Page 716 - Environment
Pink bollworm: Central team visits Maha to assess crop loss
A delegation of the Union government arrived in Maharashtra today to carry out an assessment of crop loss caused due to the pink bollworm attack in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of the state, an official said. Several villages in Marathwada and Vidarbha suffered large-scale damage to crops, mainly cotton, due to the pink bollworm infestation late last year. The assessment by the central team is necessary before the Centre sanctions the financial aide to farmers for the crop losses. "It is a routine but mandatory visit of the Centre's delegation to Maharashtra to assess the crop damage caused by the pink bollworm attack," Bijaykumar, Principal Secretary of State agriculture ministry told PTI today. "The state government has sought Rs 1,221 crore financial assistance from the Centre. Once the delegation submits its report to the Finance Ministry, we will get funds," he added. According to an official from the state Agriculture Department, the delegation will first visit
Severe weather damages mango production in UP
Damage to crops during the summer due to rough weather is not a new phenomenon but the recent spells of high-intensity thunderstorms have wreaked havoc for the mango growers of Uttar Pradesh, who claimed that around 50 per cent of the fruit -- two to two-and-a-half million tonnes -- which was in the ripening stage, has been spoilt.
Australia restricts live sheep exports after shocking treatment
Horrific footage of dead and dying sheep on ships bound for the Middle East has prompted sweeping reforms to Australia's live export trade, but Canberra stopped short of an outright ban today. Video images taken last year showed heat-stricken sheep crammed together in small, stifling pens and covered in excrement, shocking the Australian public when it was released by animal activists in April. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud on Thursday labelled the footage "disgraceful" but resisted calls to outlaw live exports entirely after a government review. "There will be no ban to the live sheep trade in the Middle Eastern summer," he told reporters. "However, as a result of this review, we will be making serious and meaningful change to the industry." Exporters will now be required to increase cargo space for sheep by up to 39 per cent, varying according to seasonal temperature. Independent observers will also have to travel on all ships carrying cattle or sheep. Companies in breach ..
'Over 300 mammal species yet to be discovered'
There are probably 303 species of mammals left to be discovered by science, most of which are likely to live in tropical regions, according to a predictive model developed by ecologists. The research, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, could guide efforts to find and conserve these as-yet unknown species. "With extinction rates increasing, it is extremely important to be able to find new species before they disappear if we want to be able to understand the world that we are living in," said Molly Fisher, a doctoral student at the University of Georgia in the US. The new model yielded an estimate of 5,860 mammal species currently in existence - more than previously thought, researchers said. They then subtracted the number of known mammal species to come up with the estimate of 303 yet to be discovered. To determine the number of undiscovered mammal species, Fisher and her colleagues had to start by finding a way to estimate as accurately as possible the total number of ...
'Made in China' labelled pottery found in 800-year-old shipwreck
Scientists have discovered an 800-year-old 'Made in China' label on a piece of pottery found in a shipwreck that once carried thousands of ceramics and luxury goods for trade. Centuries ago, a ship sank in the Java Sea off the coast of Indonesia. The wooden hull disintegrated over time, leaving only a treasure trove of cargo. They remained on the ocean floor until the 1980s when the wreck was discovered by fishermen. In the years since, archaeologists have been studying artifacts retrieved from the shipwreck to piece together where the ship was from and when it departed. The equivalent of a "Made in China" label on a piece of pottery helped archaeologists reevaluate when the ship went down and how it fits in with China's history. "Initial investigations in the 1990s dated the shipwreck to the mid- to late 13th century, but we've found evidence that it's probably a century older than that," said Lisa Niziolek, an archaeologist at the Field Museum in the US. "Eight hundred years ago, ...
