Oracle Newspaper

09/10/2018

Technology | News | Science

JAIDEEP SARIN 09 OCTOBER, 2018 18:55 IST

POLLUTION ALERT ISSUED IN THE NORTH AS ANTI-STUBBLE BURNING EFFORTS GO UP IN SMOKE



When Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh flew over Punjab and Haryana last week, he admitted he saw agriculture fields emitting plumes of smoke at several places — meaning that stubble-burning of the harvested paddy crop was taking place with impunity in both agrarian states despite official strictures.

Despite threats of action — including registration of legal cases — as well as incentives in the form of subsidies for machines and equipment and awareness campaigns, farmers in north India continue to go in for the "quicker" option of getting rid of the crop residue to get their fields ready for the next crop.

Stubble-burning of paddy straw to clear fields

The residue burning chokes the whole of north India during the winter months (November to January) with heavy smog (smoke+fog) over the region.

National capital Delhi and nearby areas are the worst affected by the smog.

"We have westerly winds in this part (of the region) coming from Afghanistan and blowing towards Punjab and Delhi. That is why this (smog) problem arises in Delhi," Amarinder Singh said.

Paddy is grown over 65 lakh acres in Punjab. After harvesting, over 20 million tonnes of paddy, straw is left in the fields to be managed by farmers before sowing the next rabi crops (wheat and others). It is estimated that 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt by farmers for early and easy clearance of the fields.

Punjab alone contributes 65 per cent of the total residue produced by the northwestern states.

The claims of the Punjab and Haryana governments notwithstanding, stubble-burning continues to be a ground reality as farmers say that they don't have alternative ways of getting rid of the crop residue.

Beginning of paddy harvest season

In "Green Revolution" state of Punjab, which is targetting a bumper paddy procurement of 200 lakh tonnes this season (October 1 to November 30), there are over 17.5 lakh farming families. Over 10 lakh (one million) of them have land holdings of two to five acres and cannot afford to go in for mechanised farming. With the paddy harvesting season starting and the fear of environment pollution looming large due to stubble-burning by farmers, the Punjab government has decided to appoint nodal officers in 8,000 paddy growing villages in a move to check the menace.

The nodal officers will undertake various activities, ranging from holding meetings with the farmers, arranging Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines and distribution of awareness material in villages, besides making announcements in gurdwaras or by other modes.

The villages have been identified by the Punjab Agriculture Department as those where paddy stubble is traditionally being burnt, an official said here.

"The Punjab government is committed to achieve zero paddy straw burning in the state. It has been decided that senior administrative secretaries of Punjab shall be allotted districts for monitoring of the activities related to stopping of crop residue burning," the official said.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board has been asked to ensure that all the incidents of paddy residue burning are properly recorded through satellite imagery and the report of burning incidents are shared with the concerned administrative secretaries, deputy commissioners and other related officers for action on the ground.

An incentive for farmers that comply

"All Deputy Commissioners have already been asked to depute officials for each of the affected villages to spread awareness on the dangers of stubble-burning for health and environment," Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Viswajeet Khanna said.

"As many as 24,315 subidised agro-machines and other equipment are being supplied to the farmers, Cooperative Societies and Custom Hiring Centres to achieve zero burning of paddy straw," a Punjab government spokesperson said.

Amarinder Singh had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking Rs 100 per quintal as compensation only for those farmers who abstain from burning paddy residue under the state government's ambitious programme for management of paddy straw.

"The compensation should be given only to those farmers who refrain from burning paddy residue," Amarinder said in the communication.

The use of new machines for managing crop residue puts an additional burden of Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per acre on the farmers, which they are unable to afford.

Youth clubs in Punjab's villages have been asked to chip in to spread awareness among farmers against burning of paddy residue. Farmers who have not burnt the paddy in the last few years are being urged to interact with their peers.

In neighbouring Haryana, where paddy procurement is around 60 lakh tonnes, the state government has earmarked Rs 137.84 crore for crop residue management during the current financial year, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister O P Dhankar said.

Dhankar said that 900 Custom Hiring Centres were being established at a distance of every 50 km in the state to collect crop residue at one place.

After a Supreme Court ruling last year, the central government sanctioned Rs 665 crore for 2018-20 to generate awareness and boost the use of subsidised machinery for processing the crop residue instead of burning it in Punjab. Of this, Rs 269 crore is being spent this year, while Rs 396 crore will be spent in 2019.

However, stubble-burning is on the rise in both states despite scores of farmers being booked by the authorities.

