Please see the office memorandum from MOEF, regarding categorization of Category 'B' projects/activities into Category 'B1' & 'B2'.
All Posts (1810)
Sort by
Coal will continue to be an expanding, cheap foundation for economic and social development. Backed by its vast and well-distributed resource base, coal has the potential to make a significant contribution to eradicating energy poverty. Coal can be increasingly clean - at a bearable cost in terms of technological sophistication and at little cost in terms of international technology transfer and R&D in CO2 sequestration. For this to happen, a more pro-active involvement of the coal and power industries is needed in “globalising” best technical and managerial practices and advocating coal’s credentials.
CSE's short term training programme on Social Impact Assessment to be held in New Delhi from 20-24 January, 2013.
Objective:The objective of this programme is to build capacity and create awareness among regulators, developers, NGOs and academicians to understand SIA process by sensitising the stakeholders on the
ecological perception of human habitat in India, the political economy of natural resources, governance and emerging land conflicts and the local and environmental impacts of development projects. The course would also cover in detail the applicable Central/State laws and policies related to land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation,
Key provisions of the LAR&R Bill, Benefit Sharing with communities, Reconnaissance and Baseline Survey, Land Acquisition Survey and Plan (LAP) and Preparation of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). The programme also aims at evaluating the SIA report along with the applicable legislations in India.
Last date for applying: January 15, 2014
Venue: Centre for Science and Environment 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062
For details contact: Swati Singh Sambyal, Senior Research Associate, Industry & Environment Unit, Mobile: 9910496283 , swati@cseindia.org
Website: www.cseindia.org
Hi Team, Could you please share me contact details of Pollution control Board approved hazardous waste recyclers in & around Chennai for the following waste .1. Spent solvent : ( Catogery number 20.2 ) 2. Acid & Alkali residue ( Category number : 33.2) 3. Used chemical containers & Barrels ( Category number : 33.2). Thank you rajesh nature_rajesh@yahoo.com+91- 8754446337
We observe festivals and celebrate them with much fervor but I wonder how far do we really understand their essence, purpose and the science hidden behind those festivals. This is my interpretation, learning or hypothesis (whatever you may call it) but I think this is what they are meant for. I dont know, but this is how I see these two major festivals in India.
If you think Hindu festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja is all about huge colourful idols and immersion of those idols in the nearby ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans, then think again. Since, environmental movement gained momentum, people started to label these two festivals as hazardous to the environment, especially the water bodies. But people who care for the environment has a point, because idols that are immersed in the water bodies are made of plaster of paris and painted with paints that are loaded with lead and other harmful chemicals. The making of huge idols and immersing them in the water bodies is a mere distortion of an otherwise eco-friendly ritual, which was actually aimed for nutrient recycling. (If you don’t know what nutrient recycling is then google it before you proceed further, thank you).
Ancient India was predominantly an agriculture based country/economy. A little online search provided information that there were two crops in the ancient India. My best guess is that people perhaps used to shift nutrient rich silt from the nearby ponds, lakes, rivers, to their fields during summers, to improve the fertility of the soil. However, they must do two things to ensure constant supply of nutrient rich silt. Replenish the silt and replenish the nutrient. How do they do it? By adding clay and by adding litter (leaves, flowers, twigs, etc) to water bodies (although it happens naturally too).
Perhaps it was only idols made of clay (without any toxic chemicals) and litter (leaves, flowers, twigs, etc) were used as a part of the ritual and then immersed in the nearby water bodies, in order to replenish and recycle the nutrients. If the silt was dug out of the ponds, lakes, rivers, during summer for agricultural purposes, then the observation of these festivals immediately after summer, ie (Ganesh Chaturthi – August – September, Durga Puja – September – October), and immersion of idols made of clay and litter in the nearby water bodies makes perfect sense. This is still my hypothesis and further intense study has to be conducted to confirm this. But I’m very much convinced so far with this.
On the other hand, any person who understands the ecological functions and cares for the environment may still argue about the credibility of such rituals, especially when the water bodies in India are already suffering from sever pollution, siltation, excessive nutrient runoff and eutrophication. In this given context is it still necessary for us to blindly continue polluting our water bodies in the name of rituals or educate ourselves about the main reason, why such practices have come into practice in the first place and act accordingly?
Now, Terms of Reference (ToR) of Hydro Electric Projects are valid up to 3+1 Year.
Earlier validity was 2+1 Year.
