GOA
Cabinet nod makes sewerage link mandatory for every house in Goa
The state cabinet approved the policy for providing sewerage connection to all households across the state making it mandatory for all.
Existing households will have to pay Rs 5,000 for sewerage connection while for new construction, the amount is fixed at Rs 9,500. Besides, the households will have to pay 35% of water consumption bill as monthly sewerage charges for both existing and new connection.
The sewerage and infrastructure development corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) is the nodal agency for providing sewerage facilities.
The existing and commissioned sewerage schemes include Panaji, Vasco, Margao, Fatorda and Navelim (part), Durbhat and Sakhali.
The ongoing sewerage scheme expecting commissioning include Margao, Navelim, Ponda, north coastal belt, Colva, Ponda and Porvorim.
As per the cabinet note, there is poor response for availing house sewerage connection by the public wherever connectivity is available. Accordingly, a draft notification is proposed for making the connections mandatory and the same is vetted by the law department.
During the year 2008-2010 as there was poor response for availing the connections, a one-time subsidised scheme for Fatorda and Margao was implemented by the government in 2010.
The cabinet note further said that since the government has spent huge capital cost in providing sewerage network and providing connectivity, the same is required to be put for public use and it is proposed to be implemented with revised tariff all over Goa.
INTERNATIONAL
Forest Governance by Indigenous and Tribal Peoples
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations & the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean have released a new report entitled “Indigenous and Tribal People’s Forest Governance”. Highlights:
In the Caribbean and Latin America, the rate of deforestation in indigenous and tribal areas is low.
Based on more than 300 studies published in the past two decades, the new report emphasizes that indigenous and tribal people are generally better forest protectors than those responsible for other forests in the area.
Indigenous and tribal peoples and forests on their territories play an important role in regional and global climate action and the fight against hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
The carbon storage in these regions accounts for 1/3 of the carbon storage in the forests of Latin America and the Caribbean, and 14% of the carbon storage in the global tropical forests.
Carnivac-Cov Vaccine – Animal Vaccine
Russia has registered the world’s first animal vaccine against the noval coronavirus. The country’s agricultural safety supervision agency Rosselkhoznadzor announced the news. Highlights:
The world’s first animal vaccine against the noval coronavirus was named Carnivac-Cov.
According to the watchdog, the immunization will last for 6 months. However, the developer of the dosage is constantly analyzing this.
According to Rosselkhoznadzor, the Covid-19 vaccine is expected to start mass production as early as April 2021.
According to Russian scientists, the use of this vaccine can prevent the development of viral mutations in animals.
World Health Day is on 7th April
Every year, April 7th is designated as World Health Day. This day is to celebrate the role played by midwives and nurses in maintaining the safety and health of the world. Highlights:
Purpose: To raise awareness of specific health topics to highlight priority areas of concern to the World Health Organization (WHO).
World Health Day is commemorated by the World Health Organization and several other organizations. Every year, the theme of World Health Day is selected by WHO. The first World Health Assembly by WHO in 1948. This day is commemorated every year to commemorate the establishment of the WHO.
The WHO officially marks only eight campaigns. World Health Day is one of them. Other events are World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunization Week, World Malaria Day, No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day, World AIDS Day & World Blood Donor Day.
NATIONAL
India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation And Partnership Agreement
The India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement will enter into force on April 1, 2021. Highlights:
The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between Mauritius and India was signed in February 2021.
This is the first trade agreement signed between India and an African country.
This agreement is a limited agreement and covers trade in goods, rules of origin, trade in services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, dispute settlement, movement of natural persons, telecommunications, financial services, customs procedures and other areas Cooperation.
India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) provides an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between both the countries.
PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry
The Cabinet approved the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industries Highlights:
The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industries was approved by the Cabinet is to support the establishment of a world food manufacturing champion commensurate with India’s natural resource, and to support the development of Indian food brands in the international market.
The scheme has been launched and the cost is Rs. 109 million.
This is a Central Sector Scheme.
The objectives of the Scheme is to support food manufacturers to have a prescribed minimum sales volume, and be willing to expand processing capacity and establish brands abroad with the minimum prescribed investment to incentivize the emergence of powerful Indian brands. The purpose is to:
To support the creation of a global food manufacturing champion;
Strengthen selected Indian food brands to increase global visibility and gain wider acceptance in the international market;
Increase employment opportunities for non-agricultural work; and
Ensure the remuneration price of agricultural products and higher income of farmers.