| Air pollution and
Indian cities |
Experts clear fog over hazy
conditions: A dip in temperature along with the imminent onset
of winter has thrown a veil of haze over the city. However, the
current spell of thick smog should not be confused with fog, say
researchers from National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Centre for
Science and Environment (CSE). A CSE analysis of the air quality
data available from the ITO monitoring station during the period
September and October, 2006 shows that the pollution level has
already begun to build up in the city due to lowering of the
atmospheric temperature and calming of wind. ‘‘If this trend
continues Delhi can hurtle towards disastrous winter smog, which
will be for a longer spell, proving costly not only to airlines and
businesses but also to people with respiratory, cardiac and
asthmatic problems,’’
said Anumita Roychowdhury of CSE.
Source: Times of India, Delhi, 31/10/06
Cracker smoke raises city air pollution to dangerous levels:
Air pollution levels in the city shot up on the weekend, and a
further rise is expected, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)
officials said. The MPCB will release figures only on Tuesday, when
the Diwali celebrations end. Dr Shashidhar Kashyap, a scientist at
the Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment that measures pollution
every day in Chembur, said, “In the past three days, there has been
an increase in suspended particulate matter (SPM). There has also
been an increase in the levels of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
dioxide.” On October 18, SPM was around 230; now it has gone up to
260. According to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard, 100
micrograms per cubic metre is moderate. “SPM higher than that is
critical,” said Kashyap.
Source: DNA, Mumbai, 10/ 22/ 2006
Kanpur the seventh most polluted city in the world: Time: The
industrial city of Kanpur has been named the seventh most polluted
city in the world, says a report in the "Time" magazine. The latest
issue of the magazine referred to a 2006 World Bank study which
placed Kanpur seventh in terms of air pollution and in a report that
detailed the most polluted places in four Asian countries, placed
the city on top. Kanpur, which it said fares worst among all Indian
cities, was followed by Kitakyushu in Japan, Indonesian capital
Jakarta and Chinese city of Xiangshan. A survey in 2004 had found
Kanpur was the most polluted city in India after Raipur, Jharia and
Jalandhar, but in two years, due to a burgeoning population and
increasing number of diesel-run vehicles it had surged to the top of
the list. The growing population of the city, it said, was one of
the chief reasons for the worsening air condition. While the average
population growth in the country between 1991 to 2001 was 21.3
percent, Kanpur had registered 32.5 percent. In the next five years
the numbers would increase by another five lakh, it said.
Source: Hindustan Times, Kanpur, 10/6/2006
Pollution unlimited: While the State government for three years
now has been passing the buck over the phasing out of old commercial
vehicles comes a report that Jammu enjoys the dubious districntion
of being among a couple of cities in the country with the highest
lead residue in the air. The report while it has taken it`s time
coming only confirms what the people of the city have been
suspecting all along. While the debilitating effects of lead
poisoning need not be enumerated here the government has exhibited a
remarkable lack of political will to address the problem. Despite
the unambiguous directions of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court
ordering the government to phase out commercial vehicles more than
15 years old, the concerned authorities have been dragging their
feet finding one excuse after another.
Source: The Kashmir Times, Jammu, 10/25/2006
Banglaore going the Delhi way?: Call it the boom`s backlash.
The Bangalore story of IT feel-good, business clusters and migrant
millions - is heading for a sombre twist.The World Health
Organisation`s recommendations to Bangalore (along with Chennai,
Kolkata and Mumbai) to switch to cleaner automotive fuel in a bid to
check the alarming pollution levels, are a bleak pointer to what the
City is in for. Ailments, for one. Survey findings down the yers
have fore-warned us on the danger ahead. However, with more than 500
new vehciles registered everyday (the City`s total vehicular
population is 24,00,000), no respite seems to be in sight.
Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore, , 10/15/2006
Meghalaya vehicles major cause of air pollution: Over 50 per
cent of vehicles in Meghalaya, ranked fourth in the country in terms
of per capita vehicle at one for every eight persons, emit
pollutants ‘beyond permissible limits’, studies conducted by State
Pollution Control Board have revealed, reports PTI. Joint Director
of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests` north east regional
office, S C Katiyar, said vehicular emissions are a major cause of
air pollution in Meghalaya, particularly urban areas and along the
highways. The problems get magnified as roads are the main mode of
transportation due to unavailability of rail network and waterways
as well as poor air connectivity. The major pollutants emitted by
vehicles include suspended particulate matters (SPM), respirable
suspended particulate matters (RSPM), soot, oxides of nitrogen (NOX)
and sulphur (SOX), carbon monooxide, hydrocarbons, some of which are
carcinogens, Katiyar said.
Source: The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, 10/23/2006
‘Divali was less noisy, polluting this year’: Divali was less
noisy and polluting for Delhiites this year due to a drive against
crackers that violate norms laid down by the government, claims
Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). The concentration of
carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in the Delhi atmosphere showed
a considerable decline this year compared to the last year’s Divali,
according to the data prepared by the DPCC. A monitoring of ambient
air quality at 40 locations and noise levels at 30 locations on
Divali night has shown a comparative decline in Suspended
Particulate Matter (SPM) and carbon monoxide concentration at 28
locations.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 10/23/2006
Loud, cheap, Chinese and injurious to health: The land of the
dragon is making its presence felt in Delhi`s cracker mart thanks to
its USP — throwaway prices. Delhiites are not complaining because
Chinese crackers give them more than their money`s worth. They
should. The air we breathe is getting more toxic. "Chinese crackers
are mostly made of chlorate, an explosive substance, which is
cheaper and more effective compared to nitrate which is the main
ingredient in Indian firecrackers," says Gurnam Singh, senior
environmental engineer at Central Pollution Control Board.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 10/20/2006
^Top
| Fuel and vehicle
technology |
Govt to permit import of Harley Davidson bikes:
Despite having reservations, the government may be forced to allow
the import of Harley Davidson bikes into the country. The Centre is,
at present, considering a proposal that seeks permission to import
5,000 Harley Davidson bikes over a period of 5-10 years. The iconic
bike company, which unveiled its plans to foray into India with
500-cc bikes last year, has been unable to do so due to the
country’s stringent emission norms. The ministry of road transport
and highways had raised serious objections to the import of the
bikes, saying the country did not have any norms for such high
emissions. It had also not been too keen to change these norms, as
it would lead to very high pollution. Nearly 80% of the automobiles
in Indian cities comprised two-wheelers, and the ministry felt that
it was necessary to control emission by sticking to some stringent
norms. The US government has also taken up the issue with its Indian
counterpart and has asked for a relaxation of emission norms as well
as a reduction in import duty. It wants the bikes to be considered
in the same category as small cars.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 10/11/2006
Hero group inks pact with UK co for electric bikes:
Hero Group has struck a deal with British electric vehicle (EV)
company Ultra Motors to introduce EV in the country. Ultra Motors
has signed a technical collaborationcum-joint marketing deal with
Hero Cycles for bringing out electric two-wheelers. A nascent
segment as of now, with the entry of a large two-wheeler group like
Hero, the market for e-vehicles could witness a take off with the
creation of a new category.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, 10/12/2006
Deora meets Deshmukh; Maha to cut fuel sales tax:
The Maharashtra government on Monday admitted that taxes on petrol
and diesel in the state were quite high and said it would
rationalise them after receiving the recommendations from a
high-level committee, which is expected to submit its report within
a week. This was the outcome of a meeting between the state chief
minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and petroleum minister Murli Deora. The
petroleum minister on September 18 had called the state government
to reduce the sales tax on the grounds that it was the highest in
the country at 34% compared to that of neighbouring Goa (21%),
Andhra Pradesh (28%), Gujarat (28%) and Karnataka (30%). The
ministry had supported the stand taken by the petrol and diesel
dealers who had gone on strike last month.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 10/17/2006
^Top
|
Alternative Fuels
and Technology |
GAIL panel to draw up quality norms for CNG:
THE GOVERNMENT has asked Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) to set up
a committee to formulate quality specification guidelines for
compressed natural gas (CNG). The report has to be submitted to the
Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA)
within three months. The committee will include former Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) professor H B Mathur and officials
from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Society of
Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), GAIL, Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL)
and Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL). Though years have passed since the
introduction of CNG in Delhi, no fuel quality specifications are in
place. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which had formulated a
draft on standards, got no response to its suggestions. BIS said it
would take one to two years to come out with quality specifications.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 10/31/2006
Bid for CNG buses cancelled:
An Ambitious plan to run CNG minibuses in the Chandni Chowk area has
hit yet another roadblock. Senior official said that owing to
difficulties in striking the right deal with the bidders, the bid
had to be cancelled. The officials are tightlipped over the matter,
but sources say that the bidder, who was to get the tender, could
not fulfil certain pre-conditions. The transport department wanted
dif ferent companies to bid for the two routes. The bidding party
did not have an annual turnover of Rs 6 crores, which was an
eligibility marker for the bid, but it bid for both routes.
