Waste

Can human waste be used as a power source in space?Publication: Asia News InternationalProvider: HT Media Ltd

December 4, 2010Washington, Dec. 4 -- A satellite experiment will test if human feces can be a fuel source in space. The experiment is part of a United Nationseducational mission scheduled for launch next year. Researchers will test how well microbes in human waste survive in space and whether they couldoffer a power source. The project, spearheaded by a group of Florida researchers, will focus on bacteria, known as Shewanella, which can convertfeces into hydrogen so it can be used in a fuel cell. The first question is whether the microbes can survive the harsh environment of space. "This ispotentially something that could be used to take waste and generate electricity in some sort of deep space human mission," Discovery News quotedDonald Platt, program director for space sciences at Florida Institute of Technology, as saying. The researchers plan to test the resiliency ofShewanella microbes, which will fly as one of two secondary experiments on the United Nations' UNESCOSat mission, scheduled for launch nextyear. The other secondary payload will test the space legs of another colony of microbes to see if they could have survived a migration between Earthand Mars -- or vice-versa. Both experiments are contained in small, stand-alone satellites known as CubeSats, which weigh about two pounds andmeasure 4 inches on each side. (AN) Ends NBNNNN Published by HT Syndication with permission from Asian News International. For any querywith respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Botox jabs 'cause muscles to waste away into fat'Publication: Asia News InternationalProvider: HT Media Ltd

December 4, 2010London, Dec. 4 -- Scientists gave warned that botox injections - used by millions every year to banish wrinkles and plump-up lips - may causemuscles to waste away into fat. Researchers from the University of Calgary have found that the cosmetic treatment could cause harmful side effects -even areas of the body which have not been injected. They warn that the jab could cause harmful side effects when used over long periods of time.For the first time experts have found that Botox causes muscle wastage in parts of the body not injected. Researchers studied the effects of thesubstance, known amongst in the medical profession as Botulinum toxin A, on a group of 18 rabbits over a period of up to six months. Their studyfound that limbs which had been injected with the substance experienced muscle wastage of up to 50 per cent. But alarmingly they also discoveredthat muscle loss also occurred in limbs that hadn't been injected - suggesting the harmful effects of the jab could be spread to other parts of the body.The researchers warn that their findings 'raise important questions' about the long-term use of the popular cosmetic treatment. "What we have shownis some muscle tissue is being replaced by fat," the Daily Mail quoted lead author Rafael Fortuna as saying. "Basically, we should be more cautious.We should be aware once we have Botox, there might be some side effects far removed from the injection site. "We were surprised by the degree ofmuscle loss and atrophy in the limb that was not injected with the Botulinum toxin. "I think it's fair to say that the paper raises some importantquestions about the long-term therapeutic use of Botox, especially with children and adolescents," Fortuna added. The study has been published inthe Journal of Biomechanics. Published by HT Syndication with permission from Asian News International. For any query with respect to this articleor any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

BDA takes up waste management initiativePublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

December 4, 2010

Staff Reporter

To install facilities at all its complexes, layouts

Bangalore: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will install solid waste management (SWM) facilities in all its complexes and futurelayouts, said Commissioner Bharatlal Meena.

On Friday, the BDA, in association with the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), initiated a waste management programme to disposeof solid waste produced at the BDA head office with an aim to achieve zero waste on its premises. The facility for segregating, recycling andcomposting was inaugurated by BDA chairperson Vatsala Vatsa and Mr. Meena.

Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Meena said that the biowaste will be converted to manure, while all the recyclable waste, including paper and plastic,will be picked up by recyclers from the premises. ?The waste management programme is intended to change the existing habit of throwing anddisposing waste and to adopt better waste management practices, which starts with segregation at source," he said.

He added that to set up such facilities, one does not need too much space, neither does it require any investment. ?At the BDA layouts, we willearmark a sapce for setting up of such facilities. In the layouts already developed, we will join hands with the resident welfare associations. These arecommunity-based projects and by taking them up, we will be indirectly helping the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)," he added.

The inauguration of the SWM facilities at BDA follows the recent launch of similar facilities at BBMP head office. N.S. Ramakanth from SWMRTsaid that the project would next be implemented on the Karnataka High Court premises.

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He said that SWMRT members have been working with staff at the BDA head office for the past six weeks to introduce a simple system at a sitewhere waste was earlier being dumped. The project will serve the three-acre site in Kumara Park West, which is home to more than 800 BDA officersand gets more than 600 visitors every day. Already during the introduction phase, dry waste recyclers have collected more than 132 kg of paper and75 kg of plastic. Bins marked plastic and paper have been placed all around the campus.

Mr. Ramakanth said that by installing such facilities at the BBMP and the BDA, SWMRT wanted to show residents that it is possible to managewaste streams through composting, recycling and leaving little as rejects for disposal if waste is segregated at source. ?Almost 40 per cent of waste isdry waste. When we introduced this concept, there was some resistance from the housekeeping staff and gardeners. Now, they that they have seenthe success, they are happy," he added.

Who to call

Individuals or corporates wanting to convert their home or workplace to zero waste areas can call 99161 02848, email [email protected],or visit the website www.cbengaluru.com for details.

BDA follows Palike starts managing its wastePublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

December 4, 2010

Author :Bosky Khanna

After Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, it is now the turn of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to manage its own waste. This will soonbe replicated in all commercial establishments and upcoming layouts.

The development agency, on an average, generates 200 kg to 300 kg of waste of which 100 kg is organic waste and 100 kg is non-degradable waste.

Earlier, all this waste was either sent to the dump sites or disposed behind the BDA offices. But now with the help of Solid Waste ManagementRound Table, an NGO, the agency will manage all its organic waste and use the manure for maintaining greenery in the campus. The plastic will besold to the recycler for making roads.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of the opening of the waste management programme, BDA commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said, "Earlier, allwaste was being sent to the landfill sites. But now, we will be reducing the burden of BBMP in managing waste. We will recycle all our organicwaste.

"This task is not limited to the head office alone. From the next financial year, it will be implemented in all commercial establishments. It will also bedone in half done layouts with the help of residents' welfare associations and in upcoming BDA layouts. Orders have been issued and the task ofidentifying the locations is on.''

A recyclable dry waste unit, recyclable e-waste unit, two composting pits and reject units have been set up at a cost of Rs50,000.

Sandya Narayan, a member of Yes in My Back Yard (YIMBY), one of the groups of the Round Table, said that earlier one could find heaps ofgarbage in the rear of the BDA offices. But now, with a little encouragement from NGOs, things have improved.

During the last Ayudh pooja, ceremonies were conducted in hundred-odd offices in the head office campus.

After the ceremonies, there was a pile-up of melons, leaves and other pooja materials. The Round Table educated BDA employees on how to managethe waste, said Narayan.

Since then, BDA has composted a ton of waste which will soon be used as manure.

[email protected]

COPYRIGHT © 2010 DILIGENT MEDIA CORPORATION LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION [email protected]

BDA to lend a hand in disposing wastePublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

December 4, 2010/td> Bangalore, December 3, dhns: Saturday, December 04, 2010 -->The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has decided to set up solid waste management units in all its complexes and newly formed layouts.At the inauguration of one such unit at its headquarters, BDA Commissioner Bharath Lal Meena said the authority, along with the Solid WasteManagement Round Table, has taken up the initiative to create awareness among officials and public on segregating waste at source.

Bio-waste will be converted into manure while all recyclable waste, including paper and plastic, will be picked up by recyclers from the premisesdirectly. The BDA will set up the centres on a 30X40 site or a smaller space in the layouts.

?We will rope in the residents? welfare associations to set up the centres in the already developed layouts. These are community-based projects andby taking them up, we will be indirectly helping the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike," he said.


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Uk's Recycled Refuse To Build Waste Treatment Plant In VietnamPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

December 3, 2010HANOI, Dec 3 Asia Pulse - UK waste treatment leader ReCycled Refuse International Group will invest US$3.5 billion in public-private partnershipsto build 15-20 waste treatment plants in Vietnam, says the group's local representative Le Trung Truc.

The plants would have a combined capacity to process 12.8 million tonnes of waste each year, said Truc, who is also deputy director of Hanoi-basedTechnology Trading and Investment Consultancy Co.

"We are negotiating with authorities in Hanoi and Hai Duong Province in an attempt to begin construction on two facilities here next year," Truc said,noting that the sites for additional facilities would focus on other areas with a minimum demand for waste treatment of 300 tonnes per day, such asthe cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Hai Phong, and the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, An Giang and Dong Nai.

ReCycled Refuse International Group was also seeking investment opportunities here in ethanol production, composite tyre disposal and recycling,and seawater desalinisation, Truc said.

Under regulations on public-private partnerships (PPP), the Government can invest up to 30 per cent in projects in nine sectors, includingenvironment and waste treatment.

Private partners, meanwhile, would receive corporate income tax preferences and exemptions from land use fees on land use rights allocated by theState. Imported materials or equipment needed to carry out the projects would also receive import tax preferences consistent with current regulationsunder the Law on Import and Export Taxes.

(VNA) nt 03-12 2012

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Greenpeace Protest Halts Aust Toxic Waste Shipment To DenmarkPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

December 3, 2010SYDNEY, Dec 3 Asia Pulse - A large shipment of toxic waste due for export from Australia to Denmark has been postponed after protest action byGreenpeace.

Chemical company Orica (ASX:ORI) has been forced to halt a shipment of the toxic manufacturing by-product hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from itsBotany Bay facility in southern Sydney.

Eleven activists from Greenpeace Australia Pacific broke into Orica's premises about 6.30am (AEDT) on Friday in an attempt to disrupt the shipmentof 44 containers of the chemical bound for Denmark.

They chained the containers together, spray painted them and labelled them with skull-and-cross bones placards.

Crews had not begun the loading process, which was expected to happen in the next couple of days.

Greenpeace chief executive Linda Selvey said the Australian government should rescind Orica's permit to export the toxic and carcinogenicsubstance.

"Rather than ship their waste offshore to Denmark where they're going to use outdated technology to incinerate the waste and put toxic chemicalsinto the air, Orica should put in place the technology in Australia and deal with it here," Dr Selvey told AAP.

The protest ended by mid-morning on Friday, when Orica released a statement that the shipment had been postponed.

"The Danish government announced on Thursday, December 2 (Danish time), that it has postponed a plan to accept a shipment ofHexachlorobenzene (HCB) waste from Orica's Botany site in Sydney," the statement read.

Orica did not return phone calls about the reasons for the delay.

But the company said exporting its chemical waste was about using available technology, not saving money.

"It's not a matter of economics," an Orica spokesman told AAP.

"It's a matter of available technology to do it and there is no available technology in Australia.

"Clearly the Australian government understands that because they did grant us an export permit for the waste."

Police arrived to the scene of the protest and issued citations to the activists but did not apprehend them, a Greenpeace spokesman told AAP.

(AAP) bl 03-12 1042

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Guj industries gear up for responsible waste mgmtPublication: DNA MoneyProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

December 3, 2010

Author :DNA Money Correspondent

A round table symposium on 'Responsible Waste Management for Responsible Growth' was organised by the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) andEcological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers- Indian Operating Committee (ETAD), in Ahmedabad onThursday.

The symposium addressed the current environmental issues, problem areas and possible solutions, thereby exploring the possibility of implementingcentral treatment plants, specific to managing certain norms like COD and ammonical nitrogen.

According to the recent projections on chemical industry of India by Tata Consultancy, the Indian chemical industry is expected to reach $200 billionby 2020 with the share of Gujarat being $60 billion. Thus, an addition of Rs2,70,000 crore is expected over the next 10 years.

The symposium was chaired by Dr SK Nanda, IAS - principal secretary, forest & environment department, government of Gujarat.

Speaking at the event, Ravi Kapoor, chairman, ICC, Gujarat said, "The global chemical industry is estimated at $3.65 trillion with Asia taking 38%share followed by Europe with 29%, NAFTA 21% and the rest 12%. From above the Asian countries further split as China holds 45%, Japan 18%,India 6% and rest of Asia 31% share."

Kapoor said, "Indian market is worth Rs83 billion which is merely 2.3% of the global market. Where the industrial activity contributes 21% of ourGDP, 11% comes from chemical industry. The chemical industry of Gujarat contributes more than 60% of petrochemicals and 51% of chemicaloutput of India."


Fiji, Japan Govts Sign Us$10mln Waste Management ProjectPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

December 2, 2010SUVA, Dec 2 Asia Pulse - The Fijian and Japanese government joined efforts yesterday through the signing of a regional initiative for solid wastemanagement and waste minimization.

Poorly managed solid waste has become an increasing concern for authorities given the associated risk factors and impacts on national developmentinitiatives in the areas of health, tourism and environment.

Fiji's Acting Permanent Secretary for Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment, Saverio Baleikanacea and JapanInternational Cooperation Agency (JICA) representative in Fiji, Mr Juichiro Sasaki officially signed the project for the promotion of regional initiativeon solid waste management now call the J-PRISM.

The five year project will cost US$10million.

Mr Sasaki said that 14 Pacific island countries would be collaborating with SPREP during the implementation of the project.

This regional frame work of our technical cooperation project was agreed by the representatives of the Pacific Countries SPREP and JICA on its 21stSPREP meeting on the 7th September in Madang, Papua New Guinea, he said.

The project aims to assist each project member country in implementing identified priority projects to realize sustainable solid waste management,legislation, awareness, communication, education and environment monitoring. It also aims to advance cross border and region-wide improvement ofsolid waste management and enhanced regional and national capacity for sustainable solid waste management.

Mr Sasaki said JICA hopes for a more cleaner and safer environment now with a more strategic approach to waste management in these countries.

"It is hoped that with the commencement of this regional project, more sustainable approach to management of solid waste in the pacific region isundertaken by the countries so that generations to come can enjoy the fruits of this project," he said.

Fiji's main activities during the implementation of the project Fiji J-PRISM is to prepare an action plan for the implementation of National 3R (reduce,reuse, recycle) strategy; monitor the progress of 3R implementation in Fiji; develop a training program on 3R to be used for regional training; andreplicate the 3R waste minimisation project currently undertaken in Lautoka city and Nadi town to other municipalities and rural areas in Fiji.

Mr Sasaki adds that the project will assist the Pacific island countries in implementing the Pacific Regional Solid Waste management strategy from2010 to 2015.

(Pacnews) ry 02-12 1559

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BBMP wakes up to waste collectors’ healthPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

December 2, 2010/td> Bangalore, December 1, DHNS : Wednesday, December 01, 2010 -->The job of garbage collectors is no less hazardous than those performed by police officers, fire-fighters and miners.Considering the hazardous nature of their jobs, the BBMP Standing Committee on Health has decided to enforce stringent measures while issuingnew garbage collection tenders.

The committee will place more emphasis on the contractors to provide garbage collectors with gloves, boots and overalls.

?In most of the cases, the provisions made by the contractors are inadequate and disturbing. Hence, the committee will lay more stress on the safetyaspects of garbage collectors," said Chairman of the Standing Committee on Health, Manjunath Reddy, on Wednesday.

Top priority will be accorded to labour safety and ensuring efficient and regular clearance of garbage, said Reddy.

The committee took serious note of the laxity shown by contractors in Neelasandra during an inspection, and directed the officers to issue a notice togarbage contractors for being negligent, and sub-leasing the contract of the entire ward without the Palike?s knowledge.

The tenders issued to the contractors empower the Palike to cut five per cent of the billed amount towards garbage collection, for unsatisfactorywork. However, in this case, the BBMP has already directed the authorities to make full payment.

On the same day, the Committee issued notice demanding the closure of the popular Hyderabad Biryani House on Victoria Road for lack of hygieneand poor upkeep.Wet garbage was found right next to the kitchen raising serious doubts about the quality of food served to customers, the panel said.

Even the Karnataka Meat and Poultry Corporation (KMPC) adjoining the Biryani House was ordered to close its business owing to bad maintenance.?Both the Hyderabad Biryani House and the KMPC lacked maintenance and had expired trade licences. The KMPC displayed a licence that wasissued in 2008-09," said Reddy.

The Palike administration should have acted on the orders of the Commissioner and Mayor and levied penalty for not obtaining fresh trade licences,he said.

Proposal for waste-derived fuel plants flayedPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

December 2, 2010

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Amid chaos of big cities, thousands of workers process garbage providing an environmental service. The health and social costs are highand yet, their contribution remains unacknowledged. As many as 70 waste pickers from across the country condemned the proposal for refuse-derived fuel plants in the city at a meeting organised here by the Alliance of Waste Pickers (AIW) and Global alliance for Incinerator Alternatives(GAIA) on Tuesday.

They pointed out that the projects would not only result in higher waste management costs, loss of livelihoods and environmental concerns, but alsofurther privatisation of waste leading to disastrous socio-economic effects.

Though the city has thousands of waste pickers, the absence of a body to represent them and voice their concerns has stuck them hard, said R.Leelavathi of the Unorganised Workers' Union (Chennai).

?Many switch to other professions, or keep shifting between begging and daily labour for sustenance," she said, adding that since most of them workwithout masks and gloves, they subject themselves to hazardous materials leading to major health problems.

The adoption of landfill gas systems and incinerators leaves them searching for recyclable waste and magnets in huge dump yards at odd hours, saidB. Kamala, also a member of the union. ?Female and migrant waste pickers, apart from children who are introduced to the profession very earlysuffer a lot as most crimes on them go unreported," she said.

In States such as Maharashtra, waste pickers after struggling for almost 20 years, now have unions to represent them, said Nalini Shekar, coordinator,AIW, talking about successful door-to-door-garbage collection mechanisms in cities like Pune.

Sustainable waste management systems built with the partnerships of waste picker communities, examples of which are in Maharashtra, show thatthe informal recycling sector is better viable for society and nature. Chaya Sontake, a member of one such project in Pune, narrated the story of herco-operative society that employs 2,000 women and caters to almost two-and-a-half-lakh homes.

