Page 869 - Environment
Rajasthan Budget focuses on road, water and energy sectors
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's Budget speech emphasised on developmental works being done by the government in the road and transport, water resources and energy sectors. Construction, upgrade and renewal of 49,878 km roads was done in last four years, she said. Rural areas were connected and Rs 766 crore will be spent in the next financial years to construct roads in these areas, the chief minister Raje said. Raje announced that 15 km of new roads will be constructed in each Assembly constituency of Rajasthan, while work to upgrade and renew rural roads will be done at the cost of Rs 800 crore in the next fiscal. She said that a state level road safety training centre will be established in Jaipur at cost of Rs 10 crore, and highways and mega-highways will be developed as emergency landing airstrips. For water resources and command areas, the chief minister announced several schemes to the tune to Rs 52,000 crore, including development of the Eastern ...
PM to inaugurate WSDS 2018
The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2018 will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 16, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) said today. The event being organised here by TERI aims to bring together global leaders on the issue of sustainable development, energy and environment. Themed 'Partnerships for a Resilient Planet', WSDS 2018 aims to create action frameworks to resolve some of the most urgent challenges facing developing economies in the backdrop of climate change, TERI said in a statement. The summit is expected to be attended by over 2,000 delegates. "Discussions at the WSDS 2018 will focus on collaborations aimed at influencing global dialogues on technology acquisition and financing, and on policies which promote the accelerated uptake of resource efficient and waste minimising or reuse technologies as well as nudge consumer behaviour towards more sustainable practices," the statement said. The summit will address a wide .
PM to launch DD Arun Prabha on Feb 15
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch DD Arun Prabha, a new 24x7 satellite television channel of Doordarshan for the north-eastern region during his day-long visit to the state on February 15, officials said. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to inaugurate the state Civil Secretariat complex here, officials at the Chief Minister Office said. DD Arun Prabha will showcase programmes on the diverse culture of the north eastern states. This will be Doordarshans second channel for the north-eastern region. The state-owned broadcaster already runs DD North-East, which telecasts entertainment and information- based programmes in Assamese, Bengali, English and other languages of the region. Besides laying the foundation stone of the Film and Television Institute in the state capital, Modi would also address a public rally at Indira Gandhi Park here, sources said. Modi had last visited the state in February, 2015 and attended the Statehood Day function here.
Interpol praises India for arresting top turtle smuggler
The Interpol has praised India after the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department's State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) managed to arrest a turtle smuggler whose network was spread across several countries, MP forest officials said today. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wildlife, Jitendra Agrawal, today informed that the Interpol, in a letter to the National Crime Records Bureau on February 7, praised India for arresting Manivannan Murugesan. The STSF's head Ritesh Sarothiya told PTI that Murugesan was arrested from Chennai on January 31, following which it alerted other acountries about the arrest. "Murugesan's arrest was important as he was ranked third in the world among the smugglers of rare breed turtles. He is a native of Singapore and his illegal trade is spread across Thailand, Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong, China and Madagascar," he said. Agrawal said that the Interpol was tracking Murugesan for along time and it was the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department that
China differs with Nepal over height of Mt Everest: Report
China continues to differ with Nepal over the height of Mount Everest and sticks to its own calculation of the world's highest peak which is four meters less than the Kathmandu's measurement, a media report said today. China's response came after reports said that Beijing had agreed to accept Nepal's measurement of the mountain, which is almost four meters taller. The Chinese official media has contradicted the recent 'The New York Times' report that China had recognised the mountain's height as 8,848 meters, quoting Ang Tshering Sherpa, the former head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. China has not changed its measurement of the height of Mount Qomolangma, the Chinese name of the Mt Everest, which stands at 8844.43 meters, state-run Global Times reported. China recognises Mount Qomolangma as the world's tallest, measuring 8,844.43 meters above sea level, the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information (NASG) told the state-run Xinhua News .
Reliance Power achieves 100% fuel security for Butibori plant
Reliance Power announced on Monday that it has achieved full fuel security for its 2 x 300 MW Butibori Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Maharashtra following directions given by the Delhi High Court state miner Coal India Ltd (CIL).
