Page 668 - Environment
R K Singh chairs review meeting with state officials
Power Minister R K Singh today chaired 'review, planning and monitoring (RPM) meeting' of secretaries of states' power/ energy departments to take stock of various programmes like Saubhagya, Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna. Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R K Singh chaired the RPM meeting that was also attended by managing directors of the power utilities here, a power ministry statement said. According to the statement, the meeting discussed work progress under Saubhagya, Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna. This was the first RPM meeting after achieving the 100 per cent village electrification. Singh commended all states for achieving the 100 per cent village electrification and exhorted them to work further for universal household electrification under Saubhagya. The minister assured the states of all possible support in this regard. He also asked the state officials to give suggestions on the ...
Lower incentives for Chinese solar developers to benefit India: Icra
The reduction in incentives for solar energy projects in China will benefit Indian solar independent power producers with softer module prices, Icra Rating said today. The revision in feed-in tariff rates and imposition of installation caps for solar power projects by the Chinese government is expected to negatively affect the demand for solar power modules in China, Icra said in a statement. According to the statement, it has not only imposed a cap of 10 GW for new distributed generation solar power projects based on feed-in tariff in CY2018, against 19 GW installed in 2017, but further has removed the capacity target for utility scale projects and stated that no new utility scale projects should be awarded on feed-in tariff basis. "The policy changes in China are likely to impact the domestic demand for solar PV modules and consequently result in a softening of export prices for Chinese PV module manufacturers. This is likely to result in lower equipment costs for Indian ...
India taking lead in fighting terrorism, climate change: Prez
India is taking lead on critical global issues such as combating terrorism and climate change, President Ram Nath Kovind said today. Addressing a group of officer-trainees of the Indian Foreign Service, he said they are joining the service at an exciting time. "India is expanding its global footprint. We are securing our interests in every part of the world. We are also taking the lead on critical issues affecting global peace, security and progress, be it fighting terrorism, or enhancing efforts to combat climate change," Kovind said. The president said that in today's hyper-connected world, diplomacy has become an essential component of domestic action. "There is an international connect to every aspect of our country's growth and development, be it clean energy, Digital India, Skill India, Make in India, or building high-speed rail networks. As such, economic diplomacy is a priority for us," he said. Kovind said that the job for the Indian Foreign Service officers is clearly laid ..
TN to now give women chickens to raise, sell
The Tamil Nadu government will provide 50 country chickens each free of cost to 38,500 women living in places outside Chennai to raise for eggs and meat, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said on Wednesday.
Hassan defends meet with Karnataka CM over Cauvery
Facing flak from some farmers' leaders for meeting Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy over the Cauvery issue, actor-turned politician Kamal Hassan today defended his initiative saying there was no restriction to work for a noble cause. Speaking to reporters after meeting leaders of some farmers' associations here, the founder of Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) urged farmers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to talk it out to keep "other politicians" at bay. "People are raising questions on my importance. I would say there is no restriction to work for a noble cause.To which political outfit did freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi belong? He used to be at the forefront to fight any issue," Hassan said. On Monday, Hassan had met Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru and discussed the Cauvery issue and pitched for talks to resolve the issue, saying courts were never a solution to the problem of sharing of the inter-state river. Some farmers' leaders yesterday criticised Hassan for advocating ...
Govt nod to Rs 1,948 cr bridge over Ganga
The government today approved a proposal for a 10-km bridge across river Ganga in Allahabad to be built at a cost of Rs 1,948 crore. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The CCEA... approved the project for construction of 9.9 km long new 6-lane bridge across the Ganga on NH 96 at Phaphamau in Allahabad with total capital cost of Rs 1,948.25 crore," a statement from the ministry of road and highways said. The project, expected to be completed by December 2021, will resolve the traffic congestion on the existing 2-lane Phaphamau bridge, it said. It will also ease the rush during Kumbh, Ardh-Kumbh and other rituals at 'sangam' and will boost the pilgrimage tourism and local economy of Allahahad. "The bridge will also be beneficial for the Lucknow / Faizabad bound traffic coming from Madhya Pradesh via NH 27 and NH 76 through Naini Bridge," the statement said. It added that the project will generate direct ..
