All that was discussed in the House through the day
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has not formulated any policy on green aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, Union minister of state (independent charge) for housing and urban affairs, said in Rajya Sabha on 24 March, 2021.
A white paper on National Green Aviation Policy dated February 19, 2019 has been published with inputs from key aviation stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, airport operators, airlines, air navigation service providers, ground handling agencies and The Energy & Resources Institute, the minister told the House.
Structural reforms in the mining sector
The government is planning for structural reforms in the country’s mining sector, Pralhad Joshi, Union minister of coal, mines and parliamentary affairs, said in Lok Sabha on March 24.
The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 passed in Lok Sabha on March 19, 2021 seeks to double mineral production and increase employment, said Joshi.
These amendments also cater to the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last year, he told the House.
The government wants to increase the participation of private sector in mining for optimum utilisation of mineral resources in the country and reduce dependency on imports, Joshi added.
The amendment bill has provision for private players in the field of exploration and making available more mineral blocks for auction, the minister said.
Solar energy plants planned in 51 airports
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has commissioned solar energy plants with a combined capacity to generate 44.87 megawatt power at 51 airports, Puri said in Rajya Sabha on March 24.
AAI is adding another 15.76 MW of solar power capacity at six airports, Puri told the House.
In Karnataka, AAI is adding a solar power plant of 8 MW capacity at Hubli airport.
Solar power generated will be distributed to other airports in Karnataka such as the ones in Belagavi, Ballari, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Bengaluru to meet their electricity requirements, the minister added.
Light House project in six cities
The government has shortlisted six cities across the country for a pilot project to build houses using innovative technologies that are low-cost, sustainable and disaster-resistant, Puri said in Rajya Sabha on March 24.
Six Light House projects will be started under global housing technology challenge, India to build 6,368 houses using innovative technologies that are low-cost, sustainable, resource efficient and disaster-resistant, in the six cities, Puri said.
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