Page 4 - Environmentalism

Siberian 'gateway to hell' triples in size in 30 years, scientists worried

The Siberian giant hole, called 'gateway to hell', has increased its size three times in the last three decades. Scientists raise concerns about its potential threat to the environment

Revenge tendency among wolves behind attacks in UP's Bahraich: Expert

As Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich grapples with wolf terror, an expert has said the series of attacks on the residents of Mehsi tehsil might be due to wolves "seeking revenge" for possible habitat loss or killing of their cubs. Wolf attacks on humans, including children, have been taking place in Bahraich since March but they saw a spike from July 17 onwards during the rainy season. Till September 2, eight people, including seven children, have died in these attacks while about 36, including women, children and elderly, have been injured. Gyan Prakash Singh, a retired officer of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) and a former forest officer at Katarniaghat Wildlife Division of Bahraich district, said wolves, unlike other predatory animals, have a tendency to seek revenge. "On the basis of my experience, I can say that wolves have a tendency to take revenge. In the past, humans must have caused some kind of harm to their cubs due to which these attacks are happening as revenge," Singh, who i

Teamwork with stakeholders key to solving Delhi's pollution woes: Gopal Rai

The problem of pollution in Delhi can only be solved through teamwork, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Sunday as he urged the Centre to give permission for artificial rain during winter, when air quality levels in the city plummet. Addressing a press conference, Rai said though the Delhi government has taken several steps to address the problem, pollution levels in and around the national capital spike in November. "An emergency situation arises in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The Kejriwal government is working to reduce the pollution levels. Ever since our government came to power, the pollution levels have declined," he said. But November witnesses a spike in pollution levels, he said. "Last year, IIT-Kanpur submitted a proposal that artificial rain or a cloud seeding experiment could be done in Delhi. They said that financial management and security permissions were needed. Last year, there was very little time so permissions could not come through. "We held

DMRC redesigns Phase-4 construction plans to avoid felling 69 trees

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has redesigned its Phase-4 construction plan to save 69 trees on the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg Corridor, officials said on Monday. They said that permission was received for felling overall 15,508 trees across Delhi for this phase, and approval was awaited for cutting 71 more on the Majlis ParkMaujpur Corridor. "The DMRC has redesigned its construction plans to avoid felling of 69 trees on the Janakpuri West to RK Ashram Marg corridor. Earlier, permission was sought for these trees as well. "For Phase-4 works overall, permission has been received for the cutting of 15,508 trees across Delhi. Out of these, 5,003 trees have been cut and over 7,000 have been transplanted," the official stated. The DMRC makes provisions for the plantation of 10 trees for each tree cut or transplanted for construction. All efforts are made to either avoid areas with trees while planning the alignment or transplantation, they said. However, delays in receiving

'Plant trees': Shah launches Rs 1,003 cr development projects in Ahmedabad

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched development projects costing Rs 1,003 crore in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city and appealed to the people to join the nation-wide tree plantation campaign to protect the environment. Highlighting the importance of trees to protect the environment and the ozone layer, Shah said the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has taken the pledge to plant 30 lakh trees in 100 days for the coming generation, and he is closely associated with the campaign. "This is a beautiful campaign, and it is a big thing that a municipal corporation will plant 30 lakh trees. But I would like to ask the citizens of Ahmedabad as to what will be your contribution?" he said. Shah said the people of Ahmedabad should plant at least those many trees as the number of their family members in their residential societies, nearby waste lands, and their children's schools. "Every citizen should make it the aim of their life to take steps to increase oxygen in the environment

Women tie rakhis to trees in UP's Shahjahanpur, offer fertilisers as sweets

In a unique effort to spread awareness about the need for environment preservation, women in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur have been tying rakhis to trees and offering them fertilizers instead of sweets. Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on Monday. The women participating in this campaign are part of a WhatsApp group called 'VIP'. The group is headed by a committee which plans and coordinates its activities. Raksha Bandhan symbolises the sacred feeling of a brother and a sister taking care of each other. The idea behind this initiative was to help people connect with the environment so that they are inspired to conserve it, committee president Neetu Gupta told PTI on Sunday. "We decided to get women to tie rakhis to trees. Since last Thursday, the members of our group have been tying rakhis to trees, applying tilak on them and watering them after mixing fertilizer in the soil as sweets," she said. "In view of the deepening climate change crisis, we thought that the best way to prot

