Page 936 - Environment
Chemical ban helped closing up of ozone layer hole: NASA
An international ban on ozone-destroying chlorine that contains manmade chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) has led to less ozone depletion, NASA scientists have reported.
Manas National Park to get three rhinos
Three female rhino calves that were rescued from Kaziranga National Park area during the devastating monsoon floods in 2016 will find their new homes in Manas National Park. The three calves are being shifted to a pre-release boma in Manas park and, after a period of careful monitoring, will be released into the wild, Kaziranga National Park's Divisional Forest Officer Rohini Ballav Saikia said. "The translocation of these rhinos will add to the existing gene pool of Manas National Park and open up more avenues for research in terms of behaviour of these calves in a new landscape," he added. The calves, rescued by the local people from the floodwaters of Haldhibari, Deopani and Sildubi areas, adjacent to Kaziranga, were hand-raised at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Assam. CWRC's lead veterinarians Panjit Basumatary, Samshul Ali, and a team of animal keepers have taken care of the calves from the time they were brought to the centre. All
Shelving Dadupur-Nalvi canal project would affect farmers: Congress
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Friday submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind in which he said the shelving of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project would adversely affect the farmers.Speaking to ANI, Surjewala said, "Today, I met President Ram Nath Kovind. Dadupur-Nalvi Nahar Pariyojana is the main issue for the farmers of Yamunanagar, Ambala and Kurukshetra. This is the main lifeline of farmers over there. But the chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, has stopped this pariyojana which will affect many lives. The shelving of the canal project would adversely affect the farmers and it can result in one lakh hectares of fertile land turning barren."The delegation, led by Surjewala and Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) Haryana President Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, urged the president to not give his assent to the amendment bill to facilitate the de-notification of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project land in Haryana.The Congress further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata ...
Pollution increases in Yamuna, water supply to be affected
Water supply in most parts of Delhi will remain disrupted for next few days due to increased pollution in Yamuna.The Delhi Jal Board has informed that the pumping from Wazirabad and Chandrawal, and the Okhla plant is likely to be affected."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 board said.The discharge of waste water through 15 drains between Wazirabad barrage and Okhla barrage renders the Yamuna river, severely polluted.Residents of Delhi faced a similar problem on first two days of the New Year due to a spike in industrial pollutants as well as rising ammonia levels in Yamuna.
942 chickens infected with Avian Influenza in Bengaluru
A stray incidence of Avian Influenza with H5 Virus Strain was confirmed in around 942 chickens at Bengaluru's Dasarahalli, after which the infected birds were culled and disposed.The incident came into light on December 31, 2017 after which sanitation and disinfection of the area were taken up.Around 1 km to 10 km 'surveillance zone' is under intensive watch and there is no report of any unnatural death of poultry birds in this zone, a statement said.Experts from the Department of Health and Family Welfare deputed by the Government of India arrived at Bengaluru on January 4.A meeting was conducted at the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Hebbal Bengaluru with the Director of the Institute and officers of Animal Husbandry and discussed about the actions taken as per the guidance issue by the Indian Government.The team visited the local primary health centre and had a detailed discussion with the medical officers and para medical staff regarding preventive measures .
Cong leaders, farmers urge prez not to give nod to bill on
A delegation of Congress leaders and farmers from Haryana met President Ram Nath Kovind today and urged him not to give his assent to the amendment bill to facilitate the de-notification of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project land in the state. The delegation, led by Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala and Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) Haryana president Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, besides former MLAs Anil Dhantori and Ramesh Gupta, submitted a memorandum to Kovind, in which they said the shelving of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project would adversely affect the farmers and that it could result in one lakh hectares of fertile land turning barren. Speaking to reporters after meeting Kovind, Surjewala said the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project was the "lifeline" of northern Haryana and alleged that the BJP government in the state had bartered the farmers' interests. Describing the decision of the saffron party as another "Tughlaki farman" (whimsical diktat), he said close to ..
NDMC crackdown against illegal dairy, 15 cows rescued
Fifteen cows were today rescued during civic body crackdown against an illegally run dairy in north west Delhi Delhi's Mianwali area, officials said. An official of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) of the environment ministry, claimed the dairy has about "200 cows" and laws have been flouted there. "The rescued cows were sent in trucks to two government gaushalas. There is paucity of space so all the animals could not be accommodated, and many of the cattle-owners, took the cows with them to rural areas," a senior official of the NDMC told PTI. The AWBI official said the dairy is surrounded by a large and filthy open drain, causing health hazard, and the condition of the dairy and the cows is "miserable". "The water containers were full of algae, the fodder was scarce, the stench was unbearable. The cows looked weak," the official alleged. The AWBI official claimed that they have sighted "animal carcass" in the area, following which a complaint has been filed ...