About the RDF projects in the city, Dharmesh Dave co-ordinator, GAIA said that burning mixed waste leads to wastage of resources that could haveotherwise been recycled.

Dumping almost 1,400 tonne of garbage every day in a marshland and leaving waste pickers to collect usable material from such heaps is in no wayhuman, he added.


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Moreover talking about the advanced technology used in RDF plants that burns all waste instantaneously, converting them into pellets, which aredried and sent to companies as an additional fuel,

?This is not suitable in any environmental perspective," he said.

The waste pickers stressed that they are adept at recycling dry waste and composting engine wastes in the most environment-friendly way which isbeing ignored by many.

Debris causes 80 of solid waste mgmt problemsPublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

December 1, 2010

Author :DNA Correspondent

Solid waste management is on top of the list of priorities of the newly elected wing of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

Mayor Asit Vora, on Tuesday, took stock of the system of door-to-dump that has been implemented for solid waste management in the city. It wasthe general consensus that vacant plots and debris were the main hurdles in proper implementation of management of solid waste in the city.

People often use open plots to dump garbage and debris. Piles of garbage heaped in these open plots later create huge nuisance for the residents inthat area. "However, neither the residents in neighbouring localities nor the owners of these plots take the initiative to clean up the garbage. Peoplefeel that the corporation will clean up such plots," lamented IP Gautam, municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad.

The civic body removes garbage and debris from the open plot, but in the process has to face problems in recovering the cost from the ownersbecause of frequent change in ownership. "Around 80% problems of solid waste management are caused by debris and open plots," said Gautam,adding that the AMC is planning to have a system in place for it and will amend the rules, if needed. The civic body is also planning to charge theamount while approving development plants, he added.

Debris also obstructs the process of maintaining cleanliness in the city. The civic body had awarded a contractor the contract of removing debris fromfour zones of the city. However, the contractor has failed to provide services in accordance to the contract. The civic body has issued notice to thecontractor to fulfil the conditions of the contract within 15 days or face consequences.


No parliament a waste of taxpayers’ moneyPublication: Asian AgeProvider: Asian Age Holdings Ltd.

December 1, 2010

Sir, The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has blamed the main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for working under the influence ofthe Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the 2G spectrum row and called for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe. Why is the UPAgovernment involving the RSS in this row? Sadly, the deadlock in the Winter Session of Parliament is also not ending as the Opposition is hell-bent onthe JPC probe. The irony is that none of the political parties are concerned about the nation. They are just engaged in playing politics and wastingtaxpayers’ money.Sudhir MehtaVia email

Hard work is the key to success in sportsSir, The efforts by Indian sportspersons in 2010 have yielded good results (For Indian sport, time to celebrate, November 29). It is only because of thepreparations they made before the Delhi Commonwealth Games that the Indian contingent won 101 medals. In the Asian Games, too, Indiansportsmen and women have shown great spirit. Never before have five Indian boxers made it to the finals. Indian players and their fans have goodreason to celebrate the success achieved in the field. If they continue their hard work and dedication, glory surely awaits us at the London Olympics.Imran AliNew Delhi

Innovation key to nation’s successSir, Technological innovation is the key to a nation’s industry-cum-academic excellence. To achieve that, the automative domain and otherservice-based industries should give in-house training to graduates during the summer. As we are a growing economy, research organisations mustmonitor people who are pursuing Ph.D. programmes in all universities. A governing body of the research organisations should be appointed tomaintain good standards at all academic institutions.V.P. SampathChennai

Federer regaining his lost magicSir, Roger Federer won the ATP World Tour Finals for the fifth time after beating Rafael Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 (Federer has the last laugh, November30). Despite losing to Nadal in the last encounter at Wimbledon, Federer made a big comeback with this win. It was a surprise to many who thoughtthat the Federer era was over. Although Nadal has enjoyed the best season of his career in the past 12 months, he had no answer to Federer.Hopefully, this win will give Federer the required confidence and stability for his upcoming matches.


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Nitin GargVia email

Missing adarsh files cause for concernSir, Some key files pertaining to the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society are missing. Although the police has registered a case of theft, I doubt ifanyone will ever be caught. It was the responsibility of the police as well as the present Maharashtra government to take care of all files regardingAdarsh Society, but they have failed in that respect. It seems that someone at a high level is making deliberate attempts to save important people whoare involved in the scam.

Mahesh PujariVia email

Focus on waste management, non-conventional energyPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 30, 2010

M. P. Praveen

Bio-waste based power generation by Biotech

KOCHI: Biotech, the Thiruvananthapuram-based organisation engaged in bio-waste management and non-conventional energy and energyconservation programmes, is expanding its operations. Biotech designed and implemented a prefabricated plant for generating electricity frombio-waste at Sri Sankara Nagar, Pammal in Chennai last month. The organisation's first-ever initiative in Tamil Nadu was commissioned on October26.

?It is a specially designed plant made of Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) with an inbuilt, centralised synthetic gas collector. It was taken in severalmodules to the project site and assembled there in a week," Biotech director A. Sajidas told the Hindu on Tuesday.

Exnora Green Pummal, an NGO actively involved in waste management, contacted Biotech on getting to know of its expertise in unconventionalenergy programmes. The cost of implementation of the plant, that came to about Rs.25 lakh after the subsidy component was raised by the NGO.

The plant developed on bio-methanization technology can treat 250 kg of organic waste from which 5 KW of electricity is generated on a daily basis.The electricity so generated is being used to light 50 compact fluorescent lamps in nearby streets.

?Plans are also afoot to use the excess biogas in a canteen there," Mr. Sajidas said. The technology adapted for the plant in Tamil Nadu was similar tothe one Biotech employed for a Thiruvananthapuram-based IT firm. The only difference is that the plant here was meant for generating gas forcooking, he said.

Mr. Sajidas said Biotech was considering a couple of proposals in the States of Karnataka and New Delhi as well. Biotech aimed at spreading aculture of hygienic waste treatment in an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, he said.

Three biogas plants being set up by Biotech in Thrikkakara municipality, at a cumulative cost of Rs.50 lakh, were nearing completion. While two newbiogas plants were being set up at the NGO quarters and Kakkanad market in Kochi, the existing biogas plant at Thrikkakara market was beingupgraded from its present capacity of 250 kg to 750 kg, Mr. Sajidas said.

Biotech was recently recognised for its work when the Doha-based Al Jazeera Television featured it in a programme. The Green Oscar won byBiotech in 2007 was what attracted the channel's attention. ?They felt that our technology is capable of bringing about respite to millions of peopledenied food and fuel in underdeveloped countries," Mr. Sajidas said. The video posted on the Internet has registered 1,500 hits, he said.

End to problem of waste disposal is nowhere in sightPublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

November 30, 2010

TMC is clueless as the opposition pressurises

Shubhangi Ghadi

Nowadays, residents of Thane may be coming up with solutions to deal with the disposal of solid waste in the city, but the one entrusted with the job,Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) hasn’t a whiff about how to tackle the problem. This, despite planning and discussing a number of projects.

Last week, TMC general body failed to act on a notice aimed at finding a solution for disposal of waste. Discussions ended up with no solution found.Corporators from the opposition in TMC pointed out that the civic body had failed to provide for a dumping ground even after a Supreme Court orderin 2006. “Various projects such as ghanta gaadi and door-to-door garbage collection have failed. There have been presentations on new techniquesfor solid waste disposal, but no firm solution has come up,” said Najib Mulla, leader of opposition, TMC. “Every year, the same problem is discussed,but we fail to come to any conclusion,” he said.

Members from the house urged that the contract with Hanger Biotech for processing waste be scrapped, as they alleged that the company had failedto act even when an agreement was made in 2008. While Rajan Sapte, leader of the house accepted that nothing had happened to make the city any


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better, he blamed the lack of co-operation from locals at Daighar on TMC’s plans. Even as the blame game continues, the opposition has nowthreatened to protest if the corporation fails to find a solution to the solid waste disposal issue.

The city generates 650 million tonnes of solid waste daily which is dumped on private plots.


PMC plans to generate power from hotel wastePublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

November 30, 2010

Author :Abhay Khairnar

The executive engineer of the electrical department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Shrinivas Kandul, has taken steps to help the civicbody conserve power and spend less on energy. An electrical engineer, who has also done his masters in business management, Kandul joined thePMC in 1999. He talks to Abhay Khairnar about the initiatives he has taken in the department and his future plans.

What are the new projects planned by the department in the next couple of months?

The electrical department of the PMC has planned to start a biogas power generation plant. We plan to generate power from 100 tonnes of hotelwaste and sludge generated from the sewage treatment plant (STP) located behind the Dr Naidu Hospital. We have already put the proposal beforethe standing committee for approval. As soon as it comes, we will float the tenders. The STP is more than 25 years old. The PMC is planning to erectthe power generation station on build-operate-transfer basis.

What other activities are being planned by the department?

The civic body has plans to set up STPs in the city. For our department, the main task is to ensure these STPs get electricity supply. Recently, thedepartment provided power supply to the Kasba STP. The STP was ready a year ago, but could not be run because of lack of electricity supply. Weworked overtime to provide power to that STP.

In what ways did you help to reduce the expenditure of the PMC?

The PMC earlier used high mast lights at big chowks. The civic body spent about Rs10 lakh to install such huge structures. There were over 100 highmasts in the city.

At the base of these structures, there were built-in mechanisms, which raised the cost of such structures. Whenever we had to undertake repairs,these mechanisms were used to bring down the lights and again install them. I studied the structures thoroughly and decided to change the design ofthe high mast street lights with the help of well-known private companies. We reduced the height of the high masts and did not keep any built-inmechanism. For replacements and repairs of lights, we used our vehicles, which are equipped with ladders. Thus, the cost of the high masts reducedfrom Rs10 lakh to only Rs55,000. This way, the civic body is saving lots of money. Later, companies that provided the equipment followed our modeland replicated them in other cities.During the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), your department did commendable work in ensuring street lightson the roads leading to the main stadium. Please elaborate.

During the CYG, our electricity department played a crucial role in ensuring proper power supply on Baner Road. We worked overtime and shiftedall transformers and cables to ensure the electricity supply. The roads were being widened and it was a tough task to shift the cables, relay them andinstall the gadgets at the proper places on time. We had to coordinate with the Maharashtra State Electricity Department Limited. It was a tough task,but we managed to complete the work on time.


?Wealth out of waste' projectPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 29, 2010

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: Madurai District Exnora affiliated to Exnora International joined hands with ITC, Ramky Reclamation and Recycling Limited andimplemented a programme called ?Wealth out of Waste' which has been approved by Madurai Corporation.

A statement from the president of Madurai District Exnora says that the programme has been launched to minimise the road wastage of polythenebags and related items which pose serious threat to the environment. The project was started at KK Nagar in 2009 and has been extended to AnnaNagar, Chokkikulam, Gomathipuram, Harveypatti, Railway Colony and a portion of Agrani Apartments.

Each house has been distributed one poly sack where the public are asked to store paper, plastic and all dry wastes. Exnora collects approximately3kg of waste per month per house.


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342 hospitals violating waste disposal normsPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

November 28, 2010/td> Rashmi Menon, Bangalore, November 28, DH News Service: Sunday, November 28, 2010 -->Four 100+ bed private hospitals and 338 smaller hospitals in the State are in violation of the rule that makes it mandatory for all government aswell as private hospitals and nursing homes to link up with government-recognised Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBMWTF)for treating their solid bio-medical waste, raising dangers of infection.The violation by the hospitals has been highlighted in an affidavit filed by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to High Court LokAdalat recently.Even many clinics, diagnostic, pathology labs and blood banks that are required to send their solid waste to CBMWTF have failed to do so.

Hence, KSPCB planned to make all the non-complying hospitals that came under the service of 14 CBMWTF services in the state, to sign amemorandum of understanding (MoU) with nearest facilities by March, 2011. Also, the hospitals that did not have any facility nearby would be madeto have captive facilities within early next year, the report said. Similar were the instructions for clinics, pathology labs, diagnostic centres and bloodbanks.

Solid bio-medical waste comprises items contaminated with blood and body fluids including cotton, dressings, soiled plaster casts, linen bedding,other material contaminated with blood, wastes generated from disposable items other than the sharp waste (needle, glass) like tubings, catheters,intravenous sets, etc. Meanwhile, six out of the 14 CBMWTF have been directed to upgrade in line with the Central Pollution Control Boardguidelines.

Below capacity

The two Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facilities that collect the solid waste from the hospitals across the City are running below capacity.

An official from Dobbespet-based Ramky Group, which collects solid bio-medical waste from around 400 hospitals, nursing homes, clinics,diagnostic labs, pathology centres and blood banks from North and West regions of Bangalore, said that although their incinerator had the capacity tohandle 500 kg of waste per hour, the current load was only 60 per cent.

?The availability is only that much. Almost all the hospitals and nursing homes are linked to our facility," an official said. The facility gets around2,000 kg of solid waste and even as waste coming from Tumkur district, with plans to tie up with Chikkballapur district.Even Mardi Eco Systems on Kanakapura Road revealed that the facility was running 40 per cent below capacity.

"We cover East and South zones in Bangalore, apart handling waste from Mandya, Ramanagara and Kolar. On an average we get 3,500 kg of solidwaste every day of which 3,000 is incinerable waste, while the rest are plastic and glass, which we disinfect, shred and send for recycling," an officialsaid.

Status of solid biomedical waste management

Amenities number linked to CBMWTFs cF* NCF*

Hospitals with >100 beds 104 82 18 ?Hospitals with <100 beds 2486 1829 319 ?Clinics 1385 850 333 202Pathology lab /diagnostic centres 310 263 28 19Blood banks 35 27 3 5

* CF Captive facilities; NCF No captive facilities

medical seats go waste at aiimsPublication: Hindustan TimesProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 28, 20102010-11-28New DelhiHindustan TimesNew Delhi, Nov. 28 -- The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) allowed seats in its covetedpostgraduate programmes to go waste this year, following an admission policy, which violates Supreme Court judgments, something that it could haveavoided. AIIMS cancelled its open counselling scheduled for July 28 meant for vacant seats, even though at least nine seats were vacant as on thatdate, documents accessed by the Hindustan Times and an affidavit submitted by AIIIMS itself revealed. Aspirants to those seats have challenged theAIIMS decision in the Supreme Court, where the institute, in its affidavit, has accepted that "some students did not pursue their course and so theirseats became vacant". At least seven seats fell vacant before the date of the scheduled open counselling, which was called off. Contrary to its ownadmission now, AIIMS claimed that there were no vacant seats while cancelling the open counselling. The institute has argued that the vacant seatswill not go waste and it will fill up those seats next year during admissions. But its argument, clearly mentioned in its affidavit, violates two earlier SCjudgments that bar medical colleges from carrying forward vacant seats to the next academic year. AIIMS officials had no explanation as to why theydid not hold the open counselling as was scheduled even when they knew seats had fallen vacant. The prospectus of the institute clearly allows opencounselling. AIIMS has, however, rejected the students' allegation that the seats were allowed to go waste to facilitate "back-door entries." In theMedical Council of India vs Madhu Singh and Others, 2002 case, the SC has said that carrying forward vacant seats violates the MCI's ownregulations. "As the definition of "admission capacity" shows it is the maximum number of students that could be fixed by the MCI from time to time


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for being admitted to the course and training." "By carrying forward the unfilled seats from one year to the subsequent, there is necessarily increasein the number of seats, that is, admission capacity," the order by a bench of justices Arijit Pasayat and Ruma Pal said. This order also quotes anumber of other judgments against carrying forward the vacant seats. Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times. For anyquery with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Waste managment awareness contest heldPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

November 27, 2010/td> Sringeri, Nov 26, DHNS: Friday, November 26, 2010 -->Various contests were held for the school and college students at Sringeri to bring awareness among them about the proper management of solidwaste.Inaugurating the programme Sringeri Government Pre-university College Principal Nagaraj said that by bringing awareness among students about thewaste management it is possible to build the 'dream town'.

In his special lecture , town panchayat President Nagesh Kamath said that the environment will be severely affected if attention is not paid towardswaste management. He asked the students to reduce plastic usage and said that half of the problems will be solved if plastic usage is decreased.

Prize money of Rs 5,000 was given to the winner of the contest, Rs 3,000 to the first runner up and Rs 2,000 to the second runner up (collegestudents), while a cash prize of Rs 2,000, Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,00 is given to the school partcipants.

The detail of the winners is as follows: Elocution- K R Prasanna from J C B M College (1st place) and H S Shilpa (2nd place). Essay writing- S NSrilakshmi from Jagadguru Abhinava Vidyatheertha high school (1st place), K C Anushree from Government High School (2nd place), B G Swathifrom Nemmaru Government Pre-university college (3rd place).

In the art contest held for the higher primary school students S R Rahul from Government Higher primary school for boys won the 1st place, N shilpafrom Jaycees school won 2nd place and H R Sumedha from government higher primary school won 3rd place. Town Panchayat Health InspectorLeela has informed that winners will be handed over with the prize on January 26, 2011.

Japan's Jfe Engineering To Supply Waste Incinerators In ShanghaiPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 26, 2010TOKYO, Nov 26 Asia Pulse - Japan's JFE Engineering Corp. said on Thursday that it won a contract to supply two garbage incinerators to an urbanwaste treatment business in the Chinese city of Shanghai.

The facilities are expected to be completed in August 2012. Each will have the capacity to treat 400 tons of waste daily. JFE Engineering will handlethe basic architectural design, in addition to providing the equipment and supervising installation and trial runs.

This is the second contract the firm has snagged in China, after a deal in Qingdao. The Shanghai company gave high marks to JFE Engineering'stechnology to eliminate toxic substances, such as dioxin and nitrogen oxides.

The Chinese government is stepping up efforts to properly treat waste, with plans to build incinerators at more than 20 locations a year. JFEEngineering seeks to receive more projects.

