Page 566 - Environment
Goa assembly to discuss TCP (amendment) bill tomorrow:Minister
The Goa Legislative Assembly is expected to take up for discussion tomorrow the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill 2018, cabinet minister Vijai Sardesai said today. The bill seeks to incorporate three "innovative tools" of planning, which the minister said would "retain the ethos of Goa for posterity". "Accommodation Reservation (AR), Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and the TDR for posterity are the path-breaking concepts in the bill," the TCP minister told PTI. He said the concept of "TDR for posterity" will be implemented for the first time in the country to incentivise preservation of eco-sensitive areas and heritage houses in the coastal state. He said AR tool is meant specifically for acquiring landalong with the constructed amenity. "This accommodation reservation tool will ensurethat only public amenities will be created in areas which are high priced where land acquisition is an expensive proposition," the minister said. The facilities for public ..
Fishes swim inside waterlogged ICU in Patna hospital
Following a heavy rainfall in Patna, the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH), which reportedly considered as the second-largest government hospital in the state capital, was seen flooded with rainwater.Patients were seen lying on the bed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) while the room is inundated with rainwater. Meanwhile, fish were also spotted swimming in water inside the ICU.Speaking to ANI, a health department official said, "The process for throwing water out of the place is underway. Pumping plant is working continuously."On a related note, water-logging was also reported outside the residence of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, following heavy rainfall in Patna.Heavy downpour in the city has halted the normal life since Friday, as water-logging and traffic snarls were seen in several parts of the state capital.As per reports, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin issued on Saturday warned heavy to very heavy rainfall in few places in Bihar till August .
Union minister urges farmers to engage in organic farming
Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh today visited an organic farm at Lawsohtun area of the city and assured all possible help to the farmers. The minister, who was here on a two-day visit, interacted with members of around 20 families who practice organic farming here and encouraged them to expand their activities in other parts of the state. The Union agriculture minister also asked the state government officials to extend possible assistance to farmers in this regard and promised to support the promotion of organic farming in the state. Last evening, Singh reviewed the activities of the departments of agriculture, animal husbandry and allied sectors at Raj Bhawan here. He instructed the department officials to ensure that schemes meant for the welfare of the farmers are delivered to them on time. "If the farmers receive their dues on time, the government will be able to achieve the goal of doubling their income by 2022," he said. The minister also asked the officials to ..
UP set to be 1 trillion dollar economy: PM Modi
After launching 81 projects worth Rs 60,000 crore at a ceremony here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the state is all set to be a 1 trillion dollar economy.The projects launched by the Prime Minister are part of 1,045 Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) signed at the Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit, held earlier in 2018.Praising the speedy completion of the development work in the state, Prime Minister Modi called the event a 'record-breaking ceremony'.He pointed out that investment was considered as a challenge earlier, but the organised function in the state proves the 'sheer speed in which Uttar Pradesh is progressing.'"People are calling this event a ground-breaking ceremony. But I call this a record-breaking ceremony. The manner in which development works have been carried out in such a short span of time and old methods have been changed, was never seen before in Uttar Pradesh," said Prime Minister Modi, adding that the investments would generate around 2 lakh
J-K govt undertakes massive anti-encroachment drive
The Jammu and Kashmir government has called a massive crackdown on illegal constructions and encroachments here. Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma asked the senior functionaries of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), JMC, Revenue, Tourism, Geology and Mining, Flood Control, police and other departments to initiate joint action against illegal structures and encroachments on state land. The government in the state Assembly had said that 1,510 acres of land in the city has been encroached as it admitted that the JDA is yet to demarcate 6,818 acres of land meant for development. The J&K government transferred 9,479 acres of land to the JDA since 1973, out of which 6,818 acres of land has not been demarcated, Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development Asiea Naqash told the Legislative Assembly during budget session this year. The state government had also told the Assembly that 243 hectares of forest land has been encroached in Jammu city where seven cases have been .
