Page 577 - Environment
McDonald's' French fries oil powers delivery trucks in Mumbai
In a unique green initiative, McDonald's on Monday said it has started recycling several tonnes of used cooking oil from its restaurants into biodiesel fuel to power the company's fleet of refrigerated delivery trucks.
89 out of 137 fish samples test negative for formalin: Jena
Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena today said that at least 89 of the 137 fish samples collected from different markets across the state have tested negative for the cancer-causing formalin chemical. "A total of 137 fish samples were collected from different markets and outlets of 20 districts. Of these samples, 89 tested negative for formalin," Jena told reporters. Stating that the government will never compromise on the health of its people, the minister said that the fisheries department had earlier clarified that freshwater fish sold in markets across Odisha are absolutely safe for consumption as no traces of formalin was found in them. He said samples of varieties of fish were collected from different places like Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Balasore and Rourkela since July 13 and sent to laboratory for tests. Odisha Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, secretary Vishal Gagan on July 13 had confirmed presence of formalin in Pomfret ...
Can Badrinath shrine be declared national heritage: HC to Centre
The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday asked the Union government whether the Badrinath shrine can be declared a national heritage site.
Rag-pickers to work as 'environment warriors'
An institute, set up with the support of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has started an initiative to train rag-pickers how to segregate garbage and to get the best price for things collected by them.
Tiger population on the rise: Govt
The population of tigers is on the rise, the government said today quoting preliminary census data. Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan also informed the Rajya Sabha that advanced strategies are being adopted to tackle the human-animal conflict and detailed advisories were being issued to state governments. Replying to a query during the question hour, he said preliminary data from the tiger census conducted every four years suggests that their population was on the rise in the entire country including in Maharashtra. To a query regarding the mechanism for monitoring of wild animals roaming outside jungles and mitigate conflict, he said the Centre has increased funding significantly to states and provided them facilities for recruitment of anti-poaching staff in tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. "We also provide compensation of up to Rs 5 lakh in case of unfortunate incidents," Vardhan said. Replying to another question, he said the ...
Proposal to take up source apportionment studies in 93 cities: Govt
There is a proposal to take up source-apportionment studies in around 100 non-attainment cities under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the government today said. A non-attainment area is an area considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Rajha Sabha said on the basis of analysis of data for five years generated under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) during 2011-15, 94 cities have been identified as non-attainment cities. In addition, few cities have also been identified as polluted cities as per WHO data base, he said. "It is proposed to take up source-apportionment studies in these cities under NCAP. A timeline of two years has been indicated in NCAP with reference to source apportionment studies for all non-attainment cities," he said. He pointed out that organizations, institutions and universities having expertise and background in air pollution ...
Beaches in Goa to be made free of plastic items
The Goa government is considering making the entire coastline in the state as a "plastic-free zone", the Legislative Assembly was informed today. Urban Development Minister Francis D'Souza, in a written reply tabled in the House, said the state is in the process of declaring all its beaches as plastic-free zones. "The proposal for banning the use of plastic, especially on beaches and areas under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) by declaring them as a plastic-free zone, is under consideration," he said in response to a question by Isidore Fernandes (Congress). Admitting his department is aware that plastic waste, PET bottles and tube lights are thrown in rivers/streams in Goa, the minister said the government has not conducted any study on environmental impact of such actions. The move to make the state's coastline plastic-free comes after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the government will ban drinking of liquor in public places, including beaches.
Thieves decamping with street lamps, railings on expressways
The government today admitted in Parliament that instances of theft of street lamps, among other items, are taking place on some of the expressways, and work to install CCTV cameras has been initiated to check the menace. Replying in assertive to a query whether it is a fact that the protective railings and street lamps installed on both sides of some of the expressways are being stolen, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya said that talks had been held with concerned officials of district administration to contain this. "Consultations have been held with district administration of Palwal, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad, Baghpat and Sonepat and it has been requested to take necessary steps to mitigate such untoward incidents including theft," Mandaviya said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. The minister also said that talks were held with district administration for increasing measures like surveillance and police patrol. "The work for ...
Approach authorities, give them 15 days to explain stand before filing petition: NGT
The National Green Tribunal has asked the petitioners to approach the authorities concerned with their grievances and give them at least 15 days to explain their stand, before approaching it. The green panel said such authorities must give their response either to the individual concerned or put the same on their website at the earliest to put an end to the dispute. The apex environment watchdog made it clear that every applicant who approaches the NGT must indicate in the petition the "specific provision of a statue violated, substantiate questions of environment arising in the matter and the persons accountable for the same particularly, the public authorities". A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said if a person approaches the tribunal, then the responses received should be mentioned in the petition filed before it. "This procedure may provide quicker remedy to the individuals and also enable the authorities to indicate their stand. This procedure may be ...
States asked to tell all places of worship to prohibit single-use plastic: Govt
All states and Union Territories have been asked to communicate to temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches about the ill-effect of single-use plastic and encourage their staff and visitors not to use those, the government said today. Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, said the Environment Ministry has written to the offices that come under its own administrative control, offices of the central government and its departments, major PSUs, corporates and institutions to eliminate single-use plastic products, including water bottles and take away coffee cups. "Letters were issued to chief secretaries of all the states and UTs to communicate with temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches in their states on ill-effect of 'single-use plastic' and to encourage staff and visitors to prohibit single-use plastic products," he said. The institutions, offices and departments have been asked to eliminate single-use plastic products,
CM announces solatium of Rs 1 lakh each to bereaved families
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today expressed grief over the death of four persons who were washed away while taking bath in the Cauvery and announced a solatium of Rs one lakh each to the bereaved families. Despite warnings issued by the district administration against venturing into the river, six people, including three women of a family, had gone for a bath in the river at Salem yesterday. All of them were washed away but one of them, a college student, was rescued by local people on the river bank. Four bodies have been retrieved while a search was on to locate another person, the chief minister said in a statement. Palaniswami urged people to exercise caution in the wake of water being released from the Mettur dam in Salem district. The chief minister said as part of precautionary measures in the wake of release of water from Mettur, due announcements were being made through various media asking people residing in Cauvery catchment areas, its path and .