(Nikkei) nt 26-11 1408

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Jhuriwala waste mgmt plant gets environment ministry clearancePublication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

November 26, 2010

Rajinder NagarkotiPANCHKULA: The final hurdle in the way of solid waste management plant at Jhuriwala village in Panchkula district has finally been crossed as theproject got the environment ministry clearance on Wednesday.

With this, garbage dumping in Panchkula, Kalka and Pinjore will no longer be an issue as plant will rid the towns of open dumping and eye sores. It isestimated that the project, with a life span of 25 years, will kick off within six months and by December 2012 it would be functional.The plant isbeing constructed by Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) under BOT (Built operate transfer) basis. It also plans to make fertilizer fromthe garbage collected.

Though HUDA had got clearance from the Air Force, pollution control board and wildlife department, it took almost two years to meet environment


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ministry conditions and get the clearance. A senior HUDA official said, 'The expert committee of environment ministry in its final hearing onNovember 9 gave the clearance.' Prior to this, HUDA officials had submitted the project report four times but the proposal was shot down by theexpert committee. Besides, HUDA held two public hearings in Panchkula to register public views and objections over the project.

The completion of the project will bring relief to residents of sector 23 to 28 as HUDA and MC are presently dumping garbage in an open ground insector 23.

For Reprint Rights: timescontent.com

Waste for thoughtPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 26, 2010

?Waste" explores the rarely seen aspects of what is discarded.

Waste evokes images of plastic bottles, polythene, broken glass ? an endless list. But waste has other facets which remain unnoticed. These facetsthat have been explored by the students of School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, and represented as an exhibition. The exhibition marks theculmination of their six-week-long project as part of the ?On Curating' course.

Titled ?Waste", the project is conceptualised by Dr. Kavita Singh, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics, wherein students with the helpof an NGO ?Chintan' interacted with rag pickers to gain perspectives on the subject. Divided into five groups, each group worked on a particular areaof waste disposal resulting in interesting concepts.

Named ?Waste More Want More" the group working at the Ghaziabad godown makes use of cartons stacked upon one and another, to enunciate thefact that urban prerogative to demand is closely linked with over production of waste. Hence painted on the cartons are marketing strategies to sellwaste glass, empty pet bottles, waste tin cans etc. A result of interaction with rag pickers at New Delhi railway station, ?Form Perform Uniform,"explains Ayesha Matthan, a member of the group, ?Our attempt was to represent the symbolic connotations of a rag picker's uniform at the station.On one hand the uniform provides them with an identity. On the other, the uniform segregates them as rag pickers." Ayesha further adds, ?We havelaid stress on the word ?Form' to indicate their transformation from ordinary waste workers to an organised mass."

Door-to-door rag picking forms the area of research for two groups. While one narrates the tale of manual scavengers through extremely graphicphotographs, the other portrays the rag pickers' perception of themselves. Elaborating on the latter concept, Anannya Bohidar, a student, says, ?Wehave made use of the calendar to show a month in the life of a rag picker. Our attempt is to depict how a rag picker enjoys the basic luxuries of lifeand they do not want sympathy from people because they are satisfied with their profession."

Making maximum utilisation of the lens, some students have depicted the dialectical relationship between the city and the waste of the landfill.Considering photography as the best medium to capture reality, Karan Kapoor says, ?While some photographs provide a view of the city from thelandfill, some highlight the waste at the site."

With a perfect blend of art and the politics of displaying objects, the exhibition is successful in conveying the ideas of ?representation, responsibilityand accountability of shared waste." The exhibition is on till November 23 at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, New Building, JNU.

POULAMI MUKHERJEE

Ten Days Go Waste As Ls Adjourns For The Day AgainPublication: United News of IndiaProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 25, 2010New Delhi, Nov. 25 -- With the Lok Sabha adjourned for the day again over Opposition demand for a JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation, tendays of the winter session of Parliament have gone completely waste as hardly any business could be transacted. Earlier, the House was adjournedfor an hour as soon as it met for the day at 1100 hrs, as the Opposition adamant on its demand for a JPC probe disrupted the proceedings. When theHouse reassembled and Deputy Speaker Karia Munda took his seat, the entire Opposition was again up in arms. The members stormed the Well of theHouse and started raising slogans. On the other hand, the ruling party members reacted by raising demand for sacking the Yeddurappa-led BJPGovernment in Karnataka. Mr Munda carried on with the business for a few minutes asking the ministers to lay the papers listed against their names,but as soon as he was finished with the task, he announced adjournment of the House for the day. Today turned out to be just another repeat of thepast nine days. The stand-off between the Opposition and the Government over the issue has not enabled the House to take up any substantialbusiness for the last 10 days. Published by HT Syndication with permission from United News of India. For any query with respect to this article orany other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Activists irked over lax waste collectionPublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

November 25, 2010


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Devendra T Goregaonkar

With piles of garbage spread in the entire city, the Consumer Protection Cell (CPC) of Thane Congress Committee held an agitation to protest againstthe lax attitude of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) on Wednesday.

President of CPC K Vrushali held the agitation near the TMC headquarters along with members of the committee. “TMC has failed to pick upgarbage heaps which are being seen everywhere in the city. The garbage has caused increase in number of rodents and also caused several diseases.On November 5, when I approached mayor Ashok Vaity, he promised action, but till date nothing has happened,” she said.

TMC health officer BM Haldankar promised to clear garbage through the garbage disposal system.


Png Landholders Show Fury At Aust Miner's Plan To Dump WastePublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 25, 2010BRISBANE, Nov 25 Asia Pulse - Papua New Guinea landholders say their livelihoods are at risk from an Australian mining company's plan to dumpwaste into waters off the PNG coast.

PNG national Iona Reto on Thursday attempted to deliver a petition carrying the signatures of 500 PNG landholders to Highlands Pacific's(ASX:HIG) Brisbane office.

Highlands Pacific has an 8.5 per cent stake in the Metallurgical Corporation of China's Ramu nickel project.

The PNG government has given approval to build a pipeline which will see 100 million tonnes of waste pumped into the sea over the mine's 20-yearoperation.

The Ramu project, 75km southwest of the provincial capital of Madang, contains an estimated resource of 143 million tonnes at 1.01 per cent nickeland 0.1 per cent cobalt, the Highlands Pacific website says.

Ms Reto said the company did not yet have approval to proceed with the dumping itself, and urged Highland Pacific to find another solution.

She said an injunction was in place to prevent the start of dumping, with a court hearing imminent.

Marine dumping would not be allowed in Australia, and had been rejected by leading miners like Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) and Xstrata.

"We Papua New Guineans are sick and fed up with having to deal with the appalling environmental problems caused by foreign mining companies,"she said on Thursday.

"Our message is simple: foreign companies operating in Papua New Guinea need to clean up their act and stop the double standards.

"If they can't do it at home they shouldn't do it in PNG. This is the livelihoods of thousands of people along the coast that are going to be affected."

The planned Ramu nickel mine has been plagued by problems and violent protests since PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare personally gave it thego-ahead in 2005.

She said the delivery of the petition was frustrated because the company's office in Eagle St, Brisbane suddenly closed.

The company declined to comment when contacted by AAP.

(AAP) cg 25-11 1804

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Post mortems are a complete waste of timePublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

November 24, 2010

With a number of films coming up next year, actor Kunal Kapoor decides to explain his disappearing act from the silver screen

Author :Sneha Mahadevan

Actor Kunal Kapoor's last outing Lamhaa failed to click at the box office, but the actor is unperturbed. "I find postmortems a complete waste oftime. Everybody has theories but like someone once said 'the only thing certain about the business of movies is that it's uncertain.'"

Why is that we are seeing nothing of him on screen these days? "If I'm not excited about a film, I don't see the point in doing it. Unfortunately, thefilms I was excited about got delayed for various reasons. But now, things are coming together and you'll see a lot more of me soon," he states. Theprojects in his kitty are Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 and Anurag Kashyap's mega budget superhero film, Doga.


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The actor says that he's always been 'low profile'. "I've always kept a low profile, so it's not a new thing in my life. I love the process of movie-making and I love talking about movies, but when I'm not shooting I prefer to spend that time travelling or learning something new, so I am usuallyoff the radar. And the last month-and-a-half I have been in Berlin, shooting for Don 2."

Before that, the actor was busy taking lessons in flying an aircraft. "I haven't had a chance to go flying for a while but I have a couple of weeks off inDecember. I'm going to head back to the academy, clock enough hours to apply for my license and then do what I haven't done in years, sit for anexam," he grins.

Quiz him on his 'ladies man' reputation, and Kunal retorts, "Any man, anywhere in the world with three functional brain cells would be flatteredabout getting attention. I'm no different." So, is he single or taken? "Well, there has been a lot of speculation on that front and I think I should set therecord straight once and for all. So, the truth is I have been taken, single, taken, dumped, single, taken, how did that happen??, single, taken, single.Hope that will end any speculation," he signs off.

[email protected] I am: Kunal Kapoor


Postmortems are a waste of timePublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

November 24, 2010

...Says actor Kunal Kapoor, whilst explaining his disappearing act from the silver screen

Author :Sneha Mahadevan

Actor Kunal Kapoor's last outing Lamhaa failed to click at the box office, but the actor is unperturbed. "I find postmortems a waste of time.Everybody has theories but like someone once said 'the only thing certain about the business of movies is that it's uncertain.'"

Why is that we are seeing nothing of him on-screen these days? "If I'm not excited about a film, I don't see the point of doing it. Unfortunately, thefilms I was excited about got delayed for various reasons. But now things are coming together and you'll see a lot more of me soon." The projects inhis kitty are Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 and Anurag Kashyap's mega budget superhero film, Doga.

The actor says that he's always been 'low profile'. "I 've always kept a low profile so it's not a new thing in my life. I love the process of moviemaking and I love talking about movies, but when I'm not shooting I prefer to spend that time travelling or learning something new, so I am usuallyoff the radar. And the last month-and-a-half I have been in Berlin, shooting for Don 2."

Before that the actor was busy taking lessons in flying an aircraft. "I haven't had a chance to go flying for a while. But I have a couple of weeks offin December. I'm going to head back to the academy, clock enough hours to apply for my license and then do what I haven't done in years, sit for anexam," he grins.

Quiz him on his ladies man reputation, and Kunal retorts, "Any man, anywhere in the world with three functional brain cells would be flattered aboutgetting attention. I'm no different." So is he single or taken? "Well there has been a lot of speculation on that front and I think I should set the recordstraight once and for all. So the truth is I have been taken, single, taken, dumped, single, taken, how did that happen?? Single, taken, single. Hope thatwill end any speculation," he signs off.

[email protected]


IIP researchers convert plastic waste into petrolPublication: PioneerProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 24, 2010New Delhi, Nov. 24 -- Broken plastic buckets and piles of old polythene bags being converted into petrol.it sounds impossible. But Indian scientistshave made it possible to convert tonnes of waste plastic into commercially useful petrol, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas. Researchers at theIndian Institute of Petroleum at Dehradun have developed a technique to convert 1 kg of polythene and polypropylene waste into around 700 ml ofpetrol. Visitors to the Trade Fair can head for the Technofest at hall number 11 to speak to the scientists who have developed the technique. Theproject is being carried out in association with the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) which will use the technology on commercial scale in thecoming years. The technology is successful at the semi-pilot level and a small laboratory plant of 5 kg capacity is working in the campus of theinstitute in Dehradun. "At least 70 per cent of all plastic waste consists of polythene and polypropylene. Plastic bags, buckets, mugs, pens, plasticfood packaging material can all be converted to petrol, diesel, LPG or petrochemicals like benzene and tolune with this technique," said Dr SanatKumar, a scientist at IIP, Dehradun. The institute has also come up with a method to use non-edible vegetable oils to manufacture hydraulic oil,which is currently being made from non-renewable petroleum. Neem, rice-bran, karanja, mahua, castor, linseed and sugarcane oils are used makingthe hydraulic oil biodegradable, non-toxic and less volatile than petroleum and synthetics. Petroleum oil waste is also being refined and used again byHPCL in Mumbai using technology developed by the IIP. Twenty-two year old Ashish Khatri began experimenting with the banana shrub when hewas in class eleven. He has developed a banana peeling machine which separates three layers of the banana tree stem. The outermost green layer isconverted to a bamboo-like material which is used for handicraft items while the middle layers can be used for manufacturing a silk-like fibre. The


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innermost layer of the stem yields paper. The middle and inner layers used together can be used to make diapers. "Around 3.5 billion tonnes ofbanana tree waste is generated across the globe annually. If it is not processed and used its degeneration causes global warming," said Khatri addingthat the Assam government has placed an order for a hundred machines. "The banana tree is cultivated in 130 countries and after one year it is cutand becomes waste material. I use this waste material to make clothes fibre, mats, rope, paper and dye," he added. Published by HT Syndication withpermission from Pioneer. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor [email protected]

Cochin Port a safe conduit for imported e-wastePublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 23, 2010KOCHI, Nov. 23 -- With the authorities of major port cities across the country upping the ante to bust the import of ewaste, the North Indian traders,who are into importing a large quantity of used electronic goods, have started opting for Cochin Port for the safe import of junk electronic goods fromthe US, Korea and the UK. Published by HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or anyother content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Probe uncovers e-waste hazards in prisonsPublication: Metal BulletinProvider: Metal Bulletin com

November 22, 201021:52:59 (GMT)

An investigation of Federal Prison Industries Inc.`s electronic waste recycling program has uncovered numerous health concerns, as well as safety,environmental compliance and theft issues involving inmates who disassemble electronics to recover the metals.

"Staff members often failed to perform hazard assessments on new e-waste operations or did so incorrectly, and important health and safetyinformation was not shared," according to a report spearheaded by the U.S. Justice Department`s Office of the Inspector General.

The report was based on the inspection of 10 sites by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, the Federal Occupational Health Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Hazards related to the toxicity of some metals was concealed, with workers allegedly exposed to 31 metals. The focus was on cadmium and lead,which were found to exceed OSHA exposure limits.

More than 1,000 inmates are employed in the full-service recycling program run by Federal Prison Industries, known as Unicor, which sells variousconsumer products and services generated by its inmate labor force. The program was launched to recycle electronics in 1997 and has 103 factoriesin 73 prisons. In some years, Unicor has processed more than 40 million pounds of e-waste.

The 433-page report, which took four years to complete, also alleged misconduct and criminal activity among those hired to oversee the program.

"These included actions that endangered staff and inmates," the report said, noting alleged misconduct by at least 11 managers.

While the Office of the Inspector General said potential criminal activity was happening, it admitted that it couldn`t initiate legal action due to anarray of evidentiary, legal and strategic concerns.

In July, the manager of one facility was indicted oncharges that included conflict of interest, wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. He pledguilty in September and is awaiting sentencing.

Medical records and examinations of inmates were also allegedly inadequate. E-waste was also reportedly sold to vendors who in turn exported thematerial, with no paper trail indicating where the material went and whether it was unlawfully disposed of abroad or used in a manner that couldcreate environmental and health hazards.

New e-waste operations, including those at the federal penitentiary at Fort Dix, N.J., were allegedly initiated without permits or authorization fromthe state`s Department of Environmental Protection.

The investigation stems from a formal complaint filed nearly two years ago claiming that the recycling of electronics was making prisoners and staffmembers sick (AMM, Jan. 16, 2009).

Alterations have since been made to the way cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which contain between two and five pounds of lead, are destroyed. CRTs areno longer processed by inmates, and associated glass-breaking operations are now outsourced to private companies.

Efforts are under way to decontaminate prior glass-breaking areas, improve record keeping for medical surveillance data, and monitor surfacecontamination levels.

Inspections are due to begin in 18 months.

Waste collection centres identified


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Publication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 21, 2010

Staff Reporter

Thrissur: The sites for wayside primary collection centres have been identified under the Lalur Model Project for Solid Waste Management(LAMPS).

Pathiyur Gopinath, the chief coordinator of LAMPS, said that 24 primary collection centres would be set up at 16 divisions under the oldmunicipality area in the initial phase.

,,The locations have already been identified. The procedures for evicting encroachers will be started soon," he said.

There had been stiff resistance from encroachers in most of the sites, Mr. Gopinath said. Source segregation of waste and decentralisation of garbagetreatment were the fundamental features of LAMPS.

Primary waste collection centres (PWCC) would be set up for 250-300 houses in the city corporation limits under the project. ,,Each PWCC willhave three trolleys and a portable sorting unit.

The trolleys will be in three colours. Green (biodegradable waste), yellow (cloth, glass and stone) and red (for plastics).

The waste will be sorted and removed every day. ,,Microbial solutions will be sprayed on the dumped waste for controlling flies," Mr. Gopinath said.

Local Waste Processing Centres (LWPC) would be set up to treat the segregated waste from the PWCC. For 10 LWPCs, there would be a RegionalWaste Processing Centre (RWPC).

Meanwhile, the Lalur Malineekarana Viruddha Samara Samithy would approach the court for vacating the stay order obtained by the VyapariVyavasayi Ekopana Samithy against setting up a treatment plant at the Sakthan Thampuran fish market.

Now, waste collection to be segregated in MulundPublication: DNA - Daily News and AnalysisProvider: Diligent Media Corporation

November 21, 2010

Dry and wet waste to be collected separately at BMC’sT-ward

Deepa H Sarna

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) T-ward plans to start collection of wet and dry waste separately. Scheduled to start soon, T-wardwould be the first ward in the eastern suburb to implement such a project.

200 metric tonnes of garbage is collected from Mulund daily, of which 20 comprises dry waste by weight, while the rest is wet waste. BMC officialshave planned to let out 400 sq ft of space below Mulund east-west flyover to a private agency. The place has been developed at a cost of Rs2.5 lakh.The private agency will look into the collection of the dry waste, sorting, cleaning, recycling and selling it to scrap dealers. “Right from collection toselling of dry waste to scrap dealers, all work will be taken care of by the agency. We will just look into the wet waste management,” said VK Bhat,assistant engineer (environment), T-ward.

