Sustainability Outlook Headlines

DoT accepts Trai''s recommendations on Green Telecom

Telecom Ministry has accepted most of the recommendations given by Trai on promoting energy efficient technologies and reducing carbon emissions in the fast growing telecom sector, official sources said.

Efforts to bring down carbon emissions and encouraging environment-friendly technologies is generally referred to as approach towards green telecommunications.

"Department of Telecom (DoT) has approved majority of the Trai''s recommendations on green telecom except some including sharing of the infrastructure using passive as well active methodologies and at least 50... Read more..

Satcon Partners with Wipro EcoEnergy for 40 Megawatts of PV Plant Development in India

 Satcon Technology Corporation(R) SATC -2.38%  , a leading provider of utility-scale power conversion solutions for the renewable energy market, today announced that it has been selected by Wipro EcoEnergy for a total of 40 megawatts (MW) of PV plant development over multiple utility-scale sites in India. Wipro EcoEnergy will leverage Satcon's PowerGate Plus 500 kW inverter for these installations, which constitute the largest privately developed solar projects in India to date.

"In the rapidly growing Indian... Read more..

SAIL-led consortium to submit final bid for Afghan Hajigak mine

 Three public sector units and an equal number of private sector companies would form a consortium, led bySteel Authority of India, will submit the final bid for theHajigak iron ore mine in Afgansitan, SAIL ChairmanC S Verma said on Tuesday. 

"A consortium led by SAIL will put its final bid for the Hajigak mine. There will be three companies each from both the public and the private sectors," Verma told reporters on the sidelines of an Assocham event here. 

Though Verma named the three PSUs - SAIL,NMDC andRINL - he did not name the private parties which... Read more..

National meet today on state power scenario

 Power-starved Bihar would host a national meet on 'Powering Bihar: Attracting investments for development of the power sector in Bihar' on Wednesday. The meet, to be held in Patna, is being organized jointly by the Independent Power Producers Association of India and Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC). 

The meet is likely to discuss key issues such as the state's current power problems and their solutions through investments in generation, transmission and distribution as well as renewable and alternative energy options. 

Eminent energy experts,... Read more..

Biofuels are integral to energy security

It is a moot question to what extent elected representatives, policy-makers and the people at large are aware of the looming catastrophic consequences of the running out of fossil fuels. On present showing, without factoring into the calculation the increase in consumption likely to be caused by fast pace of economic development and the exploding population, deposits of usable coal are estimated to last not more than 140 years, while reserves of oil and gas may get exhausted sooner. Then what?

The answer is clear and ominous: The very survival of humankind is bound... Read more..

Patna: Move to green an 'unclean' city

The concept of 'clean city, green city' is unlikely to become a reality in Patna soon.

According to Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) sources, the city generates 900-odd tonne garbage every day. But the PMC's sanitation machinery is ill-equipped to handle this huge heap of garbage though no one at the PMC is ready to admit it on record.

"The municipal body has only 10 to 15 tractors, 2 to 3 excavators, 100-odd bins, 2000-odd sanitation workers and no waste disposal plant," an official said, preferring anonymity.

That'... Read more..

Bicycles getting crushed under India's rushing prosperity

 It is the 21st century version of the classic rabbit and tortoise story. Last weekend, a group of cyclists decided to race against Jet-BlueAirlines in Los Angeles when one of its busiest highways was shut down for construction and renovation. To help people get across the town fast, JetBlue started a special flight service. A group of cyclists decided to challenge the airlines to a bikeversus-airlines race. It turned out to be a door-to-door race covering 60 kilometers. 

The cyclists and the airlines passengers started the journey at the airlines recommended time. The... Read more..

IFC keen to acquire 20% stake in a Tata Capital sponsored new NBFC to fund Indian SMEs

 Deal Curry Monday reported that the International Monetary Fund (IFC) is looking to acquire 20 per cent stake in a Tata Capital sponsored new NBFC, which will focus on providing financing and advisory services to Indian SMEs. The initial capitalization of this Mumbai-based NBFC may be up to $20 million.

The NBFC will offer debt financing and advisory services in areas such as cleaner production, energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable water and sanitation and waste management, environmental cleanup, carbon finance, emissions reduction, effluent disposal etc, said... Read more..

Hotter summers, warmer winters ahead

 Think summer has been getting hotter over the years ? It indeed has , and it will only get worse . By the end of this century, the highest maximum temperatures in the Indian subcontinent will increase by three to four degrees even if all human activities affecting the environment stop immediately. 

The Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has projected that maximum temperatures will increase by at least three degrees towards the end of the century even if all greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions are stopped immediately. Since this will be impossible... Read more..

Soon half of India's power from private sector: Power Minister

 Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has promised reform and an enabling policy environment that will ensure half of India's electricity is generated and distributed by private players, complementing state-run utilities. 

"When I joined in 2006, the participation of private sector was juast 6 percent. Today, it is 29 percent. By the end of 12th plan, that is 2017, it will go up to 52 percent," said Shinde, among ministers who retained portfolios in the recent reshuffle. 

"We have targeted more than 100,000 megawatt of additional electricity capacity for the... Read more..

MIT study says high RSPMs in Delhi's air poses threat to residents

 A new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found that the concentration of hazardous Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) in Delhi's air is double the national limit and six times the threshold set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

RSPMs are more dangerous to health because they are much smaller than Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), an umbrella term for all such substances with deleterious consequences, that are less than 100 micrometers in diameter.

These superfine particles can penetrate deeper into the lungs,... Read more..

Govt. won't allow return of permit raj: Manmohan Singh

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Sunday said a major challenge ahead is to put in place a legal and regulatory framework which is effective in protecting the environment, but without bringing back the hated license permit raj of the pre-1991 period.

"We also hope to establish an independent regulator - the National Environment Appraisal and Monitoring Authority soon. This authority could lead to a complete change in the process of granting environmental clearances. Staffed by dedicated professionals, it will work on a full time basis to evolve better and... Read more..