Sustainability Outlook Headlines

In Jaipur, Forest check-posts get solar panels

If there is anything which matters since the conceptualisation of tiger reserves and 'Project Tiger', is tiger. For years, forest guards have worked as sentinels in remote areas of forest and underwent a strenuous life sans basic amenities, like electricity and water.

But to make life easier and enjoyable for these guards, forest department in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) has installed solar lighting... Read more..

Telangana aims at top spot in solar generation

Telangana currently stands at second rank in solar power production in the country and it may reach the top spot in another six months, state power minister G Jagadish Reddy said here today. 

Telangana is producing 1,000 MW solar power at present and tenders have been floated for another 2,000 MW solar power generation, he said in reply to a query in the Legislative Assembly.

... Read more..

Karnataka Government to increase garbage cess

Garbage woes continues to haunt the city, yet you may end up paying a higher cess. The State government is pushing for a steep hike in cess from the next fiscal.

Already smarting under a steep rise in property tax, property owners are in for another shock as the government plans to fix the cess at a flat 15 per cent of the property tax. So far, garbage cess was a nominal annual fee depending on the dimension... Read more..

Metro Rail’s solar power dream hits policy hurdle in Nagpur

The plans of Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) to meet 65% of its energy needs through solar power has hit a policy hurdle. The fate of the project now depends on Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). NMRCL's petition will be heard by the Commission on January 17.

Solarization is vital for the success of the Metro Rail project. The cost of MSEDCL power as per the Commission's... Read more..

Masdar looks east to extend renewable energy footprint in India

The Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar will expand next year for the first time into the Indian subcontinent, India and Pakistan, and increase its presence in North Africa to meet the rise in renewable energy demand, the chief executive said.

The company, which has more than 1 gigawatt (GW) in installed capacity, will also begin construction of 1.2GW of projects next year.

... Read more..

Pollution free Hyderabad: Telangana government to shift 1,500 industries

To encourage industries located in the city to move outside the Outer Ring Road limits, the Telangana state government is willing to allow real estate development, construction of commercial complexes and housing projects on the land on which the industries are currently located.

The government has identified over 1,500 industries that need to be relocated to make the city pollution-free. Together they hold... Read more..

India Strives to Improve Efficiency of Ports

The Average Turnaround Time has registered a significant improvement in 2015-16 and was 3.63 days as against 4.00 days in the corresponding preceding year. This has further improved to 3.49 days in the current year (up to October, 2016). 
 
The Average Output Per Ship Berthday has increased from 12458 Tonnes in 2014-15 to 13151 Tonnes in 2015-16.  This has further increased to 13949 Tonnes during the current year (up to October, 2016). 
 
A study to benchmark the performance of Major... Read more..

Government planning to penalise those found guilty of polluting Ganga

The Narendra Modi-government is planning to penalise those found guilty of polluting the Ganga river, in a first of its kind bill which aims to ensure cleanliness and uninterrupted flow of the river.

The Ganga act is being prepared by a panel headed by Justice Girdhar Malviya, and once it is being finalised the bill will be taken up the Union Cabinet, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti told reporters here... Read more..

Brick kiln operators defying notices of DCs on seeking environment clearance

Adopting the confrontational path, majority of the brick kiln operators have been openly defying the notices issued by the Deputy Commissioners on seeking environment clearance, which has been made mandatory by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and National Green Tribunal (NGT). Now, the administration has been left with no other option but to order closure of such units as soft-stance would amount to indirectly contributing to the environment degradation.

... Read more..

New power tariff structure in works, large domestic consumers to be charged more

The burden of subsidising the power bills of agricultural and low-income families is set to move from industrial consumers to large domestic and commercial consumers of electricity. 

The government plans to introduce a new tariff structure to charge more from large domestic power consumers rather than industrial units that currently share the cross subsidy burden. 

... Read more..

Pune smart city mission project gets three awards, emphasis on solar, water systems

The Pune city has won three awards for Smart City project in a competition organised by Business-World Awards 2016, a statement issued by Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCSCL) said.

As per the statement issued by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the first award for ‘Innovative Smart Solution – Knowledge and Intellectual Category’ was awarded to Pune Lighthouse Project, while the second... Read more..

NGT asks Delhi government to shut hazardous industries in East Delhi

Noting that functioning of industrial units in residential areas is harmful, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to take action against all such units operating without consent. A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi pulled up BSES Yamuna for supplying electricity to industrial units located in Vishwas Nagar area here and directed it to immediately snap electricity connections to them.

... Read more..