'world class infrastructure brings massive economic develpt'
World class infrastructure brings massive economic development to a nation and India is one of the top nations giving importance to infrastuctre development, a senior official in L&T Construction said here today. P Niranjana, Vice-President and Head (Nuclear and Special Bridges), L&T Construction,Chennai,said infrastructure development is the need of the hour for India, particularly in roads, bridges, dams, urban areas and power sectors. India needs more bridges and many projects are already in the pipeline and there is lot of space for development, he said. Niranjana was addressing the 3rd International Conference on 'Frontline Areas of Civil Engineering (ICFACE-2018), which got underway at the Sri Krishna College of Technology. He said infrastructure sector growth is dependent on solving some key challenges related to regulations,appropriate financing mechanisms and ensuring efficient project management. As academia and industry go hand in hand, the need for ...
Wheat sowing down by 4.77% so far: Govt
Area sown to wheat remained lower by 4.77 per cent at 283.46 lakh hectare so far this rabi season due to less coverage in states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, said the data released by the Agriculture Ministry today. Wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, was sown in 297.67 lakh hectare in the same period of 2016-17 crop year (July- June). Rabi sowing begins from October, harvesting from March. According to the ministry's data, wheat acreage was down by 14.20 lakh hectare from the year-ago period. Less area has been reported in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Wheat sowing is almost coming to an end. Normally, the crop is sown in an average area of 301.74 lakh hectare. Among other rabi crops, area sown to oilseeds remained lower at 76.69 lakh hectare so far this season as against 80.77 lakh hectare in the same period last year. However, area under pulses has increased to 154.91 lakh hectare from 143.45 lakh ...
Outbreak of Avian Influenza confirmed in eastern part of B'lre
An outbreak of Avian Influenza in the eastern part of the city has been confirmed, but the Karnataka government said the situation was fully under control and there were no reports of mortality in the state or any other part of the country. The National Institute of HighSecurity Animal diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed the outbreakin Dasarahalli area. An official release said birds in some poultry farms in the area started dying in December last year, triggering panic of avian bird flu, following which the area was quarantined and culling of birds was carried out. Samples from a poultry meat shop were sent to NIHSAD which confirmed on December 30 last year that they tested positive for H5 strain of Avian Influenza virus, it said. NISHAD immediately informed the government of the results, it said. The release said there are no reports of mortality from the State or any other part of the country and that the situation is fully undercontrol. Principal Secretary, Animal .
Developer challenges in HC denial of permission for floating
A city-based private developer has approached the Bombay High Court challenging denial of permission for constructing a floating hotel and a jetty near Nariman Point in south Mumbai. Rashmi Development Pvt Ltd has moved the court against the decision of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and a high court-appointed committee. The project has got no-objection certificate from the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Western Naval Command, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Coast Guard, the petition stated. In May last year, the court-appointed a three-member panel comprising the Mumbai Police Commissioner, the municipal commissioner and the chairperson of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, which rejected the proposal. The court set up the committee in 2015 to regulate construction activity along the famous Marine Drive promenade. The panel rejected the proposal and forwarded its decision to the BMC saying the ..
Air quality to improve in Delhi NCR on Saturday
The air quality across Delhi and regions around it improved marginally on Friday though remaining very poor, with pollution authorities predicting it will improve further towards Saturday.
PETA asks govt to tax meat, other animal derived foods
Animal rights body PETA asked the government to levy a tax on meat and other animal derived foods for their damaging effects on environment and public health, on the lines of a similar tax imposed on tobacco. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, in a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, requested him to consider taxing meat and other animal derived foods to discourage their consumption. "PETA India asks that India tax meat and other animal derived foods for their damaging effects on the environment and the public's health the same way there are increased taxes in countries around the world on other unhealthy or damaging goods such as tobacco," said Nikunj Sharma, Lead--Public Policy, PETA India. In India, the consumption of beef, chicken, eggs, dairy and other animal derived foods is on a rapid rise, it said, asserting that between 2003 and 2013, meat consumption more than doubled in the country. While vegetarian and vegan eating is also ...
