Chhattisgarh activist Ramesh Agrawal, who safeguarded local communities from industrial pollution and displacement through the Right To Information, has been felicitated with the prestigious Goldman Environment Prize.

A native of the industrial town Raigarh, Agrawal is among six people who have been awarded the Goldman Prize by Goldman Environment Foundation on Tuesday at San Francisco, for his contribution towards conservation of environment, land and forests.

The state’s activist community feels the recognition would help take up the “local struggle” for environmental conservation to the global level.

The 58-year-old Agrawal has a history of effectively lobbying against environment pollution and displacement issues in mineral-rich Raigarh district against the Jindal Group, as well as other industries.

Agrawal’s work made him a target and his supporters have alleged that the Jindal Group is suspected to have either orchestrated or financed an attack, where he was shot at by two motorcycle borne assailants in July 2012 at his hometown in full public view.

Agrawal survived the attack, but faced a long road to recovery and manages to walk with the help of a walking stick. However, the police said they could not found any link connecting the Jindal Group with the incident, though the case is technically, still ‘under investigation’.

Incidentally, in 2011, Agrawal was also arrested on a complaint filed by the Jindal Group.

“Farmers and villagers who were the part of Jan Chetna Manch organisation floated by Ramesh Agrawal against unchecked expansion of coal projects in Raigarh are happy with this award and it is their victory,” local environmental activist Gautam Bandopadhyay said.

Bandopadhyay said that Agrawal’ movement would get strengthened due to this recognition and international support. “His local struggle will now turn to a global struggle,” Bandopadhyay said.

“The recognition is very important from the point of view of social activists, since several people in the state are fighting against the dictatorship of industrial houses in many pockets.

This is an encouragement to all of us and those working to save nature and tribals of the state,” another noted environmental activist Alok Shukla who leads the Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan organisation in Raipur, said.

The southwest monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on June 5, four days behind schedule, the India Meteorological Department said in New Delhi on Thursday.

The forecast comes with an error of plus or minus four days. The normal date of onset of monsoon over the state is June 1.

Last year as against the forecast of arrival of monsoon on June 3, the rains had actually arrived in Kerala on June 1.

A year earlier, the monsoon had arrived on June 5.

The southwest monsoon is crucial for the farming community which heavily depends on the rainfall, particularly for kharif crops such as rice, soyabean, cotton and maize.

The country’s 60 per cent farm land is rain-fed.

The Met department had earlier said that the country could see below normal rainfall this year at 95 per cent rainfall because of the El-Nino effect which is generally associated with the warming of ocean water.

In a statement on Thursday, the Met department said the monsoon is likely to advance over Andaman Sea in the next three days as low-level cross equatorial monsoon flow has started appearing over south of Andaman Sea and adjoining south Bay of Bengal.

During the last few days, it said considerable increase in the rainfall activity over the Bay of Bengal has also been observed.

The cross equatorial flow is likely to strengthen and deepen, which in turn would lead to further increase in the rainfall activity over the area.

“It is likely to set over Kerala on June 5, with a model error of plus or minus 4 days”, the IMD said.

London: Telit Wireless Solutions, a global provider of high-quality machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions, products and services, today announced that Turtle Sense, a project designed to accurately predict when sea turtles hatch and emerge from their nests, will integrate Telit HE910 modules to communicate sensor data with the ultimate goal of protecting both the threatened and endangered sea turtles and the area’s critical tourism industry.  The Turtle Sense technology was developed by Nerds-Without-Borders an organization that believes thoughtful people, acting without self-interest and working collaborative can solve many of the world’s problems. Because coastal economies rely heavily on tourism from public access to beaches, business and environmental interests must balance the popularity of coastal towns with requirements for the preservation of sea turtle nesting areas prescribed in The Endangered Species Act.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located off the North Carolina coast. Nesting female sea turtles return to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. Months later, tiny turtles struggle out of their shells, out of their nest, and move toward the ocean. Today, when a sea turtle nest is found on the beach, a small enclosure is built around the nest to keep pedestrians and vehicles away. About 50 to 55 days later, the nest closure is expanded, often closing the beach to vehicular traffic. Currently there is no reliable way to predict when the tiny turtles will emerge from their nests near the dune line and parade to the surf. As a result, closures sometimes last more than a month.

Eric Kaplan, founder of the non-profit Hatteras Island Ocean Center and chairman of a technology company, has proposed a solution based on M2M communications technology that will help predict the hatching and emergence events and, in turn, minimize the number of days when large portions of the beach are blocked. First generation technology was tested in 2013 on four nests. This summer about 20 nests will be monitored using second generation technology.

The design is based on Telit’s HE910modules, which are incorporated in Janus plug-in Terminus modems. Cable connections are made to sensors that are buried in the nests: they measure temperature and movement.  The sensors are controlled by a microprocessor, which communicates with a second microprocessor on the modem, which in turn transfers the sensor data to the HE910, ultimately transmitting it to the cloud over the m2mAIR Mobile cellular network.

In order to extend battery life throughout the nesting, incubation and hatching period, transmission timing starts slow and intermittent and increases in frequency once activity is reported“ Through the use of this innovative technology, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is hoping to be able to accurately predict sea turtle hatching and emergence,” said National Park Service wildlife biologist Britta Muiznieks. “Previous studies have been unsuccessful on predicting these events with reliable accuracy.”

