Page 62 - Environment
Locals pray for rain in Bihar's Gaya
Scores of people residing in Gaya region on Friday offered prayers to Lord Indra for rain in the wake of the water crisis in the region.Several districts of Bihar are hit by the water crisis and has been declared as drought-ridden.The devotees began pooja in the wee hours of Friday with a couple of purohits."The summer season is making life unbearable for all. We will offer prayers to the Lord for 10 days. We will appease Lord Indra by our prayers. I am sure he will send some respite from the heat," said a local Gunjan Kumar.The people in Gaya region of the state believes that offering prayers to the Lord will ensure a good rainfall.On Thursday, Karnataka water resources minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar also held a Parjanya homa (pooja) at Sri Rishya Shringeshwara temple Chikkamagaluru praying for rain.
Odisha allots land for 7 tourism projects
The Odisha government has sanctioned a proposal to allot land for seven tourism projects which will bring in Rs 354.34 crore investment to the state, officials said. The land was sanctioned at the land allotment committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A P Padhi here on Thursday. While according the sanction, Padhi directed the Tourism Department to fix the commencement and commissioning timeline for each project. The allottees were also asked to commission the projects within three years from the date of taking possession of the land, Padhi said. "The land has been allotted for seven projects in different parts of the state after due diligence and technical assessment for land requirement", Tourism Secretary Vishal Dev said. These projects will ensure an investment of Rs 354.34 crore, Dev said. The projects will be developed over a total area of around 79.5 acres, of which the government has decided to allot around 42.5 acres. Some project ...
Fishermen help overhaul plastic habits off Italy
On a moonlit night off Italy's coast, fishermen are hauling in the usual catch: cuttlefish, red mullet and plastic waste. But this time, they won't throw the rubbish back. The trash instead is being collected, analysed and, where possible, recycled in an initially month-long experiment to try to provide a blueprint for cleaning up the sea. "A lot of the fishermen used to throw the rubbish back into the sea, because the law says they can't bring it to land," said Eleonora de Sabata, coordinator for Clean Sea Life, which runs the project. "They're not authorised to carry waste, in ports there's nowhere to put this kind of waste and it's not clear who should dispose of it." That dilemma will hopefully not be an issue for the around 40 fishing boats sailing off the Adriatic resort of San Benedetto del Tronto who are taking part in the initiative. Since it started, the fishermen have collected around a tonne of waste a week for a month, of which 60 percent is plastic. Each day, volunteers .
Andhra CM appeals to officials to help in cleaning mechanism in irrigation projects
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday appealed to irrigation officials to help the new government in cleaning mechanism in irrigation projects.He asked them to come forward with details of instances of tendering with excess rates."I would felicitate those officials who reveal the facts to save money to the government exchequer. The state government would call for reverse tendering immediately. Everyone is answerable to people and stressed the need to curb corruption," the Chief Minister said.Addressing a review meeting of the irrigation department at his camp office today, he said, "Everyone knows several scams took place in irrigation tenders in the past five years and the works were allotted for higher prices. A third party enquiry would be conducted all the irrigation projects where irregularities took place and the state government would go for reverse tendering to save money."Principal Secretary Water Resources Sasibushan Kumar, Engineer in chief M Venkateswara Rao, Govt ..
Shivamogga: Planting trees amid water crisis is 'illogical', says environmentalist
Amidst prevailing water crisis in Shivamogga district, environmentalists in the area termed the district forest administration's action of planting one lakh saplings on the occasion of World Environment day 'illogical' as the monsoon is delayed in the state.Ajay Kumar Sharma, an environmentalist, told ANI, "Monsoon is delayed and we are already facing acute drinking water issues in the area. As we didn't get sufficient pre-monsoon showers, it is very illogical to plant saplings at this point.""They don't have any water tankers of their own. Even in case of emergency, they have to rely on other sources to get a few tankers of water. When people are having severe drinking water issues in the district, how is the administration going to water these saplings?" questioned Sharma.He further said, "It is not the right time to plant trees when there's no rain because these saplings need enough water to nourish. Though Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts get the highest rainfall, it is the
Alert in 8 Karnataka districts against Nipah virus
Eight districts in western and southern Karnataka have been put on high alert to check the Nipha virus infection from neighbouring Kerala, an official said on Thursday.
'Waste to Wonder Park' ticket sales cross Rs 2 cr; over 12K people visit on Eid
South Delhi's 'Waste to Wonder Park' is emerging as a major tourist attraction and revenue from sale of tickets has crossed over Rs 2 crore since it opened to public in February, officials said Thursday. Authorities at the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which governs the park spread over seven acres, said the daily footfall is surging day by day. "The park is emerging as a major tourism destination in Delhi and one of the most favoured places to visit for people. On Eid, the theme park attracted 12,327 visitors, including senior citizens. The collection on that day through the sale of tickets was over Rs 5.48 lakh," a senior official said. The park features a 60-ft Eiffel Tower, a 20-ft Taj Mahal and replicas of five other wonders of the world built using 150 tonnes of industrial and other waste in south Delhi, and was thrown open to the public on February 22. The total revenue collection since its opening crossed Rs 2 crore on Wednesday, South Delhi Mayor Sunita Kangra ...
