Status of Jal Jeevan Mission

 Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country. Towards this end, the Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to be implemented in partnership with states, in August 2019. Drinking Water is a state subject, and hence, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, including those under the Jal Jeevan Mission, lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance.

Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households. At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (16.8%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 30.01.2024, more than 10.98 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM, out of these around 2.58 Crore have been provided in 2023-24. Thus, as on 30.01.2024, out of 19.27 Crore rural households in the country, more than 14.21 Crore (73.76%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

In the current financial year i.e. 2023-24, an amount of Rs. 70,000 Crore have been allocated under the Mission. Out of the allocated fund, an amount of Rs. 54,635.51 Crore has already been released to the eligible States/UTs. Further, from the total available fund with the States including their matching States share, as on 30.01.2024, amount of Rs. 1,13,670 Crore has been reported as utilized by the States.

Har Ghar Jal Initiative

 Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country. Towards this end, the Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to be implemented in partnership with states, in August 2019. Drinking Water is a state subject, and hence, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, including those under the Jal Jeevan Mission, lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance.

Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households. At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (16.8%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 30.01.2024, more than 10.98 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 30.01.2024, out of 19.27 Crore rural households in the country, more than 14.21 Crore (73.76%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

As per Operational Guidelines of JJM, after making provision of tap connections to all rural households in a village, the Department implementing the scheme provides completion certificate to Gram Panchayat and marks the village as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ village on JJM-IMIS. Subsequently, Gram Panchayats in its Gram Sabha meeting after reading out aloud the work completion report, formally passes resolution certifying itself as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ village. The copy of certificate provided by implementing department, resolution passed by Gram Sabha, and a small video capturing the Gram Sabha is reflected on JJM Dashboard and village is marked certified in JJM-IMIS. As such, due to time lag in the two processes, the difference exists in Har Ghar Jal reported and certified villages.

As reported by States/UTs, as on 30.01.2024, out of around 2.02 lakh villages reported as ‘Har Ghar Jal’, more than 1.01 lakh villages have been certified by the respective Gram Sabha.

States/ UTs, are being regularly advised during various review meetings, field visits, conferences, etc. to provide tap water connections to all households and complete the HGJ certification.  Moreover, time and again States are advised to organize special Gram Sabha meetings for Har Ghar Jal certification after completion of tap water supply works in the village.

Reinventing Township Model to Conserve Water

 Implementation of measures pertaining to water conservation and zero-waste water discharge in the country are a continuous process and it is the constant endeavor of the Government to strive towards water conservation and zero-waste water discharge in both the urban and rural areas of the country. Government of India in 2015 launched Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in 500 selected cities (485 cities including 15 merged cities) across the country covering around 60% of the Urban Population. AMRUT focuses on development of basic urban infrastructure in the selected cities in the sectors of Water Supply; Sewerage & Septage Management; Storm Water Drainage; Non-Motorised Public Transport; and Permeable Green Spaces & Parks.

To carry forward the objective of universal coverage of water supply from 500 cities to about 4,900 statutory towns, AMRUT 2.0 has been launched on 1st October 2021. AMRUT 2.0 focuses on making the cities ‘self-reliant’ & ‘water secure’. Providing universal coverage of sewerage & septage management in 500 AMRUT cities is other major focus of AMRUT 2.0. Under AMRUT 2.0, rejuvenation of water bodies and wells is one of main components. The admissible elements include harvesting the rainwater through storm water drains into water body (which is not receiving sewage/ effluent).

National Water Policy, 2012 advocates rainwater harvesting and de-salinization in urban and industrial areas, wherever techno-economically feasible, to increase availability of utilizable water.

Further, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has also formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014. Adequate focus has been given on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures in these guidelines.

In order to make urban water management and urban river management as important aspect of urban planning, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) has started River Cities Alliance (RCA) in November, 2021 with 30 cities on banks of River Ganga, now has 142 river cities as members.

RCA is a platform for building capacities of municipal officials and stakeholders by way of a platform for sharing best practices in urban water management like Catch The Rain, treating sewage, reuse of treated water etc. Under this, the officials are trained in preparing urban river management plans for protection of water bodies in India.


