Category:

Non-Life

UN chief: Desertification and drought destabilizing well-being of 3.2 billion people

Having contributed to the collapse of biodiversity and promoting zoonoses – diseases which jump from animals to humans
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) called desertification “another reminder” that human health and that of the environment, are “deeply intertwined”.

Desertification and drought also increase water scarcity, at a time when two billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, said Ms. Azoulay, adding that “over three billion may have to confront a similar situation by 2050”.

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Nagaland staring at drought-like situation with no rain in sight: Minister

Addressing a press conference, he said the state is witnessing peculiar weather this year and a drought-like condition is feared if there is no rain within the next few weeks.

The state is facing rainfall deficiency of 20-59 per cent, except for the Mon district where the rainfall is in excess of 48 per cent, as per Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) data.

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Centre’s Motor Vehicle Act wont be applicable for old petrol, diesel cars in Delhi, says transport minister Kailash Gahlot

Gahlot said, “Delhi is in a peculiar position, because specifically for the national capital, there are orders from the Supreme Court and NGT. They have limited the life of petrol-run vehicles to 15 years and those which run on diesel to 10 years.”
The Delhi Transport Department will fine Rs 10,000 owners found flouting the rule

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GM boosts spending on electric vehicles, to add two new U.S. battery plants

“EV adoption is increasing and reaching an inflection point,” GM Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told reporters on a conference call. “We want to be ready to be able to produce the capacity that we need to meet demand over time.”The No. 1 U.S. automaker said it will now spend $35 billion through 2025 on EVs, an increase of 75% from March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the industry.

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Delhi bans soaps, detergents not conforming to latest BIS parameters

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had in January accepted recommendations of the Yamuna Monitoring Committee (YMC) which had suggested directing the Delhi government to issue orders “prohibiting sale, storage and transportation and marketing of detergents which do not conform to the revised BIS standards”.
The primary reason behind the formation of the toxic foam in the Yamuna is high phosphate content in the wastewater because of detergents used in dyeing industries, dhobi ghats and households, according to an official of the Central Pollution Control Board.

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