Page 694 - Environment

Modi launches Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Baghpat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal (KGP) Expressway (Eastern Peripheral Expressway) project, intended to relieve Delhi from traffic congestion.

Reneweable energy min creates RPO compliance cell to

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has created a renewable purchase obligations (RPO) compliance cell to ensure all states adhere to the RPO targets defined by the goverment till 2022. As per a recent notification issued by the ministry, Tarun Singh, Scientist C of MNRE has been designated as the nodal officer of the cell, which will coordinate with the Central and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions on matters relating to RPO compliance. The government's target of achieving 175 GW renewable energy by 2022 is also associated with the fulfillment of RPO of state distribution companies (discoms). "This step of MNRE to appoint an RPO compliance cell is a welcome move. The cell may monitor fulfillment of RPO along with the timeline of commissioning of renewable energy projects and associated transmission which is mandated by the government to be awarded on tariff-based competitive bidding basis as per guidelines issued on the subject," Electric Power ...

'Industries irreparably damaging Sundarbans, fish down by half'

Rampant industrialisation on the Bangladesh side of the Sundarbans is causing irreparable damage, with oil levels in waterbodies rising six-fold and the temperature by over four degrees, pushing wildlife to the edge and reducing the fish population by half, new research has found.

Tripura govt sets deadline to phase out plastic bags

The Tripura government has set August 15 as the deadline to phase out plastic carry bags, state minister Sudip Roy Barman said. The government, as part of the 'Himalayan Cleanup' programme, urged people to replace their plastic bags with biodegradable ones. The Himalayan Cleanup campaign has been launched by a Delhi-based organization in 12 mountain states in the country to end plastic pollution in the hilly areas. Barman, the state science, technology and environment minister, said the initiative will go a long way in restoring ecological balance. "Plastic waste damages marine life, contaminates soil and clogs drains. The environment department is taking measures to free the state of plastic bags by August 15," Barman told reporters after launching the drive here. People have to realize that plastic is not biodegradable and burning it could only produce harmful gases, the minister stated. "Random plastic use for packing food items and groceries has to be stopped. If ...

Elderly woman killed in leopard attack

An elderly woman was killed in a leopard attack in forest area near Ramgaon village in Bardia area, forest officials said today. Kaushalya (70) was yesterday attacked when she went in the forest area to collect woods, Divisional Forest officer GP Singh said, adding that the woman died on the spot. The forest area lies in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctury, he said. This is third death in leopard attacks this year.

DRI seizes 6 kg ivory worth Rs 35 lakh in Assam

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 24 pieces of ivory weighing about six kilograms collectively from two persons, including a contractual employee of the railways, near the Guwahati Railway Station. The duo was to smuggle out the ivory to Nepal. It has been confirmed by wildlife officials that the tusks were extracted after killing at least five adult and subadult elephants. Since the ivory has been sourced from Hojai, it is believed that the elephants were in all likelihood killed in the Karbi Anglong region of Assam, the DRI said in a statement issued today. The interception took place yesterday as the recipient of the ivory, Suraj Kumar Das, hailing from West Bengal was in the process of receiving the package from one Mohammad Badrul Hussain, hailing from Hojai district of Assam, it said. Das is working as a coach attendant of Saraighat Express, the agency said. Interrogation of the two has revealed that Hussain had picked up the package containing ivory from .

SECI named nodal agency to set up 2.5GW wind-solar hybrid proj

The ministry of New and Renewable Energy has appointed Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) as the nodal agency for setting up 2,500 MW of inter-state transmission system-connected (ISTS) power projects on a build, own operate (BOO) basis across the country, paving the way for the nodal agency to float bids for such projects. The recent circular appointing SECI as the implementing agency, comes days after the ministry issued the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy. "The objective of the scheme is to facilitate installation of new hybrid projects at prices discovered through transparent bidding process," the government said in the notification. As the nodal implementing agency for such projects, SECI will now be inviting e-bids followed by e-reverse auction. The company will sign power purchase agreement with the bidders for 25 years. As per the notification, the eligible capacity for bidding will be a minimum 200 MW and maximum of 500 MW, with a project capacity of ..

