Page 870 - Environment
NCA allows use of seepage and dead water of Sardar Sarovar: CM
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today said the problem of potable water stands resolved as the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has allowed the use of seepage and dead water of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river. Rupani also said that as many as 10,000 villages and 167 cities in the state will not face any problem of drinking water until July this year. "The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) in a meeting held recently sanctioned the use of seepage and dead water of the Sardar Sarovar dam," the chief minister said on the sidelines of an event in the city. The Gujarat government had reportedly sought permission of the NCA to utilise the dam water through Special Irrigation Bypass Tunnel (IBPT) after the water level in the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) fell to an alarmingly low level. The NCA held a meeting with state officials on February 9. The storage in the SSD fell by 45 per cent, the lowest in the last 15 years, mainly due to poor rainfall in Madhya Pradesh last .
Out of 18,450 villages without electricity, over 16,000
Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh today said that the government was committed to providing electricty to un-electrified households by 2019. He said that out of the 18,450 villages without electricity, more than 16,800 had been given power supply as on date. Speaking to reporters here, he said that the "Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana" also called "Saubhagya", launched in September last year, was a move towards this goal and that about 4 crore households would benefit from it. Singh said that under this scheme, all un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas were eligible, adding that non-poor households would have to pay Rs 500 in ten equal instalments along with their electricity bill every month. He also announced that a 765 kV transmission line facility would be commissioned soon in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
RInfra bags Rs 567 cr NTPC order In Haryana
Leading EPC player Reliance Infrastructure has bagged a Rs 567 crore order from the state-run power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to build a flue gas Desulphurisation (FGD) plant at its 1500 MW (3 x 500 MW) power plant at Jhajjar in Haryana. The scope of the work includes design, engineering, manufacture, erection and civil work, as well as testing and commissioning of the FGD system. The Anil Ambani-run company's EPC division had earlier emerged as L1 bidder amidst competition against leading EPC players including BHEL, L&T, and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power system. The overall schedule for the project is 20 months from the date of the letter and will of approval being delivered for the first unit, with three months additional time each for the two subsequent units, the company said in a statement today. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has identified about 300 operational units, totalling about 120 GW wherein FGD has to be installed in phased ..
Himachal plans specific schemes to promote horticulture: Min
Keeping in view the diverse climatic conditions of the state for cultivating different species of fruits, the Himachal Pradesh Government is contemplating preparing "area specific schemes" for promotion of horticulture. The diverse geo-climatic conditions of the state are conducive for cultivation of wide varieties of fruits which could be grown in different parts of the state and asmany as 35 species of different verities of fruits could be successfully grown in the state, said Horticulture Minister Mahender Singh Thakur. The field officers and specialists have been issued specifically directed to visit the farms of farmers in their respective areas and conduct research to explore the possibility of maximum coverage under horticulture activities. The specialists will go in the field and prepare area specific plans for different regions, keeping in view agro climatic conditions of the area to ensure that optimum survival of plants was achieved, he stressed. Robust ...
5 elephants killed by speeding train in Assam, probe ordered
Five elephants were killed after being hit by a train while they were crossing rail tracks in Assam's Hojai district, a forest official said today. A herd of elephants was crossing the rail tracks at Habaipur near Lumding reserve forest when the Guwahati-Silchar Express hit them last night, killing five on the spot, he said. The Northeast Frontier Railway has ordered a departmental enquiry into the incident. "Prima facie, an enquiry has revealed that the train was within its stipulated speed limit, a departmental enquiry has been ordered to find out details about adherence to protocols," NF Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Pranav Jyoti Sharma said in a statement. Due to the impact of the collision with the elephants, the engine got derailed, affecting train services in the area. "Divisional Railway Manager along with senior officials of Lumding Division reached the site with Accident Relief Train (ART), after which efforts were started to re-rail the ...
Mobile app for farmers to manage crop residue
To help in management of stubble, the Punjab government today said it will launch a 'mobile app' to facilitate the farmers for custom hiring of costly agricultural implements required for post harvesting and preparation of fields for sowing next crops. This was disclosed by Additional Chief Secretary Cooperation Punjab, D P Reddy, during a meeting to address the issue of stubble burning in the state in which officials from cooperative department and Punjab Remote Sensing Center participated, said an official release. He said cooperative department has decided to develop a 'Mobile App' on which the data of all farmers and agricultural cooperative societies will be uploaded. "This App will facilitate the farmers for custom hiring of agricultural implements from concerned village level cooperative society which were required during post harvesting to manage crop residue/stubble in the fields," he added. Reddy said burning of crops residue was causing huge environmental ...
