Page 595 - Environment
ComMin mulls to expedite construction of Nivati-Medha breakwater harbour
The government is considering to bring Nivati-Medha breakwater harbour in the Konkan region under the 12 champion sector initiatives of the commerce ministry in order to expedite its construction. Under the 12 champion sector initiatives, the central government has approved a Rs 5,000 crore to promote the sectors which include IT, tourism and hospitality. Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said that a proposal has already been submitted to the Maharashtra Maritime Board in this regard. "Prabhu directed concerned officials to expedite the construction of the breakwater harbour once the Maharashtra Maritime Board approves the proposal," the ministry said in a statement. It added that in the absence of such a harbour, the financial condition of fishermen in the area is deteriorating as they are totally dependent on the vagaries of the sea. "Building of the breakwater harbour will help the fishermen to haul abetter catch even in adverse conditions and also give a boost to the tourism ...
Nearly 15,000 premature deaths due to air pollution in Delhi: Study
Nearly 15,000 people died prematurely in Delhi due to pollution by fine particulate matter in 2016, according to a new study which ranked the national capital third in a list of cities reporting most deaths due to air pollution. Shanghai was ranked first in most premature deaths at 17,600 and Beijing second with 18,200 deaths due to PM2.5 pollutant. PM2.5 refers to atmospheric particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 mm. "Air pollution is emerging as the main threat and to overcome it there is a need for a strong air quality management system and the Environment Ministry is finalising a National Premier Action Plan to fight air pollution in Delhi," said Anumita Roychowdhury, director at the Centre for Science and Environment. PM2.5 has been associated with significant health effects, including cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, cancer and premature deaths. The PM2.5-related health impacts are notable for megacities across the globe, but Asian megacities have been suffering .
SC seeks Centre's view on bringing petrol, diesel prices on par
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre whether petrol and diesel prices can be brought on par for four-wheelers and private cars in order to control pollution.
Complaint filed with forest dept against Delhi Golf Club for cutting trees, management refutes claims
The Delhi Golf Club today claimed that a complaint was filed against it with the Forest Department for cutting down trees and it refuted the allegation, saying that the trees had fallen down due to recent storms. However, a Forest Department official said they were not aware of any such complaint. A spokesperson at the Delhi Golf Club said the Forest Department was conducting inspections at the golf course for the past three days after receiving a complaint from an existing member. The spokesperson said the club had issued a show cause notice to the member last month. "There are many old trees at the Delhi Golf Club and many of them fell down due to storms. The management just clears the trees that fall naturally out of the way," said the spokesperson, requesting anonymity. The member who complained against the Delhi golf course alleged that about 100 trees have been cut by them without permission from the Forest Department. The complainant also alleged that the trees were cut two ...
Century's longest lunar eclipse on July 27-28
A total lunar eclipse will occur on July 27-28 with a totality duration of 1 hour 43 minutes, the longest in this century, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said today. The partial eclipse of the Moon will begin at 11:54 pm (Indian Standard Time) on July 27. The Moon will be gradually covered by the Earth's shadow and the totality phase will begin at 1 am on July 28. The total eclipse will last up to 2.43 hours. Then the Moon will start to gradually come out of Earth's shadow and partial eclipse will end at 3:49 am IST on July 28. In this particular eclipse, the Moon will pass through the central part of the Earth's umbral shadow. Furthermore, the Moon will be at apogee, the farthest from the Earth in its orbit, on July 27 and will be moving at a slower speed in its orbit. This slower moving full Moon will take longer time and greater distance of Earth's umbral shadow cone to travel. "A total lunar eclipse will occur on July 27-28 with a totality duration of 1 hour 43 minutes. The ...
Swaminathan advises CM to strengthen horticulture sector
Renowned geneticist and father of green revolution Dr M S Swaminathan today advised Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to strengthen the horticulture sector to improve the farmers' financial condition. Swaminathan was here on the invitation of the chief minister who sought his guidance to improve the financial condition of farmers. A government release said during the meeting at the Vidhan Soudha, the state secretariat, Swaminathan emphasised on increasing the income of farmers and productivity in the agriculture field. He said farmers should focus on growing high-value crops. While lauding Karnataka for being the first state in the country to have a separate directorate for horticulture, the geneticist stressed upon conservation of soil, water and bio-diversity. In this regard, he advised him to adopt the Israel model of water management to increase productivity. The geneticist asked the chief minister to make maximum use of the coastal area, which has ample ...
