PLEASE PRAY AS VIETNAM PREPARES FOR HAIYAN !!! Around 10,000 people may have died in just one area of the Philippines hit by Typhoon Haiyan, according to officials.

November 10, 2013, 6:55 am

≫ Next: I am highly grateful to Dr. PAUL NEWMAN SIR FOR WONDERFUL VIDEO

≪ Previous: World Rhino Day on Sept. 22--STOP WILDLIFE CRIME: THE SERIES

Sarah Preston

Shared publicly - 1:54 PM

PLEASE PRAY AS VIETNAM PREPARES FOR HAIYAN !!! Around 10,000 people may have died in just one area of the Philippines hit by Typhoon Haiyan, according to officials.

One of the worst storms on record, it destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban.

Neighbouring Samar island was also badly affected, with reports of 300 people dead and 2,000 missing.

The Philippine government has so far only confirmed the deaths of 151 people throughout the country, but hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports that the scene in Tacloban, the capital of Leyte province, is one of utter devastation.
Map locator

Houses in Tacloban have been flattened by the massive storm surge that accompanied Typhoon Haiyan.

There's no clean water, no electricity and very little food.

City officials said they were struggling to distribute aid and that looting was widespread.

Our correspondent says hundreds of people are at the airport, itself badly damaged, trying to get on a flight out of Tacloban.

The typhoon is now bearing down on Vietnam. More than 600,000 people have been evacuated in northern provinces.

7 comments

Sarah Preston

1:57 PM

1
2
1

So many lives lost our prayers go up for the dear people who have lost there loved ones and there homes also praying for all those in Vietnam preparing for Haian to hit them, Our deepest sympathy to all breaks my heart so many have died :(

Andrew Scott

2:09 PM

1
2
1

This is very sad.. I am not religious but I wish them the best.

adekunmi Bello

2:32 PM

1
2
1

I wish them the best. So sad

adekunmi Bello

2:34 PM

1
2
1

For Car Insurance tips, visit www.babyinsured.blogspot.com

zsdfkj345

3:21 PM

I will pray to Joe Pesci, do about as much good.

Bryan Zerfas

7:03 PM

zsdfkj345, your arrogance is the problem with the world today! If i were you, I wouldn't pray to Joe Pesci...I would pray to The Lord that you soften your heart and let Him in. I'll wave to you at the end whether you are going up or down!.

Bryan Zerfas

7:08 PM

↧

I am highly grateful to Dr. PAUL NEWMAN SIR FOR WONDERFUL VIDEO

November 10, 2013, 7:51 am

≫ Next: New system to check fertilizer smuggling, pilferage

≪ Previous: PLEASE PRAY AS VIETNAM PREPARES FOR HAIYAN !!! Around 10,000 people may have died in just one area of the Philippines hit by Typhoon Haiyan, according to officials.

I am highly grateful to Dr. PAUL NEWMAN SIR FOR WONDERFUL VIDEO The Arctic region, around the North Pole, is an important indicator of the impacts of industrial and human activities, both at the surface level and in the atmosphere. The rapid warming of the region has attracted considerable scientific attention.
Besides the well known phenomenon of global warming occurring in our lower atmosphere, another atmospheric phenomenon had been taking place over the Arctic. Recent record low ozone values in the stratosphere have led scientists to take a closer look at the links between the changing climate and ozone distribution; changes that may undermine the recovery of the Ozone layer predicted to occur in a few decades.

http://vimeo.com/77634568
http://vimeo.com/77634568

↧

New system to check fertilizer smuggling, pilferage

November 11, 2013, 11:56 am

≫ Next: 14 Things You Can Clean With Lemon

≪ Previous: I am highly grateful to Dr. PAUL NEWMAN SIR FOR WONDERFUL VIDEO

The system is likely to help save the government at least Rs.5,000 crore a year by checking fake claims, pilferage

According to a report at least 3-4 million tonnes of subsidized fertilizers are diverted to chemical industries every year in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu alone.

New Delhi: Two information management systems that separately track and regulate the supply of fertilizers across the country will be merged to create a fool-proof way to deliver subsidies to India’s 235 million farmers and help save the government at least Rs.5,000 crore a year by checking fake claims, pilferage and smuggling.

The integration, to be completed in a few weeks, will help monitor fertilizer shipments right from the factory or sea port to the retailer on a real-time basis for the first time, said an official in the fertilizer department on condition of anonymity. The system will also allow government officials to immediately detect an irregular sale or disbursal of subsidy.

The new system will address a problem that India has grappled with little success for a long time. Cheaper subsidized fertilizers are routinely diverted to other industries and smuggled to neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal. Urea, for example, is diverted to industries such as plywood, dye, adhesives and even to produce adulterated milk, while potash finds its way to firecracker factories. At least 3-4 million tonnes of subsidized fertilizers are diverted to chemical industries every year in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu alone, according to a 2012 report in Tehelka magazine, citing an unnamed fertilizer department official.

“I think this system would provide a better idea of actual flows of fertilizers and stocks lying at various points in the supply chain,” said Abhijit Sen, member, Planning Commission. “It will definitely put some check on smuggling to some extent.”

The fertilizer department had to release subsidies in the absence of a way to confirm if the claims were fake or the states were just lethargic in verifying that the fertilizers have indeed reached the districts, said the official. The fertilizer department estimates that it paid around Rs.2,500 crore as subsidies on unsubstantiated claims in the five years ended March 2012. On an average, 4% of the claims failed to get approval from the states during those five years— a mandatory requirement until 2012.

“Smuggling may not be more than 1-2% but even those minuscule percentages translate into huge losses in absolute terms, said Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman of the Bhartiya Krishak Samaj, a non-political farmers association.

Currently, the two systems are managed by different organizations. The Fertilizer Monitoring System (FMS) is handled by Lateral Praxis which has a contract until February 2014. The second, the Mobile Fertilizer Management System (mFMS), has been designed and managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC)—an entity under the ministry of communications and information technology.

The end-to-end tracking system was developed to provide subsidy straight to the farmer instead of channeling it through fertilizer manufacturers as part of the direct benefit transfer (DBT) programme.

The move to implement the merger comes despite finance minister P. Chidambaram saying in May that “the fertilizer subsidy will be among the last subsidies to be transferred (through DBT) because they are more complicated”.

Fertilizers are not always purchased by the person who owns the land and the quantity purchased can vary depending on factors such as monsoon, crop variety and soil quality, said another fertilizer department official.

“The biggest two challenges are—identifying the beneficiary and prefunding him,” said the first official.

Irrespective of whether the government doles out fertilizer subsidies through the DBT programme, the merger will lead to big savings, said the official.

“If only two states account for 30-40 lakh tonnes of pilferage, you can very well extrapolate the figures for the whole country,” said the official, without providing details.

By releasing a part of the subsidy when the final sale of the fertilizer is made to the farmer, the department expects to hold back payments of around Rs.40,000 crore by about 5-6 months, increasing liquidity and generating interest income.

Currently, around 90% of the subsidies is released to the manufacturer when the fertilizer reaches a district headquarters and the remaining 10% when a retailer acknowledges the receipt of fertilizer stock form the wholesaler on mFMS, the mobile system.

The department is also considering changing this ratio to 60:40, the official said. This means that around 40%, or Rs.40,000 crore, of subsidy will be released after 5-6 months, or whenever the sale is registered.

To be sure, so far linking of subsidies to the final sale has been carried out only in six districts—Madurai, Tamil Nadu; Nawanshahr, Punjab; Sonipat, Haryana; Ajmer, Rajasthan; Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh; and East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh.

Some experts are sceptical about the monetary benefits accruing to the department without the parallel implementation of DBT.

“Even if DBT were implemented today, the government wouldn’t be able to save much on subsidy in the absence of well-defined criteria,” said Jakhar. “Quantity of subsidy that a farmer gets should be inversely proportional to his land holding” can be one of the criteria to stop big farmers from reaping the benefits of subsidized fertilizer. The poverty line as a criterion is too fluid and vague, he said.

Still, with the launch of the second phase of mFMS on the Independence Day, the government took one more stride to strengthen the monitoring of sales of subsidized fertilizers. The initial phase of this programme was launched nine months earlier in November 2012 with the objective of getting acknowledgement from the retailer, the fertilizer official said.

The first step to track fertilizer movement was, however, started in January 2007 with the launch of FMS. The system tracks the movement of fertilizers from the factory to the district headquarters.

“It was a tremendous improvement over the earlier system where the department had to take the word of the company on faith,” said the department official.

