Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today addressed the roundtable conference with senior IFS Officers on Building Brand India at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Dr Mandaviya addresses roundtable conference with senior IFS Officers on Building Brand India

Thane: &nbsp;A fire broke out on Wednesday in a godown where some chemicals were kept in Maharashtra's Thane district, a civic official said.No one was injured in the blaze which erupted around 7.30 am in the godown located at Mankoli in Bhiwandi town here, Thane Municipal Corporation's regional disaster management cell chief Avinash Sawant said. Some chemicals used for wood polish were stored in the premises, he said. Two fire engines were rushed to the spot and efforts were still on to douse the blaze, he said. The cause of the fire is not yet known, he added.—PTI

A fire broke out on Wednesday in a godown where some chemicals were kept in Maharashtra's Thane district, a civic official said.

Fire in Thane godown; none hurt

New Delhi (The Hawk): Union Minister for Chemicals &amp; Fertilizers and Health &amp; Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated CIPET’s Vocational Training Centre in Bhavnagar, Gujarat today. This was 45th&nbsp;such vocational training centre of CIPET across the country, aimed at providing quality training and creating competent workforce for the Chemicals and Petrochemicals Industry.At the outset, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya appreciated the capabilities CIPET has in creating skilled workforce. He said that CIPET in Bhavnagar has strong potential to become an important cog in the wheel of the development of Bhavnagar. Owing to the vibrant petrochemical industry in Gujarat, such centres would create the much needed skilled manpower for the industry and will create employment for our youth. CIPET will fulfill this need of skilled manpower in Chemical &amp; Petrochemical industry.Reiterating our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of creating skilled manpower and aatmanirbharta, Dr. Mandaviya said that the industry is developing at the rate of 10% in the country and this can only sustain if we invest in our workforce apart from Industrial infrastructure. CIPET solves this practical problem and needs of the industry by providing a model of Self Sustainable institution and Industry-Academia collaboration. Apart from training, CIPET has been able to provide job opportunities to students, out of 1 lakh passouts every year, 90% of the students get placed in the industry.CIPET is a premier Academic institution for higher &amp; technical education under the Ministry of Chemicals &amp; Fertilizers, Govt. of India fully devoted in all the domains of plastics viz:- Design, CAD/CAM/CAE, Tooling &amp; Mould Manufacturing, Production Engineering, Testing and Quality Assurance. CIPET operates from various locations spread across the country to cater the needs of the Polymer and allied industries.Its objective remains to provide qualified professionals at various skill levels through academic Long Term, Short Term, Skill Development &amp; Entrepreneurship Development Programs in the area of Petrochemicals including plastics. CIPET offers Technology Support &amp; Consultancy Services in the areas of Design, Tooling, CAD/CAM/CAE, Plastics Processing, Testing &amp; Quality Assurance, Inspection Services and Calibration to the Petrochemical Industries including Plastic Industries.CIPET also undertakes Research &amp; Application Development in the Petrochemicals sector including Plastics, Synthetic Rubber, Technical Textiles, Solvents, Fertilizers, Pharmaceuticals, Additives, Explosives, Adhesives &amp; Coatings. They also work on increasing the professional competency of faculty by providing an opportunity for faculty to upgrade their qualification and technical expertise through Advanced Training Programs.Member of Parliament, Legislative assembly, Dr. Arti Ahuja, Secretary, Chemicals &amp; Petrochemicals, Prof. Shishir Sinha, Director General, CIPET along with senior officials of CIPET and ministry were also present at the event.

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated CIPET’s Vocational Training Centre in Bhavnagar, Gujarat today. This was 45th such vocational training centre of CIPET across the country, aimed at providing quality training and creating competent workforce for the Chemicals and Petrochemicals Industry.

