Page 758 - Environment
17 Haryana farmers booked by police in UP
Seventeen farmers from Haryana have been booked by police in western Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district for forcibly taking away the wheat crop cultivated on a disputed land. The disputed farming field is close to the inter-state boundary between the two states and farmers from the two states claim ownership over the land in Mavi village near Kairana town. The Haryana farmers allegedly took away the wheat crop yesterday and a case has been registered against them, Kairana Sub-divisional Magistrate Dushyant Kumar said. Following the incident, tension prevailed in the village.
Prime minister says Australia will sail in South China Sea
Australia's prime minister said the Australian navy has a "perfect right" to traverse the South China Sea after a media report today that the Chinese navy had challenged three Australian warships in the hotly contested waterway. The Chinese "challenged" two Australian frigates and an oil replenishment ship this month as the Australian ships were sailing to Vietnam, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported, citing anonymous defense officials. It is not clear what took place during the encounter while China was conducting its largest ever naval exercises in the region. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did not comment on the specific incident when questioned by reporters in London. "We maintain and practice the right of freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the world and, in this context, we're talking about naval vessels on the world's oceans, including the South China Sea, as is our perfect right in accordance with international law," Turnbull said. The Defence Department said ..
India pitches for small island nations' development at Commonwealth summit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pitched India's interest for the development of small island nations at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here.
34.92 lakh MT wheat procured so far in Punjab
Punjab has procured 34.92 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of wheat during the ongoing Rabi marketing season so far. Payment against the procured grain is also being made on a timely basis, and till April 18, a total of Rs 1,885.30 crore has been paid on this account, an official spokesperson said. Noting that the Punjab government accords top priority to the wheat procurement operations in the state, the spokesperson said the state agencies were fully geared for procurement of an estimated of 130 lakh MT of wheat. A total of 1,836 mandis have been opened in the state so that the farmers do not have to transport their produce across large distances, the spokesperson added.
Two cubs found dead, case registered
A case was registered against unidentified persons in connection with the death of two cubs in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan's Sawaimadhopur district, an official said today. The case was registered with the forest department at Ranthambhore under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 yesterday against unknown offenders, additional principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden GV Reddy said. He said the cubs could have been killed by locals after there were reports of man-animal conflicts in the area. However, nothing conclusive can be said at the moment unless the postmortem and forensic reports come, he said. Two cubs of tigress T-79, both aged around 13 months, were found dead in Anwad ki Khard area in Ranthambhore on Tuesday evening. The cubs had wound on their bodies which were disposed after postmortem yesterday. Reddy informed that samples of visceral organs are being sent for pathological and toxicological tests to Regional Forensic Lab in Bharatpur, ...
Env Min frames new draft coast regulation rules
The Environment Ministry has framed new rules governing the country's coastline in which it has proposed expanding land area for development activities and tourism infrastructure while also simplifying the procedure for CRZ clearances. The ministry has framed a new draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018. The draft notification has been uploaded on the ministry's website and comments sought from the public within 60 days. The ministry, in a statement, said it had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Shailesh Nayak to examine the concerns of coastal states and UTs and various other stakeholders and to recommend appropriate changes in the CRZ Notification, 2011. The report submitted by Nayak has been examined in the ministry and consultations held with various stakeholders in this regard, it said. Under the new draft, CRZ limits on land along the tidal influenced water bodies has been proposed to be reduced from 100 meters or the width of the creek to 50 ...
Four Maharashtra villagers attempt suicide in revenue office
Four villagers attempted suicide on Thursday by consuming pesticides in a local revenue office in Maharashtra's Parbhani district, an official said. All are out of danger.
BSES discoms partner with TERI for power conservation, raise awareness among students
The BSES discoms in the national capital will collaborate with policy research organisation TERI to make efforts to bring down the city's power demand and raise awareness among around 90,000 schoolchildren, said a spokesperson for the company. Multiple agreements were signed by the BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and the BSES Rajdhnai Power Limited (BRPL) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to deal with different aspects of energy conservation and demand side management (DSM), he said. The agreement with BRPL will see the launch of an innovative educational program (Energy Wise Energy Rise) for government schoolchildren. The program will educate, train and reach out to around 90,000 students in government schools. It will provide students with a unique platform to help them make sustainable choices, learn new concepts and share experiences on energy efficiency, sustainable energy and newer ways to mitigate environmental hazards. The two organisations have signed a two-year
Stray leopard captured, released in Assam
A female adult leopard, suspected to have strayed from the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam's Jorhat district, was trapped in a nearby village today and later released in the wild, a forest official said. The leopard had come out from the sanctuary around a month ago and had killed goats, dogs, ducks and hens in nearby villages. The animal had also attacked a five-member cultural troupe on April 15, said Tankeswar Gayon, an official of Jorhat Forest Division. The big cat was trapped in the wee hours today in Meleng-Gayon village under Teok police station near the Sanctuary and was later released in the wild, Gayon said. The leopard was suspected to have come out from Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary with two cubs in search of food and water as the sanctuary is facing food crisis. Local residents complained that wild animals regularly come out from the sanctuary in search of food terrorising the people by killing, or injuring domestic animals. Demanding protection from the wild
L-G asks civic bodies to make plan for managing fire at all 3 landfill sites
Lt Governor Anil Baijal today directed city's municipal corporations to make plan for management of fire and remediation of sanitary landfill sites in the national capital. Baijal asked Principal Secretary (urban development) Renu Sharma to explore the possibility of issuing order asking authorities concerned to mandatorily use products made out of construction and demolition waste. The Lt Governor also directed Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to monitor the progress of procurement of mechanical road sweepers, sprinklers by municipal corporations as per their timelines on a weekly basis. The directions were issued at a meeting chaired by Baijal to review the detailed action plan of agencies and stakeholders on measures to combat air pollution in the city. The meeting was attended by Environment Minister Imran Hussain, Prakash and other senior officers. "MCDs, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) presented detailed plan to increase municipal solid waste processing capacity to ensure ...
