Page 888 - Environment
Budget 2018 prioritises farmers: Chattisgarh CM
Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh had lauded the Centre for a pro-farmer and pro-people budget.On Thursday, Singh, in a statement, said, "The budget focuses on 80 percent of the country's population especially the farmers and poor people. Farmers of the country have been given the priority."The new budget has been mooted as farmers and poor-people friendly and lauded by MSME's and agricultural sector.He took to Twitter and said, "Government of India is firmly committed to realise PM Narendra Modiji's vision of doubling farmer income by 2022."Finance minister Arun Jaitley allocated around Rs 14.34 trillion for the development of rural infrastructure and to provide economic support to the farmers.He announced a minimum support price for all the notified Kharif crops which will be 1.5 times the input cost. The farmers were also assured of a 50 percent return over over-production costs for crops, though the route for the same has not been defined.To reduce the pressure of loans in ..
Britain proposes unlimited fines for car emissions cheaters
(Reuters) - Carmakers that try to cheat vehicle emissions tests could face unlimited fines and criminal charges under proposals set out on Thursday by the British government.
Tripura bamboo farmers welcome Union Budget
The bamboo farmers in Tripura's Agartala have welcomed the Union Budget 2018 under which Rs 1,290 crore have been allocated for a Restructured National Bamboo Mission.This mission will be launched to promote the bamboo sector in a holistic manner."The Union Budget 2018 is a farmer-friendly proposal. They have particularly kept provision for the bamboo sector. If implemented properly farmers from North-East will get better opportunity to earn their livelihood through bamboo," Centre for Forest-based Livelihoods and Extension, PK Kaushik told ANI.A bamboo farmer, Samir Acharjee, said, "This will benefit us as well as the bamboo artisans and those who make their houses out of bamboo. Now bamboo is a thing which is useful everywhere in our day to day life and so everyone will be benefited due to this budget".For agriculture sector, this year's budget has proposed increasing the minimum support price (MSP) of all crops to at least 1.5 times that of the production cost."I make furniture out
Maha tural homeless to get houses under PMAY: Munde
Maharashtra Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde today said rural homeless will be provided houses under the Pradhan Mantri AwaasYojana (PMAY). The minister also said that the government has taken a decision to regularise homes of rural poor who have built houses on government land. "The housing project for rural homeless would be on the lines of SRA(Slum Rehabilitation Authority) scheme which is in place for the urban poor," Munde said while addressing a Sarpanch Durbar at the Mantralaya here. About 200 sarpanchs from across the state who were directly elected by people participated in the meeting. On the occasion, Munde appealed to them to give a boost to rural development movement. The Sarpanchs discussed the problems regarding rural housing schemes, funds received from 14th Finance Commission, gramsabhas, infrastructure development in rural areas at the interaction.
Iraq declares 2.5mn displaced people return home
The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement on Thursday announced that some 2.5 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have returned to their houses in the areas liberated from the Islamic State.
Air pollution: SC asks Rajasthan's chief secy to appear
The Supreme Court today expressed displeasure over the failure of Rajasthan's chief secretary in filing an affidavit withdrawing the state's averment that the top court had passed an order banning use of pet coke and furnace oil without prior notice. The court had passed an order on October 24 placing a ban on use of furnace oil and pet coke in states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan from November 1. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had on December 13 last year "volunteered" before the court to file affidavits of chief secretaries withdrawing the suggestion that the order was passed by the top court without prior notice to them. The governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan have been sleeping like 'Kumbhakarna' and now they are "blaming" the court for passing orders banning use of pet coke and furnace oil in their states, the Supreme Court had said during the hearing on December 13. When the matter came up for hearing today before a bench comprising .
