Tamarind seeds has antiviral properties and can potentially be used to develop antiviral medication for chikungunya, according to a research by Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee. The research conducted
Vehicular density, construction activity, use of diesel generator sets and loudspeakers blamed Bangalore, long considered the garden city, now has a dubious distinction. It has been ranked the country’s seventh noisiest city and the tag is bound to worry the citizens, long concerned about rising levels of air pollution and ever-increasing number of vehicles. At 65 decibels, the City’s noise level has exceeded permissible levels in residential and commercial zones.
Segregation of garbage at source into dry waste, wet waste and plastic waste will be made mandatory across Bangalore from October 1. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday issued a notification to this effect, and warned that residents who do not implement this rule will be penalised. Responding to the hue and cry raised by many residents’ welfare associations, NGOs and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the BBMP finally came out with a nine-point “Action Plan” to deal with the 4,500 tonnes of waste generated in Bangalore daily.
Manufacturing units and other industries may have to pay penalties if they don’t manage solid waste generated by them at source. The government plans to introduce legislation that will mandate manufacturers to segregate waste at source, said Urban Development Minister S Suresh Kumar. Kumar made the announcement on Tuesday, while addressing commissioners of city and town municipal councils from across Karnataka. He was speaking at a workshop organised by the Municipal Administration department on garbage disposal and management.
‘Hike fine on households that fail to segregate waste at source’ In a terse ruling on Monday, the High Court of Karnataka described the waste management policies of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as being equivalent to ‘garbage’. The Palike has now been directed to ensure power generation using waste, and to appoint executive magistrates in every ward to slap fine on households which fail to segregate ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ waste.
The new norms to be adopted by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to curb levels of radiation emitted from mobile towers are likely to reduce the health risk to humans by only a fraction. As per the norms which are already in place, the radiation levels have to drop to 1/10th of the existing power density. As a result, the current density which is at 92 per watt per square metre (W/Sqm) will now have to be reduced to 0.92 W/Sqm. Similarly for the 900 Mhz GSM users the power density will be reduced from 48 W/Sqm to 0.48 W/Sqm.
Basavanakatte lake in Kengeri hobli, once a vital water body in the area, has now been reduced to a dumpyard of plastic waste. Lack of conservation efforts by the authorities has left the lake to die a slow death. Heaps of burnt and unburnt plastic wastes are dumped here illegally, polluting the water body and its surroundings. But the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike authorities and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board seem to be oblivious.
Palike wakes up from slumber, clears many scientific disposal projects The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has cleared several proposals related to ‘scientific’ disposal of trash. Coming under severe criticism for its failure to prevent the garbage crisis, Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy and Palike Commissioner Rajneesh Goel revealed that the Palike’s tenders for safe and proper disposal of garbage had attracted companies from across the country.
Tenders to be invited for projects to the tune of Rs 1,390 crore The State Cabinet on Thursday approved phase 2 of the chief minister’s Small and Medium Town Development Programme (CMSMTDP) of Rs 1,738 crore, which will be implemented in a span of three years. Briefing the Cabinet decisions to the media, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar said that 80 per cent of the fund would be spent on the development of roads, while the remaining 20 per cent would be used for construction of shoulder drains.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will take up the implementation of the innovative direct transfer of subsidy scheme on a pilot basis in Mysore from the second week of this month. The UIDAI has informed all banks that it will start crediting the subsidy amount to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts online with respect to 30 LPG distributors in Mysore city, Chairperson of the State-Level Bankers’ Committee M G Sanghvi said here on Wednesday.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will have its own scientific garbage disposal system in place by the end of next year, Commissioner Rajneesh Goel has said. He also said the BBMP would make segregating garbage in households (and other collection points like offices, schools, etc) mandatory starting next week. The Palike would work out a strategy to clear the garbage from the three existing landfills namely Mandur, Terra Firma and Mavallipura, he added.