India delighted to host World Environment Day: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his happiness over India officially hosting this year's World Environment Day.Addressing the nation on the 44th edition of 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister said, "On the 5th of June, our nation will officially host the World Environment Day Celebrations. This is a very important achievement for India and also a recognition of India's growing leadership in the direction of tackling climate change."The Prime Minister spoke about this year's theme- 'Beat Plastic Pollution' and appealed to the citizens to not use low-grade polythenes, plastics and try to curb the negative impact of plastic pollution on the environment, wildlife and health.He also urged people to set a target of achieving record plantation of trees with the onset of the rainy season and maintain the saplings till they grow.Speaking about the dust storms that had engulfed the country earlier this month, the Prime Minister said that 'the calamities are basically the result ..

Hydel power likely to get regulatory boost

Hydel power projects may get a regulatory boost to solve their problems towards offering a competitive tariff structure. "Extend the useful life of the project up to 50 years from existing 35 years and the loan repayment period up to 18-20 years from existing 10-12 years for moderating upfront loading of the tariff," Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has suggested in its consultation paper for the tariff regulation for 2019-2024. Hydel projects get project loan for 10-15 years, which is a major cause for high tariff in hydel power, resulting discoms reluctant to buy hydel power, power department officials had said earlier. If the useful life is extended in the final regulation then it will be a major relief when projects are facing huge time and cost overruns. The repayment burden can be moderated and that would felicitate demand, a banker told PTI. The final multi-year tariff regulation by CERC is expected to be rolled out by December after it goes through the

PM urges people to shun plastics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged the people to shun low-grade plastic and polythene, saying it was creating a negative impact on the environment, wildlife and the health of the people. He asked the people to observe the World Environment Day on June 5 with vigour, and that it was time to concentrate on tree plantation. Planting saplings is not enough, people should ensure that they care for a plant till it becomes a tree, Modi said. "Protecting environment and being sensitive towards nature should come naturally. The recent dust storms accompanied by rains was unseasonal. The climate pattern led to the loss of life and property. It is a result of change in weather pattern," he said in his monthly 'Mann ki baat' radio address. "Whenever we face a torrid summer, or floods, incessant rains or unbearable cold, everybody becomes an expert, analysing global warming and climate change. But does empty talk bring about any solutions? Being sensitive towards nature, protecting nature, ..

Yavatmal embraces 'farm pool' scheme with enthusiasm

The construction of over 6,000 'farm pools' by cultivators to meet the irrigation demand in Maharashtra's drought-prone Yavatmal has set an example for other districts. With the digging of these pools, around 6,000 hectares of land will get "protected irrigation", raising hopes of a better rabi crop, an official said. A farm pool or pond is dug out to harvest rainwater and store it for future use. Since the inception of the state government's ambitious 'farm pool on demand' scheme two years back, the farmers in this district, located in the Vidarbha region, have constructed 6,200 farm pools, the official said. Agriculture is the principal occupation in Yavatmal, which had earlier been in news over a spate of farmer suicides. The district is spread over an area of13,51,966 hectares, of which 9,60,500 hectares is under crop production. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the rainfall in the state has decreased in the past few years, thus adversely affecting ..

Modi discourages use of plastic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke of the adverse effects of plastic and appealed to people not to use things made by using low grade materials .

Create awareness among public on protecting rivers: Rajendra

Preventing the release of sewerage into rivers and protecting their course are some of the measures needed to rejuvenate them, renowned water conservationist Rajendra Singh has said. "For the rejuvenation of river, first, the land of the river (should be) only for river (not allowing any encroachments on riverside). Second, the environment flow needed to the river (should be protected)," he told PTI here. The environment vis-a-vis the river should be protected, said Singh, a recipient of Ramon Magsaysay award. The sewerage water, containing industrial effluents at some places, should not be released into the river, he said. "Three, the sewer not meeting the river (not allowing sewerage to be released into the river)," he added. The industrial effluents being released into the rivers, especially in case of the Ganges, is said to be one of the major reasons for the pollution of river water. Singh, however, said there is no one common solution to rejuvenate the rivers in the .

Andhra CM asks aqua farmers to prioritise environment protection

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met aqua farmers and exporters in Amravati and asked them to give priority to the environment protection.Naidu also asked the aqua farmers to focus on regulating the diseases to the aqua product in an eco-friendly manner while adding that "the use of antibiotics without discrimination is not good for the ecology.""Aqua farmers should focus on regulating the diseases to the aqua product in an eco-friendly manner, and reduce input expenditure. Aquaculture without registration is not correct. All those should be careful and register immediately, otherwise they have to face a ban from the center," said Naidu.He further said that the state government has been encouraging aqua sector in coastal region and horticulture in Rayalaseema region."We have reduced power tariffs for aqua farmers. They can get a good price for their produce when they cooperate with those who come forward to set up the processing units. Aqua farmers and ...