 Dr Mandaviya inaugurates Vocational Training Centre of CIPET at Bhavnagar

Kolkata: Both international and domestic buyers have rejected a series of tea consignments due to the presence of pesticides and chemicals beyond permissible limits, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA) chairman Anshuman Kanoria said on Friday.Filling up the vacuum created by crisis-hit Sri Lanka in the global market, Tea Board is eyeing to ramp up exports. However, the rejection of consignments is causing a decline in outward shipments.All teas sold in the country must conform to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. However, most of the buyers are purchasing tea that have unusually high chemical content, Kanoria told PTI.In 2021, India exported 195.90 million kg tea. The major buyers were Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations and Iran. The board is aiming to achieve 300 million kg tea this year.Kanoria said that many countries are following strict entry regulations for tea. Most of the countries follow variations of the EU standards, which are more stringent than the FSSAI rules."Instead of complying with the law, many are urging the government to make the FSSAI norms more liberal," he said, adding that this would send a wrong signal as the beverage is considered to be a health drink.A senior official of Tea Board told PTI that complaints have been received from tea packers and exporters on the issue."It is reiterated that producers should strictly abide by the extant FSSAI norms. The issue of modification of the norms has been raised by the producers' organisations with FSSAI. It is obvious that exports should adhere to the existing norms of the importing countries," he said.India exported tea worth Rs 5,246.89 crore in 2021.—PTI

 Both international and domestic buyers have rejected a series of tea consignments due to the presence of pesticides and chemicals beyond permissible limits, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA) chairman Anshuman Kanoria said on Friday.

High in pesticides, many countries send back Indian tea

Both international and domestic buyers have rejected a series of tea consignments due to the presence of pesticides and chemicals beyond permissible limits, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA) chairman Anshuman Kanoria said on Friday.



New York: New research has found that the size of male reproductive organs is shrinking due to chemicals present in the environment, which can have a big effect on humankind's survival.Famous American writer and epidemiologist, Dr Shanna Swan, in her research published in her book 'Count Down' stated that babies are not developing properly due to pollutants and microplastics in the environment.Her research shows that the majority of males today face erectile dysfunction and babies are born with smaller reproductive organs.The major reason behind the shrinking of the male reproductive organ is the chemicals present in the environment and an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to hormonal imbalance.Apart from the size, male sperm count also has been a major area of concern for a very long time and the study reveals that the sperm counts have dropped by 50 per cent in the last 40 to 50 years.Toxic chemicals such as phthalates which are used in food packaging have a severe impact on the hormones.According to several media outlets, lab rats that have been exposed to phthalates have smaller reproductive organs.&nbsp;—ANI

New research has found that the size of male reproductive organs is shrinking due to chemicals present in the environment, which can have a big effect on humankind's survival.

Male Reproductive Organs Shrinking Due To Chemicals In The Environment: Research

New Delhi (The Hawk): Sh. Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State, New &amp; Renewable Energy, and Chemicals and &amp; Fertilizers, visited SECI's office on 24.06.2022. The Minister held discussions with the senior management of SECI regarding the Indian Renewable Energy (RE) sector and India’s commitments in COP26. In addition to details of ongoing activities, the Minister was apprised of SECI’s upcoming initiatives, such as Battery Storage, RE tenders, E-mobility, Agro PV, Green Hydrogen, Waste to Energy etc. which would enable faster achievement of the national targets.SECI team was highly motivated by the encouraging remarks of the minister and has re-affirmed its commitment to promoting RE in the country.&nbsp;The minister, while appreciating the progress made in RE sector, assured of the Government’s full support in this Mission.

Sh. Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State, New & Renewable Energy, and Chemicals and & Fertilizers, visited SECI's office on 24.06.2022

Bhagwanth Khuba Visits SECI’s Office	

New Delhi (The Hawk) : NTPC RE Limited (NTPC REL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) in New Delhi today to realize green energy and green hydrogen objectives and the Government of India’s efforts toward the carbon-neutrality economy. The MoU was signed by Shri Harshad R Patel, Managing Director, GACL, and Shri Mohit Bhargava, Chief Executive Officer, NTPC REL.The MoU envisages collaborating in the field of Renewable Energy, Green Methanol &amp; Green Ammonia and mutually exploring the opportunities for the supply of 100 MW RE-RTC (Round The Clock) power and synthesizing 75 TPD Green Methanol and 35 TPD Green Ammonia for captive use for the production of various chemicals by GACL at its Vadodara and Dahej complex in Gujarat.NTPC Limited has been at the forefront of RE capacity development and has been credited for bringing the lowest ever solar tariff in the country. NTPC REL, a 100 % subsidiary of NTPC was incorporated in Oct’2020 to take care of the RE business of NTPC. This development comes in the backdrop of NTPC announcing its green hydrogen initiatives and plans to build the country’s first pilot projects for synthesizing green methanol, setting up green hydrogen filling stations, green hydrogen blending into PNG, and green energy storage project.This would be the first commercial-scale Green ammonia and Green methanol project in the country and would align with the vision laid out by the Prime Minister for Atmanirbhar Bharat.NTPC is India’s largest Power Utility and its core business is power generation with a total installed capacity of 69 GW (including JVs and subsidiaries). As part of increasing its renewable energy portfolio, a fully owned subsidiary has been formed on 7th October 2020 known as “NTPC Renewable Energy Limited” (NTPC REL) which shall take up Renewable Energy Parks and Projects including business in the area of Green Hydrogen, Energy Storage Technologies and Round the Clock RE Power.Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL), incorporated in Mar 1973, is a state-owned chemical manufacturing unit. GACL is one of the largest producers of Caustic Soda in India, with a production capacity of over 1400 TPD at their two complexes in Dahej and Vadodara. GACL has its subsidiary company viz. GACL-NALCO Alkalies and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (GNAL) putting up an 800 TPD Caustic Soda Plant together with a 130 MW Thermal Power Plant (coal-based) at Dahej.

