Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Suda consents for Rs. 4.85 crores for urban bodies in Chattisgarh

The State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) has sanctioned Rs  4.85 crores to 13 urban bodies in Chhattisgarh under ‘Clean India Mission’, officials informed.

This includes sanction of Rs  1 crore to Bilaspur Municipal Corporation, Rs  97.35 lakh to Kharsiya Municipal Council, Rs  53.10 lakh to Jashpur Municipal Council, Rs  17.70 lakh to Katghora Municipal Council, Rs  45.50 lakh to Nagar Panchayat Sariya of... Read more..

India to produce 1.1% more power than necessary this fiscal year

India is set to become power surplus this year. The country is likely to produce 1.1% more power than necessary, compared with a deficit of 2.1% last year, show government estimates. 

The peak-period surplus is estimated to be 2.6% against last year's deficit of 3.2%. But there will still be pockets facing high deficit due to transmission constraints, a report prepared by the Central Electricity Authority... Read more..

Coal India lines up capex for thermal and solar power generation

Coal India Limited (CIL) has committed $758-million in the current financial year for its foray into thermal and solar power generation projects.

According to preliminary plans, CIL’s entry into thermal and green energy is likely to include two 800 MW coal-based power plant in the eastern Indian province of Odisha and an aggregate 600 MW of solar projects spread across four provinces. The company plans to... Read more..

Maharashtra, Rajasthan, M.P. owe ₹2,592 crore to wind energy companies

Wind power producers that have plants in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are struggling to get their payments for over a year now.

The problem is particularly acute in Maharashtra, where, in addition to the companies not getting their payments, many wind machines are standing ready to be commissioned, but the state-government-owned electricity distribution company (discom) has not signed the power... Read more..

Governor Jerry Brown in California signs sweeping legislation to combat climate change

California will become a petri dish for international efforts to slow global warming under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday, forcing one of the world’s largest economies to squeeze into a dramatically smaller carbon footprint.

“What we’re doing here is farsighted, as well as far-reaching,” Brown said at a signing ceremony at Vista Hermosa Natural Park in downtown Los Angeles. “California is... Read more..

Bosch eyes industrial clients to build on solar portfolio

German engineering and electronics major Bosch India will focus on setting up rooftop solar plants for its industrial clients, while remaining cautious towards utility scale projects.

“The enterprise category or industrial clients are our focus category (for setting up solar power projects). That is where we think there will be a big change over a period of time. Distributed energy generation cuts down on... Read more..

Kozhikode corporation to get roads made of plastic waste

City corporation will get roads made of plastic waste before the end of current financial year. Engineering wing of the city corporation has been working on a proposal to execute the government direction which asked to make use of plastic waste for the road works for the effective disposal of generated plastic waste in its limit.

The civic body will carry out the road works using plastic waste on an... Read more..

UPM researchers use textile fibre waste in construction

Female researchers from the School of Architecture at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have developed panels for construction of buildings, with textile waste materials, to improve the thermal and acoustic conditions of buildings and reduce the energy impact associated with the production of construction materials and greenhouse gases emissions.

The panels obtained by using this method are lighter... Read more..

Waste treatment: 2 plants to yield 400 million litres non-potable water in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, as part of its Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project (MSDP), is planning to set up two large plants, one at Worli and the other at Bandra.

The projects, which will cost the civic body at least Rs 1,500 crore each, will yield at least 400 million litres of tertiary treated water which the civic body can sell as non-potable water.

... Read more..

Himachal promoting reuse of development project-waste

To protect the environment and conserve minerals, the Himachal Pradesh government is promoting reuse of waste generated from developmental activities, an official said on Sunday.
 
The government has decided to permit use of raw material and waste generated by stone crushers at projects such as construction of roads, tunnels and power projects, a government official said.
 
He said this would not only help in curbing illegal mining but also meeting the growing demand for minerals in... Read more..

No decision yet on ratifying Paris climate change pact: India

India on Thursday made it clear that no decision to ratify the Paris climate change agreement has been taken so far as its domestic processes in this regard were still underway.

“Government has made no decision as yet on ratifying the Paris Agreement. Domestic processes in this regard are still underway. A decision will be taken only when they are completed,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas... Read more..

Sikkim tops in coverage of Swachh Bharat

Close to two years after the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in October 2014, Sikkim has emerged on top, while Bihar has been placed at the bottom among States in the rankings for coverage of Swachh Bharat (Rural).

As per the rankings of the 75 selected districts, released by the Rural Development Ministry here on Thursday, Sikkim (West) and Himachal Pradesh (Mandi) are top performers in 22 hilly... Read more..