Lyft to offset emissions from rides with projects combating climate change
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Lyft Inc is launching a program on Thursday to offset emissions from the 1.4 million cars that drive for the U.S. ride-hailing service by investing in projects to reduce other sources of greenhouse gas, the company said.
Punjab proposes to give 7.19 pc share in BBMB project to HP in 15 yrs
Punjab has proposed to give Himachal Pradesh its 7.19 per cent share of power from electricity projects of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in phased manner as part of the settlement of an inter-state dispute over share in power projects, a senior official said today. "Punjab has proposed that it will give Himachal its 7.19 per cent share of electricity in BBMB power projects within a period of 15 years," official said here. However, he said that Punjab had not agreed to pay any financial liability as part of the arrears worked out by Himachal government. Yesterday, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Chandigarh had said his government would raise the issue of its 7.19 per cent share in electricity generated in power projects of BBMB. Himachal Pradesh has been demanding its share in electricity generated from BBMB power projects for long. In 2011, the Supreme Court had upheld the state's claim of 7.19 per cent share in BBMB power projects located in Himachal ...
Environment Ministry frames new draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification
The salient features of the draft CRZ Notification, 2018 and changes with respect to CRZ Notification, 2011, are as under:-
Asia Rice: India prices dip amid rupee decline, Thai rates soar on supply crunch
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India dropped for a second week on sluggish demand and a weaker rupee, while Thai rates surged amid supply woes and fresh deals buoyed Vietnamese rates.
Indian scientist leads in tackling e-waste hazard in Australia
Leading in tackling the growing mountains of e-waste, an Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT)-trained Indo-Australian scientist helped launch the world's first micro factory that can transform electronic waste (e-waste) - like smart phones and laptops - into valuable materials for re-use.Professor Veena Sahajwalla, a materials scientist at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) at the Sydney-based varsity, said the e-waste micro factory is the first of a series under development and in testing at UNSW.These micro factories can also turn many types of consumer waste such as glass, plastic and timber into commercial materials and products.Using technology developed after extensive scientific research at the SMaRT Centre, the e-waste micro factory has the potential to reduce the rapidly growing problem of vast amounts of electronic waste that cause environmental harm and go into landfills.The micro ...
China's bicycle sharing firm ofo gets over 1.1 million orders in India
Chinese bicycle-sharing company, ofo has received more than 1.1 million orders in India in the first quarter of 2018, the company said, adding that India needs more such environmentally-friendly public transport solutions. ofo, China's top bicycle sharing firm, had entered the Indian market in November last. Its service is now available in seven Indian cities, including New Delhi, Indore, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Coimbatore and Chennai. "India has a huge population, and with the worsening of urban problems, like environmental pollution and traffic congestion, India needs more environmentally-friendly public transport solutions," Dexter Sim, in charge of ofo's business in India, has been quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. "There are 15 more Indian cities interested in the bicycle-sharing service," Sim said. So far, ofo has operations in 19 foreign countries, and offers more than 1.20 lakh green rides in over 70 cities overseas. China's bicycle sharing concept ...
BSES, TERI tie-up on energy efficiency, student awareness
Delhi power distribution company (Discom) BSES on Thursday announced that it has signed separate agreements with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to deal with different aspects of energy conservation and conduct research on Demand Side Management (DSM).
Chinese bike-sharing service ofo welcomed in India
Chinese bike-sharing company ofo received more than 1.1 million orders in India in the first quarter in 2018, the firm said on Thursday.
Mumbai airport: Man held for smuggling gold dust worth Rs 27 lakh
A man allegedly trying to smuggle in gold dust worth over Rs 27 lakh by concealing it in his waist belt, has been apprehended at the airport here, officials said today. They said Shajeer K was intercepted by a Central Industrial Security Force official on April 17 when he was undergoing frisking before boarding a flight to Kozhikode from here. He had landed here from Riyadh earlier in the day. The CISF official found his waist belt suspicious and asked him to undergo a detailed frisking, during which gold dust blended with concentrated gel and wrapped in a plastic sheet was detected, they said. About 960 grammes of gold dust, worth over Rs 27 lakh, was found, the officials said. The man and the belt containing the gold dust were handed over to the Customs authorities, they said.
NCAP to play crucial role to address air pollution: Minister
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which proposes multiple strategies to combat air pollution, is estimated to cost Rs 637 crore, the environment ministry today said, with its Minister of State Mahesh Sharma asserting that the plan is expected to play a "crucial" role in addressing the menace. The ministry, which recently released the draft of the NCAP and invited comments from various stakeholders by May 17, was also criticised by Greenpeace India that said the absence of pollution reduction targets of 35 per cent in three years and 50 per cent in five years in the plan was a cause of "grave concern". Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan had said in February that the ministry hopes to bring down air pollution in around 100 non-attainment cities by 50 per cent in the next five years under the NCAP. The non-attainment cities are areas which have air quality below the national ambient air quality standard. Inaugurating a two-day stakeholder consultation on the NCAP here today,
