Page 914 - Environment
BJP imposing hate agenda in Karnataka to win polls: Cong
The Congress today alleged the BJP was playing a "hate card" in poll-bound Karnataka as the saffron party is "bereft" of issues. Countering the charge, the BJP said the Congress was worried about the party in the southern state. Both BJP and Congress also exuded confidence to win the Karnataka polls due later this year. Karnataka Congress Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao said that BJP was propagating the "agenda of hate" in the southern state as they don't have any substantive issues to raise. "Karnataka, we are going to win for sure. The ground reality is that. The BJP is getting desperate. That's why you are seeing the hate agenda which they are trying to impose on Karnataka," Rao said at the India Today South Conclave here. He accused the BJP of following a "hate agenda" in the Congress-ruled Karnataka. "The desperation is on the BJP side. Because, they are bereft of issues. They do not know what to do in Karnataka. Because, they are not able to... get us on our ...
Last three years hottest on record: UN
The last three years were the hottest on record, the United Nations weather agency said today, citing fresh global data underscoring the dramatic warming of the planet. Consolidated data from five leading international weather agencies shows that "2015, 2016 and 2017 have been confirmed as the three warmest years on record", the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said. It added that 2016 remains the hottest year ever measured due to the warming effect of El Nino, while 2017 was the warmest non-El Nino year, beating out 2015 by less than one hundredth of a degree.
Warmest Jan day in Delhi in 8 years
The national capital today experienced the hottest January day in the last eight years, while the volume of pollutants soared and reached the 'severe' category. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature was 27.7 degrees Celsius, as many as eight notches above the season's average. The minimum was 7 degrees Celsius, showing no deviation from the season's average. The highest January temperature in the last decade was recorded in 2010 when the mercury had climbed to 28 degrees Celsius. In 2011, the maximum January temperature was 24.6, 25.6 in 2012, 25.2 in 2013, 24 in 2014, 21.6 in 2015 and 27.2 degrees Celsius in 2016, as per IMD records. Private weather forecast agency Skymet said Delhi is currently going through the longest dry spell during the winter season in the last five years as the city has remained absolutely dry during the last 38 days. "One of the key reasons for the absence of winter rains can be attributed to the less ...
BT cotton seeds effective: Monsanto to govt
Terming that industry body NSAI's threat to stop sale of BT cotton seeds as "irresponsible", US-based biotech major Monsanto's India JV firm MMBL has written to the government asserting that its BT technology seeds continues to be effective in controlling pest. National Seed Association of India (NSAI) has blamed the MMBL for loss of BT cotton crop in this Kharif season in Maharashtra due to pink bollworm infestation. It has asked the company to take the "complete responsibility" else its members will not sell any BT cotton seeds. Countering the allegations, Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (MMBL) -- which has sub-licensed Bt cotton seed technology to various domestic seed firms -- has written a letter to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh saying that its Bollgard-II technology continues to be effective in controlling pest. "We categorically disagree with the NSAI's positions, find their threat to stop supply of cotton seeds with BG-II technology as completely irresponsible .
China a disruptive force in Indo-Pacific region: US Pacific Command chief
US Pacific Command chief Admiral Harry Harris on Thursday called China a "disruptive force" in the Indo-Pacific region, while Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba pointed out towards increasing presence of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean.
Air quality display panels put up in Delhi's traffic signals
LED panels in major traffic intersections in the national capital now display hourly air quality index and health advisories under a CPCB project which will soon cover the metro stations as well. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) scientist Aditya Sharma, who oversaw its roll-out, said the Prime Ministers's Office (PMO) was behind the project, something which the Delhi government had also envisaged in the past but never executed. "Fifty traffic signals have been selected in the first phase of the initiative. We have covered the major signals such as ITO, the ones in Connaught Place, for now," Sharma said on the sidelines of a CPCB conference on air quality and waste management. The panels display hourly AQI readings and the associated health advisories. An AQI between 0-50 is considered Good, 51 -100 Satisfactory, 101-200 Moderate, 201-300 Poor, 301-400 Very Poor, and 401-500 Severe. Each category comes with its own advisory. In case of moderate, it warns of ...
Supply of gas from Russia's Sakhalin-1 project suspended
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The supply of gas from Russia's Sakhalin-1 project to a pipeline in the country's Far East has been suspended due to a problem at a compressor station, the Russian Energy Ministry said on Thursday.
Fast reduction of air pollution in China in 2017: Govt
Air pollution levels in 338 Chinese cities, including Beijing, have plummeted last year due to series of measures taken by the government to improve air quality, the government said today. Tackling pollution has been listed as one of "the three tough battles" that China, the largest emitter, aims to win in the coming three years, according to the Central Economic Work Conference, an annual tone-setting economic meeting, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China has been battling severe air pollution for a long time and has taken several measures to combat it. It has four-tier pollution warning system, red is the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The average density of Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 in 338 cities nationwide monitored by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) stood at 43 micrograms per cubic meter last year, falling 6.5 per cent year-on-year. For the period, the level of PM10 in the cities declined to 75 micrograms per cubic meter, .
