Page 65 - Environment
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 .
1 million saplings planted in Meghalaya on Environment Day
The people of Meghalaya planted 1.5 million saplings the World Environment Day on Wednesday as part of the state's 'one citizen one tree' campaign, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said. The campaign was launched in June last year and the momentum has picked up with specific directions to deputy commissioners, BDOs and government departments to take part in the event, officials said. "Happy to announce that #Meghalaya planted today 1.5 million trees. Thank you citizens and all officials and stakeholders for your pledge and support for #OneCitizenOneTree campaign," Sangma tweeted. This is the beginning and more saplings will be planted, he said. The Chief Minister took a whirlwind tour of the Khasi Hills and planted saplings first at Langkyrdem village and then at Smit and Nongkrem villages. Conrad also interacted with school children and told them about the need to plant more trees and take responsibility to nurture them.
11,000 kg garbage, four dead bodies removed from Mt Everest in two-month long cleanliness drive
A total of 11,000 kg garbage and four dead bodies were removed from the Mount Everest during a two-month long cleanliness drive conducted by the Nepal government on the world's highest mountain. The garbage, which included empty oxygen cylinders, plastic bottles, cans, batteries, food wrappings, faecal matter and kitchen waste, was flown to Kathmandu in army helicopters from the Everest base camp. "Some of the garbage was handed over to the NGO 'Blue Waste to Value', which recycles waste products, during a function in Kathmandu in the presence of Nepal Army chief General Purnachandra Thapa on Wednesday, coinciding with the World Environment Day," Bigyan Dev Pandey, Director at Public Relations Directorate of Nepal Army, told PTI. The ceremony officially concluded the cleaning campaign, which began on April 14, to bring back tonnes of trash from the world's highest peak that has lately turned into a "garbage dump". Of the total 11,000 kg rubbish, 1,000 kg was brought down from the ...
UN: 2 million Somalis could die of starvation amid drought
A United Nations emergency relief coordinator says more than 2 million men, women and children could die of starvation in Somalia by summer's end if international aid is not sent quickly to the drought-stricken African country. UN Undersecretary-General Mark Lowcock says about $700 million is needed after a rainless season that has killed both livestock and crops. He said Tuesday that the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated $45 million to cover food shortages, water and daily necessities in Somalia as well as parts of Kenya and Ethiopia affected by droughts. Of a Somali population of 15 million people, more than 3 million are struggling just to meet minimum food requirements, he said, and the shortages are about 40 percent worse now than this past winter. "What was forecast to be an average rainy season in Somalia is now one of the driest on record in over 35 years," he said. "Communities that were already vulnerable due to past droughts are again facing severe hunger ..
Amarinder calls for 'collective efforts' to protect environment
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday called for "collective efforts" by every citizen to protect the environment from pollution. Speaking at a state-level function to mark the World Environment Day, he also stressed on the need to ensure that industries adhere to the environmental standards to curb pollution. The occassion coincided with the first anniversary of the government's flagship health project, 'Mission Tandarust Punjab', aimed at providing clean drinking water, improving air quality as well as physical and mental health of people in the state. "The government can make policies and implement them, but there must be realisation about the need for personal efforts by one and all," he said. "Stricter observance of environmental norms by industry, is equally important to achieve sustainability goals," he added. He said that this year's World Environment Day coincided with the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, who always advocated environment ...
New research says humans are eating 'thousands' of plastic pieces each year
Microplastics - tiny plastic shards broken down from man-made products such as synthetic clothing, car tyres and contact lenses - are among the most ubiquitous materials on the planet
Second phase of Swachh Bharat soon: Minister
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said that the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission would be launched soon, with the objective of controlling the menace of liquid and solid waste in rural areas.
ITC ties up with Pune city body for plastic waste management
Diversified conglomerate ITC Ltd on Wednesday said it has joined hands with the Pune Municipal Corporation and a waste-pickers cooperative to collect and process multi-layered plastic (MLP) waste in the city. The company has launched the model for sustainable management of MLP waste on an end-to-end basis in partnership with SWaCH and the Pune civic body, an official release said. In the first phase, ITC-SWaCH-PMC will operate one processing facility with a capacity to manage 200 metric tonne of MLP waste per month, providing an opportunity to 3,500 such collectors, it said. These collectors will gather dry and wet waste separately every day, covering 8.1 lakh properties across the city, ITC said. "With the ITC-SWaCH-PMC partnership... We are taking yet another step in building a model which goes beyond segregation of solid waste to addressing one of the acute challenges of managing and recycling of the mounting multi- layered-plastic waste," ITC Projects Head (EHS and ..
