Negotiators on Sunday adopted a compromise draft for national pledges to cut global carbon emissions at marathon UN climate talks in Lima, Peru that addressed India’s concerns and paved way for a new ambitious and binding deal to be signed in Paris next year to combat climate change.

“The document is approved,” announced President of the United Nations climate talks meeting Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, who is also the Environment Minister of Peru, after hectic negotiations for about two weeks in the Peruvian capital here.

Commenting on the draft, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “all of India’s concerns have been addressed.”

“We have achieved targets and we got what we wanted,” he said after the delegates approved a broad blueprint for talks leading up to a deal in 2015, to take effect in 2020.

The adoption of the draft was seen as a significant first step towards reaching a global climate change deal in Paris although delegates feel much of the hard work remained ahead.

The deal — dubbed the Lima Call for Climate Action — paves the way for what is envisioned as the historic agreement in environmental history.

The draft mentioned only that all pledges would be reviewed a month ahead of December 2015 Paris summit to assess their combined effect on climate change.

Pulgar-Vidal, who had spent entire day meeting separately with delegations, presented the new draft just before midnight, saying “as a text it’s not perfect, but it includes the positions of the parties.”

The negotiators were given an hour to review the revised draft text.

The revised draft has added a line in the preamble regarding “loss and damages” provisions which many small island developing states had requested.

The main plenary was reconvened at 1:30 am local time and Pulgar-Vidal announced that the draft text has been approved.

Consistent with India and other developing countries push, a separate paragraph was added regarding differentiation – the principle of categorising countries based on their ability to pay for climate action measures.

It reads that any Paris 2015 agreement should reflect “the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.”

The last portion was lifted directly from the US-China climate agreement announced in November of this year.

Cold wave continued unabated in the northern region with fog enveloping most areas affecting transport services, even as three persons died and over 25 were injured in different fog-related accidents. In the national capital, intense cold continued with the minimum temperature recorded at the season’s average of 6 degrees Celsius, slightly more than yesterday’s 4.2 degrees, which was the lowest in past five years in Delhi.

The maximum temperature registered at 16.3 degrees Celsius.

Moderate fog was witnessed in several parts of Delhi in the morning and around 70 north-bound trains and several flights were affected due to low visibility.Chilly weather and foggy conditions prevailed at most places in Punjab and Haryana, disrupting normal life. In Haryana, Narnaul recorded 2.5 degrees Celsius and Ludhiana in Punjab registered 3.1 degrees Celsius, making it the the coldest places in the two states.

Amritsar recorded a low of 4.3 degrees Celsius. Rail and air services to and fro Chandigarh, which recorded a low of 5.8 degrees Celsius, were hit.Several trains including the morning Shatabdi Express from New Delhi was running behind scheduled by 3.30 hours.

Cold conditions prevailed in parts of Rajasthan where normal life was affected as flight operations and train services were hit due to dense fog.

Churu was the coldest place with a minimum temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Bikaner was recorded at 3.6 degrees while hill-station of Mount Abu’s low settled at 4.4 degrees Celsius.

Temperatures settled in Jaipur at 6.3 degrees C, in Jaisalmer, Sikar and Jodhpur at 7.2, 7.5, and 8.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. As many as 27 trains are running late and nine flights were delayed due to the fog in the early morning hours there.

Foggy weather conditions prevailed in most parts of Uttar Pradesh as the state continued to reel under bitting cold.

A man was killed and six others were injured when a SUV hit a car due to dense fog at Yamuna Expressway today.

Another mother-son duo were also killed when their car rammed into a stationary truck due to dense fog last night in Sarojini Nagar area in Lucknow.

In a separate incident, 22 labourers including 15 women were injured today when a tractor-trolley in which they going for daily wages to MES site in army area collided with a truck near Suratgarh sadar in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district.

Three poachers were Wednesday killed in two encounters with forest guards in Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

On a tip off about the entry of a group of poachers into the Park, forest guards launched an operation in Burapahar Range, Divisional Forest Officer S K Sil Sarma said on Wednesday.

On facing the forest guards, the poachers fired at them and in an encounter one poacher was killed around 3 AM near Borghat forest camp, Sarma said.

On being chased, the two fleeing poachers engaged in a fierce gun battle with the guards for about 25 minutes before they were killed, he said.

