Page 780 - Environment
Researchers study impact of long-term exposures to outdoor air pollution
Exposure to road traffic and outdoor air pollution significantly increases the risk of asthma, according to a study.The study, conducted by researchers at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research at Inserm, France, strengthens the evidence on the link between long-term exposure to outdoor pollution and asthma in adults.It also offers new insights in to what the underlying mechanisms are, by examining the concentration of 8-isoprostane (8-iso), which is exhaled in the breath and believed to be a biological marker of tissue damage in the lungs.Lead researcher Anaïs Havet said, "It is very well known that short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with increased asthma symptoms, hospitalisations and use of asthma medication, but studies on the associations between long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution and asthma among adults are still scarce.Using French cohort data from 608 adults, including 240 with asthma who had respiratory symptoms, asthma attacks or ...
Nepal PM leaves for New Delhi
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli left for New Delhi on Friday on a three-day state visit.
Brazil cane industry blasts Pakistan, India sugar export policies
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's sugarcane industry on Thursday took aim at policies undertaken by Pakistan and India to protect local producers and boost sugar exports, arguing they could further depress global prices.
Chain-link fencing around forest areas to prevent cross losses
The Maharashtra government has decided to install iron chain-link fencing along forest borders in the state on an experimental basis, to prevent wild animals from damaging crops or attacking people. The fencing will be erected in the buffer zones of tiger projects, around wild life sanctuaries and national parks. Farmers in areas along forests, who want such a fencing, can come together, form groups and get a grant-in-aid from the government for erecting the fencing. While the government will bear 90 per cent of the expenses, remaining ten percent will have to come from the farmers' group.
From being hunting trophies to protected species, the lure of blackbucks
Their hunting was portrayed in the miniature paintings of the Mughal era and they were the targets of royal families for centuries for sport, but today the now-endangered blackbuck felled a superstar. Highlighting the vulnerability of this animal species, Gauri Maulekhi, Trustee, People For Animals (PFA) says blackbucks, known for their soft coat and characteristic twisted horns, are very "nervous by nature and sometimes just die of cardiac arrest only in the face of a perceived danger". "The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 turned out to be a blessing for blackbucks, chinkaras, tigers and elephants and so many other animal species, a large number of whom were killed by the colonial-rulers and various maharajas as they went on their 'shikars' (hunting sport)," she told PTI. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), among other animal right groups, today welcomed the conviction of Bollywood star Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck killing case, saying his sentencing will ...
Amarinder lays foundation stone for Rs 800 cr beverage plant at Pathankot
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today reiterated his government's firm commitment to the holistic development of the border and 'Kandi' region, as he laid the foundation stone for Rs 800 crore integrated plant of Varun Beverages Limited here. The chief minister described the project as a stepping stone for the region's development, for which his government was striving through various industrial, economic initiatives and incentives. He said in line with its thrust on the state's industrial development, his government had so far inked 144 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 3,700 crore with several companies. Spread over 41.4 acres, the plant, to be built in two phases, will provide direct and indirect employment to nearly 2,000 people, thus giving a major boost to the economic activity in the region and also vitalise the local supplier/vendor base, he pointed out. To be operationalin 12 months, this will be the first integrated dairy, juice and carbonated soft ..
Haryana to rehabilitate Mirchpur Dalits: Minister
Nearly eight years after they were forced to leave their homes in Mirchpur village in Haryana's Hisar district after an attack by the Jats, 254 families will be rehabilitated by the state's BJP government, a Minister said on Thursday.
Cochin Shipyard setting up 42-acre ship repair facility
State-run Cochin Shipyard is setting up a 42-acre international ship repair facility at Cochin Port at a cost of Rs 970 crore, the Ministry of Shipping said today. The facility will be set up at the premises of Cochin Port on land leased from the port, Minister of State for Shipping Pon RadhaKrishnan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is setting up an international ship repair facility at Cochin Port premises on land leased from port. The facility is being set up on 42 acres of land at a cost of Rs 970 crore," he informed. The facility, the minister said, will house a modern ship lift and transfer system of 6,000 tonnes capacity which will cater to repairs of all types of small and medium-sized vessels, including Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships.