In addition to HE910 HSPA+ modules, Turtle Sense is communicating over the Telit m2mAIR Mobile network – truly taking advantage of the Telit One Stop. One Shop.

“Telit has a long-standing tradition of collaborating with organizations like Hatteras Island Ocean Center,” said Carlos Perez, EVP Global Sales Telit Wireless Solutions. “Along with products and technical assistance, Telit also looks for ways to create awareness for projects like this innovative, environmentally-conscious solution.”

With over 12 years of unparalleled focus on M2M, reducing technical risk and shortening time to market for OEMs and integrators, Telit’s ONE STOP. ONE SHOP delivers all necessary services and products to connect assets to the Internet of Things. Whether sourcing single products or full end-to-end solutions, count onM2M’s broadest portfolio in cellular, short range and positioning technologies paired with m2mAIR services covering application enablement as well as deployment management &connectivity under mobile networks and over the internet & cloud. Telit benchmark-quality products and services are delivered with global support and logistics exceeding exacting requirements from customers large and small. Telit’s ONE STOP. ONE SHOP.delivers the Internet of Things made Plug & Play. Now innovate!

Paleontologists in Argentina’s remote Patagonia region have discovered fossils of what was likely the largest dinosaur ever to roam the earth.

The creature is believed to be a new species of Titanosaur, a long-necked, long-tailed sauropod that walked on four legs and lived some 95 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period.

The dinosaur “weighed the equivalent of more than 14 African elephants,” or about 100 tonnes, said Jose Luis Carballido, a paleontologist at the Egidio Feruglio Museum in the southern Argentine city of Trelew.

“This is a true paleontological treasure,” Carballido said in a statement yesterday on the museum website.

“There are many remains and they were practically intact, something that does not frequently happen.” Known fossils “of a giant Titanosaur are scarce and fragmentary.”

Museum director Ruben Cuneo told local media that the remains belong to “the largest known specimen” of its kind and “the most complete find of this type of dinosaur in the world”.

The fossils were accidental discovered in 2011 by a farm worker in a remote area in the Patagonian province of Chubut, some 1,300 kilometres south of Buenos Aires.

The creature was plant-eating and measured some 40 meters from head to tail, Cuneo said.

Photos posted on the museum website show a fossilised femur larger than the paleontologist pictured next to it.

Experts believe that the remains of seven dinosaurs, as well as the broken teeth of carnivores, are among the 200 fossils found at the Chubut site where the giant femur was found.

India will have to invest USD 834 billion in the two decades ending 2030 to reduce its emission intensity to gross domestic product by 42 percent over 2007 levels, according to a Planning Commission expert group.

According to the final report of the expert group on low carbon strategies for inclusive growth, the massive change in the energy mix by 2030 will result in lower demand of coal at 1,278 million tonnes from estimated 1,568 million tonnes.

It has also said the measures would help in reducing demand for crude oil to 330 million tonnes from an estimated 406 million tonnes by 2030.

However, it says that the low carbon emission strategy would increase the consumption of gas in energy mix and its consumption would be increase from 187 bcm to 208 bcm.

Under the low carbon energy mix, the installed capacities of wind and solar power need to increase to 118 GW and 110 GW respectively by 2030.

According to Kirit Parikh, a former member of the Planning Commission (Energy) and head of the expert group, who released the report in New Delhi on Monday, the huge investments in low carbon strategy would have little impact on economic growth.

He opined that the Indian economy is expected to be growing at a rate of 7.03 percent per annum till 2030 and with the investment of USD 834 billion over two decades on low carbon strategy; it would growth at 6.87 percent every year.

He, however, said this investment of USD 834 billion at 2011 prices, would result in reduced resources for other sectors which could in turn affect the GDP growth rate.

Highlighting other observations of the study, he said that people are buying higher star-rated appliances these days which are generally more energy efficient.

The report also highlights the importance of more efficient coal power plants in future and use of renewable energy resources.

It suggested that the aim should be that at least one third of power generation by 2030 be fossil-fuel free.

It also suggested that Government of India needs to allocate more resources to the Green India Mission to enhance the stock of growing forests, and to improve provisioning of ecosystem goods and services in the country.

New Delhi: To observe the World Environment Day, Bonjour (the leading brand of socks) in association with Panther India Cycling Club organized Cyclothon Challenge, in Delhi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Dr Bhurelal, (Chairman – Environment Protection Controlling Authority) was invited as the chief guest of honour. Renowned names like Ms Sunita Narayan (Environment activist), and Mr. Sunil Dang (CEO Day After), Sardar Virender Jouhar (President Thakurdwara) also graced the event with their presence. Mark Ellison from England got the Champion’s trophy for 42 KM Road Race Cycles category, Shashank Singh of Delhi bagged champion’s trophy for 42 KM Mountain Bike Cycles Category and Anupam Bhardwaj of Delhi won 10 KM of Veterans Above 45 years, champion’s trophy. A fun race of 1 KM for kids was also organized.

The recently released report by WHO declared Delhi as the most polluted city in the world. Thus, an event like the Cyclothon can be seen as an inspiring initiative that will encourage people of the city towards using pollution free and healthy modes of transportation. The event was a worldwide initiative where participants from across the world (including people from the U.S.A., and the U.K.) showed enthusiastic support and participation. To promote green environment and protection of trees the participants were given small plants as souvenirs with ribbons attached to them that read, “Save me! One day I will save the planet”.The participants and the audiences pledged post the event to plant more trees and keep the environment healthy and happy.