Two 303 rifles fitted with a silencer and one round of ammunition as well as a 9-mm pistol with nine rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain poachers, the DFO said.

The poachers were suspected to have come from adjacent Karbi Anglong hills side, he said.

Patrolling against poaching in the World Heritage Site had been intensified after one rhino was killed on 1st January this year and two on 4th January, forest department officials added.

Tiger population in the country is estimated to be around 2,226, a rise of over 30 percent since the last count in 2010, according to the latest census report released on Tuesday.

The total number of tigers were estimated to be around 1,706 in 2010. Tiger population had dipped to an alarming 1,411 in 2006 but has improved since then.

Releasing the country wide tiger assessment report for 2014 in New Delhi on Tuesday, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar termed it as a success story and noted that while the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India.

“Most of the tigers in the world are presently in India. 70 per cent of the world’s tigers are now in India. We have the world’s best managed tiger reserves. “When we last counted the tigers, it was 1,706. The latest estimation shows there are 2,226 tigers. We must be proud of our legacy. We have increased by 30 per cent from the last count. That is a huge success story,” Javadekar said.

He said that India has unique photographs of 80 percent of tigers while stating that around 9,735 cameras were used in the estimation.

He claimed that nowhere in the world, so many cameras have been used for such an exercise.

The report said that the total estimated population of tigers was somewhere around 1,945-2491 (2,226) as per 2014 report while as per the 2010 report, it was between 1,520-1909.

The third round of country level tiger assessment using the refined methodology of doubling sampling using camera traps has recorded an increase in tiger population.

“In 2006, the mid value of such a (once in four years) snap shot assessment using the same methodology was 1,411, in 2010 it was 1706 and now in 2014, it stands at 2,226. This is an increase of almost 30.5 per cent since the last estimate,” an official statement said.

Officials said that a total of 3,78,118 sq km of forest area in 18 tiger states were surveyed with a total of 1,540 unique tiger photo captures.

Tiger population has increased in several states like Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerela, officials said.

Javadekar credited the combined efforts of officers, forest guards, community participation and scientific approach for the rise in tiger population.

“That is why we want to create more tiger reserves. This is a proof of India’s biodiversity and how we care for mitigating climate change. This is India’s steps in the right direction which the world will applaud,” he said.

Talking about human-animal conflict, the Environment Minister said that proactive steps will be taken in this regard.

“We must ensure animal-human conflict does not happen. We have proactively decided that we will create more grasslands and water storage in forest areas so that animals can live well,” he said.

He said that problem was more acute where elephants were concerned. While in case of tigers it was seven deaths, around 100 people had died in such conflicts with elephants.

“We have to avoid this…If we put all deaths of human- animal conflict, it becomes 300 and more which means we are losing one person per day and that should not happen. We are taking new initiatives,” he told reporters later.

The third round of independent management effectiveness evaluation of tiger reserves has shown an overall improvement in the score of 43 tiger reserves from 65 percent in 2010-11 to 69 percent in 2014, officials said.

An economic valuation of six tiger reserves done for the first time has provided quantitative and qualitative estimates of benefits accruing from tiger reserves which include ecological, economic, social and cultural services, they said.

A compendium on the profile of tiger reserves was also released besides a report on corridors and a book on tiger dynamics.

Several tiger reserves were also recognised for excelling in select thematic areas.

By: Vivek Mishra, M.D. and Technical Head, Premium Pools

In recent years saving environmental resources, have become a primary concern for everyone.

Recently many societies in Gurgaon underwent dry summer spells, and one of the reasons was swimming pools.

A pool that is not properly made and maintained would always be riddled with dirt and would have to be emptied often to be made ready to swim in. Imagine the extent to which this may affect the ground water levels of that area. While we are almost near to a serious water crisis, we continue to ignore our carbon footprints. We seek luxury and comfort but at the cost of environment.

People are promising dream homes with luxurious components, and rebuilding certain structures. But hardly do we understand that costs to maintain them would be a great financial as well as environmental burden.

Can you imagine how much water an Olympic size pool requires? 1 olympic size swimming pool requires approx. 2 lakh ltrs of water, along with  a maintenance plant which is equivalent to 1700sqft 3 bedroom flat. Now imagine, every now and then this many litres of water is emptied from your pool and refilled . Can you imagine the kind of dent we are causing to the ground water levels, if things are not taken into consideration. Very soon the society which has such pool, will face sever water crisis.

