Web News
Gujarat frames land policy for green energy projects
January 28, 2019, 07:55 IST
BENGALURU: Gujarat has released its land policy for renewable energy projects, which seeks to set up wind parks and wind-solar hybrid parks in the state, similar to solar parks. Such parks will be a first by any Indian state.
The new policy is a welcome development for wind developers who want to set up their projects in Gujarat. Land had lately been a bone of contention between them and the Gujarat government, with the latter reluctant to lease land for wind projects auctioned by central agencies like the Solar Corporation of India (SECI), while providing such land for similar projects sanctioned by the state agency, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL).
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Gujarat to get India's largest renewable energy generation park
December 14, 2020, 08:31 IST
New Delhi: India's largest renewable energy generation park will come up in Gujarat with a generation capacity of 30 gigawatts (GW).
The foundation stone of Hybrid Renewable Energy Park near Vighakot village in Gujarat's Kutch district will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, the PMO said.
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Gujarat pilots emissions trading programme to tackle air pollution
by Sapna Gopal on 4 September 2019
The western state of Gujarat has launched the world’s first trading programme for particulate air pollution. The pilot, launched on World Environment Day in June this year, replicates a market-based system. The government sets a cap on emissions and allows industries to buy and sell permits in order to stay below the cap. This is similar to a system that successfully reduced acid rain in the United States in the 1990s.
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23 lions die at Gir sanctuary, SC seeks Centre and Gujarat govts to respond
Oct 04, 2018 07:55 IST
The Supreme Court and the Gujarat high court on Wednesday took note of the deaths of 23 lions in the Gir sanctuary since September 20, and sought a response from the Centre and the state government.
The Gujarat government has blamed infighting and the spread of a virus for the deaths.
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12 lions, 6 of them cubs, die in Gujarat's Gir forest in 10 days
Sep 21, 2018
RAJKOT: At least 12 lions, six of them cubs, have died in Amreli district alone in the past 10 days, forcing the state government to order a detailed inquiry.
Though eight of these wild cats died due to illnesses, which could not be treated, and three in infighting, the death of a dozen lions in short span has become a cause of worry for the department. Sources said the 11 deaths have been reported in Dalkhaniya range of Gir East alone.
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Guj CM Presides over the 11th Meeting of the State Board for Wildlife
Jun 27, 2016
In the 11th meeting of the state board for wildlife, Guj CM Smt. Anandiben Patel instructed officials to prioritize the conservation of flora and fauna living in forest areas as well as the happiness of the villagers living in those areas and increasing basic infrastructural facilities.
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Six eco-sensitive zones in state okayed
Apr 26, 2016
Among 275 Proposals From Across The Country
The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF) has approved proposals for six eco-sensitive zones in the state. These include such zones for the Marine National Park and Marine Wildlife Sanctuary , Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary , Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary , Purna Wildlife Sanctuary , Vansda National Park and Thol Wildlife Sanctuary . In reply to a question raised by Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani, the minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar,
said the ministry has cleared 275 eco-sensitive zones in the country, including the six zones in Gujarat.
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'રોયલ-બેન્ગાલ-ટાઇગર'નું ઘર છે સુંદરવન,જાણો તેની જોરદાર વાતો
Feb 25, 2016 10:12
સુંદરવન એટલે 'રોયલ-બેન્ગાલ-ટાઇગર'નું ઘર. સુંદરવનના સુંદર જંગલો બંગાળમાં આવેલા છે. જંગલો આશરે 4000 વર્ષ જૂનાં છે. ગંગા અને બ્રહ્મપુત્રાએ હિમાલયમાંથી તાણી લાવેલા કાંપમાં આ જંગલો રચાયા છે. સુંદરવનમાંના નદી-નાળાના સ્તર સમુદ્રની ભરતી અને ઓટ મુજબ વધારો અને ઘટાડો થાય છે. પશ્ચિમ-બંગાળમાં આવેલા 'સુંદરવન' જંગલો વિશ્વના એકમાત્ર સમુદ્રી ભરતીને કારણે અસ્તિત્વમાં આવેલા મેન્ગ્રોવ-જંગલ છે. યુનેસ્કોની વર્લ્ડ હેરિટેજ-સાઇટમાં તેનો સમાવેશ થયો છે. પર્યાવરણની જાળવણીમાં ઉપયોગી સ્થળોમાં પણ તેને સ્થાન મળ્યું છે. સુંદરવન 10000 ચોરસ કિલોમીટરમાં પથરાયું છે જેનો પચાસ ટકાથી વધુ હિસ્સો બાંગ્લાદેશમાં છે.
