Page 879 - Environment
IT minister calls for development of forest area in Hyderabad
Telangana IT and Municipal Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday called for the development of forest block area located on the outskirts of Hyderabad."We are developing in technology and we should give a healthy environment to the public. In HMDA (Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority), around 58,329 hectares forest land is available; we should save the forest land. We should keep a special focus on tourism," Rao said at a review meeting.The meeting was attended by Telangana State Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, Tourism Secretary B Venkatesham, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GMHC) Commissioner Janardhan Reddy and other officials of various departments.
SpaceX successfully launches world's most powerful rocket
Business tycoon Elon Musk's SpaceX has created history by successfully launching the Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful operational rocket in the world, into outer space.The rocket, which is on its course to the orbit of planet Mars, is the first step in Musk's ambitious dream to send humans to Mars and create a colony on the planet.The rocket made its successful launch at 3:45 p.m. Eastern time (2:15 a.m. IST on Wednesday) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and SpaceX offered a live coverage of the whole process.As the rocket shot off to outer space, the tree Falcon 9 boosters attached to the engine attempted to land at three different sites back on Earth. While the two side boosters successfully landed back, the landing of core booster that was supposed to land on SpaceX's drone ship in the Atlantic is yet to be ascertained as the smoke obscured the camera view.Test rockets typically carry a dummy payload, and Musk chose his cherry red Tesla Roadster along with a dummy driver
Development committees to come up in every Delhi village
Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that village development committees will be formed in every village of the national capital.
Cannot seek livelihood, complain about pollution in same breath: Parrikar
It is not possible to seek jobs and other means of livelihood and at the same time complain about pollution, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday, while flaying coal pollution-related protests in South Goa's Vasco port town, 35 km from Panaji.
Karnataka scheme for free LPG has no central approval: Government
Denying that the Karnataka government is implementing the Mukhya Mantri Anila Bhagya Yojane (MMABY) in collaboration with the Centre, the Union Petroleum Ministry
Conduct study on caping extraction of minerals: Environment
The environment ministry has suggested to the mines ministry to carry out a study on caping extraction of minerals such as limestone, the government has said. "The ministry, vide letter dated December 6, 2017, has suggested the Ministry of Mines for carrying out a capping study for minerals like limestone," Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha recently. He was asked whether the government has suggested limits on production of minerals such as limestone as there is encroachment into agricultural land for mining of such minerals. He said that the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) while appraising the project for grant of environmental clearance, takes into consideration the impact on land use and land cover of the area and if required, restricts the mining activity to a limited area and to a limited production capacity. Asked whether the government has put any ceiling in order to conserve environment, he said, ...
Kashmiri pandits forced to leave due "situation of fear": J&K
Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes and hearths in the valley due to an environment of insecurity and fear, a senior minister in the Mehbooba Mufti government said today. "I want to say from the core of my heart and put it on the record in the house that they (Kashmiri Hindus) were forced to leave due to a situation (of fear and insecurity)", Minister for Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Javed Mustafa Mir told the Legislative Council today. He was winding up a discussion following a notice moved by BJP MLC Girdari Lal Raina. "Kashmiri Pandits did not run away. Some people have been alleging that they left their homes. I want to clear the issue and put it to rest," Mir added. He said an environment of fear and insecurity prevailed in the state and even Muslim neighours were also targets. "People were getting killed. We (neighbours) felt that we cannot protect them. That is why they left the valley to save themselves, when it ...
Time frame be set for production from NTPC plant: Jharkhand CM
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today directed that a time frame be set for the production of electricity from NTPC Patratu and North Karanpura Power Plant, according an official release here. Das said this during a meeting with National Thermal Power Corporation and state officials. Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma and NTPC chairman and managing director Gurdeep Singh were among the officials present in the meeting, the release said. Das said such meetings be convened for coordination. The meeting reviewed the first phase of Patratu Thermal Station Project and North Karanpura Station Thermal Power Project. The meeting also discussed on CSR of the company vis--vis community development. The chief minister said work was on to make the state an energy hub and asked the officials to ensure that electricity reach every household of the state by Dipavali this year. He said that 15 power stations are working in the state and more new power stations would be set up. Solar ...