NMCG organises events to mark World Environment Day
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on Wednesday organised a day-long convention to discuss ways to protect River Ganga and its tributaries.Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who was present on the occasion, laid emphasis on the conservation of rivers as it provides many resources for the livelihood.In order to increase public participation in Namami Gange program and encourage the youth, the NMCG had organised 'Ganga Quest', a pan India bilingual quiz. In the event, the quiz winners were awarded exciting prizes and certificates distributed by Shekhawat.Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, the Director General of NMCG, further briefed the media about the event and talked about the importance of Ganga rejuvenation."The World Environment Day is a day to commit and dedicate ourselves for improving environment, cleaning and rejuvenating the rivers. Therefore, on behalf of Namami Gange and NMCG, we celebrated this world environment day by ...
Government signs MoU for transfer of land to BMC for zoo
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Wednesday for transfer of land in Aarey Colony for a zoo. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, whose party controls the civic body, and forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar were present on the occasion. With the signing of the memorandum, the government handed over more than 100 acres of land at Arey Colony in suburban Goregaon to the BMC for developing an international- standard zoo, which will be an extension of the existing Byculla Zoo in central Mumbai. Thackeray said it was a proud moment for the city, and mentioned that the MoU was signed on World Environment Day. He also expressed hope that the new municipal commissioner, Praveen Pardeshi, will ensure execution of key projects in the city in a time-bound manner. Mungantiwar said the zoo will have rare animals and will be both entertaining and educating. A senior BMC official said the zoo will have a ...
Pramod Sawant inspects ongoing bridge project in Canacona
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant visited Canacona on Wednesday for the inspection of ongoing three bridge project -- Maxem, Galgibag, and Tolpon, which is expected to be completed by July 20, 2019.Elaborating on the projects which are being undertaken by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Chief Minister said, "the total cost of projects will be approximately around Rs 2.72 crore and it will cover a total area of approximately 7.7 km."He also reviewed the work of projects executed under the NHAI."These three bridges will help to reduce the present distance of 21 Km from Canacona to Maxem by 10 km and will help regulate the smooth movement of traffic by reducing the congestion," he said.Chief Minister further informed that the State government intends to inaugurate the said projects at the hands of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
CSE pushes for use of solar rooftop in residential societies in Gurgaon
Aiming to reduce air pollution in Gurgaon, environment think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Wednesday batted for use of solar rooftop (SRT) in place of generators in residential societies, saying it can be an "excellent non-polluting, cost-effective alternative". On the occasion of World Environment Day, CSE researchers assessed the solar potential in the city in association with the city-based civil action group Gurgaon First. The researchers charted the course for Gurugram's solar-powered future at a meeting conducted with representatives of residents' welfare associations, municipal administration and civil society groups. A press note issued by the CSE said that Gurgaon is a city with numerous residential societies and high-rises that promise 24/7 steady power supply, all with diesel generator (DG) support. "Their impact on air quality has been severe. These DG sets are choking the city with their noxious fumes. The CSE's assessment of the situation shows levels of .
U'khand CM urges people to plant trees, shun polythene
Several tree plantation and cleanliness drives were held in Uttarakhand to mark World Environment Day Wednesday with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat exhorting people to plant more trees and shun polythene. Rawat planted different varieties of "lichi" at his official residence and asked people to preserve the tradition of planting trees on marriages and in memory of their ancestors. The chief minister took part in a cleanliness campaign along the Bindal river near Kargi Chowk and said it was not possible to preserve the environment without people's wholehearted participation. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on cleanliness had sensitised people to the need to conserve the environment like never before. The Chief Minister also highlighted the initiatives taken by his government to revive the Rispana and Bindal rivers in Garhwal and the Kosi river in Kumaon of Uttarakhand. Meanwhile, state Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj and Mussoorie BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi also ...
Rahul calls for making environmental degradation a political issue
On the occasion of World Environment Day on Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over environmental degradation and called for making it a political issue so that it gets the importance it deserves. Taking to Facebook, he said millions of Indians are suffering and even dying as a direct consequence of environmental degradation and the government's "unwillingness" to address these issues on a war footing. "Till we make environmental issues political issues, they won't get the importance they deserve. This World Environment Day, let's get together and commit to doing just that," Gandhi said. The Congress president blamed mankind's "insatiable lust for power and wealth" for speeding up of environmental destruction. He warned that mankind is at the tipping point and if environmental degradation is not reversed now, there may be no turning back. Gandhi said there is now enough scientific evidence to show that much of the degradation caused, particularly in the last .
Rs 500-crore zoo to come up in Mumbai
An ultra-modern zoo of global standards, spread across 100 acres, is expected to come up in the lush green environs in the suburban Goregaon in Maharashtra, officials said here on Wednesday.
System to check particulate air pollution launched
Gujarat on Wednesday launched the world's first emissions trading system for particulate pollution, the single greatest threat to human health globally, officials said.