The project took on the gargantuan task of checking receipts and tracking the movement of fertilizers across the country. “The sheer enormity of the task of cross-checking the receipts at every step of such a huge and spread-out supply-chain made it virtually impossible to verify the companies’ claims,” said an executive from Lateral Praxis. Since November 2010, all subsidy claims have been generated through FMS. He declined to be named.

With the implementation of the mFMS system, the government can now track the movement from district headquarters to the retailers, using mobile phones.

About 193,000 wholesalers and retailers are on the mFMS system.

“The education level of most private retailers and ground level (farm) societies is very low,” said A. Roy, marketing director of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. “The wholesaler, or even the company, acknowledging the receipts of stocks on behalf of the retailer is a very common practice.”

The software is being upgraded to check such malpractices, Roy said.

Many wholesalers said that they are not well-versed with the system and nearly all the retailers contacted said they rarely ever acknowledged the text message they receive from the wholesaler.

“Hamari to seedha phone se baat ho jaati hai. jab tak chal raha hai, chal raha hai (I communicate directly over the phone with the wholesaler. I’m just continuing the old way as long as it works),” said a Chhattisgarh retailer. To tackle the apathy, companies—be it a public sector undertaking, a private company or cooperative—have started to train wholesalers and retailers.

The integration is certainly a step forward and if it leads to DBT implementation in fertilizers, the system will become even better, said Sudhir Panwar, a professor of Biotechechnology at University of Lucknow. “It has the potential to curb black-marketing if it’s able to break the nexus between the wholesalers and retailers who have created an artificial shortage.”

↧

14 Things You Can Clean With Lemon

November 11, 2013, 9:25 pm

≫ Next: What isn't management's role in innovation?

≪ Previous: New system to check fertilizer smuggling, pilferage

14 Things You Can Clean With Lemon

When life gives you something to clean, don’t frown, use lemons! Beside the fact they leave a fresh smell, it’s the best natural replacement for industrial cleaners and disinfectants. Often thought of as nature’s Kleenex, lemons are used on and with a variety of things, from superficial wounds to lunchtime disasters. Because of its high content of citric acid, low pH and antibacterial proprieties, lemons don’t damage fabric or wood like your megastore products do. The always use with warm soapy water and a clean cloth. But be careful with brass plated things, as the juice will harm the material. Here are 14 other items you can use the lemon cleaner with.

1. Clean antique real-brass objects. Test on a small area before using on the whole surface.
2. Scrub away the dirt off copper pots or dishes.
3. Shine your car’s chrome decorations. Be sure to use salt with the lemon cleaner.
4. Spray on stains, as an effective overnight germ-killer. Rinse the next day and leave the cloth to dry to see the full benefits.
5. In partnership with an old toothbrush, use lemons to scrub out grout.
6. Replace odd odors from your overly-used microwave oven. A 3 quarters filled cup of water with only a few spoons of lemon juice, heated to boiling point and then left for 10 minutes in the microwave, will make your oven smell fresh. With a clean cloth, it will look great as well.
7. Clean laminated counter tops.
8. Scrub with salt on grates and grills.
9. Plastic food containers can be submersed to remove stains and odors.
10. Use cream of tarter with the lemon to make a paste and use it for 30 minutes on stains from polyester and cotton materials. Wash normal afterward.
11. With a gallon of hot water, sanitize you garbage disposal by pouring in the drain.
12. Use as fabric softener. Test a tiny area first, as lemons should not be used of silks or other delicate fabrics.
13. Boost degreasing ability of your normal dish soap, by mixing it with some drops of lemon juice.
14. Freshen-up your refrigerator, once a week.

↧

What isn't management's role in innovation?

November 12, 2013, 7:18 pm

≫ Next: 5 Things to Know Now About Typhoon Haiyan

≪ Previous: 14 Things You Can Clean With Lemon

What isn't management's role in innovation?

Executive management's role is to ensure that it institutionalizes the expectation that managers will lead the continuous improvement of their teamsAND that time is allotted for them to lead improvement initiatives. Innovation should be an expectation of all workers and an accountability of all managers.

Based upon my experience, managers are not systematically held accountable for continuous improvement of their teams. Further, most believe innovativeness and creativity are characteristics of a select few, and that it need only occur at the highest levels of the organization. Innovation snobbery is not serving us for a variety of reasons. Innovation must occur at all levels.

Adaptive Innovation - For Cost Reduction and Increased Productivity Levels 1 - 3 of an organization are concerned with current operations, and their innovation focus should be value adding adaptations to current processes. Some models call this adaptive innovation.

Strategic Innovation - For Sustainability and Competitive Advantage Levels 4+ should be concerned with strategic innovation - new markets, new products, new business models.

Outsourcing Innovation is a Mistake:

When innovation snobbery results in our thinking that innovation must be separated from the mission-delivering part of the organization and it is "outsourced" to an elite group, organizations must bear the cost of integrating the innovation back into the line organization, and this integration is often met with resistance. Further, it robs the mission-delivering part of the organization from the "psychological kick" of the opportunity to be creative, leading to disengagement.

Innovation's Link to Accountability:

We have got to reduce accountability conflicts of interest. As long as employees are held accountable for their output, why would they take a risk on innovation which could lead to reduced output? If instead, they were held accountable for using appropriate judgment and discretion, they could be rewarded for taking on chance on something, even if it "failed". Nearly all current performance management models are stacked against innovation. It's safer to continue the status quo.

In Summary, To Foster Innovation Organizations Must:

In source innovation, i.e. expect it from the mission-delivering organization, at all levels.Institutionalize the idea of managers? being accountable for the continuous improvement of their team.Institutionalize the idea of managers being accountable for the output of their team.Relieve employees of output accountability, but expect full commitment and their best advice to their managers.

↧

5 Things to Know Now About Typhoon Haiyan

November 12, 2013, 7:34 pm

≫ Next: CONDENSATE POLISHING UNIT

≪ Previous: What isn't management's role in innovation?

5 Things to Know Now About Typhoon Haiyan

A man carries his children in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines, after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the province.

November 11, 2013 | By Claire Manibog, UNICEF USA

1. The number of children affected has risen to 4 million
Children are the most vulnerable in disasters, and given the Philippines’ large youth population, a significant proportion of the 9.5 million affected by the disaster are kids. Children who survived will need urgent assistance: food, shelter and essential medical attention, plus ongoing psychosocial support.

The destruction caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) in the city of Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines.

2. The destruction in some places is almost total

“People, families with children are walking along the ruined roads,” says Leon Dominador Fajardo, a UNICEF Emergency Specialist on the ground in Tacloban City. “I don’t know where they are going — there is nowhere to go. They are walking because their homes are gone and they have nowhere to go.” In Leyte province, Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda), reportedly destroyed 70 to 80 percent of all structures in its path.

©UNICEF Philippines/2013/JMaitem. Residents inside an evacuation camp in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines.

3. Many of the survivors have lost their homes
Over 600,000 people have been displaced by Haiyan, many having lost their entire homes and family members. Approximately 435,000 are inside 1,458 evacuation centers. The Philippine Red Cross reports that at least 1,200 people have died. More recent, as yet unconfirmed reports suggest a death toll approaching 10,000.

Residents survey the damage caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan in the city of Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines.

4. In Tacloban, it takes 6 hours to travel 7 miles
Many sea and airports were severely damaged. Downed trees, wreckage and debris have made many roads impassible. Round-trip travel on the 7-mile road connecting the airport to the city of Tacloban can take 6 hours. The country’s geography is already a challenge to begin with: The Philippines is made up of over 7,100 islands, making emergency logistics all the more complex.

24 hours after Typhoon Haiyan struck, the first shipment of health, medical and shelter equipment and supplies are being loaded onto trucks for transportation to Copenhagen airport.

© UNICEF/DENM2013-00161/Thoby. 24 hours after Typhoon Haiyan struck, the first shipment of health, medical and shelter equipment and supplies are being loaded onto trucks for transportation to Copenhagen airport.

5. Clean water and sanitation are urgent priorities
Along with food and shelter, clean water and sanitation are critical first priorities. With many water systems and sewage treatment facilities damaged or destroyed, the possibility of diarrhea, cholera and other disease outbreaks is very real. The first shipments of supplies being airlifted by UNICEF Supply Division include water purification tablets and hygiene supplies. In addition, UNICEF is airlifting water purification and storage equipment directly to the Philippines from suppliers in Europe and Asia.

↧

CONDENSATE POLISHING UNIT

November 13, 2013, 1:02 am

≫ Next: DEALKALIZER

≪ Previous: 5 Things to Know Now About Typhoon Haiyan

Introduction

The Condensate Polishing Unit removes 'crud' - corrosion products consisting mostly of oxide of iron, copper or nickel, dissolved solids - mostly consisting of sodium, chloride and silica and carbon dioxide. Condensate polishing units are typically installed for super thermal power station with the main objective of improving the boiler water quality. The benefits of condensate polishing is quicker start up and as a result full load conditions are reached early giving economic benefits. Orderly shut down is possible in the case of condenser tube leak conditions.

