Page 744 - Environment
All villages in India electrified: PM
More than seven decades after independence, India has achieved electrification of all its villages after electricity reached Leisang village in Manipur. The target was achieved 12 days ahead of the deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "28th April 2018 will be remembered as a historic day in the development journey of India. Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! I am delighted that every single village of India now has access to electricity," Modi tweeted. As many as 18,452 villages were without electricity when the BJP-led government came to power in May 2014. Today, all of the country's 5,97,464 census villages have been electrified. Electrified means the village is connected to power grid. It essentially does not mean that all its habitants have access to electricity. According to government definition, a village is considered electrified if it has the basic electrical infrastructure and 10 per cent of ...
356 infra projects show cost overrun of Rs 2.19 lakh crore
As many as 356 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or above, have shown cost overrun of Rs 2.19 lakh crore owing to delays and other reasons, a report said. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. "Total original cost of implementation of 1,304 projects was Rs 16.21 lakh crore and their anticipated completion cost is Rs 18.41 lakh crore, which reflects overall cost overrun of Rs 2.19 lakh crore (13.56 per cent of original cost)," the ministry's latest report for January 2018 said. Of these 1,304 projects, 356 reported cost overrun and 258 times escalation. According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till January 2018 is Rs 6.61 lakh crore, which is 35.92 per cent of the anticipated cost of the projects. Of the 1,304 projects, 6 have reported completion and 9 new projects have been initiated during January. While 15 projects are ahead of schedule, 305 are on schedule, 258 ..
India should secure its development, remain committed to climate-related actions: Ex-AEC chief
India should secure its development at the earliest and remain committed to the goals of climate change, former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar said today. Terming management of climate change a globally shared responsibility, he said it could succeed only if development aspirations of countries remain "guaranteed". "India should secure her development as early as possible while remaining responsible on the climate front and not allow development to slow down while pursuing climate-related actions," Kakodkar said. The former AEC chairman was speaking at the release of policy think-tank CEEW's report on sustainable development and India's climate policy. Detailing India's energy needs, he pointed out that to reach a Human Development Index comparable to that of developed nations, the country would need around four billion tons of oil equivalent of total energy supply annually. "Electricity will constitute around 20 per cent of the total energy supply. It is my ...
NASA set to launch first mission to study 'heart' of Mars
NASA's first-ever mission to study the deep interior of Mars is on schedule to launch this week, the US space agency said. The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) is the first planetary mission to take off from the West Coast of US. Most of US' interplanetary missions take off from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, located on the East Coast of the country. Launching on the same rocket is a separate NASA technology experiment known as Mars Cube One (MarCO). MarCO consists of two mini-spacecraft and will be the first test of CubeSat technology in deep space. They are designed to test new communications and navigation capabilities for future missions and may aid InSight communications. InSight is targeted to launch on May 5 at 7:05 am EDT (4:35 pm, Indian Standard Time) from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The lander will study the deep ...
How renewables are powering, empowering Germany's rural economy (Energy Feature)
Tobias Huster is a young grape cultivator and winemaker in Ingelheim in the countryside of this town who wants to expand his family business beyond 200,000 wine bottles annually.
NASA mission to study heart of Mars set for launch
NASA is set to launch Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) on May 5, the first-ever mission to study the heart of Mars.
Bringing eco-friendly vehicles in India an issue due to lack of policy: Honda
Bringing eco-friendly automotive technologies to India in the absence of a clear policy framework is a challenge, according to Japanese auto major Honda. The company which has announced that by 2030 two-thirds of its production will be non-conventional - either hybrid, plug-in, electric or fuel cell vehicles - said it will sell hybrid in India mostly as a technology demonstrator as the current high taxation has affected volumes severely. Honda Cars India, the wholly-owned arm of Honda Motor Co, sells Honda Accord hybrid in India through import of completely built unit from Thailand. Sales of the model had suffered after price hike due to increased taxes after GST implementation last year. "We (Honda) have declared that two-thirds of our production by 2030 will be non-conventional, either hybrid or plug-in or electric or fuel cell. So in line with that we have all the technologies available," Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) Senior VP and Director Marketing and Sales Rajesh Goel told PTI ..
World's oldest known spider dies in Australia
The world's oldest known spider has died at the ripe old age of 43 after being monitored for years during a long-term population study in Australia, researchers said today. The trapdoor matriarch comfortably outlived the previous record holder, a 28-year-old tarantula found in Mexico, according to a study published in the Pacific Conservation Biology Journal. The spider did not die of old age but was killed by a wasp sting, researchers said. Named Number 16, the spider helped scientists to unlock important information about the behaviour of an arachnid that can be found across Australia, including in domestic gardens. "To our knowledge this is the oldest spider ever recorded, and her significant life has allowed us to further investigate the trapdoor spider's behaviour and population dynamics," said lead author Leanda Mason from Curtin University. A research project to study trapdoor spiders in the Central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia was first launched in 1974 by Barbara ...
Centre to give assistance for completing 8 major and 83 minor irrigation projects in drought prone areas of Maharashtra
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Pradhan spends night with villagers as part of 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan'
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday had dinner at a villager's house and spent the night at Haripur village in Mayurbhanj as a part of the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, an initiative taken by the Union Government, is a rural outreach programme, to connect with Dalits and counter-attack the opposition parties that target the Modi Government for its alleged anti- Dalit policies.The Union Minister launched the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan scheme in Haripur village of Mayurbhanj district where the houses received electricity connection and LPG cooking gas.Here, he declared electricity connection to all un-electrified households under the Pradhan Mantri 'Sahaj Bijili Har Ghar Yojana - SAUBHAGYA.'When Pradhan switched on the light in the house of a resident of Haripur village Guru Singh, the latter's joy knew no bounds. This is one of the many families benefitting from household electrification and LPG cooking gas under the Gram Swaraj ...