Dear members
A workshop on Disaster management is being organised by Indian institute of Environment management , south indian education society , at its campus at Nerul navi Mumbai on17th December 2013.
workshop link
dr R.V.sharma
workshop coordinator
As a part of Golden Jubilee celebrations of Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur the School of Studies in Geology & WRM is organinsing a National Seminar on Recent Researches in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences during the month of February 24-26, 2014. The Proceedings shall be published with ISBN, and selected research paers shall be published in an ISSN Journal.
For more details, please send an e-mail to
rreas2014@gmail.com
bninad21@gmail.com
Ninad Bodhankar 09826515859
http://www.delhimetrorail.com/career.aspx
Dear friends plz see this link, there is requirement of Asst. Manager Environment in Delhi Metro.
What better way to stand out in the crowd? This festive season when people’s gifting ideas will be limited to dry fruits, gadgets, a bottle of wine, music CDs, perfumes, books and gift coupons, your gift of a tree is sure to stand out. Neither the gift nor the person who sent it will be forgotten.
Priced between Rs 50 (USD 1.00) and 500 (USD 10.00, trees make great gifting solutions, esp, as the fruit trees that you help plant also combat hunger, poverty and climate change.
We can help develop co-branded gift cards see examples below.
Gift a tree today
At Sustainable Green Initiative, we plant trees to help the fight against climate change and also hunger, poverty and rural migration. By planting a tree through us, you help in doing your bit to mitigate your carbon footprint and carry on the fight against hunger, poverty and climate change.
Amidst the rich paddy fields on the outskirts of Tumgaon village near Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh lays a small hamlet of Snake catchers belonging to a sub-caste of Gond tribe, called the Saur Gond’s. There are around 40 households and each of them has snakes more than the number of members residing in it. It’s been named Jogidera after the former chief minister of Chhattisgarh Mr. Ajit Jogi.
During my recent visit to this hamlet, I came across some traditions followed by this tribe. As it was a quick trip, I had very less time to spend with them and learn more about it. Yet there are few which I found interesting to share with you all.
In this tribe, for example, during marriage instead of giving in kind or in cash for dowry, the bridegroom is gifted with 21 snakes. They believe 21 to be a holy number and it’s been practiced since ancient times in their culture. After receiving all these 21 snakes, the bridegroom’s family leaves it back to the jungle. They keep a few of them to show to people during festival season like Nagpanchami, during which they travel all across Chhattisgarh.
They teach their children the tricks of handling snakes at a very young age and instead of toys they have it to play with. Through syringe the catchers take out the venom and then teach them about it. They also use wild herbs if bitten by snake and before going to any place to catch venomous snakes, they take it as a precaution medicine.
When I visited this hamlet there were hardly any men, as most of them do labor work and were out of the hamlet during day hours. The kids showed me some of the poisonous snakes including spectacled cobra, krait and common sand boa (non-venomous) which are shown above.
I hope to visit this hamlet in future again and document more about it.
More on www.marvelnature.com
The importance of an Environment Officer in the industry is now well understood. Many students who complete their MSc in Environmental Sciences look for a career in the industry/ environmental consultancy however they are often lacking in certain aspects. To address this problem and to help the freshly graduated MSc students in this aspect, Vasantdada Sugar Institute is organizing a 5 day training program on "Industrial Pollution Control and Environmental Management". A similar program had been organized in July 2013 and had received good response. The course will cover the following broad areas
- Important criteria for selection and designing of ETP
- Importance of environmental monitoring and environmental laboratory
- Methods of treatment including aerobic, anaerobic and residuals handling
- Civil, electrical and mechanical components of ETP
- ETP Operation and maintenance
- Air pollution control devices, air monitoring equipment and their operation
- Solid and hazardous waste management
- Industrial safety
- Procedures of CPCB/SPCB's- consent, ESR, HWR, cess returns
- Environmental clearance- procedures and documentation
- Green belt development
The training is ideal for students in their final semester and those who have completed MSc however application from industry and consultancy are also welcome. The training will be conducted during January 6-10, 2014 at the Manjari campus of VSI and will be limited to 25 participants only. The trainees will be given a certificate of participation at the end of the course.
The fees for the training will be Rs. 5000/- per participant which will include course material, accommodation at VSI hostel and meals for the duration of the course. Registration will be on first come first served basis.