Process Description

The condensate polishers are located in the turbine hall and the exhausted resins are hydro pneumatically transferred to the water treatment plant areas where they are regenerated and transferred back to the polisher.

It is normal to operate the polisher initially in the hydrogen cycle in which the cation resin is in hydrogen form and the anion resin is in the hydroxide form. The process typically takes around 7 -8 days after which the cation resin gets converted into ammonium form and the polisher is then operated in the ammonia cycle. Experience has shown that the hydrogen cycle operation is almost always problem free and produces condensate of the required quality. Boiler drum sodium, chloride and silica increases within 2 - 3 days of operation of the polisher in ammonium cycle.

Separation of ion exchange resin in a mixed bed is done by backwashing the unit with water when cation resin settles at the bottom and the light anion resin is at the top. However, the process almost always results in presence of a small percentage of cation resins in the anion portion and vise versa - a phenomenon called cross contamination. On regeneration of the anion resin with alkali, the cation resin presents in the anion portion gets converted into sodium form and simillarly, the anion resin present in the cation portion gets converted into chloride form.

Fig-1 shows the location of the condensate polisher in the boiler turbine circuit.

Benefits

Improvement in the quality of condensate and "cycle" clean up.

Reduced blow down and make up requirements

Improvement in boiler water quality for drum type boilers

Quick start up and as a result, full load conditions are reached early giving economics benefits.

Orderly shutdown possible in case of condenser tube leak conditions.

Improvement in quality of steam which results in enhanced turbine life.

Appplications

Condensate polishing units are typically used in nuclear (pressurised water reactor ) and fossil power plants.

↧

DEALKALIZER

November 13, 2013, 1:06 am

≫ Next: Problems related to demineralization plants

≪ Previous: CONDENSATE POLISHING UNIT

Introduction

The Alkalinity in the water is due to the ions as Carbonate (CO₃) , Bicarbonte ( HCO₃) and Hydroxide ( OH) These ions are associated with Calcium, Magnecium and Sodium. Alkalinity removal is necessary to avoid the scale formation in the boiler and other equipments.

Alkalinity removal is achieved by using following processes.

Process Description

The dealkalization process reduces the alkalinity in water. Along with alkalinity there is a reduction in hardness as well as sodium associated with alkalinity. Finally these reductions are reflected by a drop in the content of dissolved minerals in water.

The dealkalization processes are

Split Stream Dealkalization
Dealkalization with a weak acid cation (WAC) resin.
Combination of WAC and Softener

Split Stream Dealkalization

In this process the incoming water is split into two streams. One stream is softened while the other stream is totally decationised. The softened stream and decationised streams are blended next to yield product water free of hardness and reduced alkalinity.

An atmospheric degasser is placed down stream of the blending to remove the free carbon dioxide in the decationised water and also that formed by reaction of the free mineral acidity of decationised water with alkalinity of the softened water. This results in a reduction of the salts in water by the extent of the alkalinity reduced.

The softener uses strong acid cation (SAC) resin in the sodium form while the other unit utilises the SAC resin in the hydrogen form. This unit is generally referred to as the HI (Hydrogen Ion) unit.

There is a leakage of neutral salts mostly sodium due to the presence of free mineral acids. The reactions of neutral salts are equilibrium reactions but the reactions of alkaline salts are unidirectional further promoted by formation of CO₂taking the service reaction to completion. On blending the two streams, the alkalinity of the soft water reacts with the free mineral acidity of the HI treated water to produce carbonic acid.

Carbonic acid is actually a solution of carbon dioxide in water which is stripped in an atmospheric degasser and released to the atmosphere.

The split stream process thus produces soft water with reduced alkalinity and consequently with a lower dissolved mineral content.

The service run continues as long as

Soft water is obtained from the softener
Cation-free water is obtained from the HI Unit, or
Designed throughputs are achieved through thesoftener or HI Unit.

When sulphuric acid is used as a regenerant for the HI unit, the waste effluent consists of the sulphate salts of calcium, magnesium and sodium. As calcium sulphate has very limited solubility, care has to be taken to maintain the designed concentrations of sulphuric acid to avoid the precipitation of calcium sulphate in the ion exchange bed.

With hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a regenerant the HCl solution is injected normally at uniform concentration of 5% w/v.

When sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) is used as a regenerant, the solution of H₂SO₄ is injected at a concentration ranging from 1.5% w/v to 5% w/v. The lower concentration is used when the influent water has a high calcium content. To conserve water during the injection step the concentration of H₂SO₄ solution is progressively increased in steps as calcium is depleted from the bed.

The HI unit can operate as a downflow or an upflow unit with coflow or counterflow technique of regenerant injection .
Combination of WAC and Softener
The WAC resin reacts with alkaline salts only and not with neutral salts in water. The combination of WAC and Softener is used therefore when permanent hardness is present in water and one wishes to still employ the WAC.
In this case the WAC efficiently removes the temporary hardness and the downstream softener exchanges the permanent hardness. The carbonic acid generated in the WAC dissociates to carbon dioxide which is removed in the atmospheric degasser.
This process results in removal of all hardness, reduction in alkalinity and consequent reduction in mineral content of the water.
Dealkalization with a Weak Acid Cation (WAC) Resin.

The WAC resin exchanges cations associated with alkalinity. Consequently it is possible to reduce alkalinity using a WAC resin. Neutral salts pass unaffected through this resin. The resin is noted for its high capacity for divalent cations. Hence it is ideal for the removal of temporary hardness in water.

It has a low capacity for monovalent cations. Hence it is not recommended for treating waters with a high proportion of sodium alkalinity. The resin is characterised by a high efficiency of regenerant utilization and needs only a slight excess over the stoichiometric requirements.
The WAC resin is used in the hydrogen form.

The alkaline cations in the incoming water exchange with hydrogen ions on the resin and yield carbonic acid which is removed in a downstream atmospheric degasser, resulting in a reduction of alkaline cations, alkalinity and a corresponding reduction in mineral content of water. When the resin gets depleted of hydrogen ions, the dealkalization process cannot take place. The resin needs regeneration. Mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) or sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) are used for its regeneration.

Advantages

This method of Alkalinity removal , removes Alkalinity as well as Calcium & Magnesium ions associated with alkalinity which results in reduction of dissolved salts.

Alkalinity in the treated water remains consistent through out the cycle.

Applications

Dealkalised water is used as feed water for low and medium pressure boilers.

All boilers demand a minimum quality of feed water and a certain maintenance of boiler water quality for proper operation of the boilers. One of the parameters is the dissolved mineral content of boiler water which is adjusted through blowdown of the boiler.

If the influent has a high proportion of alkalinity, it can be dealkalised by the processes mentioned earlier to provide water with lower mineral content. This results in lesser blowdown than would be required if only soft water is used.

Dealkalized water is used in the bottled water industry and in other processes where water is the major additive to correct the alkalinity and taste of the final product.

Dealkalised water is used in industry in cooling water systems to reduce calcium carbonate scaling while improving the cycles of concentratio

↧

Problems related to demineralization plants

November 13, 2013, 1:14 am

≫ Next: Does the Level of Turbidity Affect the Amount of Oxygen in Water?