NTPC RE Limited (NTPC REL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) in New Delhi today to realize green energy and green hydrogen objectives and the Government of India’s efforts toward the carbon-neutrality economy. The MoU was signed by Shri Harshad R Patel, Managing Director, GACL, and Shri Mohit Bhargava, Chief Executive Officer, NTPC REL.

NTPC REL inks MoU with GACL to collaborate in Renewable Energy and synthesize Green Chemicals

New Delhi (The Hawk): Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers along with its autonomous organizations and CPSEs successfully completed the preparatory phase from 14th to 30th September, 2022 of the Special Campaign 2.0 and uploaded its target on the SCDPM Portal of DAR&amp;PG.
The Department, housed in Shastri Bhawan, with a host of several other Departments, kick- started the campaign on 2nd October 2022 with the symbolic trashing of paper by Shri Arun Baroka, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC). The launching event was attended by most of the officers and staff of the Department, who came to office for the sole purpose of the campaign on a National Holiday. This was followed by cleaning of the campus outside gate No. 2 of the building.
The Department’s activity was given a pan-India look by the active and enthusiastic participation of various centers of organisations such as Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET), Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT), Hindustan Organic Chemical Limited (HOCL), Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL), and Hindustan Fluorocarbons Limited (HFL).
Regular follow up by senior officers and enthusiastic participation by all employees, with the objective of mainstreaming swachhta activities have led to visible improvement in their work places. The Dept is proud to maintain zero pendency regarding Inter-Ministerial references, PMO references, and appeals to public grievances. Review of physical files have so far crossed the half-way target.
Till date cleanliness campaign have been undertaken at 105 sites, against the target of 164 sites. The activities undertaken at various sites have been carried in the twitter handles, facebook and websites of the concerned organisations.

Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers along with its autonomous organizations and CPSEs successfully completed the preparatory phase from 14th to 30th September, 2022 of the Special Campaign 2.0 and uploaded its target on the SCDPM Portal of DAR&PG.

Department Of Chemicals And Petrochemicals Successfully Completed Preparatory Phase Of Special Campaign On Swachchta Abhiyan  

Ahmedabad (The Hawk): Urban areas will be severely impacted by climate change; hot days will become more frequent, and Gujarat's rainfall will increase. According to a report, municipal corporations must enhance forestation in places like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Surat while simultaneously reining in the use of chemicals.
According to a report published earlier this year, the Gujarat government has created an action plan for combating climate change for the districts of Ahmedabad and Rajkot in collaboration with the Vasudha Foundation and other organisations.
According to the report's conclusions, "Since 2005, emissions from the energy sector have climbed by 71.32 percent, those from the water sector have increased by 7.06 percent, and emissions from the greenhouse gas sector have increased by 78%. By 2030, emissions are anticipated to increase by 96% under the status quo."
Rini Dutt, the primary author of the action plan study, and others have underlined that the impact of climate change is anticipated to result in an increase in rainfall of 8 to 17% in Ahmedabad and 10 to 12% in Rajkot. In Ahmedabad and Rajkot, there will be more rainy days in July and August.
According to the report, both cities will see more heat in the next years. Recent years have seen a 10% increase in warm days in Rajkot and an 8–10% increase in warm days in Ahmedabad.
According to Dutt and Manjusha Mukherjee's projection, the number of warm days will rise by 53% in Rajkot and 45% in Ahmedabad during the next few years. The number of cold days will decline in both cities.
In Ahmedabad district, which makes only 4% of the state's population, urban regions are home to up to 84 percent of the people. As a result, the built-up area has dramatically increased, from 140 sq km in 1990 to 212 sq km in 2017. Forest and agricultural land are being devoured by the growing urban region.
Due to climate change, Ahmedabad will have more rainy days in July and August while experiencing hotter summers. The average maximum temperature in 2030 is predicted to be 41.8 degrees Celsius in May, 40.2 degrees Celsius in April, and 36.8 degrees Celsius in March.
Experts have advised Ahmedabad district to expand its forest cover to 7% over the next ten years in order to avoid 8.47 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Currently, the district has 1.62 percent of its land covered in forest.
The district administrations and municipal corporations in Ahmedabad/Rajkot must reuse 100% of home waste water after proper treatment in both urban and rural areas if they are to face the climate challenges.
Sewage Treatment Plants experts have recommended switching from anaerobic to purely aerobic water treatment methods (STPs).
The paper also recommended moving toward vertical urban expansion, which will allow for more people per square metre while simultaneously preventing the loss of open space and agricultural land.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Urban areas will be severely impacted by climate change; hot days will become more frequent, and Gujarat's rainfall will increase. According to a report, municipal corporations must enhance forestation in places like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Surat while simultaneously reining in the use of chemicals.

