Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Population boom behind water crisis

 Rapid urbanization and a spurt in population are among the major reasons behind the acute water shortage in Jamshedpur, where the gap between demand and supply is 70% as stated in the urban development ministry report that was tabled in the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament.

The crisis - common in many big cities in the country - has not just afflicted the peripheral areas of this industrial town but has severely hit the command area, putting local environmentalists and town planners on alert.

According to the report, per capita water consumption in Jamshedpur... Read more..

Two discoms issue bonds of over Rs 16,000 cr under Centre's restructuring plan

Power distribution companies of two states have issued bonds of over Rs 16,000 crore under the centre's ambitious Financial Restructuring Package (FRP) for bleeding state utilities, within a year of its launch. Also, two more states, which are technically ineligible, are pleading for even their inclusion in the scheme.

The Rs 1.9 lakh crore debt recast package, launched on 24 September 2012, will bailout financially-ill discoms and usher in long-pending reforms in the power sector. Under the scheme, discoms are to issue bonds, backed by state government guarantee, for half of the... Read more..

Automakers bet on alternative-fuel cars for future

Judging by the slew of electric and hybrid vehicles being rolled out at the Frankfurt Auto Show, it might seem carmakers are tapping a large and eager market.

But in fact almost no one buys such cars yet. 

More and more automakers are coming out with electric versions of existing vehicles _ such as Volkswagen's all-electric versions of its Up! city car and Golf compact or ones they have designed as electrics from the ground up, like small BMW's electric city car i3. 

Analyst Christoph Stuermer at IHS automotive called Frankfurt "the first full-throttle electric... Read more..

Behind US heat on fridge gas pact, thirst for markets

The U.S. is pushing India hard to sign on to a pact that would eventually lead to New Delhi replacing climate-damaging refrigerant gases with alternative, but expensive, technologies proprietary to a few U.S.-based companies.

Signing the pact — the multilateral Montreal Protocol — would open a huge market for these U.S. firms that hold patent rights on the replacement gases and their attendant technologies.

In a meeting with Indian officials, minutes of which were accessed by The Hindu, the U.S.... Read more..

India's law to feed poor threatens to gobble up climate funding

India’s National Action Plan for Climate Change, a hugely ambitious programme requiring billions of dollars, is being starved of funds, officials say, as a new law aimed at giving food to the needy threatens to eat up a large chunk of government spending.

In 2009, the government set up eight national missions to tackle climate change: the Solar Mission, Energy Mission, Sustainable Habitat Mission, Water Mission, Himalayan Mission, Sustainable Agriculture Mission, Green India Mission and Strategic Knowledge Mission.

The funding allocated for these missions during the 12th Five... Read more..

Centre to fast-track 40,000 MW of hydro projects

Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge) Jyotirditya Scindia on Tuesday said the government was making efforts to fast-track nearly 95 hydro power projects with a capacity of 40,000 MW to give a big push to the power sector.

The projects are awaiting clearances from different authorities, including Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Central Water Commission (CWC) and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). “We are fast-tracking each and every one of those projects. I am planning to approach the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to look at infrastructure issues, on a... Read more..

Japanese electric company NEC to expand research work in India

Japanese electrical giant NEC is looking to expand its research on Indian energy market through collaboration with two Indian institutes.

NEC is seeking tie-ups with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, and the Energy Resources Institute, said Ratnesh K Sharma, Department Head for Energy Management at NEC Laboratories America. 

"We are trying to collaborate with them in understanding the Indian scenarios better and get them involved in our research," Sharma told PTI yesterday. ... Read more..

Aurangabad likely to earn 'Model Solar City' status

A delegation of union ministry of new and renewable energy is likely to visit the city very soon to explore possibilities of declaring Aurangabad as a 'Model Solar City'. Quoting senior officials in the ministry, Mayor Kala Oza on Tuesday said the ministry had expressed willingness to award project worth Rs 2.5 crore to promote use of renewable energy sources and adoption of energy efficiency measures.

A team of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation ( AMC) including Oza, deputy mayor Sanjay Joshi and others were recently in New Delhi to meet senior officials in union ministry of new and... Read more..

MPs seek exclusive panel on wind energy

 A group of MPs working on climate issues have asked the ministries of New and Renewable Energy and Finance to constitute an exclusive committee to fast track their recommendations on wind energy. 

Parliamentarians belonging to the Climate Parliament India Group made this demand while submitting the 'MPs Key Recommendations on Wind Energy' to New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. 

"The key recommendations of the Parliamentarians from wind rich states need to be taken up as immediate measures by the government, for mitigating the... Read more..

"Water ATMs" to provide clean water for India's villagers

A lack of clean drinking water is one of the biggest problems facing urban India. However, help is on the way in the form of "water ATMs".

The "water ATMs" are slot machines that dispense 10 litres of clean drinking water for the equivalent of one India rupee.

The machines are a godsend for residents of a rural suburb of Bangalore.

Sowmya Kumari, one of the residents, said: "Our children and family are benefiting. Earlier, we used to often fall sick, and the doctor's facilities wasn't good. Now all of us drink this pure water only, and our health is better. We urge... Read more..

Wood Group wins multiple contracts in India valued at more than $10 million

 Wood Group has won multiple new contracts in India during the last 12 months, worth a combined total of more than $10 million. Wood Group GTS has secured two contracts to supply its patented EcoValueTM gas turbine compressor water wash systems. The first order is for the supply of the EcoValue technology which will be commissioned on offshore platforms in the Mumbai region of India. This contract includes nine water wash systems to support 22 gas turbines as well as a five-year maintenance agreement for 10 operational offshore platforms.

A second contract has been awarded by a... Read more..

MPs want to fast track suggestions on wind energy

Expressing serious concern over the sluggish growth rate in the wind power sector, a group of MPs on Monday urged the Centre to constitute a joint committee of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Union Minister of Finance (MoF)to fast track the Parliamentarians’ recommendations on wind energy.

Climate Parliament India Group had submitted key recommendations on Wind Energy to both Environment Minister Farooq Abdullah and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

According to Sanjay Jaiswal, MP and convener of Climate Parliament India Group, the key... Read more..