≪ Previous: DEALKALIZER

efects	Causes	Remedies
Decrease in capacity between two successive regenerations	a. Increase in ionic load b. Flow recorder defective c. Insufficient chemicals used d. Resin dirty e. Plant being used intermittently f. Channelling in bed g. Resin fouled h. Resin deteriorated i. Resin quantity insufficient in unit	Check by analysis Check Check Give prolonged backwash Avoid this Check and ensure uniform distribution /collection If cation, give HCl wash; if anion, resin give alkaline brine treatment Check and replace charge Check and top up
Treated quality not upto the standard	a. Cation exhausted b. Anion exhausted c. Mixed bed exhausted d. MB resin not in uniform mixed state e. Some valves like backwash leaking f. Na slip from cation high g. SiO2 slip from anion high h. Unit idle i. Unit not sufficiently rinsed j. Excessive/low flow rate k. Channelling l. Resin fouled m. Resin deteriorated	Check Check Check Repeat air mix and rinse Check Check raw water analysis; change in Na/TA and SiO2/TA ratio; use more chemicals Check raw water analysis; change in Na/TA and SiO2/TA ratio; use more chemicals Check Rinse to satisfactory quality Adjust to between unit min/max flow rate Check and ensure uniform collection/distribution Check resin and give alkaline brine/ HCL treatment Check resin and replace
Mixed bed quality not good	a. Resin not separated during backwash properly b. Air mix not proper c. Final rinse not proper d. Some valves may be leaking and contaminating the treated water	Give extended backwash after exhausting the bed Repeat Repeat Check and examine
High residual CO2 from degasser	a. It can be due to choked suction filter of degasser air blower b. Improper air flow to the degasser c. Degasser blower not in operation d. Air seal not fitted/broken resulting in short circulating of air	Check and clean filter Check damper, speed of blower, discharge pressure Check and operate blower Check and replace fitting
Unit rinse takes long time	a. Flow rate too high b. Unit exhausted c. Backwash valve passing d. Anion resin organically fouled e. MB air mix not satisfactory f. Acid/alkali pockets formed in unit	Increase flow rate Regenerate unit Check and rectify Give alkaline brine treatment Carry out air mix once again Faulty design check and rectify. Temporarily backwash (followed by air scour if MB) and rinse again
Flow rate too less	a. Choked valve and suction strainer of pump b. Cavitation in the pump c. Low inlet pressure d. Distribution or collecting system choked e. Resin trap at outlet choked f. Control valve shut due to low off-take	Check Check Check-pump Check Check and clean Increase off-take
Pressure drop across the bed increasing day by day	a. Defective valves b. Packed resin bed and resin fines present c. Collecting system choked d. Pressure gauge defective	Check Give extended backwash with open manhole and scrap off fines from top surface of the resin Check, repeat backwash Check and rectify/ replace
Flooding in degasser	a. Very high air flow rate b. Packed tower chocked due to dirt or broken packing material	Reduce air flow rate by adjusting damper Open and check
Resin being lost	a. Excessive backwash pressure b. Faulty collecting system c. Inlet strainer damaged	Check inlet pressure and reduce if necessary Examine same for breakage Check and replace
Ejector not working	a. Low power water pressure b. Air lock in the unit c. Choked or defective valves d. Ejector nozzle may be choked e. Too much back pressure from the unit f. Bulge in pipe lining	Check Backwash & open air release Examine and rectify Check Check for chokage of collecting system; passage of inlet/outlet valves Check and rectify
Incorrect reading rota-meters	a. Chocked orifice lines/orifice b. Dirty glass and float	Check and clean check and clean
Improper reading from flow recorder integrator	a. Choked impulse lines/orifice b. DP transmitter requires recalibration c. Leakage in signal tube between transmitter and panel d. Low air pressure for DP transmitter or recorder	Check and clean Recalibrate Check Check
Level electrodes system for measuring and dilution tank not functioning properly	a. Improper contact between electrodes and control cabling b. Shorting of the two electrodes due to moisture or any foreign material c. Improper working of the level controllers	Check contact and rectify Check and dry the contacts of moisture and dirt Check
Leakage from acid injection/unloading/transfer pumps	a. Improper adjustment of the mechanical seal b. Low strength of sulphuric and presence of ferrous sulphate	Check and adjust Check concentration and take appropriate action
Corrosion in concentrated acid tanks and lines	a. Low concentration of sulphuric acid b. Lining of HCl tank/pipe line damaged	Check silica gel breather in acid storage tank and replace silica gel charge if exhausted Rectify
Improper opening and closing of pneumatically operated valves	a. Defective solenoid valves b. Leakage in airline from solenoid valve to the respective control valve. c. Improper contact of micro switch giving false indication to panel d. Fused mimic lamp giving false indication to the panel	Check Check Check Check
Improper operation of a certain regeneration cycle	a. Defective relays in the control circuit	Check and replace relays
Solid state programme not functioning properly	a. The controller can be kept in "hold" due to the reasons explained under operation b. Improper operation of the controls for the controller c. Defect in the inside of the controller	Remove conditions which cause "hold" of controller Press test switch & check the complete cycle Check the instruments thoroughly from inside. Meanwhile, operation may be continued by using bypass toggle switches

↧

Does the Level of Turbidity Affect the Amount of Oxygen in Water?

November 13, 2013, 1:26 am

≫ Next: The Effects of Turbidity in a Pond

≪ Previous: Problems related to demineralization plants

JUST SHARING
Turbidity can impact the level of dissolved oxygen in water in multiple ways. Increased light absorbency by turbid water can lead to increased water temperatures and decreased oxygen levels. The contents of the particles causing turbidity can also lead to a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels. Soil particles with excess nutrients can lead to algal blooms. The decomposition of these algal blooms and other organic compounds associated with turbidity causing particles leads to decreased levels of oxygen.

What is Turbidity?

Turbidity describes how murky or cloudy water is. Water containing high levels of suspended particles is referred to as being very turbid.

Does Turbidity Affect Oxygen Levels in Water?

Turbidity can impact dissolved oxygen levels in multiple ways through its light absorbing qualities and the chemical nature of the particles causing the turbidity.

Turbidity and Light Absorbtion

Turbidity causing particles absorb lots of the sun's rays. When these rays are absorbed by a dark colored particle, energy is released as heat in much the same way that asphalt gets hot on sunny days. Due to this light absorbing property, turbid water it heated more rapidly by the sun than clearer water. As it warms, water loses its ability to hold dissolved oxygen; therefore turbidity can lead to a decrease in oxygen levels by its impact on water temperature.

Turbidity and Nutrients

Turbidity is often caused by tiny soil particles that have washed into a waterbody from the land. These particles can contain nutrients that, when combined with water and sunlight, cause explosive growth of algae. When this algae dies and decomposes. The decomposition of algae involves a biological process that uses up significant quantities of oxygen. In this way, turbidity can cause lower levels of dissolved oxygen in water by causing algal blooms. This particular process is largely responsible for the enormous "dead-zones" found in many of our oceans.

Turbidity and Biological Oxygen Demand

The various substances making up turbidity causing particles can have a high biological oxygen demand (BOD), which is a measure of the amount of oxygen used to decompose a substance. Increased turbidity is therefore associated with increased BOD and decreased

↧

The Effects of Turbidity in a Pond

November 13, 2013, 1:31 am

≫ Next: 14 Reasons Why Nature Gifs are Your New Favorite Thing

≪ Previous: Does the Level of Turbidity Affect the Amount of Oxygen in Water?

The Effects of Turbidity in a Pond

Low water turbidity makes bug catching easier.

Ponds come in all shapes and sizes and are generally distinguished from lakes by a shallow depth that allows sunlight to reach the bottom. As the sunlight penetrates the water it provides life-giving energy for aquatic plants and animals. When the sunlight is intercepted by turbid water the pond appears dirty to people, but to aquatic organisms an increase in turbidity can decrease the pond's ability to provide the elements required to live.

1.
What Is Turbidity?

o When you look into a pond you may be able to see all the way to the bottom or only part way because the water appears murky, dirty or cloudy. The water's color is from sunlight reflecting off of tiny particles of algae and sediment floating in the water.Turbidity is a measurement of how far sunlight penetrates into the water before reflecting off of these particles. Ponds with a higher amount of algae and sediment are more turbid and more difficult to see through, while less turbid ponds are more clear. How far sunlight can penetrate into a pond is critical for the plants and animals that live in the pond.

Plants

Pond algae are tiny plants that live in most ponds. Like all plants, algae depend upon the sun for life. And, like all plants, algae release oxygen critical for animals to survive. In ponds the oxygen provided by algae is used by fish and other aquatic organisms. But too much algae can cause an increase in turbidity and a decrease in oxygen. As the algae die they decompose. The decomposition removes oxygen from the water. Humans greatly influence the amount of algae in pond water by overfertilizing land that drains into a pond and by improper maintenance of septic sewer systems on land next to ponds. When the fertilizer and sewage enters the pond they cause excessive algal growth.

Animals

Ponds are permanent home to fish and a variety of worms, beetles and amphibians and critical temporary habitat for migrating waterfowl. Too much turbidity in a pond, either by plants or sediment, creates a challenge for these animals. Sediment turbidity, often caused by erosion from human construction activities, can clog the gills of aquatic animals and smother the pond bottom habitat that some species depend upon. Because many aquatic animals and waterfowl are visual feeders they have to see the food they catch and eat. Turbid water reduces their ability to find food.

Measuring Turbidity

o Pond turbidity is often measured with a secchi disk. This 4 to 6-inch-diameter metal or plastic disc is painted in alternating black and white triangles radiating from the disk's center. It is lowered on a rope over the side of a boat to the point that it cannot be seen and the depth is recorded. By comparing secchi disk depths taken at different intervals scientist are able to predict changes in turbidity and recommend actions to reduce the turbidity.

