Page 735 - Environment
Four S.Korean temples recommended for Unesco list
Four South Korean Buddhist temples were recommended for addition to the Unesco World Heritage list, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said here.
NASA counts down to liftoff of Mars lander, InSight
NASA counted down today to the long-awaited launch of its latest Mars lander, InSight, designed to perch on the surface of the Red Planet and listen for "Marsquakes." The spacecraft was scheduled to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket at 4:05 am Pacific time (1105 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Foggy weather was the only technical concern ahead of the launch, and NASA safety officers said yesterday the usual visibility constraints might be waived so the launch could proceed. The USD 993 million project aims to expand human knowledge of conditions on Mars, inform efforts to send human explorers there, and reveal how rocky planets like the Earth formed billions of years ago. If all goes as planned, the lander should settle on the Red Planet on November 26. Its name, InSight, is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. NASA chief scientist Jim Green said experts already know that Mars has quakes, avalanches and meteor ...
Centre looks at AI to boost crop yield
To improve crop productivity and farmers' incomes, the Centre may take the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the same and introduce in some parts of the country initially.In this endeavour, NITI Aayog, the government's policy think-tank, and IBM have signed a Statement of Intent to support the farmers with AI too, along with various other government-sponsored schemes and programmes, according to an official statement.With the AI, the government hopes to provide a crop yield prediction model to farmers by feeding them with insights on crop productivity and soil yield.This data would provide real-time advisory to farmers.The first phase of the project will be launched in 10 Aspirational Districts across Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.Also, the project would provide crop monitoring, early warning on pest and disease outbreak, so that agriculture output does not fall below critical level.Highlighting the importance of the ...
Sikkim sets an example for judicious use of bio-diversity: CM
The Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Changing has said that his state has set an example for judicious use of its bio-diversity for sustainable development. Sikkim has only over 12 per cent of the state's area under cultivation, but the state has been able to provide livelihood to 64 per cent of its population by maintaining high agro-genetic diversity, Chamling said here yesterday. He was speaking at an international conference on biodiversity and sustainable development goals with the theme 'Sustainable Livelihood and Protecting the Planet'. "We have consciously undertaken measures for judicious use of bio-diversity to create congenial environment for sustainable development. We may be small in geographical area, but we have given high priority to maintaining rich bio-diversity, designing specific schemes to create payments and incentives for eco-system services" he said. Sikkim has achieved adequate yield of agricultural and horticultural produces to meet domestic ...
CRI bags Rs 150 cr EESL order
CRI has bagged a Rs.150 crore order from Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Government of India Enterprise under the Union Ministry of Power, for implementation of the Agriculture Demand Side Management (AgDSM) program in association with the Government of Andhra Pradesh.The AgDSM program is aimed to replace existing inefficient agriculture pumps with BEE five star rated energy efficient pumpsets along with Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart control panels with estimated energy saving potential of 25 per cent.These pumpsets are provided at free of cost to farmers with free maintenance for five years. The project will cover over 40,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh.The order follows by CRI Pumps taking up a pilot project eight years ago in Maharashtra- the only company to do so, initiated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India to reduce electricity consumption used for irrigation.The average efficiency range of BEE Star rated Energy Efficient Pumpsets is 40 .
ENI, Italian national research council ink clean energy accord
Rome, May 5 (IANS/AKI) Italian energy giant ENI and Italy's National Research Council on Friday signed a multi-million euro agreement aimed at curbing global warming and desertification.
UP Deputy CM meets victims of storm
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Friday visited a number in villages in Agra, where more than 50 people died and around 60 were injured in Wednesday thunderstorm, and distributed compensation, officials said.
Tiger captured from abandoned rubber factory in UP
A young male tiger, who had taken refuge inside an abandoned rubber factory in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly was captured by a wildlife body along with the state Forest Department. An operation to capture the wild cat was kicked off on April 22, soon after it was first spotted. The tiger was captured yesterday after the team attempted to tranquillise it at around 2 pm. "The tiger was wary and slightly agitated due to the presence of humans, which made the operation very challenging. Three doses of darts had to be shot to completely sedate the animal," WTI Veterinarian Dr Reetika Maheshwari said. Weighing 172.45 kg on an empty stomach and aged around three to four years old, the young male had an injured right foreleg, the second claw had been ripped off and the wound was infected, and a puncture wound between the second and the third digits was also infected. As a first step, camera traps were deployed across the premises of the abandoned building to understand the routine, movement ...
Tripura CM asks Centre to ensure removal of port restriction imposed by Bangladesh
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb today asked the Centre to ensure removal of port restrictions on several items imposed by Bangladesh so as to increase export to the neighbouring country. Addressing an interactive session of the chief ministers of northeastern states on 'Act East Policy' that was chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here, Deb also said the Ministry of External Affairs should take initiative for implementation of BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) motor vehicle agreement for free movement of vehicles from Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka. Deb said during 2016, total volume of trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was Rs 304. 83 crore and export from Tripura was only Rs 4.60 crore. Thus, there is severe trade deficit being faced by Tripura due to port restrictions imposed by Bangladesh on the items exported from Tripura. The chief minister requested the Ministry of External Affairs to take appropriate measures to remove trade restrictions on 27 .
Niti inks pact with IBM to develop crop yield prediction model using AI
Niti Aayog and IBM today signed a pact to develop a crop yield prediction model using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real time advisory to farmers in Aspirational Districts, an official statement said. According to the statement, the partnership aims to work towards use of technology to provide insights to farmers to improve crop productivity, soil yield and control agricultural inputs with the overarching goal of improving farmers' incomes. First phase of the project will focus on developing the model for 10 Aspirational Districts across Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The scope of this project is to introduce and make available climate-aware cognitive farming techniques and identifying systems of crop monitoring, early warning on pest/disease outbreak based on advanced AI innovations. IBM will be using artificial intelligence to provide all the relevant data and platform for developing technological models for improving ...
