Page 729 - Environment

Perform 'green good deed daily' for better environment: Harsh Vardhan

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday urged everyone to perform at least one "Green Good Deed" everyday to bring about significant changes in the environmental conditions.

'Exiled asteroid' discovered in outer reaches of solar system

Scientists have found a carbon-rich asteroid that was flung into the outer reaches of the solar system, and may provide new insights into the formation of the Sun and its planets. Astronomers used European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes to investigate Kuiper Belt Object 2004 EW95 - the first of its kind asteroid to be confirmed in the cold outer reaches of the solar system. The object likely formed in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and has been flung billions of kilometres from its origin to its current home in the Kuiper Belt. The early days of our Solar System were a tempestuous time. Theoretical models of this period predict that after the gas giants formed they rampaged through the Solar System, ejecting small rocky bodies from the inner Solar System to far-flung orbits at great distances from the Sun. These models suggest that the Kuiper Belt - a cold region beyond the orbit of Neptune - should contain a small fraction of rocky bodies from the inner Solar ...

No decline in Indus dolphin population in Beas: Survey

The first-ever survey on a 185-km stretch of river Beas has estimated the population of endangered Indus dolphins to be between five and 11, indicating that there has been no decline in their numbers. The WWF-India, in partnership with the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation in Punjab, conducted the Indus River Dolphin Survey from May 3 to 6 across the Beas Conservation Reserve stretch. The dolphin survey started from 52 Headworks, Talwara and ended at Harike Nooze point, a WWF-India statement said. It said 55 km of river downstream of the headworks was surveyed by road due to insufficient water in Beas while the remaining 130 km was surveyed using motor boats. "Based on the direct counts, after correcting for dolphins that were missed by the survey, the final estimate of the population of Indus River Dolphins in the Beas River stands at 5-11 individuals. "Although the population of the species is small, its presence in the Beas river above the Harike barrage for 70 years,

Haryana cooperative purchases over 1.93 lakh MT mustard

Haryana State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation has so far purchased over 1.93 lakh metric tonnes of mustard in the current purchase season. As many as 99,501 farmers have so far been benefited with this purchase, an official spokesman said here today. A spokesman of the Federation said that 42,558 metric tonnes of mustard has been purchased in district Bhiwani, 9,122.30 metric tonnes in Charkhi Dadri, 5,734.90 metric tonnes in Fatehabad, 11,635.47 metric tonnes in Gurugram and 1,418.56 metric tonnes in Nuh.

Over 85 lakh MT wheat procured in Haryana

A total of 85.04 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat has been procured by the state agencies in Haryana till now compared to 74.25 lakh MT last year. While stating this here today, a spokesman of Haryana Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department said that while state agencies have procured over 85.03 lakh metric tonnes, the traders have procured 884 metric tonnes. Giving details of the wheat procured by government agencies, he said that over 34.02 lakh metric tonnes has been procured by Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (HAFED), whereas Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has purchased more than 25.49 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. He said that Food Corporation of India has purchased over 10.45 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and Haryana Warehousing Corporation has procured over 15.05 lakh metric tonnes. Sirsa was leading in wheat arrival where over 11.72 lakh metric tonnes of the crop has been procured followed by district ...

Documentary gives wake-up call to Kolkatans to help reduce carbon footprint

'Do you want to commit suicide?' The powerful question is thrown at the Kolkatans in a thought-provoking documentary that sends out a strong message on how the city could be hard hit in about half a century as a result of rising water levels due to climate change.

Haryana: 2 labourers killed in blast at power plant

Two labourers were killed and four were severely injured in a blast at Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant (RGTPP) at Khedar, about 30 km from here, police said today. The unit number one of the plant was closed yesterday noon due to less demand of power. The labourers were fixing a leakage at the bottom seal of the unit when the boiler's clinker containing hot ash and burning coal particles fell on them following a blast, they said. Vikram and Amit, both residents of Khedar village in Hisar, died in the incident, while four labourers, Jagdish of Khedar, Satbir of Pabra, Manoj Kumar and Chhote Lal both residents of Devariya in Uttar Pradesh, were injured, the police said. The injured were admitted to a private hospital here and among them the condition of three were stated to be the critical, they said. A case under Sections 336 (doing any act which endangers human life), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act which endangers ...