Odisha set to promote agro-entrepreneurship in aromatic culture
The Odisha government has decided to promote agro-entrepreneurship in aromatic culture among farmers, an official said on Friday.
Afternoon high tide spills garbage onto Mumbai's Marine Drive
Residents of Marine Drive in Mumbai today complained of huge amounts of garbage that had been dumped on the iconic coastal road due to high tides in the sea. A civic official said that work to clean up the area, visited by thousands of Mumbaikars every day, was taken up on a priority basis soon after. "We received calls in the afternoon today from Marine Drive residents about the garbage that had been brought ashore by the sea," the civic official said, adding that it was a common monsoon phenomenon. "During the monsoons, when there is high tide, the sea spills the trash onto the shore. It mainly consists of plastic waste," he explained. A BMC statement informed that the Arabian Sea witnessed high tides, of up to 4.85 metres, at 12:15pm today.
Multi pronged action plan to boost infrastructure in ports
The two-day annual port sector review meeting here has come out with a multi-pronged action plan to not only boost infrastructure in major ports, but also venture into other 'innovative' activities to spur economic growth in the sector as well as other spheres. While the Sagarmala project is expected to steer port led development in the next three years, the Shipping Ministry plans to foray into other spheres that will lead to job creation and economic growth, besides addressing some of the port sector's own problems. Boosting export of agro and aqua products, generation of power,setting up of desalination plants,purchase of own wagons (for freight carriage), launch of cruise operations to promote tourism are some of the ideas the meeting came up with. The 'most important emphasis' for major ports would now be on improving export of agriculture and aqua products, said Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari,who chaired the meeting. Addressing a press conference at the end ..
Eight rhinos die after move to a new park in Kenya
Eight critically endangered black rhinos died after being moved to a new reserve in southern Kenya, the government said today, doubling the number of deaths from similar operations in the previous dozen years. Kenya's Tourism and Wildlife Minister Najib Balala ordered the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to "immediately suspend the ongoing translocation of black rhinos following the death of eight of them," according to a ministry statement. KWS, the government body responsible for the country's wildlife, has not commented on the deaths. The relocation of endangered animals -- known as translocation -- involves putting them to sleep for the journey and then reviving them in a process which carries risks. But the loss of so many in one go is unprecedented. Between 2005 and 2017 a total of 149 rhinos have been moved in this way, with eight deaths, a mortality figure that has now doubled. The black rhinos were moved from Nairobi and Lake Nakuru national parks to Tsavo East last month in an ..
Sumatran elephant 'poisoned' in Indonesia palm plantation
A critically endangered elephant has been found dead in a palm oil plantation on Indonesia's Sumatra island in what is suspected to be a deliberate poisoning, an official said today. The 10-year-old female Sumatran elephant was found in Jambo Reuhat village in North Aceh yesterday -- the third of its species to be found dead of suspected poisoning in the same palm plantation since 2015. "We found fruits and a pouch with traces of powder inside the animal," Aceh conservation centre head Sapto Aji Prabowo told AFP. "We suspect the death was caused by deliberate poisoning because her liver and spleen turned dark, a classic sign of poison," he added. A group of veterinarians was deployed to the location after authorities were tipped off by locals. Officials estimated the animal had been dead for three days when the carcass was discovered. Sumatran elephants are a critically endangered species. Rampant deforestation to create plantations has reduced their natural habitat and brought them ..
ACME bags 600 MW solar power project
Independent power producer ACME Solar today said it has bagged 600 MW solar power project at SECI 3,000 MW Interstate Transmission System (ISTS) Solar bid. Technical bids totalling 5,100 MW were received against the tendered capacity of 3 GW by 12 companies, it said in a statement, and added that ACME bid for the capacity of 600 MW. "ACME won the bid in a highly competitive reverse auction held today at a tariff of Rs 2.44 /unit. The second best tariff offered was 2.64 /unit for 300 MW," the company said. ACME Solar constructs, owns and operates solar power plants in India. The company plans to execute this project in self-execution mode, it added.
Can petrol, diesel prices be made same for four wheelers: SC asks Centre
The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to apprise it as to whether petrol and diesel can have an equal pricing for four wheelers and private cars after the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) said pollution from diesel vehicles was a cause of concern. A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta suggested that the government could contemplate fixing price of diesel and petrol on par for four wheelers, other than goods vehicles. "You take instructions whether you can have equal price at petrol stations for diesel and petrol for four wheelers and private cars," the bench told the counsel appearing for the Centre. Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, told the bench that the real concern was pollution from diesel vehicles. She said that people go for diesel vehicles since they have high power fuel efficiency. The amicus told the bench that one of the EPCA's report show there was "leakage" of funds from environment ...