India's forest, tree cover up by 1 per cent in 2 years: Govt
India's tree and forest cover has registered an increase of one per cent or 8,021 sq km in two years since 2015, according to the latest assessment by the government. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 was released by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan and his deputy Mahesh Sharma here today. Harsh Vardhan said India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover as against the global trend of decreasing forest cover during the last decade. According to the report, the total forest cover is 7,08,273 sq km, which is 21.54 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. Forest and tree cover combined is 8,02,088 sq km or 24.39 per cent of the total geographical area. The environment ministry said in the latest assessment that very dense forest in India has also increased by 1.36 per cent as compared to 2015. ISFR is released every two years. "There is an increase of 8,021 sq km (about 80.20 million hectare) in the total forest and tree cover ..
Delhi HC ask CIL to supply coal to RPower's Butibori Unit-I
Reliance Power today said state- run Coal India has been directed by the Delhi High Court to immediately commence coal supplies to the Unit-I of Butibori power project. "The Delhi High Court in its Order dated January 31, 2018 has granted interim relief to Butibori Thermal Power Plant (TPP) and has directed Coal India Ltd (CIL) to immediately commence the supply of coal to Unit 1 of Butibori Plant, equivalent to Annual Contracted Quantity of 1.23 million tonnes per annum through its subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Ltd," Reliance Power said in a BSE filing. Reliance Power has set up 2 x 300 MW Butibori Plant near Nagpur through its subsidiary Vidarbha Industries Power Ltd (VIPL), which is supplying its entire power to Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (Distribution Utility), which distributes electricity to over 28 lakh consumers in Suburban Mumbai under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement approved by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission. While coal is being ...
PIL in HC seeks steps to ensure smooth flow of traffic along
A PIL has been filed today in the Delhi High Court seeking steps to ensure smooth flow of traffic along state borders where toll collectors intercept commercial vehicles causing huge snarls. The plea said that there was a total mismanagement in collection of toll from commercial vehicles which was causing huge problem for other vehicles. "Toll from commercial vehicles causes huge problem for other vehicles resulting in bumper to bumper jam, wastage of precious time of thousands of persons, wastage of fuel, air pollution and noise pollution," the plea filed by advocate- petitioner Amit Sahni said. "The jam is caused deliberately and systematically by the toll collectors so that they could intervene in the jam and collect toll from commercial vehicles," the plea alleged. The petitioner, in his plea, said that in Gurugram the toll collectors have been asked to use six lanes on the extreme left to collect toll but when commercial vehicles unintentionally or deliberately do ..
Andhra govt. launches 2nd phase of water conservation prog
Andhra Pradesh Government has launched the second phase of water conservation program on Monday.The program will last for 116 days that begins today and will continue till June 7, 2018. As part of this program; repairs for tanks, interlinking of tanks, de-silting streams, cleaning lakes and drains, construction of check dams and water pits, preservation of rainwater, forest bound water bodies, rock fill dams, farm ponds, measures to increase earthen water levels, recharging bore wells, measuring water levels and other water conservation and preservation methods will be taken care of.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the program by starting silt removal works of "Pala Vagu" drain.State Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswar Rao, ministers Prattipati Pullarao, Nakka Anand Babu, Guntur MP Galla Jayadev, local MLA Sravan, Guntur district collector K Sasidhar and others participated in the program at Venkatapalem village in Amaravati capital region.While ...
