Page 646 - Environment

No trekking in Govind Sanctuary till Aug 31

Trekking expeditions will not be allowed in the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park area in Uttarkashi district till August 31, a decision which comes after the death of two persons in the area. Deputy Director of the Sanctuary R P Mishra said the park administration has taken the decision in view of the safety of tourists and trekkers as the weather in the high altitude areas becomes unpredictable during this period. No permission for trekking to Borasu, Rupin and Wali passes besides, Ruinasar and Devkyara will be granted till August 31, he said. A trekker from Maharashtra and a porter were killed recently in the course of separate expeditions in the park area. While the trekker from Maharashtrawas killed near Borasu pass in the course of an expeditionfrom Har-ki Doon valley in the park area to Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh, a porter accompanying a team of trekkers from West Bengal died after slipping off a hillock along Yamunotri trek just a day later. The sanctuary protects ..

Explosive volcanoes spawned mysterious Mars rock formations

A mysterious rock formation on Mars may have been caused by explosive volcanic eruptions that shot jets of hot ash, rock and gas skyward, a study has found. The finding, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, could add to scientists' understanding of Mars's interior and its past potential for habitability, The Medusae Fossae Formation is a massive, unusual deposit of soft rock near Mars's equator, with undulating hills and abrupt mesas. Scientists first observed the Medusae Fossae with NASA's Mariner spacecraft in the 1960s but were perplexed as to how it formed. Researchers suggest that the formation was deposited during explosive volcanic eruptions on the red planet more than 3 billion years ago. The formation is about one-fifth as large as the continental US and 100 times more massive than the largest explosive volcanic deposit on Earth, making it the largest known explosive volcanic deposit in the solar system, researchers said. "This is a massive deposit, not

Monsoon is both a pollution pump and a cleanser, says study

Like Janus, the Greek god, the Indian monsoon has two faces, according to a report by researchers from Germany in the journal "Science".

Renewable energy-based desalination could resolve India's perennial water woes (Comment)

The ever-increasing demand for potable water is exerting tremendous stress on our existing consumable water resources. Water covers a little over 70 per cent of the earths surface, and by this we erroneously presume that there is adequate potable water. Realistically, only 3 per cent of this water is potable.

Indian plant seed could bring clean water to millions

Proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant - a tree native to India - can help effectively purify water in developing nations at a low cost, say scientists. The plant - commonly known as the drumstick tree - is cultivated for food and natural oils, and the seeds are already used for a type of rudimentary water purification. However, this traditional means of purification leaves behind high amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the seeds, allowing bacteria to regrow after just 24 hours. This leaves only a short window in which the water is drinkable. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in the US used sand and plant materials to create a cheap and effective water filtration medium, termed "f-sand." F-sand was created by extracting the seed proteins from the Moringa oleifera plant, and adhering them to the surface of silica particles, the principal component of sand. It kills microorganisms and reduces turbidity, adhering to particulate and organic matter. These ...

Mansarovar pilgrims airlifted to Gunji to avoid weather related risks

A 57-member second batch of Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrims was airlifted early today by IAF helicopters from Naini Saini airstrip here to Gunji base camp to avoid weather related risks along the treacherous trek route. Four IAF choppers ferried the 57 pilgrims to Gunji at around 7 AM this morning, Pithoragarh District Magistrate C Ravishankar said. Though the trek route from Lakhanpur to Gunji is alright, pilgrims were airlifted to avoid weather related risks and also because it would save them some time which they could use to enjoy the homestay facilities at Nabhi and other high altitude villages, he said. It is a hard 18-km steep trek from Lakhanpur to Gunji. The second batch of pilgrims had reached Pithoragarh Tourist Rest Centre of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), the nodal agency for the Yatra via Almora last evening, the official said. "The airlift is meant to facilitate home stay for pilgrims in high altitude villages on the route and avoid hard trek for the pilgrims" said KMVN .