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Plugged-in campuses get solar pay-off
Bharat Yagnik | TNN | Feb 21, 2016, 10.31 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Institutions across Gujarat are now plugging into the biggest source of free energy , the sun. This new affinity for the solar power has led colleges and even schools to cut monthly electricity bills to almost a fifth.
St Xavier's College used to pay between Rs 1.4 lakh to Rs 1.92 lakh for electricity every month. The college recently installed 238 solar panels with a maximum capacity of 75 kW .Together they generate around 240 (kilowatt-hours) kWh a day . The college's monthly bill fell to just around Rs 10,000 a month. St Xavier's is not alone. The Cept University , Gandhinagar-based Gujarat National Law University , Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Petroleum University (PDPU) and Gujarat Forensic Science University (GFSU) have similar stories to share.
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`India's solar power generation to double by March 2017'
TNN | Feb 21, 2016, 10.31 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: With more and more developers lining up their mega solar power projects, India's solar power generation capacity is expected to almost double by March 2017. National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) estimates the power generation from solar energy will rise to 10,000 MW.
"Currently , India's solar power production is 5129.81 MW , and it is going to increase to 10 GW (10,000 MW) by March 2017. Many big projects are coming up in various states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu," said Pranav Mehta, chairman, National Solar Energy Federation of India.
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Agariyas play key role in wild ass conservation, says study
Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Feb 16, 2016, 09.00 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: The burgeoning lion population in Gir sanctuary is lauded all over the world as one of the best examples of harmonious coexistence of man and animal. A recent study by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, has documented that co-existence of the salt pan workers and the wild ass, locally known as 'ghudkar', in the Little Rann of Kutch is another good example of community-based conservation.
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Poachers at Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary surrender nets to Morari Bapu
February 16, 2016
Nal Sarovar : As many as 35 poachers on Monday surrendered nets to Ram Kathakar Shri Morari Bapu and pleded to give up hunting the birds in a function held at Nal Sarovar birds sanctuary near Ahmedabad. Shri Morari Bapu requested the State government to provide alternate employment to them. The villagers were mostly from Shahpur and Vekariya villages.The initiative was organized by Manav Seva Trust which also intends to hold pad yatras in other villages in future.
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Rajkot Municipal Corporation will put a stop to chhakda registration
TNN | Feb 13, 2016, 08.57 AM IST
Rajkot: Saurashtra's commercial capital on Friday took a step further in phasing out noisy and polluting chhakdas, the omnipresent three-wheeled vehicle of the region, from the city.
The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) and regional transport office (RTO) have decided to stop new registration of chhakdas in Rajkot city with immediate effect. The decision was taken during the meeting between municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra, city police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, officials of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and RTO as well as chhakda owners.
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Gujarat: Expert bats for integrated waste water management
By: Express News Service, Ahmedabad Published:Feb 12, 2016, 3:29
Water expert and advisor to the chief minister, B N Navalawala, Thursday said that there was need to ensure integrated waste water management and water audit should be made mandatory. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Commissioner also stressed on the need to recycle waste water.
Navalawala inaugurated the conference on “Waste water management technologies and sanitation control” at Gujarat University Convention Centre here. Navalawala said waste water treatment capacity in class one cities was 30 per cent and class two cities was merely 8 per cent in the country which was very low. He said this called for recycling of industrial waste water to reduce pressure on resources.
