Page 591 - Environment
Huge diamond cache likely buried in Earth's interior: Study
There may be more than a quadrillion tonnes of diamond hidden 100 miles below the surface of the Earth, far deeper than any drilling expedition has ever reached, according to a study. Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and colleagues said the findings are unlikely to set off a diamond rush. The ultradeep cache may be scattered within cratonic roots - the oldest and most immovable sections of rock that lie beneath the centre of most continental tectonic plates, they said. Shaped like inverted mountains, cratons can stretch as deep as 200 miles through the Earth's crust and into its mantle; geologists refer to their deepest sections as "roots." In the study published in the journal Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, scientists estimate that cratonic roots may contain one to two per cent diamond. Considering the total volume of cratonic roots in the Earth, the team figures that about a quadrillion tonnes of diamond are scattered within these ...
Indonesia villagers slaughter 292 crocodiles
Hundreds of crocodiles in Indonesia were slaughtered in a retaliatory attack by locals after a villager was killed by one of the reptiles, officials said on Monday.
Essel plant to generate power from waste in Maharashtra
Essel Infraprojects Ltd (EIL) will construct Maharashtra's first Waste to Energy (WtE) plant with a capacity of 800 tonnes of waste, it was announced on Monday.
Flood alert as Amaravathi in Tirupur dist to be in spate
A flood alert has been issued to people living along the banks of Amaravathi in Tirupur district, in anticipation of discharge of water from the dam across the river, which is expected to surplus anytime, officials said. The water level in the Amaravathi dam stood at 84 feet as against its maximum of 90 feet and there was a possibility of water being released from the dam into the river once it was full, they said. People living in low lying areas along the river downstream have been advised to move to safer places. Similarly, the forest department has warned the people against entering Panchalinga river in Udumalpet, even as the famous Amanalingeshwara Temple was almost submerged. Meanwhile, incessant rains lashing Valparai in Coimbatore district forced the administration to declare holiday to educational institutions. Similarly, Nilgiris district administration also declared holidays for schools in Kunda, Pandalur and Gudalur taluks, sources said.
32 ROBs/RUBs will be constructed in Punjab: Min
The Punjab government has decided to construct 32 new Railway Over Bridges (ROBs) and Railway Under Bridges (RUBs) across the state to ease traffic snarls, said PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla today. Talking to mediapersons here, Singla said the RoBs/RUBs would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,350 crore within two years. In Majha area, seven ROBs/RUBs will be constructed in Amritsar, Tarntaran, Dina Nagar and Pathankot followed by an RUB each at Sujanpur and Nalunga in Pathankot and at the Tibri Road in Gurdaspur. The projects are at various stages of planning and execution but would see the light of day in time, the minister said. Besides easing the vehicular traffic, the ROBs on all manned and unmanned level crossings would eliminate the risk of accidents due to human error, he added.
Pakistan's agriculture faces major blow due to water scarcity
Pakistan's agriculture is facing a major blow due to an ongoing water crisis in the country.
2018 end to be busy for ISRO with several rocket launches
The Indian space agency will have a busy year-end with several rocket launches planned from its rocket port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, said a top official.
Better sugar output likely this year: ISMA
On the back of higher cultivation area, sugar production is expected to be better this year, as per the preliminary estimates of the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) on Monday.
Dilip Buildcon executes concession pact with NHAI for Karnataka road project
Dilip Buildcon Ltd (DBL) today announced that its wholly-owned arm has executed a concession pact with the National Highway Authority of India for a road project in Karnataka. "DBL Bellary Byrapura Highways Pvt Ltd, wholly-owned subsidiary of Dilip Buildcon Ltd has executed the concession agreement with National Highways Authority of India...on July 16, 2018," the company said in a filing to BSE. The project entails four-laning of a highway project in Karnataka on hybrid annuity mode under Bharatmala Pariyojana, the filing said. "NHAI's bid project cost is Rs 1027.62 crore" and "DBL bid project cost is Rs 1,313.90 crore," the filing said. The construction period of the the project is two years, the filing said, adding that the operation period of the project is 15 years from commercial operations date (COD). Dilip Buildcon Limited is a private sector road-focused engineering procurement construction(EPC) firm in the country.
Coal waste used to create sustainable concrete
Scientists have created a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete using coal fly ash, a waste product of coal-based electricity generation. The advance tackles two major environmental problems at once by making use of coal production waste and by significantly reducing the environmental impact of concrete production. The strong, durable concrete uses fly ash as a binder and eliminates the use of environmentally intensive cement, according to researchers from Washington State University (WSU) in the US. Production of traditional concrete, which is made by combining cement with sand and gravel, contributes between five and eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. That is because cement, the key ingredient in concrete, requires high temperatures and a tremendous amount of energy to produce. Fly ash, the material that remains after coal dust is burned, meanwhile has become a significant waste management issue. More than 50 per cent of fly ash ends up in landfills, ...
