Jharkhand government launches three schemes to revive rural economy under the MGNREGA

In a bid to revive the rural economy that has been affected by the lockdown owing to COVID-19 pandemic, the Jharkhand government has launched three schemes under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The three initiatives launched were the Birsa Harit Gram Yojana for rural plantations, under which over two lakh acres of land will be used for afforestation; Neelambar Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana in which water storage units will be constructed to store rainwater and runaway groundwater and the Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme for making playgrounds. Under the Jal Yojna, Rs 1,200 crore will be spent with 90 percent being the wage component. (The Indian Express)

Vizag gas leak: NGT slaps a fine of Rs 50 crore on LG Polymers

Last week, a styrene gas leak at the plant of LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh took 11 lives. Following the incident, the environment ministry informed that the plant was operating without a post-facto approval of its operation under expanded capacity. Taking note of the incident, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed an interim fine of Rs 50 crore on the LG Polymer and sought response from the Centre and state authorities while noting that the incident appeared to be a result of “failure to comply” with rules and other statutory provisions. Along with this, the Tribunal has also set up a five-member committee to assess causes of failure and fix liability. (The Times of India)

Government should form water users associations, suggests parliamentary panel

In its recent report, the Parliament’s public accounts committee (PAC) has suggested that the Jal Shakti Ministry should facilitate formation of ‘water users associations’ in each state and Union Territory. The PAC notes that the move will not only stop wastage but also ensure water availability to a larger number of farmers for a longer period through participatory irrigation management. Also, the report recommends to seek action against all public servants responsible for wastage of public money in certain irrigation projects, including Rongai Valley project of Meghalaya. The committee also observed inefficient fiscal management of AIBP owing to denial of access to DPRs to the audit. (The Times of India)

Environment ministry amends CRZ Notification 2011 to modify definition of high tide line

To ensure that the High Tide Line (HTL) in Goa will be demarcated along the bunds along rivers and creeks even if such bunds have since been breached or lie in a state of disrepair, the Environment Ministry has added a clause to section 2 of the Coastal Regulation Notification 2011. However, the new amendment has left out the khazan lands around mangroves and classified them under CRZ-IA which means that they shall not be diverted for any development activities. The amendment has come as a major relief to the people of Goa as it is going to benefit many dwellings in the no development zone. (The Times of India, Hindustan Times)

Yamuna monitoring committee gets more time to submit its report

In view of lockdown due to Covid-19, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted more time to Yamuna Monitoring Committee (YMC) for submitting its report on cleaning of the river. Owing to the lockdown, the Delhi Development Authority and the Chief Secretaries of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have not been able to give their respective response to the committee. The tribunal has ordered the concerned parties to now furnish their response to YMC but positively on or before May 31, 2020. Along with this, the report may indicate in a tabular form the progress achieved, pending issues and further course of action with timelines. (The New Indian Express)

This is a roundup of important policy matters from May 1 - 10, 2020. Also, read news this week.