CA – MAR 15 – ES
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in monthly
ENVIRONMENT SNIPPETS
Traffic lights a health hazard
An expert at the University of Surrey says pollution levels are 29 times higher at traffic lights than in free-flowing traffic, as cars are revving their engines to move quickly when the lights change, according to Daily Mail. People are also closer to the tailpipe of the vehicle in front of them which exposes them to emissions.
Professor Prashant Kumar said that the best way to limit exposure is to keep vehicle windows shut, fans off and try to increase the distance between the cars in front. Local transport agencies could also help by synchronising traffic signals to reduce waiting time and consider alternatives such as flyovers, he added.
Soil-less gardening showcased
You can now grow fruits and flowers in your balcony without soil! This was revealed at a two-day Soil-less Gardening Expo & Conference held in Gurgaon recently, as reported in The Times of India. The technology, called hydroponics, needs less maintenance and requires only 10% of the water used in conventional cultivation. It’s a boon for farmers and those with a green thumb who face constraints of time and space.
In soil-less gardening, sawdust, gravel, groundnut shells and rice husk are used as medium, replacing soil. Seeds are sown in the material and instead of fertilizers, supplements are added to the material to reach nutrition to the plant roots. Cultivation is usually done on huge horizontal or vertical trays. This method is suitable for growing vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs.
Thumbs up for Chennai, Mumbai
Chennai and Mumbai are the only big Indian cities with an effective system to manage biomedical waste, whereas Delhi and other north Indian state capitals have a poor record, a study has found, according to The Times of India.
Of the 10 cities it covered, seven, including Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Lucknow, received a `red’ rating while Srinagar was given a `yellow’ rating. Mumbai and Chennai were coded `green’. The survey by the International Clinical Epidemiology Network covered 400 hospitals, both government and private, in 20 states.
