FRIENDS OF ENVIRONMENT: The world's
largest producer and marketer of
home appliances, Whirlpool Corporation, will flow in Rs 350 crore for
setting up a modern CFC-free, nofrost refrigerator manufacturing
plant in Maharashtra. This amount
would be in addition to Whirlpool's
earlier financial commitment of
Rs 350 crore in its two joint ventures
in India. Stanley K Kinnett, executive
vice president, Whirlpool South Asia,
said that the company plans to be a
"major force in all segments of India's
booming white goods market".
SOLVING WATER PROBLEMS: China
Water Company, a joint venture
between the China arm of Hongkong
land Holdings, Tamasek Holdings
and AIDC will finance and develop
water-treatment projects in China.
According to Hong Kong land, the
venture will develop water-supply
facilities of 150,000
cu m a day. Each
group will invest
US $10 million in
the venture. Tamasek is an investment
company owned by
the Singapore government, while AIDC is owned by the
Australian government. Managing
director of Hongkong land, Percy
Weatherall feels that China Water
Company will contribute to finding
solutions to China'a water supply
and pollution problems.
GOOD WOOD: Coirply, an eco-friendly
wood substitute made of coir fibre
and wood vineer has been developed
by the research division of the Coir
Board, the Central Institute of Coir
Technology, Bangalore. "When the
product becomes widely used, it can
save our rapidly depleting forest
wealth," said Board chairperson K
George Joseph. A 12 mm coirply
board can be sold for Rs 81 per
square metre which is far cheaper
than the phenol-bonded MDF boards
which cost Rs 144. The Board has also
requested the centre to raise the subsidy from Rs 11akh to Rs 21akh.
RELYING ON HERBS: Mumbai-based Rallis
India, in conformation with its doctrine
of gradually switching over to the production of herbal
medicines, is going to
launch a new herbal drug,
Primedasa, used to enhance rapid
action of antibiotics, and a herbal
syrup, Khasinol, this year. In August,
the company is also launching a new
fungicide, mainly for grapes, called
Bordeaux mixture. The fungicide
will be manufactured at Pal ghat with
a total capacity of 1,000 tonnes per
day.
WASTE TO ENERGY: Western Paques, a
Gadgil Western group company is
planning a joint venture with
Tata Iron and Steel Company for setting up a two-phased four MW
power project. The project involves
recycling garbage to produce power.
The project is estimated to cost
around Rs 50 crore and it will be
executed in two phases. Facilities for
the collection and disposal of
garbage will be set up in the first
phase, while the second phase will
entail installing a power plant to
generate about four MW by processing municipal solid waste.
NO PROBLEM CAR: One of the most
prestigious car makers of the world
Mercedes of Germany, unveiled the
model for their new car which they
say is a breakthrough in environment-friendlycars, as it emits no pollution at all. According to company
sources the new
electric car, which
could be in production by the year
2010, uses hydrogen and oxygen to
produce electricity
to power itself. This
new environment-friendly car can
travel at 100 km per hour and carry
upto six people. The only emission
which the car causes is a little cloud
of steam.
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