Dispersal ability may be linked to plants' life cycles

Plants have a number of innovative ways to disperse their seeds and get on with the business of propagation, finds a study."Seed dispersal is an essential, yet overlooked process of plant demography, but it's difficult to empirically observe, measure and assess its full influence," said Utah State University (USU) ecologist Noelle Beckman.Beckman, with his colleagues, used the massive COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database, an online repository containing demographic information about thousands of plant species throughout the world, to analyze hundreds of disparate datasets of plant life-history strategies."Our analyses revealed plant life-history strategies are largely explained by growth, survival and reproduction, and by how far plants disperse their seeds," said Beckman.The scientists found dispersal ability is related to fast life histories with maximum dispersal distances positively related to high reproductive rates, a long window of reproduction and a low likelihood of escaping ...

MP's borewells go dry, villagers forced to walk kilometres for water

As mercury continue to witness a rise in several parts of India; the people of Madhya Pradesh's Satna district have been facing acute shortage of water.Despite the presence of borewells in the area, villagers here are forced to walk almost three kilometres everyday to collect ground water for their basic needs.The temperature hits at least 42 degrees Celsius during the day which has caused borewell water to dry up.According to the locals in Satna's Ramnagar Khokhla,Tikuri Tola, Padmania and Dabri villages, many deaths occur every year as a result of this polluted water and only paperwork is provided in the name of water tankers by officials."We walk more than 2 kilometres daily only to fetch water which is polluted," said a local.There is no administrative facility provided to the villagers who comprise of an approximate population of eighteen thousand.Sub-divisonal magistrate, Satna said, "We have placed 2 water tankers of 5000 and 2000 litres here. Hand pups will also be installed ..

Raje seeks national status for Rajasthan canal project

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday asked the Central government to consider special additional budgetary support challenge to the state to meet the challenge of safe drinking water availability, while seeking national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

JK Guv inaugurates 9th Annual Contemporary Art Show-Concourse

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today inaugurated an eight-day mega exhibition '9th Annual Contemporary Art Show-Concourse' here in which 60 Kashmiri artists from across the world have come together for the first time in 66 years, an official spokesperson said. The exhibition has been curated by artists Veer Mushi and Syed Mujtaba Rizvi, he said. The spokesperson said Minister for Culture Naeem Akhtar was present on the occasion. Welcoming the artists to the Valley, the governor congratulated Munshi and Rizvi for organising the exhibition which is particularly significant as it seeks to revive artistic traditions of the Valley after a gap of several decades, he said. The spokesperson said Vohra recalled that during his visits to the Valley in the earlier years, he had the opportunity of meeting many eminent artists, sculptors and painters, locals and outsiders who were frequently visiting Kashmir to seek inspiration from its people and enchanting scenic beauty. The governor noted

Campaign for destruction of opium, poppy & cannabis to be launched in HP

A comprehensive campaign for destruction of poppy, opium and cannabis crops would be launched in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu, Manali, Mandi and Shimla by the end of this month, a senior official said. A campaign against cultivation of poppy, opium and cannabis (charas) was launched in these districts on April 15 and the crops has started sprouting and the second phase of the campaign would focus on destruction in the remote areas where cultivation could not be stopped or checked. Himachal Pradesh has turned into a major attraction for foreign tourists butsadly, the tourist influx reveals a deadly narcotic nexus andincreasing number of locals are falling prey of drug business and addiction and the campaign is being launched to eradicate this menace, Director General of Police (DGP) Sitaram Mardi said. The narcotics trade is assuming a horrific shape in Kullu where a large numbers of tourists, mostly Israelis, pour in every year which has inspired the local farmers to clandestinely ...

Govt sets up panel to study feasibility to set up integrated

: The Telangana government today constituted a committee to study the feasibility of setting up an integrated steel plant in Bayyaram in the state. "The state government is committed to establish the steel factory at Bayyaram and will extend necessary support in this regard," Minister for Industries, IT, Mines and Geology K T Rama Rao said after attending a high-level meeting here along with Energy Minister G Jagadeeshwar Reddy. As per the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Centre shall take all necessary measures for establishment of an integrated steel plant in the state, the Minister said. However, in the past four years the Centre has not taken any decision on the issue, he added. Even if the Central government does not come forward to set up the plant, the Telangana government will go ahead and do so, Rao said. The Committe consists of officials from various departments including industry, energy and mines, Telangana State Mineral Development ...