The event organized by Bonjour, the number one player of socks in association with Panther India Cycling Club passed the message of a “HEALTHY AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT”. The tie up of the two companies and the cyclothon gave a platform to Bonjour to showcase their wide range of sports socks. Bonjour has decided to allocate and contribute funds towards the promotion and popularity of lesser known sports cultures in India so that these sports can get the opportunity to make their own space.

The monsoon is on schedule and is expected to hit Kerela by 5th June, according to Met department.

“Conditions are favourable for the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala and its further advance into some more parts of south Arabian sea, remaining parts of Maldives- Comorin area, some parts of Tamil Nadu and some more parts of Bay of Bengal during the next 48 hours.

“Conditions are also favourable for advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of northeastern states during the next 72 hours,” said a statement by the Indian Meterological Department.

The met department forecast states the monsoon is expected to hit Kerela by 5th June.

Thunderstorm has been observed over Odisha, Assam, Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka and south Kerala, the department said.

After four years of normal and above-normal monsoon, India is expected to have below normal monsoon this year with rainfall projected to be 95 per cent, news which is disappointing for the farming community.

Officials in the weather department said the monsoon is expected to be below normal because of El-Nino effect, which is generally associated with the warming of ocean water.

“Lead indicators point to continuing sluggishness in domestic economic activity in the first quarter of 2014-15. The outlook for agriculture is clouded by the meteorological departments forecasts of a delay in the onset of the south-west monsoon with a 60 per cent chance of the occurrence of El Nino,” RBI Governor Raghuram G Rajan said in a second bi-monthly monetary policy statement on Wednesday.

To promote the green agenda on World Environment’s Day 2014,  Jaypee Vasant Continental is creating awareness drive among its employees with a host of eco- friendly activities.  Some of the activities are also designed to elicit the participation of the guests.

Encouraging the employees to participate and spread the message, the hotel is hosting ‘Go Green Mocktail competition’, among various departments, where participants get a chance to showcase their sense of blend & innovation using various seasonal green ingredients. Besides this, personnel from various departments will also participate in the Slogan Writing Competition and Plant Making Competition, where the employees would riot their imagination with splash of colours.  The extravaganza starts from 03rd June’14 ends on 07th June’14.

The Hotel is inviting suggestions from all employees on global warming, climate change, measures to keep the surroundings clean. Some of the suggestions will be handpicked and taken up for further discussion and implementation. The day will be observed with few activities to grab instant eye-balls and further spread the message. Badges conveying the message – save environment will be given to the in-house guests and and will also be worn by the front of the house staff for the entire week. There will also be screening of documentary movie/ videos on environment awareness in the cafeteria during tea breaks. Ending the week with a reverence, the back of the house staff will sport GREEN Dress Code on the last dayvironment Day with some eco-friendly activities. This is part of our endeavor to create awareness about the environment internally as well as among the community around us. The whole awareness drive will involve participation from hotel employees, in-house guests as well as regulars at the Hotel’s F&B outlets. We believe that no contribution is small, each of the initiatives is planned to instill the understanding and the value of individual contribution to the environment”

This June, Sofitel Mumbai BKC celebrates World Environment Day with ‘The Smart Commute’ Cycle2Work. Cycling being one of the easiest and cost effective ways to incorporate exercise into one’s daily routine, this mode of transport allows one to avoid traffic while keeping fit and reducing the carbon footprint at the same time. Promoting cycling and its benefits, the hotel Sofitel Mumbai BKC has organized a race ending at the venue.

Starting on the 6th of June 2014 at 7am, commuters are given the choice of four routes which will culminate at the hotel’s recently launched venue Hriday a 30,000 sq. ft. of sheer space in the heart of Mumbai.

The following cycle routes have been identified for the event:

1.         Thane – Ghatkopar – Sofitel Mumbai, BKC

2.         Mumbai Traffic Police HQ, Worli – Sofitel Mumbai, BKC

3.         Goregaon – Andheri – Sofitel Mumbai, BKC

4.         Shivaji Chowk, Chembur – Sofitel Mumbai, BKC

In lieu with the Hotel’s campaign PLANET 21, Sofitel Mumbai BKC promises a responsible and sustainable development with a goal of protecting our planet and the environment.

Mr. Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager, Sofitel Mumbai BKC says, “In our Planet 21 initiative, the hotel regularly conducts a number of activities some of which include; Coffee Bean Waste Project where used coffee beans are collected from all areas of the hotel and transferred into the Waste Converter Machine to create recycled waste which is later used as manure for the plants. The hotel also follows Tree plantation drives, blood drives, regulation of water supply to its best capacity and more, ‘The Smart Commute’ Cycle2Work will be one additional step closer to a greener and healthier environment.”

With an estimated participation of 200 cyclists, Sofitel Mumbai BKC will also treat the participants to some light, scrumptious and healthy breakfast post the race from its De-Light Menu. A pleasurable surprise of refined taste with the freshest ingredients and tempting flavours, De-Light is a creative and innovative array in helping one meet their fitness goals in style.

“The Smart Commute™” – is a ‘Cycle2Work’ (C2W) Project – an independent effort which was introduced to the city of Mumbai since the last 2 years by Mr. Piyush and Ms. Firoza. They have undertaken many projects under the aegis of this concept.