SpaceX to launch methane satellite to hold super polluters accountable

Developed by Planet Labs PBC with technology from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Tanager-1 will be able to help pinpoint methane and carbon dioxide emissions from individual facilities

Kerala landslides: Army partially withdraws from disaster-hit areas

Nine days after the massive landslides hit this north Kerala district killing hundreds, the Army, which led the search and rescue operations and also built the Bailey bridge to connect areas isolated in the disaster, on Thursday decided to partially withdraw from here. The Army's decision to partially withdraw from the operations was announced by state PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas who said the force fulfilled its duty and thanked them for their service. Riyas said the 190-foot long Bailey bridge built in a record time by the Army was instrumental in intensifying the search and rescue operations in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas which were devastated in the disaster and isolated completely. The Minister told reporters at the District Collectorate here it was painful to see them leave as everyone worked together, "like one body and mind", all these days. He said that the Army came at a time of distress and therefore, there was an emotional difficulty in bidding them ...

Severe drought returns to Amazon. And it's happening earlier than expected

Holder of one-fifth of the world's fresh water, the Amazon is beginning the dry season with many of its rivers already at critically low levels, prompting governments to anticipate contingency measures to address issues ranging from disrupted navigation to increasing forest fires. The Amazon Basin is facing one of the most severe droughts in recent years in 2024, with significant impacts on several member countries, stated a technical note issued Wednesday by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. In several rivers in the southwestern Amazon, water levels are the lowest on record for this time of year. Historically, the driest months are August and September, when fire and deforestation peak. So far, the most affected countries are Bolivia, Peru and Brazil, according to ACTO. On Monday, Brazil's federal water agency decreed a water shortage in two major basins, Madeira and Purus, which cove

Wayanad an eye-opener for Goa, no compromise on ecological stability: CM

The devastating landslides in Wayanad in Kera are an eye-opener for Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday. Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday, killing 190 people, including women and children, so far, while more than 200 are missing. "The Wayanad tragedy is an eye-opener for Goa. I have given instructions to various departments that ecologically sensitive areas, which are prone to such incidents should not be touched. The stability of such ecologically sensitive places cannot be compromised," the CM said in the assembly. "A system will be developed to report and monitor hill cutting in the state. The government has identified four landslide hot-spots located in high altitudes in the north-eastern, eastern parts and in low-lying areas of western and south-western parts," he said. The major cause of landslides in Goa are found to be extreme rainfall events, slope ...

Melting polar ice is slowing Earth's rotation, lengthening days, says study

A scientific paper has indicated that melting polar ice caps are redistributing mass around the equator, slowing Earth's rotation and lengthening days at an unprecedented rate

Prez Murmu urges people to take smaller, local steps to protect environment

Highlighting the recent spate of terrible heatwaves in India and frequent extreme weather events around the globe, President Droupadi Murmu asked people on Monday to take smaller and local steps to protect the environment for a better tomorrow. In a note on the social media platform 'X' after visiting the seashore in this temple town, Murmu said oceans and the rich variety of flora and fauna have suffered heavily due to pollution but people living in nature's lap have sustained traditions "that can show us the way". "Inhabitants of coastal areas, for example, know the language of the winds and waves of the sea. Following our ancestors, they worship the sea as God," she said, while suggesting ways to protect and conserve the environment. The President arrived in Odisha on a four-day tour on July 6. "There are places that bring us in closer touch with the essence of life and remind us that we are part of nature. Mountains, forests, rivers and seashores appeal to something deep within

Sustainable, profitable: Tech tools help cos minimise environmental impact

From managing waste to tracking energy use, sustainability has become part of strategy of firms

Private company booked for polluting Periyar river near Kochi in Kerala

A case has been registered against a private company for allegedly polluting Periyar river near Kochi weeks after protests by environmental activists and locals against the alleged illegal discharge of chemical effluents into the waterbody, which posed a threat to the biodeiversity in it. The state Pollution Control Board also reportedly slapped a notice on the institution, one among the several companies located on the banks of Periyar river here, after the violation was detected during their recent patrolling, sources said. Police and the PCB adopted the tough stand against the firm amidst a raging row over the recent mass death of fish in Periyar river. Kochi had witnessed widespread protests by fish farmers, local people, environmental activists and political parties after dead fish were found floating in large numbers in fish farms across panchayats such as Varapuzha, Kadamakkudy, and Cheranalloor near here last month A police officer said a case was registered against the ...

