Page 527 - Environment
'Water worlds' common outside solar system: Study
Exoplanets which are between two to four times the size of Earth are likely to have vast amounts of water, according to a study that may have implications for the search of alien life in our galaxy. Data from the exoplanet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope and the Gaia mission indicates that many of the known planets may contain as much as 50 per cent water. This is much more than the Earth's 0.02 per cent water content, researchers said. "It was a huge surprise to realise that there must be so many water-worlds," said Li Zeng from Harvard University in the US. Scientists have found that many of the 4,000 confirmed or candidate exoplanets discovered so far fall into two size categories: those with the planetary radius averaging around 1.5 that of the Earth, and those averaging around 2.5 times the radius of the Earth. After analysing the exoplanets with mass measurements and recent radius measurements from the Gaia satellite, scientists have developed a model of their internal ...
Gurgaon firm employees caught on camera burning garbage near Aravalli mountain
A Gurgaon-based company engaged in waste management has been accused of burning garbage in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli mountain range. However, the company claimed that their vehicle was hijacked by some local goons who set the garbage on fire. The employees of the Ecogreen Energy, responsible for collecting garbage from Gurgaon and Faridabad, were caught on camera while burning garbage in the open areas of Aravalli. Local residents have submitted a complaint against this and also sent it to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, the Municipal Corporation Gurgaon, the Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority and the Forest Department. "The contract of garbage collection from Gurgaon and Faridabad followed by its disposal was given to a company named Ecogreen Energy but its employees regularly used to burn garbage in the open areas of Aravalli. This is their regular exercise," said Dayanand Rao, a resident of Gwal Pahari. Another resident Satbir Singh said, "Residents of .
Red alert issued for 3 districts in Kerala
Amid massive floods in Kerala, a red alert has been issued for three districts- Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Ernakulam of the southern state for Sunday.To help the state cope with the wide-scale destruction, Chief Ministers of various states have come forward and extended financial aid to the state. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced Rs 5 crores along with one month salary for relief operations.Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that he will provide the flood-hit state with rice worth around Rs 7.5 crores and cash worth Rs 3 crores. He further said that doctors, soldiers and the public of his state are ready to help Kerala.He said, "I spoke to Kerala Chief Minister today. We've decided that a train full of rice worth around Rs 7.5 crores will leave for Kerala tomorrow. 3 crores will be provided in cash. Doctors, soldiers and even public of our state is ready to go there to help."Massive rescue operation is underway in the state, and on Sunday, more ...
Odisha to receive heavy rainfall
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said several parts of Odisha are likely to receive heavy rainfall in next three days.
Kerala floods: Environmentalist Gadgil says it is also a man-made disaster
Ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), claimed today that the floods and landslides in Kerala is also a man-made disaster as illegal constructions on river beds and unauthorised stone quarrying contributed to the calamity. The government-constituted WGEEP, in its 2011 report, had recommended that several areas in Kerala which come under the Western Ghats should be classified as ecologically sensitive. However, the state government had opposed the panel's recommendations. While the magnitude of rainfall witnessed in Kerala this season was not exactly unprecedented, the flooding seen this time was never experienced before, Gadgil told PTI here. "There are two components to it. One is the intense rainfall -- of a higher level than normal. One of my students has done a thesis on intense rainfall events in Kerala... He says certainly this year it's quite intense but not unprecedented," he said. "He (the student) hails from Kerala. The experience
Elephants take the flag in Indonesia independence ceremony
A trio of rare elephants led an unusual ceremony in the Sumatran jungle, raising Indonesia's red and white flag to help mark the country's independence day. Brandishing a flagpole flying the national colours by the trunk, lead elephant Ulu yesterday marched outside a conservation office in northern Aceh province as onlookers sung the national anthem. Flanked by friends Johanna and Isabella, Ulu walked slowly over to a group of handlers to relinquish the flag, which was then solemnly hoisted by officials. Afterward the elephants paraded around the conservation area, crossing a nearby river and circling parts of the surrounding national park. "As we can see here, this is also an education for us, that elephants can live side by side with humans," Rizal, an elephant trainer at the conservation office, told AFP. Sumatran elephants are a critically endangered species and face threats from poaching and rampant deforestation. At least 11 wild elephants died in Aceh last year, most killed by .
