Following the Gujarat government’s decision to stop supplying water from the Sardar Sarovar dam for irrigation, farmers in the region are a concerned lot. With crops all set to ripen, lack of canal water supply poses a grave threat to a healthy harvest. State Reserve Police Force personnel have been posted all along the canal to make sure there is no illegal drawing of water anywhere. The state government decided to stop water release for irrigation to reserve remaining stock for drinking purposes.
The latest Food and Drug Administration survey of 2017 has revealed an increase in bacteria levels in a number of packaged drinking water samples from Maharashtra, with the maximum number of contaminated ones coming from Pune. Most of the samples tested were found to be unsafe for human consumption and criminal cases have been filed against plant owners. Recently, researchers from the State University of New York published a study which reported the presence of plastic contamination in 90 percent bottled water worldwide.
With trial runs of converting sea water into drinking water on in full swing in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district, Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari has promised the country potable desalinated water at five paise very soon. The ministry also plans to sell treated sewage to power plants, industries and railways in a bid to reduce water pollution in addition to generating revenue.
A cost of Rs 5 lakh has been slapped on real estate developer Mantri Techzone Pvt Ltd for failing to file a compliance report regarding maintaining of buffer zones around the Bellandur and Agara lakes. Earlier in 2016, the National Green Tribunal had instructed that a green belt of 75 metres, in addition to a buffer zone be maintained in case of construction around urban lakes.
Despite earning Rs 25 lakh as carbon credits from the UNFCCC in 2013, the Okhla waste composting plant struggles to productively dispose of the compost it produces. Officials complain that farmers are unwilling to accept the compost as it is made from garbage. Pune’s composting plant suffers similarly with just 2000 tonnes of the compost generated being used while close to 7000 tonnes continue to lie uselessly in depots.
This is a roundup of important news published between March 13 and 19, 2018. Also, read the policy matters this week.