Safety Reviews of Aging Dams in the Country

 As per the National Register of Large (Specified) Dams, 2023 compiled by the National Dam Safety Authority, there are 234 number of large dams in India, which are more than 100 years old. State/UT-wise list of these dams is enclosed as Annexure.

Responsibility for safety of dams, including its operation and maintenance rests primarily with dam owners which are mostly the State Governments and Central/State Public Sector Units. At present dam owners generally carry out the safety audit in terms of periodical pre-monsoon and post-monsoon inspection of their dams. States have also constituted Dam Safety Review Panels for comprehensive audit of their dams. As per the compliance of Dam Safety Act 2021, dam owning agencies have reported the pre-monsoon & post-monsoon inspections of about 6414 and 4150 dams respectively during the FY 2023-24.

Government of India is also implementing the externally funded Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) for improving the safety and operational performance of some of the selected dams across the country with accompanying institutional strengthening for dam safety. Under the externally funded DRIP, Phase-I programme which was completed in March 2021, a total of 198 dam projects in seven states were comprehensively reviewed for its safety conditions and rehabilitated and strengthened. After completion of DRIP, Phase-I programme, Government of India has taken up DRIP, Phase-II & III scheme, wherein about 736 dams will be comprehensively audited and rehabilitated with financial assistance from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank. Under this scheme, comprehensive inspection and review of about 408 dams have been completed by the Dam Safety Review Panels constituted by the States.

Further, Union Government has enacted the Dam Safety Act 2021, which became effective from 30th December 2021. The Act provides a comprehensive frame work for proper surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all the large dams of the country for ensuring their safe functioning and to avoid dam failure related disasters. There is a provision for comprehensive dam safety evaluation for each specified dam under Section 38 of the Dam Safety Act 2021.

However, here it is important to mention that aging of dams is not detrimental to its overall health, provided it is maintained properly and timely repairs are carried out in the structure, ensuring its structural integrity, safety features and operation.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

 

ANNEXURE

State-wise list of Large dams as per NRLD-2019

Sl No.

State/UT

No. of Large dams more than 100 years old (constructed in or before 1922)

1

Andaman and Nicobar

0

2.

Andhra Pradesh

6

3.

Arunachal Pradesh

0

4.

Assam

0

5.

Bihar

1

6.

Chhattisgarh

7

7.

Goa

0

8.

Gujarat

30

9.

Haryana

0

10.

Himachal Pradesh

0

11.

Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh

0

12.

Jharkhand

0

13.

Karnataka

15

14.

Kerala

1

15.

Madhya Pradesh

63

16.

Maharashtra

44

17.

Manipur

0

18.

Meghalaya

0

19.

Mizoram

0

20.

Nagaland

0

21.

Odisha

3

22.

Punjab

0

23.

Rajasthan

25

24.

Sikkim

0

25.

Tamil Nadu

1

26.

Tripura

0

27.

Telangana

21

28.

Uttar Pradesh

17

29.

Uttarakhand

0

30.

West Bengal

0

Total

234

 

****

Per Capita Water Availability

 The average annual water availability of any region or country is largely dependent upon hydro- meteorological and geological factors, however, water availability per person is dependent on population of a country. The per capita water availability in the country is reducing due to increase in population. Based on the study titled “Reassessment of Water Availability in India using Space Inputs, 2019” conducted by Central Water Commission, the average annual per capita water availability for year 2021 and 2031 has been assessed as 1486 cubic meter and 1367 cubic meter respectively. Annual per-capita water availability of less than 1700 cubic meter is considered as water stressed condition whereas annual per-capita water availability below 1000 cubic meters is considered as a water scarcity condition.

‘Water’ being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources which positively impact over the issue of per capita water availability are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes.

Government of India, in partnership with State, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household of the country by 2024.

Government of India has launched AMRUT 2.0 on 1st October 2021, covering all the statutory towns of the country to ensure universal coverage of water supply & make cities ‘water secure’.

To ensure optimum utilization of water, Government of India has been implementing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY) from 2015-16 onwards. Under PMKSY-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), 99 ongoing major/medium irrigation projects and 7 phases were prioritized during 2016-17, in consultation with States, out of which AIBP works of 58 prioritized projects have been reported to be completed as on date. The extension of PMKSY for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26 has been approved by Government of India, with an overall outlay of Rs. 93,068.56 crore.

The Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) Programme has been brought under PMKSY – Har Khet Ko Pani from 2015-16 onwards. The main objective of taking up CAD works is to enhance utilisation of irrigation potential created and improve agriculture production on a sustainable basis through Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM).

The Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) has been set up for promotion, regulation and control of efficient use of water in irrigation, industrial and domestic sector. The Bureau will be a facilitator for promotion of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industries, etc. in the country.

“Sahi Fasal” campaign was launched to nudge farmers in the water stressed areas to grow crops which are not water intensive but use water very efficiently; and are economically remunerative; are healthy and nutritious; suited to the agro-climatic-hydro characteristics of the area; and are environmentally friendly.

The Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched on National Panchayati Raj Day on 24th April 2022 as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav with an objective to conserve water for future. The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country.

Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA: CTR) – 2023 campaign, the fourth in the series of JSAs, was launched by Hon’ble President on 04.03.2023 in all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country for implementation from 04 March 2023 to 30 November 2023 – the pre-monsoon and monsoon period. The campaign was implemented across the country with the main theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water. The focused interventions of the campaign include (1) water conservation and rainwater harvesting (2) enumerating, geo-tagging & making inventory of all water bodies; preparation of scientific plans for water conservation based on it (3) Setting up of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts (4) intensive afforestation and (5) awareness generation.

The other important steps taken by the Central Government to control water depletion and promote rain water harvesting/conservation are available at the URL:

https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s3a70dc40477bc2adceef4d2c90f47eb82/uploads/2023/02/2023021742.pdf

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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Amendments to streamline Food Safety and Standards Regulations

 In a move that would facilitate ease of doing business through the concept of ‘One Nation, One Commodity, One Regulator’, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in its 43rd meeting held recently  in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary, Shri Apurva Chandra, approved various amendments to streamline food safety and standards regulations.

WhatsApp Image 2024-02-05 at 5.jpeg

Various amendments across different Food Safety and Standards Regulations were approved in the meeting to do away with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or AGMARK certification for food products. After the amendments are finalised, food businesses would not have to go to different authorities for mandatory certification with only FSSAI certification being made mandatory for food products.

Other approvals include standards of Mead (Honey wine) and Alcoholic Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, revision of standards of milk fat products, standards for Haleem etc.

The Food Authority also approved a first-of-its-kind and comprehensive manuals of methods of analysis for ensuring regulatory compliance of the food products.

The amendments across different Food Safety and Standards Regulations were approved in the meeting for draft notification to invite stakeholder comments before finalisation. These regulations included the revision of standards of Milk Fat Products, as part of which the fatty acid requirements for Ghee will also be applicable for other milk fat products.

The Food Authority is also going to set standards for ‘Haleem’ as part of standards for meat products. Haleem is a dish made of meat, pulses, grains and other ingredients, which currently don’t have any set standards.

Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI; officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; States and Union Territories attended the meeting. Representatives from industry associations, consumer organizations, research institutes and farmers’ organisations were also present in the meeting.

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National Dental Commission

 In a significant step towards dental healthcare, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the new headquarters of the National Dental Commission (NDC) and laid the foundation stones for three Nursing Colleges in Andhra Pradesh and one in Jammu and Kashmir virtually, here today. Additionally, Dr. Mandaviya presided over the MoU between the Dental Council of India and Quality Council of India for the assessment and rating of undergraduate dental colleges and launched the National Dental Register under the National Health Digital Mission. Dr. Mandaviya was joined by Dr. Manik Saha, Chief Minister of Tripura and Shri Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir joined virtually.

Dr. Mandaviya stated “the advent of Dental Commission heralds marking a new era in dental education and administration.” He further added “Through the Dental Commission Act, the government has made an effort to make dental education more practical, affordable and bring transparency in the entire system, simultaneously providing patients with affordable and good treatment.” Dr. Mandaviya declared “It is imperative to create awareness regarding oral hygiene enabling us to tap into the immense opportunities in this domain benefitting our nation.” Praising the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, Dr. Mandaviya lauded the proactive approach to health underscoring the magnitude of change ushered in for the benefit of all enhancing the accessibility and availability of healthcare services.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Health Minister emphasized with the launch of National Dental Register (NDR) created under One Nation One Register, the people of the country will get the identity and qualification of dentist in a transparent manner. He further added “NDR will provide Unique Identification (DCI ID) to all dentists practicing in India after verification from the respective State Dental Council. The NDR will also help citizens identify dentists verified by state dental councils.”

