Page 874 - Environment
NGT seeks govt reply on plea to reduce bikes in Shah's rally
The National Green Tribunal today sought response from the Centre and Haryana government on a plea seeking reduction in the number of bikes at BJP chief Amit Shah's rally in Jind, on pollution grounds. A bench headed by Justice S P Wangdi issued notices to the Environment Ministry, Haryana government, state pollution control board and Central Pollution Control Board and sought their replies by February 13. One lakh motorcycles were expected to be mobilised during Shah's February 15 rally in Haryana's Jind district. The order came after advocate Sumeer Sodhi, appearing for the petitioner, said that at a time when the entire DelhiNCR was facing several health problems due to poor ambient air, the motorbike rally would have an adverse impact on the environment. The NGT was hearing a plea filed by advocate Victor Dhissa who has sought screening and reduction in the number of bikes which were likely to participate in the rally to be held on February 15. The plea contended ...
RSP develops pipes with new specifications
The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) today said it has produced pipes of new dimensions to expand its product profile and enhance competitive advantage. The new products have rolled out of the ERW Pipe Plant (ERWPP) of the RSP, which is the the only pipe making unit of SAIL. The unit has produced pipes with a thickness of 5.0 millimetre and 18 inch outer diameter, the RSP said in a release. In all, 3 kilometre length pipes with these specifications were made and supplied to various customers, it said. With this, the ERWPP has achieved a diameter to thickness ratio of 91.44.
CEA has written to all States to use 5-10% of biomass pellets with coal for power generation in thermal power plants: Shri R K Singh
Further, Shri Singh said that in order to promote use of the Biomass pellets, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has written to all Central/State Utilities, State Governments, Power Equipment Manufacturers/Integrated Power Producers/Generating Companies that all fluidized bed and pulverized coal units of power generating utilities (coal based thermal power plants), public or private located in India except those having ball and tube mill, shall endeavour to use 5-10% blend of Biomass pellets made, primarily, of agro residue along with coal after assessing the technical feasibility, viz., the safety aspects etc.
'Warm' winter may thaw Scottish skiing industry: Report
The Scottish skiing industry could collapse within as little as 50 years as winters become too mild for regular snowfall, a new international report warns.
1,86,777 Affordable Houses Sanctioned for Urban Poor Under PMAY (Urban)
Haryana has been sanctioned 53,290 houses in 38 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.4,322cr with central assistance of Rs.799 cr. Tamil Nadu got 40,623 houses in 65 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.2,314cr and central assistance of Rs.609 cr. Karnataka has been sanctioned 32,656 affordable houses in 95 cities with an investment of Rs.1,461cr and central assistance of Rs.490 cr.Gujarat has been sanctioned 15,584 houses in 45 cities and towns with an investment of Rs. 946cr with central assistance of Rs.234 cr. Maharashtra has been sanctioned 12,123 houses in 13 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.868cr with central assistance of Rs.182 cr. Kerala has been sanctioned 9,461 houses in 52 cities with an investment of Rs.284 cr. with central assistance of Rs.142 crores.Uttarakhand has been sanctioned 6,226 houses in 57 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.258 cr. with central assistance of Rs.93 cr. Orissa got 5,133 houses in 26 cities and towns with an ...
Construction of new PHWR
The Government has in June, 2017 accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for setting up ten indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) in Fleet Mode, "at an estimated cost of Rs1,05,000 crore". The details of these PHWRs is given below:
NASA's New Horizons snaps farthest images by any spacecraft
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has set a new record by capturing the farthest images from Earth by a spacecraft, surpassing the Voyager 1's record of capturing an image when it was 6.06 billion km away from Earth.
Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao meets three Union Ministers
Telangana Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday met three Union Ministers to put forward various demands.During his meeting with Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Forests and Climate Change; Rao requested him to consider and accord environmental clearance to Hyderabad Pharma City on an expeditious basis.In the meeting with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rao requested her to consider including Hyderabad in the proposed Defence Industrial Production Corridor to augment and support the growth of Defence manufacturing from the State of Telangana.He also met Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines Narendra Singh Tomar to put forward demands related to mines in Telangana.Rao is Ministry of Information Technology (IT), Industries & Commerce, Mines & Geology, Public Enterprises and NRI Affairs in the state of Telangana.
U.S. aluminum foil makers say Chinese imports 'devastated' industry
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. aluminum foil producers on Thursday described a systematic effort by Chinese competitors to force them out of the business, arguing before a U.S. trade panel that they need anti-dumping duties to survive and invest.
Axing fossil fuel subsidies scant help on climate: study
Getting rid of massive subsidies for oil, gas and coal will not significantly curb carbon pollution or speed the transition to a greener global economy, researchers have said, challenging widely held assumptions. "Unfortunately, it is not the silver bullet many had hoped," they said in a statement. "Removing fossil fuel subsidies would only slightly slow the growth of CO2 emissions", which are on track to increase for at least another decade, they added. "By 2030, emissions would only be one-to-five per cent lower than if subsidies had been maintained." For fossil fuel producers, subsidies can take the form of tax breaks, cheap loans, protection from competitors, or favourable trade restrictions. For consumers, they generally result in below-market prices for oil, gas or electricity. The intergovernmental International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated the value of fossil fuel consumption subsidies in 2016 at about USD 260 billion, down from USD 310 billion the year ...
Odisha to set up 5 PLDA milk production plant
The Odisha government on Thursday approved setting up of a five lakh litre per day automated dairy and milk production plant to handle increased procurement of milk in the state.
