Latest news with #CBG
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Clean sweep: Kochi leads Kerala, ranks 50th nationally
Kochi: Kochi has been adjudged the cleanest city in Kerala, marking a major turnaround in its sanitation efforts. Almost a decade after earning a top spot in the Swachh Survekshan national rankings, the city has once again emerged among the cleaner cities in the country, securing the 50th position in the latest 2024-25 rankings. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When the rankings were introduced in 2015-16, Kochi stood at 5th place, though only 20 cities were evaluated at the time. As more cities were included in the list in 2016-17, Kochi's rank slipped to 55th and continued to decline, reaching a low of 416th in the most recent previous survey. The city's improved performance is attributed to enhanced waste management efforts, especially at the Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant, where biomining is in its final stages. Proper waste removal and treatment have played a key role in the city's comeback. In this year's survey, Kochi was ranked 50th nationally in the 'Big Cities: 3–10 Lakh Population' category. Rankings were determined through citizen feedback, evaluation of waste treatment infrastructure and direct field inspections. These covered cleanliness, urban beautification, organic and inorganic waste management and wastewater treatment. "For the first time since the launch of Swachh Survekshan, a city from Kerala has reached the top 50 nationally," said mayor M Anilkumar. "This is a significant achievement, but we must remember that 49 cities are still ahead of us. Our goal is to reach the top, and with the full operation of the CBG plant at Brahmapuram, we can make greater strides." However, despite this progress, Kochi is the only municipal corporation in Kerala yet to be declared a 'clean city' under the Malinya Muktha Nava Kerala project launched by the state govt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This puts a question mark on the achievements of clean city Kochi. "While we rank highest in the state and have improved nationally, we still haven't been officially declared a 'clean city'. All other corporations and municipalities in Kerala have achieved this status," said MG Aristotle, secretary of the UDF parliamentary party in the Kochi Corporation. "This clearly shows Kochi still has work to do."
India.com
7 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
How One Phone Call Saved Pakistan From Turning Into Smoke During Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor was Pakistan's worst nightmare. The Pakistani Air Force and army have not been able to recover from the shock delivered by India during the four-day conflict between May 7 and 10. The world was watching nervously. The unfolding of every single event was being monitored. A nuclear conflict seemed imminent. Western countries and European nations held their breath. India was mounting its attack preparation as China provided Pakistan with shocking satellite survey inputs. The message meant - India was minutes away from smoking Pakistani cities and army facilities. China's support to Pakistan was even acknowledged by a top Indian army officer. Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh revealed that China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence about India's important vectors and weapon positioning. Pakistan knew what it was heading towards. General Asim Munir went underground in a bunker. Its 11 airbases made nonoperational by the Indian Air Force strike, the PAF felt helpless. The Pakistani Army had already been hit hard; the next target for India was the Pakistan Navy. You can imagine the Indian Navy's operational readiness with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement made on May 30. Describing the Indian Navy's role in the integrated operation as praiseworthy, Rajnath Singh stated that the Indian Navy's aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, its unmatched maritime domain awareness and supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores. Singh was not joking. He was emitting facts. A truth that Pakistan knows from inside but rejects in public. It's the fear of the Indian Navy that sends a chill down Pakistan's spine every time it remembers the events of May 9 and 10. The Indian Navy was dominating the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. It had deployed a Carrier Battle Group (CBG) equipped with MiG-29K fighter jets and airborne early warning helicopters. The CBG maintained a powerful air defence shield. Pakistani Navy's hostile incursions were prevented. The Makran coast region was kept under surveillance. Indian Navy created a strong deterrent and bottled up Pakistani air elements along their western seaboard. To establish uncontested control over the seas, the Navy test-fired its anti-missile and anti-aircraft defence capabilities. Pakistan was stunned. For the uninitiated, the CBG was led by INS Vikrant. Each CBG includes an aircraft carrier, destroyers, frigates, and a support ship, forming a powerful maritime force projection capability. According to reports, India had deployed around 30-35 warships besides INS Vikrant. All positioned towards Pakistan. Islamabad was staring at total destruction. They knew what was coming. They knew what awaited them at sea. If reports are to be believed, the Indian Navy had its orders on May 10 - be ready to attack Pakistan. Fearing Indian assault, Pakistani Navy fleets were already floating close to the shores, praying not to witness the storm. The Indian Navy was in control. Targets were locked. On the strike target were Karachi Port, Ormara naval base, radars and oil fields. A complete destruction of these facilities was planned. The Indian Navy was sailing ahead. China informed Pakistan of the Indian Navy's intention, and then there was a brief calm before the storm. Pakistan had no answers. They were no match for the Indian Navy's firepower. Sense prevailed, and Pakistan took up the hotline. Pakistan's DGMO dialled India's DGMO and pleaded for a ceasefire. This one phone call saved Pakistan from destruction. The ceasefire message was conveyed to the Indian naval forces. They stood down, put their mission on hold. Pakistan saved itself in time. It got a breather. A minor escalation would have not only crippled the Pakistani economy but its forces as well. It's called a stitch in time, saves nine. Pakistan must be a happier country, having witnessed and avoided this from so close.
