Monday Feature: Green News and Media Roundup for Week 40, 2011
Weekly environmental news roundup from across different media networks for week 40 (starting October 3), 2011.
1. Save the environment, say students of Indraprastha Intl. School, Dwarka
More than 200 students accompanied by 20 teachers and the Delhi Traffic Police spread the universal message of the three R’s — reduce, reuse and recycle. (Dr.) B.C. Sabata, Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Environment, office of Chief Minister of Delhi was the guest of honour.
2. Ganga Ram study finds high levels of superbug NDM1
India might have vehemently opposed an antibiotic-resistant superbug being named New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM1), but a study in a leading city hospital has found a worryingly high prevalence of the deadly gene.
3. Jindal Group’s upcoming waste-to-energy plant has Delhi fuming
The Delhi government and chief minister Sheila Dikshit have backed the project fully, hailing it as a technology solution to the city’s two enduring, and worsening, problems — excess of waste and shortage of power. But while contributing to the solution of two problems, the plant kindles a number of new ones, with potentially serious health and environment implications for the city’s 17 million residents.
4. MCD, DJB in blame game over bad roads
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday put the blame of the poor state of MCD roads squarely on the shoulders of the Delhi Jal Board and other service providers.
5. Immersing Durga in environment-friendly way
Amidst beating of drums and chanting of hymns, nearly 600 idols of Durga were immersed in Yamuna on the occasion of Vijay Dashmi on Thursday. At Kalindi Kunj, 250 idols were immersed on the culminating day of the five-day Durga Puja. Devotees thronged the area with drums and flowers and chanted the name of the Goddess and her four children.
6. Delhi short of 900 MW of power supply
Power cuts in the city are playing spoilsport in this festival season with many areas going without electricity for more than four hours. Supply to the city has been hit severely with a shortage of at least 900 MW due to deficiency of coal and water supply.
7. Thousands participate in cyclothon
Over 5000 cyclists of various age groups poured in for the ‘Hero Cycles India Cyclothon’, in which Harpreet Singh (Center of Excellence) emerged triumphant in the Elite National Race.
8. Lost in Metro station? Follow the pugmarks
The introduction of colour-coded pugmarks on the floors has made changing trains at the busy interchange Metro stations a trouble-free affair for lakhs of commuters.
Govind Singh of Delhi Greens, an NGO, says that the city has realised that tree plantation drives would be successful only if the local population is involved. “The events are widely publicised and celebrated like a festival. The 2,800 eco-clubs that function in schools and colleges have also played a big role.”
10. Experts seek solution to city’s growing parking woes
How much parking space does Ahmedabad need? If number of vehicles is growing here at the rate of 12.5 per cent per year, then will we have space to accommodate them all in the coming years?
11. Pressure on India’s climate stand ahead of UN-sponsored climate summit in Durban
India’s unequivocal opposition to a legally binding climate agreement for all countries could push it into a corner ahead of the UN-sponsored climate summit in Durban. Developed countries demand an agreement, offering in return the continuation of emission reduction targets after 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol.
12. EU green chief backs inclusion of aviation in emission norms
Visiting EU environment commissioner Janez Potocnik has defended the inclusion of aviation in European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme from January on the ground that the per passenger cost does not work out to be too much and in the changing global scenario of green development this is the way forward.
