Page 868 - Environment
Meat processing plant sealed in UP
A meat processing plant in western Uttar Pradesh has been sealed by the district authorities on the directives of the state pollution board, an official said today. According to the District Magistrate, Rajive Sharma, the Alnoor meat plant was creating pollution and did not follow norms. The plant has exported meat to more than 35 countries in the world.
World Bank to draft plan to tackle flood, erosion in Assam
The World Bank would draft a five-year plan to tackle the flood and erosion problem of Assam, its country head Junaid Kamal Ahmed said today. Ahmed said it would draft the plan based on latest technologies for a holistic approach to tackle the problem, and include initiatives for constructive use of the excess water generated by the river during monsoon, apart from mitigating flood and erosion. The World Bank will also actively consider how to improve navigation facility in river Brahmaputra, Ahmed told Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The international financial institution would consider replicating the technology of a Netherland-based firm it utilised to control the Huang-He river of China, in case of taming the Brahmaputra as well, he said. Sonowal told the World Bank delegation that the flood and erosion caused by river Brahmaputra has become a major challenge for the state, and that proper management of the excess water during monsoon and channelising was ..
Maharashtra records highest growth in mangrove cover in India
Maharashtra has reported the highest growth in mangrove cover, of 82 square kilometres, in the last two years in the country, said a forest official. "The state's mangrove cover increased from 222 sq km to 304 sq km, registering an increase of 37% over the previous assessment in 2015. It has been mentioned in the State of Forest Report 2017 published by the Forest Survey of India today," said N Vasudevan, Chief Conservator of Forest and head of the State Mangrove Cell today. "According to the report, the mangrove cover in the country increased by 181 sq km during this period. Of this, 45 per cent was contributed by Maharashtra. This is the highest recorded in the country. Andhra Pradesh comes a distant second with an increase of 37 sq km," he said. Raigad district had recorded the maximum increase of 29 sq km of mangrove cover followed by Thane and Palghar which together registered an increase of 31 sq km, whereas the increase in Mumbai Suburban district was 16 sq km, ...
Clean Air Campaign: Inclusion of environmental health in
Increasing the number of stations to monitor ultra-fine pollutant of PM 2.5, inclusion of environmental health in medical curriculum and issuance of advisories on environment and health were recommended during a workshop held here today as part of the Clean Air Campaign. The workshop was inaugurated by Union minister Harsh Vardhan, an official statement said. It was also recommended that a group of experts, including the ministries concerned, may meet once a month to deliberate on environmental and health issues and may issue health advisories, as required, it said. The subject environmental health may be included in medical curriculum in all colleges, the statement stated. "It was also discussed that rampant use of face masks without medical advice/special needs should not be encouraged. It was also recommended that the use of air purifiers can be helpful only in specific situations and is not a substitute to mitigation at source," the statement said. At the workshop, ...
20,000 mandis to be set up for farmers: Minister
Union Minister of Steel Birender Singh said on MondayAthat 20,000 mandis would be established in the country so that farmers could get better prices for their produce.
Now, Goa minister says there are good people in Haryana
After calling a section of the domestic tourists visiting Goa the "scum of the earth" and claiming that "north Indians" wanted to "create a Haryana" in the coastal state, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai today said "there are also good people in Haryana". Sardesai's remarks, seemingly aimed at playing down the controversy caused by his intemperate comments about domestic visitors, came a day after Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar called up his Goa counterpart, Manohar Parrikar, and expressed strong objection to the minister's utterances. "Haryana has also got good people and we are in touch with them," Sardesai said, while referring to his recent meeting with Avadhoot Shivanand of the Shiv Yog Foundation at Gurugram to understand the concept of cosmic farming. "These days, we have been hearing about Haryana. A few days ago, I had gone to Gurugram to meet Dr Avadhoot Shivanand, who is working on cosmic farming," he added, while addressing an event organised ..
Three leopards found dead in fields in Pune's Bhor tehsil
Three leopards, including two cubs, were found dead today in Bhor tehsil, 40 kilometres from the district headquarters, said forest officials. Forest officials said that all three leopards, two females and one male, were found dead in the fields near Divale village, adding that villagers suspected the leopards died due to poisoning. An official said that an autopsy had been done and the viscera of all three dead animals had been preserved and sent to the forensic laboratory for further examination. He added that a case under relevent sections of the Forest (Conservation) Act had been registered against unidentified persons. Last week,three leopard cubs were found charred to death in a sugarcane field in Junnar tehsil here.
Bulk LPG tankers on strike, supply likely to be hit
Bulk LPG transport tankers have stopped supplying liquefied petroleum gas to bottling plants from today in the eastern and southern regions, as they began a strike to protest against new rules on tenders. Indian Oil Corporation, an LPG major in the east, said the impact could be "partial" if the strike continues, though talks are on with protesters to sort out differences. "We have started observing strike from today in the eastern and southern region. North and Western regions are also likely to join soon," the Bulk LPG Transport Contractors Association (Eastern India) executive committee member, Bhupinder Gujral told PTI. "If all four regions begin strike, then 22,000 LPG tankers will get off the roads. In the eastern region, 4,000 tankers ply to feed 32-33 bottling plants," he said. Gujral said stocks with the bottling plants vary between two and four days. The strike call was in the wake of new tender rules for the LPG tank trucks by the OMCs, and the protesters ...
Unseasonal rain, hailstorm hit Yavatmal
Unseasonal rain accompanied by hailstorm today lashed parts of Yavatmal in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, damaging standing crops. The rainfall and hailstorm lasted for about 10 minutes. The district administration had alerted farmers about possibility of unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm, and asked them to keep their grains and agri-produce at safe places. The administration had also asked people not to take shelter under trees to avoid getting hit by lightning.