↧

14 Reasons Why Nature Gifs are Your New Favorite Thing

November 13, 2013, 2:10 am

≫ Next: Topsøe’s Ammonia Technology Today

≪ Previous: The Effects of Turbidity in a Pond

14 Reasons Why Nature Gifs are Your New Favorite Thing

November 12, 2013 By Tom McDougallLeave a Comment

Ever wish pictures of nature moved? Of course you have. Me too.
Luckily for us in this gif-filled world there are literally thousands of plucky gif-makers that are focused solely on creating mesmerizing nature gifs for our benefit. And, even more fortunate for us, there are the people of Reddit to collect them all together in a handy subreddit (/r/naturegifs – check it out).
So whether you’re in search of a quick distraction at work, a little bit of travel inspiration or you just want to be blown away, you might just find that nature gifs swiftly become your new favorite thing. Here are 16 reasons why.

1. Boom! Because You Can See Epic Ice Explosions in the Arctic

The Arctic may be little explored, but you can still find awesome gifs like this lurking around.

2. Because Arctic Foxes are Adorable, and You Didn’t Know Before

D’awwww! Little guy just needed a nap.

3. Because Surfers are Rad

As an Australian I always suspected surfers were rad, but this guy just confirmed that.

4. Because You Can Just Sit There and Watch the Sky

Watching the swathes of blue and pink wash over this sky could keep me entertained for hours.

5. Because Waterfalls Demand to be Seen in Motion

It’s just so… so watchable.

6. Because You Find Places You Didn’t Know Existed

These are the Raja Ampat islands in Indonesia, and they are now pretty high on my bucket list.

7. Because Sometimes, Ducks Just Relax You

These ducks know how to relax and be at one with themselves. We need to remember how to do that sometimes, right?

8. Because Sunrises Always Cheer You Up

What better way to start your day than staring at this gif? Especially since winter is starting. Winter. Pah.

9. Because You Didn’t Know Cheetahs Loved the Camera

Incredible footage of animals close-up in the wild doesn’t come around every day. And who knew cheetahs could be s’darned cute?

10. Because the Sunset in the Desert Makes You Feel Like a Cowboy

Ok, maybe not quite like a cowboy since you’re sat at a desk somewhere, but still, it’s pretty nice.

11. Because the Angel Falls in Venezuela are Beguiling

Beguiling, epic, mind-blowing… All the superlatives you can throw at a gif. Travel to Venezuela is something you can’t sum up in a picture, but a gif brings you ever-so-slightly closer.

12. Because the Ocean Never Fails to Make You Think

Who needs to be stood on the beach for some serious self-reflection when you’ve got gifs to stare at like this?

13. Because the Northern Lights are Other-worldly

The Northern Lights are one of the spectacles on our earth that make me very aware that we live on a planet that obeys its own rules. It’s nice to be reminded by a gif, too.

14. Because Sloths

No creature on earth is quite as joyful as the sloth. Look at him.

↧

Topsøe’s Ammonia Technology Today

November 15, 2013, 1:25 am

≫ Next: India Sends Relief Aid to Philippines

≪ Previous: 14 Reasons Why Nature Gifs are Your New Favorite Thing

↧

India Sends Relief Aid to Philippines

November 15, 2013, 7:23 am

≫ Next: AMMONIA REFRIGERATION RELATED Glossary

≪ Previous: Topsøe’s Ammonia Technology Today

India Sends Relief Aid to Philippines

By Bhargavi Kerur: Subscribe to Bhargavi's RSS feed | November 15, 2013 2:25 PM IST

typhoon Haiyan relief Philippines

The Indian government sent relief materials on military transport aircraft C-130 to hurricane affected Philippines on Thursday.
"In a display of solidarity with the citizens of Hurricane ravaged Philippines, Government of India despatched relief package comprising of medicines, hygiene and chemicals, tentage, blankets, tarpaulins and ready to eat meals, ex-Armed Forces stocks by an Indian Air Force C-130 aircraft to Mactan," stated a release from the Ministry of Defence.
Hurricane Haiyan hit Eastern Coast of Philippines on 4 November wrecking the lives of hundreds and killing at least 10,000. The hurricane is said to have caused a catastrophe in central parts of the nation.

The relief material of 15 tonnes sent by India includes medicines and hygiene chemicals, fresh water, water purification materials, tents, blankets, mattresses, tarpaulin and ground sheet for shelter, readymade meals, biscuits and milk powder.
"While any nation would take time to come to terms with a tragedy of this magnitude, I have full faith in the resilience and resolve of the people of Philippines to quickly rebound from their losses and in the capacity of your government to provide immediate relief to the affected communities and rebuild their lives. We stand ready to provide all help to support the relief and rehabilitation efforts of your government," Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh said in a message to the disaster struck area.
India had provided relief material in 2006 to Philippines when typhoon Durian killed at least 1300 people.
India also plans to send more relief materials to Philippines. "Plans are underway to further supplement the effort and provide additional relief material through an Indian Naval Ship that will set sail at the earliest," said the release.

↧

AMMONIA REFRIGERATION RELATED Glossary

November 15, 2013, 8:54 am

≫ Next: 5 consequences of failure of redistribution of land in India

≪ Previous: India Sends Relief Aid to Philippines

Glossary

ammonia n: ammonia is a pungent, colorless gas.

accumulator n: prevents liquid from entering the suction of the compressor. Also called a suction accumulator.

bleeder valve n: a valve to bleed ammonia from hoses and piping safely.

check valve n: a valve allowing flow in one direction only.

compressor n: a unit for compressing vapor to higher pressures.

condenser n: heat is transferred from the gas to the outside air in this unit to condense the ammonia into a liquid.

evaporator n: a unit designed to vaporize liquid refrigerant, thus cooling the air by absorbing heat.

flow regulator n: a controlling device which regulates the flow of liquid in a pipe.

intercooler n: an intercooler is the intermediate vessel between the high stage and low stage in a multistage system.

machine room n: a room or space that is designed to safely house compressors and pressure vessels.

pressure vessel n: any receptacle containing refrigerant under pressure.

P and ID abbr: Piping and Instrumentation Diagram.

receiver n: a vessel permanently connected to a refrigeration system for storage of liquid ammonia.

stop valve n: a valve used to shut off the flow of ammonia.

↧

5 consequences of failure of redistribution of land in India

November 15, 2013, 8:26 pm

≫ Next: HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU ARE ALONE??

≪ Previous: AMMONIA REFRIGERATION RELATED Glossary

5 consequences of failure of redistribution of land in India

The failure of land redistribution programme resulted in an inequitable distribution of land in the village economy and accentuated the gap between the rich and the poor. The following are the consequence of such a failure.
(i) Poverty and deprivation :
Land is the biggest productive asset in the countryside. The unequal distribution of land, therefore, resulted in concentration of land in a few hands, while a large number of people were landless and without having any productive asset to engage themselves. According to 1991 census, 74.6 million people are landless labourers having no land to cultivate. Further, they do not get regular employment particularly during the lean seasons. All these have resulted in mass poverty and deprivation from a minimum standard of living.

(ii) Unemployment and Under-employment:

A large number of people in the rural areas are landless. They do not find any avenue to engage themselves during the year. These landless labourers and marginal farmers remain unemployed as agriculture has become overcrowded. During the slack seasons these people sit idle and are unemployed and under-employed.
(iii) Inequality of Wealth and Income:
Inequality in the distribution of land has also led to inequality of wealth and income. According to a survey by R.B.I., 1981- 82, about 8 percent of rural households have assets more than Rs. 1 lakh each sharing 46 percent values of total assets. On the other hand, 39 percent of rural households had total assets less then Rs. 10,000/- each sharing only 5 percent value of total assets. By the end of the 7th plan 12 percent of rural people are landless and 66 percent of them are marginal farmers having less than 2.47 acres of land. As the distribution of land is unequal, the income that flows from the land also concentrates in the hands of a few big farmers,

(iv) Adverse effect on development:

The landless and marginal farmers own physical labour. If land will be provided to them they will cultivate with much interest and great vigor. This would have helped in increasing agricultural productivity and accelerating the pace of economic development. The big farmers only leased out the land without taking any care. This had affected the development of agriculture and development of the economy at large.
(v) Growth of capitalist Farming:
Big farmers were able to invest more for using modern inputs like HYV seeds, chemical fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides. The productivity in their field became high and they earned a surplus and made a huge profit. This helped in the growth of capitalist farming in the Indian economy.

