Page 504 - Environment
Goa Cong slams administrative mess due to Parrikar's absence
The Goa Congress today slammed the ruling BJP government and claimed that the state was in a worse spot than flood-ravaged Kerala due to administrative failure and the frequent health-related absence of chief minister Manohar Parrikar. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP), which met here today, claimed that sectors like power, public works and those directly affecting people of the state had collapsed. "It is said that the floods have pushed back Kerala by three years. But the situation in Goa is such that failed promises, administrative failure and the frequent absence of the CM has set us back by several years," Chandrakant Kavlekar, Leader of Opposition, told PTI after the CLP meeting. He demanded that Parrikar be replaced as Goa CM as the latter was flying out of the state "too often" due to his ailment. "Goa has come to a standstill. For the first time, Goa will witness Ganesh Chaturthi (to be celebrated later this month) without lights," he alleged. Kavlekar ...
China visit to obtain information about latest technology: CM
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said his 5-day visit to China from tomorrow is an important tour with the aim of obtaining information about latest technology. An official release quoting Das said that he will meet with chiefs of Shanghai and Beijing to know how they operate the civil order. "There is immense potential of food processing in Jharkhand; the government is planning to set up modern food processing in the state. In China, food processing units have been installed in a very modern way," he said. Das said he would see the plants displayed in the Food Processing fair to be held in China and will get complete information of the Food Processing Unit. The chief minister said that he is considering establishing China's Shanghai-like tower in Ranchi. Tower related information will also be taken during the visit, he said. Information will also be taken in connection with bus stand and bus service running under Public-Private Partnership in China so that ...
CM reviews 18 complaints in 'Seedhi Baat' programme
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today talked to the people of Dhamdhamiya Pahargram in Taljari block of Sahibganj district through video conferencing in his "Seedhi Baat" (direct talk) programme. A young man told Das about the problem of drinking water in the Pahariya tribal majority village. On this, Das said that drinking water will be supplied through solar energy by making tanks and by drilling deep boring, an official release said here. The chief minister told the chairman of Tribal Village Committee, Sunita Malto and secretary Vijay, that they should meet people of their village and make development plans and the government will give funds in their account for implementation. Das appealed to the villagers to run a campaign for cleanliness awareness during the ensuing September 15 to October 2 in the "Swakshta Pakhwada" (cleanliness fortnight). "Only by keeping cleanliness, we can fight against diseases," the CM said. The chief minister instructed the ...
Biodegradable plastics offer new options for disposal
How easy would life become if the plastic you threw in your household composting bin start producing power for your home?Researchers have taken a step toward this futuristic scenario by showing that certain blends of bioplastics can decompose under diverse conditions.Plastic waste pollution is a global environmental problem, particularly in oceans, where plastic debris can harm or kill sea animals and birds in various ways. Despite increased levels of recycling in many countries, most plastic waste still ends up in landfills or the environment.Scientists have developed biodegradable plastics, but they often lack the flexibility, strength or toughness of conventional plastics. Blends of different bioplastics can offer improved characteristics, but their environmental fate is uncertain.The researchers studied the fates of 15 different plastics or blends under managed conditions, such as composting and anaerobic digestion, as well as unmanaged environments, including soil and fresh or ...
DPR on Colachel Port at advanced stage :Pon Radhakrishnan
The Detailed Project Report for the setting up Colachel Port in Kanniyakumari was at an advanced stage of preparation, Minister of State for Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan said here today. Radhakrishnan, who hails from Kanniyakumari district, said the government was also mulling floating a separate Special Purpose Vehicle for the project. "The DPR is at an advanced stage of preparation,"he said. In 2016,the Government cleared the proposal to set up the project at Enayam in Kanyakumari at an investment of Rs 25,000 crore. However following opposition from a section of villagers, the Shipping Ministry identified Colachel to set up a port. Radhakrishnan was here to take part in the welcoming ceremony of very large cargo carrier M V Blue Diamond at the Chennai Port Trust. To a query on the status of the Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project, he told reporters that some land needs to be acquired from the Navy, for which discussions were on with the Defence Ministry. "We need ...
