Page 687 - Environment
Call for more Indian research stations in Arctic
As the world grapples with the challenge of climate change, a top Indian scientist has called for the opening of more Indian research stations in the Arctic.
KCR Govt to ensure measures to support farmers in Telangana
In a bid to strengthen the condition of farmers, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao-led state government has decided to provide investment support to rescue the farmers from debt trap.Rao has called on the Rythu Samanvaya Samithis (Famers Coordination Committees) to play a key role in the investment support scheme.The Chief Minister has also asked the committee to also ensure the implementation of farmers' Life Insurance Scheme.The Chief Minister made it clear that the government has decided to provide investment support to benefit the farmer and not to gain votes.He said that the government fulfilled every promise made in the TRS election manifesto to the farmers and had gone beyond the manifesto and implemented many schemes which were not included in it."There was a time when Telangana farmer lived with great respect and honour. The farming was fairly good. Farmers were in a position to offer donations in tune with their status. The policies adopted by Congress ...
4-feet cobra found in Agra hospital, rescued
A nearly four-feet-long cobra was rescued by the Wildlife SOS from the Kamla Rawat Hospital in Runakta here today, officials said. The snake is currently under observation and will soon be released into the wild, they said. A spokesperson for the NGO Wildlife SOS said that a part of the hospital is currently undergoing renovation, and the workers spotted the reptile in a storage room inside the basement. "Petrified at the sight of the venomous reptile, they rushed to alert the hospital authorities who in turn contacted Wildlife SOS for help," he said. Sandeep Chaudhury, a representative of the hospital said, The construction workers were moving plywood material from the basement when they came across the cobra. We have had similar encounters in the past as well. A trained snake rescuer from the NGO arrived on site with necessary equipment. Realising that it was being cornered, the cobra flared its hood but the Wildlife SOS rescuer carefully transferred it into a safe transport ...
Sanitation workers of Agra municipal corporation continue strike
Meetings between officials of Agra Municipal Corporation and sanitation workers of the civic body, who are on strike demanding cancellation of the transfer policy, failed to break the deadlock toady, even as heaps of garbage pile up on streets. Municipal Commissioner Arun Prakash said several concessions have been made to accommodate the demands of the sanitation workers on strike. Meanwhile, the whole city is littered with garbage and corporators have expressed concern as it could lead to outbreak of diseases. On an average, the city produces around 750 tonnes of garbage, which has to be lifted by hundreds of trucks and transferred to land fill sites outside the city.
UAE bans fruits from Kerala after Nipah virus outbreak
DUBAI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned imports of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala where 13 people have died due to an outbreak of the rare brain-damaging Nipah virus, the Gulf state said on Tuesday.
Nepal says to scrap hydropower deal with Chinese firm
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's government said on Tuesday it will build a 750 megawatt hydroelectric plant that was earlier cleared to be developed by China's state-owned Three Gorges International Corp, in a surprise announcement made while laying out the annual budget.
Not even a day's coal stock in power plants: Delhi government
The total coal available in four thermal power plants in NCR was less than the required amount for a day's power generation at full capacity, according to data made public on late Tuesday by the Delhi government.
Minor gas leak in GNFC's plant near Gujarat's Bharuch
The Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals today said that a minor gas leak occurred in its plant near Bharuch. In a statement, the company said that the leak was noticed yesterday at around 10:47pm from the plant's Absorption Tower Circulation Pump following which the equipment was safely shut down. The leakage was stopped in 13 minutes and as a matter of safety protocol, villagers of Rahiyad were informed and alerted, the company statement said. A few villagers, on their own insistence, were examined by company doctors and all of them were found not affected by any gas and were declared safe and discharged, the release added. It added that the plant will soon comeback in to operation after necessary action.
UAE bans fruits from Keralaafter Nipah virus outbreak
DUBAI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned imports of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala where 13 people have died due to an outbreak of the rare brain-damaging Nipah virus, the Gulf state said on Tuesday.
NGT unhappy over Chardham highway project execution
Expressing dissatisfaction over the Central government's execution of Chardham all-weather highway project in Uttarakhand, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday asked the authorities to stop dumping muck in the river.
UN urges 'forward-looking' dialogue on Mediterranean migration
Rome, 29 May (IANS/AKI) The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Tuesday called on countries in the Mediterranean region to better manage migration through "forward-looking" dialogue focused on future food security and rural development.
NMCG approves proposal for interception, diversion of drains merging into Saryu
The Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) today approved a proposal for interception and diversion of five drains merging into Saryu river, a tributary of the Ganga, in Ayodhya, an official statement said. The committee also approved one project in West Bengal, costing Rs 68.47 crore, in which 13 interception and diversion structures will be created, besides two sewage treatment plants (5 MLD in Raghunath Ganj and 8 MLD in Jangipur), the statement by the Ministry of Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation said. Two projects were also awarded to the Delhi Jal Board for Yamuna. "After considerable success in sanctioning projects for mainstem of river Ganga, the Centre has now shifted focus to the entire Ganga basin. Not only are new projects being taken up on the tributaries of the Ganga, the existing approved projects on river Yamuna are also being expedited," the statement said. The proposal for interception and diversion of five drains, having cumulative ..