Dino-killing asteroid caused Earth to heat up for 100,000 years

The Chicxulub asteroid - which caused the extinction of dinosaurs - drove a long-lasting era of global warming when it smashed into Earth 65 million years ago, with a rapid temperature increase of 5 degree Celsius that endured for roughly 100,000 years, a study has found. The monumental event is a rare case where Earth's systems were perturbed at a rate greater than what's occurring now from human activity. It provides valuable insights into what may happen from sudden, extreme environmental changes. The after-effects of the Chicxulub impact remain debated, with some scientists advocating that soot within the atmosphere blocked out the Sun sufficiently to drive global cooling. Others suggest that carbon released from the Earth's crust into the atmosphere upon the asteroid's impact, as well as carbon from wildfires, had a warming effect. To better understand how the temperature changed during this time, researchers - including those from University of Missouri and University of ...

Complete canal work of Konar irrigation project by June: CM

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das asked the engineers of Konar Irrigation Project to complete the canal work by June 2018, an official release said. "It can only be completed with timely and regular monitoring," Das said while reviewing the work of the Konar irrigation project at the DVC guest house at Vishnugarh in Hazaribagh district yesterday. The chief minister praised the natural beauty of Konar Dam, which has provision for irrigation facilities in the villages in Hazaribagh, Giridih and Bokaro districts, the release said. The total irrigation potential of this scheme is 62995.6 hectares.

All nations including US will ratify 2016 climate deal: UNEP

All nations including the US and India will certainly ratify a key 2016 climate deal, hugely important for fighting climate change, UN Environment Chief Erik Solheim said. About 200 nations, including India, the US and China, had struck a legally-binding deal in the Rwandan capital Kigali in 2016 after intense negotiations to phase down climate-damaging refrigerant gas hydrofluorocarbons known as HFCs that have global warming potential thousand times more than carbon dioxide. The deal, formally known as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, is now open for ratification and 35 nations have ratified it so far. "The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol will for sure be ratified by all nations," Solheim told PTI in an interview here. The statement of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) came amid concerns over the actions of the Donald Trump administration. The Trump administration had pulled out of the key Paris Climate Change ...

AIIMS gets green nod for developing Rs 2,163 cr super-speciality blocks

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has received green nod for developing super-speciality blocks at Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNATC) in the national capital at a cost of Rs 2,163 crore. State-owned NBCC will be implementing the proposed project that will come up in an area of 60,500 square metre in the JPNATC campus-II at Safdarjung Enclave. The construction work is expected to be completed in four years. In a letter to NBCC, Union Environment Ministry said that it has given the environment clearance to the AIIMS' proposed project with certain riders. The clearance has been given after taking into account the recommendations of an internal expert committee. The land acquisition has been done for the proposed site. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 2,163 crore. As per the proposal, the project will comprise of constructing five blocks with 184 beds. Maximum height of the building will be 38 metre. The building will accommodate various departments

CIL, Railways rush coal to Dadri, Badarpur power plants

With coal stock of some power stations in the national capital region falling to an alarming level, Coal India and Railways are rushing coal supplies to Dadri and Badarpur power plants of the NTPC. A Coal India statement issued tonight said against the linked requirement of seven rakes to these plants, movement of at least 10 rakes are planned to avert the crisis. The problem started as the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) was forced to commence generation from these two plants all of a sudden with rise in power demand due to heat wave conditions in the country. The government has also instructed the CIL, Singareni Collieries Co Ltd and Railway to attach top most priority in allocation of rakes for coal movement to power plants till such time the demand from coal-based thermal power plants gets stabilised with the onset of monsoon and increase in hydel and wind power. These two power stations cater to major share of the power demands of Delhi and NCR. Based on the demand for .

Rajasthan issues advisory on Nipah virus

In the wake of the several deaths reported in Kerala due to Nipah virus, the Rajasthan government on Saturday issued an advisory, asking people not to travel to affected parts of Kerala and for officials to maintain caution.