MoEF warms up to establishing cold stores around Taj Mahal
The Environment Ministry has approved the setting up of new cold stores in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), saying these don't the pollute air that causes yellowing of the Taj Mahal.
Maharashtra hailstorm kills 2, damages standing crops
Two persons were killed and two others injured as unseasonal rains, accompanied by hailstorm, lashed parts of Maharashtra's Marathwada and Vidarbha region, razing huge tracts of standing crops on Sunday, officials said.
Vehicles run on recycled gutter oil in Shanghai
China's financial hub Shanghai, where recycled gutter oil is used to power vehicles, will have nearly 200 gas stations offering biodiesel combined with gutter oil and diesel by the end of the year, local authorities said. The biodiesel is 5 per cent processed gutter oil and 95 per cent diesel. "Such biodiesel is now available in 21 pilot gas stations in Shanghai. More than 2,000 vehicles are now using this kind of biodiesel everyday," said Xu Kunlin, deputy mayor of Shanghai. He said there would be around 200 gas stations across the city providing biodiesel this year. A total of 30,000 tonnes of gutter oil, the annual volume of gutter oil that Shanghai produces, will all be recycled as biofuel, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Gutter oil is oil recycled from waste that is then used for cooking. Biodiesel tanks and fillers can be identified in gas stations, which also supply diesel and petrol. The current price for the biodiesel is slightly cheaper than ordinary ...
Oxford University launches new gin brand
The prestigious University of Oxford has launched a new brand of gin in celebration of its historic Botanic Gardens, the oldest of its kind in the UK. Physic Gin, whichcarries the exclusive University of Oxford branding, has been distilled from barley grains grown by medieval farmers and is flavoured with 25 different botanicals that were first planted after the garden was founded in 1621. "This gin is medicinal in a good way. Botanicals like wormwood, rue and sweet woodruff bring a deeply complex flavour to bear and take us back to the time when plants formed the base of all medicine," said Cory Mason, master distiller at the Oxford Artisan Distillery, which has created the new gin for the university. It is believed to be the first time a university has gone into the commercial spirits business. A 500 ml bottle will be solad at around 34.95 pounds. Professor Simon Hiscock, the director of the Botanic Garden, said a majority of the plants used are on an original list ..
RInfra bags Rs 567-cr order from NTPC
Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) today said it has won a Rs 567-crore order from state-owned NTPC for Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) works at the latter's 3x500 MW power plant in Jhajjar, Haryana. FGD method is used to remove sulfur dioxide from exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants. RInfra EPC has received the letter of approval (LoA) from NTPC for FGD works of its 3x500 MW power plant in Jhajjar, the company said in a statement. EPC division of RInfra had earlier emerged as L1 bidder amidst competition against leading EPC players including BHEL, L&T, and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power system. The scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacture, transportation to site, erection and civil work, and testing and commissioning of complete FGD system. "Our strong credentials in FGD works are borne out by the system installed by us at Dahanu power plant long back in compliance with the statutory guidelines of the tate Pollution Control Board to reduce SO2 ...
Cane crushing, sugar production to increase in Maha this year
Officials from the state's Sugar Commissionerate said that sugar mills in the state had revised their estimate of sugarcane crushing in the current season to 800 lakh tonnes by April this year from the earlier estimate of 700 lakh tonnes. This, they said, was due to increase in sugarcane production because of the availability of sufficient water. "Total sugarcane production in Maharashtra would be around 900 lakh tonnes. Of these, some would be diverted for fodder and other usage and 800 lakh tonnes would be crushed for sugar. The average sugar recovery rate per tonne is 11.50 per cent," the officials informed. Officials of the Maharashtra State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories said that the sugarcane crushing season generally began in November and went on till March, adding that sugarcane was in excess this year and crushing might extend till April. "As many as 184 sugar mills, comprising private and cooperative ones, have commenced sugar production. There are
Aerial imagery from drones can help measure water resources
Aerial imagery gathered from helicopters and drones can be used to measure changes in the water flow of rivers, suggests new research.
