Centre holds green signal to Kalasa-Banduri project

Green signal to Kalasa-Banduri project held
The Environment Ministry has put on hold the clearances granted to the Karnataka government for the Kalasa-Banduri project, as it is awaiting the judgement of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT), to which both governments of Goa and Karnataka had filed petitions on 14 August 2018. Moreover, the award has also been challenged before the Supreme Court by all three stakeholders that includes Maharashtra as well. The Kalasa-Banduri project proposes to divert Mahadayi river water from Kalasa and Banduri canals into the Malaprabha river. (Livemint)

Himachal to sell its share of Yamuna water to Delhi
The governments of Himachal Pradesh and Delhi have signed an agreement wherein the former will sell its share of Yamuna river water to Delhi at Rs 21 crore per annum. In 1994, a multi-state agreement was signed, in which Himachal government received 3 percent share of Yamuna water. However, this share remains unclaimed and at the request of the Delhi government, Himachal decided to sell its share of river water. This is the first time in the country that such an agreement has been signed between the two governments. (NDTV)

Bihar cabinet gives nod to Ganga Water Lift Scheme
As part of the Jal Jivan Hariyali campaign, the Bihar cabinet has given its green signal to the first phase of the Ganga Water Lift Scheme (GWLS) of the Water Resource Department. The first phase of the scheme, which will cost around Rs 2,836 crore, will ensure clean drinking water to Gaya, Bodhgaya and Rajgir. Pipelines will be laid out to supply 43 million cubic meter (MCM) and 7 MCM clean drinking water to the towns of Gaya and Rajgir respectively by 2021, through dedicated reservoirs and water treatment plants. In the second phase, the scheme will cover the Nawada town.  (The Times of India)

Gujarat government prepares a holistic plan for Vishwamitri river revival
To mitigate the flood risk to Vadodara city and neighbouring areas every monsoon, the Gujarat government has come up with a comprehensive plan for holistic development of the entire river area of Vishwamitri River, from its origin at Pavagadh to its amalgamation with Gulf of Khambhat. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will now invite an agency to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for developing an eco-friendly plan which will be entirely different from the Vishwamitri Riverfront project of the civic body that has been in cold storage for over a decade. In its plan, the government especially wants to ensure that the river has water throughout the year and also develop organic farming along its banks. (The Indian Express)

Maharashtra lax in implementing sand mining policy
As per a recent study by Centre, it has been revealed that despite being a frontrunner in construction activities, Maharashtra lags in terms of implementing the sand mining policy. Besides Maharashtra, the study  was conducted in 14 states including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Further, the study informed that Maharashtra is the only state that does not have any figure for the total production of river sand. Moreover, the state has no electronic measurement of the sand extracted or GPS-based tracking of the vehicles transporting it. (The Times of India)

This is a roundup of important policy matters from December 18 - 24, 2019. Also, read news this week.