Page 64 - Environment
Maharashtra drought: Ramdev urges people not to waste water
Yoga guru Ramdev on Thursday urged people not to waste water and utilise every drop in the wake of dried water sources in Maharashtra." I request people not to waste water and also urge authorities to make requisite arrangements," he said while speaking to ANI in Mumbai.At present, several isolated pockets of the state are reeling under water scarcity. Locals are struggling to fetch water in the drought-hit areas. The Marathwada and Beed are the worst-hit regions affected due to water scarcity.At present, the government is fulfilling the needs of people by supplying water tankers. Besides, some of the locals are migrating to nearby states.Recently, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has appealed to the Central government to provide financial aid. The political party, in its mouthpiece Saamana has asked the Centre to take note of 9000 villages in the state where, it said, financial help has not yet reached.The Yoga Guru also lauded the Indian cricket team for beating South Africa in the ...
Seized bombs explode inside Maharashtra Forest Dept office
The office of Maharashtra State Forest Department here got severely damaged after crude bombs seized from poachers exploded inside the office premises on Wednesday morning, police said.According to police, the seized bombs which went-off were used for poaching wild boars and other wild animals.The villagers packed bombs in a way that they exploded when a wild animal chewed it leading to the instant death of the mammal.No causalities were reported.Around 90 seized crude bombs were stored at the Paud office. Furniture including chairs and tables inside the office were badly damaged and the closed shutter of the office was hurled several feet away. The walls of the office also sustained cracks.According to forest officials, an inquiry would be conducted in the matter.
Gujarat first to launch emissions trading
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani here on the World Environment Day on Wednesday launched the country's first emissions trading scheme (ETS) to encourage and incentivize the industrial units to cut air pollution.
Nipah virus: Karnataka govt issues circular to strengthen surveillance
Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, Karnataka, on Wednesday issued a circular in view of the detection of Nipah virus in Kerala.The circular calls for strengthening the surveillance activity in view of the disease."So far, NiV has infected 477 people and killed 248 since 1998. Outbreaks of Nipah in South Asia have a strong seasonal pattern and a limited geographical range. The case fatality rate of NiV ranges from 40- 70% although it has been as high as 100 per cent in some outbreaks. In 2018, 18 cases and 16 deaths have been reported from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts of Kerala", the circular read.It also cited reports of a 23-year-old student from Kerala being tested positive for the disease while stating that surveillance activity has to be strengthened.The circular has directed that an interdepartmental co-ordination committee meeting be convened immediately including officials from the veterinary department, IMA, and ...
Mahatma Gandhi understood concerns of environment when it was not biggest worries: Indian envoy
Air pollution is one of the biggest killers in India, the country of Mahatma Gandhi who understood the concerns of environment at a time when it was not really the biggest worries that people had, Indian Ambassador to Israel Pavan Kapoor has said. Kapoor on Wednesday joined kindergarten children of Kibbutz Naan (agricultural commune) and other India enthusiasts to plant saplings on the occasion of World Environment Day and to mark the 150th Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. According to experts, there is an urgent need to check air pollution, the theme of the Environment Day this year, as a study claimed it has become a national emergency killing one lakh children under the age of five in India every year. He also dedicated the India-Israel Friendship Grove and unveiled a plaque with quotation with a quotation of the Father of the Nation on the protection of the environment saying, "The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from ...
Documentary on ecological revival at two Karnataka dams screened
Marking the World Environment Day, an environment trust on Wednesday screened a documentary on ecological revival at two dams in Karnataka in order to spread awareness on preserving the natural habitat for native and migratory birds.
India Inc comes up with environment conservation steps
On the Environment Day on Wednesday, Indian corporates joined the bandwagon to take initiatives for environment protection and conservation along with outlining the steps they have taken in that direction so far.
Concession agreement signed for STPs in West Bengal
A concession agreement was signed on Wednesday for the Howrah, Bally and Baranagar and Kamarhati sewage treatment plant (STP) projects under the Centre's Namami Gange initiative, the Jal Shakti Ministry said. The project has been awarded to VA Tech Wabag at a cost of Rs 592 crore. "During the event, a concession agreement was signed for Howrah, Bally and Baranagar and Kamarhati STP projects under Hybrid Annuity based PPP mode for West Bengal," a statement read. These are first set of projects awarded in West Bengal under the concept of 'One City, One Operator' through Hybrid Annuity based PPP mode. The project includes development of three new STPs of total 165 Million Litre Per Day (MLD) capacity -- 65 MLD in Howrah, 40 MLD in Bally and 60 MLD in Baranagar and Kamarhati, respectively. It also includes rehabilitation of existing 22 MLD STP in Bally, laying of 16 kms of sewerage network, rehabilitation of existing pumping stations and associated infrastructure and operation and ...