Sadly, the unregulated market we are in, they still don’t issue licenses to practice making swimming pools as a business. What is happening is, a mere pool equipment maker or a civil contractor claims to do your pool.

They commit to projects without knowing the scope of their undertaking. Initially, the customer is given a certain figure; this is to get their foot in the door by quoting unimaginable low rates. But one can be sure, by the time the pool is up and working, costs would have grown 50 per cent!

The result is, we have more and more such pools being built by inexperienced players that become a threat to the already serious water situation. Such pools are frequently emptied and refilled, disturbing the ground water levels at an alarming rate.

Ideally, a swimming pool should never be emptied.

Did you know that pools are all about water conservation? Correct pools, will not require emptying of water. Hardly people in India know that in a pool with proper filtration and plumbing, the water is changed only a couple of years. Water can be cleared by many new technologies like use of ultra violet rays, proper chlorination,. Infact if you have decent plant with strong filters, plumbing accessories, the water need not be emptied, it will be recycled saving the depleting water levels.

For a fact, your pool is as good as the pool builder you chose. And how do you make sure that your choice of builder is worth the investment? Here are a few points for you to get an idea of the right questions to ask while making a final choice.

·         What completed projects can the professional you are considering show you? How do they ensure that thesepools are up to the mark?

·         What latest energy- and cost-efficient methods are they equipped with and how well do they keep themselves updated with the latest that is happening in the pool industry abroad?

·         Can they get you to speak to their clients? What is the feedback the clients share with you? How often do the clients have to change the water in their pool?

·         Do consider the pool builder’s credentials in the pool industry – how are they rated among the peers and vendors

Please don’t go blindly by all these flashy promises of colossal pools , water bodies in your society or backyards. Be an educated customer and citizen. Seek genuine questions to check the credibility of the pool builder. Before buying a flat, we ask n number of questions, so why not before getting our pool done.

All this effort is worth as this is the pool that you are going to live with. These questions will help you navigate the muddy waters of choosing efficient pools. Finally, do remember, a pool is an investment. Make yours pay you dividends of happiness and, not make you shed money and WATER.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a ban on roadside shops and eateries along the animal corridors near Assam’s Kaziranga National Park among a slew of directions in the wake of increasing wildlife casualties due to vehicular movement on the adjacent highway.

Taking exception to the state’s failure to address the issue, it also directed the Assam government to submit records of animal fatality for 2013 and 2014 on the next date of hearing, 12th March.

“The state government has not taken effective measures to prevent animal casualty on National Highway 37 which is passing along the Kaziranga National Park stretch, one of the most prestigious national parks in the country.

“Animals being living creatures and part and parcel of environment, certainly need due care and protection and their killing on the roads adds to degradation and consequent pollution of the environment besides loss of precious wildlife in the country,” a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal asked the Assam government to ensure fixation of sensor-operated automatic barriers at the animal corridors and ascertain whether speed check cameras were in working condition or not.

“Shops and eateries (dhabas) should not be permitted on the roadside along the animal corridors and due care is to be taken in this regard.

“Complete data shall be submitted of the vehicles challaned for exceeding the limit specified in that area which would be prominently displayed,” the bench said.

It also directed the state government to remove and demolish unauthorised structures on the roadside, particularly in the animal corridors.

The tribunal’s direction came while hearing a plea filed by environmentalist Rohit Choudhury opposing expansion of the highway stretch claiming that “continued unregulated use of NH-37 is leading to death of wild animals and reptiles in large numbers in road accidents”.

Cold conditions persisted in northern India after snow and rain resulted in a drop in temperature.

Tribal areas and other higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall, while rains lashed some places in the plains of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

Kawasaki, Japan:  International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced their joint development of a high-resolution tsunami model, able to run on a supercomputer, and based on Tohoku University’s existing TUNAMI-N2(1) simulation model, which is in widespread use internationally. For this project, IRIDeS prepared the model to perform high-resolution calculations, and Fujitsu Laboratories implemented methods for high-efficiency parallelization.