Gujarat's greenhouse gas emissions soar 78%; Ahmedabad heats up

Roorkee (The Hawk): Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITRoorkee) inaugurateda Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Dept. of Chemical Engg, IIT Roorkee in Petrochemicals for working in the area of "Process Development and Wastewater Management in Petrochemical Industries" sanctioned by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.The CoE was initially led by Prof. Shishir Sinha and later by Prof. V.C. Srivastava and other colleagues.
IIT Roorkee and CIPET (Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering &amp; Technology) also signedan MoU to strengthen academic and research cooperation in the areas of Petrochemicals, Plastics, Polymers, Chemical Engineering and Science, and Material Science at IIT Roorkee.The MoU outlines the imperative fair recognizing the importance of academic and research cooperation in the areas of Petrochemicals, Plastics, Polymers, Chemical Engineering and Science.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) was inaugurated by Shri Arun Baroka, IAS, Secretary, Department of Chemical and Petrochemicals, Govt of India. It was dignified by the presence of Prof K.K. Pant, Director IIT Roorkee, Shri Deepak Mishra, Joint Sectary, Petrochemicals; Prof. Shishir Sinha, Director General, CIPET, and Prof. V C Srivastava, Head Chemical Engineering Department.
During the ceremony Prof K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said that,“Presently, the CoE is fully established in the Department of Chemical Engineering and is doing excellence in terms of research and development activities in the areas of Green Chemical and Petrochemicals."Prof K.K. Pant added that,"The collaboration will further encourage interaction between the CIPET and IIT Roorkee through the joint supervision in the areas of Petrochemicals, Plastics, Polymers, Chemical Engineering and Science, Material Science, and other areas."
While inaugurating the event, Shri Arun Baroka, IAS, Secretary, Department of Chemical and Petrochemicals, Govt of India, said, “The CoE in Petrochemicals established at IIT will foster research cooperation in the areas of Petrochemicals, Plastics, Polymers, Chemical Engineering and Science, and Material Science. Moreover, the MoU concluded between IIT Roorkee and CIPET will further the rapidly growing scientific and technological knowledge and professional excellence in S&amp;T and applied research and consultancy.”
Prof. Shishir Sinha, Director General, CIPET, said,"CIPET as an institute operates in the hub and spoke model with over 45 locations across the country with specialization in skill training, technical support, academics as well as research. And the participation of CIPET Experts in IIT Roorkee Programs will prove to be a symbiotic relation for the nation." Regarding collaboration between CIPET and IIT Roorkee, Shri Deepak Mishra, Joint Sectary, Petrochemicals, said, "The joint efforts will enhance, within the country, the availability of highly qualified manpower in the areas of Petrochemicals, Plastics, Polymers, Chemical Engineering and Science, Material Science, and other areas of Engineering, Technology, and Science without any prejudice to prevailing rules and regulations."

 Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITRoorkee) inaugurateda Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Dept. of Chemical Engg, IIT Roorkee in Petrochemicals for working in the area of "Process Development and Wastewater Management in Petrochemical Industries" sanctioned by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.The CoE was initially led by Prof. Shishir Sinha and later by Prof. V.C. Srivastava and other colleagues.

