Haryana becomes 'Har Ghar Jal’ state
The central government on February 9 informed the Rajya Sabha that Haryana has become a ‘Har Ghar Jal state’ as all the 30.41 lakh rural households in the state have tap water supply in their homes. Out of 19.39 crore rural households in the country, 11.12 crore (57.36 per cent) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.
The minister also mentioned that the Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal, since August 2019, in partnership with states, to make provision for potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular and long-term basis to every rural household by 2024.
“Under Jal Jeevan Mission, as per existing guidelines, Bureau of Indian Standards’ IS:10500 standard is to be adopted for ensuring safe drinking water supply. Under JJM, while allocating the funds to states and UTs, 10 per cent weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.
“States and UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes of bulk water transfer based on safe water sources such as surface water sources or alternative safe groundwater sources for the villages with water quality,” the Minister said.
“Since, planning, implementation and commissioning of piped water supply scheme based on a safe water source may take time, purely as an interim measure, states and UTs have been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs), especially in Arsenic and Fluoride affected habitations to provide potable water to every household at the rate of 8-10 litre per capita per day (lpcd) to meet their drinking and cooking requirements.”
States and UTs have been advised to undertake testing of water quality on a periodic basis such as once in a year for chemical and physical parameters, and twice a year for bacteriological parameters and take remedial action wherever necessary, to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed quality, said the MoS.
“To enable states and UTs to test water samples for water quality, and for sample collection, reporting, monitoring and surveillance of drinking water sources, an online JJM – Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) portal has been developed. (ANI news service, The Print)
India announces $4.3 billion investment in clean energy
The Indian government has pledged to invest $4.3 billion (350 billion rupees) in green technology to clean up the country’s economy and create jobs. In the announcement, Indian authorities included a focus on solar power from the Himalayan region of Ladakh and green hydrogen production.
Despite its low per-person emissions, India’s huge population makes it the third-biggest emitter in the world. The country has pledged to reach net zero by 2070. “We are implementing many programmes for green fuel, green energy, green farming, green mobility, green buildings, and green equipment, and policies for efficient use of energy” said finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting her government’s annual budget recently.
The government promised to invest towards the country’s energy transition and its net zero target. The petroleum and natural gas ministry will oversee investments. The government will subsidise private-sector projects for battery energy storage. This technology can store electricity from intermittent power sources like renewables so that it can be used when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
The government said it will also look into pumped storage, a way to store energy using hydropower. When electricity is abundant, it is used to pump water up into a dam. When demand surges, the water can be released, producing hydro-electricity.
The budget also touted the recently-launched national green hydrogen mission. The government will spend 197bn rupees ($2.4 bn) developing the carbon-free-fuel, which can replace fossil fuels in the manufacture of steel and in shipping and aviation. Most of the money will be spent on incentives to produce hydrogen with renewable electricity and to build Indian electrolysers, the machines which turn water into hydrogen.
India aims to produce five million metric tons by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that, for the world to limit global warming to 1.5C, it should produce about 100m metric tons of green hydrogen by 2030. (Climate Change News)
NGT directs Chennai Corporation to take measures against dumping of sewage in water bodies
The NGT directed these bodies to stick to the guidelines framed by the Tribunal for sewage treatment plants in Chennai on removal of septage from unsewered areas. It also directed the local bodies to regulate the movement of sewage tankers under local body limits.
The guidelines of the NGT were framed by Judicial member, Justice Pushpa Satyanarayanan and expert member, Dr Sathyagopal Korlapati under the Municipal corporation, Municipalities and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Act of 1978 along with the GO of January 2, 2023.
The issue of private tankers dumping sewage into open water sources comes under the purview of the guidelines formulated by the NGT. In its study, it also looked into whether the infrastructural development matched with the expansion of the city.
Talking to IANS social activist R. Ashok Kumar said: "NGT is doing a great job in curtailing the menace of trucks dumping sewage in water bodies and untreated sewage being dumped by companies into water bodies. However, it has to be seen whether the Greater Chennai Corporation and other local bodies conduct stringent monitoring. Ultimately at the execution level, it is the local bodies which have to act."
The NGT had earlier constituted a joint committee comprising of District Collector, TNPCB Chairman, PWD's Superintending engineer and a GCC official to look into possibilities of tracking vehicles licensed to transport sewage. (The Times of India, Daiji World)
NGT forms 9-member panel led by chief secretary to resolve environmental issues in Sundarbans
The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in an order passed on February 7, 2023, stated, “we accordingly direct monitoring by a nine-member Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, West Bengal with Regional Officer, MoEF&CC Integrated Regional Office at Kolkata, Chairman State PCB, Member Secretary, State Coastal Zone Management Authority and District Magistrates of Purba Medinipur, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, Director, Sundarban Tiger Reserve and the State Wetland Authority.”
NGT said the state authorities must ensure that activities, which are not permissible in the delta as per Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), including hotels operating in ‘no construction zone’, are duly identified and prompt remedial action taken in a time-bound manner, which may be monitored at the highest level in the state. Similarly, SOP for the operation of vessels may be strictly enforced, the green tribunal noted.
It further stated that “in view of neglect by the state of sensitive matters, resulting in continuous and irreversible damage to the environment, wildlife and biodiversity, as found in the earlier order of this Tribunal, and since the matter is pending at least since 2014 without satisfactory and adequate action, there is need for monitoring at a higher level in the state administration”.
The tribunal’s direction came during the hearing on a plea against the inadequacy of remedial action against the environmental degradation of the Sundarbans.
Such degradation is inter alia on account of illegal constructions, operation of sea vessels, unscientific waste management, and delay in finalising Coastal Zone Management Plan, stated the plea.
The tribunal noted that the main grievance of the applicant is that there’s been a huge delay in finalising the CZMP and no adequate action has been taken against unauthorised hotels, unregulated operation of vessels and brick kilns, as well as protection of mangroves, a tiger reserve and solid waste management. (ANI, The Print)
This is a roundup of important policy matters from February 1 - February 15, 2023.
/articles/haryana-becomes-har-ghar-jal-state