Page 903 - Environment
Env ministry to take up new approach for holistic rejuvenation
A new strategy will be brought for conservation and rejuvenation of major rivers in which water and environment management will be taken up together to restore the lost ecology along polluted stretches, Environment minister Harsh Vardhan today said. He said independent institutions, like the IITs, will be entrusted with the study for preparation and finalisation of river basin management and rejuvenation plan for nine selected stretches. Chairing a meeting of the ministry today, Vardhan said the plan takes into account the entire river basin, which is contributing its flow to the particular river stretch for conservation. "The present strategy for conservation of rivers is limited only to tackling pollution load from domestic wastewater and regulation of industrial pollution. "The new approach is a holistic one for rejuvenation of rivers, wherein water management and environment management are taken together for implementation to restore the lost ecology of the polluted
Future Group eyeing Rs 40,000 cr retail biz in 2018-19
The Future Group is expecting its retail business to reach Rs 40,000 crore in 2018-19. "We are looking at retail business of Rs 40,000 crore by next year; out of which Hyderabad will contribute Rs 4,000 crore," Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani told reporters here. "We will touch Rs 40,000 crore by next year as a Group. Future Group. Currently, this year, we should be Rs 30,000 crore," he said. Biyani was speaking after launching its 'Golden Harvest' Sona Masoori, a fine rice variety. Golden Harvest is a Rs 1200 crore brand and has products in categories like staples, spices and dry fruits. The company has invested around Rs 70 crore to Rs 80 crore on a processing plant, Biyani said. The rice is being procured from the southern states. The company introduced a subscription model for door delivery of rice, like milk. It has collaborated with Suresh Productions and Annapurna Studios, two major production houses based in Hyderabad, to create a film on the brand. "The film on ...
Cong govt on way to 'impose power bills' on farmers: SAD
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today claimed that by allowing the installation of electricity meters on agricultural tubewells, the Congress government is on way to "impose power bills" on the farmers in the state. The party said, in doing so, the ruling dispensation was taking back the facility extended to farmers by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Reacting to a cabinet decision in this regard, former minister Sikander Singh Maluka said the cabinet was trying to give the impression that electricity meters were being installed on tubewells at various places on a pilot basis. "This is furthest from the truth. The Congress government has rolled out the anti-subsidy policy of finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal who has time and again in the past spoken out against giving free power facility to the farmers of the State". Terming the decision as "anti-farmer", Maluka raised apprehension that the step would be fully implemented soon as per indications from the ...
Centre sanctions setting up of second IIIT in Karnataka
The Centre today sanctioned the setting up of a second Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Karnataka at Raichur and it was likely to become operational in the current academic year. Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, who is also the BJP's election in-charge for Karnataka Assembly polls due in March- April, said the necessary budget allocation will be provided for the new institute in the Budget 2018. It will be the second such institute in Karnataka, after the one in Dharwad. The state has been asked to provide alternative infrastructure to commence the 2018-19 academic year till it identifies the land for the construction of the proposed IIIT. "Karnataka is one state where there is demand for good and quality education. Many MPs had made this demand. We have decided to give one IIIT to Raichur," Javadekar told reporters here. The proposed IIIT will be set up on a public-private partnership mode with land to be provided by the state,
Punjab CM urges big farmers to give up power subsidy
The Punjab Cabinet today approved a pilot research project on the Direct Benefit Transfer for Electricity (DBTE) for 990 agriculture consumers, aimed to save underground water. Underlining the fact that the move would save the vital ground water resource, the chief minister also appealed to the big farmers to voluntarily give up their power subsidy to contribute to the government's efforts to check water depletion, said an official release. Expressing serious concern at the receding ground water levels in the state, the Cabinet decided to try DBTE on a pilot basis as it could play a significant role in checking the decline in the water table although there was no monetary benefit to the State from the move. Giving details of the cabinet decisions, an official spokesperson said that under the DBTE pilot project the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has tied up with J-PAL South Asia and the World Bank to evaluate DBTE for 990 Agriculture Pumpset (AP) ...
