(PIB) In a significant push towards holistic river and environmental rejuvenation, the 62nd Executive Committee (EC) Meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), chaired by Shri Rajeev Kumar Mital, Director-General, NMCG, focused on sustainability in river rejuvenation. Conservation of critical wetlands and promoting the reuse of treated wastewater through city specific reuse plans and were deliberated in the meeting. The Committee approved projects that align with the mission’s objectives of ecosystem restoration across the Ganga basin. It may be noted that Namami Gange program has been recognised as one of the Top TEN, World Restoration Flagship initiatives by…
Author: Aruna Sharma
(TOI) Commission for Air Quality Management has informed National Green Tribunal that only 13 out of the 35 units in 11 thermal power plants operating within a 300km radius of Delhi have installed the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) technology, which helps in reducing sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. In a report dated April 22, CAQM said, “Out of the total 35 units in the zone of consideration within 300km of Delhi, only 13 units have FGDs installed while action is ongoing for the balance towards compliance with the SO2 emission norms.” It added that it was likely to take at least…
(CW) India has launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme (GHCI) to establish a transparent and credible framework for certifying green hydrogen production. The scheme, introduced by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, was launched by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi during a national workshop focused on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the green hydrogen supply chain. The GHCI aims to ensure traceability and market trust in green hydrogen, which is a key component of India’s clean energy strategy. The scheme also seeks to support India’s energy transition by engaging MSMEs, which are expected to play a vital role…
(BS) The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a proposal to procure 1,500 MW power from a 2×800 MW (1600 MW) thermal power project through a competitive bidding, in a move aimed at bridging the state’s growing electricity demand. The decision in this regard was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. According to Energy Minister AK Sharma, the state is projected to require an additional 10,795 MW of thermal power by 203334 to meet its rising energy needs. The procurement of 1,500 MW from the upcoming project is a part of the state’s long-term planning…
(HT) The Reserve Bank may cumulatively cut the key interest rate in the range of 125-150 basis points this fiscal amid benign inflationary patterns, an SBI Research report said on Monday. The study suggested that the central bank should go for “jumbo” rate cuts of 50 bps as it would be more effective. The sharp moderation in consumer price index based inflation, hitting a 67-month low of 3.34% in March 2025 due to sharp correction in food inflation, bodes well for lowering the average CPI headline forecast for FY2025-26 below 4% now (with below 3% in Q1FY26), the report said.…
(HT) A joint venture of Shell, Reliance Industries Ltd and ONGC has successfully completed India’s first offshore facilities decommissioning project with the safe removal of installations on the mid and south Tapti gas field in the Arabian Sea, the firms said on Monday. Once a field stops producing oil and gas, the facilities that were erected to bring out hydrocarbons from below ground or under seabed, have to be safely removed – a process called decommissioning. The Tapti field, lying 160 km north-west of Mumbai, stopped producing in 2016. Certain facilities at the mid and south Tapti fields, known as…
(HT) Europe must display sensitivity and mutuality of interest for deeper ties with India, which is looking for partners that do not resort to preaching, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Jaishankar, who was participating in an interactive session, criticised attempts by the West to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict without involving Moscow by saying that such an approach “challenged the basics of realism”. There is an “important fit” and complementarity between India and Russia as a resource provider and consumer, he said against the backdrop of efforts by…
(HT) The nearly month-long shutdown of runway 28/10 at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was marked by negligible progress on the technical upgrade that the closure was meant for, officials aware of the matter said, adding that the runway is now expected to be available for operations by May 8. While the Airports Authority of India (AAI), responsible for installing the instrument landing system (ILS), continued its work, officials said the airport operator in charge of the runway lighting system “could barely begin the work” and will resume it during the next shutdown in mid-June. The runway was closed…
(HT) Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday launched a digital platform for medico-legal records and autopsy reports, which will bring together heath institutions, investigating agencies, and forensic labs on the same platform and make the medico-legal system more transparent and accountable. Called “MedLEaPR” (Medical Legal Examination and Postmortem Reporting), the platform has been integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) and will facilitate electronic submission of medico-legal and postmortem reports, eliminating the need for handwritten documentation. All such reports will be stored in a centralised database, with user access control so that only authorised users will…
(HT) Construction of the regional rapid transport system (RRTS) project from Sarai Kale Khan to Shahjahanpur-Behror in Rajasthan, passing through Gurugram, is likely to begin in August 2026 and completed by November 2031, according to the new detailed project (DPR) report prepared by executing agency National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). The revised DPR, a copy of which was accessed by HT, pegged the cost of the 105-kilometre project at ₹35,000 crore, which will be shared by the Government of India, and the state governments of Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. “NCRTC has revised DPR of SKK-SNB corridor due to changes…