05-06.03.22

Multi-crore waterway project to be developed in Mizoram to aid southern districts

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A multi-crore inland waterway transport project would be developed across a 23-km stretch on Mizoram’s Khawthlangtuipui-Tuichawng rivers to cater to the needs of the southern districts, a senior official said. The Centre has already sanctioned Rs 6.17 crore as first installment of the Rs 22.93-crore project, he said. The official said this at a meeting, where Union Minister of Ports and Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed ongoing projects in Mizoram.

The economic potential of Mizoram as well as that of the northeast can be unlocked by developing our waterways and strengthening our logistical access to the world market

President urges people of Assam to work towards wildlife conservation

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President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday urged the people and the Government of Assam to work towards wildlife conservation. On the last day of his three-day visit to Assam, Kovind made the appeal after being briefed by the state government on its conservation efforts in the wildlife sector. He also inaugurated a photo and archival exhibition on conservation and was given a presentation on the proposed Kaziranga Elevated Corridor.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also taking to the micro-blogging site, said the exhibition inaugurated by the President showcased the rich flora and fauna of Kaziranga. The President was also given a presentation on the proposed Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, he added. A 35-km elevated corridor on the National Highway 37 passing through Kaziranga National Park has been proposed by the state government to the Centre, to which the latter has given favourable response, Sarma had said in the Assembly in August last year.

State demands Paradip-Barbil economic corridor

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For smooth transportation of minerals from Keonjhar to the port town Paradip, the State Government has urged the Centre for development of an economic corridor from Paradip to Bhadrasahi-Barbil.

Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra has raised the demand before Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Giridhar Aramane during a meeting held recently.

Mahapatra highlighted the need for development of an economic corridor and advised that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) should go ahead for land acquisition to have 100 metre (right of way) ROW along the road for all future use including provision of assorted utilities.

Out of a total length of 5,753 km of NH, 243 km roads were developed to 6-lane; 1,486 km were developed to 4-lane, 1,934 km were developed to 2-lane with paved shoulder, 1,257 km were developed to 2-lane, and around 834 km were developed to single or intermediate lane. Besides, 20 other projects worth Rs 15,015 crore for improvement of around 901 km of roads were taken up by the NHAI.

Tamil Nadu seeks Kerala nod for repair of Mullaperiyar dam

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State water resources minister Duraimurugan has written to hisKeralacounterpart K Krishnankutty on Thursday seeking permission to carry out routine repair work atMullaperiyardam and other work as directed by the Supreme Court and Central Water Commission.

The minister said that theTamil Nadugovernment is committed to maintain the dam considering the safety an d security of the people of both the states.

Duraimurugan said that Mullaperiyar dam is vital for the farmers as well as meeting the drinking water requirements of five drought pro ne southern districts of Tamil Nadu from Madurai to Ramanathapuram and that the farmers of these districts are very sensitive to availability of water from the dam.

Kerala govt. will not abandon key projects due to controversy: CM

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The government is not ready to abandon or postpone important projects in the face of opposition or controversy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

He wasspeaking on Sunday after inaugurating a 12 MW solar power plant set up on 35 acres of land atEttukudaka,near Payyannur, by Cochin International Airport Limited.

The Chief Minister promised that the government would undertake environment-friendly development activities which would be beneficial to the local community. As part of it, large-scale solar projects and small hydel projects should come to the State. Solar power plants were indispensable for the future of our country.

The Chief Minister said that CIALs eco-friendly initiative had further strengthened the development vision of the State government.

The solar power plant at Payyannur is a terrain-based installation, which was done by retaining the gradients of the land and it can accommodate 35% more panels than the plants in the plains. The plant would produce 48,000 units of electricity a day.

With this, the installed capacity of CIALs solar plants has increased to 50 MW. The power generated here is supplied to Kankol 110 KV substation through an underground cable.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai: Inter-State Water Disputes Act needs to be totally amended

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Karnatakachief minister BasavarajBommai said the ‘Inter-State Water Disputes Act‘ needs to be totally amended, as it creates more disputes than resolving them. He was addressing the southern states’ conclave on the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission‘ and ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ (Rural) Projects.

Assuring relentless efforts for time bound implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission projects in Karnataka, Bommai said, of the 97.91 lakh rural households, tapped water has to be provided for 25 lakh households in the initial phase, while the achievement has been about 18 lakh, and the target of 25 lakh would be met within the next few months.

T, NSE ink MoU to help MSMEs raise funds on Emerge exchange

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TheTelanganagovernment has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) to propel the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state to the next level of growth by helping them raise funds on NSE Emerge SME exchange.

As part of the MoU, NSE will conduct an awareness drive through seminars, MSME camps, knowledge sessions, road shows and workshops to guide Telangana companies raise capital and handhold them during the listing process.

The state government, on its part, will facilitate MSMEs to get listed on NSE Emerge by looking at ways to reimburse a percentage of the expenses incurred on raising funds, subject to a pre-defined upper limit, to encourage them to raise capital through SME exchanges.
The state government will also be looking at setting up a government sponsored equity participation fund on the exchange platform to invest in the fast-growing SMEs in the state.

Drone survey of lands to begin in East Godavari, Vizianagaram

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A major thrust in the YSR Jagananna Sashwata Bhoohakku and Booraksha Padhakam, (Resurvey and Resettlement Project) has begun with the launching of an aerial drone survey, Continuously Operating Reference Stations(CORS) and GNSS rover technology, with a target to complete the entire project by June 2023.

The project was launched in December 2020 with an aim to provide every landowner a clear title deed in place of existing presumptive sale deeds which would end the confusion over the land titles.

The Survey and Resettlement Department had set up 70 CORS base stations and procured 1,000 rovers which would effectively measure the boundaries.

As part of the project, the government called for tenders to enhance the quality of orthorectified images. Responding to the tenders, 11 agencies have taken part. The department identified 1.33 lakh square kilometers, of which 40,690 sq km had been done by the Survey of India and private drone agencies have been given a target of 92,310 square kilometers. The SoI completed 6,377 sq km of drone survey.

Govt plans to make Panaji smart by April

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The ambitious Rs 180-crore Goa Intelligent City Management System (GICMS) continues to be delayed, with Imagine PanajiSmartCity Development Ltd (IPSCDL) officials now looking at a mid-April deadline to go live. The GICMS project, which includes the integrated command and control centre at Altinho, is languishing not only due to resistance from locals but also because a tender for the internet provider fell through, say officials.

L&T, which won the GICMS contract in June 2018, has already installed close to 200 smart CCTV cameras out of the planned 338, but the link between the cameras and the command and control centre has yet to be established, said sources.

The project is running over a year late, largely due to objections by current Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate. The second hurdle for the GICMS project has been the delay in obtaining permissions. L&T has found that permission for digging, road-cutting and laying of key fibre cables is difficult to obtain, and the process has only been complicated due to the other unmarked utility lines laid along the roads.

Green sea turtle nesting site documented for first time in Maharashtra: Expert

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TheMaharashtraforest department has documented a green sea turtle nesting site in the state for the first time, a marine biologist said on Sunday. Marine biologist Harshad Karve, who works with theMangrove Foundation, an autonomous body under the state forest department, said 74 hatchlings emerged from a turtle nest in Devbag-Tarkarli in Sindhudurg district on March 5.

On January 11, volunteers spotted a turtle, which was larger than theOlive Ridleyturtles that normally have nesting sites at this beach at Devbag-Tarkarli, he said.

The nesting by a green sea turtle, which are four to six metres long, gives a fillip to sea turtle conservation in these areas as well as the state, he added.