The Great East Japan Earthquake far exceeded the scale of previously envisioned earthquakes, causing underestimations of tsunami height made three minutes after the start of the earthquake, exposing an urgent need to improve methods of real-time estimation. The disaster also illustrated the need for information beyond wave height, such as the scope of flooding. Now Tohoku University and Fujitsu Laboratories have developed a tsunami model that quickly predicts the extent of flooding from sea surface deformation, which is the source of the tsunami and is estimated based on observation data on the shape of the tsunami out at sea and on tectonic shifts onshore at the time of the earthquake. For example, flooding in the Great East Japan Earthquake started in Sendai one hour after the earthquake struck. With this technology basic predictions of where flooding would occur in the City of Sendai can be provided in about 10 minutes for the Great East Japan Earthquake case.

By making high-resolution, real-time predictions of general tsunami-flooding conditions, Tohoku University and Fujitsu Laboratories will contribute to more effective disaster-response measures.

This research was published on February 24th in an online preview of Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

All India Lokadhikar Sangthan, which has been fighting against the pollution threat to river Yamuna, has written to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), urging to immediately execute the orders of National Green Tribunal (NGT) for shutting down the Pickling Units which are functioning without the consent of DPCC at Wazirpur, New Delhi. Taking a note of non compliance of NGT order All India Lokadhikar Sangthan has asked DPCC to implement the 22nd January order and take necessary action against polluting units.

In its order dated 22nd January 2015 NGT has asked DPCC to shut 17 pickling units. The NGT had directed DPCC to ensure that no unit should be operating without the consent of the Pollution Control Board in the region. The tribunal had issued notices to several industrial units in October 2015 for discharging harmful effluents into drains that empty into river Yamuna.

Girish Kumar Pandey, President All India Lokadhikar Sangathan said: “National Green tribunal had clearly ordered the board of DPCC not to allow any industry without the consent of the board. Despite the same, many industrial units are still operating in the region, which is a clear violation of the Hon’ble tribunal. We are in the process of moving an application before the Tribunal soon for the execution of the directions due to continuous pollution of river Yamuna for the negligence by DPCC by not taking action against the illegal functioning of the industries.“

NGT order particularly named 17 units for strict implementation of its order. 17 units include Mittul Industries, Kasturi Steel Industries, Pradeep Industries, Paras Steel, Shri Krishna Re-rolling Mill, G.S Enterprises, Shiv Enterprises, Goyal Enterprises, Rajesh, S.V Industries, Laxmi Narain Steel Rollers, Hariram, Vijay Enterprise, Shri Ram Enterprise, Ganapati Rolling, Ganapati Rolling, Ganpati Steel and Jagdish Kumar. Wazirpur Industrial Area houses about 2,000 units. Most of them are steel pickling units. These units are not carrying out any treatment of the waste water and are still releasing untreated liquid industrial waste in the open drains that flow into the river Yamuna thus causing the holy river to die a slow death. All India Lokadhikar Sangathan had filed a plea before NGT, taking note on growing pollution in River Yamuna, the Hon’ble bench had told the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to immediately shut down units that are not complying with the Tribunal orders despite several notices served to them.

All India Lokadhikar Sangthan, which has been fighting against the pollution threat to river Yamuna, has written to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), urging to immediately execute the orders of National Green Tribunal (NGT) for shutting down the Pickling Units which are functioning without the consent of DPCC at Wazirpur, New Delhi. Taking a note of non compliance of NGT order All India Lokadhikar Sangthan has asked DPCC to implement the 22nd January order and take necessary action against polluting units.

In its order dated 22nd January 2015 NGT has asked DPCC to shut 17 pickling units. The NGT had directed DPCC to ensure that no unit should be operating without the consent of the Pollution Control Board in the region. The tribunal had issued notices to several industrial units in October 2015 for discharging harmful effluents into drains that empty into river Yamuna.

Girish Kumar Pandey, President All India Lokadhikar Sangathan said: “National Green tribunal had clearly ordered the board of DPCC not to allow any industry without the consent of the board. Despite the same, many industrial units are still operating in the region, which is a clear violation of the Hon’ble tribunal. We are in the process of moving an application before the Tribunal soon for the execution of the directions due to continuous pollution of river Yamuna for the negligence by DPCC by not taking action against the illegal functioning of the industries.“

