Page 897 - Environment

Preparation on for repatriation of Brus in March

Mizoram government has started preparation to repatriate over 32,000 Bru people from six relief camps in neighbouring Tripura from the first week of March, additional secretary to state home department Lalbiakzama today said. The Centre has released Rs 7.9 crore as first instalment for the repatriation expenditure, while the state government estimated that over Rs 123 crore would be required for the purpose, he said. "Physical repatriation can only begin after the identification of those who wanted to be repatriated," Lalbiakzama told PTI. An inspection team comprising officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Mizoram government would visit the relief camps in February to identify the Brus who are willing to return to Mizoram and those who are not. Thousands of Brus of Mizoram fled to North Tripura district due to communal tension triggered by the murder of a forest official by Bru militants on October 21, 1997. Since then, many of them returned to Mizoram ...

India's share in global satellite launch services goes up

India's share in the global satellite launch services revenue increased to 1.1 percent in 2015-16, said the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Monday.

UP to set up 10,700MW solar plants in five years: Minister

The Uttar Pradesh government will set up around 6,000 solar power plants to meet its clean energy target of 10,700MW in the next five years, Additional Energy Sources Minister Brijesh Pathak said. "We have decided to install some 6,000 solar power plants in the state (for this purpose), and also harness solar energy through solar rooftops ... I am confident that the intensity of interest evinced by the stakeholders will definitely help the department become the number one department in the entire country," Pathak told PTI here. Uttar Pradesh has a solar energy potential of 22,300MW, which the state intends to harness to meet the solar power generation target of 10,700MW fixed by Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), he said in an interview. "Ever since the formation of the department of new and renewable energy (Vaikalpik Urja Vibhaag) in 1985, no attention was paid to it. The department was always considered as a vaikalpik (optional) one. "But, now after ...

BJP government has made mockery of Aadhaar: Jairam Ramesh

The Narendra Modi government has made mockery of "a good idea" like Aadhaar by implementing it "horribly", says Congress leader and former union minister Jairam Ramesh.

Government committed to doubling farmers' income: Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said the Central government is committed towards doubling the farmers' income by 2022.

Agra's green activists stall road project through protected forest

Environmentalists in the Taj city have scored a major victory, successfully stalling the Northern Bypass road project through the protected Keetham forest along the Yamuna.

West Bengal: Bus falls off bridge in Murshidabad

A passenger bus fell off a bridge into Bhairab River in Daulatabad area of West Bengal's Murshidabad on Monday.The incident took place due to low visibility.The bus was travelling from Domkal to Berhampur.Locals of the area helped in the rescue of 10 people.Rescue operation is underway.

India is the leading country in coconut production and productivity in the world

The Minister said that India is leading in the global coconut production and productivity. He said that the annual coconut production is 2395 crore from 20.82 lakh hectare and the productivity is 11505 coconuts/hectare. Coconut contributes to about Rs.27900 crore to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the year 2016-17, coconut products worth of Rs.2084 crore were exported. More than one crore population depends on coconut cultivation for their livelihood. The aim of the CDB is to assist the coconut farmers in coconut production, processing, marketing and export of value-added coconut products thereby to make India the global leader in coconut production, productivity, processing, and export.

Raman Singh lauds Chhattisgarh farmers

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday praised the farmers for the growth in the state's agricultural sector, saying their hard work and the Centre's schemes have bolstered the production."It is because of the Chhattisgarh farmers' hard work and government's policies and schemes, the lives of farmers have improved," Singh said at the closing ceremony of Agriculture Fair here, and added that the farmers' hard work and use of technology have helped Chhattisgarh win the Krishi Karman Award four times.Praising the fair for its role in bettering the lives of farmers, Singh said, "Lakhs of farmers benefit from coming here. They consult the experts and discuss ways to make the Prime Minister's idea of doubling the income of farmers by 2022 a reality.""The exhibition tells you how to connect with the government's schemes. The new technique, the new innovation you learn in this exhibition that the farmers here are inculcating in their work is extraordinary," he added.The impact is ..

One endangered Tokay Gecko lizard seized in Bithari

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel seized an endangered species of lizard - Tokay Gecko - that was being smuggled into India from Bangladesh through West Bengal, officials said on Sunday.

Farmer who attempted suicide at Mantralaya dies

The 84-year-old farmer, who had consumed a poisonous chemical at the Maharashtra secretariat here on January 22 seeking adequate compensation for land, died at J J Hospital tonight, police said. The farmer, Dharma Patil, had consumed the chemical to protest low returns offered by state government while acquiring his land for a solar power plant. He hailed from North Maharashtra. "Patil's postmortem was conducted at the J J Hospital. His body will be handed over to his family later," officials said. Patil was rushed to a government hospital in south Mumbai after the suicide bid. The farmer's family had claimed that he took the extreme step after several attempts to get appropriate compensation for his land did not yield any results. The farmer's son had told reporters that his father got only Rs four lakh compensation for his five acres of land. The octogenarian had been visiting the state administrative headquarters for the last three months to complain about the ...

Govt keen to promote electric vehicles: Supriyo

Union minister Babul Supriyo today said the government is "very much excited" about the idea of promoting the usage of electric vehicles in the country. He said the government would take many "positive steps" in this regard in future. "Eclectic vehicles are necessary to keep a check on pollution and carbon emission," the Minister of State for Heavy Industries told reporters here after inaugurating the National Automotive Test Track. Supriyo said his ministry, in collaboration with other departments and the Niti Aayog, is preparing a platform to promote electric vehicles. He said the government doesn't want the idea to promote electric vehicles to remain only on paper.