Highlighting the government’s commitment to strengthen the nursing workforce and mitigate healthcare disparities across regions, Dr. Mandaviya stated “this ceremony is a part of government’s scheme to establish 157 new nursing colleges co-located with existing medical colleges.” He further added “the advancements made in the sphere of health and medical infrastructure will provide quality and affordable healthcare and open many opportunities in the healthcare sector, vastly benefitting the nation.” He further added “with the increasing demand of trained Indian nurses abroad, the government has incorporated foreign language courses in medical education institutes providing an additional advantage to the students in capturing opportunities abroad citing the example of the foreign language course in Japanese that has been initiated in two of the nursing colleges in Assam.

Shri Manik Saha applauded the transformation taking place in the health sector and stated “the establishment of these institutions will benefit the common man enabling easy accessibility of affordable healthcare services.”

Addressing the gathering, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha, emphasized the pivotal role of nurses in healthcare delivery and stated that the establishment of nursing colleges is a significant step towards building qualified human resources in healthcare, aligning with national mandate for universal healthcare.

The event was attended by­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Vipul Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, senior government officials, Padmashri (1992), Padma Bhushan (2005) (HONY) BRIG. Dr. Anil Kohli, Padmashri Dr. R.K Bali, Dental Council of India, Dr. Dibyendu Majumdar, Chairman of Dental Commission of India, Dr. Montu M. Patel, President, Pharmacy Council of India, Dr. T Dileep Kumar, Indian Nursing Council, faculty and students of Sardar Patel PG Institute of Dental and Medical Science, Raj Bhawan Jammu, Buddha Dental Institute of Dental Sciences, Jammu and Kashmir Nursing College, Manchilpatam Nursing College Andhra Pradesh, Dental College, RIMS, Ranchi, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (IDS).

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28th Session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28)

 An Inter-Ministerial delegation from India had attended the 28th Session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 30th November 2023 to 13th December 2023.

 The subjects discussed at COP 28 included the First Global Stocktake, Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), Loss and Damage Fund, Operationalisation of work programme on Just Transition pathways, Santiago Network for Loss and Damage and matters related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

The First Global Stocktake (GST) decision calls on Parties to contribute in a nationally determined manner, taking into account the Paris Agreement and their different national circumstances, pathways and approaches to, inter alia, transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power, accelerating efforts globally towards net zero emission energy systems, utilizing zero- and low-carbon fuels well before or by around mid-century and to triple renewable energy capacity globally and double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The decision commits to accelerate action on the basis of the best available science, reflecting equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances. The decision recognises the need to peak global emissions by 2025, and that time frames for peaking may be shaped by sustainable development, poverty eradication needs and equity and in line with different national circumstances. The decision stressed that Global Carbon budget is now small and rapidly depleting, and historical cumulative net carbon dioxide emissions already account for about four-fifths of the total carbon budget. The First GST also decided that any Unilateral measure should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade. Developed countries have been asked to provide financial resources to the Developing countries for their climate actions. They have also been urged to fulfil the commitment of USD 100 billion per year through 2025.

In line with the mandate under the Paris Agreement to develop Global Goal for Adaptation, COP28 finalised the ‘Emirates Framework for Global Climate Resilience’, which gave Global targets in the areas of potable water supply, climate-resilient food and health services, resilient human settlement and culture. The targets also include the vulnerability assessment and establishment of multi hazard early warning systems.

The decision on the operationalization of the new funding arrangements, including a Fund, for responding to loss and damage,  promised at COP27, was adopted. The new fund is to be hosted by the World Bank for an initial period of four years. 19 countries made commitments totalling $792 million towards the fund and funding arrangements related to loss and damage.

COP28 delivered a Just Transition Work Programme. This programme will drive ambitious, equitable implementation across all pillars of the Paris Agreement. It encompasses pathways that include energy, socioeconomic, workforce and other dimensions.

On Santiago Network for Loss and Damage, the consortium of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) were selected for hosting of the Santiago network secretariat for an initial term of five years.