Business Standard
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Organic Recycling Systems soars after bagging O&M contract from IOCL
Organic Recycling Systems jumped 4.19% to Rs 328 after the company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Solapur Bioenergy Systems has been awarded an operations and maintenance (O&M) contract by Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL). The contract pertains to IOCLs 200 tonnes per day (TPD) paddy straw-based compressed biogas (CBG) plant located in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The CBG plant is a key node in IOCLs green energy blueprint. It is expected that the plant will produce significant quantities of clean CBG fuel and nutrient rich organic manure. ORSL will be responsible for end-to-end O&M services including plant uptime, safety protocols, daily operations, preventive maintenance, and manpower management. Sarang Bhand, promoter and MD, said: Being selected by IOCL for this project reinforces our belief in purpose-driven growth. It showcases our readiness to deliver industrial-scale projects that are technically complex, socially meaningful, and environmentally necessary. Organic Recycling Systems (ORS) is an environmental engineering company specializing in sustainable waste management and valorisation solutions.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Mayor review solid waste management, aim to reclaim landfills by 2026
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh held a review meeting on Thursday to assess the city's solid waste management efforts, with a focus on accelerating the reclamation of Delhi's three main landfill sites — Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla. The meeting, attended by Deputy Mayor Jai Bhagwan Yadav, Leader of the House Pravesh Wahi, Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, Deputy Chairman Sundar Singh, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar, Additional Commissioner Jitender Yadav, the MCD Chief Engineer, and other senior officials, centered on 13 key agenda items. 'The Corporation has ramped up biomining from 25,000 TPD to 30,000 TPD as of July 2025, with the target of complete landfill reclamation before the 2026 deadline,' said Singh. The meeting also addressed progress on waste-to-energy (WTE) infrastructure. Singh noted that environmental clearance had been granted for a 3,000-ton-per-day WTE plant in Narela-Bawana. The clearance, issued on June 20 and made public by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, outlines a 30-megawatt facility to be developed through a public-private partnership with Jindal Urban Waste Management (Bawana) Limited. The plant will be located in Sector 5 of the Bawana Industrial Area in Northwest Delhi. Local residents have continued to raise environmental and health concerns about the project. In addition, Singh said that bids have been invited for a new WTE plant at Ghazipur, with in-principle approval for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Chief Minister Gupta emphasized the importance of using reclaimed landfill land for public benefit. 'One-third of the reclaimed area should be used for public welfare projects such as sports complexes, hospitals, and schools,' she said. The remaining area, officials said, would be reserved for the construction of future-ready waste processing infrastructure. Among the new developments, Singh also announced that a 100 TPD Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant at Ghoga Dairy is set to be inaugurated on August 15, 2025. 'This is a major milestone in wet waste processing,' he said. The meeting also underscored the need to establish additional biogas plants across the capital to address dairy waste management more comprehensively.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
PNGRB wants GST on CNG vehicles to be lowered, no excise on CBG
From pegging Goods and Services Tax rate on a par with that on electric vehicles to waiving excise duty on compression of natural gas and on the compressed biogas component in the fuel, India's Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is for a clutch of changes to accelerate compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle usage. It is also for maintaining a delta between CNG and petrol prices to keep the interest in the former going, primarily by tweaking excise duty rates. Reduction in allocation of CNG at administered prices or under the APM remains a concern and could upset the calculations, a document prepared by the oil regulator earlier but made public now showed. Listing the policy interventions required, PNGRB said the transport segment will be a key driver to push up the share of natural gas in India's energy mix to 15% by 2030 from the existing around 6%. Towards this, it wanted GST on CNG vehicles to be reduced, from 28% to the 5% that levied on EVs. On changes to excise duty, the regulator said compression of natural gas, which is undertaken to fill more fuel in the tank and consequently increase vehicle range, is considered as deemed manufacturing. No excise duty would translate into lower CNG prices for consumers and consequent benefits to the environment from use of the eco-friendly fuel. Also with APM allocation headed towards zero in future, reduction in excise duty is necessary to keep CNG competitive compared to other alternate fuels. Full excise duty waiver will have an immediate impact of Rs.6500-7000 crore a year for the exchequer, but bring multiple benefits, including reduction in healthcare costs. On CBG blending, the regulator said the additional excise and VAT that CBG attracts impacts the final price of CNG. Earlier this week, the PNGRB Board approved the Second Amendment to the Natural Gas Pipeline Tariff Regulations, 2025, which included reducing the number of Unified Tariff Zones from three to two to simplify natural gas transportation system across the country, ensures a more equitable tariff structure and enhance access to natural gas, especially in underserved regions. It said the benefit of the Unified Zonal Tariff of Zone 1 has been extended countrywide to CNG and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Domestic segments to enhance the affordability of the fuel.