The space developed by T-ward has different compartments to carry out sorting, cleaning and other activities for dry waste management. The wastewill directly reach the scrap dealers instead of going to the dumping ground. “This will not just help protect the environment, but will also reducetransportation cost to the dumping ground as the private agency will use its own vehicle to collect the garbage. Besides, dry garbage will go directly todifferent industries like paper and plastic units, that can recycle and use the waste,” Bhat said.

Dry waste is non-biodegradable and can be resold in the market after processing. Wet waste is bio-degradable and can be composted into manure.Currently, there are 10 societies in Mulund that have adopted waste segregation and even carry out decomposition of wet waste into manure.

Benefits

_It will help save the environment in the long run

_Reduce transportation cost to the dumping ground

_Will prevent nullahs from getting choked

_Sorting will be done at collection centre and will benefit industries to whom the waste will be sold


Sunday Stories - Fuel from wastePublication: Indian Express


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Provider: The Indian Express Online Media Ltd

November 21, 2010

shajuphilip

Every time A Saji Das sees a mound of kitchen trash, he smells an opportunity. All of it could be made into useful fuel, he says.

For 13 years, starting 1985, Das experimented, largely by trial and error, till he developed a technology to generate biogas from food waste. Thetechnology, which got patented last month, is already a source of clean gas for 22,000 domestic kitchens and 250 institutions in Kerala, besidesproviding power supply to 50 local governing bodies, mainly in the state. Das's NGO Biotech now works on promoting biogas technology and othernon-conventional energy sources.

Das says he hit upon the idea of generating gas from food and other degradable waste while attending a programme on biogas plants. Since installingthe first biogas plant in 1998, hundreds of houses and institutions now use biogas made from food waste. Local bodies even use this biogas to powerstreet lights.

"A major feature of Biotech's technology is that we have a host of models that are suitable for houses and institutions, depending on the quantity ofwaste generated. A plant would work even with 500 grams of waste a day. In Western countries, such projects have been designed on a large scale,requiring huge investment. But we have made it affordable for Indian cities and villages," said Das.

The main feed for the biogas plant is food waste. Cow dung needs to be used initially to enable the bacteria to get the digestion process started in thetank that's pre-fabricated from ferro-cement. The tank could be either buried in the ground or kept in an open space. A gas-holder drum, built usingfibreglass reinforced plastic, floats over the digester tank.

The kitchen waste is mixed with water and poured into the tank through an inlet. As the waste gets decomposed, the gas stored in the holder flowsinto a special stove. The residue from the plant could be used as organic manure. A plant costing Rs 21,000 is enough for a house that generates twokg of solid waste a day. While the Kerala government subsides a part of the cost (it costs Rs 9,950 to set up the plant in the state), in the rest of thecountry, it costs Rs 17,000. A two kg plant would meet the cooking gas requirements of a five-member family.

Das says the gas plants do not discharge any effluents. Instead, 10 per cent of the waste fed into the plant becomes organic manure. "This wouldeliminate the problem of waste at its source. This way, local bodies can save on collection, transportation and segregation of waste," he says.

In 2007, Biotech bagged the Ashden Award (Green Oscar 2007) instituted by Ashden Trust, London.

Cell on solid waste management to be set upPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 21, 2010

Staff Correspondent

MYSORE: A cell on solid waste management is being formed at Mysore ZP to educate and assist the gram panchayats in scientific disposal of wastein rural areas.

Zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer G. Satyavathi said in her presentation at the regional Lok Adalat here on Saturday that the cell would involvean environment engineer to ensure proper disposal of waste, as well as teachers, anganwadi workers and non-governmental organisations in educatingpeople on the issue.

Lok Adalat member A.N. Yellappa Reddy asked her to use Akashvani, which is broadcasting a programme on minimising fertilizer use, to makefarmers aware of the dangers of excess use of fertilizer.

Hind Copper Sees Profit Boost From Selling 215 Mt Of Waste RocksPublication: Business LineProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 21, 2010

Jayanta Mallick

Kolkata, Nov. 20

Hindustan Copper Ltd is to sell one million tonnes of copper ore tailings from its mines in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It has also decided todispose of 215 million tonnes waste rocks from the mine sites. The moves will generate significant non-operational profits for the company beginningfourth quarter of the current fiscal.

According to the company Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Shakeel Ahmed, the tailings and waste rocks, accumulated over the years, havebeen found to contain worthwhile commercially usable materials. The copper ore tailings' worth is in its content of micronutrients, safe to use inagriculture, particularly in black (alkaline) soil. The company has got a chemical analysis report done for tailings at its mine sites by the Non-FerrousMaterials Technology Development Centre of Hyderabad.


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The use of waste rocks as railway track ballast has opened up new value proposition following the suitability report by the National Institute ofTechnology.

Though the prices for the two disposable items are yet to be finalised through bidding process, an indicative figure suggests that around Rs 2,000crore or more could be realised from the existing accumulation.

Mr Ahmed said the realisations would start from the fourth quarter of 2010-11 and would continue in the next few quarters in 2011-12.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Copper will shortly file red herring prospectus with SEBI for its follow-on equity offer with restatement of accounts for thethree years of prior period. The restatement would primarily be for certain expenditure incurred in the first and the second quarters of this financialyear with implications on the previous years' accounts.

Following an interim court direction it made a payment of Rs 32 crore to Madhya Pradesh Government during the second quarter in relation to ruralroad construction. This would be a major part of restatement. In the first quarter, expenditure related to salary and wages worth 72 crore were subjectof the restated accounts in the draft red herring prospectus.

HCL's net profit in the first half stood at Rs 82.41 crore (Rs 16.33 crore).

This waste could be a resourcePublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 20, 2010

S. Vishwanath

A look at some emerging technologies for waste-water treatment by S. Vishwanath

Managing waste-water as a resource has become the new paradigm, what with water resources being seriously competed for and the generaldifficulty of accessing water. Added to this scarcity value of water are the tougher laws on the environment and for pollution control.

Some of the interesting new technologies include DEWATS or decentralised wastewater treatment systems and SBT or Soil Bio-technology.

The DEWATS system looks at treating wastewater from a small 1000 litres to 1000 cubic metres per day. This system can handle wastewater fromhomes, apartments, institutions and even small and medium industries.

It is a four-step process which involves sedimentation, up-flow anaerobic digestion, aerobic treatment in horizontal planted gravel filters and, finally,aerobic treatment in a polishing pond.

The website says that more than 350 DEWATS systems have been implemented all across South Asia. The one at the Arvind Eye Hospital inPondicherry has been an outstanding model.

Ideal combination

The SBT treatment or the Soil Bio-Technology system has been developed by Shankar, a Professor at IIT-Mumbai. The system also uses what iscalled a combination of organic and inorganic matter in a soil layer with bacteria and earthworms as a mode of treatment.

A three million litres per day treatment plant is running in Mumbai for some time and the results have been extremely positive. In Bangalore, twoexperimental plants of smaller scale have been running and have shown excellent preliminary results.

Both DEWATS and SBT use nature as their source of treatment. Bacteria and soil-based creatures do their job sometimes in an anaerobic condition aswith part of the DEWATS and sometimes in aerobic conditions as in SBT.

Both require low energy, if at all, and there are no moving parts, thus reducing maintenance issues and cost. Both can be integrated into landscapesand the treated wastewater used for productive irrigation applications as well as for non-potable uses such as toilet flushing.

Zero discharge

The systems help in ensuring `zero discharge' for the building where they are used.

More information on DEWATS is available on the website http://cddindia.org/ which is the Centre for Dewats Dissemination Society in India. Itorganises regular training programmes too.

Information on SBT from Prof. Shankar should be available on the e-mail [email protected].

China has seen a boom in wastewater treatment systems over the last five years. Similarly India too will see a boom in the business. Solutions forwastewater treatment will necessarily have to adapt to Indian conditions and work on reducing maintenance cost and manpower requirement.

The nutrients recovered from the waste-water treatment need to be used productively for soil enhancement rather than to pollute water bodies.

One of the biggest threats to the environment resulting in contamination of both surface water and ground water has been domestic sewage. Treatingthis will protect the environment and fresh water supplies, thus enhancing sustainable water availability. This is the path to water wisdom.

www.rainwaterclub.org

[email protected]


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best out of wastePublication: Hindustan TimesProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 20, 20102010-11-19IndiaHindustan TimesIndia, Nov. 19 -- Trash Andy Mulligan random house Rs 399 pp 224 This book is a riveting adventure of threeyoung boys - Gardo, Jun-Jun and Raphael - who live in Behala, a huge slum. The story revolves around their lives, talks about the hardships faced bythe poor and highlights the importance of friendship. Day in day out they live surrounded by trash. Imagine how it feels living in the hills. Nice, isn'tit? But imagine that the hills are made up of garbage, of all the things we throw in dustbins. Now imagine someone playing, sitting and sleeping in it. Itgets worse when police, which can do anything and nobody would know or do anything about it, are waiting like hawks a couple of miles away.Why? Because you are nobody. A scary thought, isn't it? But the three boys and their families live with this reality every minute of their lives.Reading parts like these was disturbing and depressing. For the first 25 pages or so, I had to push myself to read it, in the hope that it may getbearable. Luckily it does. The three boys stumble upon a bag with two keys, one that unlocks a locker and the other that unlocks a life worth living.They plunge into the secret life of a murdered man with the police at their heels. The part when they are roaming in the city, hiding from the policeand looking for shelter is one that I liked, as it tells us how close they are and what they mean to each other. Mulligan's writing style is very differentfrom anything I have read. He tells the story through the eyes of all the characters. This gives every character's point of view. It's like a football matchon TV where you get to watch it from all angles; sometimes the camera zooms in on the goalpost, sometimes it pans across the stadium. Similarly, youget a full view of the story. It is a well-written book with a good storyline. The beginning, however, is a bit of a struggle. But after that it only getsbetter. It makes the readers aware of life without comforts. Those who like adventures and can live with some depressing parts should read Trash.Meera Chikermane, 13, studies in Mirambika School, Delhi Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times. For any query withrespect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected] Times

Fuel from agro-wastePublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 20, 2010

Staff Reporter

Method of production is cost effective

TIRUNELVELI: Two scientists of Sri Paramakalyani Centre of Excellence in Environmental Sciences (SPKCEES), affiliated to ManonmaniamSundaranar University, have extracted fuel from agro-waste.

C. Sathesh Prabu, a post-doctoral researcher of the centre, who is working on advanced research on bio-ethanol production from lignocellulosicagro-waste along with A.G. Murugesan, Professor, SPKCEES, says production of ethanol as an alternative fuel through cost-effective methods hasbecome imperative due to global oil shortage and demand.

Demand for ethanol

Currently ethanol accounts for about 86 per cent of total bio-fuel production and demand for ethanol as bio-fuel has steadily increased during thisdecade.

The production of ethanol from sugar or starch from sugarcane and cereals respectively, impacts negatively on the economics of the process, thusmaking ethanol more expensive when compared to fossil fuels.

Nowadays, agro-waste is being burnt at the field itself. At the same time, using the agro-waste in a bigger way for bio-ethanol production will notonly suffice the fuel requirement but also boost the economy of the country, the researchers say.

The production methods of ethanol from agricultural waste like corn cob, corn stalk and sorghum stover have been successfully standardised at thecentre.

Dr. Sathesh Prabhu has come out with easy pre-treatment methods to break down the complex agricultural wastes (carbohydrate sources) into simpleform so as to enable the ethanologenic microorganisms to ferment them to produce ethanol. He states that about 250 - 270 litres of ethanol can beproduced from one tonne of agricultural waste like corn stover, rice straw and sorghum stover.

Benefits

His study has dual benefits in terms of managing the agro-residues and producing green and clean energy, thus decreasing the amount of greenhousegases emitted into the atmosphere.

Financial assistance

Dr. Sathesh Prabu has got financial assistance from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fundfor the research.

Now he is continuing the work with financial assistance from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

According to Dr. Murgesan, the research by Dr. Sathesh in bio-fuel production would result in high output.


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When the food goes wastePublication: Asian AgeProvider: Asian Age Holdings Ltd.

November 20, 2010

Rasna Behl

Q A friend throws a party at a fancy restaurant and after everyonefinishes up the meal, you notice that lots of dishes have gone waste. You are the kind of person who do not like it when food is been wasted. How doyou ask the host if you could carry the remaining food back home? How does one broach this subject as the party is not financed by you?

A guest can almost never ask for a ‘doggy bag’, theleftover contents after a meal.If you are one of those conscientious types and hates it when food goes waste, you could suggest that you need to pack the food so that you distributeit to urchins at the traffic signals or in a shanty area nearby.If your host is smart enough, he would get the hint and will then suggest that such expensive food can easily be parcelled off amongst friends and notnecessarily have to be given away to the poor!When you host a lavish party and if there is expensive food left over, do ensure that the restaurant manager is given strict instructions to have theremaning food parcelled into whatever number of portions you desire.The writer is agrooming expert.

Expert stresses systematic waste disposalPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 20, 2010

Staff Reporter

KHAMMAM: Systematic reduction and disposal of waste besides optimum utilisation of solid waste management technologies holds the key toprotect the environment, said A. Subba Rao, Joint Chief Environmental Engineer of the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB).

Symposium

Mr Rao, who is the in-charge zonal officer, APPCB, Zonal Office, Vijayawada, was speaking at a State-level symposium on ,,Solid wastemanagement" organised by the department of chemistry, Singareni Collieries Women's Degree College in Kothagudem on Friday. In his inauguraladdress, Mr Rao said the solid waste production witnessed a multi-fold increase from six million tonnes per annum in 1947 to 42 million tonnes nowin the country. This has in turn posed grave environmental hazards threatening the eco-system and serious ramifications for public health, he said.

Surat in Gujarat bore the brunt of plague devastation in 1994, he said and added that Surat subsequently emerged as a healthy city by followingprudent municipal solid waste management techniques with the active participation of people.

Adoption of modern technologies like generation of electricity from waste would help check environmental pollution and save the earth, heremarked. The remaining speakers dwelt on various aspects of solid wastes, their generation and disposal, newer technologies in the field ofenvironmental monitoring and restoration besides conversion of waste to wealth.

Singareni Education Society secretary C Simhachalam, SCCL General Manager (Environment) S Mohan Rao, college principal M Kamala Rani,noted science writer C. Krishna Kumari, environmental engineer, APPCB, regional office, Kothagudem, M. Nagarjuna and others spoke.

A souvenir on ,,Paryavarana Parirakshana - Samarthavanthanga Vyarthala Viniyogam" was released on the occasion.

Business - Dri Examining E-Waste MaterialsPublication: Press Trust of India - NewsProvider: Press Trust of India

November 19, 2010 (22:58)Kochi, Nov 19 (PTI) Directorate of Revenue Intelligence is examining 10 containers carrying electronic scrap items, which reached here from the USand Korea, officials said today.The containers were seized a month ago from Kochi Port by the DRI."We are investigating the matter. Examination of the containers is almost over after which show cause notices will be issued to importers of theseitems," a top DRI official said.The containers carrying second hand computers, copiers and other electronic items were imported by five companies from New Delhi, Kolkata andRajasthan.Six months ago, DRI officials in Chennai had seized similar containers following which the importers had chosen new ports for their operations,officials said.

Source:- Business


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"Data Provider disclaimer and copyright notice:© [2006] The Press Trust of India Ltd (PTI) or its Licensors. This is the "Internet Securities, Inc. (trading as ISI Emerging Markets TM) " service which includes content provided by PTI (PTI Content). PTI reserves all rights,including copyright, in the PTI Content. The information, text and images that form part of the PTI Content are for personal use only and may not be re-written, copied, re-sold or re-distributed, framed, linked or otherwise usedwhether for compensation of any kind or not, without the prior written permission of PTI.The subscriber will honour editorial advisories including but not limited to kill notes, corrections, embargoes, hold etc. that may be issued from time to time.PTI Content is published for information only without assuming a duty of care. PTI is not in the business of providing professional advice, and gives no warranty, guarantee or other representation about the accuracy of theinformation or images contained in the PTI Content. PTI is not liable for errors, omissions in, delays or interruptions to or cessation of access to PTI Content through negligence or otherwise".

Textile manufacturers seek ban on waste cotton exportPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 19, 2010

Staff Reporter

Demand check in rising yarn price; send memorandum to PM

KARUR: The Karur Textile Manufacturer Exporters' Association (KTMEA) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to calibrate export of cottonand ban export of waste cotton besides making efforts to rein in the spiralling yarn prices to help the export industry stay afloat.

Export of cotton has blunted the competitive edge of the Indian textile made ups in the international market compelling exporters to forego orders, amemorandum submitted to the Prime Minister stated.

Releasing the copies of the memorandum here on Thursday the KTMEA said cotton export should not be allowed this season beyond the sanctionedquantity of 55 lakh bales and export duty must be levied on cotton.

The memorandum called for ban on export of waste cotton and stressed that in future cotton export should be calibrated on monthly basis taking intoaccount the requirements of the local manufacturers and exporters. Besides, export of cotton yarn should be banned completely, the memorandumnoted.

The textile exporters also called for increase in drawback to 20 per cent to make home textile exports globally competitive.

If the price of yarn increased beyond a pre-fixed highest price, the home textiles and made ups industry should be provided incentives, thememorandum demanded.

The exporters also sought export packing credit and pegging of post shipment credit for interest at five per cent.

This apart, they sought exemption from income tax for home textile made up exports for at least two years.

Demand levy of export duty on cotton

Want increase in drawback to 20 per cent

Australian Metal And E-waste Recycler Sims To Pursue GrowthPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 19, 2010SYDNEY, Nov 19 Asia Pulse - Australian metal and e-waste recycler Sims Metal Management Ltd (ASX:SGM) says it will pursue further acquisitivegrowth in 2010/11, after completing two transactions early in the financial year.