Centre commits Rs 2,070 cr under AMRUT for 31 Guj cities
The Centre has committed a sum of Rs 2,070 crore for the development of 31 cities in Gujarat under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) mission, Independent Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani said today. In a release issued today, he said the 31 cities included Ahmedabad, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Godhra, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara. The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Nathwani and he had sought a reply from Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs. In his reply, tabled in the House, Puri said that the Union government had committed financial assistance of Rs 35,989.70 crore for development of 500 cities nationwide under AMRUT, of which Rs 2,069.96 crore was for 31 cities in Gujarat. The total allocation for the 31 cities is Rs 4,884.42 crore, the reply stated, adding that the rest of the amount would be pooled in by the Gujarat government. It said that Rs ...
NALCO signs MoU on commercial use of Nano based Emrion tech
After commissioning of the world's first-of-its kind defluoridation plant using Nano based Emrion technology, aluminium major National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) is set for using this technology in commercial scale, an official statement said. The company today signed an MoU with Hyderabad based Eesavyasa Technology Pvt Ltd so that it would get royalty for setting up defluoridation plants in various industries for removal of fluoride to provide chemical free water for drinking purpose. The NALCO has been using this technology in its Smelter Plant since February 2017 which has successfully addressed the endemic problem of fluoride contamination of water in Angul sector. Nalco CMD T K Chand said the technology is an example of sustainable solution that would cater to the people, planet and profit aspect of an industry in a balanced manner. "Creating and providing a positive environmental impact in a proactive manner has always been the motto of the NALCO," he ...
Paswan stresses on effective rollout of new BIS law
Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today stressed on the effective implementation of the new Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) law, which will bring more services and products like jewellery under the mandatory standards regime. Paswan reviewed the functioning of the Bureau of Indian Standards in the Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting, which was attended by MPs, including Ram Prasad Sarmah, Ramesh Chander Kaushik and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, and senior officials of the ministry. "The members of the committee discussed issues related to improvement in core activities of the BIS, such as Standards formulation, Certification, Hallmarking, Laboratory Testing, Consumer Affairs and International Cooperation," an official statement said. Paswan laid emphasis on easy redressal mechanism of complaints, mandatory certification and enhancing consumer confidence through publicity. The minister also stressed on effective implementation of the new BIS law, which Parliament had ...
Khattar announces increasing financial limit for approving works in ULBS
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced increasing the financial limit for according administrative approval for estimates of developmental works in urban local bodies in the state. Presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of Urban Local Bodies Department here today, he announced to enhance the monthly minimum wages of contractual sanitation workers in the municipalities from Rs 8,100 to Rs 11,500. According to an official release, now, the commissioner of a municipal corporation will have the power to accord administrative approval to estimates of up to Rs one crore instead of Rs 50 lakh earlier. Similarly, the municipal corporation would have the power to accord administrative approval to the estimates of above Rs one crore to Rs 2.50 crore instead of Rs one crore earlier, it said. The director of urban local bodies would have the power to accord administrative approval to the estimates above Rs 2.50 crore up to Rs three crore instead of Rs one crore ...
Solar power eclipsed fossil fuels in new 2017 generating capacity: U.N.
LONDON/OSLO (Reuters) - Chinese solar power led a record 157 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable energy capacity added worldwide last year, more than double the amount of new generation capacity from fossil fuels, a U.N.-backed report showed on Thursday.
N.Korea may have stopped its n-reactor, satellite images show
North Korea may have stopped operatiing in its only nuclear reactor, a website specialising in North Korean affairs said on Thursday, ahead of an upcoming summits with South Korea and the US in which possible denuclearisation of the Pyongyang regime is expected to be discussed.
