All that was discussed in the House through the day
At least 3.4 million tonnes per annum (TPA) of plastic waste was generated in 2019-20, of which approximately 1.5 million TPA was recycled and 0.16 million TPA co-processed in cement kilns.
A portion of unprocessed and littered plastic waste can find its way through surface bodies like rivers into the sea, Bhupender Yadav, Union environment minister, told the Lok Sabha December 20, 2021.
The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags with thickness less than 75 microns with effect from September 30, 2021, and that having a thickness less than 120 microns with effect from December 31, 2022, Yadav added.
Air, water and soil contamination
As many as 179 thermal power plants generated 222.8 million tonnes of fly ash; 205.1 million tonnes were utilised in 2020-21.
Fly ash utilisation was 92 per cent in 2020-21, Yadav added.
There is, however, no government report on the air, water and soil contamination from unscientific disposal and handling of fly ash generated by thermal power plants, Yadav said.
Death of children in Kerala
The Union tribal affairs ministry has called for a detailed factual report from Kerala on the deaths of more than 121 children in Attappady tribal hamlets over the last eight years.
The state has been asked to investigate the cause of these deaths in Attapedy as well as malnutrition in tribal children, Renuka Singh Saruta, minister of state for tribal affairs, told the Lok Sabha.
Nutritious food is provided to all pregnant women and lactating mothers, adolescent girls and infants through Anganwadi centres, the state said. A nutrition mix called ‘Amrutham’ is also distributed to all infants.
Community kitchen provides cooked food to needy tribes, it added.
There are 16 sickle-cell anaemic patients among 231 pregnant Scheduled Tribe Women in Attappady.
“Janani Janma Raksha”, a programme targeting pregnant and lactating women, is being implemented by Scheduled Tribes Development Department. It will provide financial assistance of Rs 2,000 a month for 18 months (From 3rd month of pregnancy till the child attaining the age of one year) to meet their nutritional and therapeutic support, Saruta added.
Worst polluted cities
Cities have not been ranked for their air qualities has due to the complexity of various parameters and their influence on the air quality of individual cities. However, 124 cities have been identified as non-attainment cities (NAC).
These cities did not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for five consecutive years, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, minister of state in the environment ministry, said.
The analysis of ambient air quality data of 132 cities indicates that the annual average particulate matter 10 concentration showed a decreasing trend in 96 cities and an increasing trend in 36 cities in 2020-2021 compared to 2019-2020.
At least 18 cities were found to be within the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standard (PM10 less than 60 µg / m3) in 2019-20, which has increased to 27 2020-21, Choubey added.
RAJYA SABHA
Reduction of carbon emissions from steel plants
With the widespread adoption of best available technologies (BAT), the steel plants have reduced their specific energy consumption substantially leading to a proportionate reduction in the carbon emission intensity.
The average carbon dioxide emission intensity of the Indian steel industry has reduced from 3.1 tonnes of crude steel (T / tcs) in 2005 to around 2.6 T / tcs by 2020.
It is on track to achieve the projected target of 2.4 T / tcs well before 2030, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, Union minister of steel, told the Rajya Sabha.
Stormwater drainage project
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has already approved all State Annual Action Plans (SAAP) of the states / Union territories amounting to Rs 77,640 crore (including committed central assistance of Rs 35,990 crore) for the entire period of AMRUT mission, of which Rs 2,969 crore (4 per cent) has been allocated to stormwater drainage sector.
At least 19 states / UTs have taken up 801 stormwater drainage projects worth Rs 2,957 crore, Hardeep Singh Puri, urban affairs minister said.
Of these, 612 projects worth Rs 1,114 crore have been completed, 187 projects worth Rs 1,829 crore are under implementation and two projects worth Rs 14 crore are at tendering stage, Puri added.
Waste and water management through SBM2
Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, under implementation from 2020-21 to 2024-25, will focus on sustaining open defecation-free (ODF) status and making arrangements for solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) in all villages.
That is, it aims to convert the villages from ODF to ODF plus, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Jal Shakti (water resources) minister, said.
SLWM activities have already been initiated in about 200,000 villages. At least 23,245 villages have been covered with solid waste management arrangements and 8,159 with liquid waste management arrangements, Shekhawat added.
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