Nipah virus: UAE bans import of fruits, vegetables from Kerala
United Arab Emirates (UAE) today banned import of fresh fruits and vegetables from Kerala in the wake of outbreak of Nipah virus (NiV) in the state. The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) said in a statement that it has banned the imports of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala. The ministry said a circular has been issued to the concerned local authorities including the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the municipalities of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah to prevent the entry of all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits from Kerala. It further said the decision is based on the information received and published on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website regarding the outbreak of NiV infection in Kerala. Preliminary information, it added indicates that the main host of the disease is the fruit bat, where the virus is transmitted through secretions from the bat to the fruit that it feeds on or touches. Mangoes, dates ...
L-G directs Delhi transport commissioner to discuss use of CNG buses with neighbouring states
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today instructed the city transport commissioner to hold discussion with neighbouring states on the use of CNG buses, and directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to speed up conversion of fuels to PNG in industrial areas, officials said. Baijal issued the instructions during a meeting chaired by him at the Raj Niwas to review the issues of traffic management and environment pollution in and around ISBT Anand Vihar where three modes of transport -- bus, metro and railways -- converge. The meeting was convened by the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), a Supreme Court-appointed green panel headed by Bhure Lal. "The Lt Governor directed Transport Commissioner to take up the matter regarding use of CNG buses with the neighbouring states," a statement issued by the Raj Niwas said. Baijal also directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to speed up the conversion of fuels to PNG (piped natural gas) in industrial areas, ...
Bangladesh CG ship Tajuddin at Visakhapatnam Port
A Bangladesh Coast Guard Ship arrived at the Visakhapatnam Port today. The aim of the visit is to develop working level operation between Coast Guards of maritime nations and enhance inter-operability in the fields of maritime search and rescue, anti-piracy operations and other maritime law enforcement tasks, a coast guard release said today. The ship, Tajuddin, has participated during the 10th Regional Co-operation Agreement (ReCAP) for safe and secure sea in February 2017,the release said. During the period of stay at Vishakhapatnam, the Bangladesh delegation would be calling on senior Indian Coast Guard officials, it said. Also, joint exercises between the coast guard of the respective countries would be scheduled subsequently, which emphasises on search and rescue operations and pollution control exercises at sea.
Kejriwal writes to PM seeking his intervention in 'coal shortage' issue
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to direct the Railways to provide rakes for transporting coal to power plants in Delhi-NCR, which are facing "alarming level" of coal shortage. The national transporter, however, today said Delhi need not worry as adequate coal is being supplied to the power plants. In his letter to Modi, the Delhi chief minister said with rising temperatures and increasing power demand in Delhi, coal stock position is "very alarming" and needs immediate attention and intervention. "As informed, this coal shortage is primarily attributable to non-availability of transportation rakes with Indian Railways due to which available coal is not getting transported to the NCR thermal (power) stations," Kejriwal said. "It is therefore requested to kindly intervene personally and give necessary directions to the Railways for providing rakes/wagons on priority for transportation of coal in order to avoid load shedding or ...
Discuss use of CNG buses with neighbouring states: LG
Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday asked the Delhi Transport Department to take up the matter of using CNG buses with the neighbouring states.
Bhakra Dam unlikely to be filled up to maximum capacity
The Bhakra dam is unlikely to be filled up to its maximum permissible level of 1,680 feet during this filling period due to 20 to 25 per cent lesser water inflows, a senior official of the Bhakra and Beas Management Board (BBMB) said today. The water level in Bhakra dam today touched 1,491 feet, around 50 feet lower than what it was on the same day last year. "We today told the partnering states that water in Bhakra has reached critical level. There appears to be no improvement of water inflow during June and average water inflow may remain between 16,000 and 17,000 cusecs," BBMB, Member (Irrigation) S K Sharma said. "With such inflows, the water level in Bhakra is expected to remain at 1,480 feet by June 30. Once we reach this level, the water level in Bhakra is not going to go beyond 1,600 to 1,620 feet by September even if we have increased inflows later," he official said. "Then it (lesser water level in Bhakra) will bring problem for the partnering states next year," Sharma ...
Renovation of China's Great Wall begins with crowdfunding
A key section of China's iconic Great Wall in Hebei Province has started with support of the online crowdfunding amounting to USD 4.4 lakhs, local officials said today. In the first stage, workers will repair a 132-meter-long section of Panjiakou Great Wall without altering the original appearance, the local government of Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County said. Liu Yunquan, head of the county's cultural relics protection institute, said that the renovation was funded by an online crowdfunding campaign launched by China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2016. More than 174,000 people contributed to the fund, which raised 2.81 million yuan (USD 4.4 lakh) for the first stage of the renovation which is expected to complete in October, Liu said. Measuring around 1,500 meters in length, the Panjiakou section of the Great Wall was built in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is in poor condition due to damage caused by rain and wind, and years of disrepair. Liu said the next stage ..
Decision to shut Tuticorin plant will put 30,000 jobs on line: Sterlite
The decision of the Tamil Nadu government to shut the copper smelter plant in Tuticorin would have serious economic ramifications by pushing India's annual import bill by an estimated $2 billion, said P. Ramnath, CEO, Sterlite Copper.