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NO-WIN DIESEL
By Nikunj Soni | Feb 9, 2016, 02.00 AM IST
Ahmedabad : Diesel vehicles have been contributing heavily to high pollution levels in the city with 1.5 lakh diesel cars, trucks and heavy vehicles burning twice the amount of fuel than 2.93 lakh petrol vehicles.
A survey conducted by Gujarat Pollution Control Board and Ahmedabad City Traffic Police on vehicles more than 10 years old reveals that 37 per cent of diesel vehicles exceed permissible emission level of 65 per cent Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU). Of these vehicles, more than 40 per cent are over 20 years old. Recently, the GPCB even recommended framing of a regulation to stop re-registration of diesel vehicles older than 20 years.
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Gujarat bags three national awards
Kapil Dave | TNN | Feb 4, 2016, 05.00 PM IST
Ahmedabad: Gujarat bagged three national e-Governance application awards. Chief minister Anandiben Patel gave complimented the state government employees for these awards.
The awards were given after the Centre invited entries from respective states. Gujarat received the awards for developing 'Taluka Planning Atlas', 'Xtended Green Node' (XGN) and 'e-Laboratory Management System'.
The awards were presented by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at the national e-Governance Conference at Nagpur in Maharashtra on January 22 last.
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Civic body to follow solid waste disposal rules after NGT directions
TNN | Jan 17, 2016, 02.30 PM IST
Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is gearing up to adhere to the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handing) Rules, 2000. The move follows after a recent directive by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on this front to all states.
The civic body is looking to prepare a time bound action plan to take care of various lacunae in the process of handling solid waste. The VMC has hired a consultant for the process. A proposal to finalise an agency for the process had been cleared by the standing committee of the civic body.
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CoP21 : India to launch 8 new long term ecological observatories
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 9, 2015 | UPDATED 16:39 IST
India is all set to open eight more long-term ecological observatories (LTEO) to study the effects of climate change. The programme was launched at the climate conference CoP21 by Environment Minister, Prakash Javadekar on December 7, 2015.
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Centre makes waste segregation compulsory
Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Dec 8, 2015, 07.00AM IST
AHMEDABAD : Waste segregation will now be compulsory when leaving doorsteps. The Union ministry of environment and forest (MOEF) has decided to make it compulsory for waste generators to segregate waste produced by them.In its draft solid waste management rules, the MOEF has state that state governments will form their own waste management policies for state-level implementation.
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Transfer of lions to London zoo awaits govt nod
Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Dec 7, 2015, 06.49PM IST
AHMEDABAD : The Gujarat forest department has begun the procedure for getting final approval for transfer of lions to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) zoo in London. The ZSL had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gujarat forest department for transfer of a lion and a lioness before March 2016.
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Indian Postal Service launches stamp to celebrate 100 years of Zoological Survey of India
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 4, 2015 | UPDATED 15:23 IST
Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, recently announced that the India Posts would soon launch a series of postal stamps to celebrate the rich biodiversity of India's flora and fauna. Union Minister of Environment, Prakash Javadekar, was also present at the ceremony.
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MoEF gives green nod to Dholera airport
BS Reporter | Ahmedabad
December 3, 2015 Last Updated at 17:46 IST
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and climate change department (CCD) has awarded an environment clearance to the proposed Dholera airport in Ahmedabad district.
In its bid to set up a world-class greenfield airport at Dholera, the Gujarat government had earlier applied for environmental clearance from the central government.
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For Bapu,Swachh Bharat meant a clean mind and environment : Prez
Press Trust of India | Ahmedabad
December 1, 2015 Last Updated at 13:13 IST
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, President Pranab Mukherjee today said Swachh Bharat implies a clean mind along with a clean environment and asserted that educating in peace and harmony is the key to contain and reorient disruptive forces in society.