The Government of India believed there was a heightened public concern on land acquisition issues in India. Of particular concern was that despite many amendments, over the years, to India's Land Acquisition Act of 1894, there was an absence of a cohesive national law that addressed fair compensation when private land is acquired for public use, and fair rehabilitation of land owners and those directly affected from loss of livelihoods. The Government of India believed s that a combined law was necessary, one that legally requires rehabilitation and resettlement necessarily and simultaneously follow government acquisition of land for public purposes.^[7]
Forty-Fourth Amendment Act of 1978 omitted Art 19(1) (f) with the net result being:-

The right not to be deprived of one’s property save by authority of law has since been no longer a fundamental right. Thus, if government issues a fiat to take away the property of a person, that person has no right to move the Supreme Court under Art 32.
Moreover, no one can challenge the reasonableness of the restriction imposed by any law the legislature made to deprive the person of his property.

The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 was introduced in Lok Sabha. Two Bills on similar lines were introduced in Lok Sabha in 2007. These Bills lapsed with the dissolution of the 14th Lok Sabha.[
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Right_to_Fair_Compensation_and_Transparency_in_Land_Acquisition,_Rehabilitation_and_Resettlement_Act,_2013

↧

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU ARE ALONE??

November 15, 2013, 10:23 pm

≫ Next: Sachin's Emotional Farewell Speech

≪ Previous: 5 consequences of failure of redistribution of land in India

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU ARE ALONE??
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help,the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However,these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives!!
A cardiologist says If everyone who sees this post shares it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll save at least one life..
Rather than sharing jokes only please contribute by forwarding this info which can save a person's life.
PLEASE SHARE THIS TO ALL UR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

↧

Sachin's Emotional Farewell Speech

November 16, 2013, 1:24 am

≫ Next: "Managing India's Economy in the Next Decade" Montek S. Ahluwalia

≪ Previous: HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU ARE ALONE??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18DbbSbjtVE

Tendulkar gets the mic finally! Here goes: "Friends please settle down, I'll get more emotional! It's hard to believe my wonderful journey is coming to an end. I've a list of names to thank. The first is my father, who passed away in 1999. Without his guidance I wouldn't be standing in front of you. he said 'chase your dreams, don't give up, the path will be difficult.' I miss him today. My mom, I don't know how she managed a naughty child like me. She just prayed and prayed from the day I started playing the game. For four years I stayed with my uncle and aunt when in school, they treated me like their own son. My eldest brother Nitin doesn't like to talk ,much but he said, whatever you do, I know you will give 100%. My first cricket bat was presented to me by my sister Savita. She still continues to fast while I bat. Ajit my brother - We have lived this dream together, he sacrificed his career for me, he took me to Achrekar sir first. Even last night he called me to discuss my dismissal. Even when I'm not playing we will still be discussing technique. If that hadn't happened, I would have been a lesser cricketer.

"The most beautiful thing happened to me when I met Anjali in 1990. I know that being a doctor there was a big career in front of her. But she decided that I should continue playing and she took care of the children. Thanks for bearing with me for all the nonsense I've said (Anjali wipes tears). Then the two precious diamonds of my life Sara and Arjun. I've missed out on several birthdays, holidays. I know for 14-16 years I've not spent enough time with you. But I promise you I will spend the next 16.

"My inlaws - I've discussed several things with them. The most important thing they did was allow me to marry Anjali. In the last 24 years my friends have made terrific contributions. They have been with me while I was stressed. They have been with me even at 3am when I was injured. Thanks for being there for me.

"My career started when I was 11. I was extremely delighted to see Achrekar sir in the stands. I used to ride on his scooter and play two matches a day. Sir took me along to make sure I played. On a lighter note, Sir never said 'well played' because he didn't want me to be complacent. You can push your luck now, Sir, since I'm not playing cricket anymore.

"I started my career here in Mumbai. I remember landing from NZ at 4am and playing a Ranji game the next day. The BCCI was fantastic from my debut. Thanks to the selectors. You were right with me making sure I was well taken care of.

"Thanks to all the senior cricketers who have played with me. We see on the screen Rahul, VVS, Sourav, Anil who is not here. All the coaches. I know when MS presented the 200th Test cap, I had a message to the team - I said we are all so proud to be representing the nation. I hope to continue to serve the nation with dignity. I have full faith that you will serve the country in the right spirit.

I will be failing in my duty if I didn't thank the doctors who have kept me fit. Given the injuries I have suffered. They have treated me in odd hours.

"The media has backed me a lot, since my school days. Even today. Thank you. Thanks to the photographers for capturing those moments.

"I know my speech has become long. I want to thank people who have flown in from different parts of the world. I want to thank my fans from the bottom of my heart. "Sachin, Sachin" will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing." (Followed by loud cheers).

↧

"Managing India's Economy in the Next Decade" Montek S. Ahluwalia

November 17, 2013, 8:02 am

≫ Next: Car emissions

≪ Previous: Sachin's Emotional Farewell Speech

"Managing India's Economy in the Next Decade"
Montek S. Ahluwalia

It is a privilege to be invited to deliver the convocation address at the 34^th Convocation of the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta. IIM Calcutta has established a truly enviable reputation as one of the foremost management institutes in the country. It is also recognised as a leading institute of higher education internationally. It is indeed a pleasure to be with you on this important occasion.

I would like to begin by offering my congratulations to the graduating class of 1999. In reflecting on what I should say on this occasion I was struck by the fact that except for those of you who intend to go on to take another degree, the rest of you will all be characterised throughout your working lives as having been educated entirely in the previous century! Those of us who have spent most of our working lives in this century therefore have a special sense of association with you as our ambassadors to the future. For myself, I have no doubt you will represent this century with distinction, and all our good wishes will be with you in the exciting times ahead.

The cusp of the century, which in this case is also the cusp of the millenium, is perhaps an appropriate occasion to look ahead and ask ourselves how will the future be different from the past? That is what planners are supposed to do. It is also what good managers do. I thought it would be appropriate to use this opportunity to share some thoughts on the challenges of economic management which face us as we head into the first decade of next century.

I am told that managers engaged in looking ahead routinely undertake a SWOT analysis and this is relevant for the country also. What are the country's strengths and weaknesses? What are its opportunities and threats? I cannot of course attempt a comprehensive accounting of these aspects within the time span available for this address. I will therefore only touch on some of the important highlights.

Our most important strength is reflected in the fact that despite many constraints and difficulties, India's economy has been undergoing a long term acceleration. India grew at an average rate of around 3.7 per cent per year from 1960-61 to 1979-80, and the late Prof. Raj Krishna described this lack luster performance by the catchy phrase "the Hindu rate of growth". Raj Krishna's phrase proved so catchy that the image of India as a poor performer stuck for a long time, even after the facts began to change.

India's growth rate improved significantly in the 1980s to reach an average of 5.8%. This was the period when the first steps at economic reforms were introduced and they clearly had favourable effects on economic growth. The growth rate declined to 5.1% in the first half of the 1990s, reflecting the severe crisis of 1991, but as we know, that crisis led to the introduction of wide ranging economic reforms in the early 1990s which led to further improvement in growth. The growth rate increased to 6.5% per year for the four years ending 1998-99.

It is important to view this performance in the right comparative perspective. India's performance in the 1980s and 1990s is clearly not as good as that of China or the other fast growth economies of East Asia. East Asian countries typically grew about 2 percentage points faster than India in the 1980s and the gap actually widened in the 1990s prior to the East Asian crisis. However if India lagged behind East Asia, our performance in the 1980s and the 1990s was much better than that of any of the other regional groupings of developing countries. In fact India's growth rate was actually higher than all developing countries taken together, even when East Asia is included in the group.

In short, we are entering the next decade with a growth performance which augurs well for the future. We seem to have reached the capacity to grow at about 6.5% per year. Against the background the target for the remaining three years of the Ninth Plan i.e. upto the year 2001-02, to achieve a growth rate of 7% per annum, is no longer an impossible objective. The real challenge is whether we can push beyond this level to reach 8% growth at least by the end of the first decade of the 21^st century. This is not easy and will call for a determined effort on many fronts and I will touch on some of these issues later in my remarks.

But first let me mention another dimension in which there is some good news which has not received the attention it deserves. I refer to population growth, where we are at last beginning to see the possibility of declining growth rates which have eluded us for so long. In the three decades from 1960 to 1990 India's population growth exceeded 2% per year. Birth rates declined during this period but death rates also declined, and there was no relief in the natural growth in population which continued at rates above 2 per cent per year. The picture has begun to change in the 1990s as death rates have bottomed out while birth rates continue to fall. The growth rate of population declined to 1.9% in the first half of the 1990s and is expected to fall further to around 1.62% in the second half. The projected growth of population in the next decade is expected to fall further to 1.53% per year.