More details and registration form can be downloaded at http://www.vsisugar.com/india/seminar_conference_workshop/index.htm#pollution-control-training
In case of any query related to training, please contact
Dr. Deepali Nimbalkar
Scientist and Head
Department of Environmental Sciences
Vasantdada Sugar Institute
Manjari Bk. Tal. Haveli
Pune 412307 INDIA
A drain on the pocket, every which way
Whether you are in South Delhi’s posh Defence Colony, in a DDA colony abutting the Barapullah drain, one of the many colonies lining the Najafgarh drain or in Noida’s buzzing Sector 18, you can’t avoid the foul smell emanating from open drains carrying sewage. The uncovered drains not only stink, they also endanger public health and the environment. And with roughly 50 per cent of all drains being uncovered, the problem is huge.
But this was not always the case, according to Manoj Misra of non-government organisation Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan. “These drains were the original tributaries of the Yamuna. They were a part of the natural drainage system of the city. The open drains were never meant to carry waste water, but rapid expansion and inadequate planning made improvised sewers out of them.”
Apart from the environmental damage, the drains are giving NCR residents another reason to complain. Gases emitted by the drains corrode pipes in air-conditioners, refrigerators and television, making gas leaks a frequent problem. Those who live near the drains are forced to spend thousands of rupees every year for refilling the gas.
Article Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/a-drain-on-the-pocket-every-which-way/article5253722.ece
Publication Date: 20 Oct 2013
Dear all
I would like know the conent of kaolinite content or clay content in coal samples, approved methods and Labs.kindly educate me
Dear Friends, with all your good wishes & blessing i have received the prestigious award of "Leading Scientist of the World 2013 in the arena of Impact assessment and conservation biology. It would not have been possible without your guidance in improving my knowledge. I wholeheartedly thank one and all for your guidance - Raghava.
Some interesting knick-knacks I came across during my leisurely reading...
1. Iceland meets 100% of its electricity needs and 81% of all its primary energy needs through a combination of geothermal and hydro energies. (Moral of the story: Necessity is the mother....)
2. California's gold rush was quickly followed by its windmill rush: A thriving windmill industry was pumping water for crops as early as 1858. By 1889, a little more than 70 windmill factories were scattered throughout the US, employing 1,100 workers, with sales in excess of $4 million (!!!) (Remember, we are talking millions in 1889 and not 1989.)
To read more, click here.
Municipal Solid Waste is the easiest source of pollution and is the largest source of pollution (by quantity).
In India, we normally complain that our cities are not clean. We always find dirty and stinking places at large even in the best of our cities and metropolis. Solid waste is the most common nuisance faced by the people at large and it has become such a part of our daily lives that we knowingly or unknowingly almost neglect the situation nowadays. We attribute this either to the not knowing attitude of the illiterate or less literate public, the attitude of ours towards the common household waste and the callous attitude of the Municipal authorities and the Pollution Boards.
In fact, it is much a larger problem entailing the unregulated population growth, the poor and the illiterate section of our society who do not know the seriousness of the situation because they have many other more issues, our non clear information about the roles and responsibilities of ourselves and authorities concerned, the financial constraints faced by the Municipal authorities, the regulatory constraints of the Pollution Boards and the governments on paper attitude towards this problem.
India’s population is growing roughly at the rate of 1.3 percent every year which is directly proportional to the growth rate of the solid waste generation in India. Demographically, the population as well as the solid waste generation is more in the northern states of India. Consider this: Imagine you are living in a small town having a population of 1 lakh. Assuming the solid waste generation to be 10 kg per capita per day, the site where the municipal solid waste is being dumped at present will need more land area to accommodate additional 13000 kg of solid waste a year from now.
Legally, the solid waste management is ought to be done according to the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 framed under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. According to these rules, every municipal authority is responsible for collection, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid waste. The Secretary-in charge of the Department of Urban Development of a particular state or the Union Territory has the overall responsibility for the enforcement of the provisions of these rules at the State Level and the District Magistrate or the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned District has the overall responsibility for the enforcement of these rules at the District Level. The State Pollution Control Board/Committee is the authority to monitor the compliance of the standards regarding the ground water, ambient air, leachate quality and the compost quality, if any, from the site of the landfill. To set up a Common Municipal Solid Waste Management Facility, the municipal authority is required to obtain the Environmental Clearance from the State Level Environmental Impact Assessing Authority (SEIAA). The suitability of the Municipal Solid Waste Processing site is taken into consideration through a public hearing process and if it is a success, EC is granted.