Total EU carbon emissions rise 1.8 per cent last year: Eurostat
Carbon emissions from burning oil, coal and gas rose in most European Union countries in 2017, data showed today, in a sign the bloc was struggling to reduce greenhouse gas blamed for climate change. The Eurostat statistics office said carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.8 per cent across the 28-nation bloc last year over 2016, with the highest increases in Malta at 12.8 per cent and then Estonia at 11.3 per cent. A total of seven countries registered decreases, with Finland having the sharpest drop at minus 5.9 per cent. It was followed by Denmark at minus 5.8 per cent, Britain at minus 3.2 per cent and Ireland at minus 2.9 per cent. Germany, the bloc's largest economy, saw a slight decrease of minus two per cent. Carbon emissions, a major factor behind global warming, account for around 80 per cent of all EU greenhouse gas emissions, Eurostat said. "They are influenced by factors such as climate conditions, economic growth, size of the population, transport and industrial activities," ..
NITI Aayog ropes in IBM to use AI in agriculture
The government's policy think-tank NITI Aayog on Friday decided to partner with leading technology company IBM to develop a crop yield prediction model using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real time advisory to farmers in "aspirational districts".
FAO in appeal for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Rome, May 4 (IANS/AKI) The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has launched an appeal for $8.3 million to aid some 1.2 million vulnerable Rohingya refugees as well as host populations in Bangladesh at the onset of the cyclone and monsoon rains season, FAO said on Friday.
Expansion of pharmaceutical unit; HC notice to Puducherry govt
The Madras High Court has issued notice to the Puducherry government on a PIL seeking direction to halt the proposed expansion of a pharmaceutical unit, which was allegedly causing grave pollution, and stop a public hearing on the matter. The division bench, comprising justices V Bharathidasan and N Seshasayee, before which the PIL filed by Ashok Anand came up yesterday, issued notice to the government, including its Pollution Control Committee which had issued notice for a public hearing on the proposed expansion on May 8. The petitioner alleged that the pharmaceutical unit manufacturing drugs was a 'Red category' large industry and that as per Central Pollution Control Board classification, it was already causing grave pollution. He alleged that the unit,which did not have the mandatory environmental clearances, was continuing its operations in violation of a ban by the government. The unit was operating from the year 1990, consuming several lakh liters of water per day and it has ..
Agencies given deadline to repair dug up Delhi roads
Agencies which take up digging of city roads for various projects will have to fix or repair these within a fixed time frame, Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday.
Delhi govt tells agencies to restore roads dug by them within a month
The Delhi government has directed the agencies responsible for sewage and supplies of water and power to take up restoration of roads dug by them within a month to avoid penalty. Speaking to reporters, Delhi Urban Development Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain said, "The decision has been pre-approved by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Now any agency, be it Delhi Jal Board or those dealing with power or sewage, that cuts roads has to restore within a deadline of one month. Road cutting and restoration - both should happen together." "Till now the process was like this - for example, in Saraswati Vihar E Block - installation of water line cost Rs 40 lakh - and cost for restoration work Rs 1.65 crore was given to MCD. After two years the civic body restored the roads. Entire colony was in trouble. Restoration would have cost nearly Rs 20 lakh only," Jain said. Now the agency themselves will do it which will also reduce the cost and time, he said, terming the decision as a major reform to ...
Punjab wheat arrival crosses 120 lakh tonnes
Wheat arrival in food grain state Punjab has crossed the 120 lakh tonnes mark this season, an official said here on Friday.
Haryana disputes WHO pollution report on Faridabad
The Haryana Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has disputed the recent report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) stating that Faridabad is at second place in the list of most polluted cities in the world.
Adityanath cuts short Karnataka campaign
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth is rushing back from Karnataka tonight, cutting short his election tour amid opposition flak for staying away from his own state even after a storm claimed 73 lives there. The chief minister will arrive in worst-hit Agra tonight and visit the affected areas tomorrow morning, state's Principal Secretary Information Avanish Awasthi said. Adityanath will review the relief efforts in the district and then leave for Kanpur and other areas. Parts of western UP were battered in Wednesday's storm which also struck the adjoining Rajasthan districts. Forty-three people died in Agra district alone. Altogether, 124 people were killed and over 300 others injured in five states due thunderstorms and lightning in the last two days, the Union Home Ministry said today. Adityanath was criticised in UP and in Karnataka, where he is campaigning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ahead of the the assembly elections on May 12. "I am sorry your CM is needed here .
Avoid BJP manifesto, it is 'poorly crafted fantasy on weak plot': Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi today dubbed the BJP's Karnataka manifesto as a "poorly crafted fantasy built around a weak plot" and asked the voters not to waste their time on it. Taking to Twitter, Gandhi gave the BJP's poll document a "1/5 rating". "New Book Review! "The BJP Karnataka Manifesto, inspired by Narendra Modi, is a poorly crafted fantasy built around a weak plot, that has nothing unique to offer voters. If you've read the Congress Manifesto, don't waste your time on this one. "Rating: 1/5 ? "Recommendation: Avoid," he tweeted. The BJP, in its manifesto released for Karnataka elections, made a plethora of promises to reach out to various sections --from farm loan waiver and other sops to farmers, freebies like laptops for students and smartphones for BPL women to a commission for cow protection. As it seeks to wrest the state from the Congress, the BJP said Rs 1.5 lakh crore will be spent on irrigation projects and farm loans of up to Rs 1 lakh borrowed from ...