NGT order particularly named 17 units for strict implementation of its order. 17 units include Mittul Industries, Kasturi Steel Industries, Pradeep Industries, Paras Steel, Shri Krishna Re-rolling Mill, G.S Enterprises, Shiv Enterprises, Goyal Enterprises, Rajesh, S.V Industries, Laxmi Narain Steel Rollers, Hariram, Vijay Enterprise, Shri Ram Enterprise, Ganapati Rolling, Ganapati Rolling, Ganpati Steel and Jagdish Kumar. Wazirpur Industrial Area houses about 2,000 units. Most of them are steel pickling units. These units are not carrying out any treatment of the waste water and are still releasing untreated liquid industrial waste in the open drains that flow into the river Yamuna thus causing the holy river to die a slow death. All India Lokadhikar Sangathan had filed a plea before NGT, taking note on growing pollution in River Yamuna, the Hon’ble bench had told the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to immediately shut down units that are not complying with the Tribunal orders despite several notices served to them.

Mumbai : In a bid to facilitate directional guidelines, glossary of the flora and fauna, cleanliness and safety measures in Sanjay Gandhi National Park for visitors and tourists, CCI Project Pvt Ltd donates over 100 signages to the National Park on the eve of World Forestry Day observed on 21st March.

Signages installed in SGNP bring to life the trials through trails of the forest and help you map your journey deep inside the woods making it more meaningful than ever. Twenty-four signages installed in the park, over 100 signages will be installed over the next two months which will benefit over 2 million visitors.

There is a dire need for this kind of initiative since there is an every chance for the visitors to get dislocated looking at the vast expanse of the park. These signages have been installed in a consistent way so that the visitors are not misled on their path and this will now offer an easier transit for the visitors.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Vikas Gupta, Chief Conservator of Forests & Director, Sanjay Gandhi National Park said, “The easy to understand text in English and Marathi simultaneously is enlightening and as much authoritative. The green curtain unfolds now to bring the ‘Jungle Book’ live in front of your eyes. Many corporates, NGOs, political leaders should come forward to support the cause.”

Mr. Rohan Khatau, Director, CCI Projects Pvt Ltd also opined, “This initiative is a demonstration of CCI Projects’ commitment towards environmental and social awareness and most importantly the Nature Education. These signages will be useful for all from school-going children to adults who wish to visualize, explore and understand the biodiversity of the park.”

Offering a visual feast and a joyous learning through the words, these signages could simulate the forest for those who wish to explore the unparalleled beauty of nature.

While talking about the signages, one of the visitors said, “I can now reach up to the caves and rush up to that lake and learn about that bird without bothering others on my way, all thanks to these new signages. Old ones were placed randomly so it was difficult to understand. However, now it’s all good for me to follow. ”

The materials for the panels have been handpicked to withstand the vagaries of weather in the region. This is especially visible in the framework that comprises largely of bamboo, treated appropriately to make it long-lasting and more durable.

Source : Lokesh Shastri

Eminent water activist Rajendra Singh has been conferred the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize this year for his innovative water restoration efforts and extraordinary courage in his efforts to empower communities in Indian villages.

Based in Alwar district of Rajasthan, Rajendra Singh is widely popular as the ‘Water Man’.

He was working with the state governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka, and has also forwarded some suggestions to the Central government for solving the problems of floods as well as drought.

He said that the award was an honour and recognition to the traditional knowledge and techniques of water conservation of India, and governments should utilise such techniques to address problems of depleting ground water levels and floods.

In an effort to celebrate the World Water Day, Kent Ro and The Art of Living brought clean drinking water to the doorsteps of the residents of Govindpuri slum (navjeevan camp) by distributing 500 Kent water purifiers.

The Kent water purifiers were distributed by Swami Paramtej, International Faculty, The Art of living along with in joint initiatve by Kent RO.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Mahesh Gupta, Chairman, Kent Ro Systems Limited said, “500 families have been benefited from this initiative. We aim to bring good health to people’s livesClean and safe drinking water has become a necessity as it keeps one away from many diseases.”

Speaking on the occasion Swami Paramtej shared, “It is a joint initiative by Kent RO and The Art of Living; we have identifed their personal need for safe drinking water and fulfill the need of the community”.

The volunteers of T​he Art of Living  ​has been working in Govindpuri​slum over a period of time. They have also organized computer classes aiming to provide better educational facilities and Youth Leadership Training Programs to empower the youth in the area. A BAL Wadi has also been successfully established in Govindpuri.

