Page 684 - Environment
Pb govt mulling to deploy drones at toll plazas to monitor traffic
The Punjab government is mulling to deploy drones at all toll plazas in the state to help authorities monitor traffic and take swift action to ease vehicular movement. "In its bid to monitor traffic snarl at toll plazas and to take quick action to ease vehicle flow, the public works department (PWD) will put drones for video surveillance and real-time mapping of congestion at all major toll plazas," Punjab PWD Minister Vijay Inder Singla said in a statement today. Technically, a tollgate system's efficiency is measured through the queue length and waiting time of vehicles. The queue build up is a result of the gap in vehicle clearance vis-a-vis total arrivals at the toll per unit of time, according to an official release. It swells exponentially in peak hours. So, despite better roads, toll plazas only end up slowing traffic, it said. Hence, deployment of drones is being considered to streamline the vehicular flow, the minister said. The attempt is to save time to stop the cascading ..
South Africa battling African swine fever outbreak
South Africa is fighting an outbreak of African swine fever, a highly contagious disease that causes fatal haemorrhages in pigs, the government said today. "An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been reported in the Northern Cape province in the Springbok area after movement of pigs from the Kimberley area," said the country's agriculture ministry in a statement. The disease does not affect humans. "Pigs become sick at a rapid pace and the disease can result in a great number of... deaths of pigs in a short span of time. Severe cases of the disease are characterised by high fever where pigs die quickly within two to ten days," the ministry added. The disease is transmitted through contact with other infected pigs or ticks as well as by feeding pigs infected kitchen waste. There are no estimates about how many pigs have been infected. The ministry called on farmers to be vigilant when buying pigs and to avoid feeding the animals un-boiled kitchen waste which could carry the ASF .
Sterlite row: Tamil Nadu govt files caveat in SC
The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday filed a caveat before the Supreme Court in connection with the closure of the Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi.The filing of a caveat means that the apex court cannot pass any order without hearing the side which had filed the same (Tamil Nadu government).Many social activists have been knocking the doors of the top court regarding arsenic and cadmium poisoning in the groundwater table in Thoothukudi due to the Sterlite plant's activities.Local fishermen have also demanded the closure of Sterlite Industries, alleging that chemical effluents from the industry have affected the rivers and ponds nearby, because of which their production has declined.Agitations against Sterlite industries have been going on for months now, with people demanding a ban on it due to the various environmental threats it posed.The protests took a violent turn on May 22 when police opened fire on the protesters, which resulted in the death of 13 people and injuring 102.
Rice prices in India up as buyers cash in on recent dip; Bangladesh to axe deal
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export rates in India rose this week from a one-year low hit last week as weaker prices attracted buyers from Africa, while Bangladesh said it would cancel a deal with the top exporter due to shipment delays.
Rainfall forecast for the next 24 hours
Rainfall forecast for the next 24 hours at: East: Most places: Nagaland-Manipur Mizoram-Tripura; a few places: Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, isolated places: Assam and Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Jharkhand, Bihar. dry weather: Gangetic West Bengal North: Isolated places: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan. dry weather: Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir. Central: A few places: Chhattisgarh, Isolated places: Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha. Peninsula: Many places: coastal Karnataka, Kerala, a few places: south interior Karnataka, isolated places: Konkan and Goa, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, north interior Karnataka. dry weather: Gujarat State, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, coastal Andhra Pradesh. Islands: Most places: Andaman and Nicobar, many places: Lakshadweep. Temperatures recorded in four metropolitan centres were: Kolkata Max 36.0(0.7) dc min 30.0(2.9) New Delhi Max 42.0(1.5) dc min 29.4(1.8) Chennai Max 40.6(1.9) dc min .
Vikram Solar commissions 10 MW solar project in Itarsi
Vikram Solar today said it has commissioned a 10 MW solar power project for Bharat Electronics Limited at the ordnance factory in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh. This is a captive power plant, and the power generated through this will be used by Ordnance Factory Itarsi. Apart from installation, Vikram Solar will also provide operations and maintenance (O&M) service to the plant for a period of 10 years from the date of commissioning, the company said in a statement. "The large expanse of black soil in the area posed a challenging environment to work during the monsoon. We understand that no project is without its set of challenges and our team constantly strives to overcome these hurdles by exercising superior operational practices in the field along with robust planning and execution capabilities," Rohit Dhar, Director of Sales-EPC, Vikram Solar, said. It is a 10 MW plant project and has 35,360 modules powering the whole unit. Vikram Solar has 750 MW (commissioned + under execution) EPC .