C2W has so far organized the first-of-its-kind ‘Cycle-to-Work Flash Mob’ in India on the 19th of May, 2012, outside Bandra Railway Station, Mumbai. This effort happened to be the first of its kind organized in the country. A unique concept, by any standard, this event was executed entirely by enthusiastic cyclists and its success was evident from the amount of appreciation of the crowd. The event went on to earn a place in the ‘Limca Book of Records’.

This encouraged them to organize a special cycle rally from Bandra Kurla Complex to Bandra Carter Road, about 5 kms, the following year, ie. on 18th Community of Mumbai who were invited to join urban cyclists to promote the initiative. This event was conducted in peak evening traffic to seek the attention of motorists & to ensure that the message –‘bicycles with proper safety gears could be used as an alternate mode of transport’ – was well understood.

Source: Lokesh Shastri

Hyderabad: As global population grows, it places an ever increasing load on the world’s resources and infrastructure. While meeting this meeting this demand, it is critical to maintain a harmonic balance with our environment in order to sustain this ever shrinking resource pool and prevent irreversible damage to the environment. As an organization committed to sustainable development, GVK has renewed its efforts to providing world class infrastructure that meets and exceeds global ‘Green’ standards.

Keeping with this philosophy, it has built an in-house Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to ensure all projects meet and obtain the Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from the United Nations Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC).

As a result of these efforts, GVK projects are among the most environmentally friendly in their category.

·         GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd. leads the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) for the utility sector in India.

·         Both GVK CSIA – Mumbai and GVK KIA – Bengaluru Airports have received LEED Gold Certification, one of the high Green Building Certifications in the world.

·         GVK CSIA in Mumbai has been awarded the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation for 2012-13 by Airport Council International (ACI) for its pioneering Carbon Footprint Management system and processes implemented. It also the first airport in India to voluntarily and proactively initiate its carbon footprint mapping process.

·         GVK KIA, Bengaluru has upgraded its Airport carbon accreditation certification to Level 3 Optimisation. Kempegowda International Airport is one of the first Indian airports which has migrated its ground vehicles operation to Biofuel (supplied by KSBDB) with an objective to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprint.

In the words of Dr. GVK Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director – GVK, “It is our constant endeavour to be the best in the world. We understand that to achieve that we have to go beyond ordinary approaches and adopt unconventional and alternative thinking to achieve balanced business growth. Therefore environmental sustainability is one of the key pillars on which we develop all our projects.”

Reflecting GVK’s environmental stewardship, the iconic new Terminal 2 at GVK CSIA has been built to be highly energy & water efficient. Sewage recycling, water recycling & rain water harvesting technologies will contribute to a 20% reduction in water use, over & above the LEED baseline. Using a high-performance glazing system with a custom frit pattern, T2 achieves optimal thermal performance and mitigates glare. Perforated metal panels on the terminal’s curtain wall filter the low western and eastern sun angles, creating a comfortable day-lit space for waiting passengers, and responsive daylight controls balance outdoor and indoor light levels for optimal energy savings. Combined with strategically-placed skylights throughout the check-in hall, these will reduce T2’s energy consumption by 23%. The terminal also has a Level 2 accreditation on carbon management by ACI.

GVK’s efforts in this direction have received global recognition

·         GVK KIA won the ‘Most Innovative Environmental Best Practice Award – 2013′ at CII-Environmental Best Practices Award. The GVK KIA team also bagged the “Most useful Project Presentation” award at the event chosen by close to 75 participants through voting at the forum.

·         GVK CSIA, Mumbai has been awarded the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation for 2012-13 by Airport Council International (ACI) for its pioneering Carbon Footprint Management system and processes implemented.

·         GVK’s Jegurupadu, Combined Cycle Power Plant has been rated as ‘Eco Star Gold’ by TERI. Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board recognized the Jegurupadu plant for outstanding contribution to the development of the Eco Park.

·         GVK KIA won the prestigious Water Award for outstanding work in water management and sustainability at the Bangalore Water Summit.

WD®, a Western Digital company and a world leader in connected storage solutions, today reaffirmed its commitment to the environment by planting up to 1,000 trees in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, and by encouraging its customers, partners and friends to spread awareness and pledge their support via WD’s Facebook page.

WD’s World Environment Day initiatives will commence on its Facebook page through a special application that encourages Facebook friends to make a promise towards creating a greener environment, and share their ideas of going green. For every promise made, WD will plant a tree in Malihabad (with a maximum of 1,000 trees) in August 2014. To assist with planting and upkeep of planted trees, WD has tied up with JAZZ, an NGO started by Ms. Jaazbia Khan, a Lucknow-based school student. The NGO adopts arid land areas and helps organizations with tree-plantation drives. The tree plantation will help in restoring the depleted water table in the region while also creating employment opportunities for the local youth.

Speaking about the initiative, Subroto Das, WD’s sales director India commented, “The tree-plantation drive and the awareness campaign is a part of WD’s commitment towards the environment. We wish to encourage our customers and partners to make eco-friendly choices, and join us in our attempt to contribute to a greener world.  We thank all the volunteers who are a part of this initiative, and are trying to improve and sustain the environment in their surroundings.”

As a part of its campaign, WD will also encourage resellers to adopt eco-friendly practices. Resellers will receive money plants as gifts and special leaflets made of eco-friendly material highlighting tips on contributing towards a greener environment.

