Special cell for disaster management in Uttaranchal
Since the whole of Uttaranchal, falls in seismic zones, 4 and 5, it is highly prone to earthquake and natural calamities like floods and landslides. A special cell is being set up in the Uttaranchal Police for disaster management, Mr Ashok Kant Saran, the director general of the state police …
'Ecomark' for jute bags proposed
Pressure from environmentalists has forced the Centre to consider use of 'hydrocarbon-free' jute bags for packaging foodgrains and sugar. Otherwise considered eco-friendly, conventional jute bags contain an "unfriendly hydro-carbon element", batching oil, a sofening agent, which forms eight per cent mass volume of jute bag.
Maruti to launch CNG-fuelled Omni cab
Maruti Udyog is launching its first factory-fitted CNG vehicle today, in a bid to promote use of eco-friendly vehicles in the domestic market. The 'Omni' CNG cab would initially be targeted at the excise duty relief announced in the Union Budget, company officials said here today.
Banned GM crops found in Tasmania
Breaches of rules controlling genetically modified crops have been uncovered in supposedly GM-free Tasmania (Australia).Thousands of regrowth GM canola plants have been found flowering at 11 sites around the state in a Commonwealth audit of fields where crops were previously grown by agriculture multi-nationals Aventis and Monsanto.
Monsanto expects more Biotech acreage this year
Monsanto Co. expects farmers to plant more of its genetically modified crops this year than last year, a company official said Tuesday. "I feel confident that in every core crop, a core crop being corn, soybeans and cotton, that we will plant more Monsanto biotech acres than we did in …
Bush weighs curbs on carbon dioxide
Calling global warming "a real phenomenon" the Environmental Protection Agency chief, Christe Whitman has said the Bush Administration is considering limits on carbon dioxide emissions as part of a broader anti-pollution strategy.
Foot - and - Mouth spreads in UK, panics Europe
Foot-and-mouth disease spread from England to Scotland and Northern Ireland Thursday, prompting other European countries to tighten steps to disinfect travelers and vehicles from the British Isles. As officials confirmed the highly contagious disease had crossed the Irish Sea and into Scotland, the Irish Republic strengthened its defenses by setting …
Bush seeks to fully fund US food safety programs
President George W. Bush proposes in his first budget to fully fund the Agriculture Department's food safety programs, including money to pay for 7,600 meat and poultry inspectors. According to White House budget documents, Bush also plans to prioritize USDA research to provide new emphasis on biotechnology and developing new …
Karnataka's anti-blindness programme extended
A national mission in bioinformatics, extension of a Rs 140-crore Denmark-assisted programme on control of blindness and allocation for the Bharat Gold Mines Limited for separation of manpower are some of the high-lights of the Union Budget for Karnataka.
Rajasthan tops in solar power projects
Rajasthan has bagged the first position in achieving the targets of solar rural electrification this year. The Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources had allotted 5,000 solar home lighting systems for rural areas in the State for the current financial year - which was the highest target among all States.The …