Haryana Government's Rs. 10,000-Crore Project to Combat Air Pollution
Haryana Chief Secretary T. V. S. N. Prasad announced the launch of a Rs. 10,000-crore project funded by the World Bank to address air pollution in the state. The Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development will be rolled out in phases, starting with districts in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The initial phase of the project focuses on upgrading Haryana's air quality monitoring infrastructure. This includes establishing a state-of-the-art laboratory and modernizing existing ones. Additionally, a dedicated program management unit will oversee implementation, alongside training programs for stakeholders involved in air quality management.
The project allocates resources to tackle various sources of air pollution, including transportation, industry, construction, road dust, biomass burning, and household pollution. Efforts will promote cleaner vehicles, incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), and phase out older, more polluting vehicles. A model for automated testing stations (ATS) will be developed to monitor vehicle health.
KAZA Summit 2024 and Wildlife Product Trade
The KAZA 2024 Heads of State Summit ended in the Zambian resort town of Livingstone, with leaders of the five member countries agreeing to argue their case for lifting of the ban on ivory trade at the 20th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP20) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) due next year in Geneva, Switzerland.
Made up of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the KAZA-TFCA is a 520,000-square kilometre wildlife sanctuary straddling these five southern African nations that share common borders along the Okavango and Zambezi River basins.
Jun 05, 2024
Stunning Blue Ant Discovered In Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot
Researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and a documentation team from Felis Creations Bangalore discovered a distinct, stunning blue-coloured ant species in Siang Valley, a biodiversity hotspot of Arunachal Pradesh, under the banner 'Siang Expedition'.
Named Paraparatrechina neela, the species is "nothing like the common red, black, or brown ants," according to ATREE researchers. 'Neela' means blue in many Indian languages, which they said was a "fitting tribute" to the ant's unique colouration.
Paraparatrechina neela, the researchers described, is a small ant and less than two millimetres long, with a predominantly metallic blue body, except for the antennae, mandibles, and legs. The metallic blue is distinct from any other species in its rare genus, Paraparatrechina.
May 31, 2024
Kenyan Delegation Shares Draft MoU on Wildlife Conservation with Tiger Authority
A six-member Kenyan government delegation that visited India to appraise India's work on Project Cheetah presented a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) outlining collaborations in the field of wildlife conservation, capacity building and knowledge sharing.
Among the collaborative steps mentioned in the MoU, one was on seeking India's help in obtaining equipment for forest rangers in Kenya, to improve their field patrolling and wildlife conservation, sources said. Other issues pertained to improving ties between the two countries on broad wildlife conservation issues.
May 29, 2024
GAIL (India) Ltd. Commissions its First Green Hydrogen Plant
GAIL (India) Ltd., the nation's leading natural gas transmission and distribution company, achieved a significant milestone with the commissioning of its first green hydrogen plant. Located in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh, this plant marks GAIL's foray into the realm of new and alternative energy sources.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Pankaj Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, signifying the government's support and recognition of this pioneering initiative.
May 28, 2024
Cyclone Remal: Assam Braces for Heavy Rain, Several Districts on High Alert
Several districts of Assam were on high alert in the wake of forecast for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall under the impact of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal and Bangladesh.
A red alert for extremely heavy rainfall was issued in Chirang, Goalpara, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts, and an orange alert for Dhubri, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Barpeta, Nalbari, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai and West Karbi Anglong in Assam.
NDRF teams were deployed in Cachar, Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh, while personnel of Fire and Emergency Services were also on standby.
The name 'Remal', meaning 'sand' in Arabic, was chosen by Oman according to the standard convention of naming tropical cyclones in the region.
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