India Yamaha Motor sets up 1,100 KW solar plant at TN unit
India Yamaha Motor, the subsidiary of Japanese automajor Yamaha, has commissioned 1,100 KW solar power plant at its facility near here, as part of its plans to augment renewable energy. India Yamaha Motor at its Oragadam factory near Chennai has commissioned 1,100 KW roof top solar power plant taking the total solar capacity to 1,450 KW at the unit, a company statement said. "Adoption of renewable power is the need of the hour in order to save energy and provide a clean and green environment to society.The installation of solar power project at our plant further reinstates our commitment towards building energy saving factory", India Yamaha Motor, Deputy Managing Director, Riuji Kawashima said. The roof top installation would reduce carbon-di-oxide emission to the extent of 1,600 tonnes per year. For setting up the solar panels, the company has partnered with Mahindra Susten, the statement said. "We would like to highlight that our Chennai factory is the least ...
Himachal facility generating power costlier than market rate: CAG
A state-run hydropower project in Himachal Pradesh, being funded by the Asian Development Bank, which was partially commissioned last year after cost overruns and delays, is generating power much costlier than the market rate, report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said on Thursday.
Philippines to close Boracay island to tourists for six months
The Philippines is closing its best-known holiday island Boracay to tourists for up to six months over concerns that the once idyllic white-sand resort has become a "cesspool" tainted by dumped sewage, authorities said today. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the shutdown to start on April 26 for a maximum period of half a year, his spokesman Harry Roque said. "Boracay is known as a paradise in our nation and this temporary closure is (meant) to ensure that the next generations will also experience that," Roque told reporters. The decision jeopardises the livelihood of thousands employed in the island's bustling tourist trade that each year serves two million guests and pumps roughly $1 billion in revenue into the Philippine economy. Experts said the measure also appeared to contradict the government's own pro-development policy for the island, including the recent approval of a planned $500-million casino and resort on Boracay. The threat of closure first emerged in ...
2 collapses in 3 months: Bailey bridge cave-in raises safety concern before Chardham yatra
A bailey bridge over the Assi Ganga river at Gangotri in the district collapsed earlier this week, a second time in three months, giving rise to safety concerns for pilgrims who plan to visit the Himalayan shrine of Gangotri when the Chardham yatra begins next month. The bailey bridge on the Gangotri National Highway is vital as it not only leads to Gangotri, one of the four Himalayan shrines of Uttarakhand also known as Chardham, but also used for transporting rations for security personnel on the Indo-China border near Nelangin the district. The bailey bridge, a temporary structure made from prefabricated standard parts and used especially for military operations, was built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after a 100-metre bridge over Assi Ganga was washed away in a massive flood in August 2012. The bridge first collapsed in December 2017 when two trucks were crossing it simultaneously.Criticised for erecting a bridge that could not withstand the weight of even two trucks, ...
Woman survives leopard attack in Bhandara district of Maha
A 21-year-old woman from Bhandara district of Maharashtra was attacked by a leopard, and has survived to tell the tale. Though the incident took place on March 24, it was reported only earlier this week. Rupali Meshram, a commerce graduate living in Usgaon village of Bhandara district, is recuperating after receiving treatment for injuries to head, legs and waist. "I heard our goats bleating around midnight, and went out into the shed where we keep them to see what was the matter," Rupali told PTI. She saw three goats lying dead in a pool of blood. Before she realised what had happened, the leopard which had killed them pounced on her. Rupali, who maintained it was a 'tiger', said she managed to pick up a stick and hit the animal with it, while praying to Jesus Christ. She also called out to her mother. Her mother ran to her help, and the animal attacked her too. However, she managed to drag Rupali inside the house and close the door. They called Rupali's uncle, who lives
Wheat procurement begins in Haryana
Wheat procurement has begun in Haryana for the current season and the crop has started to arrive in various 'mandis' of the state. Wheat is being procured at Minimum Support Price of Rs 1,735, a spokesman of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department said here. He said that out of the total wheat arrival until Tuesday, government agencies have procured 587 metric tonnes of the crop, 19 metric tonnes by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, 65 metric tonnes by Hafed, 10 metric tonnes Food Corporation of India, and 493 metric tonnes by Haryana Warehousing Corporation. The spokesperson said that so far, 493 metric tonnes of wheat has been procured in Ambala and 84 metric tonnes in Kurukshetra. The current wheat procurement season began on April 1. Notably, the Haryana government had earlier said it had made all the arrangements for the procurement of around 80 lakh tonnes of wheat at the minimum support price for the current Rabi season 2018 as compared to 74.25
