Environment

India: 9 islands of Lakshadweep to be seaweed hub

Kochi, Sep 6 (PTI) The Lakshadweep administration has launched a programme to turn its nine inhabited islands into a hub of seaweed cultivation, officials said here on Monday.

Prioritising seaweed farming as the driver of development of the islands, the administration, with the technical support of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), held a demonstration on farming seaweed on the nine islands, a press release from the institute said.

India: Researchers working on ways to reduce lead pollution in country

Kanpur: Researchers of both the The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, are conducting a study to find out the appropriate policy instruments that can help the country to reduce lead pollution.

The problem of lead recycling harms not only the mental and physical health of people but also contaminates the environment.

The lead-acid batteries in a fashion causes spillage of acid and lead dust in the soil and surroundings. The melting in open furnaces release poisonous gases into the air.

India's first smog tower inaugurated in Delhi by Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the "country's first smog tower" at Connaught Place in Delhi on Monday and said it will prove to be a milestone and many such structures can be installed in the city if the pilot project yields results.

He also said that the concentration of PM2.5 has reduced from 150 micrograms per cubic metre to 100 g/m and that of PM10 has dipped from 300 g/m to 150 g/m in the national capital since 2014 due to the efforts made in the last few years.

Gaza leisure centre is made of rubbish

22 Aug 2021; MEMO: Hena Al-Gul is an activist and entrepreneur who wants to increase social awareness in Palestinian society by highlighting the importance of natural resources and the environment.

The leisure centre welcomes people with chairs made of car tyres, windows with recycle washing machine door panes and paintings from fabric and yarn.

Turkey: All forest fires brought under control except 2

09 Aug 2021; AA: Turkey has brought under control all forest fires, except blazes in the Milas and Koycegiz districts of the country’s southwestern Mugla province, said the minister of agriculture and forestry on Monday.

“#ForestHeroes continue their work with great devotion from land and air in Milas and Koycegiz,” Bekir Pakdemirli said on Twitter.

Indian Railways invites bids for hydrogen fuel-based tech for trains

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The railways has invited bids for hydrogen fuel cell-based technology by retrofitting on the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) in 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of the Northern Railway, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

This is an attempt by the national transporter to explore whether existing diesel-run trains can be retrofitted to use hydrogen instead.

Turkey evacuates power station as wildfires rage on

05 Aug 2021; MEMO: The 35-year-old coal-fired Kemerkoy Power Station in south-west Turkey's Mugla region and a nearby town on the Aegean Sea were evacuated late yesterday as deadly wildfires reached the plant.

Babies, children and people over the age of 65 were removed from the area, local media reported.They have been taken to shelters.

In a statement the Kemerkoy Electric Distribution Company said the power plant is not at risk of explosions.

India: E-vehicles exempted from registration certificate fees

New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Tuesday said it has issued a notification to exempt battery operated vehicles from the payment of fees for issue or renewal of registration certificate.

In a statement, the ministry said it has also exempted battery operated vehicles from the payment of fees for assignment of new registration marks.

This has been notified to encourage e-mobility, it added.

Turkey: 98 massive forest fires under control

01 Aug 2021; MEMO: 98 of 107 forest fires in Turkey are under control, the nation's Agriculture and Forestry Minister said late Saturday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Efforts to contain nine blazes are still ongoing, Bekir Pakdemirli said during a news conference at a fire management center in the Degirmenyani district of southwestern Mugla province.

Pakdemirli warned that caution will be needed to combat the massive fires on Sunday when humidity is expected to drop 10%.

Algeria offers mediation of Ethiopia Renaissance Dam dispute

31 July 2021; MEMO: During his visit to Khartoum, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra will propose his country's mediation of the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

Lamamra has started a diplomatic tour of several African countries to discuss a number of issues, including cooperation between Algeria and other members of the African Union (AU).

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