Source: The first post

20/03/2018

27/12/2017

India-Nepal relations back on track in 2017

India-Nepal relations were back on track in 2017 with the high-level bilateral exchanges but their future ties would depend mainly on the approach adopted by the pro-China Left alliance which came to power in the recently concluded parliamentary polls.

The Himalayan nation, sandwiched between India and China, saw enhanced military ties with them in 2017, with Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat and Chinese Defence Minister Gen Chang Wanquan visiting Nepal to strengthen security cooperation.

In April, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari made her first abroad trip to New Delhi after assuming office in 2015, highlighting the significance of the ties with India.

During the visit, Bhandari met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and discussed all aspects of bilateral ties.

Her visit was "fruitful in enhancing the relations and goodwill between the two countries", after a period of unease in bilateral ties following the violent agitation in 2015 by Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, who blocked Indo-Nepal border demanding more representation in Parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

Prior to the Nepalese president's visit to India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was here to attend the Nepal Investment Summit during which he reiterated India's commitment to support its landlocked neighbour in infrastructure needs.

India had pledged Rs 44 million to its neighbour for construction of the building of technical institutions.

In June, Nepal witnessed change of guard when 70-year-old Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba was elected as the prime minister of Nepal for the record fourth term, after Prachanda handed over the reign to the veteran leader under a power sharing deal.

In the later part of the year, Deuba, who is considered close to India, made a state visit to New Delhi after becoming the premier. He met top leaders including Prime Minister Modi.

Deuba discussed about completing the detailed project report of Pancheshwer Multipurpose Project with Indian officials. He also sought from India more economic development assistance and investments in Nepal.

He termed his visit as successful in laying foundation for further strengthening Nepal-India ties.

Ahead of Deuba's visit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was here in July to attend the meeting of BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). She held talks with Nepalese leaders on the sidelines of the meet and both sides expressed their commitment to deepen the friendly bilateral relations.

Also, India's then railway minister Suresh Prabhu visited Nepal to discuss issues related to connecting the country with Delhi and Kolkata through rail network. The rail connectivity is important for the landlocked nation as its major exports or imports takes place through Indian ports.

The year saw Nepal's growing inclination towards China after the country became part of its ambitious "One Belt One Region" (OBOR) initiative, which is viewed by India with suspicion.

Nepal's then prime minister Prachanda, who is also the head of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, visited China to take part in the Boao Conference in March. He also met Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders.

Another example of growing China-Nepal relations was the first 10-day joint military drill 'Sagarmatha Friendship-2017' in which Chinese People's Liberation Army squad took part in the counter-terrorism and disaster response.

In May, along with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Nepal officially became part of Beijing's ambitious OBOR initiative, which aims to invest in infrastructural projects to revive the famous Silk Road trade routes.

Nepal's Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and Chinese Envoy to Nepal Yu Hong inked a Memorandum of Understanding on the framework agreement on the OBOR.

The growing Chinese interest in Nepal was also evident with the establishment of Hongshi Shivam Cement Company, set up with USD 360 million Chinese investment in South-West Nepal, with initial daily production capacity of 6,000 tonnes.

It was the year of elections in Nepal.

After 20 years, Nepalese voted in three phased elections to the local bodies, which was followed by elections for provincial assemblies and the lower house of Parliament.

In parliament elections held recently, a Left alliance of the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre won 116 out of 165 seats under the first-past-the-post system and is likely to form a Left government under former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, who is considered close to China.

"We seek cooperation and help from both India and China for our development, but we will not tolerate any interference in our affairs, from either side," said CPN-UML politburo member Bhim Rawal, who has been elected to the Parliament.

The elections are said to be a step forward in cementing the democracy and providing political stability to Nepal, which has seen 10 prime ministers in as many years.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Oli, Deuba and Prachanda on the successful conduct of elections.

Also this year, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae, who had completed his three and a half year term in Nepal, handed over the charge to Manjeev Singh Puri.

27/12/2017

PM Modi didn't mean to question Manmohan Singh's commitment to India,' says BJP's Arun Jaitley in RS

NEW DELHI: The BJP didn't exactly apologise, but it said today that PM Narendra Modi didn't mean to question his predecessor Manmohan Singh'scommitment to India when he accused him of colluding with Pakistan.