Over 4.5 lakh fruit bearing saplings to be distributed in HP
Over 4.5 lakh fruit bearing saplings will be distributed among farmers in three months through state-run nurseries in Himachal Pradesh to promote horticulture.
Poachers kill rhino in Kaziranga, escape with horn
Poachers killed an adult rhino and escaped with its horn from the Western Range of the Kaziranga National Park in Biswanath district, a senior forest official said today. According to Kaziranga National Park Divisional Forest Officer Rohini Ballav Saikia, the incident happened at around midnight at Polokata near Sitamari area -- a sandbar island in the Brahmaputra -- south of Baghmari powergrid station under Lahorijan forest camp. "Poachers took its horn and fled the spot, which is an open area of about 200 metres from the forest camp. We have also found five rounds of empty cartridges of .303 rifle from the spot," Saikia told PTI. Saikia, along with other senior forest officials, reached the spot this morning and a joint team of forest and police personnel launched an operation to nab the poachers, he added. The incident took place in Biswanath within hours of Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi directing law enforcing agencies to take all measures to prevent cases of ...
RInfra gets approval for NTPC plant flue gas de-sulphurisation
Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) said on Sunday that it has received approval from state-run power generator NTPC for flue gas desulphurisation works on its plant in Haryana's Jhajjar.
Poacher dies after accidentally trigerring his gun
A poacher was killed on the spot when he accidentally triggered his gun in a forest area near Kandhikuppam in this district today, police said. The man was hunting in the Kuruvinayanpatti forest area when the gun accidentally went off, killing him, they said. Investigations are on to ascertain how exactly this happened, they said.
Future cities may be built with volcanic ash: study
Fine volcanic ash can be used as a sustainable additive in concrete, and significantly reduce the energy spent in building infrastructure, a study has found. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US found that, by replacing a certain percentage of traditional cement with volcanic ash, they can reduce a concrete structure's "embodied energy" - the total energy that goes into making concrete. According to their calculations, it takes 16 per cent less energy to construct a pilot neighbourhood with 26 concrete buildings made with 50 per cent volcanic ash, compared with the energy it takes to make the same structures entirely of traditional Portland cement. When they ground volcanic ash down to increasingly small particle sizes, the researchers found that a mixture of the finer powder and cement produced stronger concrete structures, compared with those made from cement alone. However, the process of grinding volcanic ash down to such fine ...
Guj water woes: Kalpsar project DPR likely by year end
In a bid to find an alternate source to meet its drinking water needs, the Gujarat government is hopeful of shaping up the detailed project report (DPR) of its ambitious Kalpsar project by the year end. The state is likely to face a water crisis this summer apparently due to its over dependence on the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river. Kalpsar, a project that envisages to harness water of seven rivers flowing in the sea by building a dam in the Gulf of Khambhat, is being seen as a viable alternative to the Sardar Sarovar Dam, to cater to the state's water requirement. "Kalpsar is a unique and one-of-its-kind project. Before starting the project, various studies are required to be completed," Gujarat chief minister's adviser on water management, B N Navalawala, told PTI. "We are hopeful that all the studies will be completed soon and we will be able to make a detailed project report for Kalpsar by the end of this year," he said. The idea for the Kalpsar project was ..
Indian-American Rockefeller Foundation prez to visit India
Rajiv J Shah, the Indian- American president of the Rockefeller Foundation, will visit India from tomorrow as part of the US-based philanthropic organisation's efforts to help the government electrify villages across the country. The Rockefeller Foundation is one of America's largest and most influential philanthropies which commits USD 200 million every year towards social and philanthropic causes globally, including India. "We have been working on what we think is the next big challenge to end poverty in India and that is bringing power and energy to rural communities that otherwise don't have sufficient access to power," Shah, 44, told PTI ahead of his maiden India visit in this capacity. Formerly the head of USAID under former US president Barack Obama, Shah is the first-ever Indian-American to serve as the president of the foundation which played a key role in India's green revolution in the 1960s. "We have an effort called Smart Power India that is helping to ...