Kejriwal directs officials to geo-tag plants under massive plantation drive'
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today directed officials to geo-tag plants and monitor their survival rate under the the government's mega plantation drive in September. Kejriwal also directed officials to launch a massive awareness campaign for mass public participation in the drive, according to an official statement. Agencies participating in the drive include Forest Department, MCDs, NDMC, Education, Health, CPWD, PWD and Delhi Jal Board who briefed the chief minister on the progress, according to the statement. Kejriwal directed that a helpline be created for the event and publicised for people to call and check the nearest location for participation. He also directed that various clubs be also involved in the drive to make participation better. The issue of post plantation care was also raised during the meeting. The chief minister said that all the plants should be geo tagged and monitoring should be done. He also said that a monthly report on the same should be submitted .
Rs 2 cr worth relief materials despatched to Kerala
More than 20 lorries carrying relief materials worth Rs two crore from all districts in the state was today flagged off to flood-ravaged Kerala. With the Chief Minister announcing Rs five crore financial assistance to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress fund again, the relief materials collected from all the districts in the states were despatched, Local Administration Minister, S P Velumani, who flagged off the vehicles here said. Items like rice, Dal, edible oil, sugar, salt, bread and biscuits and cooking materials, clothings, medicines collected from NGOs and other social organisataions were sent to the Waynad, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Calicut and Ernakulam, he noted. Relief materials are being sent from 10 districts including Namakkal, Tirupur, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, and Madurai, the Minister said. Medical camps are functioning at places bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala for the benefit of those arriving there, he added.
Chinese team to visit North-East to study investment: Tripura Minister
A Chinese delegation would visit Assam and Tripura next month to study the possible investment sectors in the resource-rich northeast India, Tripura Health and Family Welfare Minister Sudip Roy Barman said on Saturday.
Royal Bengal tigress released in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary
A two-year-old Royal Bengal tigress from Madhya Pradesh was released into wild in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Angul district, a top Forest official said today. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Sandeep Tripathy said the tigress was released yesterday in the wildlife sanctuary. The tigress was was brought to Satkosia from Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh on June 28 and was kept under observation in a special enclosure at Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Earlier, a three-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger was relocated from Madhya Pradeshs Kanha National Park and released in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve on July 7. "An expert team of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been monitoring movement of the big cats round-the-clock in the forest," Tripathy said. The two RBTs, one male and another female, were translocated as a part of inter-state re-introduction of tigers, as per the the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. The Odisha ...
NASA's Parker Solar Probe operating as planned: Scientists
NASA's historic mission to solve the mysteries of the Sun which was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket on August 12 is operating according to plan, mission controllers have said.
Excess water released from Himachal dam
Authorities in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday released excess water from the Pandoh diversion dam, located 112 km upstream of Pong dam, as a precautionary measure, resulting in a rise in the water level in the Beas river downstream.
IIT Kharagpur to set up Re-Water Research Center
The IIT Kharagpur will set up a Re-Water Research Center, seed-funded by two alumni members to replenish and rejuvenate water resources, a statement issued by the institute said today. The move is to tackle the challenge of resolving two burning issues faced by urban India sewage disposal and access to clean potable water, it said on the 68th Foundation Day of the premier institution. "The scarcity of water for drinking and domestic use is becoming acute and will only worsen in the coming years. On the other hand, urban areas are witnessing massive sewage problems. The idea of linking these two crises and coming up with one viable solution is challenging," one of the alumni members Aneesh Reddy said. The 'Aditya Choubey Center for Re-Water Research' would be networking with government bodies to take up this technology and the process and meet the water challenge in various cities, Reddy said. The institute is setting up an on-campus plant which will convert 1.35 ...