Pilot project on assisted forest regeneration work in Cauvery
A pilot project to develop a model of large-scale assisted forest regeneration work would be implemented in the Cauvery river basin in the next three to six months, spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has said. The project is being taken up under the National Rally for Rivers, a campaign by Isha Foundation, a spiritual organisation founded by the Sadhguru. "The first pilot project to develop a model of large-scale assisted forest regeneration work will be done in Cauvery river basin and subsequently in others, in the next 3 to 6 months," he told PTI. Jaggi Vasudev, convener of the Rally for Rivers board, also said such pilot projects would be implemented in river basins in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Punjab and Gujarat. The decisions were taken by the board at a meeting held here yesterday. The board members include Biocon Chairman and managing director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, former vice chairman of Tata Steel B Muthuraman and former ISRO chairman A S Kiran ...
ADB Approves US$ 631 Million For VCIC
i.US $500 million two-tranche MFF to build key infrastructure
Ban on import of fish may be extended: Parrikar
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the government is willing to extend the 15-day ban on import of fish "to remove fear and confusion" among people, while urging legislators to stop politicising the issue.
Highway projects delayed in Kerala due to land acquisition
Admitting that delays in land acquisition in Kerala for national highway projects have delayed road building there, Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya today sought the cooperation of the state government in this regard. The Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways said in the Rajya Sabha that land acquisition has been a problem there as population density was higher in the state. "Land acquisition is a problem in Kerala" but the Centre has held talks with the state and is taking the matter forward, he said during the Question Hour. "Ministry has approved 514 km length of state roads as new National Highways in Kerala are subject to the outcome of the detailed project reports (DPR) and intiatives have been taken for preparation of the said DPRs," he said. Mandaviya said the National Highways Authority of India planned to build 479 km of highways in the state but land acquisition was not there in place.
Natural rubber production dips to 6.94 lakh tonnes in 2017-18: Govt
Natural rubber production declined to 6.94 lakh tonnes in 2017-18 from 7.74 lakh tonnes in 2013-14, Parliament was informed today. On the other hand, consumption of natural rubber increased from 9.81 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to 11.11 lakh tonnes in 2017-18, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He also said that natural rubber imports increased from 3.60 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to 4.69 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. "Natural rubber production forecast for 2017-18 was 800,000 tonnes. However, the production forecast for 2018-19 is 730,000 tonnes which is 70,000 tonnes lower than 2017-18," he said. He added that these projections are made on the basis of matured rubber area under tapping, productivity and production trend during the near past which are determined mainly by price of rubber.
Govt panel gives recommendations to prevent illegal cultivation of HT cotton: Sharma
A government constituted committee has submitted recommendations for short and long term measures to prevent illegal cultivation of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) cotton in the country, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply that there is no third kind of Bt cotton in the country. He pointed out that there were reports on cultivation of unapproved HT cotton in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat. "The Government had constituted a Field Inspection and Scientific Evaluation Committee (FISEC) in the Department of Biotechnology to assess the veracity of spread of unapproved HT cotton in the country," he said. He was asked whether it is a fact that non-approved 3rd kind of Bt cotton is being cultivated in some parts of the country The minister said FISEC has conducted investigation on the availability and cultivation of illegal, unapproved HT variety in the cotton growing states, and submitted its report in this ..
Shepherd takes on lions to save his cattle
A shepherd was injured while trying to save his goats and sheep from two lions on the outer limits of the Gir National Park in Amreli district in Gujarat, said forest department officials today. The incident took place on July 21 at Ambardi village of the district, around 240 from here, when the shepherd, Bhavesh Bharwad, had taken his sheep and goats to a nearby hilly area for grazing, said Range Forest Officer Kapil Bhatia. Ambardi's boundary touches the forest area of the Gir National Park, the last abode of lions in Asia. According to Bhatia, when Bharwad reached the hilly area, on the outskirts of the village, with his goats and sheep, two lions tried to attack his livestock. "Bharwad rushed towards the lions to scare them away. While doing so, one of the lions attacked him with its claws," said Bhatia. The lion's nails left a minor scratch on Bharwad's arm, he said. In his statement to forest officials, Bharwad said after being attacked, he started shouting to draw
Ruckus in Assembly over "drought-hit" tag, farmers' condition
The Bihar Assembly was today adjourned till 2 pm as opposition members created a ruckus, demanding a "drought-hit tag" for the state in view of deficient rainfall. The Nitish Kumar government yesterday hiked subsidy on diesel by Rs 10 a litre to Rs 50 for irrigation purposes as the delayed onset of monsoon in Bihar has led to a 48 per cent rainfall deficit so far. As the House met for the day at 11 am, the RJD, the Congress and CPI(ML) members served an adjournment motion notice for a debate on the situation of farmers in the "drought-like condition", but Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary ruled that the issue could be raised only after Question Hour. However, after the Question Hour, when the Speaker discarded the notice for adjournment motion by Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on the ground that it did not follow rules, the opposition members, including RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Congress leader Sadanand Singh, asserted that the reasons behind its rejection
Government mulling plastic ban on beaches: Goa Minister
The Goa government is considering a ban on the use of plastic on beaches, coastal and riverine areas falling under the purview of the Coastal Regulatory Zones, Urban Development Minister Francis D'Souza told the Assembly on Monday.
