Environment

SYDNEY, Nov 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) – An Australian volunteer firefighter was arrested on Tuesday, and charged with deliberately starting seven fires, over a period, which encompassed Australia’s recent deadly bush-fire emergency.

Police allege that the man lit a fire in bush-land on Tuesday evening, before returning to respond to the fire, as part of his duties as a volunteer firefighter, shortly after which he was taken into custody.

GENEVA, Nov 26 (NNN) — On the eve of a year in which nations are due to strengthen their Paris climate pledges, a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report warns that unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 per cent each year between 2020 and 2030, the world will miss the opportunity to get on track towards the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. 

NAIROBI, Nov 24 (NNN-Xinhua) — The death toll from landslides that hit villages in northwestern Kenyan county of West Pokot has reached 43 as search and rescue efforts for the missing victims gather pace, local officials confirmed.

“I have received reports from search teams that the death toll has risen to 43,” John Lonyangapuo, the governor of West Pokot County was quoted telling Capital News, a local radio station.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Oil from a spill that has contaminated a stretch of Brazil’s coast was detected in Rio de Janeiro state, the navy said, as President Jair Bolsonaro warned the country was preparing for the worst.

Some 300g – a small quantity of oil – were found far from the region’s most famous beaches, in the sand in the town of Sao Joao da Barra, as the spill moves southward.

The town is located about 300km north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s tourism capital, and far from the state’s most emblematic beaches such as Copacabana.

SYDNEY, Nov 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sydney’s normally picturesque skyline was once again blanketed by thick smoke today (Thursday), as around 50 bushfires continued to burn across Australia’s east coast.

Deemed “hazardous” by the New South Wales (NSW) State Department of Environment, health authorities have urged schools to keep children indoors, during lunch breaks.

“It’s important that if you do have children, just try and keep them indoors or discourage them from exercising too much outside,” Richard Broome from NSW Health told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

21 Nov 2019; MEMO: The Dutch parliament passed a motion on Tuesday objecting to a recent European court ruling concerning the labelling of produce made in Israeli settlements, reported the Times of Israel.

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 (NNN-NEPALNEWS) – Nepal’s Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, inaugurated a China-funded 60 MW Hydro-power Project, which had started producing electricity recently.

Upper Trishuli 3A Hydro-power Project, developed by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the state-owned power production and utility body, and constructed by China Gezhouba Group Company, is located at the border of Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced free sewer connections for residents of the city if they apply for one before March 31, 2020.

Under the 'Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Yojna', nearly 2.31 lakh people who do not have a sewer connection will benefit, Kejriwal said, adding that it will also prevent flow of untreated sewer into the Yamuna river.

The scheme will cover 787 colonies where sewer lines have been laid.

New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced a scheme in which people in unauthorised colonies can get their septic tanks cleaned for free.

There are around 1,700 unauthorised colonies in Delhi and around 430 have sewer lines. In rest of the colonies, people have septic tanks, which they get cleaned by hiring private parties.

Many times people die while cleaning these septic tanks and this is a big step in making Delhi clean and putting an end to sewer deaths, he said.

New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) A thick layer of toxic smog engulfed Delhi as the pollution level continued to remain in the 'severe' category for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.

The high pollution can be attributed to low wind speed, which has led to stagnation of pollutants in the air and slowed down the dispersion process, authorities said.