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Tobacco litter is challenge for a clean India: Experts

Even as the Clean India campaign is going on in the country, acclaimed environmental experts have called for no-holds-barred implementation of the ban on public smoking as a means to keep the cities, towns and villages clean and litter-free. They contend that callously discarded cigarette stubs found abundantly in public places in violation of the smoking ban poses a challenge to the dream of a clean India besides bringing the need for stricter implementation of laws to the fore.
 
Prof M K Prasad, environmental expert and educationist, said, "while there are public discourses... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Zee News

Centre aims to provide 24X7 power to all by 2019

The government has set a target of doubling electricity generation from one trillion units to two trillion units by 2019. In its year-end review, the Power Ministry said "comprehensive state-specific action plans for 24x7 power to all homes is being prepared in partnership with respective states."
 
"We believe our steps to increase coal production are on the right track, our targets are quite doable, whether it is renewable energy, coal production or 24x7 power, we are very confident of our targets," said Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
 
Coal Secretary Anil Swarup... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: India Today

Eco-tourism boost for Maharashtra

The state government has decided to encourage eco-tourism in the buffer areas of woodlands to improve the deteriorating condition of forests and to generate a source of income for the state exchequer. The government hopes to generate an annual income of Rs 10,000 crore by enhancing the inflow of international tourists near Tadoba and Pench in the Vidarbha region that have not yet been developed as an attraction for tourists.
 
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is keen to ensure that special critical habitats like mangroves as well as the wildlife corridors between Tadoba and... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Asian Age

Pollution threatens Western Ghats' freshwater ecosystems: Study

Diverse freshwater ecosystems of the Western Ghats and a large variety of species they contain face the "highest level of threat" due to pollution and mining in the world's most heavily populated biodiversity hotspot, according to a study. The report, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), says that in most instances the development planning process in the "world's most heavily populated biodiversity hotspot" does not consider the requirements of freshwater ecosystems, mainly due to a lack of adequate information on the distribution of species.
 ... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Zee News

Energy-gulping Karnataka govt buildings spark worry

While green buildings are the new mantra, our high-security government buildings appear to be the worst offenders, gulping thousands of watts of energy. 
 
The consumption of power is so high that a worried electrical wing of the public works development department wrote to the government to use electronic ballast (choke) instead of the present copper ballast system in tube light fittings, to save energy. 
 
The communication comes in the wake of chief minister Siddaramaiah recently asking the department on the measures taken to make Vidhana Soudha a green building... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Times of India

Addressing the Emergent Disaster Riskscape in Urban India

Recent natural disasters in India highlight the extent to which urban systems, associated structures, and populations are at greater risk. Cyclone Hudhud and the floods in Srinagar are clear indications of an emergent disaster riskscape that is taking shape in urban India. This article highlights the opportunities across five interlinked domains of institutions, innovation, investment, infrastructure and information to address this situation.
 
Jyotiraj Patra (jyotirajpatra@gmail.com) is with the International Development Research... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Economic & Political Weekly

A Simple Billing Trick To Get People Competing Could Be What Ends Energy Waste

Public service campaigns tell us to save energy, but many of us don't listen. Messages like "switch off appliances when not in use" go in one ear and out the other. What has been effective in saving energy is services like Opower, which aggregate consumption data and give people tips on how to save. They work because we're social animals. When we're told our neighbors are saving money on electricity, we want to do the same.
 
Anand Damani has a simple idea for adapting this in India, where energy efficiency is a priority. He wants to stamp people's electricity bills with the... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Facts Co Exist

India Announces 1,300 MW Solar Projects To Support Domestic Manufacturers

Close on the heels of announcing Ultra Mega Solar Power projects of 21,000 MW, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (India) has approved another scheme for installation of 1,000 MW of grid-connected solar power projects by Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) and government organisations.
 
This capacity is planned to come up during 2015–2018, and will be supported using a “Viability Gap Funding” (VGF) which is expected to cost the state exchequer Rs10 billion ($160 million). VGF support will be made available to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy from the National Clean... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Clean Technica

India to be pro-active in enhancing energy efficiency: Government

India will be pro-active in enhancing energy efficiency and expanding renewable energy in the fight against climate change, government told Parliament today while giving details of its role in a recent UN-led global meet on the issue.
 
Making a suo-moto statement in Lok Sabha on UN Climate Conference held in Peruvian capital Lima this month, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said there were efforts by some developed countries to undermine the basic tenents of the UN Convention.
 