Indians killing Ganga, Ganga killing them: Victor Mallet

Indians are killing the Ganga and the river in turn is killing them, writer and journalist Victor Mallet said, highlighting an attitude of neglect towards the river. He was speaking during a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival. "Indians worship rivers, particularly the Ganga, because of its life-giving properties. Rivers give water and have spiritual significance. If you kill the life-giving force, you kill divine nature," he said. "The Ganga is a living river. Indians are killing the Ganga, and the Ganga in turn killing Indians. This is what is happening," he said. Speaking at the session 'River of Life, River of Death: The Ganges and India's Future', he recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign had praised the river and promised to organise a clean up its polluted water. However, the writer of 'River of Life, Rive of Death', noted that not much has been achieved so far.

'Women running E-rickshaw in Dantewada model for nation'

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh called the state government's initiative of empowering the women of Naxal-hit Dantewada through e-rickshaw training, "a model for the nation"."We gave training and solar rickshaws to 25 women, who helped transport system even in remote areas. It's a model for the nation that women are helping people commute to such dangerous places, and making a living on their own," Singh told reporters at the closing ceremony of Agriculture Fair here.The chief minister also extended his congratulations to the Collector of Dantewada and his whole team.It is notable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the women power of the tribal e-rickshaw women drivers of Dantewada, in his monthly radio address, 'Mann Ki Baat', earlier in the day.In October 2017, women drivers hit the roads of Dantewada, one of the most Naxal-hit districts of Chhattisgarh.

MPEDA ropes in Swiss co for organic aqua-farming

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has tied with a Swiss firm to develop organic aqua farming to help meet the growing demand for organic seafood from Europe. A Jayathilak, Chairman, MPEDA, today signed an agreement in this regard with Gerhard Zurlutter, Member of Management, Coop Cooperative. Under the project, MPEDA will assist in identifying entrepreneurs and provide them with technical advice on producing high-quality organic shrimps that meet national and international certification protocols. Coop, which currently has nearly 2,200 sales outlets throughout Switzerland and wholesale/production business active across Europe, has offered to procure the processed organic shrimps at a premium of up to 15 per cent and with an additional 5 per cent through financing for development activities, including training. "The reason why many farmers are hesitant to get into organic farming is the increased costs involved. The premium price offered will ...

Sikar: 4 children dead after pit collapses

At least four children were killed after the pit they were playing in, collapsed in Sikar's Bidsar village on Sunday.The pit, the four children were playing in, collapsed suddenly, trapping them inside. They were suffocated to death.The seven-feet-deep pit had been made by Forest Department earlier for fencing.

Smart cards for all ration card holders before March 1

Smart cards would be issued to all ration card holders before March 1, state food minister K Kamaraj said here today. Speaking to reporters here, he said ration items would be given only through Smart cards from that date. He said 20 Metric tonnes of paddy would be procured during the current harvest season.. "That is our target," he said.

Expressway in Karachi becomes fully operational after 15 years

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday inaugurated the Lyari Expressway in Karachi.With this move, the Lyari Expressway became fully operational, 15 years after work on the project first began.Although parts of the Lyari Expressway are open to traffic, a section of it remained incomplete for a number of years, rendering a vast portion inoperational, reported the Dawn.The southbound portion of the expressway was opened for vehicular traffic around a decade ago.The project had taken over 10 years to complete due to "technical difficulties and encroachments," the Pakistani Prime Minister said while addressing the inauguration ceremony.In order to build this project, around 15 thousand households had to be relocated and duly compensated monetarily.According to several media reports, the total length of the project including ramps is 38 km. It includes four interchanges. Besides, 20 major bridges are also part of the project.Abbasi, who is also expected to inaugurate the .

Works under DDUGJY yet to start in J-K

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) remained a non-starter even after nearly two- and-a-half years of launch in Jammu and Kashmir where 102 villages remained unelectrified. The Centre has approved an amount of Rs 616.59 crore for the state in 2015 under the DDUGJY for 10 districts of Jammu region, nine districts of Kashmir and two districts of Ladakh region. However, cancellation of tendering process last year and pending litigation in the High Court is proving a major obstacle in the start of the works, a senior official of Power Development Department (PDD) said. The officer said detailed project reports have been prepared for 21 districts of the state and Messrs REC PDCL has been engaged as Project Management Agency (PMA) for DDUGJY of Kashmir province covering 11 districts and Messrs WAPCOS has been engaged as PMA for Jammu province covering 10 districts. Initially, he said the tenders for all the 21 districts were floated by the department twice but .

From Feb 9, 3-day international bird festival at Dudhwa

A three-day international bird festival will be held at the Dudhwa National Park here from February 9 with nearly 200 leading ornithologists expected to attend. "The purpose behind the international bird festival is to promote eco-tourism in Dudhwa and to give it a distinct international identity besides highlighting its traditional Tharu arts, culture and heritage," Principal Chief Conservator of Forests SK Upadhyay told mediapersons here today. Eminent documentary maker Mike Pandey would act as the brand ambassador of the festival, he said. "A Florican village comprising 100 cottages would be set up at the Tiger Haven to accommodate 200 reputed bird experts, participating in the bird festival," he said. During the three-day event, the bird experts would visit various parts of Dudhwa to gather information about the 450 bird species existing there. Technical sessions by these bird experts would be held after each day's visit for the exchange of views and suggestions over