Page 529 - Environment
Prism Johnson to invest Rs 8 crore in captive solar power projects
These captive solar power projects are likely to be commissioned in next six to eight months' timeframe.
India bans petcoke import for use as fuel
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India on Friday banned the import of petcoke for use as fuel, but said shipments for use as feedstock in some industries was allowed.
Indian footballers express solidarity with Kerala flood victims
Indian national team footballers today expressed solidarity with the victims of the unprecedented flood in Kerala. The situation in Kerala remains precarious with water levels still rising dangerously in many rivers and people stranded in many areas waiting for help to arrive. Midfielder Vinit Rai wrote on his twitter handle, "Sometimes the nicest people have to appear for the toughest test. You are God's own country and you will always be so. Stay strong Kerala, we are with you. #StayWithKerala." Rescue operations are going on in full swing with the army and local authorities actively involved in securing lives and disbursing aid to stranded people. "I can feel how the dreadful situation is in Kerala right now. Our thoughts are with Kerala. May the Almighty give them the strength to overcome this tough time," said Nikhil Poojary, who also plays as a midfielder. Striker Ashique Kuruniyan, who hails from Kerala, said, "It's a terrible situation for me out here. Although I have to focus
World's top pork firm shuts China slaughterhouse in race to contain deadly swine fever
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has ordered the world's top pork producer, WH Group Ltd, to shut a major slaughterhouse as authorities race to stop the spread of deadly African swine fever (ASF) after a second outbreak in the planet's biggest hog herd in two weeks.
Bus drives into ditch on German highway, 16 hurt
Police say a bus has driven into a ditch beside a highway in northeastern Germany and turned over. Six people were seriously injured and a further 10 slightly hurt. News agency dpa reported that the incident happened early today at Linstow, near Rostock, on the A19 highway heading toward Berlin. The cause wasn't immediately clear.
Vietnam's caged bears dying off as bile prices plummet
Two moon bears are gently removed from the cramped cages where they have been held for 13 years, rescuers carefully checking their rotten teeth and matted paws before sending them to their new home in a grassy sanctuary in northern Vietnam. The animals are among the lucky few to be rescued in a country where hundreds of bears are feared to have been killed or starved to death as the cost of once-valuable farmed bile has plummeted. Bear bile is extracted -- often continuously and painfully -- from the animals' gallbladders and used in traditional medicine in Vietnam, where the illegal practice remains widespread. But consumers are shunning the farmed version in favour of bile taken from the nearly extinct wild bear population, which can cost 12 times more, and farmers can no longer earn what they used to from the illicit trade. If consumer demand for wild bear gallbladders catches on, it could spell the end for wild bears, which are killed for the sought-after organ. The trend is also .
Rare 'bamboo rat' photographed at Machu Picchu
A rare rodent species known as a "bamboo rat" that lives around the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru has resurfaced after a decade of absence and been photographed for the first time. A specimen of the rodent Dactylomis peruanus was spotted by guards among bamboo trees at the citadel, which is surrounded by a protected area, said the National Service of Natural Protected Areas. The last time the animal was recorded at Machu Picchu was in 2008. The bamboo rat lives in subtropical or wet tropical areas, according to Peruvian authorities. It has also been reported at medium-altitude heights on the slopes of the Andes in northern Bolivia. In Peru, the animal is on a list of creatures about which little is known because it is seen so rarely.
World's top pork supplier shuts China slaughterhouse in race to contain deadly swine fever
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has ordered the world's top pork producer, WH Group Ltd, to shut a major slaughterhouse as authorities race to stop the spread of deadly African swine fever (ASF) after a second outbreak in the planet's biggest hog herd in two weeks.
'Criminals' reveal apparent mass grave location in Mexico
A group of missing persons' relatives in Mexico has said suspected criminals had anonymously revealed to them the location of a mass grave that could hold 500 bodies. The grave, around 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the port of Veracruz in the east of the country, was located in the same area as another grave holding hundreds of victims, which was found in 2016, also as a result of a tip-off. Rosalia Castro Toss, spokesperson for the Solecito collective -- made up of mostly mothers of missing persons -- told reporters the map was handed to the group a few months ago. Now, they are awaiting permits to carry out a search. Close to the grave's apparent location is a road to relieve traffic heading to the port. The surrounding terrain is covered with vegetation, and has repeatedly been the scene of criminal activity. Veracruz state, which stretches along the Gulf of Mexico coast, has suffered heavily at the hands of organized crime and has one of the country's highest rates of missing ...
Amarnath Yatra suspended from Jammu
The movement of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims was suspended on Friday from Jammu to the Kashmir Valley but allowed to continue from the two base camps to the cave shrine.
Mullaperiyar dam is safe: TN CM to Kerala counterpart
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assuring that there was no threat to the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam.In his letter to Vijayan, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister further said that the water in the dam was being stored at the permitted level of 142 feet as per the orders issued by the Supreme Court."I would like to state that the Mullaperiyar Dam is in safe in all aspects hydrologically, seismically and structurally as per the Supreme Court order on May 7, 2014. During the past, the dam was inspected by many experts, on several occasions, and they had also found that the dam was safe in all aspects," Palaniswami wrote.Palaniswami's comments came few days after Vijayan had sought the Tamil Nadu government's intervention to draw water from the brimming dam. The Mullaperiyar Dam has reached its full level of 142 feet and Kerala Government wanted the water level to be at 139 feet.Palaniswami further informed in the ...
