Page 51 - Environment
DDT lingers in Canada lakes 50 years after chemical banned: study
The potent insecticide DDT still lingers in Canadian lakes nearly 50 years after it was banned, according to a study published Wednesday that highlighted its harmful impact on micro-organisms at the bottom of the local food web. From 1952 to 1968, planes sprayed more than 6,280 tons of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or DDT on forests in the Atlantic coast province of New Brunswick to control pest outbreaks in commercial forests, according to Environment Canada. It was arguably one of the largest aerial spray programs in North America. Public awareness of DDT's harmful effects on wildlife and the environment eventually led to curtailed use of the insecticide until it was banned in 1972. But researchers led by Joshua Kurek at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick recently found traces in lake sediments that "still exceeded levels considered safe for aquatic organisms," they said in a statement. They also identified a potential risk of the DDT spreading across the local food web, ...
Telangana: CM to inaugurate Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will inaugurate the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project on June 21 and invited the newly elected Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mogan Reddy as a chief guest."Honourable Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekar Rao has decided to inaugurate the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project on 21st of this month. He also decided to invite Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy as Chief Guest," reads a press note."The CM will be visiting Vijayawada shortly to personally extend an invitation to AP CM Sri Jagan Mohan Reddy," the note added.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 the district of Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy.
Punjab seeks hike in MSP for Rabi crops
In a bid to alleviate the woes of distressed farmers in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday sought a hike from the Centre in the minimum support price (MSP) of various crops for the 2019-20 Rabi season.
Bullet train: HC wants to hear experts for decision on cutting mangroves
The Bombay High Court Wednesday said it will have to hear environmental experts before deciding on a plea seeking hacking of mangroves to pave way for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N M Jamdar was hearing an application filed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), seeking permission to cut mangroves spread over 13 hectares of area. In March this year, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority had told the court that it had given its nod for cutting over 53,000 mangrove trees for the project. In April this year, the NHSRCL informed the court that it had received the approval of the expert appraisal committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for removal of mangroves in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Palghar districts. However, the bench Wednesday noted that before granting its nod, it will have to first hear arguments of the environmental experts. "If permissions are granted ...
UK plans to become first G7 economy with net zero carbon emissions by 2050
The UK is planning to become the first major economy to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050 to tackle climate change with Prime Minister Theresa May Wednesday saying time has come to safeguard the environment for "our children". The UK already has a 2050 target - to reduce emissions by 80 per cent. That was agreed by MPs under the Climate Change Act in 2008, but will now be amended to the new, much tougher, goal, a move widely praised by green groups. Legislation aiming to achieve that will be laid out in Parliament on Wednesday and will amend the Climate Change Act passed in 2008. The new law should ensure that United Kingdom is on track to become the first G7 country with legally binding plans for net zero emissions. "Now is the time to go further and faster to safeguard the environment for our children," outgoing UK Prime Minister May said in a statement. "This country led the world in innovation during the Industrial Revolution, and now we must lead the world to a cleaner, greener
Kenyans protest bid to build East Africa's first coal plant
Scores of Kenyans on Wednesday protested a project to build a coal power station near the Lamu archipelago, a popular tourist spot that includes a UNESCO World Heritage site and vibrant marine life. The power station, which has been in the planning stages for about six years, has faced fierce resistance from activists and local communities, and the National Environmental Tribunal is to rule on June 24 on the fate of the project. A group of about 200 protesters carrying black coffins emblazoned with white skulls, as well as a miniature chimney spewing smoke, marched through downtown Nairobi on Wednesday chanting "coal is poisonous!" "There is no need to build centralised dirty sources of energy such as coal to answer Kenya's energy demands, especially when the country is taking the lead in Africa with an 85-percent renewable energy base," said deCOALonize Campaign Coordinator, Omar Elmawi. "With access to wind, solar, geo-thermal and tidal energy sources, Kenya's renewable energy ...
Chhattisgarh: CM requests PM Modi to include Forest Rights Act leaseholders under PMKSNY
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to include Chhattisgarh Forest Rights Act, 2006 leaseholders in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY)In the letter, Chief Minister Baghel has stated that around 4 lakh families in the state have received lease under the Act, and more farmers are being added to this list.According to him, these farmers belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and need all support from the government whatever they can get."These farmers need all the help and support from the government and yet the leaseholders under Forest Rights Act 2006 were excluded from the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna," said Baghel.The Chief Minister also requested that the amount given to beneficiaries under the Yojana should be increased from Rs 6,000 per year to Rs 12,000 per year.Furthermore, he also stated that the beneficiaries should receive the benefits right from the starting date of the PM Kisan Samman ...
Japan to invest Rs 13000 crore in Northeast
Investment in several ongoing as well as new projects in different states of India's North- Eastern region
Japan to invest Rs 13,000 crore in north-eastern states
Japan has decided to invest about Rs 13,000 crore in several ongoing as well as new projects in different states of the north-eastern region, the government said on Wednesday.Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh appreciated the Japanese contribution for development and transformation of the northeastern region in the past three to four years, according to an official statement.New areas of collaboration will be sought which could possibly include bamboo-related projects, said Singh after meeting the Japanese delegation led by Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu.Other projects in which Japan will collaborate include Guwahati water supply and sewage projects in Assam, northeast road network connectivity improvement project spread over Assam and Meghalaya, northeast network connectivity improvement project in Meghalaya, biodiversity conservation and forest management project in Sikkim, sustainable forest management project in Tripura, ...
