Page 886 - Environment
China, UNDP Pak sign $4mn assistance agreement for Fata, Balochistan
China, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Pakistan have signed a USD 4 million agreement to provide assistance over four months to help the people of Fata and Balochistan region in Pakistan."The successful launching of the project renews our commitment to deliver strong support to the people of Pakistan. The project will support the people in the restoration of their livelihood and help rebuild their lives," the Dawn quoted Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing, as saying on Friday at the signing ceremony.The Chinese ambassador further said that China would continue to increase the grant assistance to Pakistan.China came up with its One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative in 2013.The project comprises a network of railways, roads and pipelines that would connect Pakistan's port city of Gwadar in the province of Balochistan, with the Chinese city of Kashgar in landlocked Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).The human rights activists have, time and again, spoken about and ...
Newly rediscovered IMAGE probe was a discovery machine: NASA
While NASA continues to learn about the state of its newly rediscovered IMAGE mission, the US space agency has said that the spacecraft proved to be a "discovery" machine and during nearly six years in operation, it provided robust research about the space around Earth.
Kanpur gets its first butterfly park
The Uttar Pradesh government has inaugurated the state's first ever butterfly park in Kanpur to preserve the ecosystem.According to the Kanpur Zoo authority, the butterfly park was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore.A total of 100 species of flowers have been planted in order to attract the butterflies.By now, more than 50 species of butterflies have already been observed in the park.Dr RK Singh, designated doctor at the park, said, "There are presently more than 50 species of butterflies, though till now official counting has not been done. They have also planted around 50 species of flowers at the periphery. The park will open around March 2018 for the public."A tourist said that he came to visit the Kanpur Zoo and was happy to be able to visit the butterfly park as well.In addition, 40 species of evergreen flowers have also been planted, including Calendula, Gulmehendi and Dahlia, to allow the tourists witness the scenic beauty of the place throughout the year.
U.S. seeks 'substantial' fines in Fiat Chrysler emissions case - source
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is seeking "substantial" civil fines from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV after the government filed suit accusing the company of illegally using software that led to excess emissions in 104,000 U.S. diesel vehicles sold since 2014, a person briefed on the matter said on Friday.
Exxon sees global oil demand plunging by 2040 under climate regulations
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp said on Friday that it expects global oil demand to drop sharply by 2040 if regulations aimed at limiting the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate are fully implemented.
B'desh to build power plant in India
Through the Bangladesh-India Friendship Company (BIFCL), Bangladesh is planning to build a solar or coal-based power electricity general plant in the Indian soil.A decision has been made to form a committee comprising representatives from both the countries to move the project forward, reported the Dhaka Tribune.Khaled Mahmud, Chairman Engineer of Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), recently confirmed about the developments to the media, after returning home from India following a joint working committee meeting.The PDB and India's National Thermal Power Company Ltd (NTPC) will jointly operate the power station, it reported."Bangladesh will also be able to import electricity from the power plant after its construction," it added.The BIFCL will build the power plant in India as was done in the Rampal Power Plant construction project."India has agreed to the proposal. We are currently importing power from India, and after construction, Bangladesh will import power from that power .
Sikh group calls for World Sikh Environment Day on March 14
A US-based Sikh outfit today appealed to Sikhs in India and elsewhere to celebrate March 14 as World Sikh Environment Day, as a tribute to Guru Har Rai the seventh Sikh Guru. Since 2010, 'EcoSikh' has been engaging Sikhs to take action on nature preservation and to combat the threat of the climate change. March 14 marks the enthronement day of Guru Har Rai who is remembered for his sensitivity for nature and animals, a media release said. "He is perhaps the first environmentalist in South Asia who during his reign from 1644 to 1661 started and promoted herbal gardens and wild life refuge and exhorted Sikhs to care for nature," EcoSikh said. "The world, particularly the South Asia region including Punjab, is facing a great threat due to climate change. India has lost forest area at an alarming rate in the last two decades and Punjab only has four per cent forest area and it is our moral duty to take action. Sikh Environment Day is one such attempt,"said Rajwant Singh, ...
Piyush Goyal talks about having one global grid
Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal on Friday talked about having a global grid.While addressing a conference of World Energy Council India, Goyal asked the participants to think about having global transmission grid in which power can seamlessly flow from one region to the other."The Sun shines bright in different parts of the world at different times of the day, wind velocity is good at some areas, some areas may be eminently suitable for having more nuclear power. Some gas surplus countries can produce power through gas, which is relatively cleaner than coal. And, then if one has to visualize world as one and truly make power flow across continents and countries," Goyal said.He added that with having capability to move power through oceans, we could actually start imagining a world much faster than the original 2050 that many countries are talking of."We could truly imagine a world where we could transition into 100 percent clean energy world. That is the day I ...
Save wetlands as they save humanity: Harsh Vardhan
Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today urged people to save wetlands as they save humanity by serving as a source of drinking water and reducing flooding. On the occasion of the World Wetlands Day, the minister appealed to people to put their heart and soul into developing a strong movement for 'Green Good Deeds' in this country. "They (wetlands) serve as a source of drinking water, reduce flooding and the vegetation of wetlands filters domestic and industrial waste and improves water quality. Save them, save humanity," the minister said. "I think this is our Green Social Responsibility towards the society and the nation and of course for this whole planet," he said. The minister also interacted with hundreds of school and college students, who came to observe the World Wetlands Day with him. "It is our solemn duty to protect the rights of the children, who are yet to take birth. It is our duty also to ensure that we give back to our children an environment which is ...