Env Ministry to set up 'war room' at CPCB: Harsh Vardhan
The Environment Ministry said today that it will set up a "war room" in the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) premises to monitor the daily progress of efforts to mitigate the air pollution in Delhi. Reviewing the preparations ahead of a two-week-long 'Clean Air Campaign', Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the campaign should not be only symbolic but the complaints and feedback received should be monitored from the ground. Ministry officials said 131 tonnes of dust were being emitted in Delhi every day. Controlling the emission of dust will bring down the air pollution drastically, they said. The minister emphasised that there should be no laxity by officials in enforcing the rules. "The campaign should not be just symbolic and complaints and feedback should be monitored from the ground. It is not just a technical requirement, it is the moral responsibility of all agencies, both at central and state levels," he said. "A message should go that we are ...
Dibang Valley to be highest site for 2018 tiger census
Held every four years, the All India Tiger Estimation-2018, in a first, will scale the height of 3,200 metres in Arunchal Pradesh's Dibang Valley bordering China to scientifically assess the number of tigers there among other habitats of the big cat, officials said on Tuesday.
MP govt launches app to spread awareness against pollution
The Madhya Pradesh government today launched a mobile application to spread awareness against pollution in the western part of the state. Indore divisional commissioner Sanjay Dubey told reporters that the mobile app "pollution metre' was available on 'Google Play Store'. It has been developed with the help of a private firm and the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board. With the help of the app, anybody can check the status of air, water and noise pollution in their respective areas, he added. "People of 8 districts in western Madhya Pradesh are free to raise their concerns with the help of the app which would enable us to check pollution," the commissioner added.
After 114 yrs, J-K to get new Act for protection of fisheries
More than a century after enacting an Act to preserve fisheries in Jammu and Kashmir, the state is all set to get a new legislation for the sector. The Legislative Council today passed "a Bill to provide for the protection, conservation and development of fisheries in the state and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto...". The bill was moved by Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Gani Kohli and passed with a voice vote. It was passed in the state assembly yesterday. The existing Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries Act of 1903 is more than 114 years old, which called for an updated legislation for the sector. "No person shall after commencement of this Act, carry on fishing in any trout water, reserved waters and protected waters without a license," the bill said. It further said that no person shall use any dynamite or other explosive substance in any water with intent thereby to catch or destroy the fishes. No person shall put any poison ...
Harsh Vardhan reviews Clean Air Campaign in Delhi
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today reviewed the preparations for the two-week long drill to contain air pollution in Delhi, with officials of his ministry and representatives from Delhi Government, Central and State pollution control agencies, four Municipal Corporations of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Corporation.Besides Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Delhi's Environment Minister Imran Hussain, Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change C.K. Mishra, Chief Secretary of Delhi Anshu Prakash were among those present at the review."The campaign should not be just symbolic. Compliant and feedback should be monitored from the ground," Dr Vardhan told the officials. "It is not just technical requirement, it is the moral responsibility of all agencies, both Central and State. A message should go that we are serious. It is linked to our national image now." said Dr ..