Cal HC allows felling of over 350 trees on for widening Jessore Road
The Calcutta High Court today allowed felling of over 350 trees for widening of Jessore Road, which connects the city to Petrapole on the Indo-Bangla border, on the condition that five trees will be planted for each tree cut. A division bench comprising Chief Justice J Bhattacharya and Justice A Banerjee directed the state government to file a report after three months on the progress of the work. The bench, however, stayed operation of its order for three weeks on a plea by the petitioners' lawyer that he will move an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the high court order. The NH 112 or Jessore Road is an important link between India and Bangladesh and the state government had undertaken a project to widen it. Hundreds of old trees line both sides of the road, some of which were decided to be felled for the purpose of widening of the road. A PIL was moved before the high court challenging the state's plan to fell the trees. After arguments for several months, the high court
High-level EU delegation arrives in India next week
A high-level European Union delegation will be here next week to explore collaboration with India in green businesses and promote circular economy which aims to limit wastage of natural resources. European Commissioner for Environment and Maritime Affairs Karmenu Vella will lead the delegation which will visit India from September 4-7, the European Union said in a statement. "He will lead a Circular Economy Mission (CEM) to India which aims to facilitate policy and knowledge exchange as well as business partnerships between the European Union (EU) and India for the development of circular economy models," it said. The circular economy transition provides a tremendous opportunity for value generation for India, with the potential to unlock around 430 billion EUR of value by 2030, according to an assessment by the EU. A circular economy is a regenerative system which limits wastage of natural resources without compromising on economic growth. The model works with the principle of ...
Jharkhand planning Shanghai-like tower: CM
: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Friday said the state was planning to set up a Shanghai-like tower -- second tallest building in the world -- in the state.
100 village developmental projects sanctioned in Delhi
As many as 100 village developmental projects entailing an expenditure of Rs 79 crore were sanctioned during a two-day special drive, Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai said on Friday.
10-ft long python rescued from bus depot at Raj Ghat
A 10-foot-long python was rescued today after it was found under a bus at a DTC depot in Delhi's Raj Ghat, a wildlife conservation NGO said. One of the bus drivers was filling up CNG when he heard a hissing sound from under the bus, the Wildlife SOS said. The Indian rock python is currently under observation and it will soon be released back into its natural habitat, said Wasim Akram, Manager Wildlife SOS Special Projects. The Wildlife SOS said they had sent two rescuers from the NGO with necessary snake rescue equipment. After a careful assessment of the situation and ensuring that the employees maintained a safe distance from the bus, they carefully extricated and transferred the snake to a safe transport carrier. Finding a python in urban areas is not uncommon and this particular python might have wandered out of the small forest area behind Raj Ghat, said Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-Founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS. "Indian rock pythons are very often mistaken to be dangerous because .
Govt's eco-tourism policy proposes to employ locals as nature science interpreters
An eco-tourism policy for forest and wildlife areas proposes to employ locals as "nature science interpreters" and "patrol partners" as well as encourage homestead-based hospitality enterprises for enhancing local livelihood, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said today. He said eco-tourism will be developed in wildlife conservation areas designated as Protected Areas (PAs) and include wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, conservation reserves and community reserves, as well as in areas outside the designated PAs like forests, mangroves, sacred groves, mud flats, wetlands and rivers. The Union minister noted that the infrastructure development for eco-tourism will be designed in a manner that merges with the ambient environment, while asserting that "no permanent structure will be allowed without clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act". Observing that demarcation of the eco-tourism zone will be based on target species, their behavioural and habitat characteristics, ...
BSES to add 11 e-cars to its fleet that has 8 electric scooters
Delhi electricity distribution company (discom) BSES on Friday announced it is augmenting its fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) with the addition of 11 electric cars as part of the company's sustainable initiatives.
Rlys likely to miss Aug '22 Bullet train deadline, mulls opening shorter route
The railways is contemplating opening a shorter 50-km section of bullet train route in August 2022, which was the deadline for making the entire 508-km high speed corridor operational, sources said here indicating that the bullet train project is running behind schedule. The sources in the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the implementing agency of the project, told PTI that in the event of a missed deadline of August 15, 2022, India's 75th Independence Day, a small corridor from Surat to Billimora in Gujarat will be made operational. A source said that "a more realistic deadline" for the bullet train project could be 2023, a year from the present deadline. "The hurdles in execution of the bullet train project are not only confined to land acquisition. There are processes involved and the detailed planning, which are still underway. "As per our assessment, the project might miss the target by a year. The entire 508 km stretch could be commissioned by end 2023," ..