SC slams ASI for not protecting Taj Mahal

The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for not being able to protect the iconic Taj Mahal, and asked about the steps being taken to prevent the Mughal structre from being destroyed by insects and algae.

Khattar seeks Israeli investments in Haryana

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has invited Israeli investors to be a part of Haryana's growth story as he sought to deepen the state's collaboration with Israel in agriculture, water management besides exploring the use of Israeli technology in policing and rescue operations. Khattar is leading a strong delegation from Haryana at the global agricultural technology exhibition, Agritech Israel 2018. "We have five Centres of Excellence already operational in Haryana to help agricultural productivity with Israeli know how and a sixth one in the pipeline. The goal is to increase income of farmers in the state by utilisation of research and technology in Israel to increase agricultural produce," Khattar told PTI. Khattar said he had visited Israeli police departments and witnessed demonstration of rescue operations which were "quite impressive". "We may also explore police and rescue operations training using Israeli technology," the Haryana Chief Minister said. "The rescue team here is

Rameswaram: Water crisis leaves people distressed

As intense heat condition prevails across Tamil Nadu, locals complain of water crisis in Rameswaram town as groundwater level drops with increase in temperature.The locals are disappointed as no action has been taken in the regard by the higher officials."Water scarcity this season is very acute, evident from the fact that perennial wells have also gone dry. We are forced to buy a pot of water for Rs. 5," say locals.Locals have urged the state government to provide sufficient supply of water but their requests seem to have fallen on deaf ears.Water scarcity has been a pressing problem in Tamil Nadu. It has affected agriculture in a huge way. It has even forced farmers in to abandon cultivation of the water-intensive paddy.

Volcanic gases prompt door-to-door evacuation in Hawaii

Police went door-to-door in Hawaii to roust residents near two new vents emitting dangerous gases in areas where lava has been pouring into streets and backyards for the past week. Authorities ordered nearly 2,000 residents to leave two communities in the mostly rural district of Puna on Hawaii's Big Island last Thursday. Some ignored the order and stayed to watch over their property. But yesterday, the emergence of the two new vents prompted Hawaii County to issue a cellphone alert ordering stragglers in Lanipuna Gardens to get out immediately. Police followed up with personal visits. "There were a number of people at their residences," Talmadge Magno, the administrator for Hawaii County Civil Defense, said at a news briefing. There was no sign of holdouts in Lanipuna afterward, he said. Edwin Montoya, 76, had planned to stay to care for animals and keep looters away from his family's property in neighboring Leilani Estates. But he was forced to evacuate after the new fissures ...

China launches new satellite to monitor air pollution

China today successfully launched a hyperspectral imaging satellite for comprehensive observation of the atmosphere, including air pollution which is one of the country's major problems. The Gaofen-5 satellite was launched off the back of a Long March 4C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. It was the 274th flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket. The satellite, launched as part of its high-resolution Earth observation project, was developed and produced by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation can be used for comprehensive environmental monitoring. It has a designed life of eight years, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Tong Xudong, chief designer of the Gaofen series said, Gaofen-5 is the first China-developed satellite that can monitor air pollution. It can dynamically reflect the state of air pollution in China through the monitoring of air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosols, the report said. Gaofen-5 is able .

Boat capsizes in sea at Palghar; fishermen on board rescued

A fishing boat capsized in the Arabian Sea off the Palghar coast in the early hours today but all the 13 fishermen on board were rescued, the police said. The boat capsized around 2 am in the waters, nearly 34 nautical miles from Satpati town, Palghar district rural police spokesman Hemant Kumar said. Upon getting an SOS alert, the Coast Guard personnel and local fishermen rushed to the spot in boats, he said. They rescued all the 13 fishermen and brought them to the shore, Kumar added.