Leopard cubs' death: Forest dept asks MSEDCL to install short
Death of three leopard cubs in a short circuit-triggered fire in a sugarcane field in the district has pitted state Forest department against MSEDCL, a PSU controlled by the Maharashtra government. In a letter addressed to the MSEDCL, the forest department has requested them to protect the overhead power cables with short-circuit guards to avoid any such incident in future, a senior official said today. The department has also said that they will register cases against MSEDCL if a similar incident happens in future. Three cubs were found charred to death in the sugarcane field in a village in Junnar tehsil on February 3. Forest officials suspected that the sugarcane caught fire after an overhead electricity cable snapped due to a short circuit and fell on sugarcane. "The department also told the power distribution company that farmers, who bear losses due to the fire, will also be asked to file cases against the power utility company," said Arjun Mhase, Deputy Conservator
Haryana to establish farmers' welfare department
Haryana will establish a farmers' welfare department to make agriculture remunerative, enhance productivity andmitigate the distress of farm households and landless workers, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said today. Khattar made the announcement of establishing 'Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran' while interacting with farmers during the 'Ek Aur Sudhar' programme organised here. State Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar and Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Karan Dev Kamboj were also present on the occasion, an official release said. The chief minister said that the state government is sensitive to the condition of the farmers and decided to establish the 'Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran' to provide relief to farm households. Recently, he had announced rolling out one reform every month and in the same series, it has been decided to establish the department, he added. The Chief Minister would be the chairperson of the Haryana Kisan Kalyan
Germanwatch climate report on India not all encompassing: Govt
A recent report ranking India as the sixth most vulnerable nation facing extreme weather events is "not all encompassing" and acknowledges that a single event cannot be attributed to climate change exclusively, the government has said. The 'Global Climate Risk Index-2018' by Germanwatch, launched at the 23rd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn last year, ranked India as the sixth most affected country in the world in the year 2016 facing extreme weather events. "However, the analysis is not all encompassing and acknowledges that single extreme weather event cannot be attributed to climate change exclusively," Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma has said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. "There may be other factors at play, which need to be factored in," Sharma said recently, after he was asked whether India has been ranked as the sixth most vulnerable country. He said the government has ..
Goa HC issues notice to environment ministry on SWPL plea
The Bombay High Court today issued a notice to Union Environment Ministry on a petition filed by the South West Port Limited (SWPL) seeking the green clearance for capacity enhancement to handle coal at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) in Goa. The SWPL moved the Goa bench of the HC stating that the ministry was not processing their application for the Environmental Clearance (EC) for their project at the MPT. The SWPL cited an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), dated November 22, 2017, which debarred states across the country from granting permission for projects awaiting finalisation of the coastal zone management plan, its counsel Subodh Kantak said. The firm requested the HC to consider their proposal for EC for the terminal capacity enhancement at the berths at MPT, where the SWPL is operating currently. "The NGT's order should not be applicable to the project of the company as the application for the grant of the EC was submitted in February, 2015, ahead of the ...
'CPCB asks 16 new power plants to comply with emission norms'
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions to 16 thermal power plants to comply with new emission norms according to their committed time frames, the government has said. Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha recently, said that 19 units of 16 plants have been commissioned after January 2017. Out of 19 units, two units have installed Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) or Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) to comply with Sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission norms. "For remaining 17 units, time lines have been stipulated by the environment ministry based on commitment received from the power ministry to comply with new emission norms with respect to Particulate Matter (PM), SO2 and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). "CPCB has issued directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to all these units to comply with new emission norms as per committed time lines," he said. He was asked ...
50,459 acres of forest land encroached in J-K: Govt
The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that the forest department has retrieved 19,612 acres of land against 50,459 acres encroached forest land in the state. Replying to a question by Congress MLA Vikar Rasool Wani in the state Assembly, Forest minister Choudhary Lal Singh said that the department has retrieved 18,542 acres against 36,265 acres encroached forest land in the Jammu division. "Similarly, the department retrieved 1,069 acres of 14,194 acres encroached forest land in the Kashmir division, he added. The forest department has developed 1,233 forest closures in the last three years in various parts of the state, the minister added. Singh said thatthe department has expanded Rs 123.27 crore against the estimated cost of Rs 134.29 crore for the development of these projects. To prevent incidents of man-animal conflict in the Banihal constituency, the minister said that the department has taken up several measures. The steps include setting up of a control ...
4th tiger census to be app-driven, go all-out in Northeast
The fourth All India Tiger Estimation by the government will be driven heavily by digital technology and over 15,000 camera trap locations are likely to be sampled for the exercise, officials said today. Experts at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) said "all out" efforts would be made to count the number of tigers in the Northeast. India conducts the All India Tiger Estimation every four years, and the last census, completed in 2014, pegged the number of tigers in the country at 2,226. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) today held a press conference here to share details of the exercise in which the central government will invest around Rs 10.22 crore. "As there is a lot of thrust on 'Digital India' by the government, the estimation this year will use a lot of technology. The phase-1 of data collection will be done through an Android phone-based mobile application, for the first time," said Y V Jhala, a scientist at the WII. Dehradun-based WII conducts .