Tree bank inaugurated on World Environment Day
A tree bank was inaugurated and around 3,000 saplings were planted at different locations of the Jamshedpur steel city on the occasion of the World Environment Day on Wednesday. Divisional Forest Officer (Dalbhum) Dr Abhisekh Kumar inaugurated the tree bank set up by the Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company (Jusco), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Tata Steel. Tata Steel Vice President Chanakya Choudhary and Jusco Managing Director Tarun Daga were also present at the inauguration. Addressing the gathering, Kumar said the tree bank will help to increase the green cover in and around the steel city. The bank has 10,000 saplings of 13 species, including neem, mango, and palm, the Chief Divisional Manager (PHS) of Jusco, Arun Vidyut, said.
Bancha, the first solar kitchen only village in India
Bancha in Betul district is the first village in India to have zero wooden stoves and almost no use for LPG cylinders with all its 75 houses relying on solar-powered stoves to meet their cooking needs, claims social activist Mohan Nagar."There are places in India where solar plates are used sporadically for cooking, but with the help of a team from IIT Mumbai, a special solar stove was developed. No trees are cut by the villagers now for lighting their stoves. The Central government's decision to choose Bancha has changed has set an example which can be replicated to make other villages smoke and pollution free," Nagar told ANI.Nagar who is also a member of the Bharat-Bharti Shiksha Samiti, an NGO spoke about the role played by the team from IIT Mumbai and thanked Union Minister for Petrol and Energy, Dharmendra Pradhan.He said that the project of installing solar power plates, batteries and stoves in all the 74 houses was started in September 2017 and got completed by December ...
Thousands partake in clean Sabarmati drive
As thousands sweated it out, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani here on the World Environment Day on Wednesday launched a massive five-day Sabarmati river clean-up campaign initiated by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
From planting saplings to offering free Tulsi seeds cards, Delhi celebrates World Environment Day
From planting saplings to offering free Tulsi seed cards, political leaders in the national capital Wednesday did their bit to inspire people to work towards ensuring a cleaner and greener city on World Environment Day. Congress's Delhi unit president Sheila Dikshit planted a sapling at her Nizamuddin East residence on the occasion and urged everyone to plant at least one sapling each to increase the tree cover here. She said the Congress's city unit will start an extensive tree plantation drive in the national capital on party president Rahul Gandhi's birthday on June 19. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal appealed to the people to adopt the principle of reuse and recycle. "On this World Environment Day, let's pledge to take measures to reduce air pollution. Let's plant trees, segregate our waste, stop open burning of waste, promote reuse and recycling. Small actions go a long way!" he tweeted. BJP Delhi unit spokesperson Tajinder Bagga announced distribution of one lakh Tulsi seed ...
Tree felling in Tripura: 3 forest officials suspended
The Tripura government has suspended three forest department officers for their alleged failure to stop illegal felling of trees here, a top forest official said on the World Environment Day Wednesday. The three were suspended for dereliction of duty in the illegal felling of 11 trees at Kunjaban government quarter complex area here last month, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Alind Rastogi said. "The Department is trying to make an example out of the Kunjaban tree felling case so that all officers remain cautious," Rastogi told reporters. The three suspended officers are Sadar Sub-Division Range Officer Sujit Chakma, Howrah Beat Officer Bimal Kumar Sharma and Forester Abhijit Acharjee. The High Court of Tripura had also on May 22 directed the state government to submit a comprehensive report on illegal felling of trees at Kunjaban quarter complex. Rastogi said 35,000 to 40,000 saplings were planted as part of celebrating the World Environment Day.