Under the Article 6 decision, development of UNFCCC web-based platform for non-market approaches has been discussed. Parties will undertake identification, development and implementation of their non-market approaches once the UNFCCC web-based platform becomes fully operational.

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

***

Compensation for Wild Animals Attacks

 Incidences of wild animal attacks have been reported from various parts of the country including from the state of Kerala. The steps taken by Government for protection of wildlife and management of human-wildlife conflict include the following:

A network of Protect Areas namely viz., National Park, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserving covering important wildlife habitat have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.

The Central Government provides financial assistance to State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for management of wildlife and its habitat in the country. The activities supported under the scheme include construction/erection of physical barriers such as barbed wire fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary walls etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields;

An advisory on dealing with human-wildlife conflict has been issued by the Ministry in February 2021. The Advisory recommends coordinated interdepartmental action, identification of conflict hot spots, adherence to Standard Operating Procedures, establishment of rapid response teams, formation of State and District level committees to review the quantum of ex-gratia relief, issuing guidance/instructions for expedited payments, and provision of adequate funds for suitable portion of ex-gratia relief to be paid within 24 hours to the affected persons in the case of death and injury to persons.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also issued Guidelines to States/UTs on 3rd June, 2022 on managing Human Wildlife conflict including damage to crops. It includes promotion of crops in forest fringe areas which are unpalatable to wild animals, agro forestry models which include cash crops like chillies, lemon grass, khus grass etc. suitably mixed with tree/shrub species. It also includes preparation and implementation of comprehensive long-term plan for alternate cropping by the state Agriculture/Horticulture Department under different schemes in vulnerable areas.

The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides regulatory functions for dealing with human wildlife conflict situations.

The Ministry has provided financial assistance to Kerala under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Development of Wildlife Habitats for better protection of wildlife and improvement of habitat including for activities to curb human wildlife conflict. The details of funds released to Kerala under this scheme during last five years is as follows:

 (Rs. in lakh)

 

Name of the State/UTs

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

2023-24

Kerala

845.026

731.2845

295.7737

224.4735

921.0361

 

The States/Union Territories pay compensation as per their norms. The details of the number of persons who got injured or lost their lives due to attacks by wild animals and details of compensation provided by State Governments are not collated at the level of the Ministry.

The Ministry has recently, increased the ex-gratia payment in case of Human-Wildlife conflict. The revised rates of relief under ex-gratia are as follows:

 

S. No.

Nature of damage caused by wild animals

Amount of ex-gratia relief

(a)

Death or permanent incapacitation to human beings

₹10 lakh

(b)

Grievous injury

₹ 2 lakh

(c)

Minor injury

Cost of treatment upto Rs 25000/-per

(d)

Loss of property/crops

State /UT Government may adhere to the cost norms prescribed by them.

 

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Black-necked Crane

 The Wildlife Institute of India and the Zoological Survey of India have been carrying out assessment of the black-necked cranes. As per the survey conducted by Wildlife Institute of India in 2016-2017 in Ladakh region, the population size of black necked crane was around 66-69 individuals.In Arunachal Pradesh, a small population of approximately 11 individuals arrives during winter months.

The important steps taken to protect bird species include:

  1. The Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby according them the highest degree of protection.
  2. The species is also listed in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora and the Convention on conservation of Migratory Species.
  3. The important habitats of Black-necked Crane have been notified as a Protected Areas, for example, Changthang Sanctuary, Ladakh.
  4. The Tso Kar Wetlands Complex, an important foraging and breeding ground for Black-necked Crane has been designated as a Ramsar Site in December 2020.
  5. The National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031) released by the Ministry in October 2017 provides for specific Chapters and priority actions on various aspects of wildlife conservation like,  conservation of threatened species, mitigating human wildlife conflict, conservation of inland and coastal and marine ecosystems, landscape level conservation, etc.
  6. The Central Government provides financial assistance to State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ for management of wildlife and its habitat in the country.
  7. In accordance with provisions contained under Section 33 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Ministry has issued guidelines for the process of management planning for Protected Areas.
  8. The Government of India has initiated Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) programme, that aims to generate public awareness about the environment, and conservation.
  9. Important days such as World Wildlife Day,  Wetlands Day, Migratory Bird Day, etc. and  Wildlife Week are celebrated to bring in more awareness on wildlife and biodiversity among the public.