Sims Metal refrained from giving solid quantitative guidance for the current year, saying only that markets had not changed materially since thecompany's October update.

The company reported a net profit of $8.2 million in the first quarter of 2010/11, down 75 per cent on the same period last year.

Sales revenue rose four per cent to $1.88 billion during the company's fifth consecutive profitable quarter.

"While results in our first quarter of this fiscal year were below expectations, shareholders should not lose sight of the fact that your companyoperates in a cyclical industry," chairman Paul Varello told Sims' annual general meeting on Friday.

Mr Varello said scrap flows and margins were still constrained, particularly in North America.

Chief executive Daniel W Dienst said Sims had completed its purchase of Wincanton PLC in the UK and agreed to buy the assets of CommercialMetal Recycling Services in Queensland in first quarter.

"We will continue to pursue growth opportunities in the remainder of our 2011 fiscal year and beyond," he said.

"Such growth is being explored across all geographies and business lines as evidenced by the transactions that have already taken place in our 2011fiscal year."

Mr Dienst said in October that ferrous markets were expected to trade sideways in the second quarter of 2010/11, with continued volatility in thelonger term.


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Shares in Sims Metal had dropped 13 cents to $17.14 by 1339 AEDT.

(AAP) ms 19-11 1714

aspu

Waste gas turns into jet fuelPublication: Petroleum Bazaar - PetroMagProvider: Petroleum Bazaar.com

November 19, 2010>

Petroleum BazaarPETROMAG

Waste gas turns into jet fuel

Both LanzaTech and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have decided for a cooperativeresearch and development agreement (CRADA), which had received final approval from the UnitedStates Department of Energy (DOE), to make jet fuel from the waste gases created from the steelindustry. The first phase work of the CRDA is expected be done over one year and DOE will supply thefunding whilst PNNL and the LanzaTech do a in-kind contribution.

The Lanzatech’s clean energy technology will be able to generate around 2,3-Butanediol, which is anoxygenate that can be used to make the hydrocarbon fuels. The present LanzaTech and PNNLcollaborations with the teams at the Tsinghua University and a contribution for the work from ChinaNational Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), who are doing a techno-economic and life cycle evaluations.The replacement biofuels that has a capacity of being used with the existing equipment are very easilypowerful than fuels that needs latest technologies and engine systems.

Dr Jennifer Holmgren, the LanzaTech’s chief executive said the United States has invested billions on itspresent petroleum infrastructure and to restructure airline jet engines costs in the field of hundreds ofmillions of dollars. The biofuels which will do well must be compatible with present engines, pipelines andthe refineries. LanzaTech’s combination of fuels and chemicals value chain will allow the economicviability and being environmentally sound, he added. LanzaTech was developed in early 2005 to buildand commercialize the proprietary technologies for generating the lowest cost fuel ethanol from thegases produced by steel industry.

LanzaTech increased its concentration from process development program to add other industrial offgases and synthesis gas from the gasification. It is going to commercialize the technology in China,moving its process from pilot to the commercial scale. The national laboratory of US Department ofEnergy Office of the SciencePacific known as the Northwest National Laboratory is where theinterdisciplinary teams develope science and technology and brings solutions for the energy,environment and the national security

For any information / data on Petroleum Sector visit www.petroleumbazaar.comor contact [email protected]

Copyright © 2000 - 2001 PetroleumBazaar. All Rights Reserved - DisclaimerFor any information / data on Indian Petroleum Sector visit www.petroleumbazaar.com or contact [email protected]

Extra vehicles to remove Bakrid wastePublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 19, 2010HYDERABAD, Nov. 19 -- An estimated 2,000 metric tonnes of animal waste and other garbage were generated during the Bakrid festival. Publishedby HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, pleasecontact Editor at [email protected]

Waste segregation at Sonsoddo yet to beginPublication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

November 19, 2010

MARGAO: Nearly three weeks after Fomento began its trial run of the trommel installed at Sonsoddo, segregation of garbage is yet to commence atthe site. Reason: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) is yet to identify a site for disposing the rejects that will be generated when the trommelsbecome fully functional.

Speaking to TOI, chief executive officer of Fomento Sridhar Kamat said that it was practically unviable to start the segregation process in the absenceof any arrangements to dispose of the rejects. "The ball now lies in the court of the MMC," Kamat said, pointing out to the request for proposal (RFP)document that places the responsibility of carting away the screening rejects on the civic body.

It may be recalled that Fomento had written to the MMC nearly four months back to identify some 20,000 sq m of land for the safe disposal and


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treatment of waste that will result from the screening exercise that was scheduled to commence post-monsoon.

"The trommels installed at the site have a capacity of sieving 30 tons of non-segregated garbage per hour. If no site is readily available for disposingof this large quantity of rejects, the situation could turn chaotic. We are waiting for the MMC to identify the sites before starting the segregationexercise," Kamat told TOI.

Fomento had, in the letter to the MMC, also pointed out that that the identified land needs to be scientifically managed "so that the material does notcause any difficulty to communities living in and around the dump site, if any, and the local environment in general". It had also stated that "this landis apart from the landfill site required to be identified and developed to cater to the landfill requirement once the temporary landfill site to bedeveloped at Sonsoddo is exhausted".

The MMC is also yet to take any steps towards signing of the concession agreement with Fomento, with the draft agreement lying with the municipalretainer for months together. MMC chief officer Prasanna Acharya, when contacted, said that that the agreement would be "ready" by next week. Asregards other issues over Sonsoddo, Acharya said that a meeting with Fomento official would be convened soon.

Meanwhile, following instructions from the chief minister, the MMC authorities claimed to have streamlined the garbage collection and disposalsystem. "Drivers and sanitary staff have been told to work in tandem to ensure efficient execution of work. We have also received a sanction for thepurchase of new garbage compactors and the new machines will join the existing fleet of compactors shortly," Acharya told TOI.


GHMC presses in tippers to clean up post Bakrid wastePublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 19, 2010

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has pressed more men and machinery, including JCBs, tippers, bobcots, loaders, andso on, from November 18 to November 19 for lifting extra 2,000 metric tonnes of animal waste and garbage generated on account of Bakrid fromdifferent circles. The work is in addition to the daily garbage pick up and transport to the Jawaharnagar dump, said Additional Commissioner S.Aleem Basha in a press release.

Fuel from agro-wastePublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 19, 2010

Staff Reporter

Method of production is cost effective

TIRUNELVELI: Two scientists of Sri Paramakalyani Centre of Excellence in Environmental Sciences (SPKCEES), affiliated to ManonmaniamSundaranar University, have extracted fuel from agro-waste.

C. Sathesh Prabu, a post-doctoral researcher of the centre, who is working on advanced research on bio-ethanol production from lignocellulosicagro-waste along with A.G. Murugesan, Professor, SPKCEES, says production of ethanol as an alternative fuel through cost-effective methods hasbecome imperative due to global oil shortage and demand.

Demand for ethanol

Currently ethanol accounts for about 86 per cent of total bio-fuel production and demand for ethanol as bio-fuel has steadily increased during thisdecade. The production of ethanol from sugar or starch from sugarcane and cereals respectively, impacts negatively on the economics of the process,thus making ethanol more expensive when compared to fossil fuels.

Nowadays, agro-waste is being burnt at the field itself. At the same time, using the agro-waste in a bigger way for bio-ethanol production will notonly suffice the fuel requirement but also boost the economy of the country, the researchers say.

The production methods of ethanol from agricultural waste like corn cob, corn stalk and sorghum stover have been successfully standardised at thecentre.

Dr. Sathesh Prabhu has come out with easy pre-treatment methods to break down the complex agricultural wastes (carbohydrate sources) into simpleform so as to enable the ethanologenic microorganisms to ferment them to produce ethanol.

He states that about 250 - 270 litres of ethanol can be produced from one tonne of agricultural waste like corn stover, rice straw and sorghum stover.

Benefits

His study has dual benefits in terms of managing the agro-residues and producing green and clean energy, thus decreasing the amount of greenhousegases emitted into the atmosphere.


22 of 41 04-12-2010 19:00

Financial assistance

Dr. Sathesh Prabu has got financial assistance from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fundfor the research. Now he is continuing the work with financial assistance from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

According to Dr. Murgesan, the research by Dr. Sathesh in bio-fuel production would result in high output.

Waste segregation plant to be set up in DavangerePublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 18, 2010

Staff Correspondent

The Rs. 5-crore unit will be set up by April 2011

DAVANGERE: The Davangere City Corporation will install a mechanical compost plant to segregate plastic, biodegradable and non-biodegradablewaste.

The plant will be set up at a cost of Rs. 5 crore, using the Rs. 100-crore Chief Minister's Special grant released to the corporation, authorities havesaid.

Mayor of Davangere M.G. Bakkesh and Commissioner of the Davangere City Corporation Prasanna Kumar took a team of journalists to Avaragollaon Wednesday, where the corporation has a 23-acre garbage yard. They said the corporation would send a detailed report on the project to theGovernment. Soon after getting the Government approval, the corporation would invite tenders. The segregation plant would be set up by the end ofApril 2011, as per the instructions of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, they said.

A six-member team of councillors had been sent to Vellore in Tamil Nadu where a plant with a capacity to treat 740 tonnes of garbage had beensuccessfully set up a few years ago, they said. The team was expected to return in a day or two and give its suggestions on setting up a similar plant inDavangere, where 120 tonnes of garbage is generated every day.

Using plastic waste

Another plant would be set up at the garbage yard to use plastic waste to manufacture crude oil. The company assigned the task of manufacturing thecrude oil would give 2 per cent of its total income and 20 per cent of the carbon credit to the corporation.

A tender would also be called for the manufacture of compost from the garbage. For each unit, the corporation would provide no less than three tofour acres of land free to the companies.

More land for garbage

Keeping in mind the possible increase in the amount of garbage generated over the next five to six years, the corporation had also identified over 150acres of lands near Alur and Angod for the disposal of garbage and setting up of treatment plants.

Mr. Prasanna Kumar told presspersons that the stay order issued by a court restricting the corporation from disposing of garbage in the plant atAvaragolla village had been vacated. The corporation would dump garbage at the plant from Thursday. Measures had been initiated to ensure thatthere would be no foul smell, flies, or nuisance to people of the surrounding villages, he said.

Bio-fuel plants

Range Forest Officer Nilakantappa who also accompanied the team told presspersons that over 1,000 plants, including those used for producingbio-fuel, would be planted around the garbage unit.

Streetlights

Mr. Prasanna Kumar said streetlights in the city would be replaced by light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. With this, the cost of power would reduce by75 per cent, he said. A company had come forward to invest over Rs. 50 crore in the project, he said.

Davangere generates 120 tonnes of garbage every day

Over 150 acres identified for setting up treatment plants

Coffee husk a potent toxic waste filter, IISc researchers findPublication: Mint NewsProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 18, 2010New Delhi, Nov. 18 -- The husk of the coffee bean, Karnataka's main plantation product, may emerge as a lowcost, efficient method of cleaning upindustrial effluents. Researchers at the Bangalorebased Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have shown that the coffee by-product is among the mosteffective at removing carcinogenic hexavalent chromium found in sewage released by textile and leather plants.

"The hexavalent form of chromium is the most toxic. There are various methods of removing the toxic metal but those are expensive and not


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altogether effective," said T.V. Ramachandra, head of the research team and a faculty member at IISc's Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES). Mostof the widely prevalent methods are also energy-intensive and thus more expensive.

Ramachandra's team recently published a paper on the cleansing potential of coffee husk in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmentand Pollution. India needs a cheap, efficient solution, given that such treatment calls for investments of at least '10 lakh for a small firm. Invariablythere's uncontrolled discharge of heavy metal wastes into lakes and rivers. "Though the maximum contaminant level (MCL) as per Indian law limitstoxicity levels", heavy metals in the water in some areas are 100 to 1,000 times the prescribed value, said S.K. Sahu, a researcher at the NationalMetallurgical Laboratory. "All water treatment facilities, therefore, are required to treat heavy metal-contaminated water to meet the regulatoryrequirements." Scientists across the globe have experimented with various materials, including thermal power station fly ash, algal and fungalbiomass, waste slurry from fertilizer plants, bengal gram husk and tamarind shells, which have been effective.

"But coffee husk scores because it absorbs the maximum (hexavalent) chromium content. It is easily available in Karnataka as it is a leadingproducer. Also, the cost would be one-tenth of chemical treatment (methods)," Ramachandra said. The treatment process involves a primary segmentwhere the waste water is stored in a tank, passed through a bed of reeds to remove nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and thenfiltered through the husk. "The water so released into a water body is free of carcinogenic substances," Ramachandra explained. Karnataka produces70% of the 220,000 tonnes of coffee grown in India, which generates 60,000 tonnes of husk. Coffee husk scores over protein- rich algal and fungalbiomass, since such materials are likely to decay in moist conditions. "Coffee does not contain protein, hence does not decay," Ramachandra said."Thus, the husk can be used on an industrial scale to remove chromium ions from effluents. Coffee husk can replace the expensive activated carbonin the process." According to estimates by the Central Pollution Control Board, reverse osmosis, ion exchange and electrolytic methods that can alsobe used to treat industrial wastes cost at least '1 crore for a large firm. "The cost of coffee husk is one-tenth of the (existing) effluent treatingmechanisms," Ramachandra said. The coffee husk extracted 50mg of poisonous content per gram of chromium, the highest compared with othermaterials such as olive cake (33.4mg), sawdust (10mg) and others. Reversing the process for analytical purposes revealed that about two-thirds of theextracted hexavalent can be retrieved and recycled. "Now that we have experimentally proved the capability of the husk, the next step would bebuilding a model," Ramachandra added. Given that such bioabsorbants are at the research stage, their use is difficult to visualize on a large-scalebasis, said Tapas Nandy, a scientist at National Environment and Engineering Research Institute. "Complete removal of waste requires chemicalprocessing," he said. IISc's research has drawn interest from the textile industry. "Effluent treatment is still an issue to worry about in spite of normsand tabulations. Hence, an alternative method of solving the problem is the need of the hour," said the honorary general secretary of the Bangalorechapter of the Textile Association of India T. Ananthakrishnan. "The experiment of using coffee husk to remove toxic waste appears interesting," hesaid. Published by HT Syndication with permission from MINT. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, pleasecontact Editor at [email protected]

(AMM) Pa. lawmakers OK e-waste billPublication: Metal BulletinProvider: Metal Bulletin com

November 17, 201017:03:00 (GMT)

Pennsylvania`s House of Representatives on Monday approved legislation that would establish an electronics recycling program for the state.

If signed by Gov. Ed Rendell, the bill would require electronics manufacturers to register their devices with the state`s Department of EnvironmentalProtection and require them to establish and manage a plan to collect and recycle their products.

The proposed bill would also ban e-waste from being dumped in landfills and require manufacturers to pay into the newly created ElectronicMaterials Recycling Account to support the department`s implementation of the law.

The House matched a measure approved by the state`s Senate in August circumventing the need to establish a conference committee to reconcile anydifferences in the legislation.

Russel Market vendors get tips in waste segregationPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 17, 2010

Staff Reporter

Dry waste will be sold every other day at two rupees a kg

Bangalore: When a veritable army of 35 turned up at Russel Market on Sunday morning, they did not come for brinjals or cauliflowers. Instead, thevolunteers went around the market propagating segregation of garbage generated by the assorted shops.

Volunteers from the Solid Waste Management Round Table, Green Commandos, Waste Wise and Radio Active of Jain Group of Institutions spoke tothem about the importance of segregating garbage at source and recycling the dry waste.

N.S. Ramakanth from the Solid Waste Management Round Table said that the programme was initially supposed to be a clean-up drive. ,,However,we decided to first create awareness among the shopkeepers about the importance of segregation. So, we divided ourselves into batches of two orthree and covered almost all shops in the main market area," he said.

On Sunday morning, there was a lot of garbage in and around the market and the vegetable vendors said it had not been cleared since Saturday.


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Mandur landfill

Shopkeepers informed them that garbage from Saturday had also not been lifted. ,,We explained to them that waste from the market is transported tothe Mandur landfill, drawing local residents' protests. They then realised that by segregating the waste, the amount going to the landfill will comedown," Mr. Ramakanth said.

At the fish market, the volunteers found that several thermocol containers, in which fish is brought to the market, were being disposed of along withthe garbage. ,,Thermocol has no weight, but has volume. We convinced the fish vendors to store the containers, which could then be recycled withthe other dry waste. Just by segregating dry waste, the volume will come down by almost 50 per cent," Mr. Ramakanth said. They had soughtpermission of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Siddaiah to construct a small shed to store these containers. ,,We metwith the engineers concerned, who assured us that construction would start at the earliest."

Selling dry waste

Shopkeepers at the market have agreed to segregate dry waste, including paper and plastics, which they will sell every other day at Rs. 2 a kg.