Budget: Air pollution tackled 'briefly' by Centre, says green
Even as the Centre today announced a special scheme to address the rising air pollution in Delhi and NCR states, green bodies said the issue of "national emergency" was tackled "briefly" and that not mentioning the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) was "disappointing". The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that the scheme has to be implemented quickly as the "clock is ticking." Presenting his fifth straight budget in the Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that a special scheme will be executed with the Delhi government and adjoining states to address the rising air pollution in the national capital. A special scheme will be implemented to support the efforts of the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidise machinery required for insitu management of crop residue, the minister said. "The scheme is welcome. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has
DJB to lay pipeline from Haiderpur to tackle water
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) today approved a proposal to lay a water pipeline from Haiderpur plant to tackle contamination of water supply due to rising level of ammonia in the Yamuna. It also green-lit the deployment of 200 tailor-made machines for cleaning of sewer lines in the narrow streets of the city, a move aimed at eliminating the practice of manual scavenging. According to the DJB, a 2,400 mm line has been laid and a wall is being constructed between drain numbers 6 and 8 in Haryana's Sonipat to segregate industrial waste and raw water, which flows through canals to Delhi. It said the wall would stop ammonia from getting mixed with raw water. The proposal was approved by a board meeting of DJB, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "An additional 2,400 mm line for raw water mains from Delhi sub-branch near Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant (WTP) would be laid in order to reduce dependency on Yamuna for raw water. "The raw water from Yamuna is often contaminated
Maha yet to start aid disbursal to pest-hit cotton farmers
The Maharashtra government is yet to start disbursal of the compensation it promised to cotton cultivators last December whose crop was damaged due to pink bollworm infestation. According to officials, the delay is caused because of the state Agriculture department unable to complete the assessment of damage caused to the crop. The compensation was announced in the winter session of the state legislature held in Nagpur last December. "The survey of cotton crops is not yet completed. We need to wait for the damage assessment report before we can start disbursing the amount (to farmers)," government officials said. As almost two months are passed since the compensation promise was made, farmers have now begun questionning the delay. "I have two acres of cotton cultivation and it was damaged. The assessment is already done but there has been no compensation disbursed so far. I have checked with district officials a couple of times but have received no information," said ...
950 miners trapped in S Africa after power outage: company
About 950 gold miners were stuck underground in South Africa today after a power cut, the mine's owner said, though the workers were not reported to be in immediate danger. "We sent rescue teams down, accounted for all the people and obviously are trying to get them out of there as soon as possible," James Wellsted, spokesman for the Sibanye- Stillwater mining company, told ENCA television.
NABARD expects dairy sector boost from Rs 8,000 cr fund
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala today said the union budget proposal to form a Rs 8,000 crore fund will strengthen the dairy infrastructure in the country. Besides, Rs 10,000 crore has also been allocated for the development of fisheries and aquaculture. Bhanwala was speaking at inaugural session of 9th Asian Buffalo Congress held at ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes in Hisar today, said an official release. The seminar was held on the topic of "Climate resilient Buffalo Production for Sustainable Livelihood". Bhanwala emphasized upon enhancing food security and improving the income of the dairy farmers on a sustainable basis, as dairy is a secondary occupation for about 69 per cent of India's farming community. He said dairy contributes about a third of the gross income of rural households and about half of the gross income of landless rural households. Further, one fourth share of agriculture .
Env ministry gets Rs 2,675.42 cr; scheme to address Delhi's
The budgetary allocation for the environment ministry for 2018-19 is Rs 2,675.42 crore, identical to the last budget's allocation, even as the Centre announced a special scheme to address rising air pollution in Delhi and adjoining states. Presenting his fifth straight budget in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region was a "cause of concern". "A special scheme will be implemented to support the efforts of the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidise machinery required for institutional management of crop residue," he said. The budgetary allocation for the environment ministry for 2018-19 is Rs 2,675.42 crore, identical to last budget's allocation. The ministry had got an increase of nearly 19 per cent during the 2017-18 budget. The recently released Economic Survey had called Delhi one of the "unhealthiest" cities in the world in terms of air ...
DONER gets Rs 3,000 crore in Union Budget
The Ministry of Development of North East Region (DONER) has been allocated Rs 3,000 crore for 2018-19 in the Union Budget -- 11.8 per cent more than last year.
Tajikistan says $4bn dam to open in November
Tajikistan's $4-billion mega dam, intended to be the tallest in the world, could begin operations in time for a holiday honouring President Emomali Rakhmon in November, state media said today. State television said the first turbine in the Rogun hydroelectric dam could come online in November, quoting Pietro Salini, chief executive of the Italian company Salini Impregilo that has been contracted to oversee the project. Salini met with Rakhmon on Wednesday. The November 16 launch date for the first unit coincides with a holiday honouring the 65-year-old Rakhmon, who has been president for nearly a quarter of a century and is the subject of a flourishing personality cult. There have been calls by public figures in the country to rename the dam, planned to be 335 metres tall -- which would make it the tallest hydroelectric dam in the world -- after Rakhmon. A former collective farm chief who consolidated control over Tajikistan following a five-year civil war that ended in .
