Latest news with #Integrated
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Gaza death toll since dawn rises to 62
Israeli forces have killed at least 62 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn today, including 19 aid seekers, sources in Gaza hospitals have told Al Jazeera. Health officials have said that the dead include people who were trying to access humanitarian aid when they were targeted. Israel has struck several areas in the enclave, pushing hospitals already under strain to their limits. Casualty figures are expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search through the rubble left by ongoing Israeli strikes. Conditions in Gaza have deteriorated as Israel has completely blocked all aid from entering Gaza. Global hunger watchdog Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned that famine is already unfolding across Gaza.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
‘No solution' to ‘toxic' Aussie beach crisis
An 'unprecedented' natural disaster that has killed thousands of marine creatures, sparked orders to stay out of the water, and gutted parts of the local tourism sector has scientists alarmed, with no sign of an end in sight. The Algae bloom parked up just off the coast of South Australia has persistently held its position inside the St Vincent Gulf since it was first officially reported in March, after visitors of the Waitpinga Beach on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula began reporting illness. The toxic bloom has killed hundreds of sea creatures, caused illness in humans and sparked orders for swimmers to stay out of affected vary on how many creatures have been killed by the bloom, but it is understood there have been recorded deaths among more than 200 different species of sea life. Even more alarmingly, there doesn't seem to be any respite in sight. Snapshot of Chlorophyll-A concentrations around the South Australian coastline on July 23. Source: Integrated Marine Observing System Credit: Supplied Dr Nina Wootton, a Marine Scientist from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide, said tracking the outbreak of the Algae bloom was difficult, but it could have something to do with the Murray River flooding in 2022/23. 'Obviously there's a lot of run-off that goes into the Murray, and then this has potentially pushed some of these algae species out into the marine environment, and it's sort of just been sitting there dormant. And then when we see perfect conditions arise, it can then bloom,' she told NewsWire. 'Somehow this species has gotten there, and then we have a range of different environmental factors that have caused this perfect storm of events,' she said. 'When things are hot and still, (the algae) grow, and this species has just boomed because there's been nothing there to break it up naturally.' Fatalities have been recorded among more than 200 marine species as the toxic algae bloom shows no signs of disappearing any time soon. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia Although millions of dollars have been committed to clean up and research, Dr Wootton said the cure was ultimately in the hands of mother nature. 'The thing that's so hard is there's not really a solution to get rid of this bloom,' Dr Wootton said. 'The main way we're going to be able to do it is hopefully cross our fingers and toes that we have good weather conditions and we have some strong winter storms over the next couple of months that will break it up and eventually blow it off the coast. That's all we can really hope for now … to get rid of it naturally at least,' she said. 'It could be up to 18 months. Some scientists are predicting that we're going to continue to see deaths of animals for up to 18 months if we don't have these winter storms breaking it up.' University of Adelaide Microbial Ecologist Dr Christopher Keneally said even though 'you can't really see them,' algae blooms can have serious impacts on wildlife, and can even affect humans. The toxic algae bloom is impacting the waters around the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, with locals reporting painful symptoms, including sore eyes, shortness of breath and skin irritations. Credit: Supplied Dead sea life has been spotted washed up at West Beach, despite hopes cold weather would put a stop to the toxic algae bloom. SharkWatch SA Facebook Credit: News Corp Australia 'Algae blooms have a massive impact on fish … they concentrate toxins – especially into shellfish – and cause a lot of damage,' he said. 'It's not as much of a problem for mammals like dolphins and human beings … but people in southern Australia have been noticing that there's a bit of eye irritation and throat and lung irritation that happens when they go out into the water when there's an algae bloom happening.' Dr Keneally stressed while we don't hear about it often, events like this are 'similar to a bushfire or other environmental catastrophes'. 'It can be quite scary when something like this happens, especially when you don't know what to expect … getting people used to the idea of it potentially happening in their own coastal waters is important when it comes to awareness.' 'The rapid mobilisation of Australia's research is going to be really important to forecasting these things and looking at mitigation in the future … we need to take action, or otherwise these things are going to become the new normal.' Dead sea life from algal blooms at Foul Bay, Yorke Peninsula. Stefan Andrews courtesy Great Southern Reef Foundation Credit: Supplied Shadow Water, Fisheries and Forestry and Emergency Management Minister Ross Cadell spoke to ABC Radio earlier this week about the emotional and economic impacts of algal blooms on local communities. 'You walk along the Ardrossan wharf and see garfish and King George whiting on the ground dying,' he said. 'You talk to the businesses and the Port Vincent gift shop is down (in sales) 15 per cent. 'The Stansbury caravan park, in the 48 hours before I got there, (had) 10-12 cancellations of November holidays because people are fearful of going in the water.' SA Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the Commonwealth government had provided a $14 million care package to South Australia which 'covers industry support, science and research, communications, community support and clean-up'. 'I want to thank the Commonwealth for their contribution … towards this effort,' he said 'We stand ready to deliver additional support if and when it is needed.'