NDDB approves 2 sub-projects for germplasm improvement
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has approved two sub-projects costing Rs 59.89 crore for the improvement of germplasm of cow andbuffaloesin Haryana. Under these projects, best quality bulls are being identified in the sate for providing quality germplasm regarding artificial insemination in different breeds of cows andbuffaloes. Stating this here today, a spokesman of the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department said NDDB has also approved two sub-projects for a period of five years for bulls (Hariana or Murrah) and to further strengthen the semen bank, Hisar. The spokesman said that a sum of Rs 5.09 crore has been approved for rearing bulls through selection genealogy. He said initially, this project has been implemented in three districts -- Bhiwani, Jhajjar and Hisar. Apart from this, bulls of Murrah breed would be produced through theprogenytesting programme, he said. This sub-project has been implemented in six districts -- Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Rohtak, ...
Intermodal Terminal to come up in Ghazipur
An Intermodal Terminal to be constructed at Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur at a cost of Rs 155 crore will be linked to both National Waterways-I or river Ganga and National Highway-19 - connecting Ghazipur to Patna - and help in movement of cargo, with options for both land and water transportation.
Adequate drinking water to last summer, assures Gujarat Deputy CM
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Wednesday assured that the state has adequate water stored in the Narmada dam to meet the requirement of drinking water this summer.
China to close 10 hydropower stations to protect nature
Ten hydropower stations will be closed in China's Gansu province this year as part of efforts to protect the national nature reserve in the Qilian Mountains, authorities said today. More than 200 herders and 61,000 sheep will also be moved out of the core zone of the reserve, governor Tang Renjian told local legislature. The Qilian Mountains, on the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, was designated a national nature reserve in 1988. However, many illegal mining projects and hydropower stations have sprung up as a result of lax supervision in recent years, inflicting significant damage to the environment, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The central government found serious irregularities in the Qilian Mountains last year, including over-exploitation of mineral resources, illegal construction and operation of hydropower facilities, excessive emissions by local enterprises, as well as the failure of local officials to rectify existing environmental issues, it ...
Report on stubble burning in 3 states submitted: Centre to SC
The Centre today told the Supreme Court that the report of a sub-committee on prevention of stubble burning in three states including Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh has been submitted and accepted by a high-level task force constituted by it. On November 23, 2017, a high level task force for management of air pollution in Delhi and NCR, comprising experts and senior officials of various departments, was constituted by the Cabinet Secretariat. The government told a bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that it has been decided that the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF), will be the nodal ministry for implementation of the report of the sub- committee on stubble burning. Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni said the report was submitted on December 18, 2017. "The report of the sub-committee was discussed by the high level task force on January 6, 2018 and the report was accepted," Nadkarni said. The bench then asked apex ...
Duesseldorf court rejects suit seeking ban of Volkswagen diesel cars
DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - A German court on Wednesday dismissed a suit by an environmental lobby group seeking a ban of certain Volkswagen diesel cars from the western German city of Duesseldorf's streets.
Man-animal conflict: Kerala mulls Rs 10 lakh compensation
: Kerala government is planning to hike to Rs 10 lakh the compensation amount to families of those killed in wild animal attacks. State Forest Minister K Raju informed the Assembly that the government is also actively considering the hike of the relief amount for those who become physically challenged due to wild animal attack and also those who suffered crop loss. "At present, the relief amount for those who killed in the wild animal attack is Rs five lakh. The government is planning to hike it to Rs 10 lakh," he said. The minister was replying to a Calling Attention Motion by Sunny Joseph (Congress) on the necessity to take steps to prevent attacks from wild animals on human life and property. Similarly, the solatium given to the relatives of those who died of snakebite outside forests, also would be increased to Rs two lakh from the present Rs one lakh, he said. An amount of Rs two lakh would be given to those, who suffered become disabled in the wild animal attacks, ...
K'taka bandh: Schools, colleges in Ballari to stay shut tomorrow
In view of the Karnataka bandh called by various organisations against the "Centre's apathy" towards the Mahadayi River water dispute, a holiday has been declared for all the schools and colleges in Ballari district on Thursday."Schools and colleges in Ballari district of Karnataka will remain closed tomorrow in the light of the state-wide bandh called by the pro-Kannada organisations and farmers' welfare associations", Deputy Commissioner Ramprasath Manohar said.The protesting groups called for the bandh seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the long-standing Mahadayi River water dispute between Goa and Karnataka.Pro-Kannada activists Vatal Nagaraj and Praveen Shetty on Wednesday told the press that there will be no transport services tomorrow and other services will be shut down as well."We will stop everything. Bus, train, flight all services will be stopped. We will stop all services tomorrow", Shetty said at the press conference.However, Bangalore ...