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India will fulfil commitments on climate change, says Modi
Updated: December 1, 2015 05:24 IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India would fulfil all its responsibilities with regard to climate change as he met U.S. President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris.
Mr. Modi, in his meeting with Mr. Obama, also appreciated the openness with which the U.S. President addressed issues with him and said it would help in developing a better understanding.
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Modi launches International Solar Alliance
Updated: December 1, 2015 05:22 IST
India launched an International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the CoP21 Climate Conference here on Monday, with an announcement by Prime Minister Modi that the revolution in the field would bring power to all citizens, and create unlimited economic opportunity.
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5 vulture species spotted at 1 spot in Bhavnagar
By Vijaysinh Parmar, TNN | 1 Dec, 2015, 05.08AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Wildlife conservationists have recorded an extremely rare sighting -that of five species of the critically endangered vultures scavenging together at one single location -near Mahuva in Bhavnagar district. The group witnessed 38 vultures that were feeding on carcass dumping site on the outskirts of Chhapariyali village near Jesar village, some 130km from Bhavnagar, on November 27.
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Youths from India voice environmental concern at COY in CEE
Parth Shastri, TNN | Nov 29, 2015, 10.22PM IST
AHMEDABAD : As the world leaders would gather at Paris for Conference of Parties (COP) 21 in December, youths from India and neighbouring countries shared their views on different environmental issues at eleventh edition of Conference of Youths (COY) at Centre for Environment Education (CEE). The three-day conference concluded on Saturday.
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Solar is the next big sustainable sector
Parth Shastri, TNN | Nov 26, 2015, 06.58AM IST
AHMEDABAD : Visit the outskirts of Rajkot at Metoda GIDC and satellite dish-like structures are visible at a unit. These aren't TV or radio reception but to harness solar energy on an unprecedented scale. These parabolic solar cookers are at an experimental stage but Vejlibhai Desai, founder of Tiny Tech Products, believes it is the future.
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New species of tree frog discovered in Western Ghats
NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | UPDATED 16:22 IST
A team of researchers has discovered a new species of tree frog during their recent exploration in the Western Ghats.
A joint effort by a team comprising Robin Abraham, a researcher from the University of Kansas, USA; Anil Zachariah, a batrachologist from Wayanad and Vivek Philip Cyriac, a researcher, of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, the discovery was published in the latest issue of International Taxonomic Journal Zootaxa.
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Gujarat donkeys may be a breed apart
Parth Shastri, TNN | Nov 21, 2015, 07.14AM IST
AHMEDABAD : In Vautha village where India's biggest donkey fair kicked off on Wednesday blood samples have been drawn from 70 donkeys each from Kutch and Jamnagar region. The donkeys are being genetically profiled and may soon stake claim as a separate breed! Gujarat's Banni buffalo, Kathiawari horse and Kharai camel have already been granted independent-breed status by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), authority for registration of new breeds.
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Solar Prices Could Be 10% Less Than Coal In India By 2020
November 17th, 2015 by Jake Richardson
Despite enjoying surplus power generation capacity, the Gujarat government is consolidating its power plants running on conventional technologies. The government is planning to either upgrade plants with sub-critical technology or replace these with new super-critical technology.
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NASA, ISRO join hands for space imaging, climate studies
TNN | Nov 16, 2015, 07.16AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Scientists from NASA and ISRO would be part of a special outreach programme organized at Gujarat Science City on Monday where the experts would talk about a joint mission Nasa and Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) along with satellites for disaster response, India-US space collaboration, climate change observations in Greenland and imaging other planets with radar.
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Gujarat mulls upgrading old power plants
Vimukt Dave | Ahmedabad
November 11, 2015 Last Updated at 22:05 IST
Despite enjoying surplus power generation capacity, the Gujarat government is consolidating its power plants running on conventional technologies. The government is planning to either upgrade plants with sub-critical technology or replace these with new super-critical technology.
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