Page 681 - Environment
Telangana CM pushes for mechanisation in farming
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today favoured promotion of farm mechanisation and setting up food processing units in the state. The Agriculture Extension Officers (AEO) should play a key role in promoting farm mechanisation and establishing crop colonies and food processing units, he said. Rao, who held a meeting with officials, said the AEOs (appointed for a cluster of 5,000 acres) should have detailed information on all the farmers in their respective cluster. The information on all the clusters should be available with the Agriculture Minister, Rao said,according to a release from his office. The Chief Minister will have a meeting with AEOs, district agriculture officers and others in Hyderabad on June 4 to discuss different issues concerning agriculture. The AEOs should educate the farmers in his cluster on the cropping pattern and about the best crop that suits the soil etc. The AEO should also coordinate the marketing facility on the farmers produce .
Kerala fisheries sector hurt by juvenile fishing
Kerala's fisheries sector is suffering huge economic loss owing to uncontrolled juvenile fishing, according to a study done by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which was presented here on Saturday.
Farmers continue protest, Amarinder flays Centre
Farmers continued their protests against the policies of the Central government towards them and dumped agriculture produce and milk on the roads at several places in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday.
Agri production rose during NDA regime: Radha Mohan Singh
Production and productivity in agricultural sector have increased during the four years of NDA rule at the Centre, compared to the UPA regime, Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. The NDA government has also given push to policy reforms in the sector, the Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister said. "In the four years of the (Narendra) Modi government, the average foodgrain production has increased to 280 million tonnes in 2017-18 from the average foodgrain production of 255 million tonnes during 2010-2014" when the Congress led UPA was in power, he said here. Singh, a BJP leader from Bihar, was talking to reporters on various schemes, projects and achievements of his ministry in the four years of the NDA government. He said the central government has come out with farmers' welfare schemes, which lay emphasis on increasing their income, instead of focusing only on production. "That's why government is stressing on production of horticulture, fisheries, dairy etc," ..
Uncontrolled juvenile fishing in Ker has led to huge economic
The Kerala's fisheries sector has suffered a huge economic loss owing to uncontrolled juvenile fishing, according to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). Juvenile fish start as eggs which hatch into larvae. When they develop to a stage where they can feed themselves, the fish are called fry. A CMFRI study report says the most caught juveniles last year were threadfin breams that caused a loss of Rs 221 crore to the fisheries sector. The report was prepared as part of CMFRI's research project for developing fisheries management plan for the fisheries sector of Kerala. Apart from the loss to the economy, juvenile fishing also badly affects the biological factors of the fish ecosystem, it said. The unscientific practice leads to disruption in recruitment and spawning stock biomass of the fish, the report said.
Whale dies in Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags
A whale has died in southern Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags, officials said, ending an attempted rescue that failed to nurse the mammal back to health. Thailand is one of the world's largest consumers of plastic bags, which kill hundreds of marine creatures living near the country's popular beaches each year. The small male pilot whale became the latest victim after it was found barely alive in a canal near the border with Malaysia, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources said on their Facebook page today. A veterinary team tried "to help stabilise its illness but finally the whale died" yesterday afternoon, the post said. An autopsy revealed 80 plastic bags weighing up to eight kilograms (18 pounds) in the creature's stomach, the department added. Photos accompanying the post showed a group of people using buoys to keep the whale afloat after it was first spotted on Monday and an umbrella to shield it from the scorching sun. The whale vomited up five bags .
Odisha seeks to stop Polavaram construction work
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday requested the union government to immediately stop construction work on the Polavaram irrigation project till the issues pertaining to the state are resolved.
Kozhikode schools, colleges to remain closed till June 12
In the wake of the Nipah Virus outbreak in parts of Kerala, schools, colleges, and other educational institutions in Kozhikode will remain shut till June 12.Moreover, aforementioned institutions in Wayanad, Kannur, and Malappuram districts would remain closed till June 5, as opposed to the initial reopening on June 1.However, schools and colleges in other districts have reopened on Thursday after summer vacations.Nipah Virus has claimed 16 lives in Kerala since traces of the virus were first reported from Kozhikode towards the end of May.Earlier, the Kerala state health department had issued an advisory for people travelling to the state, urging them to be extra cautious while visiting Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts.A similar note of caution was also issued by the Himachal Pradesh health ministry after more than 18 dead bats were discovered in the premises of a government school in Nahan.For those unversed, Nipah virus, spread by fruit bats, causes communicable ...
China successfully launches new earth observation satellite
China today successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite which will be mainly used in agricultural resources research and disaster monitoring, official media reported. The Gaofen-6 satellite was launched on a Long March-2D rocket at 12:13 PM (local time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. A scientific experiment satellite named Luojia-1 was sent into space at the same time. It was the 276th mission of the Long March rocket series, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Andhra govt introduces scale-out scheme for natural farming
The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday launched a Zero Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) scale-out scheme, aimed at benefitting around six million farmers by 2024.The formal announcement of the scheme was made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.The state agriculture department also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard, with the Sustainable India Finance Facility (SIFF), an initiative with the partnership of the United Nations Environment Program, the World Agroforestry Center, and the BNP Paribas.The agreement aims at scaling up the ZBNF against investment worth Rs. 16,134 crores over the next six years.As of 2017-18, around 1, 63,034 farmers are practicing ZBNF in Andhra Pradesh. However, the government here aims to bring all farmers in the state under the scheme by 2024.Meanwhile, the SIFF will extend financial and investment support to the farmers.