The awareness drive will be extended to key traffic signals in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad where volunteers will request motorists to turn off their ignition engines when not in use while also handing out leaflets made of eco-friendly material that highlight easy ways to ‘Go Green’.

To encourage environment friendly practices amongst its own employees, WD India office will also observe a ‘Go Paperless’ initiative, wherein paper will be unavailable in printers/copiers for a week-long period, and will only be made available in absolutely critical scenarios.

North India reeled under severe heat wave conditions on Thursday, with Jaipur experiencing the hottest day in 33 years at 46.3 degrees Celsius and the national capital recording the season’s highest temperature of 44.7 degrees.

Delhiites had to sweat it out as the maximum temperature was four degrees above normal, and humidity oscillated between 22 and 63 percent.

The previous highest for the season in Delhi was recorded on 29th May when the temperature was 43.7 degrees.

The MeT office said that Thursday’s temperature was the highest for the day in five years.

In the desert state of Rajasthan, relentless heat wave conditions affected normal life, with Bikaner sizzling at 47.4 degrees Celsius. State capital Jaipur was the hottest since 1981, according to the local MeT office.

In Uttar Pradesh too, there was no respite from the scorching heat, with the weatherman forecasting that the dry weather will continue over the state. Allahabad was reeling at 46.1 degrees C.

According to the MeT office in Lucknow, day temperatures shot up in Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Jhansi and Meerut divisions, and changed a little in the remaining divisions of the state.

Hot conditions also swept Faizabad, Lucknow, Allahabad, Bareilly, Moradabad, Jhansi, Agra and Meerut divisions.

Blistering heat wave conditions also prevailed in Punjab and Haryana, with the mercury rising up to several notches above normal in most parts of both the states.

Mercury shot up in both states, touching the 45 degrees Celsius mark in many cities.

Haryana’s Hisar, the hottest place in the region, sizzled at 46 degrees Celsius, the MeT department in Chandigarh said.

Among other places in Haryana, Ambala and Narnaul recorded maximum of 44.4 and 43 degrees Celsius, notches above normal.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a maximum of 45.6 degrees, five notches above normal, while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded a high of 45.4 and 44.8 degrees.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh recorded a maximum of 43.8 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.

According to MeT forecast, weather will remain mainly dry in Punjab and Haryana in the next 24 hours.

In the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, the lower reaches reeled under scorching heat, with Una sizzling at 44.3 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.

Sundernagar recorded a maximum temperature of 39.3 degrees Celsius, while Dharamsala recorded a maximum of 33.8 and Shimla 30.9 degrees Celsius.

Mumbai:  On the occasion of the World Environment Day (5 June), Grow-Trees.com, the exclusive Indian Planting Partner for United Nation’s Environment Program’s Billion Tree Campaign, and Vodafone India, one of India’s leading telecom services provider, today announced a novel private initiative  to  benefit the wildlife corridor between Kanha-Pench wildlife reserves by planting 3,00,000 trees over 3 years. The tree planting activities will be spread out over 100 hectares of forest land between the two reserves.

Handing over the first sapling to Mr. Pradip Shah, coFounder & Chairman of Grow-Trees.com, to formally launch the project, Marten Pieters, MD & CEO Vodafone India, said, “As a responsible corporate, Vodafone India is committed to initiatives that protect our environment and benefit the community. With this unique project, we will be able to offset the 33 million kg of carbon footprint generated by our offices every year for 3-years. In addition, we will be able to support livelihood opportunities, enable reforestation and facilitate habitat connectivity in tiger breeding areas. This is a win-win-win proposition for all – the organisation, the community and the environment, exemplifying the true spirit of sustainability.”

This project will create about 25,000 workdays of direct jobs mainly for women and tribals inhabiting the area in addition to supporting several allied livelihood generating activities such as farming, fruit and honey gathering etc. on a sustained basis. The site is in Sijhora Range and would be jointly protected by three villages – Majhipur, Jogisoda and Chandiya. A variety of trees, including Karani, Harra, Baheda, Bamboo, Khamer, Ladiya, Mango and Amla, that are local to the region will be planted. Saplings of these are already being grown in the special nurseries funded by Grow-Trees.com.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradip Shah, coFounder, Grow-Trees.com, said, “Approximately 45% of India’s land is degraded primarily due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, mining and excessive groundwater extraction. More than two thirds of this can be regenerated and our endeavour is to facilitate this by providing planting opportunities to individual and corporate customers. We are delighted to have Vodafone India as our corporate partner to support this novel project of wildlife corridors for enlarging wildlife habitats. The size and scale of this private reforestation initiative is the biggest till date in the country.  The planting process on site will begin by early August, in the midst of the seasonal monsoon, and be led by our on ground partner FES.”

Source: Lokesh Shastri

Gurgaon: Doctors and staff members at the multi specialty Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, took time off from their busy schedules today to participate in a plantation drive around the hospital, and talk about the ‘health’ of the planet on World Environment Day.

50 saplings were planted at several places inside the hospital as well as in the areas in the vicinity of the institution by doctors, administrators and other staff members of the hospital.

The plantation drive was led by Dr Sonia, Manager Administration; and was attended by a number of doctors of the hospital. As they participated in the drive and went around planting trees, the doctors emphasized that it was important for each of the planet earth’s citizens to do their own bit in protecting the environment and saving our collective future.

At Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, the agenda of the day’s event was to ensure that a better and greener environment is provided to the patients coming to the hospital. The importance of the environment was also discussed and emphasis was also laid on proper waste disposals mechanisms practiced as per the advised government norms.

Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon plans to take the initiative to a bigger scale and invite the local community, school college and active RWA’s to associate with them in the near future.

Dr Tapan Ghose, Director & HOD, Cardiology at Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon said: “This is an important step taken by Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon. Such initiatives not only help in creating ambiance for the patients bus is also a social effort on our part to ensure that the environment is taken care of. A clean and green environment also has a positive effect on the heart. A better environment, fresh air makes a person feel positive, comforts and soothes, ensuring that his well being.”

World Environment Day (WED) is observed each year on June 5 under the aegis of the United Nations to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Not just institutions and governments, people and individuals also observe the day by doing something for their environment and spreading a word about it.

The UN has designated the year 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and across the world stakeholders are using World Environment to raise awareness and generate momentum for greater action to prevent the vulnerable countries and people from the catastrophe of climate change.

NDTV and Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd (Grundfos India) turned the spotlight on the looming energy crisis this World Environment Day with the Mission Energy Sessions – a platform for prominent energy experts, policy makers and industry leaders to highlight issues; recommend solutions for industry and the new government; and focus on energy efficient ideas for the future. Actor Abhay Deol felicitated winners of the NDTV Grundfos Mission Energy Challenge, which saw 100 contenders competing to achieve highest energy and monetary savings. This was India’s first televised eco-challenge, conducted in association with CII, and winners included Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Vadodara; Indian School of Business, Mohali; Kesoram Industries Ltd [Cement Division], Sedam and homeowner Ameetsinh Vaghela.

Held at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, many prominent personalities including actor Abhay Deol, who is building an eco-home in Goa; Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General-  Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Government of India; Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director – Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL); Naina Lal Kidwai, Executive Director & Country Head – HSBC and Former President – FICCI; Ranganath N K, Managing Director -  Grundfos Pumps India; Jørgen Bjelskou, Group Public Affairs Director – Grundfos; Dr Sunita Narain, Director General – Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); Mili Majumdar, Director, Sustainable Habitat Division – TERI; Beroz Gazdar, Head Sustainability – Mahindra and Mahindra; Krishan Dhawan, Chief Executive Officer – Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation; Dr Prem Jain, Chairman – IGBC – CII; Samit Aich, Executive Director – Greenpeace, amongst others participated in the informative sessions.

Supporting the cause, Abhay Deol, said, “It is a great initiative by NDTV and what I liked most about it was it showcased great innovations, which gives so much encouragement to these people. I already have a shopping list for my home after coming here. It’s inspired me and if I am investing in it myself then it will encourage those who are making these.”

Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “Over the years NDTV’s programming has brought focus on a number of social issues through a multitude of campaigns. This campaign is an attempt by us to create awareness around energy conservation and I am glad that we are able to highlight viable solutions that can be adopted, both at an individual level as well as at a national level.”

Ranganath N K, Managing Director, Grundfos India said “We partnered with NDTV to promote energy efficiency in India through the Mission Energy campaign on TV. This is a first of its kind initiative and was aimed at sensitizing all the stakeholders on the importance of energy conservation.  In the last five months, this campaign has had a considerable impact on various stakeholders like the Government, industry, educational institutions, as well as individuals. People are waking up to the fact that energy conservation is critical to ensure we bridge the demand – supply gap in India. Not only this, there are savings in costs as well – for the individual and for the nation. India has still a long way to go till it can completely bridge the energy deficit. Being energy efficient will help us achieve this at a lower cost to the country. We at Grundfos along with NDTV are happy to have helped increase the awareness and the momentum through Mission Energy.”

The event marked the culmination of the NDTV-Grundfos Mission Energy Campaign, which was launched earlier this year to create awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and encourage individual efforts towards conservation. The Grundfos Mission Energy Sessions were conducted with the aim to not only discuss issues but also suggest plausible solutions. While the first session focussed on highlighting gruelling current issues, suggestions from the panellists on policy changes etc, the second session drew attention to innovations in energy efficiency that can play a vital role in solving some of India’s energy problems. This session showcased some unique and viable innovations to facilitate energy efficiency in your homes and organisations. The last session concluded with shortlisted participants from the Mission Energy Challenge (conducted by NDTV in association with CII) discussing “It’s All About ME – The Power of An Individual” and presentation of awards to winners and Runners Up.

NDTV-Grundfos Mission Energy is supported by CII as Knowledge Partner, TERI as Content Partner and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and AEEE as Energy Efficiency Partners.

Gurgaon: In line with its philosophy of welfare for all, Emaar MGF, one of India’s leading real estate developers, celebrated ‘World Environment Day’ by planting more than 1000 saplings at its various project sites in Gurgaon. Company had also organised awareness programs involving construction site labours and employees wherein the project heads talked about the importance of planting trees and how to maintain one’s surroundings.

Emaar MGF employees made banners and posters on environment awareness program which was then displayed among general public. The event was concluded with sweet distribution and an environment awareness training program for site workers. Project sites where Emaar MGF carried this drive include Palm Terraces Select, Marbella, Palm Gardens, Palm Hills, Emarald Hills and Capital Towers Downtown in Gurgaon and Mohali Hills in Mohali, Chandigarh.