Diversify agriculture into energy sector: Gadkari
There is need to diversify agriculture into energy sector in order to increase farmers' income and reduce the country's dependence on petroleum products, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today. "There is a need for diversification of agriculture into energy and power sector. This will not only empower the farmers but would reduce the huge crude import bills of Rs 7 lakh crore," the Road Transport, Highways, Shipping, Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister said here. Addressing an event Rural & farm resurgence: Road to prosperity, organised by India Foundation for Rural Development Studies in collaboration with National Cooperative Development Corporation, Gadkari said farmers could easily produce ethanol from bamboo, rice and wheat straw, which could not only fetch them high returns but will reduce the dependence on petrol and diesel. "The second generation ethanol can be made using bamboo, cotton straw, rice straw and residual cane-waste (bagasse)," he ...
Decks have been cleared for Ken-Betwa project: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari today said decks have been cleared for the implementation of the Ken-Betwa river linking project and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone within the next two months in Bundelkhand. The ambitious project of the NDA government aims at addressing water needs of dry swathes in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. "I assure you that the Prime Minister will come to Bundelkhand within two months and lay the foundation stone of this project (Ken-Betwa river linking). We will try to ensure its implementation within the next three years, though project (completion) time is five years and free the Budelkhand region from the drought-like situation," Gadkari said while addressing a programme here. Gadkari said the project would irrigate 15 lakh acres of land in Bundelkhand region in Madhya Pradesh and about six lakh acres in Uttar Pradesh. A plea last year had challenged the environment clearance granted to the project, which would be
Gadkari to lay foundation for Ghazipur Intermodal Terminal
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will tomorrow lay the foundation stone for an intermodal terminal at Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, being built at an estimated cost of Rs 155 crore. "The Rs 155 crore terminal is being constructed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) as part of the World Bank aided Jal Marg Vikas Project on river Ganga or the NW-I, that aims to augment the navigational capacity of the river," Ministry of Shipping said in a statement today. The intermodal terminal at Ghazipur will have linkage to both NW-I or River Ganga and NH-19 which is just 650 metres away. NH 19 links Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh with Patna in Bihar. Apart from the Road Transport, Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Gadkari, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha and Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh will also be present at the event. "The terminal will be very important for efficient movement of large and small ...
No power cut, load shedding in Kerala this summer: Minister
Kerala Power Minister M M Mani today said there would be no power cut or load shedding in the state during the coming summer season. The state-run Electricity Board had already made necessary arrangements for getting the additional power needed for the peak season, he said. "There will be no power cut or load shedding during the coming summer season," he saidwhile replying to a query during question hour in the Assembly.
Japan's Official Development Loan Assistance to India for an amount of Yen 45 billion for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Project (Phase 3) (I)
The Notes in this regard were exchanged between Mr. S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India on Japanese official development assistance loan for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Project (Phase 3) (I).
Upcoming dust storm on Mars to explain its dryness
The Martian dust storm season, expected to begin this summer and last till early 2019, could be the biggest type of such phenomenon in the environment of Mars, and could explain how the Red Planet became dry.
Safeguard duty:Nothing can jeopardise clean energy, says Singh
Allaying fears over adverse impact of proposed safeguard duty on solar equipment, Power and New & Renewable Minister R K Singh said that nothing can jeopardise India's renewable energy target of 175 GW by 2022. The minister has also assured that the projects already bid out before implementation of the proposed duty would not be affected during the installation phase. Besides, he also expressed hope that the government would bring out policy for boosting domestic solar equipment manufacturing with higher financial assistance than proposed Rs 11,000 crore. "Nothing will be done which will jeopardise achievement of the target set by the Prime Minister for establishing the 175 GW renewable energy... but as far as this (safeguard duty) is concerned, we are going to have discussions," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of the a conference here. Elaborating further the minister said, "The duty regime which prevails at the time of bid will be duty regime for entire ...