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
North Chennai residents, experts to propose alternatives to waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur
As the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) advances the ₹1,268.38 crore Integrated Solid Waste Processing Facility (IWPF) in Kodungaiyur, residents of North Chennai have roped in experts to propose alternatives to the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant planned for the area. Residents, under the aegis of the Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Associations, have opposed the project since its proposal. T.K. Shanmugam, president of the federation, stated that during a recent meeting with Chennai Mayor R. Priya, she said the project could not be scrapped. 'She asked us to propose alternative plans and mentioned that, if a suitable and less invasive plan is developed in consultation with experts, it could be considered,' he said. Alternative proposal D.K. Chythenyen of the Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has confirmed that the CFA is preparing a proposal for an alternative. He noted that a study is being drafted in consultation with experts who have worked with the Kerala government on decentralised waste management. The alternative model under preparation includes zero-waste strategies, such as biomethanation and enhanced public participation in waste segregation. The first draft is currently under preparation. According to another expert involved in developing alternative proposals, cities that work in partnership with communities are implementing cost-effective methods, biomethanation, composting, recycling, and proven combinations of less-invasive approaches that function effectively upto the Panchayat level. For example, in the Philippines, 90% of waste is reportedly managed through recycling and composting, with only 10% sent to landfills. These systems employ significant manpower, thereby generating local employment. Similar decentralised models have also been documented in India, the expert added. Gaps flagged in Delhi incinerator Earlier, the CFA had authored a related study on WtE operations in Delhi. It had said Delhi currently operates four WtE plants, located at Okhla, Ghazipur, Bawana, and Tehkhand. These facilities incinerate a total of 7,250 ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day, amounting to 66% of the city's daily waste. By 2027, authorities plan to increase WtE capacity to handle 14,250 ton per day, it had stated. According to this study, the combustion process in WtEs releases residual heat into the environment through multiple pathways, including flue gas, hot bottom ash, condensers, and storage pits. Each ton of incinerated waste produces around 5,500 cubic metres of flue gas at 200°C. Collectively, the four plants emit an estimated 3,98,75,000 cubic metres of flue gas and 12,325 ton of CO₂ daily. The report also noted that, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in April 2025, regular monitoring of WtEs had not occurred between 2020 and 2024, with sampling outsourced and infrequent. Opposition continues In a letter dated June 23, 2025, to the GCC, the Federation of Residents Welfare Associations stated that the current dump yard at Kodungaiyur is situated within an 'Institutional Use Zone', as defined in the Second Master Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area, 2026. Referring to Development Regulation No. 19, the association noted that the dumping and storage of waste in this zone is a prohibited activity and urged for the immediate removal of the dump yard. The letter further highlighted that continued operations at the site have resulted in 'severe respiratory, cancerous and innumerable irretrievable diseases' among the local population, composed largely of wage-earners and those living below the poverty line. 'No plans to scrap project' A senior official from the GCC's Solid Waste Management Department, meanwhile, confirmed that there were no plans to scrap the WtE project. The GCC recently floated a tender worth ₹8.53 crore for the appointment of an independent engineer to oversee the project's implementation, including infrastructure development at the dump yard. The IWPF project is expected to come up adjacent to the Kodungaiyur dump yard, and comprises a WtE power plant, an automated material recovery facility (MRF), a composting unit, and a bio-CNG plant. The WtE and MRF units account for ₹1,026.41 crore of the total cost, while ₹142.97 crore and ₹99 crore have been allocated for the composting and bio-CNG facilities, respectively. The capital outlay for Phase I stands at ₹853.20 crore, with Phase II projected at ₹415.18 crore. Processed waste will be treated at the site, with residual matter transported to a designated sanitary landfill.
