Page 526 - Environment
Punjab uses mobile app to distribute 13 lakh saplings
Punjab, the first state in India to launch a mobile app 'i-Hariyali' to supply free saplings, has provided 13 lakh saplings to people through this endeavour so far, Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said on Sunday.
Vajpayee's ashes to be immersed in Rajasthan tomorrow
The ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be immersed at three places in Rajasthan tomorrow, state BJP chief Madan Lal Saini said today. He said that Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi will bring the ashes to Jaipur from New Delhi tomorrow, which will kept at BJP headquarters here for people to pay tributes. The ashes will be then taken for immersion in Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur, Chambal river in Kota and Pushkar Sarovar in Ajmer, Saini said in a statement. In the statement, he also expressed concerns over loss of lives in Kerala floods, saying the BJP will support the affected people in all manners. Rajasthan and its people have always come forward and offered help in disaster situations in the country, he said.
Since 2014 ministers of environment have become ministers of 'approval': Jairam Ramesh
The ministers of environment since 2014 have been "ministers of approval", said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who held the portfolio during the UPA rule, also argued that the job of the minister was to protect the environment and "not necessarily clear proposals". Speaking at the launch of book "On Jim Corbett's Trial: And Other tales from the Jungle", written by country's foremost conservationist AJT Johnsingh, Ramesh added that if the present minister of environment's "metric of success is based on the number of approvals he gave, then he is not doing his job". "Is there an environment minister? I mean, from 2014, the ministers of environment have been ministers of approval. And if the minister of environment is going to give a press conference saying that I have cleared thousands and thousands of proposals... then he is not doing his job," the former Union minister said. Talking about the time when he was the minister of environment, he said that he always judged himself ..
Green cover along roads as Noida prepares 'dust free zones' to check pollution
Dust free zones along side city roads are the new addition to Noida Authority's major plan to tackle environmental issues, officials said today. A total 315 km stretch along both the sides of the roads in the city has been identified to be covered with grass and shrubs, with the authority targeting to get work done on 70 km by October 2, a senior official said. A project report has been prepared for the job according to which Sectors 35, 50, 55, 57, 59, 60, 67-71, 74, 76-78, 82, 93, 93B, 115, 120, 122, 123, 137, 140 have been included in the first phase of work. "Work on 4.5 km road stretch in Sector 82 has already been completed. Tenders for the next 70 km have been finalised and work will begin later this month. The aim is to get green cover done on it before Gandhi Jayanti," Noida Authority General Manager Rajeev Tyagi told PTI. "We are already witnessing the impact of climate change across the world. This is of utmost importance for us if we have to take care of earth. We have to .
Kerala diaspora in Middle East helps flood victims
The Kerala diaspora in the Middle East is extending help and support to those hit by the devastating floods in the state.
Mothers' pesticide levels linked to autism risk in kids
Elevated pesticide levels in pregnant women are associated with an increased risk of autism among their children, says a study.
Rainfall forecast for next hours
Rainfall forecast for next 24 hours at: East : many places: Odisha; a few places: Arunachal Pradesh; isolated places: Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar and Jharkhand. North : many places : west Rajasthan; a few places: Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, east Rajasthan; isolated places: Uttar Pradesh. Central : most places: Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh; many places: east Madhya Pradesh; a few places: west Madhya Pradesh. Peninsula : most places: Saurashtra, Kutch, Konkan, Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala; many places: Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Telangana, south interior Karnataka; a few places: coastal Andhra Pradesh, north interior Karnataka; isolated places: Marathwada, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu. Islands : most places: Lakshadweep; many places: Andaman & Nicobar. Kolkata Max 35.1 (3.1) dc min 28.5 (2.2) New Delhi Max 36.3 (2.7) dc min 27.4 (1.1) Chennai Max 35.3 (0.7) dc min 27.3 (1.7) Mumbai Max 29.2 ...
Water-rich planets outside our solar system common: Study
Water is likely to be a major component of those exoplanets which are between two to four times the size of Earth, suggests new research that may have implications for the search of life in our galaxy.
Green chilly sold for Rs 400 a kg in Kochi
The worst floods to batter Kerala since 1924 have fuelled shortages and sent prices of vegetables zooming, with green chilli selling at Rs 400 a kg in Kochi and surrounding areas.
Met predicts heavy rain in south Bengal
The Met department today warned of heavy rain in the coastal and other southern districts of West Bengal till Tuesday owing to a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. The weatherman has predicted widespread rain or thundershowers in Kolkata, South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, Jhargram, East and West Burdwan, Murshidabad, Nadia, Purulia and Birbhum districts till Tuesday morning. Heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places in all these districts during the period owing to a low pressure area that has formed over northwest Bay of Bengal. The Met department has warned fishermen not to venture into north Bay of Bengal along and off West Bengal and Odisha coasts and adjoining Bangladesh coast till Tuesday. The metropolis is experiencing light rain since noon today.
Permafrost carbon leak could peak within a few decades: Study
Arctic permafrost's expected gradual thawing due to climate change and the associated influx of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere may actually happen within a few decades, much earlier than previously thought, warns a new NASA-funded study.
Smart Industrial Port City project begins in Odisha port
A Smart Industrial Port City project to be developed within the premises of the Paradip Port in Odisha has taken off, an official said here.
