Page 498 - Environment
India to generate 100 GW solar energy by 2022: Suresh Prabhu
Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has said that India has set a target to generate 100 GW solar energy by 2022 for increasing share of carbon-free energy in the energy mix.While speaking at a function of International Solar Alliance (ISA) Innovation and Investment Forum here today Prabhu stressed on joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and technology for massive production of solar energy."Many firms of Australia and Japan are keen to invest in India in the solar energy sector. The Minister emphasized on the need for sending market signals so that more funds are invested in R&D in solar energy. India has set a target to generate 100 GW solar energy by 2022 for increasing share of carbon-free energy in the energy mix," he said.The Minister stated that the idea of the solar alliance was conceived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2015 as a treaty-based international intergovernmental organisation. ISA stands for co-operation among 121 solar rich countries lying fully or
90 pc of flight tickets to and from flood-hit Kerala were sold below Rs 10000: Choubey
Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey Tuesday said that 90 per cent of tickets on flights to and from flood-affected Kerala were sold below Rs 10,000, dismissing the charge that airlines had jacked up the fares exorbitantly. "Ninety per cent tickets sold at less than Rs 10,000 which was an informal ceiling set (by authorities) and airlines cooperated," he told reporters on the sidelines of the International Aviation Summit here. He said the fares were in economy class and for direct flights to the state. He also took on those who sought to mislead the general public by putting up screenshots which claimed the airfares had touched Rs 60,000 on social media. These fares, he said, were not for direct flights to and from Kerala. Kerala witnessed its worst flood in a century last month, which claimed the lives of hundreds of people and rendered thousands homeless. Meanwhile, participating at a plenary discussion at the event he made it clear that India was finding it "difficult" to commit ..
UP farmers to get compensation for installation of power towers in fields
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday decided to give compensation to farmers in whose agricultural fields, power towers or transmission lines will be installed, an official said.
Odisha alerts collectors of 26 districts as IMD forecast heavy
The Odisha government Tuesday asked collectors of 26 of the 30 districts to remain alert as several regions of the state may witness heavy rainfall due to a low pressure area likely to be formed over north Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood. The collectors have been put on alert by Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi. "Due to possible heavy and extremely heavy rainfall, flood situation may arise in the Baitarani, Budhabalang and other river systems. Waterlogging situation may also arise in different parts of the state," he said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the low pressure area is likely to form during the next 48 hours. As a result, rain/thundershower is likely to occur at many places over the districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours, and moderate rain/thundershower is very likely to occur at most places during subsequent 48 hours, it said. The SRC has put all collectors on alert, except the collector of Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri and ...
Particulate emission pollution from commuting in Delhi highest among 14 major cities: CSE
Pollution by particulate emission from commuting in Delhi is highest among 14 major cities in the country, according to a new study by the Centre for Science and Environment. Noting that the particulate emission in Delhi is three times that of Mumbai, the CSE said that this has eclipsed the benefits of CNG and other better travel parameters in the national capital. "The main reasons behind the bottom ranking of Delhi are higher population than other megacities, highest vehicle stock and total vehicle kilometres generated far exceeds that of any other megacity," CSE said. The findings of the study was discussed on the first day of an international conclave on Towards Clean and Low Carbon Mobility. The study found that particulate load from urban commuting in Bhopal was best. The city was ranked 11 times better than Delhi. The second rank was acquired by Chandigarh, followed by Vijayawada. The other cities that ranked above Delhi were Jaipur, Lucknow, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, .
NHIDCL considers geothermal energy to power Zojila tunnel: MD
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) weighing in using geothermal energy for meeting energy needs of Zojila tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir, a top official said Tuesday. NHIDCL is thinking about using geothermal energy for powering energy needs of tunnels as well as for heating them in winters, the corporations' managing director Nagendra Nath Sinha was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Assocham. In Zojila, we are thinking, we have not yet succeeded, (about) use of geo-thermal energy for powering the energy needs of tunnels as well as for heating the tunnels in winters, Sinha said during inaugural address at 4th ASSOCHAM International Conference ROADTECH: Sustainable Roads and Highways. Sinha was highlighting the various efforts being made by the NHIDCL towards adoption of sustainable technologies in construction of roads and highways. The corporation is executing the Zojila Tunnel project. Sinha said unwillingness of contractors and ...
