Page 956 - Environment
Former MP CM demands ten acre BHEL land for college building
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, Babulal Gaur, today demanded that public sector undertaking Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)provide 10 acres from its land reserve to construct a college building. Gaur submitted a memorandum to former Human Resources Development (HRD) minister Murli Manohar Joshi in this regard here today urging him to help. Joshi had come to participate in a local programme. Gaur said that BHEL was allotted 6045.180 acres land for its plant and township between 1956-1962. At present the heavy industries PSU has 2245.10 acres vacant land with it, he added. The former CM said that the BHEL college, established almost 30 years ago, is running from a dilapidated building allotted by the PSU. The college offers courses in Arts, Commerce and Science streams. Gaur said that a provision of Rs 7 crore made by the state government remained unutilised in the absence of land to construct a new building. "Due to paucity of space ...
Firecracker units in TN's Sivakasi down shutters, citing uncertain future
With uncertainty looming over the future of the firecrackers industry, their apex organisation - the All India Federation of Fireworks Associations (AIFFA) said it has decided to close down the units in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi from Saturday onwards till a legal solution is secured.
Dubai begins trial run of hydrogen-powered taxis
Dubai has launched a trial run of the region's first electric hydrogen-powered vehicle, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Saturday.
Prosperity of farmers must for state's development: UP CM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said the development of the state was not possible without the prosperity of farmers. He said the state government has, therefore, taken a number of steps to safeguard the interests of the farming community. "When the financial condition of farmers is strengthened the country will come on the path of development on its own," he said during the 'kisan samman diwas' on 115th birthday of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh -- who championed peasants issues. Adityanath said his government has extended direct or indirect help to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore to farmers. Farmers will have to ensure that maximum production is achieved by maintaining the fertility of land, he said. Employment generation in an agriculture-based country like India can be achieved only by encouraging farming, he said, adding that the state govenment has decided to see that farmers do not remain totally dependent on nature. During the event, ..
Leopard rescued from well near Nashik after 3-hour effort
Forest department officials and local police today rescued a female leopard that had fallen into a well here. The rescue operation was successfully carried out between 11:30pm yesterday and 2:30am today in the Palse-Shivar area, said officials. They said that people in the area were alerted to the leopardess' plight after hearing the wails of another male leopard, both of whom were moving about in a pair. Residents alerted Nashik Road police who brought along a team of forest officials to the spot. Officials said that a ladder and rope was lowered into the well to allow the leopardess to climb out. However, the officials added, they had to face problems with the male leopard who was behaving aggressively possibly out of anxiety. The siren and lights of the police and forest department vehicles had to be turned on to curb the leopard's aggressive behaviour, officials said. After the leopardess climbed out, the pair ran into the nearby fields and escaped, said officials.
Two women feared buried alive
Two women were feared buried alive when soil near the sidewall of a well suddenly caved in, near Mettupalayam in the district, police said today. According to police, the women were washing clothes at the well in Bujanganoor, some 40 km from here. Suddenly the soil they were standing on caved in and both fell into the 75-foot deep well along with large mounds of earth, police said. Search is on to trace them in the slush as there is water in the well to a height of 15 feet, they said.
CM flags 24 new ambulances under 108 ambulance service
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today flagged off 24 new ambulances in the first phase under the existing 108 ambulance service. The introduction of new ambulance aims to improve the performance of Emergency Ambulance Service in the state, particularly in tribal districts, Patnaik said. The new ambulances will meet the increasing demand of the people, Patnaik said adding that 24 ambulances has been introduced in the first phase. Another 68 ambulances will be rolled out in the next phase, said an official release. The state government has made a budget provision of Rs 90 crore for these additional ambulances. The 108 Emergency Medical Ambulance Service was launched in the state on March 5, 2013 and presently has fleet of 420 vehicles covering all 30 districts, providing emergency medical service, free of cost to the people.
Parrikar makes u-turn on Mhadei dispute
Another major u-turn by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, this time on the Mhadei water dispute, has put the BJP-led coalition government in a spot, with critics accusing him of putting the state's natural resources at stake, merely to boost BJP's chances in the upcoming Karnataka polls.
Heat stress to hit India's northeast the hardest: Study
The combined effects of rising heat and humidity will affect India's northeast the most in the world close to the end of of the century, a global study says.
Leopard run over by unidentified vehicle near Vadodara
A leopard was killed after being run over by an unidentified vehicle late Thursday night. The incident happened on the highway passing by Govali village at Jhagadiya, about 90 kilometres away from Vadodara, forest officials said. The mangled carcass was found in a field by residents Rajendrasinh Anopsinh and Dolat Sinh who alerted the forest department, officials said. Forest official VJ Tadvi said that the animal died of injuries to the skull, neck, jaw as well as internal organs. He added that the leopard was around three years old and may have ventured out for food. Such nocturnal movement of leopards across the highway is regularly noticed in Jhagadiya, Netrang and Dediapada tehsils, officials added. However, this is the first reported leopard death in an accident here in recent years, officials said. Newly-elected MLA from Jhagadiya, Chhotubhai Vasava, following the incident, has demanded the placing of signboards along the highway to alert motorists to slow down ...
Naveen dismisses ministry reshuffle buzz after Rout ouster
A day after ropping Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout from the council of ministers, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik today dismissed any possibility of reshuffle in his ministry. There is no plan for any reshuffle yet, Patnaik told reporters while replying to a question on a possible reshuffle in the ministry. Rout was yesterday sacked from the ministry over his alleged derogatory remarks against Brahmin community at a public function in Malkangiri district. Following Rout's sacking, Patnaik has distributed the departments looked after by Rout to other ministers. While Panchayati Raj Minister Pradeep Maharathy has been given additional charge of agriculture and farmer empowerment, fisheries and animal resources development departments, Finance Minister S B Behera is put in charge of public enterprises department. In his reaction, Rout said that he was not worried over being dropped from the ministry. "I was elected by the people to serve them and not to become a minister. I ...
