Page 950 - Environment
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued directions to Thermal Power Plants to ensure compliance as per the plan
Based on the discussions with MoEF&CC, a revised phased implementation plan (to be implemented before 2022) for installation of Flue Gas De-Sulphurization (FGD) in plants for a capacity of 1,61,402 MW (414 Units) and upgradation of Electrostatic Precipitator in plants for a capacity of 64,525 MW (222 units) was prepared by Central Electricity Authority in consultation with the stakeholders and was forwarded to MoEF&CC on 13.10.2017. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions on 11.12.2017 to Thermal Power Plants to ensure compliance as per the revised plan submitted by Ministry of Power.
A Total of 1085 Small Hydro Power Projects, with aggregate capacity of 4399.355 MW capacity set up upto November 2017
1085 small hydro power projects with aggregate capacity of 4399.355 MW capacity have been set up upto November 2017. The State wise number of Small Hydro Projects installed by 30.11.2017 are given below:
Methanol to cut India's oil import bill by 30%: Gadkari
The government is contemplating a 'Methanol Economy Fund' to promote indigenously-produced methanol that could substitute 10 per cent of India's crude oil imports by 2030, thereby reducing its fuel bill by around 30 per cent, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday.
Plants can make complex decisions: study
Plants can choose between alternative competitive responses according to the stature and densities of their opponents, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Tubingen in Germany found that plants can evaluate the competitive ability of their neighbours and optimally match their responses to them. Animals facing competition have been shown to optimally choose between different behaviours, including confrontation, avoidance and tolerance, depending on the competitive ability of their opponents relative to their own. For example, if their competitors are bigger or stronger, animals are expected to "give up the fight" and choose avoidance or tolerance over confrontation. Plants can detect the presence of other competing plants through various cues, such as the reduction in light quantity or in the ratio of red to far-red wavelengths (R:FR), which occurs when light is filtered through leaves. Such competition cues are known to induce two types of responses: ...
EAC defers decision on ToR for NIMZ in Telangana
An Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment has deferred its decision on preparing the terms of reference (ToR) for the proposed Zaheerabad National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSIIC) in Sangareddy district. The EAC put off its decision as it felt that the proposed land where the NIMZ is expected to come up has 13 reserve forests around it. The committee also mentioned other reasons for postponing the decision. "After detailed deliberation during the 180th meeting held on December 21, 2017, EAC deferred the proposal for want of following information--submit the details about proper criteria followed for selection of proposed site out of three alternate sites, as the proposed site is having 13 reserve forests around it," the EAC said in the minutes of meeting. The project is proposed in about 12,635 acres (5,113 ha) of land in pursuit of National ...
N Korean boat skipper 'charged over Japan theft'
Japanese prosecutors reportedly charged a North Korean fishing boat captain for theft today, accusing him of making off with items ranging from home appliances to solar panels. The 45-year-old was among 10 North Korean "fishermen" spotted aboard a tiny wooden boat struggling in bad weather off the northern island of Hokkaido in late November. Some of them admitted to "taking out" some electronic products from a remote Japanese island where they landed briefly to take refuge. The captain and two other crew members, who all identified themselves as North Korean nationals, were arrested earlier this month on suspicion of stealing a power generator on the small island. According to the indictment, the captain took the lead in stealing some 40 items ranging from home appliances to solar panels worth 5.65 million yen ($50,000), public broadcaster NHK said, adding that he will stand trial in a Japanese court. The remaining nine crew members are all expected to be deported back .
Ceres mountain celebrates Kwanzaa festival
To mark Kwanzaa, an African-American festival based on ancient harvest celebrations that takes place each year from December 26 to January 1, NASA has released images of a small mountain named after the event on the dwarf planet Ceres.
Hemp crops worth Rs 10 crore destroyed in Odisha
A joint team of police and excise officials has destroyed hemp plantations worth Rs 10 crore in Odisha's Koraput district, police said today. As part of the administration's efforts to check illegal cultivation of cannabis, a crackdown was launched on several villages in the Maoist-hit district, Additional Superintendent of Police (Koraput) V R Rao said. "Illegal hemp cultivation is carried out over hundreds of acres in the remote and inaccessible areas of the district. The destroyed plants are just the tip of the iceberg. Our operations will continue," Rao said. The ganja plants are mostly grown on private lands in these villages, the officer said. "We have demarcated the lands and stern action will be taken against their owners," he said. Not just Koraput, hemp is grown on a massive scale in Gajapati, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Boudh and Sambalpur districts, Rao added. Most of these areas have strong Maoist presence and the administration has to exercise caution before ...
Gadkari to flag off cargo shipment via NW 2 on Brahmaputra
Union minister Nitin Gadkari will flag off first movement of cement cargo through National Waterway (NW) 2 on the Brahmaputra in Assam tomorrow, in an effort to push transportation of goods through water. The idea is to develop Brahmaputra River (NW2) for commercial navigation and the efforts are part of renewed focus over the last three years to promote inland water transport in the North East Region (NER). "Marking a new milestone towards Government of India's constant endeavours to promote economically more viable and environment friendly modes of transport in the country, two barges of 200-metric tonne capacity each will carry 400 tonnes of cement from the Inland Waterways Authority of India's Pandu Port to Dhubri covering a distance of 255 kilometres. With this, the IWAI will be initiating regular cargo movement through inland waterways under the Sagarmala programme," the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement. Gadkari, the minister for Shipping, Road Transport ...