Bangalore: Canon, a world leader in digital imaging, strengthens its commitment to the environment by supporting WWF for the Earth Hour being observed from 08.30 – 09.30 PM on 28th March, 2015.

In its endeavour and constant efforts towards protection of the environment, Canon India will switch off its neon signage at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai airports in addition to turning off all lights at all Canon offices across the country.

As a part of this initiative, Canon will be photographing four prominent monuments of Delhi – Red Fort, India Gate, Rashtrapathi Bhawan and Lotus Temple to highlight the beauty of the city’s urban landscape during Earth Hour. In the run-up to the event, Canon had set up a photo booth at the WWF ‘Pedal for the Planet’ Cyclothon on 21st March 2015 where all the participants got their photographs clicked.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India, said, “As a responsible business, we are honoured to partner with WWF for this worthy cause. Canon India takes pride in being environment conscious and we are keen to raise awareness about the importance of using electricity in a judicious manner. The Earth Hour has seen great support across the world and by participating in this for the seventh year in a row; we want to continue to make a positive difference towards protecting the environment.”

Environment conservation is one of the crucial initiatives undertaken by Canon for its commitment towards the realisation of a sustainable society. Canon India donated twenty solar panels to the energy production centre at Ferozepur Namak village, Haryana. Installed on the roof of the government school in the village, these solar panels enable 30 fans and up to 20 lights operational for 6 to 8 hours a day. As a yearlong extension of the Earth hour, Canon India also observes De-light days on Wednesdays, where Canon employees leave office at sharp 05:30 pm every Wednesday with an aim to save electricity.

“Our corporate philosophy Kyosei refers to living and working together for the common good. In line with the same, Canon is committed to protecting the environment through various initiatives for conserving energy, water, paper, etc. The Earth Hour is a step in the direction of adopting eco-friendly practices in everyday life, paving the way for a sustainable lifestyle.” he further added.

Earth Hour is WWF’s global campaign inspiring governments, businesses, communities and individuals to take a stand against climate change. It is one crucial hour dedicated to uniting people world over through the collective action of switching off non-essential lights. Canon India employees have pledged to observe the Earth Hour on 28th March, 2015 and have also reached out to all stakeholders to do the same.  Pledge Cards have been made available at Master Service Centres for customers to sign up for Earth Hour. A special message from Canon India CEO and President, Mr. Kobayashi is on the WWF website.

Canon believes that it is possible to overcome the challenge of global warming through collective action. As a responsible global company, Canon strives to uphold an ideal balance between its operations and the impact of this on the environment.

Chennai – In essence of keeping with their adherence towards preserving and promoting a healthy planet, Wipro will be observing World Earth Hour by turning off their non essential light and conducting interactive employee and customer engagement session. Wipro will participate in the campaign by turning off electricity across campuses globally, for a minimum of one hour (8:30pm to 9:30pm local time) on Saturday, 28th March 2015.

Earth Hour is an annual event held globally to encourage individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their supplementary and dispensable lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March.

Wipro will also run an online employee and customer engagement campaign where the respondents have to answer various questions related to energy conservation. Each correct answer will add an additional second to the duration for which the electricity will be turned off beyond the mandated one hour.

In addition to this, Wipro EcoEnergy will also dim the website www.wiproecoenergy.com for the entire day on the 28th of March.

In the course of this initiative, Wipro is looking at saving over 500 kWh at their respective locations in India by switching off their non-critical equipment for an hour from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.

Mumbai: Now take a safari inside Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve for as low as Rs 300 as MTDC has approved grants of Rs 59 lakhs to TATR for purchase of four canter buses. The long-awaited bus service meant for an economical safari inside the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is now available.

On the occasion of the World Wildlife Day, MTDC announced the grant, considering the increase in number of tourists every season. Initially a single Gypsy safari in Tadoba costed a minimum of Rs 4,100 on weekdays and Rs 4,600 on holidays and weekends. The park management was working on providing a low-cost alternative in the form of buses since 2013. Three more similar buses will be added to the fleet coming fortnight.

Paraag Jaiin Nainuttia (IAS) Managing Director, MTDC says, “TATR is the most visited wildlife park in Maharashtra. Tourists across the globe come specially to experience our conserved wildlife. We were considering the low cost alternative since 2013. Now tourist will enjoy the wildlife safari at a lower cost. We are putting continuous efforts to make our state the most effective tourism board and easily accessible destination in India”.