L&T Construction bags orders worth Rs 2,440 cr
Engineering major Larsen and Toubro (L&T) today said its subsidiary L&T Construction has bagged orders worth Rs 2,440 crore in the domestic market. "The power transmission and distribution business of L&T Construction has bagged EPC orders worth Rs 2,440 crore," L&T said in a BSE filing. L&T said it has received an order under Saubhagya scheme for electrification works in urban and rural areas, augmentation of 33/11kV substations and replacement of conductors with aerial bunched cables. It has also secured an order from the Department of Disaster Management for the construction of underground power cable network on turnkey basis in the eastern region of India. Other projects include building grid-connected rooftop solar plants in government buildings under the Alo Shree' scheme and supply, erection, testing and commissioning of 400kV double circuit transmission lines on turnkey basis in the southern region of India. Shares of L&T were trading 0.33 per cent ...
Odisha govt directs to bring snakebite victims to hospitals
The Odisha government has asked officials to bring snakebite victims to hospitals and ensure that the patients do not go to quacks as snakebite is emerging as a major cause of disaster deaths in the state. The direction was issued by Chief Secretary A P Padhi while expressing concern on rising number of deaths due to snakebite in the state last evening. "All snakebite victims must be brought to the nearest health institution at the earliest for medical examination and administering anti-snake venom. They must not avail treatment by quacks," Padhi said. This message has to be widely circulated through intensive awareness programmes by different departments, Padhi said. This apart, the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) would take steps to sensitise the farmers during farmers training programmes. Sufficient quantity of anti venom serum would be kept in hospitals especially in all CHCs/ PHCs where a large number of snakebite deaths was reported, he ...
L&T Construction bags orders worth Rs 2440 crore
Under Power Transmission & Distribution Business
Musk hints at linking hyperloop project with SpeceX rockets
Serial entrepreneur Elon Musk has hinted that he plans to link the hyperloop project under his start-up The Boring Company with SpaceX's rockets to create a transportation system that may ferry people anywhere on Earth in less than an hour.
Exclusive: Vietnam unit of Russia's Rosneft fears Beijing backlash over South China Sea drilling
HANOI (Reuters) - Rosneft Vietnam BV, a unit of Russian state oil firm Rosneft, is concerned that its recent drilling in an area of the South China Sea that is claimed by China could upset Beijing, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Wednesday.
Wheat procurement exceeds target for 2018-19
Government agencies have procured over 324 lakh tonnes of wheat across the country so far, surpassing the Central government's target of 320 lakh tonne set for the 2018-19 Rabi Marketing Season (RMS), according to data released by FCI on Wednesday.
Foodgrain production to be record 279.51 million tonne: Government
Total foodgrain production in the country this year is going to be record 279.51 million tonne, which is 4.4 million tonne higher than the last year, Union Agriculture Ministry said in its third advance estimates issued on Wednesday.
Guidebook to develop child-friendly environment at rly stations released
A guidebook, which will serve as a framework document for dealing with the children rescued by the railways, was released by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani here today. The "Guidebook for Creating a Child Friendly and Protective Environment for Children in Contact with Railways", developed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in collaboration with Railway Children India, was launched at an event here, a statement from the national transporter said. The book would serve as a framework document to develop a child-friendly environment at all the railway stations of the country, it added. "There is a need to protect the children who run away from abusive situations at home or are lost and reach railway platforms, as they are extremely vulnerable to abuse by strangers. The guidebook will fill the gaps in the whole ambit of child protection at railway stations," NCPCR Chairperson Stuti Kacker said. Emphasising that the issue of care and protection of ...
4-feet long rat snake rescued from Air Force station
A four-feet long rat snake was rescued from the Air Force station in Tuhglakabad by a wildlife NGO. According to NGO Wildlife SOS, in a recent incident, officers at the Air Force station stumbled upon a rat snake inside an office room. A call was placed to the Wildlife SOS 24 hour helpline and a two member team was dispatched immediately and the rat snake was rescued, it said in a statement. It was later released to its natural habitat, the statement added. Although non-venomous, the rat snake is quick and easily excitable, and may bite if threatened. Therefore,the rescuers had to be cautious while approaching the snake as they wanted to avoid cornering or alarming it, the NGO said. They often wander into the human habitation due to depletion of natural prey base. However, due to their resemblance to cobras, this species is often misidentified as a highly venomous snake and is met with hostility and fear, it said.
