Page 488 - Environment
Railways to launch portal for private firms to donate CSR funds for toilets, benches in stations
The railways is all set to invite private companies to donate their CSR funds to sponsor amenities for passengers on station premises through a dedicated portal, Rail Sahyog, which will be launched by the Minister of Railways on Tuesday, a senior official said. The companies can use their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to build toilets, provide free Wi-Fi with kiosks for e-services for citizens at stations, plastic bottle crushing machines, steel benches and dustbins and other amenities for passengers at stations, he said. A change in the company law in April 2014 mandated that businesses with annual revenues of more than Rs 10 billion give away 2 per cent of their net profit to charity. To encourage participation of private companies and public sector undertakings in identified works/activities to be done under CSR in the railways, a policy framework had been put in place by the national transporter in 2016. It details the works/activities executable under CSR in the ...
Dairy sector development vital for farmers' prosperity: Singh
Development of the dairy sector is vital for the prosperity of the country's farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said Monday. Singh was here to inaugurate a workshop organised by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on the role of technology in doubling the income of dairy farmers. Praising the NDDB for promoting technology-driven income-generating activities for dairy farmers, Singh said that involving them in diverse alternatives (dairy based, agriculture or allied activities) was important for building their economic resilience and welfare. "Dairying is a very important developmental intervention in rural India for achieving agricultural growth with equity," he said. He reiterated the Union government's commitment to doubling farmers' incomes by 2022. Singh informed the gathering that under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, projects worth Rs 1,600 crore have been approved by the Centre till March 2018. Out of this, Singh said, Rs 686 crore has been
Iran issues tender to buy 30,000 tonnes rice from India
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Iran's state grains buyer GTC has issued an international tender to buy 30,000 tonnes of rice to be sourced from India, European traders said on Monday.
Lexus launches all-new version of hybrid electric car ES 300h in India
Japanese carmaker Toyota's luxury vehicle arm, Lexus, Monday launched an all-new version of its hybrid electric car, ES 300h in India priced at Rs 59.13 lakh (ex-showroom all India). The seventh generation ES 300h is powered by a 2.5 little petrol engine coupled with Lexus' fourth generation hybrid system. "Our country is going through the problem of pollution and we strongly believe that hybrid electric vehicles are a solution for it," Lexus India President P B Venugopal told reporters here. With enhanced riding comfort and driving dynamics, the all-new ES 300h delivers a fuel economy of 22.37 kmpl, the company said. The model is equipped with 10 airbags and other safety features such as vehicle stability control, hill start assist besides anti-theft system with break-in and tilt sensors. When asked about the company's plans for India for future mobility, Lexus India Chairman N Raja said, "For us, all technology will co-exist. While electric vehicles are the future, hybrids will be ..
Haryana signs MoU with Indian Oil for ethanol plant
The Haryana government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs 900 crore. The initiative at village Bohali with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season, an official release said. The MoU was signed by Director, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department of Haryana, Dusmanta K Behera and Chief General Manager, Alternate Energy and Sustainable Development, IOC Ltd Sanjay Kumar Srivastav. The pact will be valid for one year. Haryana Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar said there were 10 cooperative and three private sugar mills in Haryana that would provide raw fuel to the plant. He said paddy crop residue season was due in October and November and after that the sugarcane crop residue season will arrive. Thus, there will be regular supply of raw material to the plant. The Agriculture ...
Qatar begins regular LNG loadings to Bangladesh: officials
DHAKA (Reuters) - Qatar has begun regular shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bangladesh after a five-month hiatus since the maiden cargo arrived with the South Asian country's first floating storage and regasification vessel (FSRU), Petrobangla officials said on Monday.
Ban Ki-moon, Bill Gates head climate body
Former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and billionaire businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates will head an international commission on climate change to launch next month, the Dutch government said Monday. The commission, to be co-hosted by the Global Center on Adaptation, hosted by the Netherlands in partnership with the World Resources Institute, seeks to "convince countries across the globe to take measures to arm themselves against the consequences of climate change," the Dutch minister for infrastructure and water management said. World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva will also oversee the Rotterdam-based commission, which styles itself as a 'solutions broker' to speed climate reform linking governments and inter-governmental bodies, the private and public sectors according to the announcement which came two days after global climate protests. "We hope that the need to adapt to climate change may be felt on a global scale," said the minister, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, who added .
Hybrid wind-solar assets may lower capital costs by 5-7%:Study
Hybridisation of the wind and solar assets is likely to lower the capital cost by 5-7 per cent compared to the cost of standalone wind and solar assets, thus improving the returns for the developers, said a report. The ministry of new and renewable energy approved the National Wind-Solar Hybrid policy in May 2018 with an objective to reduce variability in generation and to improve the utilisation of common sources like land and evacuation infrastructure. "Apart from the reduced variability in generation for wind-solar hybrid projects compared to standalone wind or solar projects due to the complimentary nature of generation, the hybrid projects would lead to savings in capital cost in view of the improved utilisation of common infrastructure such as land, approach roads and evacuation infrastructure," Icra group head - corporate ratings Sabyasachi Majumdar said. As per Icra's estimates, the hybridisation of the wind and solar assets would lower the capital cost by 5-7 ...
Indian rock python rescued from Gurugram flat
A more than 10 feet long Indian rock python, weighing over 10 kg, was rescued from a kitchen on the third floor of a flat in upscale DLF area in Gurgaon, a wildlife activist said on Monday.
Power Mech wins orders worth Rs 247 cr
Power Mech Projects said Monday it has bagged orders worth Rs 247 crore for works in Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra. A contract worth Rs 63 crore is for operation & maintenance of coal handling plant 5x800 MW at Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project, Gujarat, according to a BSE filing. Besides, the company has been awarded a contract worth Rs 128 crore by Municipal Council of Palwal, Haryana for providing water and sewerage works. The work will be executed by Hydro Magus Private Ltd, a subsidiary of Power Mech. The third contract pertains to works at JSW Dolvi, Maharashtra for a total price of Rs 56 crore to be completed within a period of 11 months.