1.5 lakh affordable houses sanctioned for urban poor under PMAY(urban)
Andhra Pradesh has been sanctioned 56,512 houses in 22 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.3,184cr with central assistance of Rs.848 cr. Uttar Pradesh got 23,060 houses in 110 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.870cr and central assistance of Rs.346 cr. Madhya Pradesh has been sanctioned 17,920 affordable houses in 32 cities with an investment of Rs.730cr and central assistance of Rs.269 cr. Jharkhandh as been sanctioned 14,526 houses in 26 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.1,075cr with central assistance of Rs.209 cr. Maharashtra has been sanctioned 13,506 houses in 15 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.643cr with central assistance of Rs.201 cr. Chattisgarh got 7,615 houses in 61 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.234cr and central assistance of Rs.114 cr. Rajasthan has been sanctioned 6,576 affordable houses in 30 cities with an investment of Rs.285cr and central assistance of Rs.99 cr. Odisha has been sanctioned 4,849 houses in 20 cities and
NGT notice to AAP govt on plea for action against jhuggi dwellers
A former legislator has moved the National Green Tribunal alleging that "illegal" residents of a slum were causing air pollution and seeking action against them. The plea prompted the green panel to seek responses from the Delhi government and others on the matter. A bench, headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim, issued notices to the AAP government, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, District Magistrate (East) and unnamed persons living in slums of Dallupura village in east Delhi, asking them to file reply by July 13. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by former AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny alleging that persons living in the jhuggi cluster were burning wires to extract copper during the midnight hours leading to air pollution. "During the intervening night of May 23 to 24, their activities led to an accidental fire resulting in a huge loss and damage to the property and degradation of environment resulting in air pollution," the plea said. The plea has sought ...
India, World Bank sign $500 mn loan pact for rural roads
India signed a USD 500 million (Rs 3,371 crore) loan pact with World Bank today to provide additional financing for PMGSY rural road projects. The loan has a 3-year grace period, and a maturity of 10 years, the finance Ministry said in a release. It will provide additional financing for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project "which will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies", the release said. The World Bank has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004. So far it has invested over USD 1.8 billion in loans and credits mostly in the economically weaker and hill states across North India -- Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. It has built and improved about 35,000 km of rural roads and benefited about eight million people with access to all-weather roads. The release further said that adequate maintenance of the existing 4.6 million km
Snake rescued in Agra, released in wild
The presence of a snake at the water treatment plant here led to temporary disruption of its operations, following which the reptile was caught and later released into the wild.
With normal monsoon forecast, soybean cultivation expected to
With a forecast of normal monsoon, the Soybean Processors Association of India today predicted 14 per cent increase in soybean cultivation area in the country. "During the coming kharif season, soybean will be sown on 120 lakh hectares in the country, against 105 lakh hectares last year," SOPA chairman Davish Jain told PTI. With the Met department forecasting a normal monsoon, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, which are chief producers of the crop, would see increased soybean cultivation, he said. These two states produce nearly 80 per cent of the country's soybean crop. In the last four Kharif seasons, farmers in these two states were seen favouring crops such as Tuar, Moong and Urad, as soybean prices were not attractive.
Indian govt, World Bank sign USD 500 Mn additional financing for PMGSY Rural Roads Project
The Indian government and the World Bank on Thursday signed a USD 500 million loan agreement to provide additional financing for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project, implemented by Ministry of Rural Development.The PMGSY will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies.The World Bank has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004.So far it has invested over USD 1.8 billion in loans and credits mostly in the economically weaker and hill states across North India - Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.It has built and improved about 35,000 km of rural roads and benefited about eight million people with access to all-weather roads.The loan agreement for the project was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the government of India and Junaid Ahmad, country director, ...
7.18 lakh RECs traded in May : IEX
Power exchange IEX today said a total of 7.18 lakh renewable energy certificates (RECs) were traded in May. "In the trading session held on May 30 2018, the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) saw total trade of 7.18 lakh RECs comprising 3.24 lakh non-solar and 3.94 lakh solar RECs," it said in a statement. Power distribution companies as well as open access and captive consumers are under obligation to buy RECs from renewable energy producers under renewable purchase obligation (RPO) mandated by central/state regulatory commissions. RECs are aimed at providing an easier avenue for various entities, including power distribution companies, to meet their green energy obligations. Two power exchanges - IEX and Power Exchange India Limited (PXIL), approved by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission - hold auction of RECs on the last Wednesday of every month. The non-solar segment continued to see reversal in demand-supply with buy bids exceeding sell bids and price was discovered in the ...
