All that was discussed in the House through the day
The National Centre for Coastal Research has analysed 6,907 kilometres of coastline on the Indian mainland from 1990 to 2018. Some 33.6 per cent of India’s coastline has been under varying degrees of erosion for the past 28 years, Jitendra Singh, minister of state (Independent Charge) for the Union Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences told the Lok Sabha July 20,2022.
He added that the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services had not estimated the percentage of loss specifically due to coastal erosion. It, however, had estimated the coastal vulnerability index for the Indian coastline, which is a cumulative impact of seven coastal parameters.
Drone technology
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is exploring possibilities to deploy drones and gather atmospheric data from various locations, in place of weather balloons, Singh told the Lok Sabha.
Electric vehicles
The number of electric vehicles in India is 1,334,385 (excluding data of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Lakshadweep, which is not available in Vahan 4) as of July 14, 2022.
Some 2,826 public charging stations are operational in the country, according the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of road transport and highways told the Rajya Sabha.
Electric buses
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has not planned to phase out old diesel buses and replace them with electric buses, Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha.
Children during lockdown
No cases reports regarding children forced to leave their homes for illegal child labour, smuggling and forced marriage during the COVID-19 lockdown have come to the government’s notice, Smriti Irani, Union minister of women and child development told the Rajya Sabha.
Elephant deaths
Seven elephants were killed in train accidents in India till July 2022, according to the data presented by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union minister of railways, communications and electronics and information technology in the Lok Sabha.
Nineteen elephants were killed in train accidents last year.
Watershed development
Some 5,700 of the 6,382 watershed projects being funded by the Department of Land Resources under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) 1.0 have been reported as completed as of July 18, 2022, Faggan Singh Kulaste, minister of state in the Union Ministry of Rural Development told the Rajya Sabha.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.