Source: The Asian Age, New Delhi, , 10/17/2006
GAIL to expand CNG network to 46 cities:
GAIL (India) Ltd is planning to expand its compressed natural gas (CNG)
distribution network to 46 cities in the country over the next four
years. At present, CNG, as a vehicle fuel, is available in Delhi,
Mumbai, Agra, Kanpur and Lucknow. Cities like Ahmedabad, Chandigarh,
Pune, Patna, Jodhpur, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Gwalior, Indore,
Silchar, and Jaipur will soon be added to the list. GAIL believes
its CNG network expansion plan will work on the premise that the
cost of running a vehicle on CNG is almost one-third that of petrol.
The automobile industry has been demanding expansion of the network
for a long time to ensure integrated inter-city transport on CNG
fuel.
Absence of a proper CNG network has forced some auto companies to
abandon it in favour of other alternative fuels. Market leader
Maruti Udyog Ltd (MUL), which had launched CNG models earlier, has
now opted for LPG due to its wider availability and convenient
refuelling.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi, , 10/24/2006
CNG retailers may get ‘limited period’ monopoly rights:
The Centre is likely to allow companies have monopoly in retailing
natural gas to households and CNG to automobiles for a ’limited
period’, which will be decided on the basis of investment made,
location and market growth. The natural gas pipeline and city or
local natural gas distribution networks policy wants firms to commit
long term investments based on reasonable return through network
tariff, along with some incentive for earning profit from gas sales
through a limited period of marketing exclusivity.
Source: The Financial Express, New Delhi, 10/21/2006
New gas pipeline policy to ensure fair deal for consumers & cos:
The final contours of the gas pipeline policy is falling in
place. The pipeline sector, which has recently attracted investor
interest from large corporates including RIL, British Gas, ADAG,
GAIL among others, will be developed on a common-carrier principle
and will allow exclusive rights to the developer in the initial
years. Companies having common interests in marketing and pipeline
transportation will, however, be required to separate operations and
maintain arms’ length distance.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi 10/19/2006
Plan panel trashes draft pipeline policy:
THE Planning Commission has objected to the draft gas pipeline
policy which calls for exclusivity for laying, building, operating,
expanding city or local gas distribution networks and giving
exclusivity of marketing to the entity developing such networks. The
period of such exclusivity is left open. The commission has objected
to the Petroleum Ministry not making the necessary changes in the
draft policy despite its repeated suggestions. No valid arguments
had been given for not making critical changes, it added. Source:
The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 10/20/2006
^Top
Ethanol supply: Oil cos to start price talks this week:
The public sector oil marketing companies will initiate final
price negotiations for sourcing ethanol from sugar mills during the
coming week. It is learnt that the technical and financial bids for
tenders floated by the oil marketing companies - for an aggregate
quantity of 580 million litres - have so far been opened in all
States, barring Punjab. Mills have apparently quoted prices
(ex-distillery per litre) between Rs 21.50 and Rs 22 in Uttar
Pradesh; Rs 21.50-22.50 for Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal; Rs
21.50-23 in Karnataka; Rs 23 in Tamil Nadu; Rs 22.50-23.25 in
Gujarat; Rs 24.20 in Maharashtra; and Rs 25 in Andhra Pradesh.
