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New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) As many as 311 polluted river stretches (PRS) have been identified on 279 rivers by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.

The stretches were identified based on monitoring results in terms of Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), as an indicator of organic pollution.

Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Paatil, in a written reply, said the number of PRSs has decreased from 351 identified in the year 2018 to 311 in the year 2022 across 30 States/Union Territories.

As many as 106 PRSs have been delisted, and improvement in water quality of 74 polluted river stretches has been observed in 2022 as compared to the report published in 2018, the Minister said in response to questions by Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure and Bharti Pardhi.

Minister Paatil added that the CPCB initiated the exercise of identifying PRSs in 2009 based on the river water quality monitored during the past years on a periodic basis.

“So far, CPCB has published four such periodic reports in 2009, 2015, 2018 and 2022,” said the Minister.

Asked about the extent to which the existing water quality monitoring mechanisms including real-time monitoring stations and manual sampling have proved effective, the Minister said, “The existing water quality monitoring mechanisms, comprising both manual sampling under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP) and Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations (RTWQMS) have played a significant role in tracking and managing river water pollution across the country.”

The CPCB at present monitors water quality of aquatic resources at 4,736 locations across the country, which includes 2,155 locations on 645 rivers, he said.

He said that as per the CPCB, water quality data is obtained from the manual water quality monitoring carried out under NWMP, and it is utilised for the identification of PRS.

These stations help in assessing the polluted river stretches and preparation of action plans for these stretches, he said.

Highlighting the steps to strengthen the surveillance network and ensure accuracy and transparency of data, the Minister said, “Water samples are analysed for Surface water and groundwater parameters as per Guidelines for Water Quality Monitoring, 2017, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.”

Water samples are tested in National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited labs to ensure accuracy, and auditing of monitoring locations under NWMP is annually carried out by CPCB through its Regional Directorates, he said.

State Board laboratories participate in the Analytical Quality Control (AQC) carried out by CPCB for proficiency testing, followed by posting of water quality data on the CPCB website, he said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) Marking a historic milestone in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) transport landscape, the Vande Bharat Express officially began its regular services between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar on Saturday.

Northern Railway has confirmed that the semi-high-speed train will operate six days a week, slashing the travel time between the two key destinations to just three hours, a significant reduction from the current six to seven hours by road.

To ensure the safety of passengers and smooth functioning of services, specially trained commando personnel have been deployed at Katra railway station.

Station Superintendent Jugal Kishore Sharma said: “There’s an atmosphere of tremendous excitement among the public. All seats appear to be fully reserved, and the train has eight designated coaches. We are confident that with the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the number of pilgrims will further increase, and in the future, we may need to add more trains. This train will reach Kashmir by passing over the world’s highest railway bridge, which is a proud moment for all of us.”

The launch follows the recent completion of the 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project, which includes the engineering marvel, the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway arch bridge in the world. Two pairs of Vande Bharat trains, Train Nos. 26404/26403 and 26401/26402, will run daily with scheduled halts at Banihal.

Residents are expressing heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Katra-based citizen Shikha Rastogi told IANS: “I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the dream of connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari. I’ve had the privilege of meeting him twice. I urge all Indians to support him because he leads with a vision of growth and positivity. My heartfelt congratulations to him for turning this vision into reality.”

Designed for all-weather conditions, especially the harsh winters of the region, the train features state-of-the-art heating systems, thermally insulated lavatories, heated windshields, and defrosting mechanisms to ensure uninterrupted operation.

Until now, rail connectivity in the region was segmented, with services running only between Banihal and Baramulla in the Valley, and Jammu to Katra in the Jammu region.

This new seamless route is expected to greatly benefit both residents and the influx of pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, as well as boost tourism and regional economic growth.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) With the steadily increasing share of renewable energy in the national grid and promotion of clean and efficient energy technologies, there has been significant decrease of about 7 per cent (from 0.78 kg / KWh in 2014-15 to 0.72 Kg / KWh in 2023-24) in average carbon emission intensity of grid electricity in India, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said that India has already achieved the target of 50 per cent of its installed electricity generation capacity from renewable energy this year, which was fixed for 20230.

“In its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in August 2022, India has targeted to achieve about 50 per cent of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. As of July 31, 2025, the share of non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity has become 50.25 per cent of total installed generation capacity,” Naik said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

India remains firmly committed to combating climate change while simultaneously ensuring energy security, affordability and accessibility as critical inalienable priorities to ensure growth and development alongside the energy transition of the economy towards achieving ‘Net-Zero’ emissions by 2070, he added.

In order to increase the share of renewable energy in India’s electricity generation mix, the government has taken various measures. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued a Bidding Trajectory for the issuance of RE power procurement bids of 50 GW/annum by Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28, and FDI has been permitted up to 100 per cent under the automatic route.

Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) charges have been waived for the inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by June 30, 2025, for Green Hydrogen Projects till December 2030 and for offshore wind projects till December 2032.

Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff-based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar, Wind, Wind-Solar Hybrid and Firm & Dispatchable RE (FDRE) projects have also been issued.

Besides, schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the National Programme on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules, the National Green Hydrogen Mission, and the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Offshore Wind Energy Projects have been launched.

A scheme for setting up of solar parks and ultra mega solar power projects is also being implemented to provide land and transmission to RE developers for installation of RE projects at large scale and laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity has been funded under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power, the minister further stated.

The minister further stated that the government is also promoting the adoption of electric vehicles. Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Automobile and Auto Component Industry has been introduced to boost the manufacturing of electric vehicles. The government has also waived registration and permit fees for EV owners.

The PM E-DRIVE scheme was notified on September 29, 2024, for the promotion of electric mobility and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the country. This scheme aims to incentivise the sale of e-2W, e-3W, e-Trucks, e-Ambulances, and e-buses. The scheme also supports the development of charging infrastructure and the upgradation of vehicle testing agencies.

Besides, the PM e-Bus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism Scheme was introduced on October 28, 2024, and aims to support the deployment of more than 38,000 electric buses. The objective of the scheme is to provide payment security to e-bus operators in case of default by Public Transport Authorities, the minister added.

–IANS

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