Sonowal urges youths to devote themselves to agriculture
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today urged youths to devote themselves to agriculture and work to build a robust economic foundation for the state. The state government is committed to project Assam's potentialities in the global arena and this will be possible only when youth lead the state from the front and work for increasing productivity, he said inaugurating the Assam International Agri-Horticultural Show, 2018 at Dibrugarh. The state government's deep resolve to revitalize the economic condition of the farmers and give them a life of dignity, he said. "I urge youths of the state to devote themselves to agriculture and contribute in its growth as our culture is closely linked to agriculture and our strength lies in it," Sonowal said. Initiatives like Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana (CMSGUY) has been taken up to double the farm income and build solid economic foundation for farmers and raise their dignity in society and standard of living, he .
Oilmeal export in Dec drops 22 pc: SEA
Export of oilmeal, used as animal feed, dropped by 22 per cent to 2.36 lakh tonnes in December from 3.01 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period, but total shipments this fiscal are likely to remain higher, industry body SEA said today. Oilmeal shipments during April-December of the current fiscal rose to 20.90 lakh tonnes from 11.69 lakh tonnes in the same period of the last year, it said in a statement. The recent government initiatives have made "Indian oilmeal more competitive in the world market and may result in larger export of oilmeal during the current year," Mumbai- based Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said. The government has hiked import duty on edible oils and raised incentives under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for soyabean meal to 7 per cent from 5 per cent. SEA said that oilmeal export has revived this year, after two difficult years, but is still lower than earlier years when annual shipments stood at 40 to 45 lakh tonnes. Of
16 held for unlawful fishing in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary
Forest department personnel today arrested 16 fishermen for trespassing into the prohibited corridors of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, the breeding ground of olive ridley turtles. Two fishing trawls, used by the intruders to carry out unlawful fishing activities in the sanctuary, were also seized by the patrolling unit near Babuballi Island, a forest department official said. The arrested fishermen hail from Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district, the official said, adding that the fishing vessels had trespassed into the prohibited corridors contravening the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary. Sea patrolling is stepped up along the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary between November and May every year in view of the annual mass nesting season of endangered olive ridley sea turtles. "It's unlawful to fish in the marine sanctuary throughout the year. The fishermen have been told about the restrictions ...
India imported APIs worth Rs 18,372.54 crore in 2016-17
India imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) worth Rs 18,372.54 crore in 2016-17, of which the maximum was from China, Parliament was informed today. APIs estimated to be worth Rs 12,254.97 crore were imported from China followed by the US at Rs 820.18 crore and Italy at Rs 701.85 crore in 2016-17, the Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in the Lok Sabha. APIs worth Rs 485.11 crore were imported from Germany while APIs Rs 422.01 were imported from Singapore. API is the term used to refer to the biologically active component of a drug product. In 2015-16, the country imported APIs worth Rs 21,225.97 crore with ingredients worth Rs 13,853 being imported from China, followed by Germany at Rs 1054.71 crore and the US at Rs 980.38 crore.
Britain outlines plans for 2025 coal-power phase out
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will set an emission limit on coal-fired power generators from Oct. 1, 2025, forcing them to close unless they are fitted with carbon capture technology, the government said on Friday.
No proposal for single window clearance for industries by
The government does not propose to introduce a system of single window clearance for industries by relaxing the environmental protection laws, the Lok Sabha was told today. Minister of State for environment Mahesh Sharma said that the government also does not propose to amend the environment protection laws to promote major projects. "The government does not proposes to amend the environment protection laws so as to promote major projects. "The government does not propose to introduce a system for single window clearance for industries all over the country by relaxing the environmental protection laws," he said. However, he maintained that to bring more transparency in the environment, forest and wildlife approval processes for development projects, the ministry has rolled out a single window system for submission of application from July, 2014 at the central level. It also rolled out a single window system for submission of application from July 2015 at state level in ..
Guidelines to mitigate impact of roads, rail on wildlife: Govt
The environment ministry has approved guidelines which provide a template on measures for mitigating the impact of roads, railway lines and power lines on wildlife including birds. Minister of state for environment Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Lok Sabha said that the ministry has approved "Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife" guidelines framed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. "These guidelines provide standard template on structural and non-structural measures for mitigating the impact of roads, railway lines and power lines on wildlife including birds," he said. He pointed out that conservation of flora, fauna and rivers in the country is covered within the ambit of extant legislations. They include the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Environment (Protection) Act 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, Biological Diversity Act 2002 and Rules and ...