Union cabinet approves national policy on Biofuels-2018
The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the "National Policy on Biofuels - 2018".
Doctors ask Harsh Vardhan to strengthen health plan in proposed NCAP
A group of doctors has urged Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan to strengthen the health plan in the proposed National Clean Air Action Plan (NCAP), stating that air pollution was wreaking havoc on the health of people in the country. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had released a draft of the NCAP to address the air pollution crisis that most cities were facing. While lauding the initiative, the doctors rued that the attention given to health in the proposed NCAP fell short of the expectations of the public health community. The doctors drew the minister's attention to an ICMR-led report of 2017 which highlighted the contribution of air pollution to disease burden in India. The report noted that household air pollution was responsible for five per cent of the total disease burden in the country in 2016 and outdoor air pollution for six per cent. It observed that the contribution of most major non-communicable disease groups to the total disease burden increased
U'khand cabinet meets in floating lake restaurant for tourism promotion
The Uttarakhand Cabinet met for the first time today in a floating restaurant on the picturesque Tehri lake as a strategy to promote tourism there. The ministers led by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, wearing life jackets, gave their nod to 12 decisions aboard the 'Floating Marina', a boat which served as the restaurant in the middle of the lake which was spruced up specially for the unique event. Chaired by the chief minister, a dozen major decisions were taken in the meeting with a focus on tourism and to put the state's natural resources to better use, State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik told the media. They included a decision on allocating tourism the status of an industry and developing 13 new tourist destinations, one each in all 13 districts of the state under a scheme named '13 districts 13 destinations', he said. The new destinations to be developed were Tehri lake, spread over an area of 42 sq km, the Surya temple at Katarmal in Almora , Mukteshwar Dham in .
Cows forced to eat plastic in Delhi, says NGT, orders inspection of dairy farms
The National Green Tribunal today expressed concern over the "horrible" conditions cows and buffaloes have to face in the national capital, saying the milch animals were forced to eat plastic which affects the human health. A bench headed by acting Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim said the cattle in the city were forced to roam on the road and that no proper medical care was given to them. The green panel directed the Animal Husbandry Department to conduct inspection of dairy farms in Delhi and asked it to submit a detailed report by July 19. It also asked the AAP government, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, and the city's municipal corporations and the police to provide requisite assistance to the officers of the Animal Husbandry Department. "Have you seen the condition of cows in the city. They have been put in a horrible condition. These animals are not fed properly, not given medical care. They eat plastic and other rubbish items from the waste dumps which ultimately affects .
Record wheat procurement in Haryana
Haryana has made a record wheat procurement of 87.27 lakh tonnes this Rabi season, compared with the previous high of 87.16 lakh tonnes in 2012-13, Minister of State for Food and Supplies Karan Dev Kamboj said here on Wednesday.
Major power breakdown hits several Pak cities
Several cities in Pakistan's Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces were today plunged into darkness after a major power outage occurred due to a technical fault in one of the main transmission lines, leaving millions of people without electricity in the scorching summer heat. The breakdown occurred due to tripping of Muzaffargarh-Guddu main transmission line. Four nuclear power plants at Chashma had also tripped due to the tripping of the main transmission line. "The main 500 KV transmission line tripped due to unknown reason, leaving the two provinces with electricity, said Power Division spokesman Zafaryab Khan. Minister for Power Awais Khan Leghari said the sudden breakdown resulted in the tripping of several power generation plants in a cascading effect. "But repair work was started soon after the incident and power was being slowly restored to the affected areas," he said. Leghari promised a probe into the causes of the breakdown, which has caused huge embarrassment for the ...
