As told to Parliament (March 19, 2020): No river-linking project on Mahananada

Mar 20,2020

As told to Parliament (March 19, 2020): No river-linking project on Mahananada

The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti clarified on March 19, 2020 that there was no ‘Mahananda River Linking Project’ in Bihar.

The Bihar government, however, did proposed the Kosi-Mechi intra-state linking project for diverting water from Kosi to the Mechi, a tributary to the Mahananda.

The National Water Development Agency had prepared a detailed project report of the project and sent it to the Bihar government in March 2014.

The Kosi-Mechi link was proposed to take off from the existing Hanuman Nagar barrage on the Kosi, close to the Indo-Nepal Border, Union Jal Shakti Minister (Water) Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told Lok Sabha.

Andhra dam rehabilitation 

Andhra Pradesh was not part of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP), begun in 2012 and scheduled for closure in June 2020 at a cost of 3,466 crore, Shekhawat told Lok Sabha.

According to the minister, DRIP facilitated the World Bank loan to participating states for a major part of rehabilitation cost of their dams and the remaining portion was borne by states from their budgetary provisions.

But the government of Andhra Pradesh had shown willingness to be part of the proposed DRIP Phase-II and III scheme which was still in the preparatory stage and was yet to be launched formally.

The state government had submitted an estimated Rs 776.5 crore to rehabilitate 31 dams, Shekhawat said.

Housing sector employment

The housing sector contributed significantly to the country’s gross domestic product with a direct impact on employment generation.

In fact, every investment of Rs 1 lakh in the housing sector created direct employment of 54 person days and indirect employment of 108 person days,  Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, told Lok Sabha.

He cited a study conducted by National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in 2019 to support his statement. The comment was in reply to a question on steps taken by the government to boost employment through housing sector.

Review of Motor Vehicles Act

There had been an increase in fatalities due to road accidents in the country between 2016 and 2018, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said in Rajya Sabha.

But the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act, 2019 had strengthened the law to improve road safety scenario and reduce loss of lives, he said.

Growing demand of power

Demand for electricity was likely to increase by 231 per cent in terms of energy and 237 per cent in terms of peak demand by the year 2036-37, as compared to 2018-19, according to a statement by the Union Ministry of Power in the Lok Sabha.

According to the National Electricity Plan (Generation) notified in 2018, the all India power generation installed capacity by the end of 2026-27 was projected to be 619,066 MW including both, conventional and renewable sources, the ministry added.

This projected installed generation capacity was expected to meet the demand projection for the year 2026-27 made by the 19th Electric Power Survey. The technology was fast changing and so was the generation mix.

The optimum generation mix for 2026-27 will depend on technological and other developments, especially with regard to renewable energy and storage of electricity.

Impact of buildings with glass facades

The housing and urban affairs ministry had not received any information from energy conservationists cautioning against growing number of buildings with glass facades causing global warming, Hardeep Puri, said.

But the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 prescribed minimum energy performance standards for building envelopes including glass facades for parameters like energy and heat transmission, solar heat gain and visible light transmission. ECBC compliance had been recommended for commercial buildings, Puri said.