Cong allegations of desilting scam foolish: Guj CM
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today rejected the opposition Congress' allegations that a "scam" worth Rs 2400 crore has taken place during desilting of water bodies under the state government's "Sujalam Sufalam" water drive. Rupani today participated in the Narmada 'Jal Pujan' ritual which was held in the dry Bhavani lake in Dhandhuka town in Ahmedabad district. The ritual marks culmination of the month-long drive which was launched with an objective to deepen around 13,000 lakes and ponds as well as 32 major rivers across the state. Speaking at the occasion, Rupani slammed the Congress for accusing the ruling BJP of indulging in massive corruption in desilting water bodies. "As many as 4,600 excavator machines and over 16,000 trucks and tractors were put to use for desilting the water bodies during the last one month," Rupani said. He also said over 3 lakh labourers were involved in the drive. "I pity those who are making baseless allegations against us. Congress .
ADB approves loan to improve Madhya Pradesh's irrigation system
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Thursday that its Board of Directors has approved a $375 million (Rs 2,529 crore approximately) loan for a project that will contribute to doubling farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency.
Michelin plans to make tyres using 80% sustainable materials
French tyre major Michelin aims to produce all its products using 80 per cent sustainable materials, with 100 per cent of tyres to be recycled by 2048. Announcing its Vision Concept: From Ambition to Action, at Movin'On event here, the company said the target would be achieved by research programmes into bio-sourced materials like Biobutterfly and advanced technologies and materials that are developed through partnerships. The world-wide recovery rate for tires is 70 per cent today and the recycling rate is 50 per cent, Michelin said in a statement. At present the company's tyres are made using 28 per cent sustainable items -- 26 per cent bio-sourced materials like natural rubber, sunflower oil and limonene and 2 per cent recycled materials such as steel or recycled powdered tyres, it added. For a sustainable future, Michelin is investing in high technology recycling technologies to be able to increase this content to 80 per cent sustainable materials, it added. In order to develop ..
FICCI joins hands with PPMC to chart road map for sustainable mobility in India
India's industry body FICCI and Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) have joined hands to chart a future road map for sustainable mobility in the country by adapting ongoing global efforts to local needs. A collaborative agreement has been signed between FICCI and PPMC -- an open platform created to serve as a facilitator for the transport sector in the COP 21 Lima Paris action agenda -- at the MovinOn by Michelin event here. PPMC co-founder Patrick Oliva said there are ongoing efforts on how to get zero emissions from the transport sector considering how all pervasive it is across the globe. "Already there are programmes running in Europe and countries like Morocco. Now we can launch something in India based on the learnings from these," he added. The objective of the Indian road map will be to engage sustainable mobility community following a bottom up approach to contribute towards the implementation of 2030 global agenda on sustainable development and Paris Agreement on ..
Cotton harvest surges in Ivory Coast
Cotton production in Ivory Coast rose by 25 per cent, from 328,000 tonnes in the 2016-17 season to 412,000 tonnes in 2017-18, according to official figures. Yields rose by 30 percent, helped mainly by favourable weather and better seed, fertiliser and pesticides and land use, government spokesman Bruno Kone said on Wednesday. Gross income was 108 billion CFA francs, up from 86 billion. Ivory Coast has followed an ambitious strategy of price support in cotton, cocoa, cashews, rubber and coffee. In cotton, it hopes to become one of the top three African producers and among the top 10 worldwide. It has set a target for 442,000 tonnes for the 2018-19 season.
Aus firm ties with Indian PSUs for R&D collaboration
An Australian company has signed an agreement with two Indian public-sector undertakings (PSUs) to develop the firm's low emission iron-and-steel process via an integrated plant in India, the largest-ever joint research and development (R&D) collaboration between the two countries, according to a statement. The agreement signed by Melbourne-based Environmental Clean Technologies (ECT) with NLC India Ltd and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) yesterday, will focus on commercialising ECT's two proprietary technologies -- Matmor and Coldry, the ECT said in a statement. The agreement entails two phases, starting with an 35-million dollars R&D phase that would be funded by the Indian partners. It aims to scale up ECT's two technologies to deliver an integrated pilot plant capable of producing 2 tonnes of metal per hour, it said. Following successful R&D outcomes, phase II involves commercial expansion, targeting an integrated steel-making facility with a proposed ..
Hamburg leads charge with Germany's first diesel ban
Hamburg today became the first German city to ban older diesel vehicles from some roads, a measure that is largely symbolic but disputed by carmakers and the government. A 1,600-metre (one-mile) stretch of highway and a 580-metre section of another major road are now closed to diesels which do not meet "Euro-6" emissions standards, with signs to indicate that the restriction is now in force. The first ban came after the Federal Administrative Court found in February that such restrictions were a legitimate way for local authorities to bring air pollution below European Union health thresholds. But Hamburg's partial ban is being met with skepticism in Germany. "It's symbolic politics. The authorities are blocking only two roads, so only 1,787 residents out of the 1.8 million inhabitants of Hamburg are affected by these restrictions," wrote Spiegel in a commentary online. The move was simply aimed at showing the EU that authorities were taking action to bring down pollutant levels, the .