Melbourne University evacuated after durian fruit's smell mistaken for gas leak
At least 600 staff and students have been evacuated from a university in Melbourne, Australia after the smell of a rotting durian fruit was mistaken for a gas leak."After a comprehensive search, firefighters identified the smell was not chemical gas, but gas generated from rotting durian, an extremely pungent fruit which had been left rotting in a cupboard," the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said in a statement, reported the Washington Post."The Environment Protection Authority will oversee the removal and storage of the waste," the firefighters' statement added.The 'gas' that students smelt at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology's (RMIT) campus library was a rotting durian that had been left in a cupboard.Extra precaution was taken as the building is known to store potentially dangerous chemicals.The pungent odour had made its way through the building via the air conditioning system, according to the reports.The news swiftly garnered the attention of Twitterati."Specialist crews .
Water shortage hits Agra, activists demand cleaning of Yamuna
With the Yamuna totally dry and a fast depleting water table, the citizens of Agra are facing an acute water shortage. Against a demand of 400 MLD, the current water supply is only around 250 MLD and the Mayor, Navin Jain, who heads the Jal Sansthan, has stepped up efforts to stop wastage of water and ensure operational efficiency of the pumping stations. Citizens' protests, demanding more water, have become an everyday affair. "Those living in the distant colonies are hard hit. In some areas, the groundwater level has fallen below 200 feet. The hand-pumps are also not working," Megh Singh, a lawyer living in the Avas Vikas Colony, told PTI. Local MLA Yogendra Upadhyaya said, "We are trying to speed up the Ganga Jal project. The committee appointed by the Supreme Court has been handed over all the documents related to the project and we expect a clearance very soon." The Rs 3,000-crore, 130-km-long pipeline from Bulandshahr district will bring the water of the Ganges to the new Water .
Modi government taking credit for our work on electrification: Congress
Countering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that all villages in India have been connected with electricity under his rule, Congress on Sunday said the government was celebrating inefficiencies and taking credit for the work done by UPA government.
Month-long water conservation drive in Gujarat in May
Gujarat will hold a month-long water conservation drive -- Sujalam Sufalam Yojana -- across the state from May 1 to increase the availability of water.
Govt declaring all protected areas 'plastic free zones' symbolic initiative: Greenpeace
Greenpeace India has termed the recent move by the environment ministry declaring all protected areas in the country 'plastic-free zones' as a "symbolic initiative" and said production of plastics should be controlled to achieve real reduction in such wastes. Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, the environment ministry had recently banned plastics in all protected areas across the country, thus declaring them "plastic free zones". It has directed states and Union territories to organise awareness campaigns to sensitise people about the issue. Greenpeace India said although banning plastic in protected areas is a "good move", the solution is to "turn off the plastic tap" and decisively end non-essential, single-use applications of the material. "It's a symbolic initiative, as 'protected areas' cover only 5 per cent of land area. Plastic consumption needs to be reduced at the source and production should be controlled to achieve real reduction in plastic waste," Climate and Energy
All villages in India connected with electricity: Modi
All villages in India have now been connected with electricity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday.
Bonn meet from Monday to discuss climate agreement, step up action
Climate negotiators from 197 countries, including India, will gather in Bonn in Germany from Monday for a two-week meeting to discuss the implementation of the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement and how to step up action.
This Diwali go for this pollution-free firecracker
A chemical sciences professor in Mohali along with his team of some students developed the first-of-its-kind smoke-free prototype firecracker which could be used to celebrate pollution-free Diwali.Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, Samrat Ghosh, created this non-polluting firecracker.The prototype firecracker which is currently being called the 'IISER-M pollution-free firecracker' is made up of a plastic bottle.The key aspect of the firecracker is its combustible substance (chemical recipe) which has a shelf life of 10-12 days, following which it undergoes self-decomposition, minimizing the risk of a fire hazard.Last year the Supreme Court had imposed a ban on the use of crackers during Diwali in a bid to check pollution caused due to smoke emitted from firecrackers.Ghosh said that crackers are an integral part of the Indian festival, and mentioned that he created the smoke-free cracker
Guj to launch month-long water conservation project from May 1
The Gujarat government will start a month-long initiative from May 1, the state's Foundation Day, to increase its water conservation capacity, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said today. Tasks like deepening ponds, desilting water reservoirs and check dams, cleaning and repairing Narmada canal networks, and implementing rain water harvesting projects in urban areas will be undertaken during the 31-day statewide 'Sujalam Sufalam Water Conservation Initiative,' Rupani told reporters at a press conference. Through the month-long programme, the government aims to increase rain water conservation capacity in the state by 11,000 lakh square feet, he said. The government has earmarked Rs 345 crore for the initiative which will also involve, apart form various government departments, voluntary organisations, industries, educational and religious institutes, and PSUs, he said. He said the state government had an aim to revive 32 rivers, across a length of 340 kilometres, as part of ..
Bhitarkanika National Park to be closed from May 1
With the onset of the breeding season of estuarine crocodiles, the Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district will remain closed for visitors from three months from May 1, a forest official said. Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya, said that the prohibition is being imposed to ensure the safety of humans and provide a congenial environment to the breeding crocodiles. As per the census conducted in January this year, there are 1,698 estuarine crocodiles in the water bodies of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, officials said. In view the commencement of the breeding season, the forest department is also giving priority to the safety of the locals, Acharya said. Local residents need to remain watchful and vigilant and maontain a safe distance from crocodile-infested water-bodies, the DFO said. Crocodiles are found straying from their habitats into water bodies in and around human settlements and ...