The Round Table tried out segregation at the City Market and 12 tonnes of it was collected last month. A five-tonne biogas converter will soon beinstalled in there and the proposal is pending with the Standing Committee, he said.

now, separate vehicles for dry and wet wastePublication: Hindustan TimesProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 17, 20102010-11-17MumbaiHindustan TimesMumbai, Nov. 17 -- In a bid to renew an attempt to segregate waste, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) will send separate vehicles in wards to collect the dry waste from this month. Earlier, there was only one compactor to collect the dry and wetwaste in different bags. Therefore the garbage would get mixed up, defeating the purpose of the exercise. The BMC will collect dry and wet waste inseparate tempos. This exercise will be conducted on a pilot basis in five wards. Areas like Bandra (west), Goregaon, Malad, Kandivli and Borivli havebeen short-listed for the project. The waste collected will be taken to sorting centers that have been created in these wards and rag pickers will sortthem and sell it to the recyclers. The wet waste will be taken to the dumping grounds. Singh said the success of the initiative depended on the supportof the locals and the advanced local management. The BMC will also be undertaking ward-level meetings, appointing nodal officers to set asegregation target in each ward, and penalise defaulting premises. There is a provision for a minimum penalty of Rs 1,000 in the Municipal SolidWaste rules, 2000. The nodal officer should give a notice period of 30 days to a society before they are fined says the circular. Officials in SolidWaste Management (SWM) department said segregation will reduce the amount of waste that goes to the dumping grounds and will decrease theamount of fee charged by the contractor to process the waste (called the tipping fee). Anandini Thakoor, of the H-west federation said they will beundertaking seminars for different societies to explain to them the need for segregation. A similar initiative was undertaken in 2000 but because of alack of infrastructure for collection, transportation and disposal, the initiative failed. The city generates 6,500 metric tonnes of waste everyday, whichis 460 grams per head. Currently less than 5 % of this is segregated. The city has only four dumping grounds, Deonar, Gorai, Kanjurmarg and Mulund.Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement,please contact Editor at [email protected] Times

BBMP circular on bio-waste disposalPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

November 17, 2010/td> Bangalore, Nov 17, DHNS Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -->In view of Bakrid festival, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a circular for safe disposal of bio-waste on November 18and 19.The Palike has asked the BBMP zonal offices along with health inspectors and environment engineers to identify sensitive areas where sacrifices willbe made.

Further, it has been stated that announcements will be made at all mosques and idgahs that the bio-waste should not be disposed of indiscriminately,but to be packed in plastic bags and disposed in specific BBMP containers placed in the area.

Sufficient containers

The circular has also directed the environment engineers to provide sufficient containers for dumping the extra bio-waste and extra trips of garbagedisposal vans to avoid the stray dog menace.

The BBMP has warned its officials of surprise inspections on the following days in the various areas in the City to avoid mismanagement of the wastedisposal.

Deluge, liquid waste mix irks Chromepet peoplePublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 17, 2010


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CHENNAI, Nov. 17 -- The mixing of rainwater with liquid waste discharged by some industrial units has affected the everyday routine of residentsof Kamaraj Nagar abutting Tiruneermalai Road in Chromepet. Published by HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any querywith respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Benaulim can be waste-free by 2013: Hubert GomesPublication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

November 16, 2010

MARGAO: Hubert Gomes, who has already announced his candidature for the Benaulim assembly polls, on Monday reiterated his determination toenter the election fray "against all odds". Addressing a press conference on Monday, Gomes said that starting a football academy in the constituencyand making Benaulim free from garbage and malaria by 2013 topped his agenda.

"After starting a health centre, a well-equipped gymnasium and providing several indoor facilities in the village, we have recently started an alcoholde-addiction centre which has shown good results," Gomes said.

Stressing that all his community welfare projects were aimed at the "development of human beings" and "raising the standard of our thinking", Gomesstressed that his proposed projects were beyond the realm of electoral politics "without keeping an eye on the elections".

Attempting to drive home his point, Gomes said, "If I win the elections, I will push both these projects through. If, however, it is God's will that I don'twin the elections, I will extend my full support to the next MLA of Benaulim."

As regards the football academy, Gomes said that the services of national athlete Antonio Mascarenhas would be utilized "to train the youth ofBenaulim to enable them to participate in I-league tournaments". Elaborating on the garbage-and-malaria-free Benaulim project, Gomes said thatpersons working closely on environment-related issues will work on the project. Gomes also denounced moves by the Sports Authority of Goa tohand over the football ground in its possession to some private party for 33 years.

The MLA-aspirant further revealed that his supporters were getting threatening calls and being blackmailed. "I am not scared of anybody. However,if the harassment to my supporters continues, I will not take it easy," Gomes said.


Japan Donates 100 Waste Collection Vehicles To BangladeshPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 16, 2010$bd $jp $sew

DHAKA, Nov 16 Asia Pulse - Japan on Monday handed over 100 waste collection vehicles to Bangladesh to facilitate better waste management inDhaka City.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the vehicles from chief representative of JICA Bangladesh Office Dr Takao Toda at a ceremony at the PrimeMinisters official residence Ganabhaban.

LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Japanese Ambassador Tamotsu Shinotsuka were present.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister termed Japan as a longtime trusted friend of Bangladesh.

She said these 100 vehicles would be of great help to keep the capital city clean and the environment refreshing.

Hasina said waste management is a very important matter, posing a great problem for Dhaka city.

She mentioned that Japan contributed a lot for Bangladeshs socioeconomic development. Japan assisted Bangladesh for constructing the JamunaBridge, she added.

The 100 waste collection vehicles were provided under the environment grant aid project of JICA. Among the vehicles, 20 are arm-roll trucks, 45container carriers and 35 modern compactors.

The vehicles will be operated in different areas of the city under the cooperation of a JICA technical cooperation project, Strengthening of SolidWaste Management in Dhaka city.

The vehicles will daily transport about 1100 tons of wastage, which is a quarter of the total expected wastage in the city.

(UNB) ms 16-11 1420

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Plastic waste sent to cement factory


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Publication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 16, 2010

Staff Reporter

To be used as supplement fuel

TIRUNELVELI: Collector M. Jayaraman on Monday flagged off a truck-load of plastic waste collected from various town panchayats in the districtbeing sent to a cement manufacturing unit on the outskirts of the city.

As part of his efforts to convert the district into a `plastic-free district', Dr. Jayaraman entered into an agreement with India Cements on sending theplastic waste to the cement manufacturing unit to be used as a supplement fuel along with the regular fuel, coal.

Two tonnes

Subsequently, two tonnes of plastic waste collected at Courtallam, North Valliyoor, Cheranmahadevi, Surandai, Sankar Nagar and Sivagiri townpanchayats were sent to the factory on Monday.

The Collector also handed over free house site pattas to 19 beneficiaries in the presence of District Revenue Officer P. Ramanasaraswathi.

Waste disposalPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 14, 2010

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Siddaiah on Friday directed his environment engineers to clear waste in ascientific manner.

Every day large quantities of waste are generated and their disposal poses a challenge. Reusable and recyclable waste should be sent to disposal unitsand wet waste can be composted. This will help the BBMP cut costs.

Meanwhile, a Lok Adalat was held to review the efforts of BBMP and Karnataka Pollution Control Board in dealing with e-waste and bio waste. Ithighlighted an incident in Gulbarga where bio waste dumped into drinking water supply had caused diseases and deaths.

Waste segregation unit inaugurated at BBMPPublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 13, 2010BANGALORE, Nov. 13 -- A waste segregation unit was inaugurated in the premises of city corporation office here on Friday to set an example forsegregation of garbage at . Published by HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or anyother content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

`Civic bodies must set up waste treatment plants'Publication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 12, 2010

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: All municipal bodies are mandated by the law to set up sewage and waste treatment plants and there cannot be any compromise onthe issue, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) told the Karnataka High Court on Thursday.

The court was hearing a petition by the Challekere Municipality challenging the registration of a private complaint before a jurisdictional magistratecourt against the then Commissioner and then municipal chief by the KSPCB.

The civic agency said it could not set up waste treatment plants as it had no money. Moreover, the KSPCB had taken a unilateral decision inregistering a criminal case against its officials. It had urged the court to stay the proceedings and also quash the private complaint.

Opposing the petition, KSPCB advocate Gangadhar Sangolli submitted that all municipalities are required under the Air and Water Act to set uptreatment plants. The reason that such plants cannot be set up due to lack of finance cannot be accepted, he said.

He said no effluent or waste could be directly discharged into water bodies and into open areas. All wastes have to be treated and the board is tasked


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with the responsibility of ensuing that the pollution laws are obeyed.

Rare Earths Could Be Sourced From Elec Waste: Aust ExpertPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 11, 2010CANBERRA, Nov 11 Asia Pulse - Australians could one day be scurrying through rubbish tips for old phones and computers because of a growingglobal demand for what's inside, one expert suggests.

Rare earth minerals are a critical ingredient in most gadgets, from mobiles to iPods, televisions, light bulbs, and a raft of military equipment like night-vision goggles.

Each Toyota Prius engine contains over 20kg of it.

But with China - the dominant supplier - clamping down on exports earlier this year, there are rising fears about where we will get rare earths from inthe future.

Global demand is surging, and demand is predicted to outstrip supply for the first time as early as next year.

Sustainability expert John Cole, from the University of Southern Queensland, said rare earths might one day have to be sourced from electronicwaste.

"A single tonne of old computers has more gold in it than 17 tonnes of ore to be found in a gold mine," he told reporters on Thursday.

"So far we've squandered (opportunities) ... (because of) the disposability of much of our modern culture with iPods and phones which are essentiallyin design to be thrown out.

"This means that one of the growth industries of the future will be landfill recovery because that's where a lot of them go."

The average Australian generates 6kg of electronic waste a year and in 2007/08 sent more than 14 million televisions and computers straight to thetip.

But Curtin University's Brent McInnes said scouring through old waste and landfill mining was too energy-intensive and expensive to work.

He said mining companies should be encouraged to start sourcing rare earths themselves given Australia sits on about five per cent of the world'sresources.

"(That's) a lot easier," he told AAP.

It would also be particularly lucrative given prices have tripled since just 2009.

The federal government was urged to invest more in research and development, while also fostering a strong relationship with China.

Its decision in July to limit exports cut the world's supply by almost half.

(AAP) nt 11-11 2009

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Waste disposal top priority: Kottayam municipal chiefPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 11, 2010

Staff Reporter

New chairman Sunny Kalloor addresses the media

KOTTAYAM: Kottayam Municipal chairman Sunny Kalloor has promised that he would take immediate steps to resolve the waste management crisisin the district.

At a press conference here on Wednesday after his election to the post. Mr. Kalloor said that the waste management issue would be given top priorityduring his term. ,,In recent times, the district has seen unchecked waste accumulation. Unscientific practices such as non-segregation of waste havebeen adopted. The discomfort faced by residents, especially those residing near the Vadavathoor dumping yard has reached alarming proportions. Asolution to the issue is needed to prevent the district from turning into a dumpyard," he said.

,,The Municipality will ensure that a solution is found within 100 days. An emergency meeting of the councillors will be called to discuss the issue. Apreliminary survey of waste will be conducted in all 52 wards of the district," he explained. Mr. Kalloor stressed on the measures that would be takenfor tackling the issue. ,,We intend to set-up bio-gas plants in every ward. Various private associations and voluntary groups will be encouraged tofinance the project. The Municipality would give the funding for such plants in places like markets," he said.


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Corruption will not be tolerated, he said.

He listed out the other sectors that would be addressed during the next five years. ,,Scarcity of drinking water has been an area of concern duringrecent times. The municipality will submit proposals to the Water Resources Minister in order to introduce a scheme for providing drinking water toall parts of the district," he said. ,,Various traditional sectors will be revived. Dairy farming will be encouraged. Proper use of natural resources likefisheries and paddy fields shall be promoted," he said.

Collector warns of action against dumping broiler waste in waterbodiesPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 11, 2010

Staff Reporter

Nagercoil: The district administration would take necessary steps to provide license to those who wanted to sell broilers and the waste would be takento safer places as part of the zero waste management to ensure the environment was free from pollution, said the Collector, Rajendra Ratnoo.

Presiding over an awareness camp on zero waste management at Nattalam panchayat on Tuesday, he said that stringent action would be takenagainst those who dumped broiler waste in water bodies.

The district administration had succeeded in ridding the district of the non-degradable plastic wastes by conducting various awareness programmes.

Now it had been decided to implement zero waste management throughout the district to ensure hygiene and cleanliness.

The transport charges for clearing the broiler wastes should be met by the respective stall owners, the Collector said.

Cooperation sought

Hence he sought public cooperation for the successful implementation of zero waste management in the district.

Meet to rid Sabarimala of plastic wastePublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 9, 2010THIRUVANATHAPURAM, Nov. 9 -- Inter-state attempts to rid the sacred precincts of Sabarimala of the menace of plastic waste have begun inHyderabad. Published by HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or any other contentrequirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

`Waste segregation at source must'Publication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

November 9, 2010

Robert Haley, recycling program manager, Department of the environment, and Tamar Hurwitz, environmental education manager, from City ofCounty of San Francisco, give their views on waste management. Excerpts

What are your observations of the city?

Compared to any city in United States, Bangalore has much of green cover, open space. What has impressed us most is Bangalore's weather, maybe,because we come from a place that is known for irregular weather pattern.

What are the best practices here which you think must be replicated in your city?

By tradition, Indians have an eco-friendly lifestyle. Steel plates, leaf plates and clay cups used here are re-usable. Even when they are thrown out(leaf plates), they get decomposed easily. Contrast to this, what we use in US, are all use-and-throw materials, which increase the amount of garbagethat we produce. But that much of waste can be saved here, by using reusable materials. We wish to implement the same in US.

What could be your suggestion to BBMP?

To begin with, segregation at source must be made mandatory. When we started the initiative in late 1980s, there was not much of awareness amongthe public. But once the system came into place, everyone followed it. In western countries, government will not have much of a role to play in caseof private public partnership but only act as facilitator. Public pay the usage charges directly to the company that takes away the garbage and not tothe local self-government. We only fix the rates. The usage fee must be made lucrative and encouraging. For example, we do not take charges forcollecting recyclable and compostable waste, but only for that which is thrown as trash. Such initiatives can be implemented in Bangalore too.


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Nuclear waste convoy blocked by activists in GermanyPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

November 9, 2010/td> Berlin, Nov 9, (PTI): Tuesday, November 09, 2010 -->Thousands of anti-nuclear activists continued their blockade of a convoy carrying 11 lorries of highly radioactive nuclear waste heading for astorage site in northern Germany.The anti-nuclear demonstrators staged a night-long sit-in at different places on the road, forcing the authorities to abandon their plans to set in motionthe trucks yesterday night.The road is also blocked by a group of Greenpeace activists, who cemented the bottom of a vehicle on the road and chained themselves inside aswell.

Eleven special containers carrying 123 tonnes of highly radioactive waste were transferred to the trucks after a train transporting them finally arrivedat its destination in Dannenberg yesterday afternoon.

The train began its 1000-km journey on Friday with the German atomic reactor fuel waste from the La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant in northernFrance and it was interrupted several times by anti-atom demonstrators.

It also had to change its route because of blocked railway lines.

The demonstrators are protesting against the nuclear waste transport because they fear that the underground storage site in Gorleben is not safe.

They are also expressing their outrage over the centre-right government's decision to extend the life span of the country's 17 nuclear reactors on anaverage by 12 years.Anti-atom activists, who organised the demonstrations, expressed satisfaction over the outcome of their campaign.

Their main intention was to delay the nuclear waste transport as long as possible and that has been achieved, a spokesman for the organisers said, hesaid.

Germany's environment minister Norbert Roettgen defended the transport of highly radioactive nuclear waste saying it has no alternative.

Nuclear waste is the result of several years of power generation by the country's reactors and Germany is committed to take back the wastes of itsatomic reactor fuel processed abroad, he said.

Direction to officials on solid waste rulesPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 9, 2010

Staff Correspondent

MYSORE: The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued directions to the deputy commissioners to ensure that all local bodiescoming under their jurisdictions comply with the provisions of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules, 2000.

Board Chairman A.S. Sadashivaiah has written to the deputy commissioners in this regard, sources in KSPCB told The Hindu.

The directions have been issued at a time when the Supreme Court has asked State Boards to file affidavits on the delay of some local bodies inidentifying land for the disposal of municipal solid waste.

,,The unscientific disposal of MSW affects public health, causes ground water pollution, soil pollution and spreads infectious diseases. The matter isof serious nature and needs urgent attention. Any delay or negligence in implementing the MSW rules will definitely affect public health," says theChairman in his notice to the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya, a copy of which is available with The Hindu.

Mr. Sadashivaiah states that the Lok Adalat has taken a serious view of the matter as most local bodies in the State have not implemented the MSWrules within the time schedule of December 31, 2003, as specified.

According to the Board, the district magistrates or the deputy commissioners of the concerned districts have the overall responsibility of enforcing therules, while the board has been empowered to monitor the compliance of the standards prescribed.

For example, in Mandya district, the board has reviewed the progress and found that the commissioning of landfill sites has not been done in the townmunicipal councils and taluk panchayats of K.R. Pet, Maddur, Malavalli, Nagamangala, Pandavapura and Srirangapatna. The Deputy Commissionerhas been directed to respond within 30 days.

german n-waste shipment prompts protests


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Publication: Hindustan TimesProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 8, 20102010-11-08DANNENBERGHindustan TimesDANNENBERG, Nov. 8 -- German police on Sunday clashed with activists trying to halt a traincarrying nuclear waste from France to Germany as protests against the shipment turned increasingly violent. Police used batons and pepper spray todisperse around 250 anti-nuclear activists who were trying to sabotage the railway tracks, and the activists hurled firecrackers back, policespokesman said. Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times. For any query with respect to this article or any other contentrequirement, please contact Editor at [email protected] Times

Hanoi To Spend Us$1mln On Hospital Waste TreatmentPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 8, 2010HANOI, Nov 8 Asia Pulse - Hanoi will spend 29 billion VND (US$1.45 million) in building 16 facilities to treat solid wastes from hospitals, to helpminimize environmental pollution.

The solid waste incinerators will be installed in 16 hospitals managed by the capital city's healthcare department in 2011 and 2012.

Hanoi has planned to complete the installation of a system to treathazardous water and solid wastes for its hospitals by 2011 to ensurehealth hygieneand protect citizens health.

(VNA) ry 08-11 2008

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Priority for proper waste disposalPublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 8, 2010KOCHI, Nov. 7 -- Division No 14: Thazhuppu Published by HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect tothis article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Six accused of attempt to murder over waste disposalPublication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

November 6, 2010

AHMEDABAD: A gang of six has been accused by a resident of Behrampura, Mohammad Irfan Shaikh, of attempt to murder over a dispute causedbetween neighbours over careless dumping of garbage.

