The Supreme Court Thursday termed the COVID-19 situation as almost a "national emergency" while agreeing to hear Vedanta's plea for opening of its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu on the ground that it would produce thousand tonnes of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat patients.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea by Skoda Auto Volkswagen India challenging an FIR registered in Uttar Pradesh by a customer over the alleged use of 'cheat device' in its diesel car by the company to manipulate emission norms.
Violation of the provisions entails a punishment of a jail term up to five years or with fine up to Rs 1 crore or with both, the ordinance released by the Ministry of Law and Justice on Thursday said.
If industrial units do not have functional PETPs, then they will not be allowed to function any more, the court said.
India may soon see a new set of oil barons with lesser-known companies venturing into crude oil and natural gas production. These new kids on the block have come up through a mix of entrepreneurial grit and backing from oil industry veterans. Nippon Power, South Asia Consultancy, PFH (Poddar Family Holdings) Resources and Chennai-based Adbhoot Estates could be the first ones to start production from blocks awarded during the first round of Discovered Small Field (DSF-1) auctions. Adbhoot is in a 50:50 joint venture with the Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Hindustan Oil Exploration Company that has some five oil producing assets and over 10 blocks across the country.
"The overall Delhi's Air Quality Index is in the very poor category with few Delhi locations entering at higher zone but that will be short lived. This is mainly because the extremely calm local surface winds which were prevailing yesterday are likely to increase slightly and may further pick-up by Oct 26," SAFAR said.
Kavinder Singh Bisht laments his state's refusal to acknowledge his achievements because he represents the Services Sports Control Board.
Housing Minister M T B Nagaraj and K Sudhakar handed over their resignations at the Speaker's chamber in Vidhana Soudha.
The effects of anti-CAB protests in the North East have spilled over to the sports field with Assam and Tripura's Ranji matches suspended, while also forcing the Indian Super League match between NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC in Guwahati to be postponed.
'The present government swears by Hinduism. But we lost three of our sants during earlier BJP regimes.'
Of 817 grossly polluting factories, 62 have not installed anti-pollution devices and in 84 units, the installed devices are non-functional.
Tokyo-bound AFI medical commission chairman AK Mendiratta dies of COVID-19.
A PIL was filed stating the extensive wedding preparations of Suryakant -- son of Ajay Gupta -- and that of Atul Gupta's son Shashank was damaging the environment.
The air quality had turned 'severe' on Saturday evening with stubble burning accounting for 32 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution, but firecracker emissions and calm winds made the situation even worse.
The smog reduced the visibility to merely 300 meters in the morning affecting traffic, an official of the India Meteorological Department said.
A government release also urged people of the state to burst crackers with low decibel and pollution levels.
The eight areas that recorded 'severe' air quality Saturday are Anand Vihar, Dwarka Sector 8, Narela, Punjabi Bagh, Bawana, Mundaka, Vivek Vihar and Rohini.
Pollution levels in Delhi during the Diwali period are likely to remain in the higher end of the 'very poor' category in the absence of emissions due to fireworks, the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR said.
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages has moved the National Green Tribunal, challenging the order.
For deciding which vehicles are to be scrapped, the setting up of fitness centres and regulating them would be a humongous task.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked all the states to explain within six weeks as to why they should not be made liable to pay compensation to persons affected by bad air quality saying it is their bounden duty to provide basic civic amenities, clean air and drinking water to citizens.
Sunil Bharala, the chairman of the state Labour Welfare Council, said stubble burning is an 'age-old practice'.
In December 2016, the Supreme Court directed the central government to have a graded action plan to tackle the menace of air pollution. There are two plans - Comprehensive Action Plan and Graded Response Action Plan.
In fresh trouble for Ramdev, the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board has issued a show cause notice to the herbal food park run by the yoga guru at Padartha in Haridwar district for allegedly releasing untreated waste into the water bodies of the area.
A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul said the case will be heard on January 8.
Less than six months ago, Delhi was gasping for breath. Authorities said air quality had reached "unbearable levels". Schools were shut, flights were diverted, and people were asked to wear masks, avoid polluted areas and keep doors and windows closed. But during the lockdown that began on Mar 22, the concentration of poisonous PM2.5 particles in a cubic metre of air averaged at 44.18, according to a Reuters analysis of government data, indicating a rare "good" rating, the safest level on the scale.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the carmaker to deposit the amount within two months.
Violation of the provisions entails a punishment of a jail term of up to five years or with fine up to Rs one crore or with both.
For Navy veterans who watched the huge vessel being towed away by a tug boat, it was an emotional moment as they stood near the Gateway of India, waving at the once 'floating town', aboard which they spent the best years of their career.
The national capital on Friday recorded a 24-hour average air quality index of 239. On Thursday, it was 315, the worst since February 12 when the AQI was 320.
The green panel said that innocent people drank and bathed in the river with reverence, without knowing that it may adversely affect their health.
Authorities alerted people to avoid staying outdoors and L-G ordered to halt all civil construction activities across the city till Sunday.
Delhi recorded an air quality index of 315 at 11:10 am. The last time the air quality hit such a poor level was in February.
The government order said it endorsed the recent closure direction of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and also asked the TNPCB to "seal the unit and close the plant permanently".
Responding to a question on the issue of felling trees in Mumbai's Aarey forest, in which the Supreme Court has restrained authorities from cutting anymore trees, Javadekar told the reporters that he would not like to comment on a sub judice matter.
In a mail to COA and BCCI officer-bearers, Khanna informed them about his decision to form a panel chaired by acting treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary with Ratnakar Shetty being the convenor. The other members were supposed to be Avishek Dalmiya (CAB) and Jai Shah (Gujarat CA).
The CPCB said reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 levels primarily indicate depletion in combustion and industrial sources of pollution which are common to both fractions of particulate matter.
What will the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government do to answer the queries and fears of investors who will want to be doubly sure they would not be harassed at a later date, as has been happening to Sterlite, should be interesting to watch, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The overall Air Quality Index was recorded at 231 on Sunday which falls in 'poor' category.
Done with the World Cup, shooters Ravi Kumar and Deepak Kumar said they have been asked to report by their employers, the Indian Air Force -- a routine practice but they expect 'instructions on protocol' in view of the escalating tension between India and Pakistan.
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