Page 77 - Environment
Naxals torch two drilling machines & vehicle in C'garh
Naxals allegedly set ablaze two drilling machines and a vehicle engaged in soil testing work for construction of a bridge in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said Friday. The incident took place late Thursday night under Bande police station area, Kanker Superintendent of Police K L Dhruv told PTI. The drilling machines were engaged in soil testing work in Bande riverbed before construction of pillars of the bridge on the river that flows along Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border, he said. As per the information, a group of Naxals reached the work site and threatened workers to leave the place. After torching two drilling machines and a goods matador vehicle partially laden with cement sacks, the ultras escaped from the spot, Dhruv said. Soon after being informed about the incident, a police team was rushed to the spot. Security in the area has been beefed up and combing operation intensified to trace the attackers, he added.
Javadekar takes charge of I&B, invokes Emergency to highlight importance of press freedom
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday invoked the curtailment of press freedom during the Emergency under the Congress rule to assert that media freedom is the essence of democracy. Speaking to the media after taking charge of the ministry, Javadekar said the government not only recognises freedom of press, but cherishes it. "Press freedom is the essence of democracy and we not only recognise it, we cherish it. In the history of free India, only once this freedom of press was curtailed and that was in 1975 during Emergency brought by the then Congress government," he said. "That was the black period for the media, there was everyday censorship and complete curtailment of press freedom. We fought against it under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani ji," Javadekar said. He said the leaders fought on two-three main issues during Emergency and press freedom was one of them. "I am very happy that it was restored after our struggle
China encroaching Nepal's land, shows Government survey
China is encroaching into Nepal's land through an ongoing road expansion project in Tibet, said Ministry of Agriculture on Friday.As per the data from the ministry, 36 hectors of land in four different districts touching Chinese border now fall into the Chinese side.China changed the direction of the river which now has been diverted to the Nepali side. This resulted in the encroachment of land, the Ministry has concluded."Nepal would lose a hundred acres of land to the Tibetian side," Ministry stated in its report.The Ministry's Survey department have had conducted a month-long survey in the year of 2015 about the flow of the river in Nepal-Sino border.As per the data from survey six hectors of land in Humla's Bhagdare River and four hectors of land in Karnali, river area has been encroached, now falling in Furang area of Tibet.Likewise, in Rasuwa district's Sanjen River, Bhurjung River and Jambukhola area a total of six hectors of land has fallen into Tibet's Kerung area. In ...
Horticulture Crop Production Estimated Up 1%
Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has released the Second Advanced Estimate (2018-19) of Area and Production of various Horticulture Crops, as compiled from information received from different State/UTs and source agencies. The Total Horticulture Production of the country is estimated to be 314.87 Million Tonnes which is 1.01% higher than Horticulture Production in 2017-18.
Japan adopts measures to reduce plastic waste before G20
Japan on Friday adopted a series of measures to reduce the production of plastic waste ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka city at the end of June, where the issue is one of the main items on the agenda.
14 turtles found dead in dried-up pond, 15 others rescued
Fourteen turtles were found dead in a dried-up pond in Gagodar village in Kutch district of Gujarat, forest officials said on Friday. Deputy conservator of forests (wildlife) S S Asoda said 15 other turtles were rescued from the pond after the incident was reported on Thursday evening. "After being alerted, our team rushed to the pond that is located in Rapar taluka, and found carcasses of 14 turtles. They must have died due to lack of water as the severe heatwave has dried up the pond," he told PTI over phone. "Fifteen other turtles, which were found alive there, were rescued and immediately shifted to another pond in Thanisara village located nearby, which still has sufficient amount of water," Asoda said. PTI COR while 15 turtles were found alive from this pond, who were shifted to another pond located at thanisara village two miles away from gagodar village which is full of water. The narmada water was pumped into this pond recently. Stated asoda Asoda said that the ..