Wolbachia mosquitoes released in Fiji to curb dengue
Fiji has identified hot spots for dengue fever where officials of the World Mosquito Programme (WMP) will release the Wolbachia mosquitoes on Monday to curb the spread of dengue, Zika and chikungunya diseases.
Punjab must be developed as special industrial zone: Jakhar
Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee president Sunil Jakhar today said that in wake of immense social, economic and geographical importance of Punjab, the state must be developed as a special industrial zone. In a statement here, Jakhar said the Congress will raise the issue to give a special economic package to the state in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting July 18. The Lok Sabha member from Gurdaspar said that Punjab being a border state was sword arm of the country. He said that apart from facing invaders in the past it has also suffered due to black days of terrorism. Jakhar said that unemployment is a big threat to the socio-economic structure of state as earlier due to it the militancy badly disturbed the state and now menace of drug is a big danger to young generation. He said that the industrial growth of this state can create employment opportunities for youth. "Therefore, to attract new entrepreneurs in the state, the central government must give special industrial ...
Dilip Buildcon executes concession agreement for NHAI road project in Karnataka
Four laning of Bellary to Byrapura section of NH 150A on hybrid annuity mode under Bharatmala Pariyojana in the state of Karnataka.
Previous governments ignored demands for MSP hike: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said previous governments had failed to hike the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of crops despite farmers' demands and expert panels' recommendations.
Dry spell grips Bihar, paddy farmers panic
An unusually long dry spell is giving sleepless nights to Awadhesh Prasad and Mahesh Yadav, paddy farmers of Lakhsimpur Arai village under Saraiya block in Muzaffarpur district. The paddy saplings are barely alive, and at stake is Awadhesh's savings.
ICAR Plays Vital Role In Achieving Government's Vision Of Doubling Farmers' Income By 2022
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Radha Mohan Singh congratulated scientists and officials of the of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) along with farmers from across India on ICAR's 90th Foundation day and award ceremony function in New Delhi today. Singh said the efforts of the ICAR have not only helped India transform from an importing nation to an exporting nation but also provided self-sufficiency and nutritional security in foodgrains. Due to the efforts of our skilled scientists and the hard work of the farmers, the country today has a buffer stock in foodgrain.
Sugar production to be 35-35.5 million tonnes: ISMA
Sugar production in 2018-19 (starting October) is expected to be 35-35.5 million tonnes, which is 2.8-3.3 million tonnes higher than in 2017-18, the preliminary estimates of the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said on Monday.
TN govt orders release of water from Mettur dam from July 19
In a major relief for farmers of the Cauvery delta region, the Tamil Nadu government today ordered release of water from the Mettur Dam from July 19. The storage level in the dam has touched almost 90 feet. The full storage level (FSL) of the reservoir is 120 feet. Chief Minister K Palaniswami held discussions with his deputy O Panneerselvam and other senior ministers and officials in this regard. He said the decision was taken based on the current storage level, reports from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that the southwest monsoon would intensify in the Cauvery catchment areas and in anticipation of water being released from dams in Karnataka in the coming months. As of today, the storage level stood at 89.18 ft, he said, adding the inflow was 99,372 cusecs (water equal to one cubic foot per second.) "I have directed water to be released from Mettur dam for paddy cultivation from July 19," Palaniswami said in a statement. Pleas have also been received from farmers in this
China to expand country list for sugar import tariffs from August 1
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will levy extra tariffs on out-of-quota sugar imports from all origins starting from Aug. 1, the Commerce Ministry said on Monday, just over a year after introducing hefty penalties on top growers including Brazil and Thailand.
Incessant rain throws life out of gear in Odisha
Life was thrown out of gear in many parts of Odisha today following incessant rain that has led to waterlogging in low-lying areas and snapped road links in several places. Most parts of southern, western and coastal Odisha are reeling under water-logging which has disrupted vehicular movement. Water level was also rising in major rivers, officials said. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said 12 districts of the state have received an average of 50 mm rainfall since yesterday. High volume of rainfall was recorded in districts like Kalahandi and Nuapada, he said. Incessant rain has led to the rise in water level in several rivers, he said and added that officials concerned have been asked to remain watchful as rain was likely to continue till tomorrow, mainly in south and coastal Odisha. Normal life was hit in the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and the seaside pilgrim town of Puri due to continuous rain. In Bhubaneswar, low-lying areas in Jaydev vihar, Acharya Vihar, ..
