Page 564 - Environment
Route patrol at every 20 km to prevent theft on Eastern Peripheral Expressway
Route patrol by police has been deployed at every 20 km besides initiating CCTV camera installation to check thefts on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), Parliament was informed today. The government last week had said that instances of theft of street lamps, among other items, were taking place at the 135-km long EPE, billed as the country's first smart and green highway. "Route patrol has been deployed at every 20 km length to safeguard such type of thefts," Minister of State for Road, Transport and Highways, Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He was replying to a question whether the people have stolen newly installed solar panels, batteries, iron and underpass lights worth millions of rupees. The minister said apart from patrol, the work for installation of CCTV cameras has been initiated. "Consultation have been held with district administration of Palwal, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad, Baghpat and Sonepat and it has been requested to take ...
Over 5 crore saplings to be planted in UP on Aug 15: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said today his government had set a target of plantation of at least 9.16 crore saplings this year under a special plantation programme. On Independence Day itself, more than five crore saplings will be planted, he said. "It is only through plantation that we can conserve the environment. To make the plantation programme a success, public partnership is necessary. Hence, it is important to make the people aware. In the special plantation programme, a target of plantation of 9.16 crore saplings has been fixed for this year," Adityanath said while chairing a review meeting. On Independence Day, over five crore saplings will be planted, he added. He said this target can be achieved by following the promise of 'Ek Vyakti-Ek Vriksha' (one person, one tree).
Inflow into Mettur Dam declines to 31,400 cusecs
The inflow of water into the Mettur Dam today dropped to 31,400 cusecs, compared to nearly 60,000 cusecs last week, official sources said. The inflow into the dam had seen a sharp drop to 39,000 cusecs yesterday morning from over 50,000 cusecs and further to 31,400 cusecs today, they said. As a result, the discharge had been decreased to 33,970 cusecs from 39,000 cusecs. The sources said there was a fall in inflows from Karnataka, resulting in lower realisation of water in the Cauvery river at the Mettur dam. The water level in the dam stood at 120.20 feet against its maximum of 120 feet while the storage was 93.79 tmc ft against the capacity of 93.4 tmc ft today, they said. The dam, the lifeline of Cauvery delta farmers in the state, reached its maximum level on July 23 after a gap of five years. The dam was opened for irrigation on July 19 by Chief Minister K Palaniswami after copious inflows, which crossed one lakh cusecs in the preceeding few days following heavy ...
About Rs 12.68 cr for Taj conservation, preservation, dev works in 3 yrs: Min
About Rs 12.68 crore was allocated for conservation, preservation and environmental development works at the Taj Mahal in the last three years, Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma told the Rajya Sabha today. "The essential conservation, preservation and environmental development work at Taj Mahal is attended regularly to keep the monument in good condition," the minister said. In 2015-2016, Rs 3.65 crore was allocated for the iconic Mughal monument and the entire amount was spent on it. In 2016-2017, Rs 4.8 crore was allocated and around Rs 4.6 crore was utilised. In 2017-2018, Rs 4.2 crore was allotted while Rs 4.1 crore was utilised, the minister informed the House.
209 dams more than 100-yr-old; Thonnur Tank in Kar more than a millennia
As many as 209 dams in the country are more than 100 years old, while the Thonnur Tank in Karnataka is more than 1,000-year-old, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told Parliament today. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Meghwal said the Thonnur Tank in Karnataka was constructed in the year 1000, while Cumbhum dam in Andhra Pradesh was built in 1500. The Tonnur tank is known for its clean, pristine water, which is located approximately 135 km from Bengaluru. It is spread over nearly 2,200 acres. The Cumbhum dam is built on Gundlakamma and Jampaleru rivers in Andhra Pradesh. Some of the oldest dams in the country are Dhamapur (1600) in Maharashtra and Barwa Sagar, Magar Pur and Pachwara Lake in Uttar Pradesh, all three constructed in 1694. Meghwal said as per the records of the Central Water Commission, there have been 36 reported dam failures in the country. The Machhu II dam in Gujarat, constructed in 1972 and reported failure in 1979, caused a loss of 1,800 lives, .
Rajasthan allots land for first cow sanctuary
The Rajasthan government has allotted 320.42 acres of land to Mohanlal Buladevi Ojha Gaushala, a private trust, to develop the first cow sanctuary of the country in Napasar in Bikaner district, said Ashok Vij, joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Bikaner.