24 injured as windstorm hits western Nepal
At least 24 people were injured as a strong windstorm swept through western Nepal on Thursday, officials said. All the injured are undergoing treatment at various health centres in the region. The windstorm swept through Kailali and Kanchanpur districts in the western province of Nepal at 7:30 pm, blocking roads, felling trees and electric poles and leaving at least 24 people injured, the Home Affairs ministry officials said.
India's forest cover expanded by 1 pc in five years: Javadekar
The forest cover of the country has increased by 1 per cent in the last five years and continuous progress will happen only through participation of people, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said Thursday. The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change called upon people to plant tree saplings. Javadekar, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting, visited the premises of Gulshan Mahal, the historic building in Films Division that houses a part of the National Museum of Indian Cinema, which was inaugurated in January this year. "In our lives, the amount of oxygen we take, we must plant at least ten saplings. In the last five years, India's forest cover has increased by 1 per cent. "This time, too, a similar progress should be recorded and for that we will try our best. This will happen through people's participation, which is extremely important," Javadekar told reporters. The minister planted saplings at the venue as part of the celebration to mark the .
Ration shop sealed in East Delhi
Delhi Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Imran Hussain Thursday ordered sealing of a ration shop in East Delhi after finding it shut during a surprise inspection. "Found a ration shop shut during a surprise inspection in Pandav Nagar. Residents told me that it opens in the evening. Have issued direction to seal it immediately," the minister tweeted. Hussain said that in Krishna Kunj area, residents complained about the ration shop selling wheat flour for Rs 12-14 per kilogramme.
Ensure big drains are desilted in city, Delhi BJP writes to EPCA
Delhi BJP legislators Thursday demanded the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority to take urgent action to ensure desilting of major drains in the city to prevent water-logging in the coming rainy season. The MLAs submitted their report on desilting of drains maintained by the Delhi government's PWD and Irrigation and Flood Control Department at the EPCA office here. "The delegation demanded urgent action to prevent flooding of Delhi roads and colonies, traffic jams due to water logging in the monsoon. The MLAs also demanded that the report should be sent to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Delhi government for urgent intervention in public interest," said Vijender Gupta, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly. After an inspection of big drains in some parts of Trans Yamuna area, the BJP MLAs on Wednesday, claimed that many of them were not desilted even though they were supposed to be cleaned by June 15.
92 per cent of world population without clean air:
A whopping 92 per cent of world's population are unable to breath clean air because of air pollution which has been identified as the cause of 7 million deaths every year across the globe, eminent environmental scientist Prof Uma Charan Mohanty said. "Pollution is on the rise due to anthropogenic reasons but at the same time mankind needs energy and development, said to be the contributory factors for pollution. Air pollution is reducing our lifespan by 2 to 3 years," said Prof Mohanty, Emeritus Professor at IIT, Bhubaneswar. Around 1.2 million people died in India every year due to air pollution which was identified as the third biggest cause of death in the country, Prof Mohanty said while addressing a rogramme organised on the occasion of World Environment Day here on Wednesday. 'Air Pollution' happens to be the theme for this year's World Environment Day. Meanwhile, the air quality in as many as 102 cities in India was extremely poor. Six of these urban centres -- ..
Punjab decides to set Sustainable Development Goals
The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, here on Thursday gave in-principle approval to a four-year strategic action plan (2019-2023) and annual action plan (2019-2020) to set Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SBI renders service to cyclone Fani victims
State Bank of India (SBI) has provided more than 11,000 loans so far for rehabilitation and resumption of livelihood activities of people in districts affected by cyclone Fani in Odisha. Stating this here on Thursday, SBI's Managing Director (Retail & Digital Banking) P K Gupta said the bank has also provided over 8000 agri loans and more than 1300 loans to Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the cyclone-hit areas. SBI has also restructured 200 SME and house building loans, he said adding SBI proposes to provide loans to 500 fishermen for purchasing boats and nets. Gupta, who visited Puri which was worst affected by the cyclone on May 3, said that SBI is committed to serve the people of Odisha and will also provide 19,000 mosquito nets to district authorities for further delivery to the affected people in Puri district. Considering huge loss of trees due to the cyclone, SBI has decided to plant 15,000 trees in the affected areas and each branch of the bank in Odisha will ...