UN sees 70% chance of El Nino event this year
An El Nino event that could disrupt global weather is likely by the end of what has already been a hot year, the UN said Monday. The World Meteorological Organisation forecast "a 70 percent chance of an El Nino developing by the end of this year," a WMO statement said. El Nino is triggered by periodic warming in the eastern Pacific Ocean which can trigger drought in some regions, heavy rain in others. "WMO does not expect the anticipated El Nino to be as powerful as the 2015-2016 event, but it will still have considerable impacts," the statement said. The organisation sees increased odds of higher surface temperatures in most of Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Africa and along much of South America's coastline. Interior parts of South America, Greenland, many south Pacific islands and some in the Caribbean were identified as possible exceptions. WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas noted that 2018 "is on track to be one of the warmest on record," after especially high ...
'Restoration Opportunities Atlas' launched, can help in planning improvement in forest cover
A 'Restoration Opportunities Atlas' that can help in planning improvement in forest and tree cover in the country was launched on Monday by a research organisation. The web-based platform aims to support policy makers combat climate change through tree-based interventions in India. "India has tremendous potential for tree-based action. The Restoration Opportunities Atlas begins to address information gaps, compiles information from various sources and simplifies it to support decision-making," said Dr Rohini Chaturvedi, Director, Sustainable Landscape and Restoration Programme at WRI India. The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organisation and focuses on environment and development. Its work spans over 50 countries, including India. The atlas brings together information relevant for India's nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement, which includes a commitment to sequester additional 2.5-3 billion tons of carbon dioxide. It also ties with the
NGT says waste management most serious challenge, forms committees to monitor disposal
Warning that failure to ensure proper management of solid waste will have disastrous consequences, the National Green Tribunal has appointed three committees to monitor disposal of garbage in an eco-friendly manner across the country. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is one of the most serious challenges to environment protection and although Solid Waste Management Rules have been framed in 2016, their implementation remains a problem, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said expressing its anguish over the issue. The green panel said that deficiencies in proper management of solid waste have resulted in outbreak of serious diseases in the past and are likely to do so in future. The tribunal formed three committees -- apex monitoring Committee, Regional Monitoring Committees and state level committees -- to oversee the steps to be taken to give effect to the directions of this tribunal, including proper implementation of the Rules. "It is observed that ..
Greenpeace protests outside Australian Parliament
Greenpeace Australia activists on Monday climbed flagpoles outside the Parliament House here to demand new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison abandon his coal-loving ways and work on policies to fight climate change.
E-waste on Ramganga banks: NGT summons UP chief secretary
Irked over the non-compliance of its order, the National Green Tribunal today directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to appear before it and apprise it of disposal of e-waste from the banks of the Ramganga river in Moradabad. Observing that disposal of e-waste is a serious environmental issue, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel took exception to inaction of the district administration to remove the hazardous waste lying on the river bank. The tribunal directed the chief secretary to appear before it on October 10. The order came after the Central Pollution Control Board informed it that a number of sealed e-waste industries were operating illegally in densely populated residential areas. It also told the bench that the electricity department failed to snap connection of 27 illegal units and the joint inspection team visited the areas in the vicinity of river Ramganga and found that "heaps of black powder stacked in the open" were found lying on the ...
Karnataka CM leads delegation to PM over proposed Mekedatu reservoir, seeks meeting with TN
A high-level delegation, led by Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and requested him to convene a meeting to resolve various issues raised by Tamil Nadu over a Rs 5,912-crore reservoir to be built on the Cauvery river in Mekedatu. The Karnataka government has sought the Central Water Commission's clearance of the feasibility report on the proposed Mekedatu reservoir. But Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had recently shot off a letter to the prime minister seeking his intervention to stop forthwith further processing of the feasibility report. "To resolve the matter, we have requested the prime minister to call a meeting of chief ministers of both the states," Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar told reporters after the meeting. Shivakumar was also part of the delegation. The delegation also apprised the prime minister about the impact on the recent flood on seven districts of Karnataka and sought relief fund of Rs .
Global warming may up childhood viral infection: Study
Climate change may increase the risk of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), a common childhood viral infection, a study warns. The review, published in the International Journal of Dermatology, revealed a positive relationship between HFMD and temperature and humidity. No significant relationship was identified between HFMD and precipitation, wind speed, and/or sunshine, said researchers from the University of California, San Francisco in the US. "There is an emerging understanding of the link between our changing climate and the rising incidence of various infectious diseases," said Sarah Coates from the University of California, San Francisco. "Many of these changes are so insidious that they are hard for the average practitioner to detect at the individual level," said Coates. "We hope to raise awareness within the medical community of these large-scale trends and spur appropriate political action given their potential consequences to public health," she said.
Global climate summit to push countries to reduce emissions
The three-day Global Climate Action Summit here from September 12 will see 4,000-plus business leaders, investors, citizens and government representatives from all over the world, including India and China, coming together with the united resolve to "take ambition to the next level" and nudge the world's Presidents and Prime Ministers to go further and faster in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Respecting the environment crucial to rebuilding a safe Kodagu
Bengaluru, Sep 10 (IANS/Mongabay) Heavy, incessant rainfall is a fact of life for the people of Kodagu (the erstwhile Coorg district) in Karnataka.
Toyota to restart all domestic assembly lines by Thursday after Hokkaido quake
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said it would resume operations at its domestic assembly plants by Thursday as a transmission plant in Hokkaido was poised to restart production following last week's earthquake.
