Page 941 - Environment

Telangana to develop another IT cluster in Hyderabad

This information technology hub will have another IT corridor with the Telangana government deciding to develop a new cluster in Budvel area, it was announced on Wednesday.

Beijing achieves air quality goals set by government: Official

After grappling with alarming levels of smog, Beijing witnessed an improved air quality in 2017 after implementation of various pollution control measures, a Chinese official said today. The Chinese capital city, which is notorious for its smog, met its targets with year-on-year improvement of regional air quality and overall favourable meteorological conditions, the Beijing Environmental Protection Monitoring Centre said. The average density of PM2.5 in Beijing stayed at 58 micrograms per cubic metre of air in 2017, meeting the goal set by the State Council, the official said. "The density dropped by 20.5 per cent compared with the average level in 2016," Liu Baoxian, deputy director of Beijing environmental protection monitoring centre was quoted as saying in the state-run Xinhua news agency. The density of hazardous particulate in the air is measured as PM2.5. According to the World Health Organisation the annual PM2.5 level should be 10 micrograms per cubic ...

Sharing Mahadeyi water with other states "inevitable": Goa CM

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar today said that sharing the water of the Mahadeyi river with other states was "inevitable". "One has to understand that 52 kms of the river runs through Goa, 35 kms through Karnataka and 16 kms through Maharashtra. As such, sharing of water of Mahadeyi river is inevitable as it is passing through all the three states," said Parrikar. Parrikar said that as the river passes through three states, each of them have some right over its water. He was responding to questions on the crucial water dispute during the press briefing today. "If someone thinks Karnataka will not get a share out of the tribunal judgment, I think he is living in a fools paradise," he added. "But at the same time, Karnataka cannot take or divert water from Mahadeyi basin to another basin. They have to use it for drinking purposes or utilize it within the basin," he added. Parrikar told reporters today that the issue before the Mahadeyi Water Dispute Tribunal is about .

Prince Pipes launches CORFIT double wall corrugated pipes

The major yardstick of a nation's development is its cleanliness. While India has been making exceptional strides in the fields of science and culture, it still relies upon age-old conventional piping systems for its sewerage and water solution needs.The Swachh Bharat Mission was a clarion call to a billion Indians to improve cleanliness and hygiene around them. We at Prince Pipes and Fittings Ltd. have committed ourselves with renewed zeal to this vision. In sync with the spirit of Swachh Bharat, we focused our advanced technologies and infrastructure to create zero defect water and sanitation products, providing modern day solutions for a clean India.This passion led to the birth of one of our most efficient and long lasting sewerage solutions - CORFIT Double Wall Corrugated Pipes, the future of India's piping needs.These pipes are made from HDPE Material and are used for conveying smooth flow of sewerage and industrial waste. These pipes are also resistant to various types of gases

CWC readies Rs 4,750 crore DPR for Ujh project in J&K

The Central Water Commission (CWC) has prepared a Rs 4,750 crore Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Ujh multipurpose project including construction of a dam on river Ujh. "CWC has prepared a revised DPR of Rs 4,750 crore and submitted the same to the department on December 28 last year for necessary approvals. "The DPR is presently under examination," Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Chowdhary said in a written reply in Legislative Council today. River Ujh is the main tributary of river Ravi in Kathua district. The estimated cost of the project was Rs 3,630.67 crore which envisaged to provide hydro power benefits of 196 mega watt and providing irrigation facility to 31,380 hectare of land in Kandi belt, he said. The project will also supply drinking water to the Kandi belt of Kathua district with submergence area of 41 square km affecting 2,235 families, he said. The minister said since there was resentment regarding the height of the dam, CWC was ...

900 fowls culled in Bengaluru to contain bird flu

As many as 900 fowls were culled after the avian influenza virus was detected in a dead bird here, civic officials said on Wednesday.

How climate change may transform taste of wines

Climate change may cause popular wines to taste different, forcing winemakers to plant lesser- known grape varieties to counteract some of the effects of global warming. Scientists and vintners need to better understand the wide diversity of grapes and their adaptions to different climates, according to Elizabeth Wolkovich, assistant professor at Harvard University in the US. "It's going to be very hard for many regions to continue growing the exact varieties they've grown in the past," Wolkovich said. "The Old World has a huge diversity of winegrapes - there are over planted 1,000 varieties - and some of them are better adapted to hotter climates and have higher drought tolerance than the 12 varieties now making up over 80 per cent of the wine market in many countries," she said. "We should be studying and exploring these varieties to prepare for climate change," she added. Convincing wine producers to try different grape varieties is difficult at best, and the reason ..

Cabinet apprised of India-Italy pact on clean energy

The Cabinet was today apprised of a pact between India and Italy for cooperation in the field of renewable energy. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on India-Italy Cooperation in Renewable Energy...," an official statement said. The MoU was signed on October 30, 2017 at New Delhi by Anand Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Lorenzo Angeloni, Italian Ambassador to India. India and Italy aim to establish the basis for a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable energy issues. The MoU envisages establishing a Joint Working Committee to review, monitor and discuss matters relation to areas of cooperation. It aims for exchange of expertise and networking of information and helps in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the statement added.

Japan's mobile-to-medal recycling campaign goes off track

An innovative project in Japan, where mobile phones and other electronic devices would be recycled for making Olympics medals for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has hit a roadblock.This is due to a lack of coordination between the municipalities and the vast difference in participation rates across the prefectures in Japan.The project, which was launched in April last year, by the Olympic Organising Committee, had asked the local governments in Japan to install recycling boxes across the country, reported the Japan Times.The committee had called for the making of more than 5,000 medals for the upcoming Olympics. To produce such an amount of medals, an estimated amount of 8 tonnes of metal is needed.Of all municipalities in the country, about 70 percent had expressed their intention to join the project. But the participation rate has remained inconsistent in different prefectures.Out of the country's 47 prefectures, only seven - Toyama, Fukui, Wakayama, Yamaguchi, Kagawa, Ehime and Kumamoto .

