Delhi government tests anti-smog guns to combat haze

Agencies
December 20, 2017

New Delhi, Dec 20: The Delhi government is finding novel ways to deal with haze during winters. On Wednesday, the Delhi government used anti- smog+ guns to bring down pollution level in the national capital.

As per the plan, a trial run of anti-smog gun was held at east Delhi's Anand Vihar ISBT.

Environment secretary Anil Kumar Singh had, on Tuesday, apprised Lt Governor Anil Baijal of the trial run of anti-smog gun in a meeting to review the detailed action plan of agencies and stakeholders on measures to combat air pollution.

In the meeting, the Lt Governor directed authorities to ensure management of municipal solid waste completely in a time frame of 16 months.

"The plan should cover a time-frame not exceeding 16 months and also indicate the exact requirement of funds. The chief secretary has been asked to coordinate and finalise it," the L-G office said in a statement.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and environment minister Imran Hussain also reviewed the trial of fog cannon to control dust particulate matter at the Delhi Secretariat.

Baijal also directed all three corporations to ensure that no methane fires occur at the three landfill sites and for this, they should take help of experts of the Science & Technology Ministry, the statement said.

The L-G also asked all three municipal commissioners to procure requisite mechanical sweepers, litter pickers, water sprinklers within a stipulated time.

In the meeting, the Lt Governor was informed that Badarpur Thermal Power Station will be permanently closed by July 2018.

"It was also informed that at present over 800 acres ash pond is in O Zone and NHAI is lifting 600 MT ash daily. The L-G stressed for optimal future utilisation of this huge land parcel. Apart from this, measures to provision full gas for Bawana plant were also discussed," it stated.

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Agencies
May 10,2020

New Delhi, May 10: A medium-intensity earthquake of 3.4 magnitude hit Delhi on Sunday.

According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the quake occurred at 1.45pm at a depth of five kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of loss of life or property.

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News Network
April 27,2020

New Delhi, Apr 27: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has said the monthlong ongoing lockdown has yielded positive results and that the country has managed to save “thousands of lives”.

Modi, who had a videoconference with various heads of the states on Monday, said the impact of the coronavirus, however, will remain visible in the coming months, according to a press statement released by his office. On the issue of getting back Indians who are overseas, the Prime Minister said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don’t get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk.

During the meeting with state heads, Modi advocated for social distancing of at least 6 feet and the use of face masks as a rapid response to tackle COVID-19.

He said that states should put their efforts of converting hotspots, or red zones, into “orange and thereafter green zones”.

India last week eased the lockdown by allowing shops to reopen and manufacturing and farming activities to resume in rural areas to help millions of poor, daily-wage earners. But the economic costs of the nationwide lockdown continue to mount in a country of 1.3 billion people.

Modi, who put India under a strict lockdown on March 25, did not say if the lockdown restrictions will extend after May 3.

India has confirmed over 27,000 cases of the coronavirus, including 872 deaths.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Two more companies are said to be eyeing stakes in Reliance Jio Platforms, the $65-billion digital unit of Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries, suggests a Bloomberg report. If these deals materialise, they would add to a growing list of firms that have recently invested in the Indian company.

US private equity firm General Atlantic was considering investing about $850 million to $950 million in the Mumbai-based company, a Bloomberg report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The deal could be completed as soon as this month, though no agreement had been finalised and plans may change, it added.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is also considering to buy a minority stake in Jio, Bloomberg said in a separate report.

General Atlantic declined to comment on the report, while Jio and PIF did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Hours earlier on Friday, Reliance Industries announced a $1.5 billion stake sale in Jio to Vista Equity Partners, the third deal in just over two weeks.

The conglomerate cut a $5.7 billion deal with Facebook for a 9.99 per cent stake in Jio on April 22 and a few days later, it secured a $750 million investment from private equity firm Silver Lake.

Together the three deals will inject a combined $8 billion in the telecoms-to-energy group and help it pare its debt.

Vista's investment gave Jio an equity value of Rs 4.91 trillion ($65 billion) and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 trillion, said Reliance, controlled by billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani.

The potential investments from New York-based General Atlantic and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which manages over $300 billion in assets, would inject money on top of the $8 billion which Jio has already raised.

Saudi's PIF has been buying minority stakes several companies. Last month, it disclosed an 8.2 per cent stake in coronavirus-hit Carnival Corp, sending the cruise operator's shares up nearly 30 per cent higher.

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