Vajpayee's death: Railway exams to be held as scheduled
The Indian Railways has announced that the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) exams scheduled for Friday for the post of assistant loco pilots and technicians will go ahead as per schedule across India except for flood-hit Kerala.The announcement came after a half-day holiday was declared for all central government departments on Friday in the wake of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death."We are announcing that RRB exam will be conducted in all the three shifts on 17.08.18, as scheduled. This is being done through RRB websites. Over and above that individual SMSs are also being sent to about 4.36 lakh candidates scheduled for the exam," Director of Information and Publicity of Indian Railways, Rajesh Bajpai said.The 93-year-old BJP veteran breathed his last at 5:05 pm on Thursday, here at All India Institutes of Medical Science (AIIMS) following a prolonged illness. Vajpayee, who was the country's 10th Prime Minister, will be laid to rest at the Smriti Sthal on Friday ...
Minister seeks increase in flow of water in Shukratal Ghat
The government on Thursday instructed officials of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand irrigation departments to submit proposals for the augmentation of flows at Shukratal Ghat in Muzaffarnagar district.
Environment report for redevelopment project copy-pasted, expert tells HC
Several portions of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report which cleared the redevelopment of a residential project here was copy-pasted from an EIA report seeking clearance for a Tamil Nadu mine, an expert told the Delhi High Court on Friday.
Declare upcoming year as 'International Year of Millets', Agri Min to UN body FAO
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has written to UN's body FAO to declare upcoming year as 'International Year of Millets' to boost global production of this nutritious cereal. Singh has written a letter to Jose Graziano da Silva, Director-General, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an official statement said. "To garner wider global attention and action, India has mooted a proposal to FAO for declaration of an upcoming year as International Year of Millets," he said in the letter. India is celebrating 2018 as the National Year of Millets. The government is promoting cultivation by amending cropping pattern of areas which are especially susceptible to climate change. The minimum support price (MSP) of millets has been increased by more than 50 per cent of cost of production. "It is an important component of our efforts to achieve the national commitment of doubling farmers' income by 2022," he wrote. Singh had earlier written to Secretary General of the UN in
Record numbers summit Everest in 2018
A record 807 climbers reached the summit of Mount Everest in May this year, officials confirmed today, capping a successful climbing season that also saw multiple other firsts. Unusually good weather on the roof of the world allowed the staggering number of mountaineers to reach the 8,848-metre (20,029-foot) peak, including a double amputee from China. Everest -- which straddles the border between Nepal and China -- saw 563 people summit from the south and 244 reach the top from the northern flank in Tibet, authorities on both sides confirmed. The numbers smashed the previous record of 665 summits set in 2013, according to the Himalayan Database. Two Nepali Sherpas broke their own world records for the most Everest summits by a man and a woman, reaching the top for a 22nd and ninth time respectively. Australian Steve Plain became the fastest person to summit the highest mountain on each of the world's seven continents when he reached the peak of Everest on May 14, knocking nine days ..
UP may drop Jewar int'l airport project if farmers don't hand over land: Official
The Uttar Pradesh government might drop the Jewar International Airport project in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Delhi's outskirts if the farmers do not agree to hand over their land for acquisition, a top official said today. Chairman of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development authority (YEIDA) Prabhat Kumar told PTI here they met over 100 farmers of six villages yesterday in Noida and tried to clear their doubts regarding the land acquisition. "We met village heads and farmers of six villages, where land was proposed to be acquired for the project. They were given offer regarding land rates and other benefits. If they (farmers) do not agree, the airport project might be dropped," he said. "The farmers were assured that their land will not be procured without their willingness as per the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The farmers will consider our proposal and respond. We hope for the best," said Kumar, who is also UP agriculture production commissioner. Top officials of ...
5 bovine smugglers arrested, 57 animals rescued in J-K
Police have foiled four major bids to smuggle bovines and rescued 57 animals in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said today. A police party intercepted a bovine smuggler, identified as Taj Mohammad, yesterday in Kandi area and rescued 14 bovines, he said. In Thanamandi area, a police team intercepted two vehicles and rescued 15 bovines, the official said, adding that two people -- Zakir Hussain and Nazaqat Hussain -- were arrested. Police rescued four bovines in Daki Kote area of Rajouri district and arrested Wali Mohammad in this regard, he said. In another incident, a police team rescued 24 bovines in Khorbani Galli area and arrested bovine smuggler Mohammad Iqbal, the official added.
Why should redevelopment of 7 south Delhi colonies be allowed: HC asks Centre
The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre why it should allow the redevelopment of seven south Delhi colonies after it was told that the clearance for the project was granted on the basis of an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report that had "copy-pasted" its contents from another project report in Tamil Nadu. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said if it allowed the project to go ahead and later it was found that the environment clearance (EC) was wrongly granted, everything would have to be started afresh, "leading to wastage of public money". "Better to stop now, when the loss would be only Rs 150 crore, than stop later, when the loss would be much more," the court said, while refusing to issue any direction allowing commencement of work at Nauroji Nagar, one of the seven colonies, as sought by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC). The observation of the bench came after hearing the submissions made by one of the two amici curiae ...
Asia Rice: Dip in Indian rates on rupee weakness dulls Vietnam offers
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India fell this week as the rupee weakened, with the drop in rates from the top exporter also weighing on demand for the Vietnamese variety.