Mizo govt has no knowledge about work done on railroad project
The Mizoram government has no knowledge about the work done on the proposed construction of railroad from Sairang near here to Hmawngbuchhuah village in Lawngtlai district bordering Myanmar, the assembly was informed on Wednesday. Replying to a question from Lalduhoma of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), Transport Minister T J Lalnuntluanga said the 272 kilometre long railroad project was being taken up by the Ministry of Railways and it did not provide any information to the Mizoram government about the action taken or the progresses made. "It was learnt that the preliminary engineering level traffic survey was completed," he said adding that the state government was kept in the dark on the progresses made by the railways. The only rail link Mizoram has is at the Mizoram-Assam border town of Bairabi. The 51 kilometre long broad gauge railroad between Bairabi to Sairang is under construction.
Zomato drone tests food packet delivery at 80kmph
Online ordering and food delivery platform Zomato on Wednesday said it has successfully tested its maiden drone delivery technology using a hybrid drone that covered a distance of five km in about 10 minutes with a peak speed of 80 kmph to deliver a food packet.
KCR to invite Jagan for irrigation project opening
In another gesture aimed at promoting friendly relations between the two Telugu states, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Wednesday decided to invite his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as the chief guest for the inauguration of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on June 21.
Kerala CM evaluates progress of waste-to-power plants
: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Wednesday evaluated the progress of the proposal to instal waste-to-electricity plants across seven districts of the state. "The state-of-art plants to generate electricity from waste will be installed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur districts," a press release issued by the Chief Minister's office said. It also said the location has been identified for the installation of plants. Vijayan instructed the authorities concerned to complete the work in a time-bound manner.
Tripura, Mizoram launch ambitious afforestation plan
The Tripura and Mizoram governments have undertaken an ambitious plan for afforestation in the two Northeastern states, a state Minister said on Wednesday.
N. Korean state media acknowledges swine flu outbreak
The main newspaper of the North Korean regime acknowledged on Wednesday the existence of an outbreak of African swine fever in the country, the first official admission since Pyongyang reported several cases to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in May.
Punjab seeks hike in MSP of rabi crops
The Punjab government has sought a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of various rabi crops from the Centre for the 2019-20 season. The state agriculture department has sent a proposal for the increase in the MSP to the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), an official release stated here. The department demanded that the wheat MSP should be increased from Rs 1,840 per quintal to 2,710 per quintal, a jump of Rs 870 over the 2018-19 rabi season. It has demanded that the MSP of barley be increased from Rs 1,440 per quintal to Rs 1,974 per quintal. The proposal also sought a hike in the MSP of gram from Rs 4,620 to Rs 5,631 per quintal, and of rapeseed and mustard from Rs 4,200 to Rs 5,384 per quintal. According to the official release, the hike was important for the promotion of crops like barley, gram, rapeseed and mustard in the state to give a much-needed push to crop diversification that would help arrest the deleting groundwater. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ...
India slips 5 places to 141 on Global Peace Index 2019; Iceland again tops
India's rank has slipped five places to 141 among 163 countries on the Global Peace Index 2019, while Iceland remains the most peaceful country and Afghanistan the least peaceful nation, says a report. Australian think tank Institute for Economics & Peace ranks countries according to their level of peacefulness based on three thematic domains -- the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation. Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. It is joined at the top of the Global Peace Index (GPI) by New Zealand, Austria, Portugal, and Denmark. Afghanistan is now the least peaceful country in the world, replacing Syria, which is now the second least peaceful. South Sudan, Yemen, and Iraq comprise the remaining five least peaceful countries. In South Asia, Bhutan topped the index with 15th rank, followed by Sri Lanka 72, Nepal 76 and Bangladesh 101. The ...
Baghel requests PM to extend benefits of PM-Kisan to tribals, forest-dwellers in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to extend the benefit of Rs 6,000 annual grant under the Centre's PM-Kisan scheme to tribals and forest-dwellers in his state. In a letter, Baghel said over four lakh families in Chhattisgarh have been given land on lease under the Forest Rights Act 2006, who all use them for agriculture purpose. He said that these farmers live Below Poverty Line and they need all possible help and support from the government. Baghel pointed out that these leaseholders under the Forest Rights Act 2006 were excluded from the 'PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna' (PM-Kisan), that was launched in February this year to help small and marginalised farmers. He requested the prime minister to include these leaseholder farmers in the beneficiary list of the scheme. Baghel requested the PM that the amount given to beneficiaries under the PM scheme be doubled to Rs 12,000 per year from Rs 6,000. He asked Modi to direct
Humans swallowing plastic equivalent to one credit card per week: Study
The study, commissioned by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is the first to combine data from over 50 studies on the ingestion of microplastic by people
 "Humans swallowing plastic equivalent to one credit card per week: Study")
Kaleshwaram project launch on June 21; Jagan to be chief guest
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Wednesday announced his decision to inaugurate the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on June 21. He has also decided to invite Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy as the chief guest of the event, an official press release said here. Rao would go to Vijayawada soon to personally invite Reddy, the release said. "Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to inaugurate the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project on JUne 21," it said. The Kaleshwaram project on Godavari river aims to supply water to meet requirements of drinking water (about 80 per cent of the districts in the state), farm sector and industries.
