All that was discussed in the Houses through the day
Open-defection-free status
Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, was asked in the Lok Sabha if 44 per cent of Indians defecated in the open. He replied in negative. He added that all villages in the country were open-defecation-free as on October 2, 2019.
River pollution
Sewage generation from urban areas in the country is estimated at 72,368 million litres per day (MLD), against which sewage treatment capacity of 31,841 MLD was available, according to a report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in March, 2021.
This gap between sewage generation and treatment remains a major point source for increase in pollution of rivers, Shekhawat said.
The ministry has been supplementing efforts of the states / Union territories by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers. It has been doing so through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange for rivers in the Ganga basin, and centrally sponsored scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) for other rivers, Shekhawat added.
Accident of wild animals on National Highways
No incident of killing of wild animals in road accidents on the National Highways (NH) has been reported by the implementing agencies of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways during the last three years in the country, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways told the Lok Sabha.
Development activities on NHs passing through wildlife sanctuaries / national parks are generally avoided and a bypass / detour is proposed for minimum impact of highways on the wildlife habitat, Gadkari added.
Restoration of water bodies
As many as 2,228 water bodies with an estimated cost of Rs 1,914.86 crore have been taken up for restoration in various states under the repair, renovation and restoration (RRR) of water bodies scheme, XII plan onwards up to March, 2021.
A central assistance of Rs 469.69 crore has been released to the states under the scheme; RRR of 1,549 water bodies has been completed, Shekhawat said.
According to the latest census, there are 516,303 water bodies in the rural areas of the country that are being used for minor irrigation. Out of these, 53,396 water bodies are not in use for various reasons such as non-availability of water, siltation, salinity, etc, Shekhawat added.
Catch the rain project
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti took up the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA:CTR) with the theme “Catch the Rain — Where it Falls When it Falls” to cover all blocks across all districts (rural as well as urban areas) across the country between March 22 and November 30, 2021, Bishweswar Tudu, Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Tribal Affairs told the Lok Sabha.
The campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi March 22 on the World Water Day.
Use of alternative sand for construction works
Association of builders such as National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) and Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), in consultation with experts and scientists, are promoting the use of alternative sands through various information education and communication activities such as webinars / seminars / workshops / meetings / social media platforms.
Contractors and builders have been endorsing alternative sands in their client buildings, Kaushal Kishore, Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs told the Lok Sabha.
Rajya Sabha
Compensation for children orphaned due to COVID-19 pandemic
The Prime Minister has announced PM-CARES for children scheme to support children who lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development told the Rajya Sabha.
Irani told that the Union government has announced Rs 10 lakh in compensation in the form of fixed deposit.
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development will implement the Child Protection Services, a centrally sponsored scheme, under which children in need of care and protection and eligible for non-institutional care will receive a maintenance grant of Rs 2,000.
Rs 2,160 per child a month would be given to support children living in childcare institutions, she added.
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