'5 lakh community, 67 lakh household toilets to be constructed by end of 2019'
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the civic bodies of Delhi will achieve their physical target of constructing five lakhs community and 67 lakhs individual household toilets by the end of 2019.Speaking after inaugurating a workshop on 'Swachh Survekshan-2019' for the municipal bodies of Delhi today, Puri said that so far as the Open Defecation Free (ODF) target was concerned, it required the behavioural change of the public at large in rural and urban areas of the country.The workshop on "Swachh Survekshan-2019", organized by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in collaboration with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was attended by delegates from all the three civic bodies and Delhi Cantonment Board.Puri further said that the behaviour change had many aspects like gender empowerment, the dignity of the girl child, and green and clean cities envisioned under the Swachh Bharat Mission. He added, "In addition to the construction of .
Mahila Cong collects Rs 25 lakhs for Kerala floods relief
The Mahila Congress raised Rs 25 lakh for Kerala floods relief and handed it over to AICC treasurer Ahmad Patel on Tuesday, a party statement said. An All Indian Mahila Congress (AIMC) delegation led by its president Sushmita Dev met Patel and handed over the donation collected by AIMC teams across India. Kerala State Mahila Congress President promised a contribution of Rs 5 lakh and AIMC President enclosed drafts and cheques of approximately Rs 20 lakh which state presidents and national office bearers of AIMC collected and contributed themselves, an AIMC statement said. Apart from that, relief materials in the form of food and sanitary napkins for women have been dispatched from various states by Mahila Congress workers, it said. The Mahila Congress is committed to continue to raise funds for "sisters in Kerala and help build Nava Kerala", the statement said.
Firms of Australia, Japan keen to invest in India's solar sector: Prabhu
Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu Tuesday said many firms of Australia and Japan are keen to invest in India in solar energy sector and there is a need to send market signals for attracting more funds into research and development. India has set a target to generate 100 GW solar energy by 2022 for increasing share of carbon free energy in the energy mix, the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement. He also said that joint efforts are required to reduce the cost of finance and technology for massive production of solar energy. The minister was speaking at International Solar Alliance (ISA) Innovation and Investment Forum here. He said that once the generation of solar energy goes up, its prices will come down.
Growing dependence on personal vehicles for commute can lead to irreversible damages: CSE
A city-based research and advocacy organisation Tuesday warned against growing dependence on personal vehicles for commute, saying it can lead to "irreversible damages", while pointing out that greenhouse gas emissions from transport has recorded the steepest increase in recent years. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said its assessment points out that initially, it took 60 years (1951-2008) for India to cross the mark of 105 million registered vehicles "but thereafter, the same number was added in a mere six years (2009-15)." "The share of public transport -- at the same time -- is expected to decrease from 75.5 per cent in 2000-01, to 44.7 per cent in 2030-31, while the share of personal transport will be over 50 per cent," the CSE said. Opening the CSE International Conclave Towards Clean and Low Carbon Mobility, CSE Director General Sunita Narain noted that motorisation is assuming explosive proportions in India and locking in enormous carbon and pollution. "Growing ...
7 Indian organisations selected for Microsoft's AI for Earth
Tech giant Microsoft Tuesday said seven Indian organisations as part of its USD 50 million-'AI for Earth' programme that aims to help build sustainability solutions for the environment based on new-age technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud computing. With this, India now has the third largest concentration of 'AI for Earth' grantees after the US and Canada. The seven recipients -- which includes names like India Institute of Science and Symbiosis Institute of Technology -- will receive access to Microsoft Azure Cloud and AI computing resources along with technology training on these tools and additional support. "In every country around the world, we are facing unprecedented environmental challenges, impacting the ability to access water, grow healthy crops and protect biodiversity," Microsoft Chief Environmental Officer and Lead (AI for Earth) Lucas Joppa said. He added that through the initiative, the company intends to empower environmental researchers with ...
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: Pilot studies to rationalise CCEs
Centre's flagship crop insurance programme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), has rolled out nine pilot studies on optimisation of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCE) using modern technologies. These studies aim to resolve various challenges faced by the scheme.The Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (DAC&FW) conducted a workshop on these studies in the national capital on Tuesday that was attended by experts from ISRO, NSSO, insurance companies, State government representatives and other stakeholders.Conducted in 23 districts spread across 11 states, the study is expected to be completed by February 2019, after analysing the use of technology in particular areas during crops in kharif season 2018 and crops in rabi season 2018-19. The states, where studies are being conducted are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.The inclusion of such technological interventions is expected .
Delhi backs incentives for clean energy switch to combat pollution
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Authorities in Delhi approved measures on Tuesday to encourage businesses to use clean energy as one of the world's worst polluted cities stepped up the fight against deadly air pollution.