Budget: Gadkari welcomes nearly Rs 2,000cr hike in water
Union minister Nitin Gadkari today welcomed the nearly Rs 2,000 crore hike in budgetary allocation to the water resources ministry and said the government will focus on expanding irrigation infrastructure and cleaning up the Ganga in 2018-19. For 2018-19, the government has given Rs 8,860 crore to the ministry, up from Rs 6,887 crore in 2017-18. The ministry is implementing key projects such Namami Gange, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana and river inter- linking. The water resources minister told reporters the government plans to issue work orders for the remaining Namami Gange projects. A total of 187 projects have been sanctioned under the Namami Gange programme for infrastructure development, river surface cleaning, rural sanitation and other interventions at a cost of Rs 16,713 crore. 47 projects have been completed and the remaining are at various stages of execution, he said. "Our budget has gone up by around Rs 2,000 crore... We will give work orders of all ..
Agri Inc lauds 'pro-farmer' Budget; Activists cry 'betrayal'
Farm industry today lauded the government's last full budget saying it is a "Roti-Kapada and Kisaan budget" and will help achieve the target of doubling farmers' income, even as some agriculture activists decried it as a "big betrayal" with the farming community. Experts also stressed on the need for ensuring effective implementation of various initiatives announced in the budget as that will need support of the state governments. "The budget announcements are welcoming and focus on strengthening agriculture and rural economy. These would work towards government's aim to double farmers income by 2020," cooperative major IFFCO Managing Director U S Awasthi said. Stating that it was a "path-breaking" budget, he said the government has given the much needed impetus to the agri- sector, which is the backbone of Indian economy. Union Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh termed it a 'Kisaan Budget', saying it reflected the vision of doubling farmer's income and will help ...
Drinking in public places to become penal offence in Goa: CM
Drinking in public places would soon become a punishable offence in Goa with a fine upto Rs 5000, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said today while warning people against such indulgence. "Soon, drinking in public places would be a punishable offence. We will impose a fine upto Rs 5,000 on the violators. The state government will issue a necessary order in this regard after the Budget session of the assembly," Parrikar said while addressing a "Swachh Bharat Mission" programme organised by State Panchayat department. The budget session is slated to begin later this month. Parrikar said a punitive measure was needed in view of the littering caused at public places in the form of empty liquor bottles that lie strewn on roads. "The state government would amend the Garbage Management Act which will prescribe fines for similar offences, thus curtailing them to a large extent," the chief minister said. The proposed amendment would prescribe stringent action against those who ...
Indian rice prices surge to over six-year high on steady demand, strong rupee
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice prices in India, the world's biggest exporter of the staple, extended a recent rally this week to reach their highest in 6-1/2 years on robust overseas demand and limited supply amid a stronger local currency.
4 elephants die of poachers' cyanide poisoning in Zimbabwe
Four elephants have died from cyanide poisoning in Zimbabwe as poachers take advantage of a dry spell to contaminate remaining water sources. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Tinashe Farawo says rangers discovered the carcasses in Hwange National Park on January 25. He says their ivory was missing. The spokesman says poachers are increasingly turning to poison instead of using their noisy rifles as police and park rangers increase joint patrols. Farawo says poachers also are injecting cyanide into oranges and pumpkins, which are favorites of elephants. The southern African nation teems with elephants and other wildlife but has battled poachers for years. Farawo says 53 elephants died from cyanide poisoning last year, lower than in previous years when hundreds of elephants died.
Chinese turtle shell traffickers arrested in Indonesia: police
Two Chinese men have been arrested in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of illicit turtle shells out of the country, police said today, as they try to stamp out a lucrative illegal wildlife trade. Acting on a tip, authorities said they raided a house in Makassar on the island of Sulawesi Wednesday and found the massive haul of turtle shells stuffed into boxes. The suspects, 25-year-old Chen Jianyi and Zhong Qiushan, 31, admitted to buying the shells in Indonesia's Papua province and then shipping them by boat to Makassar, police said. The suspected traffickers planned to move the shells to China where they would be used to make accessories, trinkets and souvenirs, according to authorities. "They admitted they would sell the turtle shells in the local and international market," local police chief detective Ivan Wahyudi told AFP. Turtles, which are under threat due to poaching and habitat destruction, are protected under Indonesian law. The ...