Intl flori cultural festival concludes at Wayanad
The fifth edition of 'Poopoli', an 18-day international floricultural festival, jointly organised by the Kerala Agricultural University and Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare concluded today. Kerala Agriculture Minister, V S Sunilkumar who inaugurated the closing ceremony of the annual event, announced thatRs three crore have been sanctioned for establishing SpecialAgricultural Zone in Wayanad. He said that the government is taking steps to promote cultivation of millets in the state and a millet village comprising of 32 tribalcolonies has been formed to emphasise the thrust on millet cultivation. Areas where Millets can be successfully grown have been identified.
Subsidies alone will not scale up solar pumps: CEEW
A subsidy-led approach alone may not achieve the target of one million solar pumps by 2021 and the government must target marginal farmers, an independent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said on Thursday.
Auto-scrapping plants will save India forex: Minister
Setting up auto-shredding plants will not only help India save foreign exchange but also preserve its natural resources like iron ore for posterity, Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said on Thursday.
Sugar production to be 261 lakh tonnes this year: Sugar mills
Sugar production this year is going to be 261 lakh tonnes this year, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said on Thursday after revising its production estimates.
Maha gives nod to Rs 4,000-cr climate resilient agri project
The Maharashtra government has approved a Rs 4,000-crore project aimed at promoting climate-resilient agriculture, to be partially funded by the World Bank. A government resolution (GR) issued yesterday said the project, named Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Yojna, will be implemented in 5,142 villages across 15 districts. It will roll out in 2018-19 and continue till 2023-24. The total cost of the project is Rs 4,000 crore, 70 per cent of which will be borne by the World Bank while the state will contribute 30 per cent over six years, said the GR. Principal secretary, finance, and principal secretary, agriculture will decide the rate of return and repayment period by holding talks with the World Bank officials, the GR stated. The scheme would cover small- and medium- scale farmers, who are more vulnerable to the impact of climate change. The state government had set up a seven-member panel, headed by principal secretary, agriculture, to select drought-prone villages ...
Indian trade body raises sugar output estimate by 4 percent to 26.1 million tonnes
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India is likely to produce 26.1 million tonnes of sugar in the 2017/18 marketing season that started on Oct. 1, up nearly 4 percent from the previous estimate, a trade body said on Thursday, as a good monsoon pushed up cane yields.
As gas crisis hit, China coal miners, utilities ramped up output
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's coal miners and thermal power plants ramped up output to their highest in years in December, data showed on Thursday, in a rush to feed unexpectedly strong demand from millions of homes as natural gas shortages triggered a winter heating crisis.
Air pollution: NGT issues show cause notice to Rathi Steels
The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Rathi Steel and Power Ltd's plant at Ghaziabad, asking why environment compensation be not imposed on it for causing air pollution and extracting ground water without permission. Relying on a report placed by central and UP pollution control boards, the green panel asked why appropriate action be not taken against the steel unit for releasing particulate matter 10 which had resulted in degradation of ambient air. A bench headed by acting Chairperson Justice U D Salvi noted that an inspection team has found that Rathi Steel has been extracting water through three borewells with submersible pumps of 20 HP capacity for industrial and domestic use without permission. "It is further revealed that Rathi Steel has moved an application dated July 11, 2017 for permission to extract ground water from Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) and the same is pending for approval. "We, therefore, issue notice to Rathi Steel why they .
Govt to set up USD 350 million solar development fund
The government will set up a USD 350 million solar development fund for financing solar projects, New and Renewable Energy and Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh said today. Over the years, the minister said, renewable energy has become cheaper and is set to replace conventional energy, which is a healthy development. India has one of the fastest growing renewable energy programmes in the World and the country would achieve its target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity well before 2020, he said. The minister said that International Solar Alliance (ISA) shall help mobilise sufficient funds for solar energy projects. On receipt of 15 ratifications, ISA Framework Agreement entered into force last month "thereby making ISA a de jure treaty based international intergovernmental organisation." So far 19 countries have ratified and 48 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement. In one of its first outreach programmes post ratification, the ISA hosted a two-day
NGT orders inspection of areas around Nainital paper mill
The National Green Tribunal has directed the inspection of areas around a paper mill in Nainital after a plea alleged the release of toxic liquid and solid waste into the reserve forest near it. A bench headed by acting Chairperson Justice U D Salvi ordered central and Uttarakhand pollution control boards to jointly inspect and collect soil and water samples from the areas around the Century Pulp and Paper mill and the adjacent Gaula river within a month. The green panel also directed the paper unit to install Mark II hand pumps at the villages of Bindukhatta and Shantipuri along the Paha drain in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand within two months. Mark II is a human-powered pump designed to lift water from a depth of fifty metres or less. "We direct Kamlesh Singh, scientist D from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), who has been the part of the joint inspection team to point out the locations for installation of hand pumps to the Century Pulp and Paper Mill
Haryana diverted most forest land, now wants money for afforestation
New Delhi, Jan 18: Haryana diverted the most forest land -- 79.44 sq km or about 200 times the size of New Delhi's Lodhi Gardens or 900 times size of Mumbai's Nariman Point -- from its forest area of 1,584 sq km between 2014-15 and 2016-17, according to a reply to the Lok Sabha last month.
Government to set up $350 mn solar development fund
The government will set up of a $350 million solar development fund for financing solar projects, Power Minister R.K.Singh has said.