"The recognition that all elements need to be addressed in a balanced manner is a... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Economic Times

2035-2050 time frame likely for India’s emission peaking year

In the upcoming talks with the US delegation arriving in New Delhi to broker a climate deal, India is likely to offer 2035-2050 time frame as peaking year for carbon emission. The deal is likely to be announced during US President Barack Obama’s Republic Day visit.
 
After China said its emissions would peak in 2030, India has been under pressure to announce a peaking year—the benchmark year for carbon emissions to stablise.
 
However, India agreeing to a peaking year would depend on what the United States offers on climate finance and other related issues, a top... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Hindustan Times

India Plans the World's Largest Solar Power Plant

India is making a massive commitment to the solar industry and it may be poised to have the world's largest solar power plant with plans for a 750 MW project. India's "ultra mega solar power plants" are part of a 25 GW plant to make the country a solar powerhouse. For some perspective, that's enough solar energy to power the equivalent of 4.1 million U.S. homes, and about half of the solar expected to be installed in all of 2014, so the opportunity for the industry is massive.  
 
Solar companies are clamoring to get into the booming market and SunEdison (NYSE: SUNE  ) has... Read more..

Date : Dec 29
Source: Motley Fool

Oil India commissions 5 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan

Oil IndiaBSE -0.93 % Ltd, India's second-largest government-owned exploration firm, has commissioned its first 5 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan. OIL, which has so far built only small solar power plants for captive use, built and commissioned its first grid connected 5 MW unit at village Raghwa in Ramgarh district of Rajasthan, the company said in a statement issued here. The plant was inaugurated by OIL Chairman and Managing Director S K Srivastava. 
 
OIL plans to expand this unit by another 9 MW. Srivastava said the plant was completed within 118 days. OIL Director (HR... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Economic Times

Modi government to revive Renewable Energy Bill to achieve long-term power target

The Narendra Modi government has decided to revive the long-pending Renewable Energy Bill in a bid to generate 1,00,000 MW of renewable energy by 2019.
 
The new legislation aims to ensure that 10 per cent of the county's power requirement is met by renewable energy sources by 2020. The Bill seeks to plug the loopholes in the Electricity Act of 2013 and the Energy Conservation Act of 2001 while augmenting the energy supply by substituting fossil fuels besides promoting the development of renewable energy technology
 
Through a multi-tier institutional framework, the... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: India Today

Essel Group adds Maharashtra for developing smart cities

Essel Group, India's leading business conglomerate, is aggressively pursuing the development of smart cities in the country. After announcing plans for the states of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, the group has now brought Maharashtra into the list of states for development.
 
Targeting cities with population of more than 5 lakh, the group will be looking at markets like Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad with world class smart city developments in the next five years.
 
Speaking of the company's vision, Subhash Chandra, chairman, Essel Group, said, "We... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: DNA India

E-waste not, want not

Scenario 1: The batteries in your remote control are dead. Mobile phone chargers and CDs lie unused around the house and the compact florescent lamp (CFL) is not working. Not sure what to do, you throw the toxic items into the dustbin.
 
Scenario 2: Workers at one of the many scrap shops at Saki Naka or Dharavi dismantle computers, rip apart keyboards – all of these bought from your local scrap dealer. What follows is acid baths to clean components made of toxic metals or blowlamps to remove chips from circuit boards.
 
These two techniques of handling end-of-life... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Hindustan Times

This Bangalore based startup has recycled 500kg of e-waste in two months

With e-commerce evolving, buying an electronic gadget is only a click away at any time. All you have to do is select the preferred product and order; and the product is at your door step within no time. But have you wondered about the disposal of that same electronic gadget? More than 90 per cent of e-waste ends up in land fillings. Bangalore generates around 86,000 tonnes of e-waste and 15 per cent is generated from homes. We make sure we dispose off all other wastes, but not knowing what to do about e-wastes, we generally tend to hoard it or simply give it to scrap dealers.
 ... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Your Story

Recycled E-Waste Brightens Dark Nights

Bangalore-based IBM Research India has a bright idea for keeping discarded lithium laptop batteries out of landfills: repurposing their cells as energy supplies for the powerless. The idea, presented at this weekend's fifth annual Symposium on Computing for Development (DEV 2014) in San Jose, has passed a small proof-of-principle test run with Bangalore's working poor.
 