Noida's 'Shilp Haat' to open soon
On lines of the 'Dilli Haat' in the national capital, Noida will soon get its 'Shilp Haat and Bunkar Bhawan' a hub for weavers and artisans to exhibit and sell their handicraft, according to a top official. The project, in Sector 33 A of the city, is spread over an area of 10 acre being developed at a cost of Rs 80 crore, Noida Authority's General Manager Rajeev Tyagi told PTI. The 'haat' will have 146 shops and stalls, a food court, an open theatre, a museum, office space for artisans and other such public utilities, Tyagi said. "The project is costing Rs 80 crore inclusive of civil, electrical and horticulture work," he said. The haat will also be underground and surface parking in the complex, which is scheduled to get open in October, he said. According to the official documents, the project, launched on November 27, 2015, was initiated at an estimated cost of Rs 34.40 crore and supposed to have been completed by November 25, 2016. The haat will have ample green landscaping as ...
NGT raps Kerala over waste disposal, seeks action plan in a month
The National Green Tribunal has slammed the Kerala government for its "indifference and insensitivity" to the serious issue of disposal of waste in the state and directed it to prepare an action plan for dealing with garbage within a month. The tribunal made it clear that if the stakeholders fail to submit the action plan within the period stipulated, appropriate stringent and punitive action would be taken against the Heads of the Departments of the State Government, Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council and Gram Panchayats. A bench of Justice S P Wangdi and expert member Nagin Nanda said the records reveal the reluctance and the lackadaisical manner in which the state government and municipal corporations have been responding to the various directions issued in the matter. "The corporation appears still to be groping with the task of collecting data of generation of sewage within the municipal limits. We have not yet been informed on the progress made with regard to the sewage ...
NGT directs UP forest dept to submit report on tree felling in Noida sector 91
The National Green Tribunal today directed Uttar Pradesh forest department to submit report on the allegations of an NGO that 3,000 trees were felled for construction of Biodiversity park in Noida sector 91. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Gautam Budh Nagar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to verify the allegations levelled by the NGO, Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE). The tribunal has posted the matter for consideration on November 14. Advocate Sanjay Upadhyay, appearing for the NGO, told the bench that construction activity, including pathways and RCC roads, has been started at the Biodiversity Park without obtaining consent under the Section 25 and 26 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 21 of Air(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The NGO claimed that although the DFO granted permission to the Noida Authority only for removal of the Eucalyptus trees, the Authority ordered a private .
China-Maldives Friendship Bridge opens to traffic
The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, the first cross-sea bridge in the Maldives, has opened for traffic.
Households in urban UP to get 'smart' electronic meters for free: Govt
The Uttar Pradesh government will install 'smart' electronic meters in the urban areas of the state for free, Energy Minister Srikant Sharma said today. The meters will ensure error-free electricity bills and will allow consumers to keep a track of their power usage via a smartphone application. The meters will also curb power theft, he said. "We are going to install smart meters in urban areas... The consumers will not have to pay for this as the cost will be borne by the government," Sharma said in the state assembly. "We plan to install pre-paid meters in rural areas and smart meters in urban areas by 2022. The purchase of both are on. In the first phase, we will install 40 lakh smart meters and the work will start from November," he added. The web-monitored 'smart meter' reduces meter-reading and data-entry costs and cuts down the quantum of commercial losses and billing inefficiencies. For the consumers, the meter lets them monitor usage, get more accurate readings and make ...
Modi to inaugurate Jharsuguda airport
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on September 22 to inaugurate the Jharsuguda airport and lay the foundation stone for the revival of the Talcher fertilizer plant, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday.
BIMSTEC nations call for early adoption of regional transport connectivity master plan
BIMSTEC nations, including India, today called for an early adoption of the master plan on transport connectivity in the region to achieve enhanced linkages and sustainable development. The call came at the conclusion of the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit here with the adoption of an 18-point Kathmandu Declaration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the summit, had yesterday made a strong pitch for enhanced regional connectivity. The member nations in the declaration underlined the importance of multidimensional connectivity, which promotes synergy among connectivity frameworks the region, as a key enabler to economic integration for shared prosperity. They reiterated their resolve to establish seamless multi-modal transportation linkages and smooth, synchronized and simplified transit facilities through the development, expansion and modernisation of highways, railways, waterways, sea routes, airways in the .