Nipah virus: Raj health min asks officials to remain alert
Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma Thursday gave directions to health officials for the prevention and control of Nipah in the state, days after the deadly virus was detected in Kerala. Addressing a meeting here on Nipah virus and Glanders disease in horses, Sharma directed officials to send a team to National Virology Laboratory, Pune for training to examine the samples skilfully. Sharma said that directions have been given to Rapid Response Team to remain alert and take necessary action if any suspected case is identified. He said that people from Kerala living in Rajasthan should take special precautions. A year after two north Kerala districts were hit by Nipah claiming 17 lives, the disease resurfaced in the state with a 23-year-old student here confirmed to be infected with the potentially deadly virus on June 4. The government said 311 people from various districts with whom the student had interacted were under observation. According to the WHO, Nipah virus is a newly ...
Researchers discover sensors which can detect food spoilage
A recent study discovered new sensors which could help in detecting food spoilage and reduce wastage of food for supermarkets and consumers.The laboratory prototype sensors which can be read on smartphones are known as 'paper-based electrical gas sensors' (PEGS), they detect spoilage gases like ammonia and trimethylamine in meat and fish products.The researchers, who developed PEGS, made the sensors by printing carbon electrodes onto readily available cellulose paper. The biodegradable materials are eco-friendly and non-toxic, so they don't harm the environment and are safe to use in food packaging. The sensors are combined with 'near field communication (NFC)' tags, a series of microchips that can be read by nearby mobile devices.During laboratory testing on packaged fish and chicken, PEGS picked up trace amounts of spoilage gases quickly and more accurately than existing sensors, at a fraction of their price.The researchers say the sensors could also eventually replace the 'use-by' .
Delhi's 'poor' air quality days down by 33 per cent: Javadekar
Air quality in Delhi-NCR has improved with the number of "poor" air quality days coming down from 300 in 2014 to 206 in 2018, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said Thursday. Speaking at an event to mark World Environment Day, which was on June 5, the minister said the situation "is not as bad" as being portrayed in the media. "Media reports are always creating a picture that lakhs of people are dying of air pollution but it is not as bad. Yes pollution is there but efforts are on," Javadekar said. "Number of poor air quality days in Delhi in 2016 used to be 246, and in 2014 they used to be around 300, in 2017 it came down to 213 and now it has come down to 206 (in 2018). I am confident that when 2019 figures will come, the number of poor air quality days will further come down. This is a tremendous success. The days of poor quality air have reduced. It is a significant improvement," he said. The number of "poor" air quality days has come down by 33 per cent in 2018 as ...
Trump blames India, China for not doing enough on climate change
President Donald Trump has blamed countries like India and China for not doing enough on climate change, labelling them as regions with air that is impossible to breathe while claiming that the US has some of the "cleanest air". In one of his final interviews before leaving for Ireland at the end of his UK state visit on Wednesday, Trump, who has blamed India and other countries for justifying America's withdrawal from the landmark Paris climate change deal in 2017, said he believes that "there is a change in weather, and I think it changes both ways". Trump claimed that while the US had "some of the cleanest air", it was other countries that were not doing enough to tackle pollution. "China, India, Russia, many other nations, they have not very good air, not very good water in the sense of pollution and cleanliness. They don't do the responsibility," he told Britain's ITV channel. He was replaying his conversation with Prince Charles, an ardent campaigner on climate change issues, ...
Karnataka: Special prayers performed to appease rain gods
Special poojas were conducted at various temples in the state on Thursday to appease rain gods.State Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar held a Parjanya homa (pooja) in Chikkamagaluru, while another special ritual was performed at Belgaum's Savadatti Yellamma temple praying for rainfall.This comes after Karnataka's Religious and Charitable Endowments Department announced that special prayers for rain will be performed at temples of the state on June 6.The rituals were conducted in the presence of a number of priests during early afternoon.Several districts of the state have been declared drought-ridden making water shortage a major concern for the state's government.Reportedly, the combined live storage in all four reservoirs of the Cauvery basin -- Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi -- is 13.93 tmcft as against their full live storage capacity of 104.55 tmcft.To combat the crisis, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has also ordered Karnataka to release ...
DLF5 residents plant seeds for a sustainable future
The Magnolias Club at DLF5, in collaboration with Garbage Free India (GFI) celebrated this World Environment Day with a tree plantation drive and educating the children and adults of their responsibility towards protecting the environment.Held at the Ballroom of The Magnolias Club, the event saw an enthusiastic participation of the residents from all age groups from both- the Aralias and the Magnolias.The event included an art and craft competition in three categories defined by age, namely 3-6 years, 7-12 years and 13-18 years. The winners were rewarded with exciting gifts. There was a 'DIY recycled paper bag making workshop' where residents were taught to make environment friendly alternative of plastic bags for day to day needs. The celebration ended with a tree plantation drive where residents of all age groups planted saplings at the premises of The Magnolias."The event was very well received with a good turnout. Such gatherings bring people together to brainstorm and work ...