The slowing of population growth is an important source of strength which we did not have earlier. If we can achieve GDP growth of 7.5% in the next decade, while population growth falls to a little over 1.5%, it means our growth rate of per capita income will be almost 6 per cent per year. This would be a commendable achievement by any standards and it will certainly open up the possibility of much faster reductions in poverty than we have known in the past. In the 1960s and 1970s, when GDP grew at 3.7% and population at 2.1%, our per capita income grew at only 1.6% per year. At this rate, per capita income increased by only 37% in 20 years. At 6% growth per year, the same increase in per capita income would take less than 6 years!

A third important source of strength in our economy as we move into the next decade derives from the changes brought about by economic reforms. The compulsions of democracy and the need to build a broad base of consensus forced a slower pace than many technocrats would have liked but it is also true that the cumulative extent of the change brought about through this gradualist process is very significant. Indian industry has been freed from numerous restrictions, which held it back earlier and it is now able to invest and expand much more freely in response to market signals. The economy is today more open to foreign trade and Indian producers are under strong pressure to be competitive in both price and quality. Imports have been progressively freed from quantitative restrictions and we have firmly committed to eliminate all import restrictions by the year 2003. Import tariffs, which used to be highly protectionist in 1990 have been sharply reduced. They are still much higher than in other developing countries, but successive Finance Ministers have signalled the intention to bring our levels of protection down to the levels prevailing in other developing countries and this signal is forcing industry as well as the banks which finance them to plan for creation of competitive capacities. A process of reform in the public sector has also begun. Partial privatisation has been implemented for a number of public sector enterprises which is atleast making these enterprises less dependent upon government funds and forcing them to improve their competitiveness in the market. A more substantial process of privatisation through strategic sales is also being contemplated for some public sector enterprises. Financial sector reforms, which are an important institutional underpinning for real sector reform, have also made considerable progress. In some ways we are actually ahead of many developing countries because we began the process of banking reform in the early 1990s, thus anticipating by several years what many other developing countries are now doing in the wake of the East Asian crisis.

The full impact of these reforms has not yet been felt in terms of improved economic performance. This is partly because the process of reforms was slow and it is only relatively recently that many of the reforms have been put fully in place – in fact as I have pointed out, some are still unfolding. It also took time for Indian industry to reassess the situation and respond. It is only in the last two or three years that corporate leaders have finally begun to rethink their strategies and restructure their empires. The process has clearly begun but it has yet to spread widely. It is only when that happens that we will reap the full efficiency benefits of the reforms of the 1990s. I believe we will see these benefits to a much greater extent in the next decade than we have done so far.

So much for strengths. What about weaknesses ? There are indeed important weaknesses which we must address if we want to realise the enormous potential of the next decade.

Our most important weakness lies in the inadequacy of our social sector development. Whether we look at literacy or at educational achievements, especially at primary and secondary school levels, or at access to basic health services, India lags for behind other developing countries, including some of the least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Our social indicators also show glaring gender inequality, which is a sure sign of social backwardness with far reaching consequences.

Filling these gaps is essential not just because the provision of basic social services such as education, health, drinking water, etc. is important for the welfare of the poor but also because meeting these needs directly increases the income earning capacity of the poor and their ability to participate in a general acceleration in growth. Educational deficiencies are particularly important in this context since education and acquisition of skills is the single most important factor contributing to upward mobility in income levels.

Since these sectors are the responsibility of the States, our success in this area will depend critically upon the ability of the State Governments to finance the large expenditures needed in these sectors and, equally important, upon their ability to manage resources efficiently so that expenditure leads to actual provision of services. There are serious problems in both areas.

All State Governments now face severe financial problems. There was a time when many State governments enjoyed a positive balance from current revenues, which was used to finance part of their plan expenditure, the rest being financed through borrowed resources. Today almost all States have a negative balance from current revenues which means they are borrowing even to meet current expenditure. Their plan is financed entirely by additional borrowings. This is a recipe for fiscal disaster.

The road to financial viability in the States is a difficult one but the journey must begin if we are to have any hope of achieving our development objectives in the next decade. What needs to be done is fairly well known. The process of downsizing government must begin both in the Centre and in the States. We must also move to eliminate the huge hidden subsidies such as for example the enormous losses in the power sector and in irrigation. Basic reforms in how these sectors are managed are now unavoidable. None of this is easy nor can it be done overnight. The first step must be a clear recognition that it needs to be done. Once this is recognised it is necessary to put the issue on the political agenda. A determined effort, spread over a period of three to four years is needed and could yield substantial results.

Another area of weakness, which could jeopardise our growth prospects is the weakness in our physical infrastructure. The supply and quality of power, the capacity of our road networks, railways and ports, the efficiency of the telecommunication system and even the quality of our municipal services and urban infrastructure all fall far short of what is needed to achieve 8% growth. Massive investments are needed in all these areas, combined with significant improvements in quality.

How can this be achieved ? I believe we need to recognise the special management challenges of infrastructure development to a much greater extent than we have done so far. We have been locked into a system where infrastructure services are provided by a monopoly public sector supplier, usually within a framework of inadequate user charges which do not cover the cost of the service. The result is that the flow of resources is inadequate even to maintain existing capacity, let alone assure expansion and modernisation. This has happened in power, in roads and in railways. The fact that each sector consists of a public sector monopoly adds its own inefficiencies and lack of attention to customer requirements.

We have to break out of this vicious circle. We have to recognise that users have to pay the economic cost of infrastructure services. If there is a case for subsidising some sections, such subsidies must be strictly limited to well defined and clearly deserving target groups and not extended generally to large numbers in the belief that "the common man" can not afford to pay. Along with rationalising tariffs and user charges we must also open up the public sector monopoly and allow competing supply by the private sector wherever possible.

Efforts have been made in this direction in each of the infrastructure sectors but many of these initiatives have got bogged down. Tariff rationalisation, whether it is in power or railways or telecommunications is proving difficult. The effort to attract private suppliers is also proving more complex than was supposed. We have not created the enabling environment which would enable the private sector to enter these regulated areas with confidence that they will face a level playing field. It may be necessary to go back to the drawing board and rethink the framework of policy in some of these sectors to make it possible for efficient private sector suppliers to enter and provide a competing service. Customers will certainly benefit whenever this happens as the experience with private airlines and cellular phones already demonstrates.

These are some of challenges facing us as we head into the first decade of the 21^st Century. Viewed as economic or management problems they seem simple enough. Indeed it is difficult for economists or management specialists to imagine how else these problems can be tackled. Viewed from a political perspective however things are much complex. Politicians need to manage political change by building awareness of the need for change and working towards a consensus in favour of change. We have not done as much in this area as we should. Perhaps our management institutes, such as IIM, Calcutta, can devote some of their energies to this very important aspects of policy by interacting with governments and injecting a management perspective which is much needed.

I hope the young managers who are graduating today will be involved in some way in solving some of these problems. Past experience suggests that new initiatives are possible, policies can be modified, and attitudes to policy can be changed over time. If we can continue to show such flexibility in future we can be reasonably sure that the decade ahead will bring new levels of prosperity to the country and new professional challenge to the managers of the future.

↧

Car emissions

November 18, 2013, 5:08 am

≫ Next: History of Emission Norms in India

≪ Previous: "Managing India's Economy in the Next Decade" Montek S. Ahluwalia

Car emissions
The emissions from petrol and diesel combustion engines include carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Partially burnt fuel is present in the exhaust gases forming a complex cocktail of hydrocarbons (HCs) such as methane (CH4). Particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) is also produced and is especially prevalent in diesel exhaust.

Vehicle emissions contribute to the increasing concentration of gases that are leading to climate change. In order of significance, the principal greenhouse gases associated with road transport are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Road transport is the third largest source of UK greenhouse gases and accounts for over 20% of total emissions. Of the total greenhouse gas emissions from transport, over 85% are due to CO2 emissions from road vehicles. The transport sector is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases.
Road transport also remains the main source of many local emissions including benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates (PMs). Within urban areas, the percentage of contributions due to road transport is particularly high - in London road transport contributes almost 80% of particulate emissions. There is a growing body of evidence to link vehicle pollutants to human ill health including the incidence of respiratory and cardio-pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
In 1998 the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants estimated that up to 24,000 people die prematurely each year in the UK as a direct result of air pollution. Similar findings are emerging from international research. According to the World Health Organisation, up to 13,000 deaths per year among children (aged 0-4 years) across Europe are directly attributable to outdoor pollution. The organisation estimates that if pollution levels were returned to within EU limits, more than 5,000 or these lives could be saved each year.

References: Holgate, S. Quantification of the Effects of Air Pollution on Health in the United Kingdom. The Stationery Office, London, 1998; WHO (2004) One in three child deaths in Europe due to environment. World Health Organisation, June 2004.

