Page 913 - Environment
Centre has approved 2018 as Year Of Millets: Sadananda Gowda
The Centre has approved 2018 as the 'Year of Millets' to boost the sunrise agri industry and production of the cereal, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda today said. "The central government has approved 2018 as year of millets to encourage its production and boost this sunrise agri industry. We did it on Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishne Byre Gowda's request," he said addressing organics and millets 2018 international trade fair here. Speaking on the occasion, Krishne Byre Gowda said the government hopes to bring about a change in dietary habits and promote a more sustainable future. Among many companies, brands such as MTR Foods, Mother India Agro Foods, Nature-Bio Foods, Big Basket and TAFE have set up their stalls at the event. Britannia Industries Limited Managing Director Varun Berry said the company currently produces roughly 110 tonnes of biscuits in India. "We expect to expand the health biscuit category by introducing millet lines and other grain-based lines," .
Maharashtra tiger reserves' workers bare fangs at UK NGO
Hundreds of tourist guides and drivers working for various tiger reserves in Maharashtra and central India protested on Friday against UK-based NGO Survival International's appeal to foreigners to boycott Indian tiger reserves.
Visibility may improve in Delhi on Saturday
The National Capital on Friday experienced dense fog with severe air-quality. The Met office expects the visibility to increase by Saturday with dry north-westerly winds blowing in.
Phase 2 of organic farming may surpass 2017 produce: Chamling
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has exuded confidence that the second phase of organic farming in the state, which started this month, will surpass the production of last year. The state produced about 80,000 metric ton of various organic vegetables in 2016-17, after it became a fully-organic state. However, there was a shortfall of around 1,000 metric ton last year, a senior state government official said, adding the expected production this year should meet the deficit. Chamling, during an address at the Sikkim Organic Day 2018 yesterday, said the second phase will see optimum production of organic vegetables, and excess, if any, would be up for sale outside the state. He called upon the farmers to practise cash-crop farming and advocated the use of medicinal herbs and plants. The chief minister emphasised on the need to maintain kitchen gardens ensure that not a "stretch of rural land" is left barren. Chamling said a total of 14 co-operative apex banks were ...
Anant Kumar Hegde compares K'taka situation to Mahabharata
In a veiled attack to the Karnataka government, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde said that the condition of the state is similar to time of Mahabharata.Hegde, while addressing a gathering here, without taking any name said that the Dhritarashtra 'Karnataka government' is being 'blind' to the actions of few people in the state."Like in ancient times Dhritarashtra was blind to the actions of Duryodhana and Dushasana, today also there are Dushasana and Duryodhana here (Karnataka) and Dhritarashtra is blind to their actions," Hegde said.
Sluggish rooftop solar scheme spurs govt to work on new plan
Concerned over the inactivity in the country's rooftop solar programme, the government today said only one GW rooftop solar capacity has been set up against the target of 40 GW and a new plan is in the making to end the shortcomings. "We have set a target of installing 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022. And of this, 60 GW would come through ground-mounted and 40 GW has to come through rooftop. "But as we speak today, against this target we have set up around 16 GW of ground-mounted and 1 GW of rooftop solar. So if I can admit...I can say that our rooftop programme is not doing really well," Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Secretary Anand Kumar said here. He was speaking at a workshop on rooftop solar organised by CII. He enumerated reasons like clash of interest between discoms and high-end consumers for the inactivity in the rooftop programme. "There is a clash of interest between discoms and high- end consumers. Discoms charge at higher rate for high-end ...
Sri Lanka, China to co-build power plant
Sri Lanka and China on Friday signed a joint venture agreement to construct Sri Lanka's largest dendro power plant in the country's south.
Dilip Buildcon bags Rs 360-crore road project from Ircon
Infrastructure firm Dilip Buildcon (DBL) today said it has bagged a road project worth Rs 360.58 crore in Karnataka from Ircon International Ltd. "The company has received letter of award from Ircon International for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) road project in Karnataka," it said in a BSE filing. The project is for six laning of Davanagere-Haveri sector of NH-48. Shares of Dilip Buildcon were trading 1.14 per cent higher at Rs 947.65 apiece on BSE.