OMBADC sanctions projects worth Rs 2,800 crore in 9 districts
The Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) today approved eight new projects with an estimated expenditure of Rs 2,800 crore in nine mineral bearing districts of the state, officials said. The projects will be implemented in nine mineral bearing districts - Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada and Sundargarh, they said. The projects were sanctioned at a meeting of the board of directors of OMBADC under the chairmanship of chief secretary A P Padhi. OMBADC chief executive officer, Uma Nanduri presented financial, administrative and technical aspects for consideration. While reviewing the progress of projects sanctioned earlier, Padhi directed the district collectors to complete the housing projects before August 15. Padhi also directed the State Pollution Control Board to have regular measurement and monitoring of the water and air pollution level in mining areas. The newly sanctioned projects in the meeting
CMO monitoring issue of formalin in fish, says Goa Minister
The Chief Minister's Office is monitoring the crisis that arose on Thursday after formalin traces were found in fish being sold in the wholesale markets in the coastal state, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Friday.
CM expresses displeasure over slow place of Majuli projects
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of implementation of Majuli protection project and warned of legal action against the organisation if they fail to complete the project within stipulated timeframe. "The protection of the river island is an emotional issue for the people of Assam as Majuli is the seat of the state's Vaishnavite culture and heritage and any negligence by the organisation in implementing the project will lead to severe action against it," Sonowal said while reviewing the progress of the project in Majuli. The project was allotted to T K Engineering on November 24 last year and has a timeframe of 18 months which will expire on May, 2019. The project entails 27 km long erosion protection work for a total cost of Rs 200 crore. "The project for Majuli protection is the manifestation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment towards Assam and both the Brahmaputra Board and the organisation must work ..
BRTS project in Amritsar to be inaugurated on October 15: Sidhu
Punjab Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today said the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project in Amritsar would be inaugurated on October 15. The minister held a high-level meeting today and took stock of various aspects of the project. In the meeting, it was decided that BRTS buses would provide free travel for all for the first three months and for school students it would be free always, Sindhu said, adding Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had given the green signal to put this project, initiated by the previous government at a cost of Rs 500 crore, back on track. According to an official statement, the meeting in Amritsar was attended by Education and Environment Minister O P Soni, Lok Sabha MP from Amritsar Gurjit Singh Aujla, Amritsar Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, MLA Dr Raj Kumar Verka and others. Giving details about the BRTS project, Sidhu said the 31 km route would have 47 bus stations, out of which six stations and one big bus stand are still under completion. The .
Solar tariffs dip to a low of Rs 2.44/unit for a 3rd time
Solar tariffs have again dipped to a low of Rs 2.44 per unit for a third time, after it had jumped by more than a rupee in a recent bid. The latest reverse auction for 3,000 MW capacity bid out by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) saw a tariff quote of 2.44 per unit. Previously, the tariffs had hit the lowest rate of Rs 2.44 per in May 2017 for Rajasthan's Bhadla projects, while the second was during the reverse auction of 2000 MW capacity last week. According to sources, ACME Solar bagged a 600 MW project with the lowest tariff quote in the recent auction. Azure Power, quoting at Rs 2.64 per unit bagged 300 MW project, while Canadian Solar has secured 200 MW project with a tariff of Rs 2.70 per unit. Adani's Mahoba Solar (UP) and ReNew Solar Power have been awarded 300 MW and 500 MW, respectively, all at Rs 2.71 per unit. SBG Cleantech, a joint venture between Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, India's Bharti Enterprises and Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, which
Metro firm MMRC begins planting 20,900 trees in Mumbai's SGNP
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, the nodal agency implementing the underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 Line, today started its tree plantation drive in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park here. The firm, in a release issued today, stated that it would plant 20,900 trees during this monsoon, in association with SGNP authorities, and would maintain them for a period of seven years. The release informed that 10,450 of these trees were being planted as part of a compensatory plantation, for the trees being felled during the Metro Line 3 construction, while the rest could comprise its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity. BJP Member of Parliament from Mumbai's North Central constituency, Poonam Mahajan, inaugurated the drive along with MMRC managing director Ashwini Bhide. The MMRC, a joint venture of the state government and the Centre, added that it would use 19 hectares of land allocated by the SGNP authorities for the plantation drive. Following the ...
