Page 901 - Environment
Centre urges NE states to expedite land acquisition for road
Concerned over delays in land acquisition for highway projects in the North East, the Centre has sought the intervention of officials in the region for expediting the process, a top official has said. In Mizoram alone, the official said, projects worth Rs 6,000 crore are facing land acquisition hurdles and the state government has been requested to expedite the acquisition. These projects that are JICA funded are being undertaken in eight packages, a top NHIDCL official told PTI. The government is planning to undertake highway projects worth about Rs 1.45 lakh crore, spread over 2-3 years, to upgrade the infrastructure in the region. A total of 197 road development projects are being implemented under various programmes and schemes of the road transport and highways ministry in the north eastern states. "There have been delays in land acquisition for highway projects in north eastern states including the Imphal-Moreh highway section in Manipur and a 350 km JICA funded ...
UN, India invest $168m to boost tribal farming incomes
Rome, Jan 26 (IANS/AKI) The UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Indian government signed a $168 million pact to sustainably raise incomes and food security for tribal farming households in northeast India, IFAD reported.
KCR reviews simplified passbooks, preparation of Pahanis
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday held a review meeting on Thursday on the simplified passbooks, preparation of Pahanis, programmes to be taken up post-Land records purification and on Dharani website maintenance.Speaking at Pragati Bhawan, K Chandrashekhar Rao said,"There are 31 columns in passbooks and Pahanis now. There is no need for so many columns due to several changes took place from time to time. There was a need for certain columns when the government was collecting the land Cess. Now there is no need. Some of these columns will add to the confusion. The entire data and information on land records will be on Dharani site. There is no need to have more information on the passbooks and Pahanis given to farmers. Important and necessary information will be sufficient. It is enough if the details of the name of the farmer, survey no, the extent of land and how he obtained the land are given. Terms are used in other languages in Pahanis and passbooks. Our ..
UP govt taking measures to solve farmers' issues
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the state government is taking various measures to tackle the farmers' problems in order to provide them a good price for their crops.The Chief Minister, while speaking at Uttar Pradesh Diwas here on Thursday, said that the government is providing fertilizers, seeds and other facilities to the farmers as promised.''In the last 10 days, the government has transferred more than Rs 80,000 crore directly to the accounts of farmers digitally, purchased 37 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from 5,300 wheat purchasing centres across the state and made a payment of Rs 6,500 crore,'' he said.He said that the state government is making efforts to ensure that the youths of the state do not have to move to some other state in search of jobs.
Kharge accuses Centre, Goa of Mahadayi water dispute
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the Centre and the Goa Government for the ongoing dispute over sharing of Mahadayi water between Karnataka and Goa.Kharge, while taking to ANI, said that the Centre is not paying attention to the issue and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 'neglecting' it."Mahadayi water dispute was created by the Centre and Goa's Chief Minister. Goa's Chief Minister should have tried to initiate a solution or ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help to solve the dispute," he said.A 12-hour bandh was called today in Karnataka over the dispute with Goa on sharing of the Mahadayi river water.The state of Karnataka and Goa are at loggerheads on the issue of sharing inter-state Mahadayi river water.While the river originates from Karnataka, a major part of it flows in Goa.
Shutdown across Karnataka hits normal life
The Karnataka shutdown on Thursday, which disrupted normal life in cities and towns across the state, ended peacefully barring stray incidents of stone-throwing, burning of tyres to block roads and forcing shops to close, said police.
Ethanol production will make farmers prosperous: Nitin Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari today said Uttar Pradesh is a "rich state with poor people" and asked farmers to focus on ethanol production to boost their income. Gadkari was here for laying the foundation stone of Rs 600-crore project of Deoria bypass road and Rs 275 crore Kaptanganj-Padrouna road. The Union transport and shipping minister said the government will transform the agriculture sector and bring more industries in the state to tackle unemployment issue. "Uttar Pradesh is a rich state with poor people. It is a land of Lord Buddha and Lord Ram; and farmers are, despite of hard work, living in poverty. After 70 years of independence, the condition has not improved here. Production of ethanol will make farmers prosperous... (their) fate will be changed," he said. "We import diesel and petrol worth Rs 7 lakh crore and farmers can make ethanol with pual (rice bran) and khoi (sugarcane residue). Around 280 litres of ethanol could be made out of 1 tonne hay. ...
Zero Budget Natural Farming can help Andhra farmers: Study
The Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) programme in Andhra Pradesh can help six million farm families in the state and make significant progress towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said an independent study.
10 lakh smart metres to be installed in Haryana
To solve the various complications faced by the power distribution sector, the Haryana government today said 10 lakh smart meters will be installed in the state. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the presence of Japanese Minister Keniko Sen after he inaugurated the India-Japan Smart Grid Pilot Project in Panipat, said an official release. It said that five lakh meters would be installed this year and five lakh next year. Sen said that the project had been initiated under intensive relations between Japan and India and the Prime Minister's Make in India Programme. The Smart Grid Pilot Project, being set up with the assistance of Japan, would ensure uninterrupted power supply to domestic as well as industrial consumers of the city, the release said. "No one would have to visit houses for meter reading. If a meter or power supply is shut, the complaint would be resolved by the smart grid," Khattar said. Under this system, about 10,000 meters
Formulate plan to curb pollution: SC to Centre
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the central government to formulate a plan to curb pollution in other cities apart from the national capital.
Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat launched in Jharkhand
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today launched 'Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat' in the state from Balijore village in Dumka district. Addressing on the occasion, Das said that so long women were developed, the country would not be developed and whatever projects were being made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was being made keeping womens development in mind. The governments thought is that even the poor families live with dignity, an official release said quoting the chief minister. Das said the prime minister has set a target of providing gas connections to five crore families by 2019 and to fulfill his dream Jharkhand government is distributing LPG connections along with stones----Jharkhand is the first state where beneficiaries are also getting stoves along with gas connections. The chief minister said Rs 300 crore was earmarked in the budget for LPG and stove distribution, adding so far, 10 lakh beneficiaries have got the connections and the state has set a ...
Don't confine air pollution issue to Delhi,look nationwide: SC
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to look into the problem of air pollution on a natiowide basis and not confine it to Delhi-NCR only, saying reports suggested that cities like Raipur and Patna were more polluted. The apex court asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) what it proposed to do on the air pollution issue for the rest of the country. "The newspaper reports say one of the cities, Raipur, is more polluted than Delhi. Patna is also there. Why should special treatment be given to Delhi. What do you propose to do for rest of the country," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked the ministry. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ANS Nadkarni, representing MoEF, told the bench that appropriate steps were being taken in this regard and a final decision would be "taken very soon". "In our order dated December 13, 2017, we had also observed that it might be appropriate if the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Hatsun Agro joins global renewable energy bandwagon "RE 100"
Manufacturer of branded milk and ice-cream, Hatsun Agro Product Ltd today said it has pledged to make its energy sourcing 100 per cent renewable by 2032 ny joining a global clean energy initiative "RE 100." Joining "RE 100" which is aimed at harnessing clean power and commitment to 100 per cent renewable energy, HAP said it already sourced about 82 per cent of its power requirements from renewable sources. The company with brands "Arokya," "Arun Icecreams," and "Hatsun" said it has already commissioned wind power plants with 24 MW capacity in Tuticorin district and a 550 KW solar plant in Dindigul District. "HAP has adopted a proactive strategy to utilise renewable energy resources to power its equipment like testing and weighing in over 9,400 of their 9,500 milk collection centres in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana," a release said. Chairman and Managing Director, HAP, RG Chandramogan said, "our mission is to leave the world in a better .
South Korea hits back at U.S. tariffs with WTO challenge
GENEVA (Reuters) - South Korea has hit back rapidly at U.S. tariffs on washing machines and solar panels, filing challenges and demands for compensation at the World Trade Organization.
Gadkari wants to make every vehicle eco-friendly
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that he wants every vehicle in India to run on green fuel.Addressing a rally here after laying the foundation stone of water terminal worth Rs 175 crore, he said that it his dream that all vehicles should run on environment-friendly fuels like on Ethanol, electric, methanol, and CNG."In my constituency, Nagpur, 200 taxies run on electric and there are 20 charging stations. We produce ethanol from molasses and 55 air-conditioned buses run on locally manufactured ethanol. If ethanol-powered vehicles are promoted then not only the farmers would be benefitted but it will also reduce pollution", Gadkari said.The Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation also said the water terminal will change the economy of Ghazipur."The capacity of this terminal would be 12 lakh metric tonne. You cannot even imagine what would be the importance of this terminal in your life. The ...
Karnataka strike: Goa transport body lost Rs 3 lakh
Goa's state transport corporation suffered a loss of Rs 3 lakh on Thursday due to the suspension of its inter-state bus service to Karnataka on account of a shutdown in the southern state, a top official said on Thursday.
Join global companies to reduce carbon emissions: Mahindra
One of India's top industrialists and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on Thursday asked businesses around the world to join the growing number of companies committed to setting greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with climate science.
Climate change next century's biggest biz opportunity:Mahindra
Climate change is the next century's biggest financial and business opportunity, industrialist Anand Mahindra told the World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering here today. Wondering why climate change is being talked about as a compulsion or burden, the Mahindra Group chairman said, "When we move towards new technologies, we do need governments to nudge us". "We have to keep drumming the message that climate change is in fact the next century's biggest financial and business opportunity," he said during a session on 'Stepping up Climate Action'. Noting that there is going to be a USD 6 trillion business opportunity over the next two decades, he said that when technology changes, just as it did when it moved from the buggy to the car, a whole new ecosystem comes up. "... you can wake up one morning and suddenly somebody tells you there is an entirely new universe of business opportunity. Why on earth are we talking about this as a compulsion or burden? That is the message I .
Rice prices soar in top exporters as Indonesia shops, fresh deals beckon
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice prices in top exporter India jumped to their highest in about 6-1/2 years on strong demand from Asia and Africa, exporters said, while rates for the staple hit multi-month highs in Thailand and Vietnam following recent purchases by Indonesia.
Canada-based research centre picks Bhubaneswar for its heat
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada has chosen Bhubaneswar, along with Delhi and Rajkot, for its Heat Stress Action Plan (HSAP) project, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethi said today. The Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe), a leading research institute and think-tank based in New Delhi, had sent a proposal to IDRC for inclusion of the three cities in its HSAP project. The IRADe will follow the guidelines issued by the Canada-based institute to conduct a study on the implications of heat on the health and livelihoods of occupational workers, women and senior citizens living in urban slums, Sethi said. "Their (slum people) tin roof dwellings and poor sanitation conditions make them particularly vulnerable to heat stress," he said. The Delhi-based think-tank will carry out the study in partnership with the municipal Corporations of Rajkot, Delhi, and Bhubaneswar, Odisha State Disaster Management Agency and Indian ..