50% of NCR pollution, traffic congestion will go in 2 months: Gadkari
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said both pollution and traffic congestion in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be reduced by half in the next two months.
Farmer to pay only 10% cost of solar pumps under Budget scheme: Minister
The Indian farmer will effectively bear only 10 per cent of cost for solarising his agricultural pump under a scheme unveiled in the Budget 2018-19, Power Minister R.K. Singh said on Friday.
China, UNDP sign pact to help Pakistan's tribal areas
China and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Friday signed a $4 million agreement to support the recovery of Pakistan's remote areas that have been affected by natural and human-made crises.
India should aim from 50 pc renewable energy by 2030: Goyal
Coal Minister Piyush Goyal today said India should strive for 50 per cent of its power generation capacity from renewable sources by 2030 on the back of technological advancements in solar and wind energy. "With technological advancements in solar power and large turbines in wind energy, the country should strive for 50 per cent generation capacity from renewable sources by 2030," Goyal said while addressing the 7th Indian Energy Congress. He further said India is the first major country which is fast transitioning into a new era of carbon-free energy for its citizens. The minister also said the country is set to exceed the target of 175 GW in renewable energy and touch 200 GW by 2022 which "shows the seriousness India attaches to climate change and environment protection." India, the seventh largest economy in the world, is poised for fast economic growth in the coming years and will rank as the second largest in not-so-distant future, he added. Earlier in the ...
Saving wetlands is saving humanity: Minister (February 2 is World Wetlands Day)
Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday marked 'World Wetlands Day' here, saying saving wetlands -- marshes, swamps, bogs and large or small lakes and ponds -- will help save humanity.
HC allows to tranquilise and capture of two tigers in Maha
The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court today allowed the forest department of the Maharashtra government to tranquilise and capture two tigers roaming in Pandharkawada jungle in Yavatmal district. One of these two big cats, tigress 'T-1', has killed ten people in the last one year, said forest authorities who recently ordered that she be captured and if it could not be done, shot at sight. A division bench of Justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Swapna Joshi passed the directive during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Jerryl Banait and Sarita Subramanium. The petitioners had moved the court against the January 29 order of the principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) to either capture or shoot the tigress T-1. The PCCF had also ordered that the other tiger, a male, be captured by tranquilising. The petitioners claimed that the animal responsible for the human deaths was not identified properly. The identification should have been done in a ...
China launches satellite to study earthquake precursors
China today successfully launched its first seismo-electromagnetic satellite to study seismic precursors, which might help it establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future. A Long March-2D rocket, which was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gobi Desert at 15:51 (local times), carried the 730-kilogramme China Seismo- Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 500 Kms, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Known as Zhangheng 1 in Chinese, it will help scientists monitor the electromagnetic field, ionospheric plasma and high-energy particles for an expected mission life of five years, Zhao Jian, a senior official with China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. The satellite is named after Zhang Heng, a scholar of the East Han Dynasty (25-220), who pioneered earthquake studies by inventing the first ever seismoscope in the year 132. Zhangheng 1 will ..
Rs 48K cr KUSUM scheme to encourage farmers for solar farming:
Power Minister R K Singh today announced a Rs 48,000-crore KUSUM scheme to incentivise farmers to run solar farm water pumps and also use their baron land for generating solar power. "We have another scheme which was announced in the Budget is KUSUM... The proposal has been appraised by different committees like committee of secretaries. Now it has been approved by the EFC (Expenditure Finance Committee) and the Cabinet. It will be launched next fiscal," Singh said. The minister said that the previous scheme of KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha Utthaan Maha Abhiyaan) was also very popular and states are on board for this also for direct benefit transfer of subsidy to farmers' account. As much as 30 per cent of the cost of solar pumps was provided by the government in the earlier scheme. The new scheme would be more broad-based like incentives for discoms to buy power from farmers and financial assistance of 60 per cent to buy solar pumps which would be equally shared by the ...
18 fishermen held from Gahirmatha Sanctuary
Forest personnel have taken into custody 18 sea-going fishermen in a mid-sea interception of unlawful fishing activity along the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha, a forest official said said. Two fishing trawlers used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited sanctuary area in Kendrapara district were also seized yesterday by the patrolling unit engaged by forest department near unmanned Agarnassi island. Sea fishing is prohibited within the marine sanctuary limits. Patrolling is stepped up in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary water territory during November-May every year in view of the annual mass nesting season of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.
Ghaziabad has lost wetlands: Activist
Ghaziabad, one of the biggest districts in India, has lost its wetlands due to encroachments, environmentalists said on the International Wetland Day on Friday.
ESCOMs in Karnataka seek power tariff increase
The Electricity Supply Companies of Karnataka have filed an application with the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission seeking electricity tariff increase ranging from 83 paise to more than Re 1.10 per kw of power, KERC Chairperson M K Shankarlinge Gowda said today. Bangalore Electricity Supply Company has sought an increase of 83 paise per kilowatt of power and Hubballi and Gulbarga Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs) have asked for more than Rs 1.10, he told PTI. "We will have to decide after consulting with public," Gowda said. The public consultation regarding increasing the tariff will start from February 19 to March 2. The KERC chairman said in Bengaluru, consultations with the public will start from February 19 while similar hearing will be conducted in all the ESCOM headquarters like Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi and Kalaburagi.