India, EU pledge to plog for plastic-free Delhi
They jogged around India Gate and kept picking up litter around the iconic monument to make a pledge for a clean and plastic free Delhi by "plogging" -- a Swedish fitness trend that combines running with collecting garbage.
NASA selects mission to study cosmic rays in heliosphere
NASA is targeting 2024 for the launch of a new mission to learn more about the generation of cosmic rays in the heliosphere, a sort of magnetic bubble surrounding and protecting our solar system.
Naveen urges Centre to stop construction of Polavaram Project
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today demanded immediate stoppage of construction work of Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh till issues pertaining to Odisha are resolved. "If the project is completed before resolution of all the pending issues it will lead to a situation which will permanently affect a large number of tribal people in Odisha," Patnaik said in a letter to Union Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Harsh Vardhan. Patnaik said he had sent two letters to the prime minister last year mentioning that the environment ministry had kept the "Stop Work Order" in abeyance from time to time without informing Odisdha which would be severely affected due to construction of the Polavaram project. Construction of the Polavaram project is in violation of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT), and it is being constructed without correctly assessing the backwater extent in Sabari and Sileru limbs in Odisha, the chief minister said in the letter ...
Goa government working on contract farming law
The Goa government is considering bringing a legislation to facilitate contract farming in the state, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai has said. The move will allow corporates, individuals or institutions to tie-up with farmers and cultivate their land, he said. Last month, the Centre unveiled a model law on contract farming and services not only in agriculture crops but also in livestock, dairy and poultry products. The law is aimed at ensuring better price to farmers. The Goa legislation will be on the lines of the Central law, Sardesai said. The process of giving a final shape to the legislation has been initiated in association with the revenue department, the minister said. "The legislation will provide security of land to farmers, while it will also enable corporates or individuals to invest in farming. The basic idea is to get barren lands in the state under cultivation," Sardesai told PTI. The law will allow farmers to share risks associated with agriculture ..
The impact of climate change on our lives
Dehradun [Uttarakhand], June 2 (ANI): A nine-year-old boy is playing in his courtyard. The rays of the rising sun are falling in front of the Himalayas, and the boy is admiring the changing colour of the Himalayas, and is thrilled by it, as for him its meditation.Right now, it was shining like silver, now it turns red, the boy is saying, hey, it has started to become yellow now. He drowns in the imagination, and then the next moment reality surfaces.The boy is playing with his dreams when suddenly a man-eating leopard takes him away. His shoes fall away, the clothes are torn, the head collides with the wall and a painful scream is heard. The scream of the boy is heard all over.People run behind the leopard, start searching for the boy and recover his body late at night. People gather around the mourning family and say it is not even safe now to sit in the courtyard and chat. Some very softly say that it is not even the fault of the man-eater and that there must have been some reason ..
Kerala govt gears up to prevent spread of Nipah virus
Kerala Health Minister K. K. Shailaja on Friday said that her department is fully geared to prevent the Nipah virus from spreading."We are getting ready to tackle the second phase as there are chances that the virus has spread as it is contagious," the state health minister said.She also stated that her department is ensuring the safety of the hospital staff."We have imported materials to keep our hospital staff safe and we are even training them," she added.So far, the Nipah scare has claimed 16 lives in Kerala.The scare, created by the occurrence of the virus, has also affected the tourism in the state.However, locals and tourists believe that the situation has been falsely portrayed by the media.News of the presence of the virus was first reported from Kozhikode earlier this week, and now, at least 16 deaths have been confirmed to have taken place due to the "rare and deadly" virus.As the death toll is rising each day, a wave of panic has gripped the state, since the infection ...
Power demand in Delhi breaks record, touches 6,651 MW
The peak power demand in the national capital broke all previous records on Friday by touching 6,651 MW.Last summers, it was 6,526 megawatt, highest ever-recorded in Delhi.Peak power demand in BSES Rajdhani Power Limited- BRPL' area of South and West Delhi, which had reached 2745 megawatt during the summers of 2017, is expected to cross 2880 megawatt this year.In BSES Yamuna Power Limited- BYPL' area of East and Central Delhi, the peak power demand, which had reached 1469 megawatt last year, is expected to touch around 1670 megawatt.Arrangements have been firmed up by BRPL and BYPL to source adequate electricity to meet the power demand of their around 40 lakhs consumers.These arrangements include long-term power purchase agreements and banking arrangements with other states including Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and BhutanBSES discoms will get up to 665 MW of power through banking arrangements.Additionally, around 150 MW from Himachal Pradesh ...
Centre making efforts to takle increase in petrol, diesel prices: Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the Centre is making efforts to find long-term solutions to tackle the increase in petrol and diesel prices and suggested that India should move to "alternative" fuels. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing a press conference here to highlight the Modi government's achievements in the last four years. The government is making efforts to find long-term solutions to tackle the fuel price hike issue, he said when asked about the soaring prices of petrol and diesel. "We have already stopped the subsidy on petrol and diesel, and we are giving LPG connections to 8 crore people. "We could give the LPG connections to so many people because we stopped the subsidy on petrol and diesel," Gadkari said. Pitching for alternative fuel such as ethanol, methanol, bio-diesel, bio-CNG and electric, to address the fuel price hike issue, he said, "India is importing petrol and diesel worth Rs 8 lakh crore and long-term efforts are being ..
Punjab, Haryana farmers join protest; dump produce, milk
Farmers in agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana on Friday joined the 10-day protest call given by various farmer organisations in different states, dumping their produce, milk and other food items on the roads.
Pope to address oil majors in Vatican climate conference
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican will host executives of the world's top oil companies for a conference next week on climate change and the transition away from fossil fuels, a Vatican source said on Friday.