Unclaimed debris on roads to be removed by civic bodies: Delhi govt
Unclaimed debris on roads in the national capital will be removed by local bodies, the Delhi government has said. The public works department (PWD) has issued a circular, saying that removing "unclaimed malba" (debris) from roads is an "obligatory function" of the corporation under Section 42 of the Delhi Municipal Act, 1957. The circular has been issued after getting approval from PWD Minister Satyendar Jain. The PWD owns around 1,260-km roads in the national capital. Local bodies also own their roads in the city. "The issue is also deliberated with the commissioners, Delhi Municipal Corporation, and it was decided that unclaimed malba will be removed by the local bodies," it stated. It also stated that henceforth, the public works department of the Delhi government will remove only construction and demolition waste generated from its own project.
Nilgiris bride braves flooded river to rush for her wedding
Undeterred by a flooded Moyar river, a 24-year old bride from a hilly hamlet on the slopes of the Nilgiris has undertaken a daunting ride on a coracle to reach the venue of her marriage. A resident of Thengumarahada village, on the fringes of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris District, the woman, Rasathi, undertook a coracle ride alongwith her family members braving the flooded river, a tributary of Bhavani, district officials said. Since coracle rides are banned in view of the floods, they obtained special permission of forest authorities in view of their urgency. Rasathi's wedding is scheduled on August 20, and she alongwith several of her family decided to undertake the ride in two coracles yesterday to reach the venue of her marriage. After crossing the river, she reached the venue of her marriage. As there is no bridge to cross the river, the marriage party said they had to undertake the coracle ride. They urged the government to build a ...
Financial distress in India's thermal power sector (Comment)
The thermal power sector accounts for $40-60 billion of potentially stranded assets that are continuing to trouble the Indian banking sector. Fifteen GW out of the stressed 40 GW has not yet been commissioned, as identified in the report of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Energy earlier this year.
Bandhavgarh tigress released into Satkosia Tiger Reserve
A female tiger, brought from Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to Satkosia Tiger Reserve, was released into the wild on Friday.Named 'Sundari', the translocated tigress was housed in a specialised enclosure in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve since June 28.The officials of the Satkosia Tiger Reserve and researchers of Wildlife Institute of India, along with expert veterinarians have been monitoring the movement of the animal round the clock.Earlier, a male tiger was brought from Madhya Pradesh's Kanha National Park to Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
Kerala floods: Modi's aerial survey called off
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aerial survey to witness the massive loss and destruction triggered by the torrential rains in Kerala was called off on Saturday due to bad weather, state government officials said.
122 sea turtles found dead on Mexico beach
Mexican authorities said they found 122 sea turtles dead on a beach in the southern state of Chiapas, mostly from an endangered species. The cause of death was not immediately clear, though around 10 percent of the turtles had wounds to the head or shell and showed signs of injuries from fish hooks or fishing nets, the environment ministry said in a statement. It said authorities had not been able to carry out autopsies "due to the advanced state of decomposition in which they were found." The turtles were found yesterday on the beaches of Puerto Arista, a small town on the Pacific coast. Most of them-- 111 -- were from the endangered Pacific Ridley species (Lepidochelys olivacea). Mexico banned the capture of sea turtles in 1990, but there is still a lucrative black market for their eggs.
Stinky 'corpse flower' in full bloom in California
Visitors were flocking to the Huntington Library in Southern California to get a whiff of a so-called corpse flower, known for the rotten stench it releases when it blooms. The flower, nicknamed "Stink," began blooming unexpectedly on Thursday night, Huntington spokeswoman Lisa Blackburn said. "We thought we had a few more days to go. But it was ready and it was pretty spectacular," she said. Corpse flowers typically take 15 years to reach a mature blooming size, and blooms usually only last 24 hours. The foul odour the plants emit attracts insects for pollination. The plants don't emit the foul odour until they bloom. "Stink" is the sixth corpse flower to bloom at the institution in suburban San Marino. The last was on August 23, 2014. The plant is one of the three corpse flowers expected to bloom within the next week. The two other flowers, nicknamed "Stunk" and "Stank," should bloom in the next few days, Blackburn said. The Huntington is seeing more visitors than normal because of .