Flood situation not alarming in Bihar: Minister
The Bihar government said today that notwitstanding discharge of water from Nepal in various bordering rivers the flood situation was not "alarming" in the state. But, the state government has taken up anti-erosion and other flood protection work as a preventive measure, Water Resources Department Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh told reporters here. "There is no alarming situation in the state so far (with regard to flood situation)," the minister said. Talking about the water discharge in various bordering rivers from Nepal side, Singh said 1,38,515 cusecs of water was discharged at Birpur barrage in Kosi river while the discharge at Valmikinagar barrage in Gandak river was 1,09,000 and it was 38,584 cusecs in river Sone. The department has also identified super sensitive and sensitive areas/places which may be affected by the floods, the minister said adding materials have been stored to meet eventuality. The super sensitive areas fall in the districts of
Elephant corridors getting fragmented: Sharma
Traditional corridors of elephants and their habitats have been "fragmented" due to utilisation of forest land for agricultural purposes and development works, including construction of irrigation dams and railway lines, the government said today. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said this fragmentation has caused "human-elephant" conflict. In 2017-18 (up to November 2017), 275 people have been killed due to "human-elephant" conflict while an ex gratia amount of Rs 590.76 lakh has been awarded, he said. The minister said in 2016-17, 515 persons were killed and a compensation of Rs 1477.959 lakh was given. "The traditional corridors of elephants and their habitats have been fragmented due to utilisation of forest land for agricultural purposes, development works like hydro-electric power process, irrigation dams, canals, transmission lines, rail lines, roads etc. Such fragmentation has caused human elephant conflict," Sharma ...
Environmental survey to be conducted in 55 districts: Govt
In a first, around 55 districts across the country have been identified in 2018-19 for conducting an environmental survey covering various parameters like flora, fauna and pollution, the government today said. Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, said a National Environment Survey is proposed under the ongoing Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Scheme of the ministry. He said that the data, information or maps flowing from the survey would contribute significantly towards valuation of eco-system services at district, state and national levels and arriving at their respective green gross domestic product. "The National Environment Survey is being undertaken for the first time by the Central Government in India. For 2018-19, 55 districts have been identified for conducting the survey," he said. It would cover various parameters like flora, fauna, pollution, waste inventory mapping among others. He was asked whether the government ...
TTZ chief, MoEF Secy responsible for preserving Taj Mahal
The Supreme Court on Monday said the onus of maintaining and preserving the Taj Mahal was on the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) Chairman and the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.This came after a division bench of the Supreme court, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, recently came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government for filing a draft vision document with respect to the Taj Mahal trapezium.Slamming the Government for its lackadaisical attitude, Justice Lokur said, "It seems nobody wants to take responsibility for the Taj. Someone has to take responsibility. There has to be one authority which takes charge. It seemed that authorities have washed their hands off the Taj."However, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, who appeared in the court on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted his report to the top court stating that the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) was not responsible for the relocation of industries in the Taj Trapezium ...
BJP blames JDS for "fuelling" NK statehood issue
Karnataka BJP President B S Yeddyurappa today alleged that the JDS was responsible for stoking the demand for separate North Karnataka state to strengthen its base in southern parts of the state. "The JDS knows it cannot win elections and taste power, if the state is united, as it has a presence only in some pockets of South Karnataka," he said. The former Chief Minister said he would be visiting Belagavi tomorrow to request some outfits to give up the separate statehood demand for North Karnataka. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has reportedly blamed BJP for fuelling the issue after realising its futility to get them political dividends. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah had yesterday said the demand for separate statehood for the region was being made by people who have not understood the meaning of a unified Karnataka.
Highway projects worth Rs 6.45 L cr for 61,164 km underway: Govt
Highway projects worth Rs 6.45 lakh crore for the development of 61,164 km are currently underway in the country, Parliament was informed today. "Projects amounting to Rs 6.45 lakh crore having length of 61,164 km are ongoing for the development of National Highways in the country," Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Mansukh L Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The number of projects stands at 1,837 and these are regularly reviewed at the headquarters, he said. "At present, 295 number of major projects are expected to get completed by the end of March 2019," he added.
Separate NK statehood row:KTKA CM blames media for controversy
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today blamed the media for the flare-up of the demand for a separate statehood for north Karnataka, saying if anything went wrong in future, it would be held responsible. "You (media) are responsible for flaring up of separate North Karnataka state issue.I would like to tell my media friends that by raking up the issue everyday, you are ruining the state. Don't mistake me," he told reporters here. If anything went wrong in future, the media would be held responsible for any untoward incidents, he warned. "It is a media creation. Actually there is nothing happening of that sort. People there are not making any such demand. They are with the government," he said. Targeting the media for "misquoting" him, Kumaraswamy said he had not made any wrong comments on the issue, but had just responded to a BJP MLA's statement in the Assembly. "I was responding to (BJP leader) Sreeramulu's statement during the budget session. I had asked him, ...