Issue notification on Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary boundary in 6 months: NGT to govt
Protection of wildlife species in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is not possible unless it is kept free of human interference, NGT said Friday and directed the central and the Uttar Pradesh governments to issue notification specifying the habitat's boundary within six months. Inordinate delay in the notification under Section 26 (A) of the Wildlife Protection Act is unacceptable and because of this reason a large number of industries are flourishing within the sanctuary adversely affecting various wildlife species, it said. There are umpteen orders passed by the Supreme Court that no industry can be allowed within a wildlife sanctuary, the tribunal noted. A bench comprising Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore and expert member S S Garbyal said that despite a number of projects or schemes undertaken by the state government for protection and conservation of the wildlife species and the habitat of the sanctuary, there have not been desired results. "And none of these interventions will yield ..
TN challenges Madras HC's order against Chennai-Salem Expressway
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order that cancelled the land acquisition announcement for the controversial eight-lane expressway between Chennai and Salem at a cost of about Rs 10,000 crore.
Team to study unregulated agri-biostimulants: ICAR DG
To protect farmers from unregulated biostimulants, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Trilochan Mohapatra Friday said a team has been set up to study the matter in depth. While there is no legal definition of biostimulants, they include diverse formulations of compounds, substances and microorganisms that are applied to plants or soils to improve crop yields, quality and tolerance of abiotic stresses. Currently, the biostimulants are not regulated like fertilisers and pesticides in the country. "Since these products are not regulated, many manufacturers are selling without testing their efficacy. This segment is growing fast and there is a need to regulate it," Mohapatra told PTI. These products are being sold in the country without any regulation. For instance, in Rajasthan, it is believed that the size of the biostimulant market is roughly estimated to be around Rs 300 crore, he said. "We have set up a team to look into the matter. The team will study in
GM fungus can rapidly kill 99pc malaria mosquitoes: Study
A fungus genetically modified to produce spider toxin can rapidly kill over 99 per cent of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study has found. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria affects hundreds of millions of people around the world, killing more than 400,000 annually. Decades of insecticide use has failed to control mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite and has led to insecticide-resistance among many mosquito strains. In response, scientists began genetically modifying mosquitoes and other organisms that can help eradicate mosquitoes. Until now, none of these transgenic approaches made it beyond laboratory testing. Scientists from the University of Maryland (UMD) in the US carried the first trial outside the laboratory of a transgenic approach to combating malaria. The study, published in the journal Science, showed that a naturally occurring fungus engineered to deliver a toxin to mosquitoes safely reduced mosquito populations by more than 99 per ...
Tata Power to build 100 MW solar project in Gujarat
A Tata Power subsidiary will build a 100 megawatt (MW) solar project at Raghanesda in Gujarat's Banaskantha district, the leading integrated power major said on Friday.
Govt forms 'Jal Shakti' Ministry by merging Water Resources and Drinking Water Ministries
A new 'Jal Shakti' Ministry, in which the erstwhile ministries of Water Resources and Drinking Water and Sanitation will be merged, has been formed with Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at its helm. Shekhawat took charge of the ministry on Friday, a day after he was sworn in as minister. During the election campaign, Modi had promised to form an integrated ministry dealing with water issues. "All the water related works will be merged under one ministry," Shekhawat said after taking the charge. The ambit of the ministry will encompass issues ranging from international and inter-states water disputes, the byzantine Namami Gange project, the flagship initiative to clean the Ganges, its tributaries and sub-tributaries and provide clean drinking water. In the first Modi government, the project to clean Ganga was moved from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the Ministry of Water Resources. With a greater push and much larger monetary allocation, the Namami Gange project was launched. The .
NGT raps Bihar, Jharkhand, WB govts for inaction on Ganga, slaps Rs 25 lakh fine
The National Green Tribunal has rapped the governments of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal and slapped a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on them for inaction over continued damage to river Ganga. It noted that in Bihar there is practically no progress as not a single sewage infrastructure project has been completed. Similarly, in West Bengal only three projects out of 22 have been completed and even for Jharkhand progress is not adequate, it said. "The States of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are not represented in spite of orders of this tribunal by which we recorded strong disapproval to such attitude of the said States. Such insensitivity in a serious matter is a matter of concern. "We direct the States of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal to deposit Rs 25 lakh each by way of interim compensation for the continued damage to Ganga and inaction of the said States even in responding to this tribunal with the CPCB within a month which may be spent on restoration of the environment," the bench ..