Source: Business Line, New Delhi, 10/30/2006
Govt mulls tax sops to promote biodiesel:
The government is mulling giving tax incentives like excise and
import duty exemption to promote the use of biodiesel and ethanol in
auto fuels so as to cut down India`s import dependence to meet its
fuel needs. The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, now
re-christened as Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in the draft
National Policy on Biofuels has suggested a slew of fiscal
incentives and a National Biofuel Development Board headed by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh to promote doping of petrol with ethanol and
diesel with non-edible oil.
Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 10/24/2006
ICRISAT ties up with marginal farmers for bio-fuel project:
The International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
has become the first institute in the world that has facilitated a
project linking a distillery, producing ethanol from sweeter
sorghum, to the poor and marginal farmers of the semiarid tropics.
Source: The New Indian Express, Hyderabad, 10/12/2006
Energy quest takes Indian jatropha on African safari:
India`s quest for energy security is taking it to Madagascar and
Mozambique. A longterm plan is being chalked out to grow jatropha in
these African countries to supplement fuel supply in India.
Interestingly, the idea of growing jatropha in these countries has
been mooted by Mauritius which is persuading India to strengthen its
economic relations with the eastern and southern Africa.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, 10/14/2006
^Top
Pollution: Govt cars
not upto mark:
Delhi’s public transport may switched over to CNG to
reduce pollution and while that has considerably reduced air
pollution in the capital, it seems that the government
itself is not following its own rules to ensure a clean
capital. The classic Ambassador remains India’s official
car. It also represents one of the many things polluting the
capital and has Delhi’s chief secretary worried. He has
written to the cabinet secretary B K Chaturvedi twice in the
last three months that a survey of 281 govt cars showed that
only 72 were found with vaild pollution control certificates
which means that 75% of the govt cars in Delhi are plying
without a pollution check. "We've got to make sure the
central and Delhi govt follows the pollution norms,” said R
Narayanswamy, Chief Secretary Delhi.
Source: Source: Times Now, Delhi, 10/13/2006
Pollution increases in Jammu even as NPCs
sell like hot cakes:
While the officials of state regional transport and traffic
department are shifting blame on one another, the level of
pollution is increasing in Jammu city to dangerous
proportions. The much hyped non-pollution certificate drive
seems to have ceased into just a revenue earning exercise,
proving futile in controlling the increasing graph of
pollution, a fact confirmed by the pollution monitoring data
available with state pollution control board (SPCB). The
data reveals that during the daytime, the maximum level of
suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the air at the
ever-busy jewel chowk, on an average has been recorded at
270 microgram per meter cube in the month of September 2006
while the minimum level has been 260 microgram/cm cube.
Officials at the SPCB maintain that anything above 200
microgram/cm cube is considered hazardous within the city
limits. They said that in sensitive areas like hospitals,
schools, kinder gartens, and old age homes etc. even 70
micrograms per centimeter cube is considered dangerous. For
industrial areas, the criterion fixed is entirely different.
Source: The Kashmir Times, Jammu, 19/10/2006 |
^Top
|
Transportation
and traffic |
|
Why Delhi needs cycle-rickshaws:
They do not emit pollution and provide jobs to a million people It
is a myth that pulling cycle-rick- shaws is inhumane. Rickshaw
pullers are better off than construction labourers who carry heavy
loads on their heads. Director of the Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE), Sunita Narain, also makes a strong pitch in
favour of cycle-rickshaws and other modes of nonmotorised transport.
“It is a misconception that cycle-rickshaws cause congestion. It is
the cars that are causing congestion. It is sad that in a socialist
country like India, the poor rickshaw pullers are getting targeted
for no fault of theirs,” says Narain. A study carried out by CSE in
Ambedkar Nagar shows that over 60 per cent commuters travel by
public transport buses that use up 8 per cent road space, while cars
move only 20 per cent people and take over 75 per cent road space.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, , 10/23/2006
Monorail plan for City Centre project:
Haryana government has a monorail project in place for its Golden
Triangle City Centre (GTCC) project in Sector 29. The centre will
have both Metro and monorail connectivity. The government also plans
to make it vehicle-free. The consortium company of East China
Architecture and Design Institute (ECADI) and India based Fairwood
Consultants that is designing the proposed City Centre, has proposed
the introduction of monorail or trams – the Light Rail Transit
System (LRTS) for local commutation.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 11/1/2006
Haryana puts Metro work on fast track:
THE HARYANA government has put its Metro plan on the fast track.
