The state environment department has kept in abeyance its notification to make production of vehicle pollution control certificate mandatory for getting diesel following a strike threat by petrol pump owners.

Britain has launched a first ever probe into health threats posed to passengers by contaminated air in planes after complaints of nausea and dizziness during and after flights. The investigation into health threats posed by air circulating in aircraft, announced by British aviation minister Jim Fitzpatrick, follows complaints from pilots and passengers of nausea, dizziness and other health problems during and after air travels.

Unplanned urbanisation, environmental degradation and lack of interest shown by the government to prevent its traditional sanctity are deteriorating the natural beauty of Dehra Dun. Ever since Uttarakhand came into existence on November 9, 2000, and Dehra Dun became the capital, all sorts of activities in the city have increased manifolds, which mainly have aggravated the pollution problems.

In Sri Lanka over one million patients suffer from acute Asthma conditions and over 25% of children and 10% of adults of the total population are Asthma patients, a seminar was told. Addressing a seminar titled

TIMES NEWS NETWORK New Delhi: The oil ministry has removed the clouds of uncertainty over continuation of Indraprastha Gas Ltd as the city's sole supplier of CNG (compressed natural gas) for automotive and kitchen uses. The ministry has spiked the sectoral regulator's decision de-recognising IGL's projects in the Capital, saying the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board does not have powers to judge entities set up through government orders before it came into existence.

As more vehicles turn to CNG, the number of filling stations is proving to be inadequate Spiralling prices of crude oil are ringing alarm bells for the green fuel policy in the Capital. As more and more private vehicle owners switch to CNG and the government makes CNG mandatory for different categories of vehicles, the city is falling way short of the demand. Long queues at CNG filling stations mean one thing: the city needs an immediate augmentation of capacity. And it needs it fast.

Germany and France are close to an accord on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars that could pave the way for the introduction of European Union-wide limits, a government source said on Thursday. Germany is concerned that planned EU rules which would cap emissions at 120 grammes per km on average from 2012, and introduce fines for non-compliance, will put its luxury automobile industry at a disadvantage.

Honda will sell a new, improved and affordable gas-electric hybrid in the U.S., Japan and Europe starting in early 2009, the company president said Wednesday. President Takeo Fukui told reporters that green cars, especially hybrids, will be a pillar of Honda Motor Co's strategy for the next three years, starting this fiscal year that began April 1.

The government yesterday formed a high-powered committee to set the fare of CNG-run passenger buses running in Dhaka and Chittagong as the bus operators refused to accept the fare fixed by a previously formed committee. After a series of meetings with different stakeholders, a sub- committee of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) had earlier proposed the fare for one-kilometre journey at Tk 0.98. The transport leaders, however, demanded fixing Tk 1.71 per kilometre, almost double the recommended fare.

Considering the problems being faced by the residents of the federal capital due to the shortage of CNG stations in the capital, Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved seven locations for setting up CNG stations. The approval was given in a meeting of the CDA Board held here on Wednesday. The meeting was presided over by Chairman CDA Kamran Lashari while Moin-ud-Din Kakakhel, Member Engineering, Brigadier Asad Munir, Member Estate, Sarwar Sindhu, Director Urban Planning and others also attended the meeting.