CEA expects to complete study on ideal power mix
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is expecting to complete its study on the "total system cost" to figure out the best power generation mix by 2030 in terms of cost and grid stability within this month, an official said on Sunday.
Goa may go Kerala way, warns ecologist Madhav Gadgil
Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil has warned Goa may face the same fate as the flood-battered Kerala if it does not take precautions on the environmental front. Like in some other states, Goa, too, is witnessing activities which are driven by greed for unlimited profits, said Gadgil, who headed a committee that authored a widely debated study on the Western Ghats a few years ago. "Certainly all sorts of problems are beginning to surface on the environmental front in the Western Ghats. Goa, of course, does not have Western Ghats which are so high as in Kerala, but I am sure Goa will also experience all sorts of problems," he said, reacting to the worst-ever floods in the southern state. He said thereason for not taking any environmental precaution (in general) is purely greed for unlimited profits. "You have seen it in Goa too. The Union government- constituted Justice M B Shah commission has estimated illegal profits of Rs 35,000 crore from illegal mining," he said. "There is
Amitabh Bachchan and other celebs urge people to help flood-hit Kerala
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has expressed concern over the "frightening" situation in Kerala where 197 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing since August 8 due to floods and landslides. The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has battered the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit. The 75-year-old actor took to Twitter and urged people to contribute to relief fund for the state. "The devastation caused by incessant rain in Kerala is frightening! Hundreds and thousands of our sisters and brothers are in deep anguish!" Bachchan wrote. "We must do all we can to contribute as much as we can towards the needs of the people of Kerala... I have... You must too..." he added. Bollywood celebrities like Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Anushka Sharma, among others also tweeted support for the state and its people. Hrithik wrote, "The situation in Kerala is critical. Help is required. .
Groundwater depletion drying up Ganges in summer
Groundwater depletion in the Gangetic aquifers of north India is possibly causing a reduction in the base flow of the mega Himalayan river, leading to it drying up during summer, according to a study.
CEA working on optimised power system cost for 2030
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has undertaken a study to ascertain the cheapest power mix in 2030, its Chairman Pankaj Batra said. "We are working on what should be the 'Ideal System Cost' in 2030 and a report is expected in a month's time," Batra told PTI. The report will try to find out the cheapest power mix with grid stability in 2030, and would give a direction to the power sector developers, he said. The outcome of the study will also act as components to the regulators in determining power tariffs. According to estimates by the Ministry of Power, the share of renewable energy in India's electricity mix is set to increase to around 55 per cent by 2030. At present, renewables account for nearly 20 per cent of the total installed capacity. India has committed to produce about 40 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. It has also set a target of adding 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022. Meanwhile, the CEA
Your sunscreen pollutes beaches, harms aquatic life
Applying sunscreen on your body may be good for your skin, but not so much for the fish, a new study has revealed.Scientists have found that sunscreen from the body of bathers releases significant quantities of polluting titanium dioxide (TiO2) into the sea, which has the potential to harm marine life.TiO2 is one of the main ingredients of sunscreen and acts as a protective agent against harmful UV rays. Most major regulatory bodies consider it safe for human use at the concentrations used in sunscreens, however, concentrated TiO2 or long-term exposure could be toxic to a variety of fish and other aquatic organisms.In many sunscreens, TiO2 is present as tiny nanoparticles, which are coated with protective chemicals. Because the particle size is so small, nano-titanium dioxide does not reflect visible light but does absorb UV light, enabling a transparent barrier that protects the skin from the sun's harmful rays.The researchers have found that in water, the nanoparticles tend to lose .
Australia ramps up aid to farmers as drought bites
Financial aid for drought-stricken Australian farmers will be increased to Aus$1.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) as they endure the driest conditions in half a century, the prime minister said today. Farmers in eastern states are struggling with extreme aridity that has turned green pastures into dust, with the economies of local towns also suffering. "I want to say to our farmers, we have your back. There is no set-and-forget," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in the New South Wales town of Forbes. Graziers in Forbes, some 390 kilometres (240 miles) west of Sydney, are among those battling the lack of rain. "We are constantly working to ensure that you get every support you can, and of course let's all pray for rain," Turnbull added. While droughts are not uncommon in Australia, the length and severity of the dry conditions have depleted farmers' food stocks. With grass unable to grow, some graziers have had to hand-feed their cattle and sheep, sell off stock to keep going, .
Agri pest Fall Armyworm spotted in Telangana
The Fall Armyworm, a feared agricultural pest that was noticed in Karnataka for the first time in the country, has now been reported in neighbouring Telangana. The Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is considered deadly as it has caused massive agricultural losses in several countries in Africa. The worm has been noticed at a few places in the districts of Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Sangareddy, Medak and Gadwal in Telangana, state Principal Secretary (Agriculture) C Parthasarathi said. "It (Fall Armyworm) has been noticed at some places in these districts. The samples have been sent to Bangalore (for examination)," he told PTI. The pest has so far been found only on maize crop in the state, he said. The pest attack on maize crop is at a preliminary stage now and teams have been sent on a survey to ascertain if the worm is present anywhere else, he said. The senior official said that information on the Fall Armyworm, including on the pesticides to be used, has been ...