Emaar MGF, known for its high quality and internationally designed projects, conducts many CSR activities every year.  They had recently distributed New Year gifts to the children of construction workers along with 25000 blankets, during winters. Among other social activities, the company is running a day care centre for children of construction workers, at Palm Drive in Gurgaon through Mobile Creches, an organization which provides education, nutrition and health to children through the day.  Emaar MGF is also involved in CSR campaigns like donation to various relief funds, donation to NGOs working in the field of disability, education and healthcare.

On this occasion Dr. K Ramamurthy, CEO-Projects, Emaar MGF said,

“We always take something from the environment and Mother Earth but seldom give back. As a responsible corporate citizen, it is our duty to compensate the loss we have made to our nature and nothing is better than planting trees for maintaining this ecological balance. We intend to continue our efforts to save our planet and we planned to carry this drive to our other projects as well.  We also urge others to give back to Mother Earth in their own capable means and make the environment healthy, wealthy and green”.

Emphasizing its commitment to sustainable development NR Group, the makers of Cycle Pure Agarbathies, celebrated World Environment Day in Mysore. Aimed at raising awareness to take positive environmental action, the celebration saw NR Group co-coordinating a series of initiatives both within as well as outside the organization.

The celebrations were marked by sapling planting campaign; where in around 500 saplings were planted at the 5 units of the group. The event also witnessed a walkathon. Flagged off by Mr. Vishnu Ranga , the walkathon, starting from NR Group Office to Law court and back to Office, saw around 150 employees participating in the event. Further, in an effort to inculcate eco-friendly practices among the public, the walkers distributed around 100 saplings to the public during the course of the walkathon.

The occasion also saw NR Group presenting its green agenda for the year. As part of the agenda, NR Group pledged to further reduce its carbon footprint through various environment saving projects and to be a carbon neutral company by the end of 2014.

Speaking about the initiatives, Mr. Arjun Ranga, Managing Partner, NR Group, said, “Combating the impact of human intervention in natural ecosystem requires concerted efforts by industries, authorities and individuals. At NR Group we understand this thoroughly and have imbibed sustainability as one of the core values. Be it our products or practices we have always fostered sustainable development.”

“I’m proud to see the enthusiasm of our employees to do their part on this day.” added Mr. Arjun

NR Group, one of the leading business conglomerates in India, has always nurtured an eco-friendly approach in all its endeavours. NR Group uses agarbathi packets of around 40 microns, which are not harmful and can be recycled. Further, the print boards are sourced from carbon neutral companies and as a result it does not affect the forest nor pollute the soil.  In fact, recyclable jute threads are used for tying agarbathi boxes.  A champion of environment friendly practices, the company has set up re-cycle corrugated boxes at relevant units and ensures they are used multiple times before being scraped. Apart from packaging, NR Group practices utmost care in the manufacturing of its products as well. All the agarbathi products are made from IFRA Certified aroma materials and are not harmful to the environment or health.

Further, NR Group also has established a waste management process to recycle packing material and agarbathi scrap. They have set up biomass heating units at NRR production facilities to use heat from waste products for drying purposes. The company has also set up packaging units using solar energy for packaging operations. In fact, Rangsons Electronics, one of the subsidiaries is taking the group’s commitment to eco-friendly practices further, Rangsons Electronics is planning to engage in an energy audit process to continuously monitor the energy consumption and minimize wastage.

Mumbai: Bajaj Electricals Ltd. very early on recognized the need and adopted practices for moving towards a greener tomorrow. For almost a decade the company has dedicated itself to the cause of protecting the environment and minimizing all kinds of pollution including noise, water, air and earth. Today from anti-tobacco drives to tree plantation activities that help keep pollution levels low to running at the Mumbai Marathon for the cause of saving the pristine Himalayas the company is very involved in this green movement. And with everything, good practices begin from the home. The company ensures the same is also reflected in their products by making them increasingly energy efficient and waste reducing.

KidZania, the world’s leading edutainment brand has associated with Bajaj Electricals Ltd. on 5th June, 2014 World Environment Day. This also marks the culmination of the multi-month celebration of “Kids for a Greener World” campaign at Kidzania. For this occasion two very prestigious NGOs that work towards the causes of Rural development and Societal upliftment were presented with sustainable lighting solutions from Bajaj Electricals Ltd. against the KidZos contributed by the children who visited KidZania. In addition Mr. Rohit Kumar – Vice President & Bu Head – Lighting and Viraj Jit Singh, Chief Marketing Officer, KidZania interacted with enthusiastic children at Kidzania and also lead a discussion on Energy Crisis and Renewable Energy. In the 75th year of Bajaj Electricals Ltd. it is an important association that will help the company achieve its greener goals.

Through KidZania’s “Kids for Greener World”, a platform was created, enabling children to learn more about their environment and to share their best ideas for a healthier planet and pledge their commitment to a Greener World. The program entailed eco-themed role-playing activities at KidZania and the Green Debate while instilling a very important value of encouraging kids to give back to their community and society at large. KidZania in collaboration with Bajaj Electricals Ltd. encouraged kids to donate their hard earned kidZos (the KidZania currency with which kids can earn and spend to participate in the role-playing activities) for the Greener cause.