Shaikh has alleged that the group attacked him and left him to die before escaping. Admitted to the VS Hospital after the attack, Shaikh has registereda complaint with Danilimda police station officials.

According to police officials, the incident took place on Wednesday night when six persons - Asif Shaikh, Firoz Shaikh, Rafiq Shaikh, Irfan, Karimalias Lal Baba and Shehnaz Banu, all residents of Behrampura -stabbed Mohammad Shaikh with swords and severely thrashed him with baseballbats.

The complainant told police that the incident was a fallout of an argument he had with the assailants and their family members over garbage disposal."Shaikh claims that the assailants used to dump their domestic garbage in front of his house which caused the fight," said police investigators.


Plastic waste to be used in cement unitsPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 5, 2010

R. Krishnamoorthy

TIRUCHI: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has evolved a novel scheme in Pudukottai district for productive disposal of non-reusable plasticwastes.


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Collector A. Suganthi has encouraged local bodies right from municipalities to village panchayats to put in place mechanisms to buy backnon-reusable plastic waste from the public, service organisations, commercial entities, hostels, educational institutions, marriage halls, hospitals andindustries.

As per the scheme evolved by the office of the District Environmental Engineer, the waste plastic would be bought back for one rupee a kg and sentto cement industries for use as fuel. The initiative, according to District Environmental Engineer R. Lakshmi serves twin objectives: eliminating thescope for the clogging drainage channels caused by careless disposal of plastic wastes, and preventing its re-use.

The district, according to Ms. Laskhmi, generates up to four tonnes of plastic wastes every day.

The administration has made arrangements for sending the plastic wastes to the Ultratech Cement in Ariyalur district. The services of AssistantDirectors of Panchayat and Town Panchayat and the Municipal Commissioners of Pudukottai and Aranthangi would be utilised.

HC orders proper waste management at SabarimalaPublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 4, 2010KOCHI, Nov. 4 -- THE High Court on Wednesday directed the Pollution Control Board, the Chief Wildlife Warden and the Chief Conservator ofForests to issue necessary directives to enforce all notifications and court orders on the management of waste on the Sabarimala temple premises andthe Pampa. Published by HT Syndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or any other contentrequirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Going green: 'Wealth out of waste' workshopPublication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 3, 2010India, Nov. 3 -- ADP Private Limited, a company that has been recognized for its Employer of Choice (EoC) initiatives, has taken another stepforward in its Go Green initiative by organizing a unique Wealth out of Waste workshop for its associates. Published by HT Syndication withpermission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor [email protected]

Cracker merchants told not to dump waste indiscriminatelyPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 2, 2010

Special Correspondent

`Do not choke drainage or dump carton boxes on road'

Coimbatore: Coimbatore Mayor R. Venkatachalam has asked the cracker merchants not to dump carton boxes and wastes on the road or insidesewerage lines.

Mr. Venkatachalam conducted a meeting with the merchants which was attended by Deputy Commissioner S. Prabhakaran, Health CommitteeChairman Nachimuthu and City Health Officer P. Aruna. He said that plastic is banned in Coimbatore and merchants should co-operate in keepingthe city clean.

He has advised the merchants and the public to segregate bio-degradable and non-degradable wastes before handing them over to Corporationworkers.

He also asked the merchants to remit their taxes and rentals to the Corporation without delay in order to carry on the development works.

Waste water

Shops dealing with eatables should have the electric lights and machines for keeping the flies and insects at bay, he said.

Similarly, slaughter houses and meat stalls should ensure that the waste water is not let into the drainage, the Mayor said.

Hand-held machines

Corporation has planned to provide hand-held machines for assessing water charges and for issuing receipts on collection of water charges. At presentthe machines were launched in West Zone by Mayor R. Venkatachalam and Commissioner Anshul Mishra.

In the first phase 28 machines were being given in South and West Zones and in future all the zones and all bill collectors would be equipped withthese machines.

Heath camp


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,,Varumun Kappom", a preventive health camp, was conducted by the Corporation in Kottaimedu Ward Number 27 recently.

A release from the civic body said that so far as many as 24 such camps had been conducted and as many as 25,072 people benefitted and wereprovided with Rs 2.41 lakh worth of medicines.

In these camps, 2,319 pregnant women availed the benefit of scanning, 1,665 patients availed ECG, 18,311 patients benefitted by going throughblood screening, 5,033 availed diabetes screening, 8,640 went through urine tests for detection of diabetes.

Segregate bio-degradable and non-degradable wastes

`Remit taxes and rentals without delay'

Kerala Pcb Declares Coir Dye House Sledge As Non-Hazardous WastePublication: United News of IndiaProvider: HT Media Ltd

November 2, 2010Kochi, Nov. 1 -- The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has declared that the dye house sludge of coir industries is a non-hazardous wasteand, therefore, it does not come under the purview of Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008. ThePCB notification, issued in the wake of an earlier Supreme Court directive to some coir exporters and small scale producers involved in bleaching anddyeing of coir fibre/yarn without proper sludge disposal system, to adhere to the PCB norms within a specified time limit, comes as a great relief tothe industry as a whole, according to an official release here today. This followed strenuous efforts made by the Coir Board to get the sledge tested invarious laboratories for detailed analysis, including at the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) of the Board at Kalavoor, Alappuzha, the IndustrialToxicology Research Centre, Lucknow and the Sriram Institute of Industrial Research, Bangalore, over a period of four years. The satisfactory testanalysis of the laboratories prompted the PCB to clear the sledge as a non-hazardous waste, Coir Board Chairman V S Vijayaraghavan said.However, the sledge accumulating at the effluent treatment plants of the sledge house still required to be tested and certified as non-hazardous wasteas per the norms of the PCB since the effluent treatment process also involved additional usage of chemicals, Mr Vijayaraghavan added. Published byHT Syndication with permission from United News of India. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, pleasecontact Editor at [email protected]

Indian Govt Issues New Rules For Sezs To Acquire Waste LandPublication: Asia PulseProvider: Asia Pulse Pty Ltd

November 2, 2010NEW DELHI, Nov 2 Asia Pulse - The Indian government has issued new guidelines asking SEZ promoters to acquire waste and barren land as far aspossible to make the special economic zones environment-friendly.

In a communication to the Development Commissioners (DCs) overseeing the zones, the Indian Commerce Ministry has asked them to ensureimplementation of these new norms for development of SEZs.

According to these norms, the promoters should try and locate zones outside urban agglomeration/municipal units and ensure that sufficient land andwater resources is available to for the local population.

"The provisions of the Land Acquisition Act and the Resettlement and the Rehabilitation Policy of the Ministry of Rural Development will beapplicable for acquisition of land for SEZs also," it said.

Cultivable land should be considered only if an adequate quantum of "other" land is not available.

"The first preference should be for acquisition of waste and barren land, followed by single crop land and double crop land necessary to meetcontiguity requirements," it said.

As per the new norms, all SEZs should have state-of-the- art high-speed communication links for audio and video users in the zone. Even video-conferencing facilities between the developer and the DC should be made operational.

For the benefit of employees in SEZs, five per cent of the total area should be used for constructing low-cost housing and dormitories in all thetax-free zones of a size of 100 hectares or more, it said.

A proper space shall be provided for street vendors in commercial areas, keeping in view the national policy on urban street vendors, it added.

Developers should also provide for mass transportation facilities in the zone and should provide appropriate connectivity from nearby towns.

Specifying the role of state governments, it said compliance with the approved master plan should be ensured.

It further said that SEZs developers should make a plan with a perspective of 20-25 years, which would be further broken into short-term actionplans.

In addition, IT and ITeS zones have been advised to set up incubators with the size of 200 seats. The majority of the 340 SEZs notified so far are ITand ITeS zones.

In a separate notification, the customs authorities have decided to levy a duty on the transfer of power from a generating unit in a SEZ to a domestictariff area. Even within the zone, surplus power transfer from processing to non-processing areas will attract duty.


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(PTI) ry 02-11 2010

aspu

Konkola leakages spill toxic waste into Kafue RiverPublication: Metal BulletinProvider: Metal Bulletin com

November 2, 201015:20:00 (GMT)Leakages at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM)`s Nchanga smelter in Zambia have resulted in toxic waste being spilled into the KafueRiver, a source of water for more than 20,000 residents of Chingola district. The Vedanta Resources subsidiary blamed obsolete equipment for theincident, which occurred at the tailings leach plant at its Nchanga smelter in Chingola. "KCM confirms that there was a leak in one of its age-old Pregtanks at the tailings leach plant at Nchanga in Chingola at the weekend, some of which seeped into the Kafue River," KCM spokesperson JacquelineKabeta said in a statement. The Environmental Council of Zambia also confirmed the pollution, adding that copper sulphate was clearly visible in theriver. Dying marine life is also a confirmation that the river had been poisoned, the environmental body said, but did not say whether it would takesteps against KCM. The mining company intends to replace four aging mild rubber-lined tanks at the leach plant. "In the next few weeks KCMexpects to commission a $7.5 million reinforced tailings pipeline made of special high-resistant material, in a programme to replace the traditionalmild-steel rubber lined lines that have suffered a number of failures in the past," it said.

'ALMs should stick to waste management'Publication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

November 1, 2010

MUMBAI: Laying down clear rules for Advanced Locality Management(ALM)s in the city, the BMC has categorically emphasised that ALMsshould focus on solid waste management issues , as a priority.

It was observed that the assistant commissioner of various wards are reluctant to meet ALMs that raked up other issues like hawkers andencroachments in their area. Additional municipal commissioner Ashish Kumar Singh met Action for Good Governance and Networking in India(AGNI) on Saturday to clarify the role of ALMs in the city.

Singh said that the most common observation at ward offices was that ALMs brought up issues other than solid waste management (SWM).

"ALMs should only raise issues of garbage, cleanliness, segregation and recycling," added Singh. "We were told that ward officers felt they werecaught in a slinging match with ALMs. In 1999, the reason to start ALMs was for SWM and Singh wants us to bring it back to its original purpose ."said Shyama Kulkarni, treasurer, AGNI.


`dye House Sludge Of Coir Industries Is Non-hazardous Waste'Publication: Business LineProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

November 1, 2010

Our Bureau

Kochi, Oct 31

The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has declared that the dye house sludge of coir industries is a non-hazardous waste and, therefore, itdoes not come under the purview of the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008.

The PCB notification, issued in the wake of an earlier Supreme Court directive to some coir exporters and small-scale producers involved inbleaching and dyeing of coir fibre/ yarn without proper sludge disposal system, to adhere to the PCB norms within a specified time limit, comes as agreat relief to the industry as a whole. This followed strenuous efforts made by the Coir Board to get the sledge tested in various laboratories fordetailed analysis, including at the Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) of the Board at Kalavoor, Alappuzha, the Industrial Toxicology ResearchCentre, Lucknow, and the Sriram Institute of Industrial Research, Bangalore, over a period of four years.

The satisfactory test analysis of the laboratories prompted the PCB to clear the sledge as a non-hazardous waste, the Coir Board Chairman, Mr V.S.Vijayaraghavan, said.

However, the sledge accumulating at the effluent treatment plants of the sledge house still required to be tested and certified as non-hazardous waste,according to the norms of the PCB, since the effluent treatment process also involved additional usage of chemicals, he added.

Business - Sitma Seeks Ban On Export Of Yarn And Waste Cotton


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Publication: Press Trust of India - NewsProvider: Press Trust of India

October 31, 2010 (23:02)Erode (TN), Oct 31 (PTI) South India Textile Manufacturers Association (SITMA) today appealed to the Centre to immediately ban export of cottonyarn and waste cotton, saying the price of yarn had increased by over Rs 30 per kg in the last six months.The price hike of yarn had resulted in production cost rising and higher price of finished goods, affecting common man, SITMA Chairman M SMathivanan said in a release here.He said per bundle of raw cotton containing 352 kg was sold at Rs 20,000 some months ago and now after the announcement on allowing cottonexport from November 1, it was selling at Rs 47,000 per bundle.He urged the Union Government to bring cotton, yarn and waste cotton under Essential Commodities Act and reconsider the decision to allow exportof cotton keeping in mind the interests of farmers and the textile industry.

Source:- Business


,,Need for effective management of hospital waste"Publication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

October 31, 2010

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna has emphasised the need for effective management of hospital waste, saying thatminimising the risk to health care workers is of paramount importance.

Professionalism

Delivering the inaugural address at the annual conference of the Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management here on Saturday, Mr. Khannareminded the audience of medical experts, doctors, nurses, health care planners and government officials that the highest standards of professionalismwith ethical integrity are demanded from medical professionals.

The conference was organised jointly by the Society and the Delhi Government's Health Department with the support of other government agencies.

Medical waste must be managed effectively: KhannaPublication: Indo Asian News ServiceProvider: HT Media Ltd

October 31, 2010New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna Saturday stressed the importance of effective management of medical waste tominimise health risk to healthcare workers. Khanna, in his inaugural address at the annual conference of the Indian Society of Hospital WasteManagement (ISHWM) here, said the efforts would also lead to enhancing safety of the workers. "Medical waste should be effectively managed.This will not only minimise health risk to healthcare workers but also enhance their safety," Khanna said. The conference was jointly hosted byISHWM and Delhi government's health department. Published by HT Syndication with permission from Indo-Asian News Service. For any querywith respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Waste-side storyPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

October 31, 2010/td> Sandeep Moudgal Sunday, October 31, 2010 -->Bangalore’s growth is well reflected in the enormous amount of garbage being generated. As BBMP grapples with a relcalcitrant garbage mafia,residents find their own solutionsIt is the City's biggest nightmare. With rising piles of garbage across town, Bangalore is now on the brink of saturation with added pressure on landfillsand age-old technologies to dispose the waste. Political apathy following elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), coupledwith lack of interest and knowledge among the Palike officials have meant the citizens have no respite from this menace. Looming constantly is thethreat posed by the garbage mafia.

The BBMP had in 2007 divided the City limits to implement a package system for garbage contracts. Under this system, the contractors were giventhe responsibility to clear garbage from the areas designated under the packages. The garbage was to be then lifted from these areas and transportedto the land fills located on the outskirts of the City. The City was divided into 18 such packages, each of which was to cost an exorbitant Rs 7.11crore, to be paid to the contractor for his services.


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However, lack of supervision and the urge of `cutting corners' saw the garbage contractors milk the Palike of its revenue without any results. The filthjust kept piling up in the nearby vacant sites of every area, with contractors trying to save on the manpower and fuel costs.

Manohar Pari, a former Congress corporator, recalls that the system was such that even the Palike committed blunders by shifting the responsibilityof supervising the garbage collection from the Health Department to the Engineering division. ,,The result was complete chaos as none of theengineers from the Palike were present for the supervision," he says.

Pari alleges that the system brought in a lot of defects including the collusion of the ward engineers with the contractors for turning a blind eyetowards the garbage collection. This eventually led to the rise of the garbage mafia, which still continues to operate and is all set to devour the City.

While Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had in December 2009 promised to clear the garbage mafia and provide a transparent system, the BBMP isstill trying to find the `best possible' solution.

Under the regime of the former BBMP Commissioner, Bharat Lal Meena, the Palike had introduced a novel and much-appreciated system of havinga `Zero Garbage' agenda on a pilot basis in Gandhinagar and then extend it to the Malleswaram constituency. However, the system seemed to havefaltered with the formation of the BBMP Council. The Council appears to have set aside the system and now continues to `encourage' the garbagemafia.

Ward 31, Kushalnagar, a densely populated area with lower and lower middle class families, is one glaring example of the dereliction of duty by theBBMP leaving the area in disarray. The area corporator, Noor Jahan Sharieff believes that there is complete apathy among the officials in providingrelief to the ward despite repeated efforts by her to bring the mismanagement to the notice of the Palike.

She says, ,,We have appealed to the Council to extend zero garbage facility to our ward, but no response has been received. We also asked thegarbage contractors to be more regular in clearing the area of the filth and they give excuses that are incomprehensible," she rues.

Old package system continues

Currently, Bangalore still persists with the old package system by renewing the same tenders for the interim period, although most contracts haveexpired. The BBMP officials state that there is total lack of co-ordination among the officials and the political regime at the Palike.

When Deccan Herald contacted the Chief Engineer responsible for the Solid Waste Management (SWM), Rangaraj, he excused himself fromanswering the questions since his more knowledgeable Executive Engineer (EE) was not available.

Sources reveal that the BBMP is now contemplating introducing a three-tier system of garbage clearance that would be strictly outsourced aftertenders. There are also proposals to install garbage convertors across the City to process the wet waste into compost after segregating the garbageinto wet and dry waste.

A special meeting has also been called by the Mayor S K Nataraj and the ruling party on November 12 or 13 to discuss the garbage woes in the City.

While there are no dearth of discussions to rid the City of the garbage menace, implementation on the management front seems to have been at itslowest by the BBMP. Whether solutions would emerge after the meeting of the public representatives on the issue, only time will tell.

HEALTHY VOICES

The Power Of WastePublication: Outlook BusinessProvider: Outlook Publishing India Private Ltd

October 30, 2010

Various initiatives are finding ways to turn agri waste into electricity and survive. But there are challenges of fuel management staring atthem.By Deepak Goel

Husk Power Systems does it with rice husk. Saran Renewable, with the dhaincha plant. And DESI Power, with ipomea weed and animal dung. Allthree companies have found innovative and eco-friendly uses for agri waste: they use it to generate electricity in rural areas. The likes of Husk Poweraren't giants in power generation, but their business is significant for the power-scarce rural hinterland. One, their customers are very smallbusinesses. Two, they provide employment. And of course, they put the agri waste to good use. In their own small way, they are changing the ruraleconomic landscape.