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

***

Air quality grant to million plus cities

 The details of funds utilized under the Air Quality Grant sanctioned by 15th Finance Commission to Million Plus Cities/ Urban Agglomeration as aimed by the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) for performance-based grants for improvement in air quality for the period 2020-21 to 2025-26, city-wise;

The details of funds utilized under the 15th Finance Commission to support the implementation of City Specific Action Plans (CAPs) for improvement of Air Quality under the National Clean Air Programme along with the details for non-utilization of funds by non-attainment cities; and

The details of mobilization of City Specific Action Plans through the convergence of resources for Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart City Mission, Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT), Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle – II (FAME), and other schemes?

Under the 15th Finance Commission air quality performance grant, an amount of Rs. 16539 crores has been allocated to 42 Million Plus Cities (MPCs) (including 7 Urban Agglomerations (UAs)) during FY 2020-21 to FY 2025-26 to implement city action plans to take measures to improve air quality. The details of city-wise utilization are provided at Annexure –I.

131 cities under NCAP have been requested to mobilize resources through convergence of various schemes for the implementation of city action plans. Action plans of all targeted cities under NCAP were approved under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (Urban) for processing of solid waste, construction and demolition waste, remediation of legacy waste and procurement of mechanical sweepers. 107 cities have availed resources from the AMRUT 2.0 for developing green spaces, parks and non-motorised urban transport. 13,11,681 number of electric vehicles have claimed the benefit under FAME II in 20 States/UTs. Under SATAT, 27 Compressed Bio-gas (CBG) plants with the capacity of 146 TPD have been commissioned in NCAP cities.

Annexure-I

 

Details of release and utilisation of funds to Million Plus Cities under 15th Finance Commission- Air Quality Grant during FY 2020-21 to 2022-23

 

(amount in ₹ crore)

 

Sr. No.

City

Amount released

Amount utilisation

1

Vijayawada UA

124.35

27.61

2

Visakhapatnam UA

129.25

0.00

3

Patna UA

288.60

158.26

4

Durg Bhilainagar UA

112.35

31.66

5

Raipur UA

119.35

51.39

6

Ahmadabad UA

359.54

317.91

7

Rajkot UA

83.10

64.61

8

Surat UA

255.18

257.47

9

Vadodara UA

98.18

82.22

10

Faridabad UA

73.53

15.99

11

Dhanbad UA

63.09

53.21

12

Jamshedpur UA

116.85

38.14

13

Ranchi UA

93.50

48.25

14

Bruhat Bangalore UA

535.10

0.00

15

Bhopal UA

173.85

167.42

16

Gwalior UA

92.64

58.31

17

Indore UA

191.75

166.64

18

Jabalpur UA

112.25

108.65

19

Aurangabad UA

68.10

51.36

20

Greater Mumbai (GM) UA

929.09

604.64

21

Nagpur UA

132.60

17.71

22

Nashik UA

91.35

19.03

23

Pune UA

261.85

81.29

24

Vasai-Virar City UA

72.35

20.26

25

Amritsar UA

67.25

60.92

26

Ludhiana UA

91.75

54.94

27

Jodhpur UA

74.34

57.12

28

Jaipur UA

319.85

257.18

29

Kota UA

95.25

59.45

30

Chennai UA

367.00

367.51

31

Madurai UA

72.44

54.85

32

Tiruchirappalli UA

50.35

46.36

33

Hyderabad (HY) UA

443.50

377.35

34

Agra UA

166.47

130.52

35

Allahabad UA

171.33

132.93

36

Ghaziabad UA

136.25

114.57

37

Kanpur UA

239.89

211.48

38

Lucknow UA

376.38

226.26

39

Meerut UA

139.19

93.39

40

Varanasi UA

219.74

107.25

41

Asansol UA

67.60

42.55

42

Kolkata (K) UA

681.25

628.83

 

Total

8357.63

5465.49

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Closure of Pollution emitting Industries

 The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has devised a ‘Standard Protocol for Conducting Inspections, Report Preparation and Action’. The action against violators is taken based on the guidelines prescribed in this protocol.