EU vehicle emissions standards

European directives have been instrumental in reducing what are known as the regulated emissions. These include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HCs) and particulate matter less than 10 microns in size (PM10). First introduced in 1992, these form a set of rolling regulations designed to become more stringent year on year. Currently limits for new cars and light-duty vans must conform to 'Euro IV' standards.
The effect of tighter Euro standards on vehicle emissions has been to accelerate the introduction of greener vehicle technologies. For petrol cars, this has been achieved in part through the use of the three-way catalytic converter and the move to fuel injection systems. For diesels, NOx and particulate emissions have been reduced through the development of direct injection engines and diesel particulate filters (DPFs).
These technological advances, together with the cleaner fuels that made these developments possible, have led to a dramatic reduction in regulated pollutants; so much so, that a car manufactured today produces twenty times fewer emissions than a car made in 1970. Car manufacturers are well aware that future cars will have to conform to yet tighter regulations – indeed, while Euro V came into force in 2010, tighter standards will come into force in 2015 (Euro VI).
In contrast to the legislation for regulated pollutants, there was until recently no current EU law which limits the amount of carbon dioxide produced by cars. However, in 2009, the European Parliament passed new car CO2 legislation that sets an emissions cap of 130 g/km averaged over all new vehicles produced by each manufacturer by 2015. The 130 g/km average will be the equivalent of 58 mpg for diesel engines and 52 mpg for petrol engines.
Reaching this goal will be phased in over three years; by 2012, 65% of each manufacturers' newly registered cars must comply, 75% by 2013 and 80% by 2014 and 100% by 2015. An extended target is set to be an average of 95 g/km by 2020. Manufacturers that exceed targets from 2012 onwards will have to pay a penalty for each car registered, which amounts to €5 for the first g/km of over the limit, €15 for the second g/km, €25 for the third, and €95 for each subsequent gram. From 2019, stricter penalties will be introduced with every exceeding gram costing the manufacturer €95.

EU emissions standards for passenger cars (in g/km)

Euro Standard	Implementation date*	CO (g/km)	THC (g/km)	NMHC (g/km)	NOx (g/km)	HC=NOx (g/km)	PM (g/km)
Diesel
Euro I	July 1993	2.72	-	-	-	0.97	0.14
Euro II	January 1997	1.00	-	-	-	0.70	0.08
Euro III	January 2001	0.64	-	-	0.50	0.56	0.05
Euro IV	January 2006	0.50	-	-	0.25	0.30	0.025
Euro V	September 2010	0.500	-	-	0.180	0.230	0.005
Euro VI	September 2015	0.500	-	-	0.080	0.170	0.005
Petrol
Euro I	July 1993	2.72	-	-	-	0.97	-
Euro II	January 1997	2.20	-	-	-	0.50	-
Euro III	January 2001	2.30	0.20	-	0.15	-	-
Euro IV	January 2006	1.00	0.10	-	0.08	-	-
Euro V	September 2010	1.000	0.100	0.068	0.060	-	0.005**
Euro VI	September 2015	0.100	0.100	0.068	0.060	-	0.005**
* Market placement (or first registration) dates, after which all new engines placed on the market must meet the standard. EU emission standards also specify Type Approval dates (usually one year before the respective market placement dates) after which all newly type approved models must meet the standard. ** Applies only to vehicles with direct injection engines.

Effects of vehicle emissions

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
While carbon dioxide is non-toxic, its main environmental effect is as a greenhouse gas. Each year an estimated 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted due to human activity, 2% of which originates from the United Kingdom.
To illustrate the scale of the impact of these emissions as a result of human activities, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (from all sources) has increased by 31% since 1750. The present concentration has not been exceeded during the past 420,000 years and likely not during the past 20 million years. The current rate of increase is unprecedented during at least the past 20,000 years. Over the last two decades, about three-quarters of the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide have been a result of burning of fossil fuels, the rest being predominantly due to land-use change (eg deforestation).
By enhancing the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gas emissions are leading to increases of the Earth's atmospheric, land and sea temperatures. During the 20th century the global average surface temperature (the average of near surface air temperature over land and sea surface temperature) increased by 0.6 (+/-0.2)degC. This temperature is predicted to increase by 1.4-5.8degC by 2100 (1990 baseline). Based on palaeo-climate data, the projected rate of warming is very likely to be without precedent during at least the last 10,000 years. The concomitant rises in sea levels and resulting climatic change will be of great (and as yet unknown) significance to all patterns of life on Earth.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Produced during the incomplete combustion of carbon compounds such as fossil fuels, this gas is known to be deleterious to human health. During respiration it readily combines with haemoglobin in the blood thus hindering the body's ability to take up oxygen. It is thought therefore to aggravate respiratory and heart disease.
Carbon monoxide also contributes to global warming to a small degree. This it does indirectly after first taking part in chemical reactions within the atmosphere. One such reaction would be with oxygen, forming carbon dioxide and thus contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
As a result of the high temperatures occurring during combustion, nitrogen combines with oxygen from the air forming oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2, N2O etc.). These gases are known to be responsible for acid deposition via the formation of nitric acid. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is toxic even in small concentrations and is known to cause and aggravate human respiratory diseases. Nitrous oxide (N2O) also contributes directly to global warming and is responsible for around 7% of the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Particulates (PMs)
Particulates, commonly known as 'black smoke', are fine particles produced by incomplete combustion, the burning of lubrication oil and by the presence of impurities within the fuel. Typically with a dimension of the order of 10 microns or less (known as 'PM10'), they are known to cause and aggravate human respiratory diseases and are thought to be carcinogenic. The World Health Organisation has issued a report stating that there are no concentrations of airborne micro-sized particulate matter that are not hazardous to human health.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds consist of a number of different chemicals including hydrocarbons (eg methane), which are released during the production, refining, storage and combustion of fossil fuels. The largest environmental risks of VOCs are due to the presence of benzene and 1,3-butadiene, which are both carcinogens and are easily inhaled due to their volatile nature. Other chemicals in this category are responsible for the production of tropospheric ozone, which is toxic even in low concentrations.
Methane is a significant greenhouse gas and is released during the drilling for oil and gas and during the combustion of petroleum products. Around 5% of methane emissions are due to the production and use of fuels used for road transport.
Tropospheric Ozone (O3)
In the stratosphere, ozone absorbs ultraviolet light, therefore reducing the number of harmful rays reaching living organisms at the Earth's surface. However, at ground level (the troposphere), ozone is toxic to animals and plants. Ozone is thought to be responsible for aggravating human respiratory disease and is known to reduce crop yields.
While the concentration of stratospheric ozone is being depleted by the action of chlorofluorocarbons and other chemicals, exhaust emissions from road vehicles are increasing the concentration of ozone at ground level. Although there are a number of sources of man-made tropospheric ozone, transport is known to be a major contributor of emissions through the action of sunlight on emitted VOCs.
Lead (Pb)
Lead is known to affect the mental development of young children and is known to be toxic. It was originally introduced into petroleum products as an 'anti-knock' additive to improve combustion in a spark-ignition (petrol) engine. At its peak, road transport was responsible for three quarters of airborne lead in the UK. However, due to the introduction of unleaded petrol and the elimination of leaded fuels in Europe in 2000, the amount of lead emitted has fallen by over 80%.
SOURCE
http://www.nextgreencar.com/caremissions.php

↧

14 Things You Can Clean With Lemon

5 Things to Know Now About Typhoon Haiyan

The Effects of Turbidity in a Pond

1. What Is Turbidity?

Plants

Animals

Measuring Turbidity

14 Reasons Why Nature Gifs are Your New Favorite Thing

1. Boom! Because You Can See Epic Ice Explosions in the Arctic

2. Because Arctic Foxes are Adorable, and You Didn’t Know Before

3. Because Surfers are Rad

4. Because You Can Just Sit There and Watch the Sky

5. Because Waterfalls Demand to be Seen in Motion

6. Because You Find Places You Didn’t Know Existed

7. Because Sometimes, Ducks Just Relax You

8. Because Sunrises Always Cheer You Up

9. Because You Didn’t Know Cheetahs Loved the Camera

10. Because the Sunset in the Desert Makes You Feel Like a Cowboy

11. Because the Angel Falls in Venezuela are Beguiling

12. Because the Ocean Never Fails to Make You Think

13. Because the Northern Lights are Other-worldly

14. Because Sloths

India Sends Relief Aid to Philippines

5 consequences of failure of redistribution of land in India

EU vehicle emissions standards

Effects of vehicle emissions

1.
What Is Turbidity?