PM Modi announces the repeal of three farm laws
On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government would revoke the farm laws against which thousands of farmers are demonstrating protests even after a year of being passed. The three farm laws that will be repealed are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
As per the government, these laws aimed at easing restrictions on trade in farm produce, allow food traders to stockpile large stocks of food for future sales and lay down a national framework for contract farming based on written agreement. However, the farm unions were against the legislation that would leave them at the mercy of large corporations and leave them with little bargaining power. (Hindustan Times)
HC orders Uttarakhand Chief Secy to submit environmental assessment report every three years
The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the state chief secretary to submit the state's environmental assessment report every three years.
The Survey of India will prepare the report, which will assess the state of water and air quality and the measure of forest land in the state.
The court has also directed the administrations of Dehradun and Nainital to submit a report on urbanisation and how urban development can be achieved without harming the environment every two years. (The Times of India)
12 Leh villages get tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, government engineers and contractors have managed to connect 12 of the region’s 60 villages with 24x7 piped water in the cold desert. The Union territory of Ladakh and Leh, has a harsh terrain and providing water is not without geographical hurdles. Laying the pipeline network was an arduous task in one of the villages as there was no motorable road. However, air sorties were used to move labour, engineers and equipment to this village.
Also, most villages lack electricity, without which providing functional piped water supply became almost impossible. However, solar power units were built to solve this problem. Of the 26,767 households, Leh now has 5,425 households with tapped water (Hindustan Times)
Environmentalists in Pune urge Pollution Control Boards to act against glyphosate in water bodies
As a toxic weedicide known as glyphosate finds its way into rivers and lakes in Pune, environmentalists and activists have urged the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to ban its use. Glyphosate is used to control water hyacinth, but the reason behind the growth of hyacinth in the water bodies is the unregulated discharge of raw sewage, informs the environmentalists.
They have urged the boards to take necessary steps to check the use of glyphosate and weedicides in rivers and send a Special Inquiry Team to look into this matter (The Indian Express)
Odisha cabinet approves 12 mega piped water projects worth Rs 1800 crores
At an estimated cost of Rs. 1800 crores, Odisha cabinet has approved 12 mega piped water projects that will be implemented in the districts of Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Balasore, Gajpati, Kandhamal, and Koraput.
The execution of the project will benefit nearly 12 lakh population in the state. While three mega piped water supply projects will be established in Koraput, two will be in Malkangiri, three in Kalahandi, three in Gajpati and Kandhamal and one in Balasore.
The state cabinet has also given approval to Parbati Giri mega lift irrigation project with an outlay of Rs 10,759.20 crores for creating additional irrigation potential of 2,63,801 hectares for kharif crops. (UNI, Odisha Bytes)
This is a roundup of important policy matters from November 6 - 23, 2021. Also, read news this fortnight.
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