Nutrient pollution may accelerate ocean acidification
Human activities on land cause nutrient pollution which may accelerate the negative impacts of global ocean acidification on coral reefs.Coral reefs provide critical ecosystem services including food security and shoreline protection to coastal communities. These services largely depend on the highly complex three-dimensional structure of coral reefs.A study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii stated that stressors associated with human-derived carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, such as ocean acidification, are shifting coral reefs towards net loss, which would lead to the loss of the three-dimensional framework in the future."In nutrient-polluted seawater, calcifiers are less able to capitalize on the dissolved compounds that make up the building blocks of coral reefs. Nutrient pollution reduced calcification rates a measure of how quickly reef builders are creating the skeletal framework, nearly tenfold in waters that would otherwise promote reef growth, ...
Daimler CEO to meet German transport minister on Monday
BERLIN (Reuters) - Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche will have a follow-up meeting with German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer next Monday, the ministry and the carmaker said on Wednesday, after they met last week to discuss diesel emissions.
Cabinet approves Rs 8,500-cr bailout package for sugar industry
Days after the BJP lost election in sugarcane belt of UP, the Centre today announced a Rs 8,500 crore package to boost farmers' income by creating a buffer stock for sugar, enhancing ethanol production capacity and fixing a minimum selling price to cut mill losses. The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Rs 4,440 crore soft loan for building ethanol production capacity to absorb the cane and a buffer stock of 3 million tonnes, besides for the first time fixing Rs 29 per kg as the minimum price below which mills cannot sell sweetener. These decisions are aimed at helping mills in clearing part of over Rs 22,000-crore arrears to cane farmers. Sugar mills are incurring losses as prices have fallen below production cost on account of record output of 31.5 million tonnes in the 2017-18 season ending September as against the annual domestic demand of 25 million tonnes. The bailout package has been announced days after the BJP lost Lok Sabha by-poll of Kairana ...
Novel material can remove pollutants from water
Scientists have identified absorbent materials that can help soak up pollutants found in urban waste water in less than 24 hours. Researchers from University of Seville in Spain evaluated two types of phyllosilicates: a highly-charged expandable synthetic mica (Na-Mica-4), and one obtained from cation exchange with an organo-functionalised mica (C18-Mica-4). Phyllosilicates are a subclass of silicates and include common mineral in very different environments. The results show that the material C18-Mica-4 is capable of eliminating the majority of pollutants that were evaluated in urban waste water, as well as surface water and potable water. The study also provides data on the adsorption mechanism and establishes a significant correlation between the physical chemical properties of the selected criteria and emerging pollutants and the adsorption to the material. In total, 18 organic pollutants were studied, among which were industrial pollutants, personal care products, and the ...
Govt approves continuation of off-grid solar PV applications scheme
The government today approved proposal to implement phase-III of off-grid and decentralised solar PV applications programme to have additional 118 MWp (Mega Watt peak) off-grid solar PV capacity by 2020. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs - chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi - has given approval for implementation of off-grid and decentralised solar PV (photo voltaic) application programme phase-III. As many as three lakh solar street lights will be installed throughout the country with special emphasis on areas where there is no facility for street lighting systems through grid power -- North Eastern States and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts-- under the scheme. The solar power plants of individual size up to 25 KWp (kilo Watt peak) will be promoted in areas where grid power has not reached or is not reliable. This component is mainly aimed at providing electricity to schools, hostels, panchayats, police stations and other public service institutions. The ...
Cabinet informed of agreements on sustainable development, space
The Union Cabinet was today apprised of an array of agreements with foreign countries on sustainable and smart urban development, and outer space. The Cabinet was apprised of the memorandum of understanding signed between India and Denmark on technical cooperation in the field of sustainable and smart urban development in April. The objective of the MoU was to promote bilateral cooperation in the field on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit through exchange of knowledge, institutional cooperation, research and development on related issues. The Cabinet was also apprised of an MoU signed between India and the United Kingdom on technical cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development in April. The MoU was aimed at facilitating and strengthening India-UK institutional cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development. The areas of cooperation include smart cities development, solid waste management, green affordable housing, waste water management, capacity ...
New crew blasts off for ISS
A relatively inexperienced crew of two astronauts and a cosmonaut blasted off today from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a five-month mission on the International Space Station. German Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Russian Sergei Prokopyev of Roscosmos shot into the sky in warm, dry conditions at 11:12 GMT for a planned docking at the space station on Friday.