Delhi's air quality improves; pollution level comes down to 'moderate to poor' category

Delhi's air quality improved today due to dispersion of pollutants and rapidly decreased the pollution level to 'moderate to poor' category from the 'severe plus' for the first time in six days, monitoring agencies said. According to the data by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the PM10 level (presence of particles with diameter less than 10 mm) was recorded at 339 in Delhi-NCR and 343 in Delhi today. The pollution level that dipped to 'severe plus' state on Tuesday came down to 'moderate to poor' category today due to rapid dispersion of pollutants, the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research institute (SAFAR) said. The dispersion of pollutants has become faster after the local winds picked up speed, which in turn has rapidly decreased the pollution level and improved air quality, said Gufran Beig, a scientist at the SAFAR, adding that the air quality is expected to improve further. The PM10 level had climbed to 778 in Delhi-NCR area and 824 in ...

Bodies of 3 youths recovered from Pawar river

The bodies of three youths, who had drowned in Pawar river on Friday, were fished out from the river today, an official said. The victims were identified as Surendra, Manjit and Govind who hailed from different villages in Himachal Pradesh, Mori police station in-charge Dipak Kumar said. The three youths went missing after they slipped into deep water while taking bath in the river on Friday, he said. Two bodies were fished out from the river last evening while one was recovered today, he said. A pick-up vehicle parked on the bank of the river besides cash worth Rs 20,000 had also been recovered, Kumar said.

Meghalaya CM banishes plastic from his office under 'Beat Plastic' drive

Admitting increasing plastic consumption is a rising threat to his state, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said he had personally quit using plastic as well as barring it from his office.

Karnataka seeks 50% central aid for farm loan waiver

Flagging the agrarian crisis gripping the country, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday urged the Central government to bear 50 per cent of the farm loans the state government plans to waive soon.

How dry riverbeds contribute to climate change

Dry riverbeds are contributing more carbon emissions than previously thought, says a study that could help scientists better understand how to fight climate change.

Telangana CM pitches for tax incentives to fast-growing states

: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today pitched for tax incentives to fast-growing states and stressed on transfer of various subjects from the Centre to the states. In his remarks at the fourth meeting of the Niti Aayog Governing Council in New Delhi, Rao, also sought "removal of rigidness" of certain centrally-sponsored schemes that curtail the initiatives of the state government. According to an official release here, Rao, who shared at the meeting some of the initiatives taken up by his government said, "I would like to mention that the growth of India lies in the growth of its states. Therefore the fast-growing states must be encouraged by tax incentives, if not by additional transfers from central funds." "Further, we need to focus on agriculture and allied activities as an integrated sector and dairy, poultry, goat and sheep rearing, and fisheries should also be exempted from income tax," he said. As a part of the initiatives for doubling the income .

C'garh forest land deed issuance possibly leading to elephant

Three people were killed in elephant attacks in the last 48 hours in Chhattisgarh's Korba district and a probe report stated that the distribution of "vanadhikar patta" (forest land deeds) to people was possibly leading to these human-elephant conflicts. Forest officials said that Sukhmat Bai Yadav (70) was killed today morning after an elephant attacked her in Nawapara forest, part of the Katghora forest division, in Bagbuda village in the district. Earlier, Ramcharan Rathiya (75) was killed yesterday night by an elephant in Sakdukala village in Kartala forest range in Korba district, Sub Divisional Officer (south Korba forest sub division) Manish Kashyap said today. Another villager from Sakdukala village, Nevratin Bai (78), was tramped to death by an elephant yesterday morning when she had gone to collect forest produce. Local forest officials said that five people had been killed in elephants attacks in the region in the past one month. A probe report submitted by ...

APD launches website for waste management

A unique website dedicated to waste segregation, recycleindia.org, has been launched by the city-based Anti-Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation. APD founder Abdullah A Rehman said in a release that recycleindia.org was developed after the foundation received an award from the UN-Habitat and Narotam Sekharia Foundation, Mumbai, for its work in the last two years. It was based on APD's experience gained in the last two years in aggressively undertaking awareness and behavioural change programmes on waste segregation in the city, collaborating with Antony Waste Handling Cell for the Mangaluru City Corporation. "Mangaluru has been ranked as the best city in solid waste management under the Swacch Survekshan initiative of the central government.But in terms of waste segregation, we have hardly reached any milestone and we have much to do in the segment. We have undertaken this major initiative to launch a comprehensive website for providing the correct information to the public