Hemkund Sahib to reopen for devotees on Saturday
The sacred portals of Hemkund Sahib, one of the most revered Sikh shrines in the Garhwal Himalayas, will reopen for devotees on Saturday morning. The Himalayan shrine is closed annually for the winter season during which the area becomes snow-bound and difficult to access. Garhwal Commissioner BVRC Purushottam flagged off the first batch of around 8,000 pilgrims from the Govind Ghat Gurudwara for the Himalayan shrine on Friday after the recital of Akhand Sahib, the Sikh holy book, senior manager of the management trust of the temple Seva Singh said. Located at a height of over 15,000 ft above the sea level, and about 21 km away from Govind Ghat, Hemkund Sahib was built near a lake where the 10th guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, is said to have performed tapasya (meditation). Devotees have to undertake a steep trek of around 18 km beyond Pulna to reach the shrine which is shut every year during winter.
Ban on fishing imposed in Karnataka for 2 months
The Karnataka government on Friday issued an order banning mechanised fishing activities off its coast for 61 days to facilitate breeding of aqua fauna in the Arabian Sea.The ban, which will come into effect from tomorrow and continue till July 31, was issued considering the safety of fisherman during the monsoon season as well.According to D Thippeswamy, Deputy Director of Fisheries in Mangaluru, no mechanised boat will be allowed to carry out fishing activities in the sea during the ban."The ban will apply to boats having on board or outboard engines above 10 hp. It will not apply to traditional and motorised boats fitted with outboard engines less than 10 hp capacity," he told ANI.The official said, "Monsoon season is considered as the breeding time for fishes and if we allow fishing during this period, it will affect their growth in future. That is why we are imposing a ban on fishing activities."According to the order, fishermen found violating the ban will not only be fined ...
PMK to continue fight against Chennai-Salem project
Former Union Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday said the party will continue its legal fight against Chennai-Salem eight-lane Expressway project.
Pollution puts International travelers' health at risk
Pollution should be a major concern for people travelling abroad, recent Study suggests. According to the findings, even a short stay for travelers in cities with high levels of air pollution leads to breathing problems that can take at least a week from which to recover.The team of researchers, this study is analyzed pollution-related coughing and breathing difficulties, and recovery times upon returning home, in healthy, young adults traveling internationally.Published in the Journal of Travel Medicine, the finding is timely given that the number of tourists travelling internationally is expected to grow to 1.8 billion by 2030, according to the World Tourism Organization."We had several reports that tourists were feeling sick when visiting polluted cities, so it became important for us to understand what was really happening to their health," said senior study investigator Terry Gordon, PhD, a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at NYU Langone Health.As part of the
7,000 handmade paper bags made from waste plastic distributed by Khadi at PM's swearing-in ceremony
Around 7,000 handmade paper carry bags made from waste plastic were distributed at the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the 16th Prime Minister of the country, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) said. A unit of KVIC, Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) at Jaipur, supplied the handmade paper bags for the dignitaries present at the oath taking ceremony to keep water bottles. Modi is also the biggest brand ambassador of KVIC. KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said, "It was like 'Khadi India' was saluting its patron from all angles at that event. If Khadi's growth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term is any indication, we are all set to add many more feathers in Khadi's cap in the coming days," he said. According to a statement by KVIC, the paper bags were made under KVIC's project REPLAN (REducing PLAstic in Nature) and its manufacturing process involved waste plastic being collected, cleaned, chopped, beaten and given chemical treatment for
Modi continues Gadkari as Transport Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued Nitin Gadkari as Road Transport and Highways Minister recognising his stellar performance in the previous term.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham signs MoU with NIRDPR
: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) have signed an MoU for collaborating on sharing of knowledge, transfer of technologies and training in areas of e-learning and skill development. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was present at the MoU-signing function and wished the agreement, signed recently, would pave the way for a significant social impact initiative for rural India, a press release said here. Director-general of NIRD&PR Dr W R Reddy said its reach in rural areas, when combined with compassionate research and rural technologies of Amrita University, can bring in major transformation in the rural landscape. Vice-Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Dr Venkat Rangan said Amrita's unique live-in-labs programme requires students to go to rural areas, understand their challenges and build research-based solutions. Live-in-labs is a credit-based academic programme that provides multidisciplinary