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Business Standard
23-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Aviation regulator DGCA starts audit at Air India's main base in Gurugram
Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday commenced the detailed audit at Air India's main base in Gurugram that will cover operations, flight scheduling, rostering and various other areas, according to a source. The Tata Group-owned airline has come under intense scrutiny after its London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane crashed soon after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 270 people, including 241 people onboard. An eight-member team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started the annual audit of Air India's main base. Generally, a three-member team carries out the yearly audit, the source said. "DGCA has started the audit at Air India's main base at Gurugram. The annual exercise will cover all aspects, including operations, flight planning, scheduling, rostering and IOCC (Integrated Operations Control Centre)," the source said. Air India is headquartered in Gurugam, Haryana. The audit exercise also comes at a time when the regulator has taken action against some Air India officials for repeated safety lapses. On June 21, DGCA sought details on the airline's planned and unplanned inspections, audit, cockpit/en route, station facility, ramp and cabin inspection, among others, from its flight operations inspectors since 2024. The communication was sent out a day after the regulator issued a show-cause notice to the airline for Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) violation and also ordered the removal of the airline's three senior officials from their respective roles for certain lapses. Meanwhile, DGCA has also put in place a new framework for comprehensive special audits to generate a 360-degree evaluation of the aviation ecosystem, reflecting both its strengths and areas needing improvement. These special audits will be over and above the regulatory audits carried out as per the Annual Surveillance Programme.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Time of India
Mirzapur boy tops BEd entrance test
1 2 3 4 Lucknow: Mirzapur's Suraj Kumar Patel topped the joint entrance exam for admissions to Bachelor of Education (BEd-JEE), the results of which were declared on Tuesday. A science graduate, Suraj scored 90.6%—362.6 marks out of 400. He is also the topper in the OBC category. The second position was bagged by Shiba Parveen, also a science graduate from Bhadohi. Shiba scored 83.5% (333.9 marks). At number three was Shivangi Yadav, an arts student from Jaunpur. Shivangi scored 82.9% (331.9 marks). No student from Lucknow made it to the top 10. Of the 10, eight were males while two were females. Category-wise, both OBC and general candidates bagged five positions each in the top 10. The counselling for admissions is expected next month after the results of undergraduate and postgraduate classes are declared by the state universities. Principal secretary, higher education MP Agarwal said: "UPBEd-JEE was held under CCTV vigil with real-time monitoring and face recognition attendance of the candidates. To ensure the sanctity of examinations, the university set up an Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) consisting of 23,500 CCTV cameras for real-time monitoring of the examination centres." A total of 3.4 lakh, including 1.9 lakh females and 1.5 lakh males, registered for the exam that was held in two shifts at 751 centres in 69 districts of UP on June 1. Of this, 3.05 lakh appeared for the exam while results of 3.04 lakh candidates were announced on Tuesday. Of the 3.04 lakh, 1.9 lakh were from the arts, 92,593 from the science, 14,783 from commerce, and 2,462 from agriculture streams. During the examination, three candidates were caught using unfair means, whose results have been cancelled. The OMR answer sheets were evaluated by double scanning and image scanning. Manual verification was also done by the result committee. The committee certified the transparency and accuracy of the evaluation process, said officials. There are 2.53 lakh seats in 2,510 colleges offering BEd courses in the state. Of this, 7,800 seats are in 117 govt and aided colleges. There are 2.45 lakh seats in 2,393 self-finance colleges.
