Page 966 - Environment
Public support sought for conservation of Thamirabharani river
The All India Saints Association today sought public support in the conservation of river Thamirabharai and the conduct of the celebration of Thamirabharani Mahapuskaram, 2018. Talking to reporters here, the association secretary Swami Ramananda highlighted the importance of holding the Mahapuskaram. As the river Thamirabharani symbolises the 'rasi' scorpio, the Mahapuskaram coincides with the movement of Jupiter from Libra to Scorpio. The river originates in the Western Ghats of the Papanasam and ends of Punnakayal, the estuary region of the Bay of Bengal. The 12-day Thamirabharani Mahapuskaram commences on October 11, 2018. The Tirunelveli and Tuticorin district officials have already taken efforts to clean the river with local support. the local support.
SAIL supplied 6.20 lakh tonnes rails to railways in 2016-17
State-run SAIL, the only supplier of rails to the Indian Railways, supplied 6.20 lakh tonnes of rails to the national transporter, Parliament was informed today. This supply was about 40 per cent less against the demand of 10.05 lakh tonnes made during 2016-17, Parliament was informed today. To a question whether SAIL is "lagging behind to meet the demand for new rails of the Indian Railways for track renewal and capacity augmentation," Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai said in 2014-15, railways ordered 5.81 lakh tonnes of rails and received 5.84 lakh tonnes. In 2015-16, the PSU steel major supplied 6.46 lakh tonnes of rails as against the order of 8.12 lakh tonnes. In the following fiscal, the PSU supplied 6.20 lakh tonnes to the public sector transporter as against the order of 10.05 lakh tonnes, the minister informed the Lok Sabha through a written reply. SAIL has taken steps to augment its capacity by setting up a rail mill at its Bhilai Steel Plant in ...
Pb govt releases Rs 23 cr for expansion of Sohana-Landran road
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today ordered the state finance department to immediately release Rs 23 crore for the expansion of the Sohana-Landran-Chunni road in Mohali. He directed the chief principal secretary to issue instructions for an urgent completion of all the pending development projects in the state. Chairing a meeting to review the functioning and ongoing projects of the Public Works Department's (PWD) Building and Road wing, the chief minister assured that the funds required for the development works would be provided, said an official release. Singh also ordered the finance department to make available the necessary funds for the decongestion of the Landran junction. He agreed to relook at the state notification on felling of trees along the state highways, causing road projects to be stalled. The government would take up the matter with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), he said. Earlier, PWD Secretary Hussan Lal informed the chief minister about
ACIAR project to address stubble burning issue
A project led by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) can help address the issue of stubble burning, a release issued today by the Australian High Commission said. Titled "Value chain and policy interventions to accelerate adoption of Happy Seeder zero-tillage in rice-wheat farming systems across the Gangetic Plains", the project was aimed at building momentum for a Happy Seeder revolution, it said. Happy Seeder is a zero-tillage solution whereby seeds can be planted directly into the stubble without the need for land clearing or tilling, eliminating the need to burn crop residue. It was developed by the Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University, and Australian engineers and scientists with support from the ACIAR a decade ago, the release said. Each year, Punjab and Haryana generate an estimated 30 million tonnes of paddy straw, which is later burnt and become one of the main causes of air pollution. The release quoted the Australian
National programme formed to tackle air pollution: Govt
The government has formulated a national clear air programme to tackle increasing air pollution across the country in a comprehensive manner, Parliament was informed today. Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha said that the Centre has formulated the National Clear Air Programme (NCAP). "The government has formulated the NCAP as a long term time-bound national level strategy to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner," he said. The minister said that the objective is to augment and evolve an effective ambient air quality monitoring network across the country, besides ensuring a comprehensive management plan for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. "The NCAP focuses on a collaborative and participatory approach comprising all sources of pollution and coordination between relevant central ministries, state governments, local bodies and other stakeholders," he said. He said ..
Vintage cars can ply on road for rallies, exhibitions: NGT
Vintage car aficionados in the national capital have a reason to rejoice. In a breather to several classic car lovers, the National Green Tribunal today allowed the vintage cars to ply on roads "for exhibitions, rallies and maintenance" and exempted them from the ambit of the ban on 15-year-old vehicles. At the same time, it observed that the applicant association of vintage car owners should contribute to environment conservation by planting trees and providing dust bins. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that vintage cars which satisfy prescribed norms under the Motor Vehicles Act would be allowed to run. The tribunal in a November 26, 2014 order had banned from Delhi roads cars which were over 15 years old, thus disqualifying vintage cars from participating in any rally. While granting the relief to the vintage cars, the green panel referred to Rule 92 (2)(c) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and Section 59 of the Motor Vehicles ...
