Environment

Canberra, Jul 25 (AP-PTI) Australia has garnered enough international support to defer an attempt by the United Nations' cultural organisation to downgrade the Great Barrier Reef's World Heritage status because of damage caused by climate change.

Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) The toll in rain-related incidents in Mumbai reached 30 as incessant heavy downpour overnight during a major thunderstorm pummeled the Maharashtra capital, causing severe water-logging and traffic disruptions in the city on Sunday, officials said.

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) India's coal import rose 20.4 per cent to 19.92 million tonnes (MT) in the month of May.

The country had imported 16.54 MT of coal in May last fiscal, according to data compiled by mjunction Services.

"On a year-on-year basis, however, India's coal and coke imports in May 2021 were up 20.4 per cent as against 16.54 MT clocked in May 2020," it said.

Import volumes of dry-fuel, it said, are expected to remain subdued in the ongoing monsoon season on account of lower demand, firm prices and high freight rates.

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Bhupender Yadav on Thursday assumed charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Earlier, the minister took charge of the Labour Ministry.

"I am grateful to the prime minister. I have already taken charge as labour minister. Now I take charge as environment minister. I will put my best foot forward to fulfil the responsibility given to me by the PM and the confidence he has shown in me. I will meet all officials and will begin my work, Yadav said.

04 July 2021; MEMO: Four people were found dead as a huge fire raged for a second day in Cyprus, razing tracts of forest in a blaze one official called the worst on record, reports Reuters.

The blaze, fanned by strong winds, affected at least 10 communities over an area of 50 square kilometres (19 square miles) in the foothills of the Troodos mountain range, an area of pine forest and densely vegetated shrubland.

TULELAKE, Calif. (AP) — Ben DuVal knelt in a barren field near the California-Oregon border and scooped up a handful of parched soil as dust devils whirled around him and birds flitted between empty irrigation pipes.

DuVal’s family has farmed the land for three generations, and this summer, for the first time ever, he and hundreds of others who rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake aren’t getting any water from it at all.

Kanpur: To control air pollution in the city areas, the steps will be undertaken to minimise dust pollution on one-and-a-half dozen roads here.

A sum of Rs forty crores will be spent, a news report has suggested.

As the city is supposed to have received Rs seventy-five crore for bringing improvement in city's air quality, this has  been deduced.

The work on installing charging stations for the electrical vehicles will also be initiated. This will aim at reducing the air pollution created by petrol-run vehicles.

Mumbai, Jun 24 (PTI) The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Thursday that a statewide committee will be constituted by Friday (June 25) to address the issue of rising air pollution owing to increase in instances of cremation following deaths due to COVID-19.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni made the submission before a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni.

Kanpur: Delay in the release of the budget to close the big nullahs permanently is what the Jal Nigam bemoans. Though these are reportedly shut on paper temporarily, the polluted water directly falls into the Ganga river water.

A proposal to a sum of Rs 48 Crore was sent to the state government. Several reminders were later despatched but the amount has not been released so far.

According to a report, contaminated water up to lakhs of litres goes into the stream of the river daily before the Sewage treatment plant.

BERLIN (AP) — Scientists say damaging frost that caused significant economic loss to France’s central winegrowing region this year was made more likely by climate change.

A report released Tuesday by researchers who study the link between global warming and weather events suggests that the intense April 6-8 frost in France was particularly damaging due to a preceding warm period in March.