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have figured out how to track trash. They are doing this to get a better sense of people's disposal habits, which they hope will improve recycling... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Discovery News

Excise duty slash proposed for clean fuel vehicles

Giving a push to promote use of alternative and 100% clean fuel in transport, the road transport ministry is proposing for major reduction in excise tax for vehicles using such fuel in the next budget. It wants no excise tax on electric vehicles and those run on other clean fuels, and only 2% for hybrid vehicles. 
 
At present, the excise tax for such vehicles ranges between 6% and 8%. Government sources said the ministry is batting for major cut to promote use of clean fuel in mass transport and other mode as well. They added such incentive would encourage manufacturing of... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Times of India

Technology for India’s energy security

Even in a world of cheap oil, India faces an energy crisis. It is highly dependent on imports, its industries suffer from an unreliable power supply, and hundreds of millions of citizens have limited access to electricity. To sustain 8% gross domestic product (GDP) growth and continue to bring its people out of poverty, India needs to fix its energy crisis.
 
The good news is that a technology-driven revolution in the energy sector is unfolding around the world, and India can benefit from it. This includes technologies to produce unconventional and difficult oil and gas (such... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Live Mint

Favouring growth, Modi govt sweeps away green rules

Factory owners in the city of Vapi on the western coast of India have been fuming, railing, and arguing for years against a single troublesome number: the pollution index used by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which identified Vapi as an area so badly contaminated that any further industrial growth there was banned.
 
They finally got some good news in early June, about two weeks after Narendra Modi was sworn in as prime minister. The new officials at the ministry told them that the pollution index would be revised - and in the meantime, Vapi's chemical and pesticide... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Business Standard

Rice major’s waste disposal under lens

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has sent a notice to a leading rice manufacturer based in the Chhapraula region, raising concerns about its waste disposal system.  The notice was issued after the UPPCB undertook a study of industries in the region on the instructions of the National Green Tribunal after a pleas were filed on a high number of cancer cases in the region. 
 
The factory's premises were inspected in the first week of November, officials said, following which the notice, dated November 14, was issued. "We have observed your fly ash disposal system... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Times of India

Cold chains can prevent Rs 13,600 crore-worth food loss: Report

Lack of cold and frozen supply chains leads to loss of fruits and vegetables worth over Rs 13,600 crore annually in the country, according to a report.
 
The report 'A Tank of Cold: Cleantech Leapfrog to a more food secure world' by UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers calls for urgent action to encourage roll-out of sustainable cold chains in India to prevent unnecessary food loss, help alleviate hunger and improve global food security.
 
As much as 50 per cent of perishable foot items are lost every year in India due to lack of cold storages, it said.... Read more..

Date : Dec 26
Source: Economic Times

Karnataka state pollution control board sends out show-cause notices to 32 electronics producers

Karnataka state pollution control board is sending out show-cause notices to 32 electronics producers including Apple and Samsung for failing to comply with the e-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.
 
The notices are being sent after a report by a Delhi-based NGO, Toxics Link, found that 32 of the 50 top producers failing to abide by the rules, even two-and-a-half years after they were enacted. The rules came into force in May 2012. "We are in the process of sending out notices to all the 32 companies, which have been found to be violating the rules in this report,"... Read more..

Date : Dec 24
Source: Economic Times

India to be pro-active in enhancing energy efficiency: Government

India will be pro-active in enhancing energy efficiency and expanding renewable energy in the fight against climate change, government told Parliament today while giving details of its role in a recent UN-led global meet on the issue.
 
Making a suo-moto statement in Lok Sabha on UN Climate Conference held in Peruvian capital Lima this month, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said there were efforts by some developed countries to undermine the basic tenents of the UN Convention.
 
"The recognition that all elements need to be addressed in a balanced manner is a... Read more..

Date : Dec 24
Source: Economic Times

Ensure railway engines don’t pollute, says NGT

In order to ensure that the Railway locomotive engines cause no pollution, the National Green Tribunal has ordered to set standards in this regard.
 
The Tribunal has asked the Ministry of Railways to hold a meeting with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and an Indian Institute of Technology professor, besides a representative of the Ministry of Petroleum.
 
“The committee shall collect data, complete study, specify and prepare the guidelines within the period of six months, which the CPCB shall ensure are duly implemented by all agencies concerned,... Read more..

Date : Dec 24
Source: The Hindu
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