Environment

NEW DELHI, May 5 (Xinhua): Death toll of Cyclone Fani has risen to 33 in Indian eastern state of Odisha, local media reported Sunday.

The extremely severe cyclone wreaked havoc in the coastal part of the state, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts due to uprooting of trees and electricity poles.

"The death toll in the Cyclone Fani has risen to 33," local television channel India Today said on Sunday.

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has received the green nod to drill six development wells in Assam at an estimated cost of Rs 240 crore.

The Union Environment Ministry has given the environment clearance for six development wells in five mining lease blocks in Jorhat and Golghat districts, according to an official document.

The company had sought permission for drilling 12 development wells but it received clearance for six wells at present.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A mammoth preparation exercise that included the evacuation of more than 1 million people appears to have spared India a devastating death toll from one of the biggest storms in decades, though the full extent of the damage was yet to be known, officials said Saturday.

Cyclone Fani packed winds of 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour when it made landfall in eastern Odisha state on Friday, equivalent in strength to a Category 4 hurricane, said Mohammad Heidarzadei, an expert on cyclones at Brunel University of London.

MUMBAI, May 4 (Xinhua): India's western state of Maharashtra is reeling under severe water scarcity with 151 out of 358 sub-districts in the state being officially declared drought prone.

The state has 4,774 tankers currently supplying water to 12,116 villages and 1,264 fodder camps catering to nearly 850,000 livestock, according to state officials.

The Indian government too has sanctioned 682 million U.S. dollars for drought relief work.

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua): Chinese and Australian scientists found that the bamboo-eating giant pandas are more of a carnivore than a herbivore in terms of their nutrient intake.

The study published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology showed that the protein and carbohydrate content of the panda's plant diet looks much like that of a hypercarnivore or animals that obtain more than 70 percent of their diet from other animals.

Bhubaneswar, May 4; PTI/GANASHAKTI: A day after cyclonic storm 'Fani' ravaged parts of Odisha, killing at least 12 people, a massive restoration and relief work was launched on war-footing Saturday across 10,000 villages and urban areas, officials said.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm, which made landfall at Puri on Friday, unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away thatched roofs of houses, swamped towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal, they said.

Washington, May 4 (AFP) At USD 70 per ton of carbon dioxide, a carbon tax would be the most efficient means of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, according to an International Monetary Fund report published Friday.

But for the moment, carbon taxes remain unpopular, particularly in France, where plans to increase it to 55 euros (or USD 61.60) from 44.60 euros recently ignited the Yellow Vest protest movement.

MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/: /TASS/. Forestry workers have extinguished 148 forest fires on the territory of over 44 hectares over the last 24 hours, the press service of the Aerial Forest Protection Service said on Friday.

"According to regional forestry departments, on 2 May 2019, 148 forest fires were extinguished on the area of 44,328 hectares. On 3 May 2019, 68 forest fires are active on the Russian territory on the area of 21,087 hectares. Firefighting efforts are underway," the press service said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House approved a bill Thursday that would prevent President Donald Trump from fulfilling his pledge to withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement and ensure the U.S. honors its commitments under the global accord.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Cyclone Fani has made landfall on India’s eastern coast as a grade 5 storm, lashing the emptied beaches with rain and wind gusting up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour.

The India Meterological Department says the “extremely severe” cyclone in the Bay of Bengal hit the coastal state of Odisha around 8 a.m. on Friday.

India’s National Disaster Response Force says around 1.2 million people have been evacuated from low-lying areas of Odisha and moved to nearly 4,000 shelters.