The coming years could see a huge scale-up in the agri waste-to-electricity market, something that could potentially cover thousands of villagesthrough hundreds of small power plants. That is, if the challenges in managing the agri fodder for electricity don't overwhelm them.

The Rural Prop

Tamkuha is a backward village. Gyanesh Pandey, CEO of the Bihar-based Husk Power, will tell you why. Most people here ,,have no other optionbut (to burn) kerosene." Husk Power came in, and the change is visible. Shops are able to remain open well after dusk. And new businesses, such ascomputer-aided video editing shops, have sprouted, thanks to electricity.

Of course, that's not the only village in Husk Power's scheme of things. There are about200 in all. The company generates power through 50 small power plants (ranging from 2KW to 64 KW) and employs 250 people. Each plant caters to a radius of 1.5 km,


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Note: One unit of power is consumed by a 100 watt bulbin one hour. *One unit of electricity; **Required togenerate one unit of electricit

covering about 700 households. With a minimum of Rs 80 per month, a subscriber canlight up two compact fluorescent lamps and charge a cellphone. The company currentlyhas 19,000 subscribers.

This works well for the subscribers, as alternatives are few and even those are costly.Vivek Gupta, Director of Saran Renewable Energy, another such company, tells you why. The cost of production comes to about Rs 7-10 a unit, farcheaper than the Rs 20 you incur with a diesel generator. Saran, through a 128 KW power plant in Garkha village in Bihar, provides power to 4,000households. DESI Power, a company founded by NGO Development Alternatives, gives villagers in Madhya Pradesh more to cheer about. Itconverts the ipomea weed into electricity. Ipomea grows on wasteland and villagers bringing it to the power plant get Rs 1.25 per kilo for their effort.DESI Power runs a 100 KW plant in Orchha village in the state. The power sustains a hand-made paper unit and a building materials unit run by theNGO parent.

Getting Bigger

Such initiatives aren't restricted to the NGO sector. Green Infra is a case in point. Into renewable energy already, Green Infra wants to set up a hostof power plants based on a slew of agri wastes, such as rice husk, rice straw and mustard straw, in the next three years. The total capacity planned is arelatively huge 200 MW. ,,Our model is to sell to large industrial set-ups that require more than one MW," says Sunil Jain, COO, Green Infra. Clearly,the scale and the target customers set a for-profit organisation apart from the non-profit ones.

In fact, the use of agri waste to produce electricity isn't new. The sugar companies have been doing it for long?using bagasse (the fibre that remainsafter sugarcane is crushed). But for them, it was a way to survive. ,,If we hadn't been able to generate our own power, we wouldn't have existed giventhe abysmal power supply," says an official of a sugar company in Uttar Pradesh.

All indications are that these businesses are going to see a scale-up. Husk Power plans to cater to 5,000 villages by 2014, with 2,014 plants. SaranRenewable is mulling 100 power plants, 50 KW in average size, in three years in east UP and Bihar. And Development Alternatives wants to replicatethe 100 KW Orchha plant through ,, Rural Entrepreneur Zones" (REZs). ,,Generating electricity through green sources will be a business in itself inthe REZ. This unit will provide electricity to other businesses ," says Manoj Mahata, Programme Manager-Energy, Development Alternatives.

Although it is present only in the countryside, Saran Renewable Energy ensures about 15% return on investment.

Fuel Risk

The greatest challenge to the model of organisations such as Husk Power and others could be from fuel management. Jain points out the problem.,,What happens when you get a licence from the government for the plant?" he asks. The answer is it's clearly defined where you source fuel from.,,And then the farmers get smart and raise the price of the input," says Jain. ,,That is one reason why many such power plants fail."

What's interesting to note is Husk Power, Saran and DESI Power are all going to expand without being obsessed with a particular fuel waste. Theyplan to try out all kinds of agri waste. For instance, DESI Power is also using animal dung as a source. With the help of its NGO parent, threegoshalas (cow shelters) have been set up in UP and Bihar. Here, 1,200 aged cattle are kept.

There are also challenges in power distribution. Open access (which allows electricity generated in one state to be sold in another) is permitted only incertain states. ,,I cannot produce power in one state and sell it in another where I can get a better tariff," rues Jain. Another challenge lies in the lackof data regarding where and in what quantity such agri input is available.

The efforts, both in the social as well as commercial space, are generating a powerful story in the country.

Email us at [email protected]

Pollution board declares coir dye house waste as non hazardousPublication: Deccan HeraldProvider: The Printers (Mysore) Limited

October 30, 2010/td> Kochi, Oct 30, (PTI): Saturday, October 30, 2010 -->The Kerala State Pollution Control Board(KSPCB) has declared that the dye house sludge of coir industries as a non-hazardous waste and,therefore, it does not come under the purview of Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008.The PCB notification, issued in the wake of an earlier supreme court directive to some coir exporters and small scale producers involved in bleachingand dyeing of coir fibre/ yarn without proper sludge disposal system, to adhere to the PCB norms within a specified time limit, comes as a great reliefto the industry as a whole, a board press release said.

This followed strenuous efforts made by the Coir Board to get the sledge tested in various laboratories for detailed analysis, including at the CentralCoir Research Institute (CCRI) of the Board at Kalavoor, Alappuzha, the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow and the Sriram Institute ofIndustrial Research, Bangalore, over a period of four years.

The satisfactory test analysis of the laboratories prompted the board to clear the sledge as a non-hazardous waste, Coir Board Chairman V SVijayaraghavan said today.

However, the sledge accumulating at the effluent treatment plants of the sledge house still required to be tested and certified as non-hazardous wasteas per the norms of the PCB since the effluent treatment process also involved additional usage of chemicals, Vijayaraghavan added.

How to generate energy from waste


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Publication: New Indian ExpressProvider: HT Media Ltd

October 30, 2010BANGALORE, Oct. 30 -- Can innovative solutions help check the rising pollution of the city and generate energy out of waste? Published by HTSyndication with permission from New Indian Express. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contactEditor at [email protected]

Kurnadu GP sets up waste-treatment plantPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

October 30, 2010

Staff Correspondent

OS1 solution will be sprayed on the waste regularly to prevent odour

MANGALORE: Kurnadu Gram Panchayat has commissioned a processing plant that converts waste collected from houses and commercialestablishments into manure. There is no bad odour emanating from it.

Zilla panchayat assistant secretary Chandrashekar Masaguppi said a solution containing five types of microorganisms would be sprayed on the wasteto prevent bad odour.

Called OS1, it had been procured from a non-governmental organisation in Mysore and one litre of the solution was sufficient to process one tonne ofwaste. The solution did not have harmful effects on people even if handled with bare hands, he said.

The plant has a simple design: the biodegradable material is dumped into five rectangular pits. Within 45 days, the waste becomes an organic manure.

The solution is sprayed on the waste regularly to prevent bad odour.

Authorities of the Kurnadu Gram Panchayat got Rs. 2 lakh from the zilla panchayat and availed of Rs. 50,000 from the gram panchayat under theTotal Sanitation Programme, said A.C. Bhandary, zilla panchayat member.

He said that initially it was difficult to convince people that there would be no bad smell. Gradually the villagers came around. Mr. Bhandary said acommittee comprising building owners and merchants had been formed to operate the plant in collaboration with the Kurnadu Gram Panchayat.

From November 1, waste segregated at source will be collected from houses and commercial establishments on a one-km stretch from Kayargoli toIra cross. Anganwadis and schools were likely to be included in December, he said.

The monthly fee for waste collection would be Rs. 20 for houses, Rs. 30 for small shops, Rs. 60 for large shops, Rs. 100 for bars, chicken stalls, andbuilding owners.

One tonne of waste would generate 200 kg of manure, Mr. Masaguppi said. The plastic waste collected would be brought and stored in a hill-shapedstructure.

Hospital waste management conference in DelhiPublication: Asia News InternationalProvider: HT Media Ltd

October 30, 2010New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna inaugurated an annual conference on hospital waste management here onSaturday at the India Habitat Centre. Various military doctors and civil medical experts will discuss the hospital waste management issues during thetwo-day conference being organised jointly by Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management (ISHWM) and Department of Health Services, Govt ofNCT of Delhi. Chairman Air Marshal LK Verma, in his Presidential address, highlighted the importance of effective management of the hospitalwaste to minimise risk of infection and enhance safety to the healthcare works and waste handlers from infectious diseases such as HIV, andHepatitis group of diseases. The conference was attended by WHO Representative Designate to India Dr Nata Menabde, Director General(Organisation & Planning), Armed Forces Medical Services Air Mshl DP Joshi, DG Railway Health Services, senior medical and dental professionals,nursing officers and prominent doctors from hospitals and nursing homes in Delhi and other places in India and abroad. Indian Society of HospitalWaste Management (ISHWM) is a scientific society actively engaged in bringing about greater awareness among the doctors, health care works,nurses, paramedics and hospital administrators on safe and effective bio-medical waste management and safe disposal. Joint Secretary, Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests Rajiv Gauba delivered the keynote address at the conference. Published by HT Syndication with permission from AsianNews International. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor [email protected]

Medical Waste Must Be Managed Effectively: Lt GovernorPublication: United News of IndiaProvider: HT Media Ltd


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October 30, 2010New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna today underlined the importance of effective management of medical waste to minimisehealth risks and enhance safety to healthcare workers. Mr Khanna, who was delivering the inaugural address as the chief guest at the annualconference of Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management (ISHWM) here, called for the highest standards of professionalism with ethical integrityamong the medical professionals of the country. The conference was jointly hosted by ISHWM, Delhi Health Department and supported by variousother government agencies. The conference was attended by experts, doctors, nurses, healthcare planners and administrators among others. Publishedby HT Syndication with permission from United News of India. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, pleasecontact Editor at [email protected]

Business - Govt Asks Sez Promoters To Acquire Waste, Barren LandPublication: Press Trust of India - NewsProvider: Press Trust of India

October 28, 2010 (21:14)New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The government has issued new guidelines asking SEZ promoters to acquire waste and barren land as far as possible tomake the special economic zones environment-friendly.In a communication to the Development Commissioners (DCs) overseeing the zones, the Commerce Ministry has asked them to ensureimplementation of these new norms for development of SEZs.According to these norms, the promoters should try and locate zones outside urban agglomeration/municipal units and ensure that sufficient land andwater resources is available to for the local population."The provisions of the Land Acquisition Act and the Resettlement and the Rehabilitation Policy of the Ministry of Rural Development will beapplicable for acquisition of land for SEZs also," it said.Cultivable land should be considered only if an adequate quantum of "other" land is not available."The first preference should be for acquisition of waste and barren land, followed by single crop land and double crop land necessary to meetcontiguity requirements," it said.As per the new norms, all SEZs should have state-of-the- art high-speed communication links for audio and video users in the zone. Even video-conferencing facilities between the developer and the DC should be made operational.For the benefit of employees in SEZs, 5 per cent of the total area should be used for constructing low-cost housing and dormitories in all the tax-freezones of a size of 100 hectares or more, it said.A proper space shall be provided for street vendors in commercial areas, keeping in view the national policy on urban street vendors, it added.Developers should also provide for mass transportation facilities in the zone and should provide appropriate connectivity from nearby towns.Specifying the role of state governments, it said compliance with the approved master plan should be ensured.It further said that SEZs developers should make a plan with a perspective of 20-25 years, which would be further broken into short-term actionplans.In addition, IT and ITeS zones have been advised to set up incubators with the size of 200 seats. The majority of the 340 SEZs notified so far are ITand ITeS zones.In a separate notification, the customs authorities have decided to levy a duty on the transfer of power from a generating unit in a SEZ to a domestictariff area. Even within the zone, surplus power transfer from processing to non-processing areas will attract duty.

Source:- Business


kitchen waste reaches farmland, the bhu wayPublication: Hindustan TimesProvider: HT Media Ltd

October 28, 20102010-10-28VaranasiHindustan TimesVaranasi, Oct. 28 -- For homemakers looking for a solution to dispose of kitchen waste, the Banaras HinduUniversity has an answer. Developed by a team of researchers from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS-BHU), the solution, interestingly, notonly helps housewives dispose of kitchen waste, but also power organic farming in the country. Led by Prof Asha Sinha, a mycologist and plantpathologist, a group of researchers has produced organic fertilizer from kitchen waste, which was successfully used in farming. Impressed by ProfSinha's efforts, the UP Government, under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, has sanctioned Rs 14 lakh for Dr Sinha to demonstrate and producemicrobe-rich manure from agro and kitchen waste to develop Integrated Nutrient Technology for boosting wheat produce in east UP, in two years..Informed Sinha, while talking to HT on Wednesday, "We've not only developed organic fertilizer from kitchen waste, but have successfully used it inagriculture, particularly vegetable farming, including tomato, brinjal and onion, besides conventional crops." Also, as part of the AgricultureTechnology Management Agency (ATMA) project, farmers in Purnea district of Bihar have been trained in turning kitchen waste intomanure/fertilizer to spur organic farming in their region. Informed Sinha, the process of making kitchen-waste based organic fertilizer obviously startsfrom the kitchen through collection of waste, followed by digging of pits in the open where the kitchen waste is put on a layer of soil, only to betopped by a layer of plant growth promoting microbes. "In the two-year-long research, we've isolated seven plant growth promoting microbes andformed their strong consortium, which makes kitchen waste decompose within 30 days, resulting in potent organic manure to farmers," Sinhamaintained. While, the consortium of seven microbes helps waste-soil layer develop into potent organic manure in 30 days. Even in the absence ofthis microbial consortium, farmers have been trained to obtain the same organic manure in 50 days, via the microbial diversity present in the soil,which also helps the waste decompose into manure efficiently. "The most successful story of our research has come from Ghazipur district of eastUP, where one of our students helped farmers adopt the technology and produce 20-plus trolleys of kitchen waste based manure," she maintained.Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement,please contact Editor at [email protected] Times


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A Desi solution to bio-wastePublication: Times of IndiaProvider: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd

October 28, 2010

MANGALORE: Kurnadu gram panchayat in Bantwal taluk has found a 'desi' solution to take care of the biodegradable solid waste generated by itspopulation. A bio-waste processing unit has been set up at Mudipu, which forms heart of this gram panchayat, some 30-kms from here at a cost of Rs2.5 lakh, with technical assistance from DK zilla panchayat. This unit will officially start functioning from November 1, Kannada Rajyotsava Day.

Inaugurated by district minister J Krishna Palemar on Gandhi Jayanthi day this year, members of Kurnadu, and adjoining Balepuni gram panchayatare hinging their bets on this unit meeting their solid waste disposal needs, especially the bio-degradable waste. Local fruit and vegetable merchantsand building owners too have joined hands with Kurnadu gram panchayat authorities to ensure the success of this unit.

A C Bhandary, local zilla panchayat members told reporters at the site of the unit here on Wednesday that a committee consisting of the grampanchayat officials and merchants will be responsible for maintaining this unit. "Waste from shop and households in a 1-km stretch from Kayargoli toIra Cross will be collected in push cart and take to processing unit," he said. Here, this is treated with OS-1 solution, which helps in decomposing it.

Chandrashekar, assistant secretary, ZP said the bio-degradable waste at the unit takes 45 days to decompose in to phosphate rich manure, which canthen be sold commercially. "It is estimated that 200-kg of manure can be generated for every one tonne of waste treated using OS-1 solution," hesaid. The panchayat has fixed a monthly rate for various types of units for collecting and transporting waste from source to the processing unit, hesaid.

Depending on the success of the unit, Bhandary said the gram panchayat has plans to extend the scope of its working to cover anganwadis andschools in its limits as well as from Balepuni gram panchayat. The zilla panchayat gave Rs 2 lakh to the gram panchayat, which in turn dipped in to Rs50,000 Nirmal Gram Puraskar award received by it to construct the processing unit spread over 20 cents on land abutting the main road.

The main advantage of using OS-1 solution, Chandrashekar said is that it eliminates all odour within a matter of two to eight hours. Necessary trainingis being imparted to local SHGs to prepare the OS-1 solution locally with help from its manufacturers in Mysore. A Mysore based NGO too isextending necessary help on running the processing unit, he said, adding that the OS-1 solution can be used to treat liquid waste generated in an area.


How waste hair can be made usefulPublication: HinduProvider: Kasturi & Sons Ltd.

October 28, 2010

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The hair that we relinquish on the barber's chair is trash. However, innovators are trying to find ways to use and re-use this waste tomake everything from chairs to creating sources of energy.

`Pollute tech 2010,' a two-day seminar and exhibition organised by the Bangalore Media Centre, in association with Karnataka State PollutionControl Board, will look into the environmental impact of hair waste and how it can be converted to usable materials.

Slated to be held on October 29 and 30, the seminar will be conducted at the J.N. Tata Auditorium on the Indian Institute of Science campus.

Presentation

Experts will share their views on these issues.

,,Beauty salons and people who collect waste in the city, including civic authorities will be roped in to make this initiative work, and municipalcouncils in cities across the State will be involved," A.S. Sadashivaiah, chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.

The seminar will be inaugurated by Krishna J. Palemar, Minister for Ports and Inland Water Transport.

Punjab To Generate 1000 Mw Power From Agro-Waste: SukhbirPublication: United News of IndiaProvider: HT Media Ltd

October 28, 2010Chandigarh, Oct. 27 -- Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said Punjab was aiming to generate 1000 MW power fromagro-waste in next five years. Mr Badal stated this while speaking at the 'International Conference on Biomethanation-Upscaling, Challenges andOpportunities' as part of Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference 2010 (DIREC) organised by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy incollaboration with Swedish Embassy at Greater Noida. He said Punjab, being the largest producer of grains in India, was set to become the leadingforce in the field of biomass energy. He said the state produced 21 million tonnes of rice straw annually in addition to other biomass and cropresidues. He said this massive quantity of rice straw was still to be utilised in an effective manner and could lead to generation of more than 1000MW power generation. Published by HT Syndication with permission from United News of India. For any query with respect to this article or any


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