Chilly cultivation improves livelihood of farmers in C'garh
Marginal farmers in Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh, who were hardly able to make their ends meet two years back, are now reaping profits by cultivating horticulture crops, particularly chilly. The farmers, mostly tribals, say that the chilly cultivation has significantly increased in the district in the last two years after the introduction of the state government's 'Saur Sujala Yojna'. Under the scheme, they are being provided solar water pumps at nominal costs for irrigation at their farms, where power supply is not available. Gajnath Ram, a tribal farmer in Kopa village, was struggling to fetch good returns by cultivating the traditional paddy crop till last year. But now, he has been growing chilly and other horticulture crops like tomato, and hopes to earn a profit of Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre this year. "So far, I have sold chilly worth Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 after harvesting started in June...and it will continue till August-September," Ram told PTI. He ...
Patna road caves in after heavy rains
A large of part of a road in Patna caved in on Sunday following heavy rains that pounded the state capital round the clock, officials said.
How tribal women of Kanha are driving their own destiny (IANS Special Series)
Mukki zone in the famous Kanha National Park had been known throughout its recorded history to have been ruled by tigresses, rather than tigers. True to this legacy, tribal women of the Mukki zone are breaking conventional chains by taking over men-dominated jobs in the region. These women now drive, guide tourists, guard the forest that traditionally gave them sustenance and are coming forward to shoulder bigger responsibilities.
Sisodia visits Yamuna belt area, urges people to move to safer places
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today took stock of the ongoing evacuation work in the low-lying areas of the city, a day after the water level of the Yamuna river breached the danger mark. The water level reached 205.30 metres at 7 pm yesterday, prompting authorities to rescue people from the low-lying areas, even as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held an emergency meeting with top officials of his government. "Sisodia took stock of the ongoing evacuation work in the low-lying areas around Akshardham and Pandav Nagar," an official said. In a meeting here, Kejriwal had said that all departments have been put on high alert. "Haryana has released 5 lakh cusec water. Called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. This water likely to reach Del by tomo eve. Wherever administration evacuating people, they r requested to cooperate. All depts put on high alert. For any flood related emergency, control room no is 1077 (sic)," he had tweeted yesterday. The Yamuna water .
Rampant shooting of tigers, fear of extermination made Corbett quit hunting: Valmik Thapar
Recognising that the rampant shooting of tigers would lead to their extermination, the legendary Jim Corbett had in late 1920s decided to give up hunting, says conservationist-author Valmik Thapar. Edward James Corbett, famous as Jim Corbett, is known for his hunting exploits. Between 1907 and 1938, Corbett tracked and shot a documented 19 tigers and 14 leopards -- a total of 33 recorded and documented man-eaters. It is estimated that these big cats had killed over 1,200 men, women and children. But the 1875-born Corbett had turned an environmentalist and naturalist by late 1920s, becoming one of the first generation conservationists in India. "Corbett had to track down and shoot these animals at great risk to his own life. While he did so as a form of public service, he never hesitated to point out that many of these tigers became man-eaters because of bullet injuries," Thapar says in the introduction of "Just Tigers: The Very Best of Jim Corbett", a new anthology of Corbett's ...
Modi bats for eco-friendly Ganesh Utsav
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said festivals like Ganesh Utsav are a great unifier and should be celebrated with enthusiasm, but in an "eco-friendly" way.
Worms frozen for 42,000 years come back to life
A sample of microscopic worms that were suspended in a deep freeze in Siberia for 42,000 years have come back to life after being defrosted, scientists say. The findings, published in the journal Doklady Biological Sciences, represent the first evidence of multicellular organisms returning to life after spending a long period in Arctic permafrost. Nematodes are tiny worms that typically measure about one millimetre in length, and are known to have impressive abilities. Some are found living 1.3 kilometers below Earth's surface, deeper than any other multicellular animal. Certain worms that live on an island in the Indian Ocean can develop one of five different mouths, depending on what type of food is available. Researchers from Moscow State University in Russia and Princeton University in the US analysed 300 samples of Arctic permafrost deposits and found two that held several well-preserved nematodes. One sample was collected from a fossil squirrel burrow near the Alazeya River in ..
NASA's newest planet hunter starts science operations
After a successful launch in April this year, NASA's newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), has now started its search for planets around nearby stars.