HC quashes cancellation of registration of Centre for Wildlife Studies

The Karnataka High Court has annulled orders issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that led to the cancellation of registration of Centre for Wildlife Studies' (CWS) under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. Founded by scientist K Ullas Karanth, Bengaluru-based CWS faced "suspension" of registration under the FCRA on March 5, 2021. This suspension was extended and later turned into cancellation of registration on September 4, 2023, following a show-cause notice issued by MHA on December 3, 2021. CWS contested the cancellation, arguing that it lacked justification and that Karanth, son of Jnanpith laureate late K Shivaram Karanth, was not granted a personal hearing as mandated under Section 14(2) of the FCRA. The MHA countered it, contending that personal hearings were not required before cancelling a registration. Justice M Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court noted that while Section 14(2) allows for the cancellation of registration, Section 14(3) prevents the .

Sri Lanka SC asks govt & Adani group to respond over wind power project

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has given Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the Cabinet and the Adani Group three weeks to file preliminary objections to a petition filed by an environmental group against the wind power project undertaken by the Indian conglomerate in the country. Sri Lanka's Adani Group renewable project entails two wind energy projects; a 250 MW in the northeastern district of Mannar and a 234 MW project at Pooneryn in the north. The total investment was to be USD 750 million. On Tuesday, a three-member bench of the apex court gave the prime minister, the Cabinet and the Adani Group three weeks to file preliminary objections to the rights petition against the project. An environmental rights group had claimed in court that a decision by the Cabinet to treat the Adani wind power project as a Sri Lanka-India government-to-government venture was illegal and that it would cause immense damage to the migratory bird population causing environmental hazards. They had also .

Right intentions but Modi 2.0 lacked focus on implementation: Narain

The second Modi government had the right intentions in dealing with environmental degradation and climate change but there wasn't enough focus on implementation, top environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors here, Narain said successive administrations have diluted the environmental clearance system to the extent it no longer works. "Overall, my assessment is that the government had the right words and the right intentions. If you look at the government's policies, you can't argue that anything was per se wrong. Renewable energy, drinking water, waste management... all were on the table. So you put the whole package together, it's all there. My assessment is that there wasn't enough focus on implementation," Narain said. In its second term, the Modi government focused on several initiatives, including scaling up renewable energy, improving forest cover, combating desertification, reducing air pollution, conserving wetlands, providing potable piped .

Uncomfortable decisions required to clean up Delhi's air: Sunita Narain

Cleaning up Delhi's air requires "uncomfortable and inconvenient" decisions, and it cannot be achieved by being nice to everyone, particularly the affluent residents who significantly contribute to the problem, leading environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors, Narain said although central and state governments have taken several steps to control air pollution in the national capital, including banning coal and introducing BSVI fuel, erratic weather patterns due to climate change and the inadequate speed of addressing the crisis continue to exacerbate the problem. Narain, the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the episodic burning of crop residue by farmers in winter is not the primary concern. Instead, the persistent and major sources of pollution within the city, including transport and industries, are more worrisome, she said. "My only request for the new government is to take some uncomfortable, inconvenient decisio

Assam secretariat becomes India's 1st eco-friendly state govt headquarters

The Assam Secretariat on Sunday became the country's first green state government headquarters with the inauguration of a 2.5 MW solar power project on its campus, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Installed at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore, the grid-connected rooftop solar power plant will save Rs 30 lakh in electricity bills every month, he said while addressing the official programme here. "Today, we took a giant leap forward in our goal to become a Net-Zero Govt, as I inaugurated a 2.5 MW Solar Project in Janata Bhawan, making #AssamGreenSecretariat, India's first Green Secretariat," Sarma said in a post on X after the function. From now onwards, the secretariat complex will run entirely on solar power, resulting in savings of Rs 30 lakh every month on electricity bills, he added. The Chief Minister also said the government has decided that all official complexes will be fitted with solar panels, beginning with the medical colleges and universities across the state. The power

Anant Ambani's Vantara launches campaign for World Environment Day 2024

Anant Ambani's wildlife preservation initiative shared a video with a campaign towards environmental conservation. The video features Ajay Devgn, KL Rahul, Kusha Kapila etc