Author: Indmedia

While the Union Government’s latest push for Compressed Biogas (CBG) provides a more stable framework for offtake, industry observers and senior government officials say the next major imperative is to establish an efficient supply chain for procuring, storing and managing feedstock. This will be critical to ensuring both the viability of CBG plants and the quality of their output.Press mud, agricultural residues such as paddy and wheat straw, and animal manure are among the most commonly used feedstocks for CBG production. However, each has its own logistical challenges, particularly because of seasonal availability, transportation requirements and storage constraints.With the aim…

In 1979, about 30 mongooses were released on Japan’s Amami Oshima to control habu snakes Japan has officially declared the successful eradication of the invasive small Indian mongoose on Amami Oshima, ending a decades-long ecological crisis on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed island. According to an official announcement from Japan’s ministry of the environment, expert panels confirmed that the predators have been completely removed from the 712-square-kilometre island in Kagoshima Prefecture after a long campaign of trapping, tracking and monitoring.A biological control plan gone wrongThe problem began in 1979, when local authorities and residents released about 30 small Indian mongooses (Urva…

A humanoid robot has outperformed humans by breaking Usain Bolt’s world record for the 100m sprint, according to its manufacturer. Chinese smartphone maker Honor said Lightning – a thin black and red robot – ran the distance in 9.32 seconds at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt set the world record for humans in 2009, running 100m in 9.58 seconds. Other events at the robot games, which started on Saturday, include boxing and football, but also household tasks like folding laundry. More than 2,000 robots from 16 countries are expected to compete in the…

In Episode 3 of The Scope’s Gaganyaan — India’s Leap, we explore the Crew Escape System the last line of defence for India’s astronauts during launch. From how its powerful motors can pull the crew module away from a failing rocket, to the forces astronauts can experience, discover why Gaganyaan uses a ‘puller’ design, how machines can detect an emergency in milliseconds, and how ISRO has already tested the system in flight. We also look at the remarkable history of launch escape systems including the 1983 Soyuz emergency that saved two cosmonauts and what ISRO’s upcoming tests mean for the…

The island was protected as a National Seashore in 1965. (Picture: NPS) Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland is known for its undeveloped beaches, wildlife and natural coastal habitats. But plans were once in place to turn large parts of Assateague into a resort community with homes, roads, commercial areas and other infrastructure.The island’s story took a different turn after two major storms, National Park Service says. A hurricane in 1933 changed the shape of the land by opening an inlet between the southern end of Ocean City and Assateague. Nearly three decades later, the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962…

Mira Road: A suspected child pornography racket has come under the scanner after a 42-year-old woman allegedly photographed her two minor daughters in an objectionable manner and sent the images to her paramour. Based on a complaint by her 22-year-old son, Naya Nagar police registered a case against the woman and her 46-year-old lover and arrested both of them. Police are now probing whether the duo was part of a wider network.The woman, who is separated from her husband, lives in Mira Road with her three children, the 22-year-old son and daughters aged 13 and 10. She is allegedly in…

Tasmac to directly pay EB bills of liquor shops to curb MRP violation Chennai: In yet another major step to curb MRP violations at liquor outlets, the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) will pay electricity bills for all its retail shops from Sept 1 through the Electronic National Automated Clearing House digital payment service (e-Nach) provided by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).Now, shop supervisors and salesmen pay the bills. Although they can claim reimbursement for the electricity bills they pay, shop personnel said they do not receive the money back and use it as an excuse to collect…

A loom submerged in floodwaterA loom submerged in floodwaterA loom submerged in floodwaterA loom submerged in floodwaterA loom submerged in floodwater Kendrapada: The rhythmic clicking of looms echoing through the weavers’ villages in Rasulpur block of Jajpur district has fallen silent after the recent spell of floods in river Brahmani damaged looms and houses.Around 200 weaver families in Rasulpur, Barachana, Bari, Jajpur and Dasarathpur blocks are now facing a severe livelihood crisis as the devastating deluge has damaged their houses, looms and other weaving equipment.Sunakar Gui, 48, of Chakagopalapur village in Rasulpur block, whose loom was damaged in the floodwater,…

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (TACT) has urged electricity minister R Nirmalkumar to immediately put on hold TNPDCL’s ongoing drive to collect additional security deposits from micro and small enterprises, citing severe financial stress on the sector.In a petition, TACT Coimbatore district president James said Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) is issuing notices demanding that consumers pay a security deposit for 2026-27 amounting to two-thirds of the electricity charges paid in 2025-26, warning that power connections would be disconnected for non-compliance.He alleged that despite calculations based on the past 12 months’ consumption and existing…

Mangaluru: An altercation at a digital service centre in Darbe, Puttur, over a document damaged due to a technical error during lamination, led to the registration of three cases by Puttur Town police on Friday.According to police, Fatimath Miswana,32, a resident of Jalsoor in Sullia, had come to Puttur along with her brother and sister and submitted some documents for printing and lamination at a Janaseva Kendra in Darbe. When she returned to collect the documents, she found that one of them had been damaged during the lamination process.Fatimath reportedly objected to the damage and asked the centre either to…