Potentially hazardous asteroid Phaethon larger than thought
Classified as "potentially hazardous", the near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon has a diameter of about six kilometres -- roughly one kilometre larger than previous estimates, new radar images obtained by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico suggest.
Moroccan business delegation visits KoPT
A high-level business delegation from Morocco, headed by a minister, visited Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) to explore opportunities in the eastern part of the country. Moroccan minister of Equipment, Logistics, Transport and Water, Abdelkader Amara, and Ambassador of Morocco to India, Mohamed Maliki, along with other senior officials visited Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) of Kolkata Port Trust yesterday. The delegation held discussions with KoPT deputy chairman G Senthilvel, and other senior officers of Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) on issues of common interest relating to trade and commerce, KoPT officials said. HDC is having plans to expand its capacity by at least 10 million tonnes in the coming years and letter of Intent has been issued for development of Outer Terminal-II and construction of a liquid cargo jetty at Shalukhali which will increase the capacity by 4.5 million tonnes, officials said. The Outer Terminal-I to cater to dry bulk cargo is at the proposal stage and will .
Wet winter lead to more small wildfires, not less: NASA
NASA scientists have found that a wet winter corresponds to more small wildfires in the following fire season, not fewer, as is commonly assumed.
Plants reveal decision-making abilities under competition
Plants can integrate complex information about their environment and respond to it in an optimal way, a study has found. Biologists from the University of Tubingen in Germany have demonstrated that plants can choose between alternative competitive responses according to the stature and densities of their opponents. 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, which occurs when light is filtered through leaves. Such competition cues are known to induce two types of responses: confrontational vertical elongation, by which plants try to outgrow and shade their neighbours, and shade tolerance, which promotes performance under limited light conditions. Some plants, such as clonal plants, can exhibit avoidance behaviour as a third response type: they grow away from their neighbours. For the study published in the journal Nature Communications, the ...
Use of Pet Coke and Furnace Oil in Industries
The Supreme Court imposed a ban on use of pet coke and furnace oil on 24.10.2017 in Delhi-NCR states. Since the ban has been imposed recently, its impact is yet to be assessed. Various categories of industries such as cement, thermal power plant, fertilizers, nitric acid, lime kiln, ceramic, glass, foundry, reheating furnaces, calcium carbide, aluminium, boiler based industries etc., use pet coke and furnace oil for various purposes including as fuel. Under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; monitoring and compliance is being ensured through concerned State Pollution Control Board.
Air pollution:Officials won't wait for EPCA order to implement
The emergency action plan to tackle air pollution has been streamlined in Delhi with authorities deciding not to wait for the EPCA's directions each time pollution turns 'severe' or 'severe plus'. The Delhi government's Environment Department today apprised the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority of the decision, which was welcomed by the Supreme Court-appointed panel. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the city's environment secretary Anshu Prakash on Thursday, when air quality had dramatically fallen due to a rapid accumulation of pollutants. "Next time, as soon as air quality turns severe plus or emergency as defined by the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), we will initiate action listed under the plan. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will notify the concerned departments," a government official told EPCA. EPCA member Sunita Narain lauded the government saying the decision effectively puts the GRAP on auto-mode, something ...
Maha govt announces compensation package for crop damage
The Maharashtra government today announced compensation ranging from Rs 6,800 to Rs 23,250 per hectare for farmers who lost their paddy crops. Cotton cultivators who lost their crops due to pink bollworm would get Rs 6,800 to Rs 37,500 per hectare depending on the extent of damage, the government announced. The compensation package was announced by state Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar. He said, "Cotton cultivators would get Rs 6,800 per hectare through NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) and Rs 8,000 per hectare from crop insurance." The minister added that under the Maharashtra Cotton Seeds (Regulation of Supply, Distribution, Sale and Fixation of Sale Price) Act, 2009 farmers would get also Rs 16,000 per hectare for upto two hectares. He said that farmers whose fruit cultivation had been damaged would get up to Rs 43,000 per hectare through NDRF and insurance.
Raj govt sends canal project's DPR to centre for approval
The Rajasthan government has forwarded the detailed project report of Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) to the Centre for approval which will address water problems in the state's eastern parts. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje today said the Rs 37,000 crore project would benefit 13 districts in eastern Rajasthan. "Access water from Kalisindh, Parvati, Mej, Chakan and other rivers will be channelised and used for irrigation and drinking purpose in 13 districts," Raje said at a function here. The chief minister said Rs 2300 crore would be spent in repairing damaged roads in the state in next one year. The chief minister also announced that Purani Bari road will be developed as an airstrip.
Nepal's last known 'dancing' sloth bears rescued
Two sloth bears -- known as the last dancing bears of Nepal -- were rescued in an overnight operation after police tracked down their owners using their mobile phones. Rangila, 19, male and Sridevi, 17, female, were sold to their owner only to be used as dancing bears -- a cruel, outlawed practice, where the animals are made to dance for entertaining crowds, an animal rights body involved in the rescue operation said. On Tuesday, the two bears were rescued by the Jane Goodall Institute of Nepal along with the support from World Animal Protection and the country's police. World Animal Protection, a non-governmental organisation, said they are the last two known Nepali-owned illegal "dancing bears". "With the help of local police, the bears were found in Iharbari, Nepal via mobile phone tracking of the cruel owners. "The rescue was emotional for all involved, the bears were in an extremely distressed state showing signs of psychological trauma such as cowering, pacing and .