Plastic is children's word of the year: OUP
"Plastic" has been declared the children's word of the year as it is most commonly used by them, indicating that they are aware about the hazards of plastic pollution, according to Oxford University Press. The Oxford University Press analysed short stories submitted to BBC Radio 2's 500 Words competition. Plastic, the ocean, Emmeline Pankhurst, Donald Trump, Brexit, Korea, Grenfell Tower, unicorns, slime and computer game Fortnite are some of the people and subjects that influence British children's creativity and use of language, says a report published today by Oxford University Press (OUP). Plastic is the Oxford Children's Word of the Year because of its significant increase in use in the competition (a total rise of more than 100 per cent on the 2017 competition). Children use plastic in their stories in an emotive way to convey their understanding of the damage pollution is causing to marine life, drawing on their creativity and imagination to deliver powerful descriptive imagery
Cabinet okays six-lane bridge in Allahabad
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved construction of a six lane, 9.9 km-long bridge across river Ganga on National Highway 96 at Phaphamau in Allahabad at a cost of Rs 1,948.25 crore.
'Kaala' film release issue will be resolved: Actor Vivek
Tamil actor Vivek today expressed hope that the issue pertaining to the release of Rajinikanth-starrer 'Kaala' in Karnataka would be resolved as has been the case with other films in the past. In the past, many films had faced similar problems and they all were solved. Likewise with regard to Kaala, the problems would see a solution, Vivek told reporters on the sidelines of a programme on planting saplings at a private college here. To a question on the ban on plastics in Tamil Nadu from next year, Vivek, who is also the founder of 'Green Kalam,' an initiative of late president A P J Abdul Kalam, said the announcement was welcome, as such a ban would reduce environmental and soil pollution. Stating that he had started the saplings planting programme in 2010 on the advice of Kalam, Vivek said so far 28.18 lakh saplings had been planted out of the targeted one crore. There was great awareness among the youth and students on the programme, as green cover would be ...
Food park: UP CM reaches out to Patanjali
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today directed officials to expedite the process for Patanjali Ayurved to set up its Rs 6,000-crore food park, after the company said it was pulling out from the project due to non-cooperation from the state government. "The formalities will be completed soon," UP Infrastructure and Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana said. Earlier, a government spokesman clarified that the project has not been cancelled and Adityanath spoke to Acharya Balkrishna, managing director of the firm promoted by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev. "The chief minister has talked to Acharya Balkrishna and heard his grievances. There is no cancellation yet. They have been allotted land and the project is to commence, Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI. He said the chief minister has directed officials to expedite the process. Industrial Development Minister Mahana said, We will not let Patanjali go from the state. Our CM has talked to Patanjali. .
Pollution level in major cities in Goa above normal: Govt
Pollution levels in major cities in Goa have exceeded permissible limits with the port town of Vasco emerging as the most polluted city in the coastal state known for beach tourism, as per a state government survey. In its annual report 2017-18, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has underlined that pollution levels in cities like Panaji, Ponda, Mapusa, and Margaon are higher than the permissible limits. The report was made public yesterday on the occasion of World Environment Day. As per a study conducted by the GSPCB, levels of PM10(particulate matter of 10 microns diameter) and PM2.5 are found to be much above the permissible limits in these cities. Goa, known for its picturesque beaches and often called as the beach capital of India, consists of two districts--South Goa and North Goa. The state shares common border with Maharashtra and Karnataka. PM or Particulate Matter is microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in Earth's atmosphere. PM impacts ...
HCC bags Rs 737 cr contract for Bangladesh nuclear power plant
Hindustan Construction Co (HCC) today announced that its JV with MAX Group has won a Rs 737 crore contract from Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. The contract includes civil works of Turbine Island for Unit 1 of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). "HCC, in a joint venture with MAX Group, a construction company in Bangladesh has been awarded USD 110 million (Rs 737 crore) contract by Russia's State Nuclear Company, JSC Atomstroyexport," HCC said in a statement. HCC's share in the JV is 40 per cent (USD 44 million/Rs 295 crore), the statement said. The Rooppur NPP will be built with Russian technology and is equipped with two VVER reactors of 1,200 MW each. These reactors are similar to the Kudankulam NPP in Tamil Nadu. HCC has become the first Indian company to participate in the international civil nuclear market. We look forward to further project awards in Rooppur NPP and expanding our infrastructure footprint in Bangladesh,"Arjun Dhawan, Director and Group CEO, HCC ...
'Why can't action against CFCs be replicated against plastics?' (Comment)
It may be true that the world is drowning in plastics. However, in the last few weeks, we are submerged more in statistics than in plastics.