India's forest cover increases by .96 pc
India has recorded 0.96 per cent increase in forest cover between 2015 and 2017, with northeastern states continuing to be the most densely forested. Mizoram is having the maximum land under green cover, says a government report.
Clean Air Campaign: 180 challans issued for various violations
Over 180 challans were today issued for various violations as part of the 'clean air campaign' - a joint initiative of the Union environment ministry and the Delhi government. According to the environment ministry, on the second day of the campaign, 186 challans were issued for violations in building and construction activity, traffic congestion and others, while 604 instances of contravention of norms have been noted by the teams today. Under the two-week-long campaign, which will continue tillFebruary 23, as many as 70 teamscomprising officials from Centre and Delhi governments, municipalcorporations, pollution control boards and others have been formed to monitor causes ofpollution and initiate remedial measures, including on-the-spot penalactions against serious polluters. "The teams are issuing on-the-spot challans wherever serious violations are noticed. 186 challans have been issued today. 604 instances of violations have been noted by the teams today," the ...
All villages to be linked by roads by 2019: Union Minister
The Centre is making efforts to connect all villages through a road network by next year as part of the 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna', said Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav today. "Earlier, the target to compete these works was 2022 but it has been advanced to 2019," the Union Minister of State for Rural Development told PTI. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched by the Central government to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy. Earlier, Yadav inaugurated a training programme on 'financing small enterprises for rural development' at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) here. Thirty-five delegates from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka are participating in the five-day programme.
DJB moves NGT over Yamuna pollution, warns of grave crisis
Warning of a grave health crisis in the national capital, the Delhi Jal Board which supplies water to the city today moved the National Green Tribunal demanding that Haryana be asked to take urgent steps to check the "dangerous level of ammonia" in river Yamuna. The Tribunal sought a detailed reply from the Haryana government by tomorrow on the petition which claimed that the water being released by the state was so polluted that it cannot be treated for drinking. It may cause "a huge and irreparable loss to the citizens of Delhi and has a potential for a grave health crisis and water crisis in the National Capital Region (NCR)", the Board said. A bench headed by justice Jawad Rahim directed the state government to file its response to Delhi Jal Board's (DJB) plea seeking immediate steps to reduce the blackish colour and foul smell of the water being supplied at Wazirabad pond from Haryana. The Board sought a direction to the state government "to urgently take steps to .
MP govt agrees in principle to shift six tigers to Odisha
The Madhya Pradesh government has given an "in principle" nod to translocate three pairs of tigers to Odisha's Satkosia Tiger Reserve, a top officer said today. The six tigers are likely to be translocated by March-end, as the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2018 is currently underway in Madhya Pradesh. According to the officer, the in-principle approval came after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan agreed to the Odisha government's request for translocation of the big cats. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wild Life, Jitendra Agrawal said the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) is currently left with only one pair of tigers, who have passed their average age. In the last few days, only one of the big cats was captured in cameras in the STR, he said. Acting on a letter written by the Odisha government, the National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA's) technical committee in a recent meeting approved shifting of the tigers. Later, the MP government also ...
Raj govt to introduce 40 electric buses in Jaipur
In view of the rising air pollution, the Rajasthan government will introduce over 40 eclectic buses on Jaipur roads. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje made the announcement in her budget speech in the Assembly today. The buses will be introduced with a cost of Rs 72 crore by Jaipur City Transport Services Limited, she said. For the tourism sector, she announced Rs 33.25 crore for the restoration and renovation work of 19 monuments in Kota, Bhilwara, Ajmer, Jhalawar, Barmer, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Churu, Bikaner, Baran, Udaipur and Bharatpur district. In Banswara district, development of 100 islands with a cost of Rs 10 crore will be done while toilets of international standards will be constructed on national highways like Jaipur-Delhi, Jaipur-Agra, Jaipur-Jodhpur etc. Water conservation and forest development works will also be undertaken on 22,700 hectare land in 17 districts with Rs 151 crore. She also said that pollution control and management system will be implemented in .
India's mangrove forest cover increased by 181 sq km: report
India's total mangrove forest cover has increased by 181 sq km, according to the latest assessment by the government. The extent of bamboo-bearing area in the country has been estimated at 15.69 million hectares, said the India State of Forest Report 2017 released today. In comparison to the assessment done in 2011, there WAS an increase of 1.73 million hectares in bamboo area, the report said. according to the report, the total mangrove cover stands at 4,921 sq km and has shown an increase of 181 sq km. Mangrove eco-systems are rich in biodiversity and provide a number of ecological services. They also play a major role in protecting coastal areas from erosion, tidal storms and tsunamis. The report said that all the 12 mangrove states have shown a positive change in the mangrove cover, as compared to the last assessment in 2015. "The growing stock of the bamboo in forest has been estimated to be 189 million tonnes. There is an increase of 19 million tonnes in the ...
Stubble burning: Punjab issues directions for combine harvesters
In a bid to curb the menace of stubble burning, the Punjab government has issued a set of instructions for owners of combine harvesters in the state.
Break up with plastic this V-Day: UN Environment head
As the world prepares to mark Valentine's Day, the UN Environment Programme head on Monday urged people around the world to make a bold move and "break up" with plastic.
JSW Steel commences mining operations in Tunga Mines
On 11 February 2018
Farmers to get Rs 200 bonus over MSP for wheat: Madhya Pradesh CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday announced that farmers will be paid Rs 200 bonus over the minimum support price (MSP) on every quintal of wheat they sell to the state government.