How climate change could change the taste of your wine

Although winegrowers seem reluctant to try new grape varieties apparently to protect the taste of the wines, new research suggests that they will ultimately have to give up on their old habit as planting lesser-known grape varieties might help vineyards to counteract some of the effects of climate change.

Inevitable for Karnataka to get share of Mhadei water: Parrikar

Taking on critics of his controversial letter to Karnataka BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa over the Mhadei river interstate dispute, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said it is inevitable for Karnataka to get its share of the river water.

Construction of AMO barrage across Tawi river to be completed

The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that the construction of the Auto Mechanical Operated (AMO) barrage across the Tawi river for creation of artificial lake will be completed by March this year. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has undertaken construction and design of the AMO barrage across Tawi river under which creation of artificial lake was one of the components of the project, Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, the new tourism minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a written reply to a question of BJP MLC Ramesh Arora in the Legislative Council. "Work on the construction of barrage across the Tawi river is being targeted to be completed by end of March 2018 and the work is in progress as on day," he said. Mufti said that the land measuring over 28 acres has been demarcated and fenced for development of tulip garden at Chatha on the outskirts of Jammu city and further development of the garden is under progress. The tourism minister said that the ...

Beijing achieves air quality target for 2017

Beijing achieved its air quality goal for 2017, reporting an average density of PM2.5 of 58 micrograms per cubic metre of air, authorities said on Wednesday.

Identify sites for collection of crop residue: NGT to states

The National Green Tribunal today directed the northern states to identify sites in each district for collection and storage of crop residue to encourage farmers not to burn agricultural stubble in their fields. A bench headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice U D Salvi asked the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to give the description of these sites in their areas along with their capacity and the mode of utilisation of the crop residue generated in the fields. "We direct Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab to identify the sites in each district for collection and storage of crop residue," it said. The next hearing will be held on February 20. The Punjab government had earlier faced the wrath of the tribunal for not taking effective steps to provide financial assistance and infrastructure facility to the farmers to encourage them not to burn agricultural residue in their fields. The green panel had said that two years ...

Rajasthan to build 26 bridges under PMGSY

As many as 26 long-span bridges will constructed at a cost of Rs 161 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in Rajasthan, state PWD minister Yunus Khan said. He said that the Union rural development ministry has sanctioned Rs 161.65 crore for construction of 26 long span bridges in the state. The ministry sanctioned the state government proposal following recommendation of an empowered committee meeting held in November, he added. A total of Rs 44.56 crore will be spent by Union ministry of rural development whereas Rs 116.59 crore will be shared by the state. In Baran district, 12 bridges will be constructed apart from seven in Udaipur, three in Karauli, two in Sirohi and one each in Bundi and Sri Ganganagar district, he said.

New endangered plant species discovered in China

Scientists have discovered a new endangered species of flowering plants in China. It was discovered in southwest China's Yunnan Province during a field survey. The species, Primula Zhui, known in Chinese as Zhu Hua Baochun, was named after Zhu Hua, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It belongs to the Primulaceae family, woody flowering plants often known as the primrose family. "It is named after Zhu for his great contribution to botanical research in tropical areas," said Yang Bin, from CAS, author of the study published in the Nordic Journal of Botany. Currently, there are fewer than 50 individual plants of the new species in three localities in Yunnan, the state run Xinhua news agency reported. It has been designated a critically endangered species according to the classification by the World Conservation Union. There are about 500 Primula species in the world. They are native to the temperate northern hemisphere and high altitude areas. "The new

Rejuvenation camp for temple elephants begins tomorrow

The annual rejuvenation camp for temple elephants in Tamil Nadu, a pet project of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, will begin tomorrow at Thekkamapatti in the district. A total of 33 elephants from different temples and mutts are expected to participate in the 48-day camp, launched by the state government in 2003, official sources said. So far eight jumbos have reached the camp, about 50 kms from here. The first five camps were held at Theppakkadu in Mudumalal Tiger Reserve in Nilgiris district while this is the fifth to be held in Thekkampatti, on the banks of Bhavani river. All the pachyderms are expected to reach the health camp late in the evening, they said. Besides facilities for the mahouts accompanying the elephants, the camp, organised by HR and CE department, has a special kitchen, dining hall and high mast lamp posts, shower baths. The premises is protected by solar fence, particularly to prevent the entry of wild elephants from nearby jungles, the ...

New plant species discovered in China

Chinese scientists have discovered a new endangered species of flowering plant from the Primulaceae family.

Soon, fossil fuel technology that does not pollute

Scientists are developing a novel technology that may economically convert fossil fuels and biomass into useful products, including electricity, without emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Engineers at The Ohio State University in the US devised a process that transforms shale gas into products such as methanol and gasoline - all while consuming carbon dioxide. The process can also be applied to coal and biomass to produce useful products, researchers wrote in the journal Energy & Environmental Science. Under certain conditions, the technology consumes all the carbon dioxide it produces plus additional carbon dioxide from an outside source, they said. The researchers have also found a way to greatly extend the lifetime of the particles that enable the chemical reaction to transform coal or other fuels to electricity and useful products over a length of time that is useful for commercial operation. The same team has discovered and patented a way with the ...

Record production of Horticulture Crops at 300.6 Million Tonnes which is 5% higher than the year 2015-16

The following table summarizes the All-India Final Estimates: 2016-17 and 2017-18 (1st Advance Estimates):