On World Environment Day, school children organise 'UnPlastic Ploggers Run'
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the school going students of Siliguri in association with United Nations Environment Program(UNEP), jointly organised "UnPlastic Ploggers Run" here on Wednesday.More than 300 students were divided into four groups, collected plastic related things from the city and gathered in a single place to make plastic-free city slogans.According to the organisers, they have started the drive against the use of plastic carry bags and other related things."It is found that people use plastic for one time, then throw it on the streets which is very dangerous. So, we want to make people aware that how it is affecting our nature," they said.According to reports, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year.In total, half of all plastic products are designed to be used only once and then thrown away. Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic
Eastern Naval Command celebrates World Environment Day
The World Environment Day was celebrated by various units and establishments under Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam, West Bengal, Odisha and Tamil Nadu with the theme 'Air Pollution' on Wednesday.Environmental protection has been declared as one of the key result areas in Indian Navy and Eastern Naval Command. In order to curb air pollution, the command has instituted various measures to restrict the burning of waste in and around Naval areas, read a statement.In addition, regular plantation drives are conducted on various occasions to ensure naval commitment towards a green and clean environment."In this regard over 10,000 saplings have been planted in the past year by various units under East Naval Command. The headquarters is keeping a close watch on the Ambient Air Quality standards in and around naval units at Visakhapatnam by using portable Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (AAQMS) and any spike in the air pollution is brought to the notice of Pollution Control Board ..
Nepal: Indian Mission marks World Environment Day by planting saplings
The Embassy of India in Nepal on Wednesday marked the World Environment Day by planting saplings within its premises.Manjeev Singh Puri, the Head of Indian Mission in Nepal, led the program organised inside the Embassy premises and was joined by the other mission staffs and students of Kendriya Vidyalaya.More than 300 plant saplings were planted on the occasion, an official from the Indian Embassy informed ANI.The World Environment Day observed on June 5 is marked annually to celebrate the environment that we live in and spread awareness for its conservation.This year, the theme focused on "Take Action to #BeatAirPollution".
World Environment Day: Special drives in many parts of country to check pollution, plant trees
Special drives for tree plantation, cleaning rivers and creating awareness on steps to check pollution were held across the country to mark the World Environment Day on Wednesday. Experts batted for urgent measures to check air pollution, the theme of the Environment Day this year, as a study claimed it has become a national emergency killing one lakh children under the age of five in India every year. In their messages, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that living in harmony with nature will lead to a better future and reaffirmed the commitment to a cleaner and sustainable planet. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar planted saplings at the ministry headquarters here with celebrities like legendary cricketer Kapil Dev and actor Jackie Shroff. The minister also clicked a picture as part of the #SelfieWithSapling campaign he had launched on Tuesday to encourage people's participation to tackle environmental issues. "A small step may lead to a
From planting saplings to offering free Tulsi seeds cards, Delhi celebrates Environment Day
From planting saplings to offering free Tulsi seed cards, political leaders in the national capital Wednesday did their bit to inspire people to work towards ensuring a cleaner and greener city on World Environment Day. Congress's Delhi unit president Sheila Dikshit planted a sapling at her Nizamuddin East residence on the occasion and urged everyone to plant at least one plant each to increase tree cover here. She said the Congress's city unit will start an extensive tree plantation drive in the national capital on the birthday of party president Rahul Gandhi on June 19. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal appealed to the people to adopt the principle of reuse and recycle. "On this World Environment Day, let's pledge to take measures to reduce air pollution. Let's plant trees, segregate our waste, stop open burning of waste, promote reuse and recycling. Small actions go a long way!" he tweeted. BJP Delhi unit spokesperson Tajinder Bagga announced distribution of one lakh Tulsi seed ...
Majority of inspected big drains have not been desilted: BJP MLAs
Delhi BJP MLAs on Wednesday claimed that majority of the big drains inspected by them in trans-Yamuna area have not been desilted as required before the onset of Monsoon. The legislators led by Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta inspected the drains maintained by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and the PWD. "Eighty five percent of the big nallahs that were inspected were not desilted. Their desilting should have been completed by June 15, " he said in a statement. No immediate reaction was available from the department concerned. Gupta said the drains were clogged and causing problems of health and hygiene. "The MLAs willmeet Bhure Lal, the chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, on Thursday to present their inspection report to him," he said. The rainy season is just 10-15 days away and more than 85 percent of the big drains are yet to be desilted, the BJP leader said, asking how the government will ensure cleaning of all big drains in such .
We are not taking air pollution menace seriously: NGT chairman
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, chairman of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), said Wednesday that India is not taking the issue of air pollution seriously. Addressing an event here in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on the occasion of World Environment Day, Goel also said that not a single state in the country is complying with garbage disposal norms. "There are sources which are causing pollution. It may be carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, methane and sulfur oxide. These (gases) are the killers. "Who is creating it? It is created by industrial emissions, burning of crop residue and burning of garbage. Dumps of garbage are mounting," Justice Goel said. "The world is taking it (air pollution) so seriously, we are not. I am very sorry to tell all of you that no state in the whole country is compliant with waste management rules .... We need zero tolerance if air quality deteriorates beyond a point," the NGT chairman added. "This is a serious .