Amplus Energy to invest Rs 2k-cr in UP by FY'21
Amplus Energy Solutions today said it plans to invest Rs 2,000 core in Uttar Pradesh by 2020-21 as part of the state's Solar Policy 2017 and has committed to set up 400 MW solar capacity. In the first phase of investment, Amplus will set up 50 MW ground mounted solar PV projects with an investment of over Rs 250 crore in Mirzapur, the company said in a statement. The announcement regarding the investment was made at the Ground-Breaking Ceremony held yesterday by Uttar Pradesh Government to felicitate its investing partners, it said. "The Mirzapur project will supply green energy to environmentally conscious industries across the state. Industry in UP has been long demanding direct purchase from renewable energy projects for reducing their carbon footprint," Chief Operating Officer Guru Inder Mohan Singh said. In February, Amplus had signed an MoU with the state under the new solar energy policy 2017 for attaining solar energy capacity of 10,700 MW in the next five years. Amplus ...
Telangana Kharif paddy procurement expected to be 30 lk tons
The Telangana government today said 30 lakh tons of paddy was expected to be procured from farmers during this year's Kharif season in the state and asked its civil supplies department to prepare an action plan for it. State Chief Secretary S K Joshi, who held a meeting with officials here, said the department should ensure availability of required storage facility and gunny bags, according to an official release. He said a total of 107.92 lakh tons of paddy was purchased from 22.18 lakh farmers during 2016 Kharif, 2017 Rabi and Kharif and 2018 Rabi seasons. A total of Rs 16,691 crore had been transferred to the bank accounts of the farmers who sold the paddy, he said. Joshi directed that a database with the details of every farmer who sells paddy be maintained, the release added.
WR completes Udhana-Jalgaon double line project
The Western Railway (WR) has completed the Udhana-Jalgaon double line project which was sanctioned in the Railway Budget of 2009. The 305-km-long project, linking Udhana in Surat district of Gujarat to Jalgaon district in North Maharashtra, entailed a cost of Rs 2446.85 crore and will provide a fillip to growth in areas falling under this rail section, an official said. WR chief spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar said traffic movement on the stretch, which has 44 stations, commenced on July 22. As many as 380 bridges, 31 foot over-bridges (FOBs), 66 high level platforms, 24 medium level platforms and seven rail level platforms were constructed as part of the project, said a statement issued by the WR's PR department. Passenger amenities like shelters, toilets and waiting rooms, among others, have also been provided, it said. Underlining the benefits of the project, Bhakar said apart from increasing the capacity of ferrying passengers as well as goods, the double line will ...
Gayatri Projects successfully bids for Rs 493 cr Khambataki Ghat section project
Construction of new 6 lane tunnel at Khambataki Ghat Section of NH-4 and it approaches from existing Km.771.730 to existing Km.782.000 in the State of Maharashtra under NHDP Phase - V on EPC Mode.
Board of Tirupati Foam decides to undertake expansion of its factory in Noida
At meeting held on 30 July 2018
Watchdog urges China to clamp down on imports of illegal timber
Beijing must better scrutinise imports of illegally logged timber from countries such as Papua New Guinea where deforestation is devastating ecosystems and livelihoods, Global Witness said today. The watchdog said in a new report that a large number of logging operations in the Pacific nation violated local laws despite holding government-issued permits. The alleged violations included corruption and bribery in the issue of permits, logging without the consent of indigenous landowners and the exporting of timber above amounts that are legally allowed. "China is the world's largest consumer and manufacturer of wood and wood products. Yet it has no regulation to keep illegal timber from entering its borders," Global Witness said. "The risk of illegal timber from countries like PNG flooding China's markets has the potential to damage its reputation and major trade relationships as buyers in the US and (the European Union), which ban illegal timber imports, take action to protect ...
People residing along Yamuna in Delhi are at 'mercy of an insensitive' govt: Vardhan
Hitting out at the AAP government, Union minister Harsh Vardhan today alleged that there was no advance planning to rehabilitate people affected by rising Yamuna waters in Delhi and they were at the "mercy of an insensitive" dispensation. He also attacked the AAP for failing to keep its election promise to install CCTV cameras in the city, a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tore apart a report of a panel set up by the Lt Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on installation and monitoring of surveillance cameras. "People along the #Yamuna in Delhi are at the mercy of an insensitive government. As the river is rising above danger mark due to incessant rains, no advance planning in place, not enough shelter for people caught up in flood waters. @BJP4Delhi, @BJP4India," he said in a tweet. Several people living along the banks of the river were evacuated after water level in the Yamuna breached the danger mark on Saturday. Kejriwal today directed Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot to ..
