Page 750 - Environment
Normal monsoon will enable favourable Kharif production: Agri Minister
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh suggested that the Kharif season this year would witness favourable produce, in lieu of suitable climatic conditions."The Indian meteorological department has forecast a normal monsoon this year, which indicates the likelihood of good crop production in the coming Kharif season," he said while speaking at the national conference on agriculture for Kharif campaign here on Wednesday.The minister further expressed confidence in the government with regards to doubling farmers' income by the stipulated 2022 deadline. To achieve this, he said the Ministry has been working to reduce the cost of farming, increase production through better productivity, ensure profitable returns and risk management given the uncertainty of weather."Today, India is not only self-dependent but also an exporter of many agricultural products," he added.Singh also stated that the government aims to make agriculture-related policies and programmes income-oriented rather ..
DDA finalises action plan for large scale afforestation for planting 4.15L seedlings
The Delhi Development Authority has finalised an action plan for large scale afforestation for planting nearly 4.15 lakh seedlings of indigenous varieties in the coming planting season in various parks, green belts, roadsides, the agency said today. Delhi LG Anil Baijal had directed the DDA to enhance green areas by taking afforestation in the DDA parks, green belts, roadsides, Yamuna Flood Plains, Central Verge of Roads, etc. He had directed the DDA to take up afforestation so that pollution levels can be brought down in Delhi. Accordingly, the DDA has finalised the action plan for large scale afforestation for planting nearly 4.15 lakh seedlings of indigenous varieties in the coming planting season, the statement said. The DDA has also permitted compensatory afforestation on land in the Yamuna Flood Plains of the DDA in lieu of trees to be felled for various developmental works on lands with NHAI, ITPO, DMICDC (Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation), it added. The
Our education didn't teach us about dignity of farming: Satyapal Singh
Lamenting the poor state of Indian villages, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh on Wednesday said that our education failed in teaching people about the dignity of farming.
Gadchiroli encounter: Two more Naxals' bodies recovered
Days after an encounter broke out between Naxals and security forces in the jungles of Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, two more bodies of Naxals were recovered from Indravati River on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 39.In the encounter that began on April 20, 31 Naxals were killed, and six more were killed in Jimalgatta forest area the next day.Said to be the biggest encounter in Maharashtra yet, several bodies have been recovered from different locations in the district, in the past four days.The encounter first broke out in Etapalli's Boriya forest area after a team of Maharashtra Police's C-60 commandos, following specific inputs, was dispatched to the area.
Mahadayi River Dispute: K'taka farmers leave for Delhi to meet President
In a bid to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to put forth their demands regarding the Mahadayi River dispute, over 400 protesting farmers have set off on their journey to New Delhi from Karnataka."We'll meet the President on April 30th and tell him that if we don't get water then we must be permitted to give up our lives," said one of the agitating farmers.They will also hold a three-day protest in the national capital.Karnataka and neighbouring Goa have conflicting interests on the issue of sharing water from the Mahadayi River. While the river originates in Karnataka, a major part of it flows in Goa.Karnataka plans to divert waters from the river to Malaprabha basin in the state.The pro-Kannada organisations and farming communities bodies had earlier also called for a bandh over the dispute.
On climate, Macron tells US Congress there is 'no Planet B'
French President Emmanuel Macron told US lawmakers today there is "no Planet B," acknowledging a disagreement with President Donald Trump, who pulled his nation from the landmark Paris accord on climate change. "Let us face it. There is no Planet B," Macron said in an address to Congress on the final day of his state visit to the United States. "We have disagreements between the United States and France. It may happen, like in all families," he said -- but such differences would be short-term. "We're just citizens of the same planet," Macron said. "With business leaders and local communities, let us work together in order to make our planet great again and create new jobs and new opportunities while safeguarding our Earth. And I'm sure one day, the United States would come back and join the Paris agreement." Trump said last year that his country would withdraw from the accord, which aims to reduce damaging emissions and was signed by almost 200 countries.
Uddhav seeks shifting of Nanar oil refinery proj to Vidarbha
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today called for shifting the proposed oil refinery project from the coastal Ratnagiri district to Vidarbha, saying that the investment-starved eastern Maharashtra needs it more. Thackeray was speaking to media-persons at his residence 'Matoshree' here, after dissident BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh -- who hails from Vidarbha -- met him to discuss the project. "Deshmukh has given me a well-studied proposal. I feel proud of him. It is now clear that Nanar refinery project will not happen at any cost. A picture was being created that this project will be shifted to Gujarat (if it was opposed at Nanar in Ratnagiri). But there are other places in Maharashtra where this project can be shifted," Thackeray said. In the past no attempts were made to develop the Vidarbha region, and as the project will generate around one lakh jobs, Vidarbha needs it, Thackeray said. "The chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) has assured that the project will not be forced .