Commenting on this partnership, KidZania India spokesperson Viraj Jit Singh, Chief Marketing Officer said, “KidZania believes that children can be allies to the environment and make a difference. Therefore environmental stewardship is at the heart of KidZania’s mission and experience. The “Kids for a Greener World” initiative is a natural extension that inspires children to be responsible citizens and work towards creating a better world for themselves. We are proud to have Bajaj Electricals partner with us and help inculcate pro-environment attitudes amongst children. Through the kidZos donation drive the kids experienced that the first step to making the world a better place starts with each individual”.

Rohit Kumar – Vice President & Bu Head – Lighting said “From tree plantation drives to propagating the cause for saving the Himalayas at the Mumbai marathon, Bajaj Electricals Ltd. takes the protection of the environment very seriously. This philosophy also applies to the products and technologies used. From Energy Efficient water heaters and Fans to increasingly more ecofriendly lighting products that work on non-polluting LED technology, the company continues to move towards a green future. On this World Environment Day it gives us great joy to partner with Kidzania and through the programme of “Kids for a Greener World” encourage the next generation of our country to work towards a more sustainable future.”

Source: Lokesh Shastri

There was no respite from intense heat wave in North India on Saturday as temperatures soared to as high as 48.3 degrees Celsius in Allahabad while Delhi also had a hot day with mercury settling at 44.9 degree Celsius.

Excessively high temperatures were recored in most parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan while Nagpur in Maharashtra recorded highest maximum temperature in the last 11 years with mercury soaring to 47.3 degree Celsius.

A day after experiencing the hottest day of this summer, the maximum temperature in Delhi settled at five notches above normal, and slightly below from yesterday’s 45 degree Celsius.

The minimum temperature in the city breached the 30 degree mark as it settled at 30.8 degree Celsius, three points above normal.

There seems to be no respite for Delhiites from the scorching heat in the next couple of days as the weatherman has predicted that the day temperature may continue to hover around 45 degree Celsius and the minimum around 30 degree Celsius till June 10.

Uttar Pradesh also reeled under scorching heat as hot and dry winds pushed mercury and maximum temperature remained above normal in the state with Allahabad sizzling at 48.3 degree celsius.

Temperatures were above normal in Meerut Varanasi, Faizabad, Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly and Agra divisions and appreciably above normal in Gorakhpur, Moradabad, Jhansi divisions.

It was frying hot in Rajasthan where Jaipur recorded the season’s highest of 46.8 degree Celsius.

Churu was the hottest in the desert state recording the maximum temperature of 47.6 degrees followed by Bikaner and Kota where the day temperature was 47.2 and 46.9 degrees respectively.

There was no respite in sight from intense heat wave conditions prevailing in Punjab and Haryana with mercury touching 45 degree Celsius level at most of the places in both states.

Hisar was the hottest in both states as it sizzled at 46.5 deg C, up by five degrees above normal.

Among other areas in Haryana, Ambala had a high of 44 deg C, 4 degrees above normal, while in Narnaul mercury settled at 42 deg C.

Union Territory Chandigarh recorded the maximum at 44.4 deg C, up by five notches above normal.

In Punjab, Amritsar had a high of 46 deg C, up by five degrees above normal, while Ludhiana and Patiala sizzled at 45.5 deg C and 45 deg C.

Even in the hill state of Uttarakhand, Dehradun and other areas in the plains were gripped by sweltering heat with state capital recording a high of 41 degrees celsius.

Meanwhile in Maharashtra, Nagpur registered highest maximum temperature in the last 11 years as mercury soared to 47.3 degree Celsius.

The previous highest temperature in the city was recorded at 47.7 degree Celsius on 4th June 2003.

The entire Vidarbha region, which is reeling under intense heat, has witnessed high temperatures hovering from 45 to 47 degree Celsius in different parts of region.

A deep depression over the Arabian Sea intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Nanauk’ that lay about 660 kms southwest of Mumbai early on Wednesday morning and was heading for the Oman coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The system intensified into a cyclonic storm at 5.30 AM and lay centered over east central Arabian Sea about 660 kms southwest of Mumbai and 590 kms southwest of Veraval, it said in its morning bulletin.

“It would intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and would move west-northwestwards towards Oman coast during next 72 hours,” it said.

Under its influence, strong winds with speed reaching 35-45 kmph and gusting up to 55 kmph would prevail along and off Konkan and south Gujarat coast.

Sea condition would also remain rough along and off Konkan, Goa and south Gujarat coast, the bulletin said.

Officials in the meteorological department had earlier said the system could impact the advancement of the monsoon over the country.

The system has the potential to suck out moisture crucial for progress of the monsoon.

In Panaji, Acting Director of IMD, Goa station, V K Mini told, “The fishermen have been warned against venturing into the sea as the cyclone would be severe, and wind would be circulated to a large extent in the Arabian sea.”

She said that the sea would be rough and the wind will blow at a speed of 40-60 kilometres per hour.

There will also be tidal surge along with the wind, she said. Mini said that the cyclone will not hit Goa and Konkan as it is moving in the opposite direction.

“For it to hit Goa coast, it should have travelled in the easterly direction,” she said.

Nevertheless, a warning has been issued for the Goa coast and the state is expected to witness heavy rainfall at isolated places, the department said.

According to the IMD official, the arrival of monsoon in Goa was delayed due to the depression in the Arabian Sea, though it is expected to arrive any time over the next two days.

The IMD will be uploading the details of the forecast on its official website every three hours to keep the people and officials concerned updated about the cyclone, she said.