2017 sees warmest ocean on record: CAS
The temperature of oceans in 2017 reached a record high, putting the marine ecosystems in jeopardy, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said. Compared to 2015, the extra heat in the upper two kilometres of sea water across the globe in 2017 was 700 times the energy China's electricity used in 2016, the CAS said in a report. The Atlantic and Antarctic oceans warmed up the fastest, as warming has already taken place in most of the other seas, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. The marine ecosystems remain in jeopardy as a result, with coral reefs and the creatures that live on them threatened, researchers at the institute said. The expansion caused by warming contributes to rising of sea levels, while more sea ice and ice shelves will melt and ocean currents will be affected. The heat content of the ocean is a key indicator of climate change. Due to its high specific heat capacity, sea water contains the main signals, as it stores 90 percent of the
Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust wins prestigious UNWTO Award
Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust, a community owned and managed venture promoted by RBS Foundation India and Indian Grameen Services on the banks of Chilika Lake in Odisha, has won the prestigious United Nations World Tourism Organisation Awards. The trust was honoured with the coveted award for "Innovation in Tourism Enterprise" at the 14th UNWTO Awards ceremony held in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday, RBS Foundation India said in a release. The villagers of Mangalajodi, once associated with poaching of birds, stand as true defenders of wildlife in the region today. The change was orchestrated by a coordinated effort in implementing an awareness campaign on the importance of preserving natural species and the benefits associated with wildlife tourism, the release said. Owing to unsustainable levels of poaching, in 2000 the arrival of migratory birds in Mangalajodi, 75 km from here had dropped to 5000 and now the number has soared to over three lakh in the region, it said. Other
Pope in Peru on three-day visit
Pope Francis is in Peru on a three-day official and apostolic visit.
New camera to probe condition of Fukushima reactor
The operator of the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi on Friday introduced a telescopic arm with a camera into No. 2 reactor of the disaster-stricken plant, in an attempt to probe its condition for possible decommissioning.
Dense fog in Delhi, air-quality turns 'severe'
There was a dense fog cover over the city on Friday as the air-quality turned severe. The minimum temperature was recorded at 7.4 degrees Celsius, the season's average.
Dilip Buildcon secures an EPC road project in Karnataka
Valued at Rs 360.58 crore
China to hold officials to account for protecting farmland
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China plans to hold government officials to account for the protection of farmland, part of its efforts to guarantee food production amid soaring levels of urbanisation.
Gadkari, Kejriwal review Delhi's sewage treatment plants on Yamuna
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting to review the sewage treatment plants (STPs) on Yamuna River and discussed measures to make the water body free from pollutants."Along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, reviewed STPs of Delhi on the Yamuna, a tributary of Ganga supported by the Clean Ganga NMCG under the Namami Gange program," Gadkari tweeted."Had an excellent meeting with Gadkari Ji. Together, we have to work towards cleaning the Yamuna," added Kejriwal.Earlier in the month, water supply in most parts of the national capital was disrupted due to increased pollution in the Yamuna."Due to the increase in pollution, many areas, including North Delhi, Central Delhi, part of West Delhi, part of South Delhi, Delhi Cantt areas and NDMC areas, will remain affected and water supply will be available at low pressure," the Delhi Jal Board had said.Residents of Delhi faced a similar problem on first two days of the New Year due to a spike in industrial ..
Post Brexit, EU's satellite centre to move to Madrid
The Madrid region in Spain was on Thursday selected to be the new home of the security monitoring centre (GSMC) for the European Union's global navigation satellite system Galileo after Brexit, said EU sources.
Iran to boost power trade with neighbours
Iran plans to boost electricity trade with its neighbours on northwestern, western and eastern borders in the next five years, media reports said on Thursday.
Centre to provide assistance to develop Adi Badri: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said today that the Centre will provide all necessary assistance to Haryana government to develop Adi Badri, the origin of the mythical Saraswati river, as a tourist centre. The minister for road transport and highways, shipping and water resources urged Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to send proposals to the Union government for constructing a dam and for the development of a tourism circuit in the area. Addressing a programme at the launch of the International Saraswati Mahotsav-2018 here in Yamunanagar district, Gadkari highlighted the religious significance of Adi Badri, saying the Rig Veda was composed on the banks of river Saraswati. "It is our duty to inform the new generation about our rich culture, heritage and history," he said. Gadkari assured the people of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh of all possible assistance during the construction of the dam and other development-related projects in the area. He said the government would ...
Issue contracts for Yamuna Action Plan-III projects by March:
Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari today urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to expedite award of contracts for all eight projects under the Yamuna Action Plan-III by March this year, and assured help of the Centre. Kejriwal met Gadkari and discussed issues related to the Delhi Jal Board and pollution in the Yamuna river. A source said that in the meeting, Gadkari advised the Delhi government to explore ways to market recycled water and use it for gardening and construction. "The minister urged the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to expedite award of contracts for all eight projects under the Yamuna Action Plan-III by March this year and assured all required help on the Centre's behalf," the source said. The Union minister emphasised the importance of the waste-to-wealth practices, the source also said. On the DJB seeking funds from the Centre for laying network for its already existing mini Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), the source said it was told that the issue