Over 12,000 cases of stubble burning in Haryana in 2017,
Over 12,000 cases of stubble burning have been reported during the Kharif season in Haryana in 2017 while satellite data has revealed that more than 42,000 such cases were reported in Punjab in the same period, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. The written reply by minister of state for environment Mahesh Sharma in the Rajya Sabha came at a time when the entire northern region of India is facing a severe crisis of air pollution. "As informed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), total number of stubble burning cases reported in Haryana during Kharif season in 2017 is 12,606 out of which 236 FIR have been lodged and Rs 39,85,000 collected as fines for 1,493 cases. "As per satellite data received from Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, total number of stubble burning cases reported during Kharif season in Punjab in 2017 is 42,337," he said. He said steps taken by the central government, the CPCB and the state boards include banning of stubble burning, mass awareness ...
Govt spent Rs 970 on ads in 2016-17
The government has spent around Rs 970 crore on advertising through the Department of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) in 2016-17, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. An amount of about Rs 468 crore was spent for publicity through print media (newspapers and periodicals), while around Rs 315 crore for advertisements via television channels and Rs 182 crore through radio, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said in a written reply. Besides, over Rs 5 crore was also spent for multi-media creative works, he said. In 2015-16, the expenditure on advertisements was over Rs 906 crore, including Rs 508 crore for print, Rs 281 crore for TV channels and Rs 111 crore for radio, the minister said. The expenditure for advertisements on social media in the 2015-16 fiscal through the DAVP was over Rs 21 lakh. For 2016 -17, no expenditure was incurred on advertisements through social media. In 2015-16, over Rs 4 crore was spent for ...
PPCB proposes banning firing of brick kilns in winter months
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) today said it has proposed banning the firing of brick kilns from October to January to improve the ambient air quality. It has also issued a public notice under Section 31-A of the Air (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act-1981, seeking objections on banning the firing of brick kilns in winter months, a release issued by the board said. There are about 3,000 brick kilns in the state and each brick kiln manufactures about 70-80 lakh clay bricks every year using coal as a fuel which generates the air emission containing particulate matter, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and oxides of sulphur. Although, the board has fixed 750 mg/Nm3 as the emission standards for these brick kilns but these prescribed emissions standards or even lower levels of emissions leads to pollution load discharged into the atmosphere, especially during winter months, the release said. About 40 per cent of these brick kilns start firing of kilns in ...
Ker for multi-phased action plan to check contagious diseases
The Kerala government today decided to launch an intensified action programme by stepping up sanitation drive to check the spread of various types of contagious diseases ahead of the monsoon season. A high-level meeting here, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, drew out a detailed plan to implement the multi-phased initiative. The ambitious programme would be implemented by giving thrust to mosquito eradication,Vijayan said after the meeting. The decision assumes significance as the southern state used to witness the spread of various vector borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya during the monsoon season. In a Facebook post, the Chief Minister said state ministers would be given charge of each district to monitor the implementation of the programme. The first phase of the drive would begin next month with the coordination of various departments including Health, Public Works, Labour and Forest, he said. Detailing the programme, Vijayan said a state-wide ...
204 hydroelectric power stations functional in country: Govt
A total of 204 hydroelectric power stations are presently functional in the country, Rajya Sabha was informed today. In a written reply, Minister of State for environment Mahesh Sharma said that 69 hydroelectric power projects have been given environmental clearances by his ministry since notification of Environment Impact Assessment notification 2006 to 2017. "Out of this, 16 projects are in Brahmaputra river basin in Arunachal Pradesh and 11 are in Ganga river basin in Uttarakhand," he said.
Recent smog in Pak cities was an 'eye-opener': Abbasi
Underlining the need to be more serious on the issue of environment, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today said the recent prevalence of smog should serve as an "eye-opener". He said climate change issue has become one of the biggest challenge for the mankind and has united the international community for action against its possible fallouts. "Pakistan is fully cognizant of its commitment towards the challenges of environment and was effectively dealing with the phenomenon of greenhouse effect," Abbasi said while addressing the Science Policy Conference on Climate Change. Pakistan had only 1 per cent of the greenhouse footprint, he was quoted as saying in an official statement. During this winter season, large swathes of Pakistan's Punjab province remained engulfed in toxic smog, especially Bahawalpur, Multan, Okara, Pakpattan, Chiniot and Faisalabad. Several domestic and international flights were badly affected in Pakistan's Punjab province due to smog and .
East Antarctic Ice Sheet not as stable as thought
The East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which locks away enough water to raise sea level by an estimated 53 metres - more than any other ice sheet on the planet - may not be as stable as thought, scientists say. A study, published in the journal Nature, found that the ice sheet has a long history of expanding and shrinking - a finding that indicates the ice sheet may contribute substantially to global sea level rise as Earth's climate warms. Data collected during the first-ever oceanographic survey of East Antarctica's Sabrina Coast shows that this region may be particularly susceptible to climate change because the glaciers flow from the Aurora Basin, a region of East Antarctica that mostly lies below sea level. Sean Gulick, a research professor at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) said that glaciers from the Aurora Basin have been stable only for the past few million years. "It turns out that for much of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet's history, it was not ..