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has alreadly
auctioned plots for 24 offices and 15 shopping kiosks. Apart from
these, there will be one operational petrol pump and the boundary
walls of residential colonies on MG Road tuned up. Unauthorized
parking lots on MG Road will make way for the new Metro line.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 11/1/2006
Get ready to pay more if you hit highway in peak hours:
With the road sector growing at a pace of 9%, the government is now all
set to monetise the traffic growth by introducing for the first time
a tolling policy for highways. Road commuters will now pay out a
higher toll if they happen to hit the highway at the peak hours. The
proposed new policy is likely to introduce peak and non-peak toll
rates, tolling of two lane highways and a fixed and variable
component to calculate tolling rates in case of cost escalation.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi, 10/13/2006
2010: Transport dept to come up with traffic plan:
The Transport department is readying a full-fledged detailed transport and
traffic plan for the Commonwealth Games and has already started the
process for appointing a consultant. “Movement from the stadia to
the Games Village, practice venue, hotels, airport and other areas
need to be made smooth and hassle free. Accordingly, we are looking
for a comprehensive transport plan which will identify routes based
on traffic projections for 2010 and also devise schemes for
infrastructure upgrade and augmentation,” said a transport
department official.
Source: The Indian Express, New Delhi, 10/24/2006
Central aid speeds up Indore rapid bus system work:
The dream of people of Indore to have rapid transit bus system has
been put on the fast track of realisation courtesy to Union Urban
Development Ministry. The Centre will give Rs 49.22 crore as
financial assistance to the Madhya Pradesh under the Jawaharlal
Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme for the project.
Urban Development Ministry has released Rs 12.40 crore to the State.
The State Government has decided to construct 11.45-km long rapid
bus transit system in Indore at an estimated cost of around Rs 100
crore.
Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, 10/23/2006
Skybus: A safer and economical option?:
In the next six years, one can travel from Colaba to Borivali in 30
minutes flat! Every 30 seconds, a skybus will breeze above the
high-density arterial roads of the metorpolis. Air-conditioned
units, each with a capacity to carry 300 commuters and suspended
from concrete/steel traction above, will chug along merrily at a
speed of 100 km/h thanks to the high-end suspension systems. An
alumnus of IIT Mumbai, Sudhir Badami has designed the plan. He
claims that the Skybus is an Indian answer to the global problem of
urban transport.
Source: The Free Press Journal, Mumbai, 10/10/2006
Delhi in the fast lane with HCBS on track:
Delhi has finally opened up to a transport revolution. With a
reliable Metro system in place, the new target is an economical bus
rapid system that adds more passengers, decongests roads, and
ensures safety of pedestrians. If all goes well, Delhi government
plans to achieve all this in one master stroke, High Capacity Bus
System (HCBS). The government has already awarded a contract for
construction of the bus corridor and the deadline is 2008. The
system promises to solve a number of problems for the Capital, which
is aiming to clean up the mess on its roads by the time it invites
international athletes and tourists for Commonwealth Games 2010.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 10/23/2006
For safer roads, highway police & new rules:
With more and more Indians taking the highway for long-distance
travel and transport, the government panel on road safety policy is
going to suggest a slew of measures including creation of safety
boards and the formation of a specialized police force to enforce
rules along the national highways. The decision to have a separate,
long-term policy on road safety was taken by the Committee on
Infrastructure, headed by the prime minister, last year as it was
felt that with better and broader road, there was a larger volume of
vehicles of different categories travelling at much higher speeds,
increasing the risk of accidents. Source: The Indian Express,
New Delhi, 10/21/2006
No sci-fi: GPS in school buses:
A school bus operator — sitting in front of a computer, monitoring
the fleet of buses and pinpointing the movement of each and every
bus in real time as children are dropped home — is not a scene from
a sci-fi movie. The Cathedral and John Connan High School in
Fountain has beaten BEST buses and BMC to installing Global
Positioning System (GPS) units in each of its 52 buses, making it a
first for city schools. This satellite-based tracking system,
installed in August, will be fully functional in a month’s time and
enable both school authorities and school bus operators to track the
buses. “This will greatly enhance security, as we will no longer be
dependent on a call from the driver or the attendant in case of an
emergency,” school principal Meera Isaacs said.
