State Current Affairs January 2017
Asia’s First Cycle Highway Now in Uttar Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh now has Asia’s first cycle highway. A first-of-its-kind project, the 207-km-long cycle highway runs between Etawah and Agra and was declared open on November 26, 2016.
- A rally of 90 cyclists from five countries and across India followed the inauguration ceremony at the Lion Safari in Etawah.
- It is constructed by the Uttar Pradesh public works department, the cycle highway runs parallel to the main highway and is about 7-feet-wide. A divider in between ensures the safety of cyclists. Along the way from Etawah to Agra, it dots 92 villages.
Tata Steel’s Ferro-chrome Plant Inaugurated in Gopalpur
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Tata Steel’s 55000′ tonne per annum (TPA) ferro-chrome plant in Gopalpur Industrial Park in the State’s Ganjam district on November 29, 2016.
- The ferro-chrome plant at Gopalpur is equipped with state-of-the-art pollution control equipment and technology such as Effluent Treatment Plant & Sewage Treatment Plant. It is also the first plant in India to use briquetting method of chrome ore fines agglomeration.
- Tata Steel is also developing an Industrial Park at Gopalpur. Spread over 2970 acres of land, the Industrial Park is a multi-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
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Losar Festival Held in Ladakh
- Losar celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Ladakh district celebrated as the most elaborate and convoluted of the different social and religious events and festivals of Ladakh on November 28, 2016.
- Each and everybody, men, women and children make an active participation during the Losar celebration sin Jammu and Kashmir.
- The rites and the rituals that are followed during the Losar is an interesting amalgamation of the Buddhist and the pre Buddhist Bon religious practices. It is during the end of the harvesting season that people start taking preparations for celebrating Losar.
- Chang, a local barley beer is a popular drink for the Losar celebrations and grain from the harvest is kept for its brewing, as a part of preparations for the Losar celebrations.
Supreme Court Banned Sale of Firecrackers in Delhi-NCR
- The Supreme Court banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR in an attempt to keep the rising pollution level of the capital and its surrounding areas under check on November 25, 2016,
- According to the order, the licences of the existing firecrackers sellers will be suspended and the government will not issue new licences to any seller in this region.
- The Supreme Court has also asked the Central Pollution Control Board to study the harmful effects of the materials used in firecrackers and submit its report in three months.
India’s Longest Expressway Inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh
- India’s longest expressway was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at Bangarmau in Uttar Pradesh on November 21, 2016.
- It was built in a record time of just 23 months by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).
- The 302-km long six-lane greenfield expressway is special on multiple counts—from the record time under which it has been completed, to the fact that it will drastically reduce the travel time between the two Uttar Pradesh cities.
Sangai Festival 2016 began in Manipur
- The 10-day Sangai festival seeks to showcase the best of what the State has to offer in terms of art, culture, handloom, handicrafts as well as fine arts began on November 20, 2016.
- It aims to promote Manipur as a potential tourist destination, the annual Manipur Sangai Festival this year will be themed ‘Destination Manipur’.
- The event will also bring to the fore both indigenous and adventure sports from the region, its cuisines and music, besides the scenic beauty of the land and the ethnic diversity of Manipur Society.