Bodies of 2 more Naxals recovered; encounter toll rises to 39
The death toll after a massive operation against Maoists in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district since Sunday rose to 29, with bodies of two more Naxals being fished out of a river today, police said. "Two more bodies of Naxals were recovered from the Indravati river during a search operation," they said. "Two more bodies and some body parts, probably eaten by crocodiles, were also fished out from the river in the Kasnasur jungle area of Gadchiroli district," police said. Of the 39 bodies recovered so far, 16 have been identified, police said, adding that the identified Naxals carried a combined reward of Rs 1.06 crore. The operation is the result of coordination between C-60 commandos of the Maharashtra Police in hot pursuit of Naxals. "In the operation by C-60 squad in the Kasanasur jungle area, 16 bodies of Naxals (9 male and 7 female) were recovered on April 22," police said. "Due to heavy rains and paucity of manpower, search was stopped. On Monday, an operation was launched to ...
India aims to produce record 283.7 million tonnes of grains next year
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India aims to produce a record 283.7 million tonnes of grains in the crop to June 2019, the farm ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, up from 277.49 million tonnes of estimated production in the current year.
Foodgrain production to be 284 MT in 2018-19: Government
In the backdrop of prediction of a normal monsoon this year and buoyed with the bumper production in last two years, the government on Wednesday said the total food production in 2018-19 will be a record 283.7 million tonnes, including 113 million tonnes of rice.
Bangladesh's first satellite to go aloft on May 7
Bangladesh is all set to become a member of the exclusive club of satellite-owning countries as its first commercial satellite "Bangabandhu-1" will likely be flying to space on May 7 from the US.
Emission standards for thermal power plants: SC asks govt to file detailed affidavit
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to file a detailed affidavit on emission standards for thermal power plants after the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) said it has received comments from the Ministry of Power on the issue. A bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta also sought the response of court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) on a separate plea filed by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) seeking its nod to use a low sulphur content fuel. During the brief hearing, Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the MoEF&CC, placed before the bench the comments received from the Ministry of Power on the EPCA report on emission standards for thermal power plants. Advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said that MoEF&CC should be asked to file an affidavit giving all the details since their earlier affidavit does not give the entire
Meghalaya to study Alappuzha city's waste management programme
The Meghalaya government will send a team to Alappuzha city in Kerala next week to study the waste management programme adopted by it, Urban Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling said today. Alappuzha is also known as the cleanest city in India, he said, adding that a team will go there with an objective to study the technique adopted by the city for handling waste. "The objective of the study visit to Alappuzha is to find out if the same model can be replicated in Shillong. The team will interact with the municipal corporation of Kerala on the subject and explore all possibilities," Dohling said. Dohling said the state government is concerned about Shillong and its cleanliness since the National Games are supposed to be held in the state in 2022. Alappuzha has been recognised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), among five cities in the world, which are working towards curbing pollution through their sustainable solid waste management practices, Dohling ...
5-foot royal snake rescued from Delhi Assembly
A five-foot-long royal snake was rescued from the Delhi Assembly today. According to NGO Wildlife SOS, this was the second royal snake to be rescued by its team from the Delhi Assembly this year. "The nearly five-foot-long snake was found coiled up in an air cooler outside the library block (of the Assembly) by the staff," the NGO said in a statement. It stated that a two-member team of snake rescuers promptly arrived on site to carry out the rescue operation and they carefully extricated the snake from the cooler and transferred it into a safe transport carrier. The Assembly is located very close to Kamla Nehru Ridge, which is home to a variety of wildlife species mainly birds, reptiles, deer and antelopes, Wildlife SOS special projects manager Wasim Akram said.
Foodgrain production to be 284 MT in 2018-19: Government (Lead, Correcting Headline)
Total food production in 2018-19 will be 283.7 million tonnes, including 113 million tonnes of rice, Union Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.
BJP lying, landfill sites were allotted by DDA: AAP
Delhi's ruling AAP on Wednesday said that the BJP was lying to people that the former was responsible for allotment of two landfill sites in the city, saying the decision was taken by the Central government-controlled Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
Govt sets foodgrain production target at 284 MT for 2018-19
The agriculture ministry has set a target to increase foodgrain production by over 6 million tonnes to record 283.7 million tonnes in 2018-19 crop year on hopes of weather office forecast of normal monsoon. The foodgrain output in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June) is estimated at an all-time high 277.49 million tonnes, as per the second advance estimates released by the ministry in February. The record production in last couple of years has led to fall in prices of agri-commodities and level of distress in farm sector. "IMD has forecast normal monsoon this year, which indicates the likelihood of good crop production in the coming Kharif season," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said at a national conference on agriculture for Kharif campaign. The minister said that the minimum support price (MSP) for Kharif crops will be fixed 50 per cent higher than the cost of production as announced in the Budget this year. Singh said the government will soon announce a scheme to ensure that
India now pays more attention to environment: Venkaiah Naidu
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said India now pays much more attention to environment than earlier.
Foodgrain production to be 284 MT in 2008-19: Government
Total food production in 2018-19 will be 283.7 million tonnes, including 113 million tonnes of rice, Union Agriculture Ministry said on Wednesday.
Cabinet approves restructured National Bamboo Mission
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved centrally-sponsored National Bamboo Mission (NBM) under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) for the remaining period of the 14th Finance Commission till 2019-20.
