Sustainability Outlook

Government to incentivise conversion into gas - based urea units

The government has approved a policy to offer compensation to urea plants running on other fuels for conversion into gas - based units. The government has also approved to provide some leeway to restart naphtha - based facilities if they take to gas as the feedstock before March next year.

PMO orders testing of Patancheru water

Concerned over reports of water at Patancheru in Medak near Hyderabad containing drug residues that are as high as 150 times the levels detected in US, PMO has asked for testing of samples and a report on the composition of the pharmaceutical cocktail within a week.

Authorities begin demolition of illegal houses around Dal Lake

Officials of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) carried out the demolition even as houseboat owners and Dal Lake dwellers demonstrated against the Jammu and Kashmir High Court order directing the Authority to stop forthwith operations of hotels, houseboats and commercial units that have come up in and around the waterbody disregarding conservation regulations.

Punjab Cabinet okays legislation to check water depletion

The state Cabinet accorded approval for the enactment of the Punjab Preservation of Sub Soil Water Act, 2009, in order to stop the depletion of water level. Ground water is depleted on account of early sowing of paddy in the months of April and May. This will now be checked by the conversion of an ordinance into an Act and the presentation of a Bill will come up in the forthcoming session of the state Vidhan Sabha.