• 18 Jul 2022

PM Inaugurates Bundelkhand Expressway

Why in News?

On July 16, 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bundelkhand Expressway originating from Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• With this, Bundelkhand region has been connected to Lucknow through Lucknow-Agra Expressway and Delhi through Yamuna Expressway.
• More than 250 minor bridges, more than15 flyovers, 6 toll plazas and more than 12 major bridges and 4 rail bridges have been constructed on this expressway. 24-hour police patrolling and ambulance facility will also be provided.
• This is the fourth expressway project in the state, which has been completed in a record 28 months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project on February 29, 2020 .
• This 296 km four-lane expressway has been constructed under the aegis of Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) at a cost of about Rs 14,850 crore. Later this can also be expanded to six lanes.
• The Bundelkhand Expressway starts from NH-35 in Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district and extends to Kudrail village in Etawah district, where it joins the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
• It passes through seven districts- Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.
• Along with improving connectivity in the region, Bundelkhand expressway will also boost economic development, resulting in creation of thousands of jobs for the local people.

Climate Change Learning Lab

Why in News?

On July 17, 2022, Bihar Environment and Climate Change Minister Neeraj Kumar Singh inaugurated the Climate Change Learning Lab at Patna Zoo to study the climate change taking place in Bihar.

Key Points

• This lab has been established by GIZ, an organization of the European Union and Germany on behalf of the Bihar State Pollution Control Council. Such a lab has been established for the first time in Bihar.
• The lab will make the general public, especially school children aware, on various aspects of climate change.
• Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar Chaudhary said that it is the endeavour of the state government to achieve the target of zero carbon emission in the state by the year 2040.

Two Day Conference of All India Legal Services Authority

Why in News?

A two-day conference of the 18^th All India Legal Services Authority was organized by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RLSA) from July 16 to 17, 2022.

Key Points

• Speaking at the valedictory session, Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority and Supreme Court Judge Uday Umesh Lalit said that various innovations have been made since the inception of the National Legal Services Authority, which has reduced the pendency of cases in the courts.
• He said that under the outreach programme run by the authority, the pending cases of courts in all the villages of the country were disposed of. The pending case has been disposed of by the Lok Adalats, imposed by the Authority. The authority aims to provide legal services to every individual by the year 2047.
• In the valedictory session, Chief Justice of Rajasthan S.S. Shinde, Chief Justice of The Allahabad High Court Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana Ravi Shankar Jha and Acting Chairman of THE RALSA and Justice of The Rajasthan High Court M M Srivastava also expressed their views.
• On this occasion, NALSA Executive Chairman and Supreme Court Justice Uday Umesh Lalit launched the Balswaraj-POCSO Tracking Portal and Nyaya RO Saathi mobile app and launched the e-Pathshala campaign.
• Apart from this, RSLSA-22 Digital Lok Adalat Platform, the digital initiative of RALSA was also launched.

Increase in Fish Productivity

Why in News?

According to the information given by the Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on July 17, 2022 fish productivity has increased more than two times in the state due to the incentives being given to fishermen and fish farmers to promote fisheries in the state.

Key Points

• The average fish productivity of the State in the year 2000 was 1850 MT per hectare. Currently, the average fish productivity of the state has gone up to 4,000 MT per hectare.
• Progressive fish farmers have started producing 8,000-10,000 MT of fish per hectare by adopting innovative fishing techniques and following improved species.
• In the year 2000, the State was ranked 9th in the field of fish production. The fish seeds were imported from other regions due to low production of fish seeds in the State. At present, Chhattisgarh has become self-sufficient in the field of fish seed production and has come down to the fifth position in the country and sixth in fisheries production.
• In the year 2000, out of only 1.538 lac hectare water area available, fish farming was done in 1.335 lac hectare water area. At present, about 2 lac hectares of water area is available in the state, out of which pisciculture is being done in about 1.961 lac hectares.
• Due to the geographical and Agro-climatic conditions of the State being favourable for fish farming, the traditional fishermen as well as the people of other classes have started rearing fish.
• The grant of agricultural status to fisheries in the State and credit facility to the fisheries on the lines of farmers and electric and water tax exemption have given a boost to fisheries in the State. Now it has become a profitable business, which people have started adopting rapidly.
• In view of the increasing growth in the fisheries sector in the state, ensuring the participation of fishermen for its rapid development, development of fish cooperatives, taking the benefits of government schemes and programs to the people associated with fisheries and training of new techniques, New Fisheries Policy, 2022 has been implemented by the Government of Chhattisgarh for the rearing of new species and for the conservation and development of native fish species. This will give a further boost to fisheries in the state.