Uttar Pradesh

• 12 Oct 2023

Chief Minister Green Road Infrastructure Development Urban (CM GRID) Scheme.

Why In News?

On October 10, 2023, in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it was decided to launch the 'Chief Minister Green Road Infrastructure Development Urban (CM GRID) Scheme to further improve the roads of the cities.

Key Points:

• Rs. 500 crore will be spent in the financial year 2023-24 in the Chief Minister's Green Road Infrastructure Development Urban (CM GRID) Scheme.
• In this regard, Urban Development Minister A.K. Sharma said that in the first phase, 17 municipal corporations Ayodhya, Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Firozabad, Bareilly, Mathura-Vrindavan, Meerut, Moradabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Work will be done under this scheme in Shahjahanpur and Saharanpur.
• In the second phase, nagar panchayat and municipal council roads will be included. For this, an Urban Road Infrastructure Development Agency will be set up.
• In this scheme, grants will be given for the development of roads on the basis of income earned by the bodies in the previous financial year.
• Under the scheme, all the facilities related to the road, such as utility duct, footpath, green zone, solar based street light, bus stop, EV charging station, beautification, pedestrian facility etc. will be provided. All roads in cities will be made safe, sustainable and inclusive and these roads will be greener and environment friendly.

10 Pesticides Banned to Save Taste and Quality of Basmati

Why In News?

On October 10, 2023, Dr. Ritesh Sharma, Principal Scientist, Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), Modipuram, informed that 10 pesticides have been banned to protect the taste and quality of basmati crop due to indiscriminate use of chemicals.

Key Points:

• Additional Director (Agriculture Defence) Tripurari Prasad Choudhury has banned 10 pesticides in 30 districts of the state. By banning them, the quality of Basmati and its true taste will be saved. This will also increase basmati exports.
• These pesticides are banned: The insecticides include Acephate, Buprofezin, Chloropyriphos, Methamidophos, Propiconazole, Thiamethoxam, Profenofos, Isoprothiolane, Carbendazim, and Tricyclazole.
• Dr. Ritesh Sharma said that Basmati is cultivated in 30 districts of western Uttar Pradesh. These include Agra, Aligarh, Auraiya, Baghpat, Bareilly, Bijnor, Badaun, Bulandshahr, Etah, Kasganj, Farrukhabad, Firozabad, Etawah, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Hathras, Mathura, Mainpuri, Meerut, Moradabad, Amroha, Kannauj, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Pilibhit, Rampur, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur, Sambhal.
• Basmati rice is a geographical indication (GI) category crop of Uttar Pradesh. Agricultural chemicals are used to prevent pests and diseases in it. Residues of these chemicals are being found in basmati rice.
• APEDA (Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) has stated that the maximum pesticide residue level of tricyclazole in basmati rice has been set by the European Union at MRL 0.01 ppm, but due to the amount of more than the prescribed ppm, exports to Europe, America and Gulf countries have decreased by 15 percent in the year 2021-2022 compared to the year 2020-21.