Schedule-II of these rules clearly defines how the management through the collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of the municipal solid waste ought to be done by the municipal authority. Schedule III specifies the norms for the landfill sites and schedule-IV describes the standards for composting, treated leachates and incineration.
In spite of such defined roles and responsibilities, we have failed to implement these rules largely due to large issues:-the non-availability of suitable site. Most of the sites fail to adjust according to the Master Plans/draft plans approved by the Govt. and the people living nearby. People are not willing to give their land since they believe that land once used for this purpose will be non-usable for years after that. If the land is available, the cost is too high that the Municipal authorities/Govt. feels a burn in their pockets. The non-segregation of waste is a major factor in the improper treatment of solid waste and will be in future if it is not corrected. We the general public shall be very sensitive towards it by segregating the bio-degradable waste which can be composted, non-biodegradable waste which can be properly land filled and the recyclable solid waste which can reduce the quantity of the overall municipal solid waste. The dilapidated financial state of the Municipal authorities are becoming a big problem. The money to maintain the dump sites, the cost to regularly use the compactors for waste compaction and putting soil/inert debris afterwards, the transportation costs, the leachate treatment costs are all to be borne by the Municipal authorities. The principle of “Polluter Pays” can be applied to solve this problem. Charging according to the waste generated by the waste generator, that is us, will help generate finances to the authorities and will also help in reducing unnecessary waste. The illiterate or the less literate persons can only be educated by the educated, we should take initiative ourselves to help them know the graveness of the present situation and the benefits of management of solid waste that will only help them since it will also reduce the disease carrying bacteria and microorganism in the environment.
The recent developments at the National Green Tribunal has led to the State Govt., authorities at the State and District level to enforce the Municipal Solid Waste Rules in an effective manner. Days are not far when we can see the change in the effective management of solid waste, but this cannot be achieved without our support and help.
We are looking to appoint personnel for the following positions:
1.Urban Planner: Bachelor Degree in Urban Planning with around 5 years experience; Sound knowledge of land use and urban & spatial planning, data collection and analysis and urban reforms;
2.Municipal Finance/Accounts Professional: Masters Degree or equivalent in Finance/ Commerce/ Economics with around 5 years of experience. Sound knowledge in municipal financial analysis, municipal budgeting, taxation, accounting, audit related matters, municipal financial reforms and Double Entry Accounting System.
3.Municipal Engineering Professional: Degree in Civil Engineering with 5 years of experience in municipal services (water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid waste management) delivery assessment & reforms, design norms and contracting.
4.Social /Community Development Professional: Masters Degree or equivalent in Social Development disciplines with around 5 years of experience in social safeguard issues, community mobilization , urban poor development activities and pro poor reforms. Knowledge of working with urban poor in Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) programs will be an additional advantage.
5.IT Professional: Graduate in Computer Science/ IT related discipline with 5 years experience. Good knowledge of municipal e-Governance, conversant and hands on experience of working on Electronic Data Processing (EDP), networking solutions, basic IT troubleshooting, data management and IT related reforms.
The positions would be based out of the following places: Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Rourkee, Dehradun, Haridwar, Jammu, Shimla, Allahabad, Farukkabad, Varanasi, Bharuch, Udaipur, Jabalpur, Dewas, Chhindwara, Raipur, Nagpur, Sholapur, Vishakapatnam, Guntur, Repalli, Hubli, Gulbarga, Kollam and Panaji.
Project duration is 42 months.
Interested candidates could send in their resumes within October 6, 2013 to:antara.ray@in.pwc.com
Now a days in all projects it is mandatory to implement rain water harvesting, which is either used for ground water recharge or has to stored if the water table is sufficiently high like in coastal areas.There are no guidelines on how much storage capacity should be provided for the harvested rain water. However, the environment appraisal committees are generally suggesting storing the two day fresh water requirement of the project. This is not only expensive but some times requires a very large area for constructing the storage water tanks.Besides, the setting up of a STP is also a requirement for the project with a condition that the treated waste water will be used for flushing and other non potable purposes. If the treated waste water is available for use the daily water requirement is reduced and therefore storage of two day's requirement of fresh water harvested through RWH may not be necessary. This has other ramification like the calculation of water budget based on 135 lpd or 90 lpd depending on the availability of water.
The moot point is therefore how much storage capacity should be installed for the RWH.
Any expert, who is conversant with the issue, may like throw light on this important aspect as it is linked with the feasibility and cost of project.