In general, for minor non-compliances, show-cause notice is issued to unit, in line with the principles of Natural Justice and to give an opportunity to the unit, before issuance of closure directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. However, closure directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 are issued directly to the unit if it is found grossly non-complying with regard to prescribed environmental standards and other shortcomings which have potential to cause grave injury to the environment. Some of such gross non-compliances include the following:

  1. Any bypass discharge of partially treated or untreated effluent and emission observed.
  2. Injection of treated or untreated water or both into ground water (reverse boring).
  3. Operating unit having defunct Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) or Air Pollution Control Device (APCD) and/or operating without installation of ETP or APCD.
  4. Unauthorized disposal or dumping of hazardous waste likely to cause grave injury to the Environment.

 Based on Online Continuous Effluent/ Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), CPCB has inspected 215 industrial units since 2020, out of which 83 units were found non-complying with environmental norms. Based on the severity of violations, closure directions were directly issued to 7 units without issuance of show-cause notice. All these 7 units have later complied with prescribed environmental norms. The list of 7 units to which closure directions were issued directly by CPCB is as below:

S. No.

Name of the unit

Sector

1

M/s. Mithila Dugdh Utpadak Sahkari Sangh Limited (Samastipur Dairy), Samastipur, Bihar

Dairy

2

M/s Hema laboratories, Raichur, Karnataka

Pharmaceutical

3

M/s Niox Speciality Paper Mill, Mehsana, Gujarat

Pulp & paper

4

Jagruti Sugar & Allied Industries Ltd, Devni, Maharashtra

Sugar

5

Dharashiv Sakhar Karkhana Ltd., Osmanabad, Maharashtra

Sugar

6

Astik Dyestuff Pvt Ltd, Ankleshwar, Gujarat

Dye & Dye Intermediate

7

M/s Athani Sugars Ltd., Maharashtra

Sugar

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Smart Food Grain Storage System transferred to Industry

 During the launch event of “Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024” held at IIIT- Delhi, the technology for Smart Food Grain Storage System (SAFEETY) which includes conveyorized loading & unloading of grain bags having RFID for traceability, online weight and moisture measurement with Radio Frequency Based Removal of Moisture from Grain has been developed by SAMEER under the aegis of MeitY. The technology has been transferred to M/s Paras Defense and Space Technology Ltd for manufacturing and supply of the systems. The system has capacity to handle almost one truckload (approx. weight: 28 tons) of grains in 40 minutes.

The exchange of technology transferred documents were made in the presence of Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Jal Shakti, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar; Smt Sunita Verma, GC R&D in E⁢  Dr P. H. Rao, DG-SAMEER; Shri Rajesh Harsh, CI, SAMEER, Mumbai; Dr Om Krishan Singh, Scientist ‘D’, MeitY; Shri Amit Mahajan, Director Paras Defense and Space Technologies Ltd and the Senior officials in Government.

Inauguration of Smart Food grain Storage System

Transfer of proto model of SAFEETY system by Hon’ble Minister of State, MeitY Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar to Shri Amit Mahajan, Director, Paras Defense and Space Technologies Ltd

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futureDESIGN start-up companies under SemiconIndia Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme

 An announcement on two futureDESIGN semiconductor fabless companies under the Semicon India Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme was made by Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar during the launch of “Digital India FutureLABS” at IIIT Delhi. The Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024 also witnessed announcement of 20 MoUs with Industry for implementation of the futureLABS in 6 verticals – Automotive, Compute, Communication, Strategic Electronics, Industrial Electronics/ IoT and Design & innovation.

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These two Karnataka based futureDESIGN semiconductor fabless companies announced for financial support under the DLI Scheme has been providing range of chipsets and solutions for communication and med-tech sectors.

Parag Naik, founder, Saankhya Labs, mentioned that – “Saankhya Labs is a wireless communication and semiconductor solutions company, designing a full spectrum of next-gen communication solutions for the present and the future. This includes products and solutions for broadband, satellite and broadcast applications including 5G NR, Direct to Mobile (D2M) Broadcast, rural broadband connectivity, satellite communication modems for IoT applications and multi-standard DTV modulators and demodulators.”