Source: The Times of India, 10/20/2006
^Top
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SC sets Oct 31 deadline for parking policy:
Ahead of finalisation of Master Plan 2021, the Supreme Court has
set October 31 as the deadline for Delhi’s civic and planning
bodies to give all requisite data to Environment Pollution
(Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) for preparing the final
parking policy for the Capital. The final parking policy, as and
when it gets framed, may burn a hole in the pockets of vehicle
owners, for the court was not in favour of any subsidy, even for
the construction and maintenance of parking facilities. The
court asked the three civic bodies in the Capital to give
details of their proposal for rationalised parking rates for all
types of parking ‘‘based on the user pay principle in which the
user will pay the full cost of parking and the element of
subsidy is eliminated’’. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Y K
Sabharwal and Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia directed
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Municipal Corporation of
Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to give
details of existing parking fees — surface, underground and
multi-level — as well as the parking slots, existing and
proposed, to EPCA.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, 10/25/2006
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| |
Pollution causes hearing
disability among infants:
Environmental factors including increasing pollution levels are
contributing to hearing disability in new born babies. A study
by a group of city researchers reveals that while genetic
factors contribute to 50 per cent of hearing impaired cases in
new born babies, 40 per cent of the cases are related to
environmental factors like pollution. The incidence of hearing
disability is two to three per 1,000 live births in India and
one per 1,000 babies is profoundly deaf at birth or in the
prelingual (stage of learning language) childhood period. As
against these pre-natal (before birth) factors, post-natal
(after birth) infection of the ear (otitis media) is responsible
for 11.71 per cent cases of hearing impairment in children while
head injuries contribute to just 4.83 per of the cases.
Source:
Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad,
10/21/2006
^Top
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Haze spoils holiday mood in Indonesia; airport
closed:
Poor visibility due to thick smoke from Indonesian forest fires shut
an airport in the central part of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on
Sunday, compounding transport misery over the main Muslim holiday
period. At Sultan Thaha airport in Sumatra’s Jambi province, flights
have been cancelled since last week. “(The condition is) still the
same. We haven’t been able to open the airport,” airport head Basuki
Mardiyanto said.
Source: The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 10/23/2006
Hong Kong leader targets air pollution:
Faced with air pollution levels that on some days force the elderly
and the asthmatic to stay indoors and have some foreigners
contemplating a move to cleaner climes, the government of this
financial city said that it was time to get tough on the worst
polluters. Donald Tsang, the Hong Kong chief executive, outlines an
anit-pollution agenda in an annual policy address that the promised
some carrots and threat of big sticks to get industry and the
polluting public to help clean up the city’s frequnelty murky skies.
Source: International Herald Tribune, Bangkok, 10/12/2006
Smoke worsens in SE Asia, health warning issued:
Visibility plunged to 50 metres in parts of Borneo island on
Saturday and Singapore recorded its highest pollution reading in
nearly a decade as fires in Indonesia sent acrid smoke across
Southeast Asia. Singapore issued its first haze-related health
warning this year. The daily air pollution index hit 128, the
National Environment Agency said on its Web site (www.nea.gov.sg). A
reading above 100 is rated unhealthy. In Central Kalimantan, on the
Indonesian side of Borneo, visibility in some places had plunged to
50 metres governor Agustin Teras Narang told Elshinta radio.
Hundreds sought medical help for respiratory problems, with more
than 500 fires counted from satellite images. Malaysia also reported
unhealthy levels of smoke in many areas. Purwasto, head of forest
fire control of Indonesia's environment ministry, said experts would
go to Central Kalimantan on Sunday to assess the situation. "The
worst situation is in Central Kalimantan now. Most areas in the
province contain peat", he told Reuters. Peat can burn for years and
produces thick smoke. "We cannot estimate the extent of the fires
now."
Source: Reuters, Singapore, 10/7/2006
^Top
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