Yamuna: NGT directs DJB to submit plan on drains in 2 weeks
The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to submit a complete action plan with regard to the drains in the second phase of the Yamuna cleaning project and ensure that no effluent or waste enters the river. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the DJB to submit the plan with regard to the six drains to the principal committee, formed by NGT, within two weeks. The green panel directed the principal committee to hold a meeting to examine the action plan and submit a final plan to the tribunal within two months from today. The six drains are -- Kalkaji, Tehkhand, Maharani Bagh, Qudsia Bagh and Mori gate, Barapulla and Shahdara drain. The meeting scheduled to be held on January 8, 2018 would be attended by senior officials of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Delhi government, DJB and Delhi Development Authority. It also directed the principal committee, headed by secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, to submit
Sterlite Power bags USD 800 mn transmission project in Brazil
Sterlite Power today said it has bagged a contract worth USD 800 million to construct 1800 km transmission project in Brazil. The project will be executed in north of Brazil, in the states of Par and Tocantins, with more than 1800 km of transmission lines, the company said in a statement. "Sterlite has demonstrated its international competitiveness by winning the largest lot on offer in the auction. We are committed to building a global transmission company by focusing on talent, technology and innovation," company's Chairman Pravin Agarwal said. The project will be part of the North-Southeast and North-Northeast inter-connections. "It is critical for the power evacuation from Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant, the third largest hydro power plant in the world," Agarwal said. With this project, Sterlite, which had won two projects earlier in April this year, consolidates its presence in Brazil reaching a total of USD One billion of investment, the largest ever done by .
Task force formed for setting up steel plants in AP,T'gana:Sai
A task force has been formed to consider the feasibility issues and prepare a road map for setting up steel plants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Parliament was informed today. In terms of 13th schedule of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, SAIL was to examine the feasibility of establishing an integrated steel plant in YSR Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The PSU, in its feasibility report submitted in December same year, had said that setting up a plant is prima facie not financially viable, Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai said in the Lok Sabha. "Subsequently, a Task Force has been constituted on October 19, 2016 comprising of representatives from central and state government, SAIL, RINL, NMDC LTD, Mecon Ltd and MSTC Ltd to consider the feasibility issues and prepare a road map for setting up steel plants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana," Sai said.
Govt not considering winding up NTCA: Minister
The government is not considering winding up the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and replacing it with a broader National Wildlife Conservation Authority (NWCA), a minister has said. Minister of State for Environment and Forests Mahesh Sharma said that the Evaluation Committee, constituted for review of the XII plan schemes of the environment ministry, recommended that the conservation of the entire habitat needs to come under the ambit of an overarching wildlife authority and the regulatory scope of the NTCA be widened to include all wildlife, and be renamed as NWCA. "Keeping in view strides made by the country in tiger conservation, which are globally acclaimed, the recommendation of replacing the NTCA with a broader NWCA has not found favour as the desired focus, which currently exists on conservation of an umbrella species, shall be lost," he said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. To another question, Sharma also said it was not a fact .
Tata Power Renewable Energy commissions solar plant in K'taka
Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd India (TPREL) has announced the commissioning of its 100 MW solar plant at Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka. TPREL, the Tata Power wholly-owned subsidiary, has built the two 50 MW solar plants on over 533 acres. Sale of power from the plant has been secured under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with NTPC Ltd. at a tariff of Rs 4.79 per unit, the company said in a statement. TPREL won the project in May 2016 under the National Solar Mission. With this development, TPREL's total installed operating capacity now stands at 1,614 MW, the company said. "We continue to seek potential areas across India and in select International markets through organic and inorganic opportunities," TPREL CEO Rahul Shah said. He also said that the company prefers development opportunities in solar parks as land and evacuation are provided.
Floating solar cells to produce fuel from water
Scientists have developed floating solar cells that can harness the Sun's energy to produce hydrogen fuel from water. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that is currently used to propel rockets in NASA's space programme and is widely expected to play an important role in a sustainable energy future. The vast majority of today's hydrogen is produced from natural gas through a process called steam methane reforming that simultaneously releases carbon dioxide (CO2), but water electrolysis using electricity from solar photovoltaic (PV) offers a promising route to produce hydrogen without any associated CO2 emissions. Researchers from Columbia University in the US have developed a novel photovoltaic-powered electrolysis device that can operate as a stand-alone platform that floats on open water. The floating device can be thought of as a "solar fuels rig" that bears some resemblance to deep-sea oil rigs, except that it would produce hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water instead of ...
Snow leopards spotted for 1st time in Tibet: Chinese officials
Snow leopards, China's protected and endangered species, were spotted for the first time in Tibet, authorities said today. Twenty infrared cameras installed at a 100 square kilometres area in the Nujiang River valley in eastern parts of Tibet captured the footage of the cats several times since November, according to local authorities. Snow leopards, Class A protected animals in China, are classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They live in the Himalayas in central and south Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 metres, with 60 per cent of the population in China. "We have captured images of baby leopards with their mother, which indicates a certain quantity of the rare species live in the region," head of the Shan Shui Conservation Center Zhao Xiang was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. Local official said their appearance in the populous region in eastern Tibet showed that efforts to protect the local ...