The BJP also said it holds Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari "in high esteem".
"PM in his speeches didn't question, nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either former PM Manmohan Singh or Former VP Hamid Ansari, any such perception is erroneous, we hold these leaders in high esteem, as well as their commitment to India," said senior BJP leader and Union minister Arun Jaitleytoday in the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress has been disrupting the Rajya Sabha since the beginning of the Winter Session of Parliament and demanding that Modi apologize.
Earlier this month, while campaigning in Gujarat, PM Modi accused Congress leaders - including Singh - of having a "secret meeting" with a former Pakistan minister and diplomats to ensure a BJP loss in the Assembly elections in the state. (The BJP won.) He alleged that the "three-hour secret meeting" was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, its former foreign minister, former PM Singh, and former Vice-President Ansari.

Singh criticised Modi uncharacteristically sharply. He berated him for allegedly spreading "falsehood and canards" to "score political points in a lost cause."

27/12/2017

Mumbai: Senior gynecologist found dead at home

Mumbai's senior gynecologist, Poonam Satpute, was found dead at her home. Cops rule out foul play, await post mortem report.

Senior gynecologist from Mumbai, Poonam Satpute was found dead at her home in Andheri West late Tuesday night.

Amboli police is investigating the case of the 45-year-old deceased.

Poonam was a known figure in the medical fraternity and stayed alone at her flat. According to police officials, Poonam was suffering from severe diabetes.

Poonam had written her last Facebook post on December 22.

After this post no one heard from her.

Tuesday late night, the neighbours complaint of an extremely foul odour. Cops were called in when they found the body of Poonam lying on the bed.

A police official from Amboli said, "We are not suspecting any foul play as of now, because the door was closed from inside. There is no injury on her body. It could be a very tragic end. However the body is sent for post mortem after which conclusions will be made. We are taking statements from friends and relatives, who have told us she was suffering from severe diabetes."

21/04/2017

02/01/2017

Daughter of South Korea's
'Rasputin' arrested in Denmark
Jan 2, 2017, 09.56AM IST AFP
SEOUL: The daughter of Choi
Soon-Sil, the woman at the
centre of a corruption scandal
that led to the impeachment of
South Korea's President, has
been arrested in Denmark after
months in hiding, Seoul
prosecutors said Monday.
Chung Yoo-Ra, the 20-year-old
daughter of the woman dubbed
South Korea's "Rasputin", is one
of the figures in the influence-
peddling scandal that sparked
massive street protests
demanding the removal of
President Park Geun-Hye.
Danish police arrested Chung
Sunday night for overstaying her
visa, Korean prosecutors said,
adding they were in talks with
Danish authorities to have her
deported to Seoul.
Choi, a secret confidante of Park,
is accused of using her ties with
the president to force top firms
including Samsung to "donate"
nearly $70 million to non-profit
foundations Choi then used as
her personal ATMs.
She is also accused of using her
influence to secure her
daughter's admission to an elite
Seoul university, with a state
probe revealing the school had
admitted Chung at the expense
of other candidates with better
qualifications.
The revelation touched a raw
nerve in education-obsessed
South Korea and prosecutors
sought to question Chung over
her admission to Ewha Women's
University in 2014.
Park stands accused of colluding
with Choi to extract money from
the firms and also of letting her
meddle in state affairs including
nominations of top officials, but
the president denies all charges
against her.
Parliament voted on December 9
to impeach Park over the
scandal and her executive
powers have been handed to an
acting president, Prime Minister
Hwang Kyo-Ahn.
The impeachment case is being
considered by the Constitutional
Court -- which has up to six
months to reach a ruling -- but
hundreds of thousands of South
Koreans have joined weekly
protests calling for Park's
immediate departure from
office.
If the impeachment is
confirmed, a presidential
election will have to be held
within 60 days.
Choi, daughter of a controversial
religious figure who was close
to Park until his death in 1994, is
awaiting trial on charges
including coercion and abuse of
power.
Several professors at Ewha
Women's University, including a
former school president, have
been investigated for giving
Chung preferential treatment.
One professor was arrested over
the weekend for allegedly giving
Chung a good grade for a class
she never attended and forcing
his teaching assistants to forge
exam records for her.
Top Samsung managers were
also investigated as part of the
scandal, following accusations
the firm indirectly bankrolled
Chung's equestrian training in
Germany in a bid to curry policy
favour.

02/01/2017

Politicians can't seek vote in
name of religion: SC
Politicians are barred from
seeking votes in the name of
religion, caste or creed the
Supreme Court ruled today in a
landmark judgment, ahead of
crucial assembly polls in five
states.

02/01/2017

Supreme Court removes
Anurag Thakur as BCCI
president
In the hearing that will
effectively decide the future of
cricket administration the
country, Supreme Court has
removed Anurag Thakur as
president of the BCCI with a
showcause notice issued in
regards to charges of perjury
and contempt of court.

08/09/2016