The 22-seater buses would start from Moharli gate. The RTO registration and other related formalities of the heap will be filled out shortly and it will be pushed into the tourist services in a few days. This first step is meant to facilitate low cost tourism in TATR. With the growing rates of safari in open Gipsy, open top canter buses will offer an economical option to the tourists.

These coaches would be used for safari only after half the seats (i.e. 11 seats) are reserved. Seats in these coaches would be offered through spot booking on a first come first service base. Details are available on MTDC’s website.

Source : Lokesh Shastri

Jhelum river on Monday crossed danger level in Srinagar and Sangam area of South Kashmir with heavy rains lashing most parts of the state which sounded an alert asking people to move to safer places.

A senior official said water level of river Jhelum at 6 AM at Sangam (South Kashmir) and Ram Munshi Bagh (Srinagar city) has touched 22′.4 feet and 18′.8 feet respectively.

Danger level at Sangam is 21 feet and at Ram Munshi Bagh it is 18 feet. People living on the banks of the river Jhelum have been asked to remain alert and advised to move to safer places.

At least 44 structures including 18 residential houses have been damaged due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall in Kashmir over the past 24 hours.

There were no reports of loss of life. The incident has created panic among people about possibility of fresh floods in the valley.

According to police residents were evacuated to safety before the landslide struck.

The rainfall has also forced closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to landslides at some places.

Kashmir valley has been witnessing heavy rainfall since Saturday, leading to sudden surge in water level of rivers, streams and rivulets, causing panic among the residents about possibility of fresh floods.

It’s lights out for Starwood Hotels and Resorts across India. To support the cause The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace will join millions around the world in turning off lights for Earth Hour 2015 to illuminate a powerful message about environmental awareness and action.

The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace will be contributing to this special movement with their specially designed dinner menu’s to reduce the carbon foot print at their eminent signature restaurants Prego and Kangan, the hotel will also be participating in tree plantation drive with guests. Considering all safety measures, all lights at the hotel will be dimmed.

“It’s a privilege for us to support such a powerful movement with such a simple gesture,” said Mr. Dietmar, General Manager, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. “Earth Hour also reflects a philosophy we try to practice year-round:  The small steps each of us take can make a big difference together.”

Starwood hotels will support the marking of Earth Hour 2015. Earth Hour is a global effort to emphasize the threat of global warming and the need to reduce carbon emissions. It has become a powerful symbol that all of our “small steps” can have an impactful and lasting difference on the health of our planet. The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace is proud to be supporting Earth Hour.

This year will mark Starwood’s seventh annual participation in Earth Hour, making it one of the largest worldwide companies to make a pronounced global statement with a voluntary hour of darkness.

Hyderabad: Demonstrating its commitment in protecting the environment and extenuating climate change, the employees of Novotel Hyderabad Convention Center and Hyderabad International Convention Centre took part in “Earth Hour”- the world’s largest global environment awareness event.

Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre switched off all the non-essential lights for one hour in a bid to bring awareness to the growing concerns of global climate change.  The Hotel also demonstrated its commitment to the environment by providing guests with a host of energy-saving service offerings ranging from creative dining options to guest friendly activities.

The Restaurants and lobby were creatively lit up with candles to save power. The in-house guests were encouraged to participate by requesting them to switch off the lights of their rooms for an hour in support of Earth Hour.

Earth Hour at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre was a great initiative to demonstrate how small, simple steps like turning off lights can help make a difference in protecting our communities for a sustainable future.

The MeT department issued an avalanche warning in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday even as the water level in Dal Lake has risen.

It further said that more rain is expected in the next 24 hours in the state.

The flood situation is being constantly monitored by latest satellite technology at the National Remote Sensing Centre.

Latest satellite technology at the NRSC is also keeping a close watch on the extent of flood damage, by programming its satellites for quick acquisition of data over the Kashmir valley region.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh appealed to people not to panic as the situation is under control and both state and central governments are monitoring the situation closely.

Relief and recue operations teams including National Disaster Response Force and defence forces are in place for quick deployment as, when and where needed.

In an exclusive interview with DD News, Minister of state in the Prime minister’s office Jitendra Singh said the flood situation in Jammu and Kashmir is under control.

He also said the centre and state governments are well prepared to deal with the situation and normalcy in the state is expected to return in a week.