Double forest beat area raises hope of rise in MP tiger count
The expansion in the territory of tigers in Madhya Pradesh has raised hopes of a rise in the number of the striped animals in the state, officials said. The number of forest beats (small unit of a forest area), where the presence of tigers has been found, has almost doubled since 2014, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Shahbaz Ahmed told PTI, citing data collected by the State Forest Research Institute (SFRI). "According to the SFRI data released after its first phase of estimation, the number of beats with tigers' presence has gone up to 1,432 this year from 717 in 2014," Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Rajnish Singh said. The SFRI is the nodal agency for tiger estimation in the central state, which is home to nearly half-a-dozen reserves for the national animal. Based on the expanding area of tigers' presence, it is expected that the number of felines may noticeably go up in MP when the next tiger estimation data comes out, Ahmed said. According to the ...
Saving world's only floating national park in Manipur and its dancing deer
Manipur, July 29 (IANS/Mongabay) The states iconic Loktak Lake and its floating islands (phumdis), the last natural refuge of the critically endangered Sangai deer, are losing ground to mushrooming agricultural practices and human settlements, reports a study.
Air quality in Delhi improved due to meteorological factors: Green body
Noting that air quality in the national capital had improved due to meteorological factors and not by addressing the "source of pollution", a green body stressed the need for taking comprehensive action to contain such sources for sustained clean air days. Authorities had said that Delhi's air quality turned "good" yesterday for the first time this year due to continuous rains that washed away the pollutants in the air. Greenpeace India said instead of being euphoric about few improved air quality days, the Environment Ministry along with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) should prioritise to immediate enforce the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) by setting up time-bound emission targets. The ministry has prepared a draft NCAP with an objective to come up with a comprehensive plan for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution, and to augment the air quality monitoring network across the country. Various green groups have submitted their recommendations to the ministry
'NE among top mega-biodiversity hotspots of the world'
Union minister Harsh Vardhan today said the North Eastern region of India is a genetic treasure house of plants, animals and microbial resources and is amongst the top mega-biodiversity hotspots of the world. The North Eastern region is a genetic treasure house of plants, animals and microbial resources and is amongst the top mega-biodiversity hotspots of the world, Harsh Vardhan, the minister for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Forests, Environment and Climate Change said, while inaugurating the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) here. He said Manipur alone has over 500 species of orchids, the Sangai and the black rice variety that are unique. The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development was set up to identify the rich biodiversity and unique bio-resources that can boost the bio-economy and generate jobs for the unemployed youth through bio-entrepreneurship, he said. He also highlighted the achievements, activities and ...
Act as change agents: Singh tells scientists
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh today appealed scientists here to act as change agents and help in bringing about economic development of the farmers of the region. I appeal to all the scientists here to act as change agents and help in bringing about economic development of the farmers of the region, Singh said while visiting the ICAR Complex here. He later interacted with farmers and artisans. The minister also said that the activities and initiative of ICAR and the farmers of the region should be documented and showcased so that they become role model for the entire country. Reiterating the Centres plan to double the income of farmers by 2022, the Union minister exhorted officials to assist and advise farmers on ways to improve farming techniques and raise their income. He also advised farmers and the institute not only to be confined to cultivation of crops but also to invest themselves to allied sectors like horticulture, ...
U.S. farmers could receive cash from Trump aid plan by Sept: Perdue
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - U.S. farmers could receive cash payments from a planned $12 billion aid package as soon as late September, United States Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Reuters on Saturday.
Cuba to study whether climate change is hurting sugar harvests
Cuba is studying whether to adjust its sugar-harvest calendar in response to damaging changes in the island's climate, an official newspaper reported today. The Caribbean island, once the world's leading sugar producer, is suffering through a years-long decline in production even as its socialist leaders struggle to modernize a sluggish economy. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel ordered state sugar monopoly Azcuba to undertake the climate study in coordination with the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, and to carry out any necessary remedial measures, the newspaper Granma said. "The seasons are changing and we have to be able to adapt," Diaz-Canel was quoted as saying. He said the traditional sugar-growing season, lasting from November to April, might have to be adjusted. The 2017-18 harvest produced "something more than a million tonnes of sugar," an amount lower than expected and far below historic highs, drawing political concern at the highest levels. Azcuba's ..
