India’s First Green Rail Corridor Launched
- The 114 km long Manamadurai-Rameswaram stretch of Southern Railway became India’s first ‘Green corridor’ inaugurated on July 24, 2016.
- To ensure proper working of the bio-toilets. Southern Railway had established a bio-lab at the coaching depot. Indian Railway had developed the environment friendly ‘IR-DRDO Bio-toilets’, in association with DRDO.
- Regenerative type anaerobic bacteria in liquid form was poured into the six-chamber retention tanks in the bio-toilets and the bacteria helped in disintegrating human waste into liquid and gas.
Committee Constituted to Prepare Guidelines for Desiltation of River Ganga
- The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted a committee on July 22, 2016 to prepare guidelines for desiltation of river Ganga from Bhimgauda (Uttarakhand) to Farakka (West Bengal).
- Madhav Chitale (Expert Member, NGRBA) has been appointed as Chairman of the committee. The other members of the committee are : Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and Dr. Mukesh Sinha, Director, Central Water and Power Research Station (Pune).
- The committee also established difference between desilting and sand mining and also to establish need for desilting for ecology and e-flow of the river Ganga. The tenure of the committee would be for a period of three months.
Prime Minister Modi Laid the Foundation of AIIMS, Fertiliser Plant in Gorakhpur
- The Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the foundation stone of AIIMS and revival of gas-based fertiliser plant, implemented by Hindustan Urvarak Rasayan Limited on July 22, 2016 at Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh).
- It is a joint venture between CIL and NTPC Limited. The revival of the plant, entailing an investment of Rs 6000 crore, is in the equity pattern of 50% each between both the entities.
- This initiative would help the farming community getting urea timely and usher in a new era of rural progress and prosperity in the country especially in the eastern parts. This is in harmony with the government of India’s commitment to empower farmers, increase agricultural income and accelerate rural development.
Union Government Approved Incorporation of Sagarmala Development Company
- The Union Cabinet on July 20, 2016 approved the incorporation of Sagatnjala Development Company (SDC) under the Companies Act, 2011.
- The SDC will be under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping. It will provide equity support to the project Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and funding support to the residual projects under the Sagarmala Programme.
- The SDC will Identify port-led development projects and assist the project SPVs in project development and structuring activities, bidding out projects for private sector participation, putting in place suitable risk management measures for strategic projects cutting across multiple States/regions and obtaining requisite approvals and clearances.
National Electoral Roll Purification 2016 Launched
- The National Electoral Roll Purification (NERP) programme launched across the country with intensive, to enhance the purity and fidelity of Electoral Rolls (ERs) and to standardisation of PS for electors convenience aird facilitate electors’ reach his PS with ease on July 20, 2016.
- No wter to be left behind is the motto of EC1 for year 2016. Objective of programme is to improve Health of ERs by-inclusion of all eligible citizens in mission mode; ERs to be Free from errors; Single ER entry for every eligible elector with unique Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number; Removal of all Absent (A) Shifted (S)/ Dead (D) electors’ entries and Repeal Entries (REs) and ensuring Photo Electoral Rolls (PERs) with good quality correct images of every elector confirming to ECI standards, and linking Electors with ECI by obtaining their contact details.