UN chief announces climate summit for September 2019

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced here on Tuesday a climate summit set to take place in September 2019 in New York to review the Paris Agreement commitments.

Global '18/19 sugar output will outstrip demand by 12.59 million tonnes: S&P

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World sugar production will outstrip demand by 12.59 million tonnes in the 2018/19 crop year that begins Oct. 1, according to an industry presentation from sugar analysts at S&P Global Platts/Kingsman during New York "Sugar Week."

Labourer dies in mishap at SAIL plant

A 44-year-old labourer died today after accidentally getting trapped in a conveyor belt at SAIL's Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh's Durg district, police said. The incident took place at Sinter Plant (SP) no. 3 at the facility when the deceased, identified as Kamal Verma, was doing cleaning work, a local police official told PTI. A sinter plant processes iron ore fines (dust) to create products that can be used in a blast furnace, he said. Verma, a native of Patan area of the district, worked as a contractual labourer at the plant, he said. While doing his work, Verma accidentally got trapped in a conveyor belt. Fellow labourers spotted Verma and immediately rushed him to a local hospital where he was declared dead, the official said. A case has been registered in connection with the incident, he said, adding investigations are underway.

Taiwan: China blocking participation in WHO annual meet

Taiwan on Tuesday accused China of blocking it from participating in the World Health Organization's (WHO) annual assembly.

Audi halts A6 production over 'new emissions cheating': report

German luxury brand Audi has halted production of its latest A6 model over suspicions it contains software to manipulate emissions controls, local media reported today, as the "dieselgate" scandal continues to dog parent company Volkswagen. Confirming a report in news weekly Der Spiegel, Germany's transport ministry told AFP it was investigating the use of a new "illegal defeat device" in some 60,000 Audi cars, half of which are driving on German roads. According to Spiegel, the current A6 model is equipped with software that deliberately slows down the use of a special pollution-cleaning fluid in the final 2,400 kilometres (1,500 miles) of its life span, to avoid drivers having to refill the so-called AdBlue liquid in between regular service updates. But reducing the AdBlue function also drastically lowers its effectiveness in neutralising the engine's harmful nitrogen oxides, making the diesel cars far more polluting during that time. "An official recall for at least the affected ...

No tension between navies of India, China in IOR: Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today that there is no tension between the navies of India and China in the strategic Indian Ocean, which has been witnessing increasing activities by the PLA Navy. Responding to a question on the "tussle" between China and India in the Indian Ocean Region, Sitharaman sought to downplay the issue and said, "There was no tension in the Indian Ocean, in the Navy against China." The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical to India's strategic interests. Over the years, the region has witnessed increasing Chinese presence. China increased its presence in the Indian Ocean Region by constructing the deep-sea Gwadar Port in southern Pakistan and a naval base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. The region also has Chinese ships deployed for anti-piracy operations. On April 16, the Indian Navy on Twitter welcomed China's PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean Region. "#MaritimeDomainAwareness @indiannavy extends a warm welcome to the .

Four-day rural development program held in Telangana

In order to strengthen the rural development policies, a four-day training programme on 'New Strategies in Rural Development and Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals' was organised in Hyderabad.It was inaugurated on Tuesday by Telengana Legislative Assembly Speaker S Madhusudana Chary.According to a National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD and PR) release the programme is being "attended by 55 Hon'ble MLAs/MLCs from 14 States of the Country i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.""We all know that the country lives in villages, India's development is relayed on the development of villages. Whatever the reasons might be we are still facing the problems after the independence of 71 years. We all are trying to bring a qualitative change in the villages of the country," said the assembly speaker.The Training-cum-Workshop