Search for alien life got exciting new targets this year (2017 in Retrospect)
One year passes in the blink of an eye in terms of the age of our universe, but 2017 has made significant contributions towards unravelling the deep mysteries hidden in its vast expanse, giving the search for alien life a big boost.
Law to spend mine revenue improved people's condition: Tomar
A new law, which has made it mandatory for spending of a part of revenue made from auctioning mines in developing the areas they are located in, has resulted in improved living conditions of people in these regions, government claimed today. Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha that district mineral foundations, which were created after the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act came into being, have received Rs 13,398 crore and Rs 2,260 crore have been spent so far in developing local areas. This money will be spent on the affected people and areas, Tomar said while replying to a question during the Question Hour. "The changes in the MMDR Act are benefiting people. Their living condition is changing," he said. To supplementaries regarding the steps Centre has taken to curb illegal mining, he said the law against it has been made more stringent as it now entails five-year jail term and Rs 5 lakh fine instead of a two-year term and
Ind-Ra: Demand Eased with Onset of Winter, Short-Term Power Exchange Prices Reduced due to Better Coal Availability
In November 2017, power generation, excluding that from the renewable resources, increased 1.7% y-o-y to 95 billion units (BUs). The increase was driven by a higher generation across all sectors including thermal, hydro and nuclear. In November 2017, all India energy requirements increased 5.4% y-o-y to 93BUs, although the energy requirement declined by 8.2% from October 2017 due to the seasonal variation and drop in temperature across northern India.
Bali declares 'garbage emergency' amid sea of waste
Bali's palm-fringed Kuta beach has long been a favourite with tourists seeking sun and surf, but nowadays its golden shoreline is disappearing under a mountain of garbage. Plastic straws and food packaging are strewn between sunbathers, while surfers bobbing behind the waves dodge waste flushed out from rivers or brought in by swirling currents. "When I want to swim, it is not really nice. I see a lot of garbage here every day, every time," Austrian traveler Vanessa Moonshine explains. "It's always coming from the ocean. It's really horrible," she adds. Often dubbed a paradise on earth, the Indonesian holiday island has become an embarrassing poster child for the country's trash problem. The archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is the world's second biggest contributor to marine debris after China, and a colossal 1.29 million metric tons is estimated to be produced annually by Indonesia. The waves of plastic flooding into rivers and oceans have been causing problems ..
New species of blind fish discovered inside Meghalaya cave
A new species of blind fish has been discovered inside a cave in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, a New Zealand-based science journal has revealed. The fish -- Schistura larketensis -- gets its name from Larket village, where the cave has been found, the journal, Zootaxa, said. The species has apparently lost its sight living in the perpetual darkness inside the cave, a joint team of scientists from the Gauhati University and the North Eastern Hill University said. It has also lost its pigments too while adapting to its habitat in the dark waters, they said. Khlur Mukhim, a leading researcher from Gauhati University, came across the blind fish in the cave several years ago during an expedition. The cave is about 880 meters above sea level and over 7 km in length. Mukhim said that the study came out recently though it was found several years ago as he had to corroborate the available facts and figures to establish that the fish was actually blind and belonged to
CORRECTED - In Pakistan, questions raised over GE's flagship power turbines
(Corrects paragraph 24 to show GE airlifted parts of the turbine units to France, not all of the units)
In Pakistan, questions raised over GE's flagship power turbines
ISLAMABAD/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - General Electric's flagship gas turbines ran into problems in Pakistan earlier this year, leading to delays and lengthy outages at three newly built power stations, according to several senior Pakistani officials and power executives.
Prince Harry named President of African Conservation Group
Prince Harry has been named the president of African Parks, a conservation group that manages a dozen wildlife areas across the continent.The environmentalist organisation said that the "influential role" played by Prince Harry will contribute to its effort to protect Africa's natural heritage and support both wildlife and communities, who live in and around conservation areas, reported Sputnik.The African Parks announced this on Wednesday, and said it appreciated Prince Harry's previous work with its teams in the relocation of elephants in Malawi and the installation of GPS collars on lions in an effort to keep them out of harm's way.
Only six states, UTs comply with Centre's renewable purchase obligations
Only six out of 29 states and seven union territories are complying with the central government's Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets, a Greenpeace India report said on Wednesday.
Shutdown in Karnataka for Mahadayi water hits normal life
Normal life was disrupted on Wednesday in four districts in northern Karnataka due to a day-long shutdown, called for the release of Mahadayi river water by Goa to the drought-prone region in the southern state.
IAF asks citizens to keep areas clean for fly-past safety
In view of the fly-pasts at heights varying between 60 to 500 metres before and during the Republic Day Parade, the Air Force has appealed to the citizens to keep their areas clean and avoid throwing eatables, which could attract birds. An Indian Air Force statement said citizens are also requested to alert the nearest Air Force Unit or police station and report instances of carcasses found in the open. The vulnerable areas that come in the route include Palam, Najafgarh drains, Tihar Jail, War Cemetery and areas adjoining Rashtrapati Bhawan.
