak in Mexico

A gas leak in the Mexican state of Puebla forced the evacuation early on Wednesday of more than 1,300 people across seven neighbourhoods in the like-named capital, officials said.

400 investors with $32 trillion in assets step up climate action

The Investor Agenda launched here on Wednesday will support investors in accelerating and scaling-up the actions that are critical to tackling climate change and achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Indian mining sector seeks sops to explore mineral wealth

The Indian mining sector on Wednesday urged the government to incentivise exploration of the country's rich mineral wealth that remains untapped despite huge potential for its growth and development.

Agri Secy for timely supply of subsidised farm equipments

To check the menace of paddy straw burning, Punjab Agriculture Secretary Kahan Singh Pannu Wednesday asked department officials to ensure timely supply of subsidised farm equipments to farmers. Presiding over a meeting here to deliberate upon the steps being taken to tackle the problem of straw burning, Pannu reviewed the progress of farm implements delivered to the farmers till date. He said these agri-implements must be delivered to the farmers before the harvesting season of paddy begins. Pannu pointed out that the manufacturing agencies had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India to provide these implements to the farmers on time and added if these agencies failed to honour their commitment, then they could be blacklisted. The secretary further said school students were being made part of the anti-stubble burning campaign for which a poster making competition will be held across the state in the last week of September.

ENGIE, STOA tie up to develop wind platform in India

Power firm ENGIE and French infrastructure and power equity investor STOA Wednesday announced a partnership to build a wind energy platform in India with a goal of setting up over 2 GW capacity over the next five years. "ENGIE, a leading multinational utility company and the largest global independent power producer, and STOA, a French infrastructure and power equity investor in developing countries, announced today a partnership to build a wind platform in India...through a Joint-Venture detained 50/50 by the two entities," a statement said. The platform has a goal of setting up over 2 GW of wind energy capacity over the next five years. Scope will be both onshore and offshore wind projects under central and select state tenders. Earlier this year, ENGIE won a capacity totalling 280 MW in three separate state and central tenders in India. These three projects, which are currently in implementation stage (200 + 50 MW in one location in Tamil Nadu and 30 MW in Gujarat) will form a part

Jharkhand govt introduces electric cars for official use

Jharkhand government Wednesday introduced electric vehicles for official use when its energy department got 20 such cars, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said. In the first phase, the energy department got 20 cars procured by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of the PSUs under the Ministry of Power. Within the next two weeks, 30 more cars would be provided to the department, Das said. "Using electric vehicles will not only protect the environment but also save foreign currency. Everyone will profit if dependency on petroleum products becomes less," an official release said quoting the chief minister. Das suggested that other departments and the common people start using such cars to make the state clean and green. Energy department secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni said 12 charging stations have been set up so far in Ranchi and more charging stations will come up.

254 copper coins of medieval era discovered at Khirki mosque

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered a hoard of 254 copper coins of medieval period within the Khirki mosque compound here during the conservation of the monument, said Ministry of Culture on Wednesday.

E-Plant clinics launched in J-K's Udhampur

The Jammu and Kashmir administration launched e-plant clinics in Udhampur district on Wednesday to make technological innovations and advancement in research in the agriculture sector easily accessible for farmers for enhanced production. The e-plant clinics were inaugurated by District Development Commissioner Ravinder Kumar in presence of Chief Agriculture Officer Ashok Verma. Around four e-plant clinics have been established by the agriculture department in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) which will cover the entire district, besides providing guidance to the farmers and staff of the department. Underlining the importance of e-Plant clinics, Kumar said the main objective of launching the facilities was to reach out to farmers easily and take technological innovations and research with the advancements in the agriculture sector to increase production. He said these clinics would be made functional at Majalta, Ramnagar, Udhampur, and .