IIT Roorkee Inaugurates CoE In Petrochemicals Under The Aegis Of The Ministry Of Chemicals And Fertilizers, Government Of India

Washington: A study led by Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, uncovers a number of connections between the presence of phenol biomarkers and changed thyroid hormone levels in women seeking reproductive treatment. Their findings, which were published in the journal Toxics, reveal new insights into how environmental toxins and lifestyle decisions may affect reproductive health. "Many women nowadays experience thyroid problems. Therefore, we aimed to identify some predictors of thyroid hormone levels in order to help women improve their health," said senior author Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, reproductive epidemiologist in the Brigham's Channing Division of Network Medicine and co-investigator of the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) study. "In this context, a woman's health is more than just her well-being, but also her fertility and her knowledge of dangers." Repeated exposure to specific phenol chemicals found in everyday items like toys, sunscreen, dental products, food packaging, and food preservatives can disrupt hormonal balances within the body, leading to adverse health effects. Previous studies have evaluated these individual chemicals and their effects on the thyroid. However, the combined impact of these multiple phenols on the endocrine system, particularly in relation to female fertility, is not yet fully understood. Fertility relies crucially on maintaining a steady harmony of hormones within the body. Disruptions to these levels can occur from external sources, particularly exposure to environmental hazards. Brigham researchers sought to assess the impact of some of the most common environmental chemicals that have been shown in animal models to affect thyroid hormones. Their study looked at 339 women seeking care at a fertility clinic. The team evaluated urinary concentrations for phenol biomarkers and serum samples for molecular markers of thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity. Various statistical methods were then used to gauge the combined influence of these biomarkers on thyroid levels. By evaluating the simultaneous combinations of chemicals, the researchers were able to more accurately capture real world effects as humans are exposed to hundreds of chemicals at the same time, not just one by one. The researchers observed that the presence of urinary bisphenol A, methylparaben and triclosan were also associated with altered thyroid hormonal levels, and some of them were suggestive of thyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism. All of these phenols can be found in consumer products, regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The researchers acknowledged that some of their measured associations diverged from findings in previous publications. This could be due to different study populations, phenol biomarker concentrations, or other phenols that were not measured in this study. Future studies should repeat these tests and consider the long-term consequences of altered thyroid function. "This study is particularly unique in its focus on women whose fertility is sub-optimal, who have been shown to be at higher risk for thyroid disease," said Minguez-Alarcon. "In previous research with the same study cohort (EARTH), we found that women with altered thyroid hormones had lower ovarian reserve, measured as diminished antral follicle count. Thus, while more longitudinal studies will be needed to corroborate these results, preventing significant fluctuations in thyroid hormonal levels could be crucial for maintaining a women's fertility potential." —ANI

A study led by Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system

Exposure To Environmental Chemicals Associated With Thyroid Issues: Study

Hyderabad: New Zealand's food safety regulator on Wednesday said it is investigating possible contamination in spice products of top Indian brands MDH and Everest after they faced scrutiny in other countries.
The United States and Australia have been looking into contamination after Hong Kong last month suspended sales of three spice blends of MDH and one of Everest, saying they contained high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide, ethylene oxide. Singapore ordered a recall of the Everest spice mix.
In a statement to Reuters, the regulator, New Zealand Food Safety, said it is aware of the overseas recalls.  "Ethylene oxide is a chemical known to cause cancer in humans, and its use for food sterilisation has been phased out in New Zealand and other countries. As MDH and Everest spices are also available in New Zealand, we are looking into this issue," said Jenny Bishop, the regulator's acting deputy director general.  MDH and Everest did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. They have said their products are safe for consumption.  Regulators in India have inspected MDH and Everest plants and sent samples for testing after the global scrutiny, though the results have not yet been made public.
For decades, MDH and Everest have been household names in India. Their products are also exported to the United States, Europe, South East Asia, Middle East and Australia.  MDH has since 2021 also seen an average 14.5 per cent of its US shipments rejected over the presence of bacteria salmonella, a Reuters analysis of US Food and Drug Administration data found.
—Reuters

New Zealand investigates contamination in MDH and Everest spices after ethylene oxide detection. US, Australia, and others already took action. Safety first!

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Dr Mandaviya addresses roundtable conference with senior IFS Officers on Building Brand India

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Dr Mandaviya addresses roundtable conference with senior IFS Officers on Building Brand India

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