'One-two punch' may have wiped out dinosaurs: study
A 'one-two punch' from the big meteor that struck off Mexico 66 million years ago, possibly triggering enhanced volcanic eruptions at India's Deccan Traps, may have sealed the fate of the dinosaurs, a study suggests. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, details a record of volcanism preserved along the mid-ocean ridges, which mark the oceanic boundaries of tectonic plates. The evidence comes from changes in the strength of gravity above the seafloor. The findings by researchers at University of Oregon in the US point to a pulse of accelerated worldwide volcanic activity that includes enhanced eruptions at India's Deccan Traps after the Chicxulub impact. The Deccan Traps, in west-central India, formed during a period of massive eruptions that poured out layers of molten rock thousands of feet deep, creating one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. The Deccan Traps region has been in and out of the dinosaur debate. Rare volcanic events at such a scale are known to
'Forest, tree cover increases by 8,021 sq km over last 2 yrs
The forest and tree cover of the country has increased by 8,021 sq km over the last two years, a latest government assessment said today. India's total forest and tree cover stands around 8 lakh sq km which is 24.39 per cent of the total geographical area, it said. The India State of the Forest Report 2017 was released by Union Environment minister Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma. According to the report, the total forest cover is 7,08,273 sq km, while the total forest and tree cover is 8,02,088 sq km of the total geographical area of the country. "Although there has been a decline in the forest cover world over, it is great that India's forest cover is increasing and we stand 10th in the world," Vardhan said while releasing the report. The survey has for the first time assessed water bodies.
India's overall forest cover expands: Report
India has added 6,778 sq km of forest area -- an increase of 0.21 per cent -- between 2015 and 2017 despite population and livestock pressures, according to a government report released here on Monday.
New evidence unearthed on extinction of dinosaurs
An asteroid that hit Earth 66 million years ago may have possibly triggered a worldwide release of volcanic magma that could have sealed the fate of the dinosaurs, researchers have claimed.
Alien honeybees could cause plant extinction: study
'Alien' honeybees, which are artificially introduced into the environment for research purposes, compete for resources with native bees and may threaten plants that rely on interactions with specific pollinators, a study has warned. Scientists from Anglia Ruskin University and University of Nottingham in the UK have monitored the interactions between plants and their pollinators in the mountainous region of Egypt. The region supports many range-restricted endemic plants and pollinators whose future may be jeopardised by the recent introduction of alien honeybees. "The introduction of honeybee hives is a common strategy encouraged by charities and NGOs to supplement livelihoods in rural regions," said Olivia Norfolk, from Anglia Ruskin University. "Our research suggests that hives should be introduced with caution because super-generalist honeybees compete with native pollinators and can cause pollination risks for range- restricted plants," Norfolk said. The mountains ..
SpaceX preparing Starlink demo satellite launch: Report
SpaceX is targeting February 17 for the test launch of its first satellite for global internet constellation -- a project, informally known as Starlink, which aims to provide low-cost internet access on a global scale, the media reported.
CG Power Systems bags Rs 335 cr order from Indonesian firm
CG Power & Industrial Solutions Ltd today said its wholly-owned subsidiary has bagged an order worth Indonesian rupiah 744 billion (Rs 335 crore) from state utility PT PLN (Persero) for manufacturing and supply of 64 units of power transformers. "CG Power Systems Indonesia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CG Power & Industrial Solutions Ltd, has bagged an order from Indonesian state utility PT PLN (Persero) for manufacturing and supply of 64 units of Power Transformers valued at IDR 744 billion," the company said in a BSE filing. "This project is the first of its kind to be funded by Islamic Development Bank to support PLN's ambitious goal to enhance its transmission grid performance," it added. The project will be completed by December 2018. The scope of work includes site survey, design, manufacturing, supply and installation of 64 units (4400 MVA) of power transformers in PLN regions spread from Aceh to Papua over Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua and ...
CG Power bags order from Indonesian state utility PT PLN Indonesia (Persero)
For supply of power transformers
Traffic suspended on Srinagar-Jammu highway due to snowfall
In wake of snowfall in Srinagar, traffic movement has been suspended on Srinagar-Jammu highway on Monday."Due to slippery conditions and fresh snowfall in Jawahar tunnel area, traffic movement has been suspended on Srinagar-Jammu highway," said SSP Traffic National Highway.Srinagar has turned into a winter wonderland, with the onset of fresh snowfall.Locals and tourists have expressed their happiness on the fresh snowfall in Srinagar.While the tourists are enjoying the weather, the localities are happy that the snowfall will attract more tourists.Several places in Shimla are also witnessing fresh snowfall.The change in climate has resulted in a sudden fall in temperature in many states of North India.
Indian teenager sets swimming record
India's Rohan More on Sunday became the first Asian swimmer and the youngest ever to swim across the Cook Strait between North and South Islands of New Zealand.