Punjab to revive loss-making sugar mills
The Punjab government is all set to revive and upgrade the loss-making sugar mills in the state by implementing recommendations of a consultative report being drafted by the expert committee. Disclosing this here in a release today, Additional Chief Secretary Cooperation D P Reddy said on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the cooperation department would draft a plan to rejuvenate the running cooperative sugar mills in the state. While presiding over a meeting of the committee of experts constituted by the state government held here today, he informed that in order to safeguard the interests of cane growers in the state, the Punjab government had decided to implement a plan for up gradation, setting up of distilleries for production of ethanol and co-generation for revival of financial health of the loss making cooperative sugar mills. He said the experts committee had earlier discussed various issues regarding problems faced by the sugar ...
Morocco, Belgium discuss means to develop cooperation in energy
Brussels, Feb 8 (IANS/MAP) Two top officials of Morocco and Belgium met here on Thursday to discuss the important opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the field of renewable energies.
MP has largest area in country under organic farming: minister
Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country where organic farming is being done over 1.48 lakh hectares, the largest in the country, state cooperative minister (independent charge) Vishwas Sarang said today. "Organic farming is being done in 1.48 lakh hectares area, which is the largest in the country," Sarang said, inaugurating a seminar at the Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISS) here. The three-day seminar was on "Organic Waste Management for Food and Environmental Security." The minister said that Madhya Pradesh is the leading state in the country in terms of agriculture production. The state's agriculture development rate has crossed 9.7 per cent. Organic farming is the solution to the problem of harmful waste generated by use of chemicals, he said. Use of organic manure will not only help in reducing the input cost but also help conserve soil, water and environment, he said. The waste generated from agriculture can be easily recycled to convert into compost, .
Gabon fights elephant poachers with hi-tech tracker collars
Ever tried to put a GPS real-time tracking collar on a five-tonne animal? Well in Gabon conservationists have begun trying to use the devices on elephants; tracking and drugging the animals, before attaching the high-tech gadgets in a bid to stop poachers and ivory trafficking. But it is not a simple task. Each operation needs around five to seven men, including a vet, scouts and trackers, to guide the group through dense jungle and locate the often shy animals. "They have to fit one or two GPS collars a day," says Jean-Baptiste Squarcini, general secretary of Gabon's national parks agency (ANPN). "It's very dangerous with our men repeatedly being charged by elephants." Once an elephant is spotted, a vet will move forward and use a compressed air rifle to fire a dart carrying etorphine: a semi-synthetic opioid more than 1,000 times more powerful than morphine. "Too heavy a dose will kill the elephant. Too weak, it can escape. You have to get it right," Squarcini ...
Leopard skin seized in Haryana, godman held
A leopard skin was seized from Haryana and a self-styled godman was arrested, officials said on Thursday.
40,714 solar home lights distributed in last 2 years: Lone
Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Science and Technology Sajad Gani Lone said today that the government has distributed 40,714 solar home lights (SHLs) and 1,957 solar street lights (SSLs) in last two years. Six hundred solar street lights were distributed in Gurez, Bandipora in addition to those distributed in the state, the minister said in a written reply to a question by PDP MLC Firdous Ahmad Tak in the Legislative Council today. Lone informed that 34,483 SHLs and 2,408 SSLs were procured under Remote Villages Electrification Programme and 10,000 SHLs were procured under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) programme by adopting e-tendering mode. "These solar home lights have been procured from TATA Power Solar System Ltd, Bangalore at the unit rate of Rs 9,581 and solar street lights from Social Engineers Private Limited, Dehradun (W-LED based) at the unit rate of Rs 12,599," he added.
Policy on landfill sites soon, says Environment Secretary
The Union Environment Ministry will soon come up with a policy to manage the landfill sites in and around the national capital, a top government official said on Thursday.
Betla Tiger Reserve to be developed into world standard: CM
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that in the coming years Betla Tiger Reserve in Palamau will be developed into a world standard area, an official release said here. He directed to purchase 10 special vehicles for plying inside the area in the first phase. Das also called for inclusion of more women guards. His direction came while chairing Palamau Tiger Foundations Governing Body and Palamau Tiger Reserves Steering Committee, the release said. The chief minister said that now six tigers are in the area and asked to take steps in protecting them and make their reserve favourable. He also said that development of tribals in the forest areas should be done after taking them into confidence. The chief minister directed the welfare secretary to make special yozanas for tribals staying at Netarhat, Barwadih, Mahuadand, Betla and other nearby areas. He also asked to set up poultry federation in every district and women in the villages run them professionally. ...
'Clean Air Campaign' will hopefully offer a replicable model:
Emphasising on "zero-tolerance" approach to polluters, Environment minister Harsh Vardhan today said that the fortnight-long campaign against air pollution in Delhi will hopefully offer a "replicable model" for the rest of the country. As many as 70 teams have been set up as part of a 'Clean Air Campaign' to be run by the Centre and the Delhi government from February 10-23, which will also include a mini-marathon. "The campaign is going to be very aggressive, with a zero-tolerance approach to polluters, and not a mere symbolic exercise. We are doing this with all the urgency, and we mean business. And, we also expect people to engage pro-actively," he said. The ministry said 131 tonnes of dust was being emitted in Delhi every day and controlling the emission of dust alone can help mitigate air pollution, he said, adding that large-scale construction in Delhi-NCR is one of the major causes of increasing dust and pollution. "This is going to be a concerted campaign, which .