PMFBY: Govt testing modern tech for assessment of crop damage
As many as nine pilot studies have been rolled out in 11 states to test the effectiveness of modern technologies in assessing the extent of yield loss for payment of crop insurance claims, the government said Tuesday. The pilot studies are being carried out in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Currently, the crop cutting experiment (CCE) -- the traditional random survey method -- is used to estimate crop yields of a location. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY), states are required to carry out at least four CCEs in every village panchayat for each crop and submit the yield data to insurance companies within one month of harvest. It has become a challenge to conduct CCEs in a short span considering 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in India. In this backdrop, the Agriculture Ministry wants to use modern technologies to get the crop yield figures faster and accurately for payment of ...
Indore Metro work may start soon: official
Foundation stone of the Metro project in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh would be laid this month or in the first week of October, a senior official said Tuesday. Tenders for the project have already been issued, said Indore Collector Nishant Warwade, adding that the foundation stone may be laid this month or in October. Various departments are coordinating their efforts for removal of obstructions in the Metro route such as existing power lines, he told reporters here. Care is being taken to ensure that heritage structures in the city are not harmed due to the metro construction, he said. "We have enough land for the project," Warwade said, adding that some land in possession of the Indore Development Authority (IDA) too might be put to use. Under the first phase of the project, works of Rs 257 crore will be completed, another official said.
Impossible to dump human waste mid-air, DGCA tells NGT
Days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a circular stating that dumping excreta from a flying airplane would attract a fine of Rs 50,000, the aviation regulator Tuesday told the National Green Tribunal that it was impossible to dump human waste mid-air from aircraft toilets. The DGCA told a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel that it has become a "laughing stock" due to this order and sought a stay and review of its order directing the aviation regulator to issue a circular to all airlines operating at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here. The aviation regulator informed the bench, also comprising Justice Jawad Rahim, that there is a designated place for emptying the waste tank and it cannot open it mid-air. The bench, however, refused to stay its order and said it would consider the matter on the next date of hearing. "A circular has already been issued. What is the urgency now? We will see it on the next date of ...
Delhi to give incentives to eateries using environment-friendly fuel
In order to deal with air pollution in the city, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to provide financial incentives to industries and eateries using environment-friendly fuels.
Prabhu launches mobile apps for coffee growers
Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu Tuesday launched two mobile apps for coffee sector which would help farmers increase production and improve quality. The two apps are India coffee field force app and Coffee KrishiTharanga - digital mobile extension services for coffee stakeholders. "Use of technology will help coffee farmers increase production and productivity," Prabhu said at a function here. The Coffee KrishiTharanga services would provide information and services to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. The applications would help provide solution in easing the whole process of the field activities like digitisation of coffee growers and estates with Geo Tagging and collecting plantation details. The minister also launched pilot projects on data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to address some of the perennial coffee production and farming issues such as rainfall, pests and diseases. Coffee is cultivated in India in .
UK, India researchers join hands to advance clean cooling technology
Researchers from the UK and India have joined hands to advance clean sustainable cooling technology which would save farm produce from spoiling without harming the environment. The experts will work with various state governments to develop a Centre of Excellence that will demonstrate innovative and integrated solutions for creating cooling solutions for farmers without compromising climate goals. The UK-based Birmingham Energy Institute in collaboration with the New Delhi-based Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF) has initiated the programme to advance the use of new technology among farmers to help meet their rising demand for cooling sustainability. The experts will conduct a workshop, hosted by the Haryana government, in Chandigarh on September 10 to engage the regional agricultural community. A similar workshop will be held in Delhi on September 12. Professor Toby Peters from the University of Birmingham said, "In India, up to 50 per cent of food are lost post-harvest ...
Western Ghats: NGT restrains 6 states from giving EC to activities affecting eco-sensitive areas
Noting that the ecology of the Western Ghats was under serious stress, the National Green Tribunal restrained six states falling in the region from giving environmental clearance to activities which may adversely affect the eco-sensitive areas. The green panel allowed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to republish the draft notification of the Western Ghats that lapsed on August 26 and asked it to finalise the matter within six months without alterations to the eco-sensitive zone in terms of notification dated February 27, 2017. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel slammed the states for the delay in filing objections with regard to the notification and said "delay on account of objections of states may not be conducive to the protection of the eco-sensitive areas". The tribunal said the Western Ghats region is one of the richest biodiversity areas which needs to be conserved. "In view of the fact that any alteration in the draft notification dated .
