The tackle the problem of water pollution, the Pushkar Lake will soon have a coir mesh treatment system.

Villagers boycott public hearing on environment impact assesment report

Hundreds of farmers from villages that are likely to be affected by the proposed nuclear power project in Mitihivirdi, Bhavnagar, on Tuesday, walked out of the public hearing on the project environment impact assessment (EIA) report. They have been opposing the proposed nuclear power plant (NPP), with six light water reactors (LWR) of 1000 MW capacity each, since the project was announced on the grounds that it would cause irreparable damage to environment there.

Engineers India Ltd has completed a preliminary report for the environmental impact assessment for Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd’s (NPCIL) proposed 6x1,000-megawatt (Mw) project at Mithivirdi, Gujarat.

US nuclear reactor supplier Westinghouse Electric Co has signed a memorandum of understanding with NPCIL, agreeing to negotiate an early works agreement for setting up six AP1000 units at Mithivirdi. The AP1000 is a two-loop pressurised water reactor sold by Westinghouse. “This is a draft EIA report, which will be further scrutinised,” NPCIL Chairman and Managing Director K C Purohit told Business Standard.

The wind power potential in Andhra Pradesh is assessed to be at least 88,000 Mw from wastelands. Furthermore, there is a potential of around 12,000 Mw if 5 per cent of the state’s agricultural lands suitable for wind power were used.

According to a study by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), wind power is cost-effective as compared with other sources of generation. The main challenge for large-scale wind power addition is managing its variability and unpredictability.

Study states that 20,000 MW can be generated by using a minimum 5 pc of wind-rich land

Wastelands in Karnataka can generate at least 50,000 MW of wind energy with turbines fitted at a height of 80 metres, according to a study by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP). The study report released on Wednesday also identified Haveri, Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Bijapur and Kolar districts, apart from Bellary, Chamarajnagar and Chitradurga, for having the potential for generation of wind energy.

‘In Bijapur, yield has increased by 20 to 25 per cent in last two years’

The National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), a pilot project to help dryland farmers, has shown good results. It was taken up by the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, a constituent organisation of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), two years ago. The project, being implemented in three districts — Bijapur, Belgaum and Bangalore Rural — through the Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARSs), has a multipronged approach to help dryland farmers get better yields with the available water.

Great Indian Bustard, long-billed vulture spotted in a month’s span

Bellary is turning out to be an ornithologists’ dream destination. Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) were sighted a few days ago at Chelugurki village, 20 km from Bellary and 60 km from Siruguppa. Long-billed vultures had been spotted last month. Dwindling numbers of GIBs is a matter of concern across the country and their sightings have become a rarity.

Part of initiative to tackle power crisis in the State

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is charting out an action plan for extensively exploiting the solar energy potential to tackle the power crisis gripping the State. Official sources told The Hindu here that a high-level expert panel appointed by the board is holding weekly meetings to scrutinise the successful models set up in different parts of the country for preparing a detailed project report by mid-November. As a proven technology, it has been envisaged to adopt the solar technology at present and then move on to other sources like wind and tidal power in due course.

The Indian marine and coastal biodiversity is under serious threat from developmental projects, according to experts at the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Though India has a 7500-km coastline, which supports almost 30 per cent of its population in biological and economic wastelands, the coastal and marine stretch in India is coming under unprecedented threats from various development projects including ports, power plants, ship yards and aquaculture.