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Vijay Muktamath, founder, Sensesemi Technologies mentioned that – “As part of the DLI Scheme, Sensesemi will be developing the SoC for IoMT and IoT devices, that shall have MCU and wireless IP integrated with ultra-low power analog front end with AI inferencing IP. Sensesemi aims to drive India’s semiconductor capabilities by providing connected SoC for everything from smart wearables, med-tech sector and other connected devices.”

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Earlier the ChipIN Centre setup at C-DAC under the SemiconIndia DLI Scheme announced the following support for state-of-the-art chip design tools from global companies-

  1. Support to academic institutions:
    1. EDA tools for academia from Synopsys to ‘pan-India academic institutions’, Cadence Design Systems to ‘150 institutions and Siemens-EDA & Ansys to ‘120 institutions’. At present, thousands of researchers & faculty members at 100+ academic institutions across the country are using these tools from ChipIN Centre to design their semiconductor chips.
    2. FPGA Hardware Boards from Xilinx to 100 academic institutions.
    3. Tapeout support to academia & start-ups for fabricating their designs at SCL foundry & overseas foundries.
  2. Support to start-ups: EDA tools for pan-India startups from Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems and Siemens-EDA to design their semiconductor chips.

In addition to these global companies, ChipIN is exploring to engage with other leading design & solution companies like- Keysight technologies & Silvaco for CAD/ EDA solutions and Qualcomm & NXP Semicondcutors for startup mentorship & support and enabling a global platform to start-ups. Engaged with over 125 academic instituions and 15 start-ups at present, ChipIN intends to become the one-stop center for chip designers across the country.

The Digital India futureLABS, coordinated by C-DAC, aims to tap into the trillion-dollar opportunity presented by the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector. The initiative seeks to move up the value chain, fortify domestic R&D, and create a collaborative ecosystem for the development of IPs, standards, and the next-generation Electronics System Design in the country.

Digital India futureLABS initiative announced by Minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar combined with SemiconIndia futureDESIGN and futureSKILLS will define the #IndiaTechade and make India #ElectronicsProductNation and SemiconductorProductNation”.

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two-day ULLAS Mela in New Delhi

 Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate the two-day ULLAS Mela on 6th February 2024 at the National Bal Bhavan, New Delhi. Union Minister of State for Education Smt. Annpurna Devi will also be present as the Special Guest.

To achieve the target of 100% literacy by 2030, the Government of India is implementing a centrally sponsored innovative scheme called Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Program for the period of FYs 2022-2027. The scheme is popularly known as ULLAS: Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society, upholding the motto “Jan-Jan Sakshar”. The scheme is targeted at all non-literates of age 15 years and above. The scheme, in line with NEP 2020, targets adults (aged 15 and above) who could not go to school or attain formal education. It focuses on imparting Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), through critical life skills, such as Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Legal Literacy, Environmental Literacy, Health & Hygiene, etc. Implemented in a hybrid mode, States/UTs have flexibility in offline, online, or combined approaches.

The scheme consists of five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy; (ii) Critical Life Skills; (iii) Basic Education; (iv) Vocational Skills; and (v) Continuing Education. ULLAS is to be implemented through VOLUNTEERISM, encouraging citizen participation, emphasizing DUTY or Kartavya Bodh towards nation-building. The scheme contributes to India’s growth, by making India जन जन साक्षर. The ULLAS App has been developed to register learners, volunteers and also containing teaching learning material for them. The learners are certified as literate by way of twice-a-year assessments in September & March.

There have been substantial activities carried out under ULLAS in most of the States/UTs. Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education is organising ULLAS Mela on 6th-7th February, 2024 in collaboration with CNCL, NCERT to showcase various National and State level activities under ULLAS- Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram. The event will comprise various activities including felicitation of Neo-literates from the States/UTs who have successfully certified in the Foundational Literacy Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT), the launch of the ULLAS Concise Primers of the states/UTs in local languages, sessions on ‘Best Practices’, panel discussion, Prize distribution to the winners of poster-making competition held during the International Literacy Week. Seven hundred participants from various States/UTs along with more than 100 dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, States/UTs and various organizations will be participating in the event.  

The live broadcast links for both days are:

1. Live Streaming Link: 6th Feb 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySaBTI9jumE

2. Live Streaming Link: 7th Feb 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDvXqM4jh94

***